Ndakatanga kunzwa mbira ndichienda kumapira. Kwandikanyanya kuenda kwaChihota. Asi ndisati ndaenda kwaChihota pane muzukuru airidza mbira ndichitomuseka, ndichiti “Unoridza mbira, uri mudhara here anoridza mbira?” Iye aitoti, “Ah, inini handingamboregera kuridza mbira. Ndinodzida chaizvo.” Aiswera achiridza kuHighfield, kuCanaan, aiswera achiridza. Saka handina kuzvitora sezvinhu kwazvo.
Saka ndazoti rimwe gore, gore ra1965, ndobva ndaenda kubira, ndobva dzandinakidza. MuHighfields imomo, dzakandinakidza. Saka ndazobvapo, ndobva ndazoona vamwe ambuya vaigara kuMbare. Hanzvadzi dzavo dzaigara kuMbare, ivo vaiuya kuMbare kuhanzvadzi dzavo. Saka vauya ikoko, ndobva ndaenda nemwana wamukoma wangu. Ndobva tanoona, ndobva dzatinakidza chaizvo. Saka taienda weekend yega yega.
Saka ivo ndobva vati “Iye zvino izvi ndakuenda kumusha, mopota muchiuya kumusha.” Saka taienda kwaChihota, kunonzi kuAdam. Mudzimu iwoyo waipotera pana ambuya ivavo, vainzi VaGorwa. Gorwa ndiwo mudzimu wacho, zita racho. Saka tinoremekedza tichiti VaGorwa, asi mudzimu unonzi Gorwa.
Saka taienda ikoko, taiti tikakumuka Friday, toenda. Saturday todzoka, toenda kubasa, tokumuka natwelve, toenda futi kwaChihota kwacho. Asi ndaive ndisina shungu dzekuridza mbira, asi mbira dzaindinakidza.
Saka zvakazoitika, paine mumwe mukomana mudikidiki. Ndikati, “Ha, mwana muduku akadai anoridza mbira! Sei?” Mukomana ainzi Ham, ndozita rake. Airidza naShame, Shame anga ati kure. Shame iyeye anoera Mhofu, ndiNyakudirwa. Saka vakomana ava vairidza, ndobva Shame amboti, “Munoda kufunda here?” Ndikati, “Ndoda kufunda, ridza tione.” Ndobva aridza. Zvino ndakaona kuti hazvingaiti, nokuti nzwara dzacho dzaimhanya zvokuti. Ndikati, “Handifunge kuti ndingazvikwanise izvi.” Zvikanzi, “Sei? Handiti mati munoda kufunda mbira?” Ndikati, “Ha, ndombozvisiya zvakadaro.”
Saka kubva 1965, ’66, tichienda ikoko. Kupedzisira kwa’66 ndobva ndarega kuenda. ’67, mbira dzaigara dzichingodii? Dzichirira musoro mangu.
Saka ’68 muna March, ndobva pane mumwe munhu wandaigara naye aibva kwaMurewa. Saka murume uyu aisevenza kwaLobel, airidzawo mbira. Mukoma wake ndiye aigadzira mbira. Saka mukoma wake adii? Ndobva munin’ina wake ati iye ,“Aiwa, isu zvatingaite ndozvokuti ndakudii? Ndiri kuenda kumusha, ndonotaurira mukoma wangu akugadzirire mbira.” Ndikati, “Ndiri kudzida.”
Saka nguva iyoyo mbira dzanga dzisinganyanye kudhura. Dzaita five dollars, pondo mbiri dzine chumi. Saka aenda uko ndobva anodii? Ndobva auya nadzo, ndobva ndamupa five dollars. Ndobva ati iye, ‘Zvingaitikeka ndozvokuti ugone kuridza, mukoma wangu akauya womubhadara mari inoita two and six” – which is 25 cents – “two and six, okufundisa rwiyo rumwe chete.” Ndikati, “Ha! Hazvingaite.” Zvikanzi, “Sei?” Ndikati, “Ah, imari yakawanda chaizvo,” nokuti kare yanga yakawanda. Ndikati, “Imari yakawanda chaizvo. Kana ndaona kuti handingadzikwanise kudziridza, ndinongodziturika dzogara dziri ipapo ndichidziona.” Zvikanzi, “Horaiti, zvakanaka.” Ndobva ndadii? Ndatora mbira dziye, ndobva pinda mumba.
