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My Friends:
These days, the dogs are coming back to Mozambique, but it seems the
memories remain. A Tourist brought her Lapdog along on their holiday.
The little pest was beside himself-running around and sniffing out
Africa. My friends, you should have seen the eyes of the Africans,
you should have seen their eyes...! That little doggie created a
huge commotion in the village, everyone came running to watch. And
the Doggie? He didn't know, he just basked in the Limelight.
RENAMO used to come you see. Your dog or your life. Meat, in a 25
year Civil War, comes in many forms. Military conscription as well.
[ RENAMO: the Mozambique National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) -- Editor ]
Alas, my Lapidary Friend was in Zambia. And, as with all things, a
time comes when men have to stand up and be counted. In this case it
was to go to Mozambique. Top quality Blue Sky. Aquamarine, as you
know it. It was in RENAMO territory, during the war. Those of you
that have seen Dark Blue Mozambiquen "Blue Sky" will know why a
Lapidary might do a foolhardy thing for it. Be bewitched by its
Magic Sparkle and beauty. Mmmm.
They were four, driving a Landrover from Lusaka. One was the guide,
who brought the initial "seeds" that culminated in the eventual
escapade. At the Border the Landrover was hidden, and they started
off for the mineral deposit. They walked for a whole day before they
heard the first RENAMO patrol. Having heard it first they could hide
in the bush. When RENAMO comes past, you don't move for an hour, you
sweat, you pray, but you do not move. Only after the second hour
passed and no rear guard showed up did they continue their journey.
At that stage they were closer to the "mine" than the border. Two of
the Gemhunters were afraid by now, since they did not know that
RENAMO was in the area. It seems that valour goes down when not
looking at Sparkling Gemstones, but rather at RENAMO Guerrillas.
They walked through the night as well. Heard another Patrol, hid, and
lived. Soon after that they found the first body, hanged in a tree. So
only my Lapidary Friend and the guide was left. The other two
Gemstone Mercenaries decided to make for the border, and they were
never seen again. Alas, it was not to be. Everyone at the mine were
slaughtered.
Or nearly everyone. The only survivor was a Zambiano. RENAMO let him
live because he wasn't Mozambiquen. They only tortured him by forcing
his feet unto Red Hot Coals. But he was alive, and he was Zambian,
and was he glad to see my Lapidary Friend.
It seems that the exquisite Aquamarine sparkle had diminished a bit
by then. Its magic was wearing off.
For every body they buried, a bit of Gemstone magic smeared off.
Burying miners under their own Rose Quartz, which they hammered out
of the Pegmatite stone for stone. It changes one's perception of
Gemstones, adds a hardness and glint to the eye which not even money
can equal, or Mohs Scale measure.
As I said, there comes a time when men have to stand up and be
counted. That time was at hand again. Two days' walk from safety,
exhausted and with a crippled Zambiano at hand. Gems are measured in
Carats my friends, but not the hearts of men. But not the hearts of
men. What do you do when your Aquamarine Safari goes horribly wrong,
and you have to hold your own heart against the light, looking for
inclusions. When you have to weigh yourself, put everything you are
on the scale. What do you do? Where do you align the cut, and what
material do you leave? What cut do you make.
It took them a week, cutting straight for the border. But then again,
it was without food, carrying a Zambiano at night on a wooden
stretcher. The ironic thing is they nearly got shot by the Zambian
Army crossing the border. It seems the testimony of the Zambiano on
the stretcher helped a bit. That Lapidary Friend drove the Landrover
back to Lusaka, dropped the Zambiano right at the Hospital.
Terrible terrible, this business of ours, he told me. Terrible
terrible.
My friends, I look at a Gemstone, and I wonder.
Mmmn.
Be blessed
Justice Malanot
Central East Africa
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Copyright, 1996 by Justice Malanot
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Justice Malanot travels through Africa making arrangements for the gemstones that are marketed through Gemaco (Gem Exporting and Marketing Company). He is due back from his current expedition in mid-December. Look
for more Justice Malanot stories in future issues.
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For more information on Mozambique, read the U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Sheet on Mozambique or this 1993 report on Mozambique human rights practices.
