The changing tides episode 17

The changing tides episode 17
Maria tried to wake up but her body felt so heavy and her eyes weak to open. She struggled
wanting to move but she couldn’t.
In her struggle she raised her eyes a bit and saw two men standing next to her. Their images
blurred she couldn’t recognise them.
“Please let me go!” she scre-med but only a whisper came out. Maria was so confused her mind
couldn’t think clearly. She couldn’t remember getting in the room she was being held.
She felt a chill on her body and when she tried to move again she realised she was completely
nude. Realising someone was doing something to harm her Maria panicked in,side.
All she could see was some flashes from the camera pointing at her. She tried to move but she
couldn’t progress.
Whatever they had given her was so strong. The other guy removed his clothes and went on top
of Maria’ s unclad body, Maria tried to scre-m and lift her hands to push him away but the hands
just fall back down on the man’s back. As the other one worked with his camera getting a video.
When they were satisfied, the guys threw some cover on Maria and walked out leaving her laying
there hopelessly. They didn’t rape her but got a caption of exactly what they planned.
Later the following day Maria felt a bit of strength and she tried to stand staggering in the process.
She was about to look around through the window of the room she was being held trying to get a
glimpse of where she was but immediately she heard voices hearding her way. Standing frozen,
she saw the man she saw in town with another one she couldn’t identify walk in with some clothes
in their hands. .
“Why are you doing this?” Maria cried as they grabbed her forcing her in the tight clothes. Theyhelped each other to dress her as she tried to fight her way out.
Placing a wig on her hair, they beat her up and threatened to kill her if she didn’t do as told. Maria
was grabbed to some crowded night club and was made to sit.
She was still feeling the weakness from the drugs they had injected in her so she sat put and
looked around wondering what was really going on.
Paul watched as two men held Maria each by the hand into the place he was told he would find
her. he had received a video of Maria indicating Maria was having s€× with another man.
Paul had panicked not believing what he was seeing. He ignored the clip in his phone and threw
the phone on the bed furious.
“No this can’t be real,” he told himself rubbing his eyes.
“Maria can’t do this to me again. She told me she loves me and we were happy the past months
how can she go back to that Kind of life?” He whispered to himself.
Grabbing the phone again Paul watched the wh0le video clip when he saw Maria wrapping her
hands around the man, he’s strength finished.
He tried to call the number that the video came from and a man’s voice spoke up.
“Who are you and what are you doing with Maria?” he asked his voice so deep with fury.
He heard the other person laughing..
“oh now this is funny huh? I know you are playing games with me and i can assure you it wont
work. Just bring back Maria wherever you holding her before I call the police on you.” He snapped
The guy laughed again making Paul more upset.
“Well it seems you have no brains to reason. Let me help you man, that girl is a pr-stitute,it’s what
she does. Get it through you head,” the voice told Paul. “If you think someone is forcing her to do
things go to the address I will text you and you will see for yourself.”
Paul almost said something but the line was cut and when he tried to call back it was off.
“No this can’t be” Paul cried.
“She can’t do this to me again, my God what is going on? Please let me wake up from this dream”
he whispered.
Jumping into the vehicle Paul looked at the text showing a name of Some night club and drove
there his mind wondering as he drove.
He went to sit in a chair and waited to see any signs of Maria. He had been seated for more than
30 minutes and when he was almost starting off he saw her walk in with some guys Holding her
both sides.
“What?” Paul shook his head not believing what he was seeing.
“Maria? No way” he thought walking towards the table she sat on just to confirm he was not right.
.
Getting closer, Paul stood near the table Maria sat on and called her name.Paul” Maria answered looking surprised.
” Honey what is going on? What are you doing here and what are these men doing to me ?” she
asked honestly.
Paul shook his head his eyes tearly.
” No Maria, you won’t do this to me again. Tell me this is not happening” Paul shed tears.
” I won’t take this anymore Maria I won’t.” He shouted stepping back.
Maria tried to stand to follow him but she staggered as the effect of the drugs ran her down again.
“Please honey I didn’t do anything, take me out of this place I love you Paul and I can’t go back to
my old life I promised us to stop and believe me I have no idea how I got here.these men just
forced me to come, he………”
She couldn’t finish her sentence and Paul stepped forward giving her a big slap.
“You have just killed what I ever felt for you Maria. I want you this time out of my life and my son’s
life too .
Just go and never come back!” Paul added and stormed out leaving Maria slowly falling back to
the chair realizing what just happened.
“Oh no Not again!” Maria whispered tears falling her face.
“Please not again” she cried looking around.
“Oh no !” she scre-med holding her mouth as she saw the men who had her leave the club
laughing.
She quickly stood up to follow Paul outside and she saw his car just leaving the parking lot and
she fall down crying like a baby.
“Why this again when I was just beginning to be happy?” Maria cried
She almost crawled to the taxi and asked the driver to take her to Paul’s house.
He was seated by the step at the entrance taking a bottle of beer when Maria walked out of the
vehicle and asked the driver to wait for his money.
She walked to Paul and knelt down to beg him to listen.
” Paul you have to believe me. I have no idea how those men got me and how they took me to
that place. Am innocent please believe me Paul.” She wept her tears falling on his feet.
Paul stood up leaving her fall to the ground.