Ndobva ndagara, ndobva ndagara, ndobva ndagara. Ndikati, “Ha, mbira idzi ndakamboona vakomana vaye vachiridza vachidai, vachidai. Inini ndingazvitadze here izvozvo? Gitare ndakaridza inini ndichiona baba vachiridza, saka ndobva ndatora gitare, ndobva ndaridza. Saka izvozvi hazvingambondinetse.” Ndobva ndatora gwariva riye, ndobva ndabata.
Chimbo chandaida maningi Chipindura. Saka Chipindura chiya chiya ndobva ndatanga kutevedzera, ndobva ndatanga kutevedzera, ndikati, “Ha! Inga zviri kutoita izvi!” Ndobva ndatevedzera futi, ndobva ndatevedzera, ndobva ndazvigona. Saka manheru acho aya ndobva ndaridza. Ndakuridza, ndakuridza, ndakuridza, ndikati “Ha, ndakutogona kuridza mbira ini!”
Chipindura, yakaridzwa naTute Chigamba padambarefu rinonzi Yangu Ndega.
Saka ndobva ndamuka kuseni, ndobva ndaenda kubasa. Ndobva ndadzoka futi manheru, ndikati “Ko, Nhemamusasa?” Ndobva ndaridza futi Nhemamusasa, ndobva ndaigona futi manheru acho ayo. Kupera kwesvondoka, kusvika musi weChishanu, ndanga ndave nedzimbo dzinokwana shanu. Saka kwava kuzoti kuti ndinyatsogadzurudza dzimbo dzacho, hapana munhu wandinoridza naye. Mukomana uye aisevenza usiku, inini ndaisevenza masikati. Aisevenza kubakery usiku.
Nhemamusasa, yakaridzwa naTute Chigamba padambarefu rinonzi Yangu Ndega.
Saka ndikati “Zvandikatoita,” saka paive netape yaBandambira yairidzwa kuseni musi weChitatu. Vairidza tape yeBandambira nokuti ndivo vakatanga kurecordwa maroyalties embira dzachakwi idzi. Taimbonzwa njari, dzakamboridzwa kare kare tichiri vana vaduku. Dzatikanzwa, varipo vamwe vakuru vainzi VaChimanikire vaigara kuGuruve, ndovairidza njari. Ndozonzwa VaMashoko, VaSimon Mashoko, vairidza njari. Saka VaBandambira ndovakazoridza chakwi.
Saka ndaiti kuseni, 6 o’clock, ndomuka, ndovhura radio. Saka pairidzwa dzimbo, dzimbo dzacho dzairidzwa idzodzo ndodzandaidawo futi chaizvo. Ndodzandikauya ndichitsvaga kuti ndiwane anondigadzurudza. Saka ndogadzurudza apa, paradio ipapo. Paradio ipapo, ndogadzurudza. Rukangorira chete Nhemamusasa, ndoziva kuti apa ndakwana. Rukarira Chipindura, ndoziva kuti apa ndakwana. Ndichidaro, kusvika ndapedza dzimbo dzangu dzese.
Ndakuzonzwa vamwe vachiridza manje, ndoteerera. Handaida kuridza, ndaiti handigoni kuridza, asi ndairidza. Ehe, handaida kuridza. Pamwe ndaigona kuvaridzira hosho. Saka ndakazoti, “Ah, ndakugona kudziridza manje.”
Ndichiridza, vadzimai vangu vatengawo dzavo futi, ndobva ndakuvadzidzisa, kusvika takuridza tese. Ehe, tichiridza tese, tobva taridza. Saka ndaidaidzwa kuenda kubira ndichinorara ndiri kubira, ndichiridza ndiri ndega, vadzimai vachiridza hosho. Tikadzoka kumba toridza mbira dzedu, tigere panze.