The last lesson from a growing teacher

 Its a clan meeting.

This one is an exercise in spontaneity.  Nigel has driven me here and
we start immediately.

With no instructions whatsoever, we are expected to go straight into complex choreographed ritual.
I dont really know what I am supposed to be doing, but then my mbira comes in very handy as without it I really would not know what I was doing. What I'm playing on it seems to be in harmony with what everyone else is doing, so I just keep playing.

One of my problems with spontaneity this time is that I try too hard. I am closing my eyes and trying to merge, but simon tells me it will be easier if I just relax and open my eyes.  You see, you can't try to be spontaneous - it just happens when you get into the spirit of things. When I get this, everything falls more into place and instead of the spontaneity around me seeming like a meaningless cufubble it all seems clear.

-

I'm now with tara on the allotments.

I see a crow behaving very strangely, its as if its trying to talk to
me. "What are you saying crow?" I ask. It caws strangely into the air, and  I take it as an omen that this might be a dream.

Tara has been helping on the allotment. One of the things she has been
doing was collecting the scraps of bread and such like and helping
feed the birds by sticking the bread high up where they can get to
them safely. She is also helping me get ready for the ceremony for rich
tomorrow.

Its a new thing, this allotments, for her but she seems to be getting
lots out of it.

-

We go into the old church. Richard is alive. He's not died. Well not yet at least. He spoke to some doctors who gave him a new heart but they said it would only last to the end of this years growing season. He decided to take this option as it meant that he could finish his growing course.

We all turn up at the church to receive his final lessons. He's got
his teaching material all ready and he has a big smile on his face. He
is glad to see so many people turned up. He looks like a true old
wizard now. This latest dicing with death has added on the years
tremendously. He is ever so cheerful now as well.