Beating The Odds – Episode 4

Beating The Odds – Episode 4
 
© Brian Ngoma
 
As feared, Mayi Tasha was taken away after three nights and she was never brought back. Kayila asked the warden about her but she was told Mayi Tasha was sick and needed medical attention. She knew what had happened but there was no one she could talk to. Every single day, she kept hoping to see her prison sister come into the cell but that day never came. Tasha cried for her mother but eventually stopped. Kayila ensured that Tasha never felt motherless. She took good care of her as she did Kani.
 
“Mayi!” six-year-old Tasha called Kayila.
 
“What is it baby?” she answered.
 
“It’s Kani, he has pooped,” Tasha covered her nose.
 
Kayila got up. “Where is he?” she asked.
 
“He’s playing.”
 
“Let’s go,” Kayila told Tasha. The two walked to where Kani was. They found him sited all stuffed up with faeces. “Kani, what did I tell you about pooping in your p-nts?” she asked him.
 
All Kani could say was Mayi. She cleaned him and left him with Tasha on the sun to dry up. “Make sure the clothes dry up and dress him. Come back after he’s dried up we go to the dining hall,” she instructed Tasha.
 
“Okay Mayi,” Tasha smiled.
 
Tasha’s memory had faded. The only mother she knew was Kayila and Kani was her little brother. “Don’t go anywhere Kani, play there,” she ordered him.
 
Kani looked at Tasha and began playing on his own while she looked after him. Kayila had gone back to the cells. Her two inmates were sick and she was tending to them. She ensured that her children were not in the cells during the day. She could only hope that they were not in it at night because that’s when the sickness got worse. She was bewildered by how healthy Kani was growing to be. He never got sick unlike Tasha. Tasha was a weakling and Kayila knew that she had to get her out of the cells but her body was still small to go out there. She had to do something fast.
 
She requested to talk to the officials about her children’s release. She was told to talk to the counsellor. She went to his office and found him. The counsellor was a light short man with a potbelly who didn’t talk much but smiled frequently at the inmates. Entering the office, she found him on the phone watching p-rn. She heard the sounds and acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing. After settling down, she spoke. “My children have to leave this place sooner than later,” she said.
 
Ashamed of his act and moving uneasily in his Morris chair, he asked. “Why?”
 
Kayila was baffled by that ignorant question. She composed herself and answered, “Kani will be four next month and Tasha is already six so I think they can now leave. Isn’t that what the prison act say?”
 
“Are you trying to lecture me about the Act?” he asked his nostrils flared and went on. “That small girl is six?”
 
“Yes she is. She’s sick, she’s not getting proper food in here. I’m afraid something might happen to her if she stays longer.”
 
“What about the fat kid?” he asked about Kani. “What do you feed that pig?” he probed disgusted. “Are you having an affair with the warden? Does he give you food secretly?”
 
She felt her temper rising but she held back. “He’s just healthy.” she answered calmly and composed. Everyone was surprised by how fat Kani was. It was like he was outside prison. Among the three kids in prison, he was the fattest. Kayila had sacrificed her meals for her son to eat. She had done whatever work she needed to do to ensure her son ate three times a day. She was only concerned with Tasha; she ate in equal quantities with Kani but her healthy never improved. “So when do they leave sir?”
 
“These things take time inmate, But we can make an arrangement. If you know what I mean,” he stood straighter and straightened his tie.
 
Kayila only wanted her kids to get out that hell h0le. She agreed to sleep with the counsellor in exchange for her children to leave the prison. On most nights, the counsellor would come to the cells while the others watched, have s€× with Kayila and leave. She told the other inmates not to say anything saying she was doing it for her children. They all agreed never to say a word but it kept going and going and nothing was happening. Kani and Tasha were still in prison. Kayila was getting frustrated with the counsellor’s excuses that she confronted him. “It has been a month now and nothing is happening. You keep promising me that they are leaving but nothing happens.”
 
“I told you it takes time inmate,” he yelled at her. “Don’t worry, they will leave soon.”
 
“When?”
 
“I will tell you tonight,” he answered licking his l-ips.
 
