In a small village on the hillsides of Mount Kamwala in Tanzania, a group of friends gathered to lay to rest an 88-year-old family matriarch who had lived most of her life in Dar es Salaam. The group, consisting of clansmen and women, had a parochial view that they were special and true human beings, with their own unique culture and traditions. They believed that their foods, village, ancestral land, burial places, and rites were the most beautiful.
The day of the burial was a mournful one, but it also had its good side, as it reunited everybody with clansmen and women they had not met for ages. After finalizing the burial, some of the group members decided to make a trip to a local shopping center to wet their throats. They ended up at Kwa Sammy, a popular eating and drinking outfit, where they enjoyed juicy, fried beef and cold drinks.
The group, which included the narrator, his younger brother Tyson, and cousin Sele, was treated to special attention by Mama Sammy, the owner of Kwa Sammy, as they were city people from Dar es Salaam. Sele ordered a big cold safari, while Tyson ordered a cold Sere Laiti and a warm Castro Laiti for the narrator. Mama Sammy served them personally, accompanied by her amiable assistant, Neema.
As they sat at their table, they noticed a senior uncle and two cousins at a nearby table, who had also come to rest the 88-year-old family matriarch. The narrator decided to walk over to them and say hi, ordering them one-on-one drinks before returning to rejoin Tyson and Sele. The group enjoyed their drinks and food, with beer going down nicely when accompanied by nicely cooked meat.
As the night wore on, the group continued to drink and socialize, with the narrator having four bottles of beer, Tyson having six, and Sele having eight. However, when one of their cousins, David, walked up to their table and said his brother and their old man were already waiting for him at their car outside, the narrator considered himself the senior-most clansman and responded on behalf of the group.
The narrator told David that they had had enough to drink and were about to leave, and David did not insist further, saying goodnight and leaving. The group's decision to leave was likely influenced by the late hour, as it was close to 10 pm, which was considered very late by village standards.
The incident highlighted the importance of social gatherings and cultural traditions in rural Tanzania, where food and drinks play a significant role in bringing people together. The group's experience at Kwa Sammy was a testament to the warm hospitality and special treatment that city people receive when they visit their rural homes.
Key points
- The group's cultural traditions and social gatherings are an integral part of their identity and way of life.
