Shona and Ndabele

The village school hired a Shona teacher, a political refugee from Zimbabwe and a science teacher. The American Peace Corps volunteer worked with the Shona teacher. The Shona teacher's name was Elder. The volunteer liked Elder but the other Zimbabwe teachers at the school all refugees were suspicious of Elder. Elder despised the Ndabele and hated much more the American. A month into the term the government school threw a party and invited the teachers from the village school. Elder got drunk and shouted his rage at the American teacher. "He is a spy, a spy. We must punish him." An Ndabele teacher named Dumisani stepped from the crowd. "He is no Boer, you know," he said to Elder. Elder raged against the American until Shadrack and others, Shadrack Dumisani's older brother, stepped from the crowd around the kegs of beer with a rubber hose and beat Elder to the ground. Shadrack and others took turn beating Elder until the volunteer walked over and stood between Elder and the rubber hose now red with Elder's blood. The crowd returned to their beer. When no one was looking the volunteer hit Elder in the nose twice very hard and knocked him out.