Page 179 - Real English 2024 Book 8

A GOOD DEED COMES ROUND

I started to worry that the red-eyed sergeant
might shoot me to impress his comrades. 26
On the second day we finally reached

their base. I was presented to the camp
commander, a small man in olive fatigues.
27
As he listened to the long report of my
capture, his dinner arrived. I was ordered to

wait.
Until now I had not understood the
languages they were speaking – a mixture
of northern Mozambican and Malawian
28
dialects interspersed with phrases of
Portuguese. But now I distinctly heard the

commander give orders to his servant in
chiNdau, a dialect used by the Ndau people.
I listened a little longer to be sure, and then tentatively greeted the
29
commander in what I could remember of chiNdau.
He was amazed.

‘Where did you learn this language?’ he asked. I told him I had
lived in Chimanimani mountains, on the Rhodesian side, as a boy.
‘What is your family name?’ he asked.
‘Godwin.’
‘Godwin,’ he said thoughtfully, turning over the name. ‘Was
your mother the doctor on that side?’ ‘Was your mother the

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘She was the government medical officer for the doctor on that side?’
Melsetter district.’
He smiled and shook his head, and put out his hand for an
African handshake.
‘She was the one who vaccinated me when I was a child.’ Pulling

up his sleeve, he showed me a small vaccination scar on his shoulder.
‘Did you ever go with your mother to help her?’ he asked.
I nodded.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘You gave me the sugar medicine. I remember
now. We put out our tongues and you came down the row with a tray companions in a battle
26.
of lumps and put one on each tongue.’ (here) a soldier’s uniform
27.
‘Look now,’ he said. ‘I grew up strong.’ forms of a language spoken
28.
In a few minutes I had been elevated from hostage to honoured in specific regions
30
guest. I was ushered to a seat at the commander’s right hand. My hesitantly
29.
capturing sergeant had melted away. raised to a higher position
30.

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