The Sunday Mail
SCARLET roses, sweet fragrances and public display of affection were the order of the day as people celebrated love on Wednesday, which was St Valentine’s Day.
Others wore seductive and swanky apparel on the day and treated their loved ones to expensive dinners and sweet soul music.
The well-heeled even hired trumpeters and guitarists to drive the love message into the ears of their loved ones in well-measured proportions.
They also topped it all with an exchange of expensive gifts like cars and even houses.
“Mumwe akati wake ane mateya, umwe akati wake mutsvukutsvuku, hanzi wangu ndizvondizvo. Hanzi wangu ane nhingirikini panhingirikini,” I heard this beautiful song by Tanga Wekwa Sando playing, sending lovers into a frenzy.
Gentle reader, if there is anything that is so soothing and invigorating, then it is this feeling of being loved and appreciated.
Florists who spoke to this writer said they had a great day in office.
“Nhasi ndachipura chibhanzi. Ndairova mari because lovers were spending heartily. It was good business and I wish people can go a little deeper and spend more,” said one florist by the name of Simbarashe Manimanzi.
“My takings for the day were very good and I really cannot complain. I have benefitted immensely from this story of love,” he continued.
His colleague, Mr Tellmore Nyakabau, added his voice to the discussion.
“I am glad to be in this business of stoking love fires through flowers. People in love are pleasant to be near to because apart from being generous, they spend from the heart and pull out all the stops to make the day exciting. Ndatodzidzawo zvimwe zvidobi zverudo kuburikidza nebasa rangu,” he said.
Hoteliers and those running lodges were equally pleased with the business they enjoyed. But not everyone was happy about St Valentine’s Day.
A pretty good number of Zimbabweans feel the day is a celebration of harlotry, and not productive at all.
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“Flowers? Buying flowers for what? That is a very useless endeavour that I will never be involved in. I have pressing issues to contend with other than trading petals. Do you know that people survive on food and not flowers?
“How on earth would someone think that buying flowers is the real deal? I would rather send my children to school than do that kind of rubbish,” bellowed Mr James Maonde of Crowhill.
“If anything, after spending a fortune on flowers, you are sure to get home and find bills waiting for you. Hapana chinomira. Let us not throw money down the latrine, we have pressing issues to contend with,” he said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Mrs Rhoda Muswere of Mufakose.
“My mother has been ill for a long time after she suffered a stroke. At this point in my life, I need to commit all resources at my disposal towards ensuring that she lives in comfort than spending on childish things like flowers. Flowers are good, but that kind of culture is alien to us as Africans. Rather, we express love through tangible things like buying food and building homes for our dear families,” she said.
Mr Kizito Changunda of Domboshava equally dismissed St Valentine’s Day. “That is a useless celebration. What do our children learn from that? It does not build families at all. It actually scars our dignity. Siyanai nezvinhu zvevarungu mhani. Ko maitwa sei?”
Gentle reader, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, but celebrating love is worth it.
Inotambika mughetto.
Feedback: rosenthal.mutakati@ zimpapers.co.zw
