ONE OF US

"Wake up! Wake up!", Samson, who was the eldest of the group of band of street kids as well as the leader, ran along the row of sleeping boys directing random kicks at their sides as they slept on pavement in the city centre of a million.

Groaning and yawning, they squinted their eyes against the rays of the early morning sun. It was the beginning of yet another day and yet another struggle for survival on the harsh streets of capital which were fast becoming jammed with the bustle of honking traffic as people rushed off to their various places of work, and smoke rising in the distance from the factories on the other side of the city.

This bunch thrown together by the harsh reality of life on the streets, had become a family of sorts drawing strength from the boisterous Samson, a lanky teenager of around 17years of age whom they looked up to without question in his role as protector cum, cum leader, cum father figure, to provide leadership, and with it some limited sense of stability, without which they felt certain they would not have been allowed to cope on the streets alone.

Recently added to the ragtag outfit, was the band's youngest member, Luckson Lungu (9) or lucky Lungs as he was affectionately known by the others, though he was not feeling particularly lucky that morning as he awoke to one of Samson's jabs connecting with his ribs. and the angry growling of his empty belly. Last night he had fallen as Yawning and rubbing the gum of sleep from his eyes, he sat up next to his best friend Reuben, an easy going teenager of about 13years of age, who had befriended Luckson when he found him wandering the streets looking lost and alone.

It was Reuben who had been instrumental in welcoming Luckson to the gang.

Watching a mother walking a young child smartly dressed in a school uniform complete with blazer, Luckson was taken back in time to his very first day of school when his mother had accompanied after an exciting morning when he had been woken up early to start making preparations. His proudest moment had been when after bathing he had finally put on his uniform with his mother's assistance of course. How he had stood for the longest time beaming from cheek to check with unsuppressed joy, watching himself on the wardrobe mirror

He remembered how happy his mother had looked sharing in her her young son's joy. Luckson still clearly recalled that day, his mother's beautiful smile, the smell of her perfume.

More than once when he had passed in front of the house in Granite park, he once called him, he had imagined his mother was inside waiting for him. The memories seeming so tangible that they grabbed at they pulled at the strings of heart making him want to stand front of the gate for the longest time and just soak in the precious moments, had Reuben had not dragged him away. Luckson felt, not only away from the gate but also from the joyous memories of laughter that once rippled through the house, but also from the excitement he had once felt in his heart when he would hear his daddy's car in the drive way and he run outside to greet him. His mommy would call out after him in vein reminding to put on his slippers as he rushed past her in the kitchen.

Oh those had been the days, before the great tragedy that had befallen him and shattered his world.

On that fatedul day Luckson's parents were attending a company cocktail party to celebrate his father's promotion to the post of Chief Financial Officer. His mother had left him with strict instructions not to let any one into the house until they returned. She had made sure he had everything he would need, a large pizza for supper, a 2litre fizzy drink of his choice plus his favourite potato crisps.

Later that evening while he had been patiently awaiting parents return the door bell had rang and he went to answer it expecting to hear his parents on the other side of the door.

However when he called out, " who is it!?", and heard a male voice reply,"police", he had a feeling that the instruction not to open the door to strangers did not apply in this case. After all they had been taught at school that the police were their friends, whom they could trust. Being the clever child he was, he took the precaution to peep through the door viewer to convince himself that the people standing beyond the door were indeed police officers. On seeing two uniformed police officers, one male, the other female, he opened the door and the two officers walked in through into the house.

"We have some grave news to tell you said the male officer, can we sit".

Luckson led them to the living room where they set on the sofas.

The police officers looked at each other uneasily unsure how to proceed. Then at a nod from the male officer the female officer had gently broke the sad news. She spoke slowly and deliberately, keeping her eyes on him as though expecting that he might start to cry at any moment while the male officer looked on in sympathy. That day Luckson had surprised them both and remained composed as the female officer had broken the news to him that his parents had died in a car accident. The male officer had praised him for conducting himself like a man and not crying. But far from it, it was only that his pride would not let him cry in front of them. As soon as the two officers had left, and he locked the door behind them, he gave in to the flood of emotion that he had battled to contain bottled up inside him and broke down, weeping like a baby.

In the weeks and months that followed, Luckson had to see his parents relatives but as the days turned into weeks, he began to wonder , "where was uncle Nicholas who had been always been a constant visitor when his parents were still alive and would always bring him chocolate or dotting aunty Dorothy who would always spoil him with sweets and other treats, why were they suddenly no longer visiting, had they not heard of his parents death?"

There was simply no one to answer the questions that nagged him in the early days of his parents death. He could only do his best to pick up the pieces of his shattered world and continue with his life, falling into a routine of sorts, and for a while he seemed to be coping quite well. The house was well provisioned with the basics of life as his father had been in the custom of buying groceries in bulk. A pantry full to the brim meant Luckso would be well catered for, for at least some months.

