Andrew
SPONGING on others is a little cross some people will certainly take to the grave.
There are countless characters out there who barely ever have enough to cover their needs and make it a responsibility of those near them to fund their needs.
“Can I have a dollar? I am running short of transport money,” “Please, buy me one beer, the cashier seems not to be having enough change,” “If you don’t buy me a plate of sadza, I will die because I have not eaten for days,” the characters will tell you with a straight face.
With no physical impairment and being of sound minds, one wonders why these characters do not bother searching for jobs so that they can look after themselves soundly.
Sadly, some gainfully employed characters also fall into this category of people who are always looking for help and seem never satisfied with the favours they demand from the people.
Called “parasites”, “zvindakwenya”, “ticks” or “weeds”, these characters are part of every family, work group, class, sex and even church.
They always want to be a burden to others and appear satisfied with that.
“Even if you laugh at me, guys, the honest truth is that I don’t have anything and if you don’t sweep to my rescue, I will continue suffering. Ndibatsireiwo, ndanzwa,” the characters will always say.
As I commit pen to paper, gentle reader, there are some guzzlers who are now finding it convenient to imbibe in the comfort of their homes for fear of being exploited by these parasites.
“I no longer visit the bar these days. I discovered I cannot continue pumping out money for the benefit of some people who almost always never have cash on them. The moment they set sight on you, it is as if you have committed a crime. They will be all over you like puppies, asking for beer and even food. Ndakaneta nazvo ini,” I heard a neighbour telling me in Crowhill last weekend.
His wife concurred and said she, too, was finding it difficult to attend services because of her peers who are always seeking transport from her.
“People can be very tempting. I have stopped going to church because of some women who are always asking for a ride in my car yet they never contribute towards fuel. They also always come without even a cobble to buy themselves a simple bottle of water and having them around is a challenge because you have to pay for their needs,” she said.
However, the case is not confined to churches and bars only.
In family settings, there are people who are always on the road, attending funerals, weddings and parties of relatives.
Their perceived immense love for their kinsfolk is, however, sullied by the fact that these people never have money to contribute towards anything.
All they do is talk all night long and harp on the need to preserve cultural norms and values, but without money to fund some of the advice they give.
“Uncle Thomas was a great man such that burying him in town will be like an insult to our ancestors. We must take him to lie beside our great grandfather,” the characters will say and not pay even a cobble to transport the corpse and mourners to the village.
Workplaces are also awash with people who sponge on others. The moment you appear to accommodate them, you would have committed a crime. These blokes will always be demanding lunch, transport and little everything else from you, even when they know that you are wading through a difficult patch like them.
Gentle reader, let us stop being burdens to one another and ensure we share costs at all times.
Inotambika mughetto.
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