Kayila was disgusted by this thing of a man. She hated him but she wanted her kids out of prison. When everything started, Tasha noticed something odd happening to her mother on most nights. At one point she asked, “Mayi, that bad man hurts you ayi?”
 
Kayila was broken by what she asked and responded. “No Tasha. I want you and your brother to leave this place that’s why he comes at night.”
 
 
“But you cry every night Mayi.”
 
Kayila just held Tasha in her arms and thought about her mother. The woman who welcomed her into the cells. Tasha was a complete duplicate of her mother. She had her mother’s smile. She held back tears not to worry the young girl. “Where is your brother?”
 
“Playing with his friend,” Tasha answered.
 
“Go and get him so that you eat something, I have some jiggies for you.”
 
Tasha’s face beamed. “Jiggies!” she exclaimed.
 
“Shhhh,” Kayila shushed her. “Don’t say that out loud. Go get him.”
 
With the old woman came Kani. His face was bowed down. Kayila and Tasha looked at each other. They both knew he had done something because he only wore that face when he was in trouble.
 
“What is it gogo?” Kayila asked the old woman.
 
 
“This boy of yours,” the old woman nodded her head. “I found him beating his friend.”
 
“Kani what did I tell you about fighting?”
 
Kani hid behind the old woman’s legs avoiding his mother’s eyes. “He…. He….. threw dirt in… My….my eyes,” he answered.
 
“They are just kids,” the old woman sighed sitting down. “Has anyone seen my scissors,” she looked at Kayila.
 
“No,” she responded. “You know having a scissors is illegal in here, right?”
 
 
“Yes that’s why I have to find it soon.”
 
The scissors was never found. After two days of searching for it, they gave and thought that one of the guards had gotten it.
 
As usual, the counsellor came that night and satisfied himself on Kayila. After he was done and still on top looking at Kayila disgustingly, he said, “I think they will be going out next month.”
 
“Next month,” she shouted.
 
“That’s the best I can do weh,” he said. Kayila’s sad face turned him on again. “Let me do you for the last time,” he said.
 
“No,” she refused.
 
“Your children won’t leave this place i swear, you and i had a deal.”
 
Kayila thought about the kids and obliged. To everyone’s obliviousness, Tasha was wide awake standing in a corner with the missing scissors in her hands shaking. She had, had enough of her mother being abused by this bad man, as she called him. While he was on top of Kayila, she tiptoed her way to them and stabbed him in the neck he shrieked. He couldn’t see where it had come from. Everyone was awake, Kayila saw Tasha with the scissors in her hands stepping back. She was in shock. She grabbed the scissors from Tasha and pushed her out of the way. Kani was awoken too and crying really loud.
 
Two officers came running to the cell and quickly opened the cell door and were baffled by the scene they found.
 
“What is this?” one of the officers asked checking the squealing counselor on the floor who was bleeding heavily. “What happened here?” he looked up.
 
Kayila was standing with Tasha while Kani and the other inmates were on the mattresses.
 
“I asked what happened here?” the officer asked again. “This is attempted murder and you are all rotting here,” he shouted.
 
One of the inmates stood up and shouted, “It’s her,” she pointed at Tasha.
 
“Are you kidding me?” the officer looked at her bewildered.
 
“Yes,” the inmate answered.
 
“No,” Kayila interrupted. “It’s me,” she stepped forward with the bloody scissors in her hand.
 
“Mayi,” Tasha called out crying.
 
“Shut up Tasha,” Kayila shouted.
 
“Take her out of here!” the officer shouted at the other officer who was looking at the counsellor.
 
“Mayi!” Tasha cried.
 
The officer grabbed Kayila by the hand and twisted her hand she scre-med.
 
“Mayi!” Kani was now standing looking at his mother been dragged away. He ran to her but was blocked by the officer. “I want Mayi,” he sobbed.
 
“Can someone get this fat kid out of the way?” The officer yelled angrily.
 
All the inmates couldn’t move because of fear. They looked at each other having mental arguments on who would stand up for their friend but no one did. Tasha quickly got hold of Kani by the hand. He was shaking vigorously and too powerful for her but she managed to restrain him till they all knelt on the floor watching the cell door been slammed in their faces.
 
“Mayi,” they both said under their breath.
 
 
To be continued