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Alexander is saying in a philosophical way that working people expect to be promoted. The snag with promotion is that it kills initiative.

There is no need for taking risks by starting own companies if one can drive a company car given them and have their children paid school-fees for.
There is no problem if promotion goes to one who knows work; the problem comes when it goes to a fool.
Others seem to make mistakes on purpose so as to make life miserable.

Communication breaks down; work lurches on from one crisis to another crisis; things can only go right by a miracle; conditions at work become unbearable.
Now, Alois Nyemba plays soccer for his school in Chitungwiza. They play in the DMB Cup final at Chibuku Stadium against Mufakose.
Alois is afraid that Tapiwa can take his jersey from him. He loses interest in flying colours for his school.

Tapuwa sprains his ankle and the coach tells Alois that he will play in Tapuwa’s place.
“People in Chi-town have been waiting for this match with red eyes,” says Alois.
“I see a cold, silent finger snapping at me. I’m not the one who made Tapuwa to sprain his ankle.

“I’ve become the black sheep of this school. I can’t see us beating Mufakose. I’ll tell Mr Soko when we’re in the dressing room, just before kick-off, that I can’t play. I don’t want to humiliate myself.”
A big crowd has gathered in Chibuku Stadium to cheer Chitungwiza to victory.
The team will let people of Chi-town down if they lose this match.
Alois is waiting in the changing room with other players to get their jerseys. He thinks that other players despise him because he can’t play like Tapuwa.

“It’s time I told Mr Soko that I can’t play,” he says, trembling with emotion.
“He is holding out number 11 jersey to me. Let me keep my head down.
“I can feel tears rolling down my cheeks. Other players are looking at me. I don’t want them to see that I’m crying.

“Ah! Something heavy has filled my chest. I can’t breathe; I’m suffocating; I’m going to die; I don’t want to die!”
Then, something snaps inside Alois Nyemba.
He can’t say what’s happening to himself.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. The stadium roars with excitement.
“I’ll just play and see what happens,” says Alois.
“I do it because Mr Soko said I should. Otherwise I’m not interested.”

In the dying minutes, Alois scrambles up from the heap where he has fallen with other players.
He sees the ball still loose on the edge of the penalty box. The teams are tied one a piece.

Alois Nyemba, with his eyes shut, slams a shot that tears away from his boot with a scream.
Ecstatic fans turn Chitungwiza upside down joy.
The referee blows the final whistle.

Alexander was born in Chivu in 1951. He attended Marymount Mission, Kutama College and St Paul Teacher’s College and the University of Zimbabwe.
After the struggle in which he fought, Alexander took up farming and journalism.
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