Zambia World Wide

Among the friends that had gathered at the station in Lusaka, on that December morning in 1964, to bid the Miller's adieu, was Lefty our good friend and houseboy for nearly six years.

As time approached for the train to leave, each one of us embraced our friends with hugs and kisses making promises to keep in touch. Lefty like the others kept a stiff resolve, allowing only tears to well up in his eyes, that was until my Grandmother, Mary Mees, lovingly known by all as Nana, hugged him, rivers of tears flowed from both of them, she shared a few private words, gave him a motherly kiss and boarded the train.

Lefty, who came from a village North of Isoka, near the borders of Tanganyika and Nyasaland, came to Lusaka early in 1958. He went door to door looking for employment. His quest ended when he arrived at 4 York Road, asked for a job, and was immediately hired as a garden boy.This was the start of a very special relationship between Lefty and Nana.

After a few months,the Miller's were with out a houseboy, and with Nana's persuasion, my parents agreed to promote Lefty, despite the fact that he lacked many of the skills to become the domestic engineer. Being industrious, he asked also to keep his duties as the grounds keeper of the Miller Estate.

Lefty was a quick learner under Nana's tutorage. She taught him about dusting, always to remember to dust the spars under the chairs, unwrap the hand soap to let it harden, ironing, polishing, laundry and a multitude of other tips and skills.

Then came that fatal Monday morning when it was decided that Lefty would fly solo and do the laundry. Nana retired to the living room and after several minutes, Lefty rushed through the door in obvious distress and confessed that he had broken the washing machine. Nana proceeded to the laundry room and burst into laughter as she was greeted by a mountain of white suds being belched out of the washing machine and creeping along the red polished floor. That was the last time Lefty used a full box of Surf to do one load of laundry.

Nana taught Lefty how to cook and shared with him her secret recipe for Scottish Pancakes that she would serve her friends when they came for afternoon tea. Lefty soon displayed his culinary talents as a very proficient cook.

Costas, Lefty's wife joined him in 1959 and they made their home in the servants' quarters at the back of our house. Costas and Lefty were a great team as they worked together around the house and garden. Then in 1962, there was much excitement when Costas gave birth to a son, Jacob. Mum showed Costas how to bathe the baby and Nana was always there with her grandmotherly advice. Jacob would accompany his Mum as she worked around the house, and Nana would constantly dote over him.

A couple of months before we left Zambia, Costas and Jacob returned to their village to be later joined by Lefty.

Despite several attempts to contact Lefty by mail, even writing to the District Officer in Isoka, we never heard from our friend again.