Day's Diary

March 6 , 2007 ~ An Inadvertent Business Partner

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Without my realizing it, I have gone into business with a most affable African wood carver. I started out to be a patron of the art and have become a proprietor of an art shop, inadvertently. The genius behind this maneuver is a fellow, some of you know, Amos Tambala. Amos has brought his work to Grace Bandawe in the past. Many of the nativity sets and Noah’s Arks that are enjoyed in Pittsburgh were crafted by Amos. That is actually how he presented himself to me.

Shortly after I arrived at Zomba, Amos arrived at my door. He introduced himself in the context of people I know or know of. He began with the Pittsburgh connection of Dave Carver and Dan Merry and his shipment of things to Ten Thousand Villages. Then he moved to the PC(USA) and Nancy Dimmick and then to Canada and the Sherbinos. He lamented that all of his good customers had returned home or were returning home but then he was so grateful to God for sending me. Before I could say anything, he insisted that he had not come to sell me anything, but rather to welcome me and to let me know that he was available if there were groups coming that might appreciate his work. He then presented me with a lovely cross that he insisted was a welcome gift, not for sale. I thanked him and he left.

He returned the next week with a bag of his crafts that he wanted to show me. They are well done, much better than most that are brought to my door or that I pass on the street. He suggested that he leave a few things here for groups that were coming, so they could see his work. When I told him there were no groups coming until May, he said that was better, since he needed time to stock the crafts, since he makes them all himself and each piece takes time. You can’t rush art, you know. Then he asked if there were anything I might be interested in, and began to describe some of his “best” pieces. I got hooked at the giraffe, when he described two about 3 ½ to 4 feet tall, looking at one another. I asked how much. He had me. He said just about $60. (He gave the price in dollars, not kwacha for my benefit, I know). Then he translated it to kwacha. It sounded better in English. K8,000 was a bit to swallow as I was adjusting to the exchange rate. I said I would think about it and he said that he would bring some for me to see the next time he came.

About a week later he was back with two beautiful giraffe in light wood with big eyes and delicate features, looking at one another. I bought them. I was a patron at this point. But he also brought several other pieces for “display.” He asked if I could just keep them for him, then he would not have to carry so many things down when the groups come. I said I wasn’t really comfortable having they sit around when he could sell them elsewhere. He assured me it was no problem. So in addition to the Noah’s ark and the nativity he had left before, he left three African figures, a warrior, an man going to the garden and woman with a basket on her head and a baby on her back. Each figure stands about 18 inches. He also left the most realist crocodile, with fanged teeth, about 2 feet long. Him I do not like.

He insisted that I keep them and we could talk when he came back and he came back in about a week. This time he had a 6 foot giraffe with him, the momma, he said. I said I couldn’t afford her and he said she was not for sale. She was a gift to me but there was one thing I could do, if possible, to help him. He suggested a small “investment” in wood, for that is the expense he has. If I could advance him just a bit of money, say K3,000, he could get wood and get to work on more things for the groups. He would repay the investment when we sold things. I felt a bit caught, but it was less than $30 and I could afford that. He made out a “slip of deposit” for me, so we could keep good records of my investment. Without my knowing it, I had just moved from patron to silent partner.

Amos drops in or calls about once a week. If it is a phone call, it is to let me know that he will not be coming, since he is in Mzuzu or Livingstonia or some place in the north meeting with a group there, but he will be back within the week. When he comes, he brings more stock. So far I have “invested” about $100 and have half a closet in my spare room full of his art work, waiting for the first group, if they are interested. The thing is, he is very good, both as an artist and as a salesman. His pieces are sitting around my living room because some of them are too large to store. I have become a proprietor, my living room as the display room. Everyone who comes to visit, comments on how nice the pieces are, especially the giraffe. I’m fond of the giraffe; I just haven’t figured out how I will possibly get them home. It would be nice to have them as a reminder of my days in Malawi as an inadvertent business partner.