The First Wealthy Malawian

On a particular trip to the market, that I was going on in order to buy various parts for the various things I try to put together for demonstrations or repairs, I got a lift from Eva and Sr. Salo who were going to the House at Bakhita Primary in town.  They dropped me off and I walked from shop to shop trying to explain what I needed.  Despite all of my discription attempts and hand waving the best I got were confused looks and referals to other shops.  I finally found a few things that weren't exactly what I needed but just might work.  It's been awhile and there were other part hunts since then, but it's safe to say that they didn't.  Anyways, I stopped in at the Seven Star Superette for a cold drink while waiting for Eva to return and was sitting in in front of the store when a ragged Malwian with a backpack decided that he just might be able to convince me to give him money for bus fare to the next town.  His reason was that a dog had bit him a long time ago and now he has pains up the entire side of his body.  The next town, Ntcheu, was the only place to get the medicine he needed.  He showed me his leg, and while it wasn't exactly pretty, I couldn't make out any sign of a dog bite.  While I am not opposed to assisting people in serious need, I also don't make a habit of handing out money to every Malawian who asks for it.  I told him I wasn't going to give him the money.  Seeing that I wasn't trying to get away from him he sat next to me for a conversation which was fine since I was just waiting for my ride.  Talking with locals in the market can be interesting but it's often difficult to get past the fact that I am not giving them money, buy what they are selling, or going to be pen pals.  This man fortunately got past the money situation and talked about how he was the first wealthy man in Malawi.  He said that he had even traveled to Mozambique (Next door not that impressive), Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and South Africa upon which he produced a small bag of coins from the various countries.  He then mentioned that he was a political prisoner during the time of Kamuzu Banda.  I wasn't too interested until he rummaged through his pack and pulled out his letter of release that looked as official as anything looks in Malawi.  We talked a little while longer until he offered to sell some of his coins (back to the money situation).  With such a good story and the offer of coins from countries that don't even exist anymore, I was pretty much sold.  While looking through the coins again, the man very abruptly chased away a group of kids looking to get in on the action by yelling and swinging his pack around at them.  That kind of soured me on the deal and I might have been convince otherwise, but just then Eva pulled up and I took that as my exit from the uncomfortableness.