All had seemed in order then one day his class teacher, the kindly Miss Rwodzi had told him that the headmaster wanted to see him.

"If you need someone to talk to, I 'm here", she had added looking sympathetically into his eyes and followed him with her eyes as Luckson got up from his desk and proceeded to the headmaster's.

Upon knocking at the door, he was promptly answered with a impersonal, "come in!"

As Luckson walked in and came to stand before the headmaster's desk, Mr Chirodzi 's tone softened.

"Sit sit my boy", Mr Chirodzi urged gesturing to one of the visitors' chairs on the other side of the office desk in front of him.

Taking a sit, Luckson brought up the subject of his visit, "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes yes, my boy", said Mr Chirodzi seeming a bit uncomfortable.

"Your school fees for second term have not been paid. I understand your situation and if it were up to me I would pay your fees myself. But times are hard, and I have three school going kids of my own plus my wife is expecting our fourth child".

"I understand sir", calmly replied Luckson".

"If it were up to me I would let the matter slid", said Mr Chirodzi but the school belongs to the mine. The matter is completely out of my hands".

Mr Chirodzi paused to let what he said sink in before proceeding as Luckson quietly stared at him. "Here", Mr Chirodzi reached for a paper on his office tray which he stamped it and handed it over to Luckson.

"You must take this form to one of your parents relatives. You can not continue like this, surely one of them must take you in. As for now I 'm afraid you have to leave the school until your tuition is sorted ".

Taking the stamped form from Mr Chirodzi's hand, Luckson stood up and walked back to the classroom to collect his satchel.

That same evening Luckson had another visitor in the form of Mr Panganai the mine's chief accountant he had been a close friend of his father and a regular visitor. Luckson who was fond of the soft spoken gentleman of who was in his mid 40s was only too happy to open the door. The chief accountant was as usual formerly dressed in one of his trade mark business suits. He was accompanied by another man also wearing a suit..

"What do you think of the house, Mr Masiya?"

Mr Panganai asked the other man as Luckson as they walked into the house

"I like it", the other man replied.

"Is this the boy you were referring to asked the other man identified as Mr Masiya referring to Luckson.

"He will be moving in with relatives , the company will assist with transport to help him move out with his family's belongings", replied Mr Panganai.

That had marked the end of a legacy for Luckson Lungu.

Looking at the house as he was led away he wondered about the family that now lived there, wondering if they had found the same happiness he had once experienced when he lived there with his mommy and daddy. He wondered about the little girl with the brightly coloured ribbons on her pigtails whom he had seen playing outside before she was called inside by the her mother, just his mother once. The thought made saddened.

He was suddenly aroused by Samson's boisterous voice close to him as the bigger boy leaned over him mockingly calling out,"Earth to Luckson, do you read!". Samson was wearing bemused smile on his face.

"Hey wake over hear!" , Samson called out before straightening up and addressing all the boys, "Sleeping until this hour of the day!", Samson scolded, "what's the matter with you boys, aren't you hungry!?"

At that last remark everyone became fully attentive.

"Do you have a plan boss?", one of the boys asked his tone pregnant with hope.

"What's my name?", Samson asked with more than a hint of pride in his tone.

"Samson! Samson!", the other boys loudly began to chant in response, drawing the attention of several passersby.

Basking in the warmth of the wave of support from his loyal followers, Samson raised his hands for calm before proceeding.

"I have a plan, there is new bakery at the end of the block which is why chose this place for us to sleep on this particular pavement.

"Gentlemen breakfast is waiting, let's go get it", and with that Samson turned away and set off on a trot in the direction of the bakery. The others quickly scrambled to their feet and ran after Samson with Luckson bringing up the rear. Reuben looking back with sympathetic expression urged Luckson to catch, but he was simply not fast enough.

Upon reaching the bakery, Samson the master mind gathered called the boys together to strategize, assigning them roles they were to play as he laid out his plan to "liberate" a loaf of bread fresh from the oven The thought of the warm confectionery coupled with the delicious aroma of fresh baking wafting through the air made their mouths to water with a ravenous appetite.

Samson marshalled his troops, positioning them to spring into action the moment he gave the signal for the operation to begin. Himself, he would remain outside, supervising and observing the carrying out of the mission.

"Got it!?", Samson asked looking around at the faces of huddled around him.

"Yes bro!", they replied in unison.

"Go!" Samson ordered and the boys fanned out to take up strategic positions in the bakery. The boys walked into the bakery separately pretending not to know each other quietly signaling each other with their eyes as they moved into position.

At a signal from Samson a boy snatched a loaf from a batch of freshly baked bread that had just been laid out on a tray to cool down. Quickly tossing the confection through the air, from one boy to another along the line of boys stretching dotted between the other shoppers who were slow to catch on to what was happening.