Heartaches and Tears – Episode 19

HEARTACHES AND TEARS – Episode 19
A story by Kennedy C Katongo
GREEN-EYED-MONSTER-P-1
If only dad was alive to see what his daughter had become. In my heart, he is a king that has never left. His words playing in my heard – at times, just maybe; Things would have turned out a little bit different… Nevertheless, the future still looks good.
“Why are you petrified? Looking like Ma chain ma chain (the national symbol for freedom. The dude who hold a broken chain in his hands with a vicious look on his face… Yes, that guy.)” Amanda laughed.
“Of all things you just had to think of that? You a lost sheep.” I added as we both began to laugh.
“What do you think I should do about KK?” She asked me.
“Well, do what’s best for you. If a man can’t treat you like the queen you are… Then that’s enough evidence you need to evict his dumb butt.” I responded.
“Was all those words necessary? You could have just said leave his rich butt.” She giggled.
A few days went by. Amanda told me that she had spoken to KK, but he denied and refused to accept her proposal of them taking different routes.
Nevertheless, Amanda stood by her word. She cut contact with him. Though KK was always coming over and calling like he had lost his manh-od.
One evening, he came to our place drunk.
“Look Amanda. I love you. You the only one for me!” He said vocally. He sat under a mango tree, on a pill of rocks that surrounded the it.
“Listen Kelly Kwatu!” She exclaimed. Her raised voice made him shut up. (So that is what KK stood for…)
“You say you love me but act like a mad man around me. All you want to do is touch me and k-ss me around your buddies. What do you try to prove? If you truly love me as you keep claiming, I don’t think you would even be forcing me to sleep with you.” I heard her tell him.
“Baby girl it’s not even like that. I can’t help it when you busy looking like expensive food, my taste buds just do that tssss! And am salivating for you.” He said as he tried to keep himself from falling to the ground.
Having admired his works and influence in the country… This wasn’t what I expected of him at all. Kk looked stupid. It was as if alcohol had reduced the man he was to whom he was being at that unpleasant hour.
“Okay give me some water. I will go.” KK told Amanda. She came jumping steps like the Hulk, with the face of a dragon that was about to breathe fire. “Why do I keep getting such men?” She asked strongly.
“I wish I could answer that. At least the last one you dates just cried a lot when drunk.” I laughed.
“It’s not funny Mwaka.” She responded. She got a glass and filled it with water and matched back outside.
Before there was Mr Saturday, there was someone whom I can now call Mr Cry Baby. The man would visit our hostel early in the morning just to come and eat food. The number of times Amanda broke up with him – I lost count. But every single night he would come to our room, when drunk that is, en start crying. Proclaiming his love for Amanda and how he couldn’t live without her. Some men are just lost, only Jesus will find them.
“I want cold water. Not this.. this… Don’t you have some lemon water?” KK asked Amanda. She turned around to face were I was on the window.
“KK. Get up. Leave. Otherwise I will call the police on you.” Amanda told him. It took him a while to leave, but he left. After she called a cab for him.
@@ @@ NATHAN @@ @@
“Kenny! Come get your brother. He also wants to watch Tom and Jerry.” I called out to him.
“But dad, Tom and Jerry is for big people!”Kenny nagged as she arrived in the bedroom.
“Just take him – please.”
My boys were grown and becoming more difficult to handle. At this stage, Mable and I had agreed on teaching them how to read. This lead us to buying a bunch of children books for them and puzzles just so that we could minimise the amount of time they spent watching TV.
It was only five months and a week, but to me, Mable’s slap still felt fresh. More like it happened yesterday. Her friend, Candle. Who happened to be very intrusive and hærd to shake made sure I spoke to her.
I apologised, even though she didn’t forgive me, to which am still not sure because she never gave me a response. Things have gotten back together.
Unlike before, she was now trying hærd to be a mother to our kids. And a good wife, and a good friend… The list goes on and on.
I had decided to stay away from the girls (Amanda and Mwaka) and even though I could call Mama’s boss to find out how she was doing. I never had direct contact with her.
Emmanuel had left for Eastern Province in search of greener lands since he had failed miserably at keeping the so called high paying jobs he was always after.
“Nathan, you forgot the milk!” Mable walked in. She wore a bum short and a black loose vest, with an apron on top.
“Milk! Did you say milk?” I asked her. She gave me the undertaker look. That was enough for me to get up and heard to the stores.
“I will text you a list of other things you need to get. Love you.” she said in a flash.
“Huh! Hey, that’s not fair. Come k-ss me properly. I wasn’t expecting that.” I called out as I followed her to the kitchen.
“You going with those shorts again?” she asked as her eyes rolled all over me.
“What’s wrong with these shorts? I love them. They my lucky shorts.” I responded in protest. This short was a gift from Amanda. It was the first present she had handed me. And as things were, it was my favourite among the ones I had.
Mable and I had exchanged cars. For some reason she loved driving mine instead of her own, but for some reason I felt like just walking to the store. At times, the past has a weird way of turning up.
I reached the grocery store, after buying what I needed… From a distance, I saw a young lady that looked just like Amanda. I wanted to go over but when I got out of the store – there was a young man and from the look of things they were arguing about something. I wanted to ignore but the fact that she looked so much like Amanda just made me walk over there.
“What do toy want? Why are you following me?” She shouted at the guy. It was almost getting dark, the sun was at its perk of setting.
“You need to stop acting like a spoiled child.” He shouted back as he held her hand and shook her around.
“Stop it KK.” She shouted. I was so sure that was Amanda, as I was rushing over I heard a slap – no, it was more than that. It sounded more like lightening had struck.
When I got there, Amanda was down on the floor. I didn’t when think twice, I tried to jump on the guy but that wouldn’t give a clear picture; I pounced on him… Gave him a fist to the face and another one right on the eye. People came over and pulled me off him.
“Iyeee! Mwikateniko alaipaya umunankwe uyo! (Hold him, his going go kill his friend)” …
“Mugwileni uyo!” Another one shouted.
The young guy stood up but was restrained by some guys. Amanda got up and the minute she saw me – she began shouting at me. “Nathan!” She exclaimed sounding so astonished to see me.
“What have you done? Why did you hit him?” She asked. She walked up to me and pushed me.
“What! Am not going to watch you get humiliated.” I responded. People had come around to watch what was happening. As we were talking the young man broke free and pulled Amanda by the hand into his call.
“Amanda! Amanda!” I called out to her but she went along with him.
“It’s okay. You can let me go. I said as I got my groceries from a young lady who had picked them up.
In a split of a second I thought of how I would get into a car and follow them or the way they did in movies, “Taxi! Follow that car.”
But how could I when the person I wanted to stand up for couldn’t even appreciate my presence. I got my phone to call Mwaka but her phone just kept on ringing. I felt like someone had touched my heart, as I walked back home I replied the sound of the slap she had received from the young man.
From what people in the crowd were saying, he seemed to be some Zambian celebrity. People had their phones up trying to get a picture of him.
If there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it was a man who would faithfully hit a woman without a second thought. That I couldn’t take.
Immediately I got home, I found Mable in the kitchen. I placed the plastics on the table and went direct to the showered. I didn’t want her to see that my shirt was tone and I hærd a bit of a bruise on my face.
To be continued…