Zzzziiiiiissss izzzzz how you are taaaoooohhhhwkin
Crtd 10-10-23 Lastedit 15-09-14
Douglas
Zzzziiiiiissss izzzzz how you are taaaoooohhhhwkin
| My motorcycle, THE vehicle for Kampala traffic, seriously reconditioned,
in my new company colours smart green&yellow, by Douglas, parts: � 151.53 labour: � 24.50 |
Company colours: the truck now for heavy transport through K'la jams, M-cycle for all other moves. Left far, my nun buoy (of course: a yellow plastic bag over the water bottle). The yellow strap in the gaff is accidental: it was the only colour of the appropriate wire for sale. |
One of Roland guards appeared with a "very good mechanic", Douglas. They
eagerly looked at my car and motorcycle.
My car is very much OK, I said. But, pointing at my 20 odd year old 125 cc still
driving, but in most other respects defective Yamaha dirtbike, you can check
this and make me a plan and a price. Douglas returned with a friend and a pickup
containing quite some detached remains I recognized as coming from my
bike, and a list of Ush 400 000 (� 151.53) for parts and Ush 70 000 (�
24.50) for labour. Total reconditioning, replacement of all defective parts,
and a repaint. I gave him most of what I had on me at that moment: Ush 240 000.
He went off. Two days later he reported. Without bike.
"Yes Sir", he said with an uncertain diction, "I work at it, but I need money, I
am a mechanic!"
"Yes but now you are in a bar and there they want to see you pay before they
give you more. And when you don't drink your brain works and the money stays in
your pocket."
"How do you know I am drinking."
"Bfffeeegooozzzz zzzziiiiiissss izzzzz how you are taaaoooohhhhwkin." I carefully
mimick his imbecile facial expression.
"You annoy me"
"No I do not annoy you, I am your friend and I am telling you something which is
good for you". I give him Ush 20 000.
Some days later he appeared again, on my bike this time, though totally
dismantled. Several defects had been repaired. He was drunk but not so badly and
could talk mechanics. I paid the remaining money for parts.
"But my labour..."
"Labour is on delivery...", I said on the cheerful tone of a school master...
what color I wanted.
"Army green"
"But the shock breaker's covers will be yellow"
"That's OK"
Then he reappeared with my bike, looking as new, and running as new. He had
found (not on the part list, not charged) second hand yellow handle covers with
green stars to match the bike and its yellow shock braeker's covers. I gave him the
labour.
"Let me bring you to your workshop so I know how to find you".
Douglas agreed.
At a bar on the way he wanted me to drop him. I refused.
And so we ended up at the gate of his workshop where I asked a friendly woman to
take a picture of us.
In the weeks after, Douglas took habit to call me every other day, from which I concluded I had paid him far to much. Not answering the phone did not help. He kept trying. I had to send him this SMS: "You call me too often. We shall do no more business. Do not call me again". That worked.