My wife makes me happy. You know what makes me happy: my family. I come from a family of 10. And brought up by mom only, yeah, because dad died when I was just six months old. So mom managed to bring us up, managed to take everyone to school, and she made sure that I had to complete school. That’s why she went back to the village when I started working. So our first born, by that time my dad was dying, my sister was older she was in college and when dad died she helped. She helped everyone who was coming to the hospital because she was in nursing school. She helped my mom also. So we all help each other. We are all used to help each other. So we all know working together. So when we come as one, there is an occasion, that is the time when I feel we are really one as a family. That is what make me happy. I have nine brothers and sisters. I am the last. So everyone look up on me and make sure I am okay. I feel very good about my family. There are families that…which are not organized, they are quarreling and they are enemies in the family. But our family, I think mom made us just to be like, I don’t know… Yes, my mom is still alive. She is now…she was born in 1934, so 76 this year. I am now 36 and I will be 37.
I am married with three sons. I wanted to have more [children] but our economy is not good. I thought I was going to have two children, so when I had my first son, I thought I was going to have a girl next. But it was a boy. So we stayed in Livingstone a little while longer thinking we would give it another try, it was another boy. So now I’m done. I wanted a girl. So I don’t think I will have another child. My wife is my only girl. She is the only one and I am keeping four nephews. So only boys. Three sons and four nephews who live with us. My work does work, she works on the boat, I don’t know if you went for the cruise. Yes. She works on the African Queen [dinner cruise boat], she is one of the waitrons there. So, this makes me happy. Especially keeping my boys. I am a soccer fan and my boys play. My first born is a very good soccer player, so he plays in the under 16 [league]. So I usually go to watch him play. I’m a supporter for Manchester. All of my three boys are supporters for Manchester, so during those games, yeah. I get off work at 5. [When I get home] mostly just watching television, mostly just sport. Because in my house, even my wife, because she used to play soccer, so she likes soccer so much. So when you put another channel, because I like CNN to watch the news, but then ‘no, no, no’ because there is a soccer game on. Then my other boy, my nephew, likes basketball, so on ESPN, because there is always mostly basketball so we watch. I think my family makes me so happy. I like my life. To change? I don’t think of changing to anything, just want to travel somewhere. That is my dream, that is America. I want to travel to see America. That is what I really want to do. That’s where my heart is, to see America. I think I can try to do that. Maybe after the kids are gone. My first son is 15 born in 1994. The nephews are all old. The biggest one is now 18, there’s one finishing this year. Yeah, my family.”
-Eliko Phiri, 36
Livingstone, Zambia
[transcribed including his diction]
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