“I thought you trully changed and that our lives will be better now. I thought for the sake of the
love you claimed to have for me could make you do the right thing, how wrong I was. You know
Tasha and Grace were right about you. You have never changed and you won’t. It’s like you are
cursed for sure like you said yourself.
After eveything I did for you? Here I was thinking I was to blame for what you did in the past. But
now I know street life got to your head and you will never make any sense out of your poor life.
Leave my house right this moment and never think of ever coming back. It’s over, we are done
and you will never see your son again ” Paul added walking in,side.
Maria felt the deep cut in her heart, Paul’s words her very soul.”Am sorry mama but I have to get going now, please give me my fare” the taxi driver spoke to her
calmly feeling compassion on her. He could see how broken she was.
Maria looked at him and tried to stand but fall back down.
“Am sorry please call for me the maid. I can’t stand” she told him sitting down.
Chanda came and knelt before Maria, “aunty what happened to you?” she asked her.
“You don’t look so well what is wrong?”
Maria sighed sadly,
“I don’t know Chanda, please get my hand bag from the bed I used to sleep in before and put in
any dress that you will find and some slippers.” She sniffed crying as she spoke
“But aunty where are you going? it seems you can’t move. Why won’t you get in,side.?”
Maria looked at her tears falling,
“I can’t chanda please just do as I have told you” she whispered.
Chanda brought her the bag where all her doc-ments and the money she had was. She got the
dress on the other hand changed into some slippers and slowly walked towards the taxi as the
driver walked behind her.
“Take care of my son will you? I cant ask to see him because I won’t bare looking in his face.”
She looked at Chanda who remained behind watching her.
“I will, ” Chanda answered crying at the sight of the woman she had come to love.
Maria was always good to her and treated her like a sister. She would get her clothes and the two
always told stories and laughed together.
Chanda had no idea what was going on but she knew from the look she saw earlier from Paul’s
face that something was terribly wrong.
Maria wept all the way as she was being taken to the only person she could talk to, Doro.
“Let’s talk to my new boyfriend, the guy is a mafia and he can help you get those guys and maybe
make them tell who sent them,” Doro spoke up after Maria was done explaining to her what
happened.
“No my friend, it’s okey, there’s no need for the trouble. There are only two people that can do that
and I won’t try to prove myself. You know what hurt the most?” She asked crying her voice
almost in a whisper.
“The words that Paul told me today.
It was like i was looking at a wh0le different Paul, that calm man, the one i have been with the last
month’s wasn’t the one i just saw today.
He called me “cursed” she cried her voice out. Imagine Paul thinks I am a curse and don’t
derseve him or my child now. Him that always stood by me today he won’t believe every word I
say. When I went wild I didn’t do it in hiding Doro, he knew what was going on. If he didn’t think Ihave changed, why did he stay with me and promised me a life that I always dream of?
I can’t do this anymore my friend, am finished and i don’t think there’s ever a coming back for us.
You shoud have seen his face when he asked me never to return. He scared me so much I had
shivers. I love him I swear to God I wouldn’t have given him any reason to doubt me again. I gave
myself for him and I was working to better my life not just for myself but for him and my son too.
I wanted to complete secondary school Doro,” she paused wiping the tears that fall from her eyes
uncontrollably.
” I wanted to do a teaching course,” she smiled amid tears.
“I wanted to make a difference in society and maybe build an ophanage to help the street kids out
of the streets. Look at me now, though it hurts so much, Paul is right. There’s no good that will
come out of me my friend. It’s like for sure am cursed. Maybe this is my karma, paying me back
for my mistakes.” Maria lamented as her friend cried with her too.
“Please that’s enough Maria,” Doro sniffed her tears in.
“Please don’t say that about yourself. It’s just unfortunate Paul didnt believe you but I promise you
I do understand you and I know you changed for sure.
Get yourself together and I will try talk to Paul tommorow. He will have to hear me out. This is not
fair that you are judged for things you didn’t even do.”
Paul spent almost the night drinking in his bedroom. He had not even gone out to see his son and
when Jake came over to talk to him he had to knock several times on his door before he could
open up.
“What is going on Uncle Paul ?” Jake asked.
“The maid just told me Maria left last night. And you are locked up in here the wh0le day.”
Paul looked at Jake.
“Well, am done loving her Jake , I gave her everything, my wh0le being and I was willing to spend
my wh0le life with her but what does she do, she goes back to pr-stitution.” Paul explained
“What? No way uncle, that’s not possible you have been with Maria almost all the time. You pick
her from the shop and take her to school and then home, when did she start doing that again? It’s
not true whoever told you ” Jake scolded angrily.
“Come on don’t tell me you are giving up on her just because someone lied to you uncle.”
“Jake ,I thought so as well but when I saw that, he said handing him the video clip. And later on I
saw it with my own eyes. Maria was so drunk she couldn’t stand straight. I was left speechless .
That girl has got the last of me and I am tired of all this. Just how far can a man be pushed to the
wall?” Paul asked shaking his head.
“No way Jake I can’t go on anymore am done.”
Jake shook his head after seeing the video.
“If it was only the video I wouldn’t have believe this but the fact that you saw her too that’s
something uncle and am sorry you have to go through this again” Jake added sitting down.
“Well its the last thing am gonna go through for her, when am up from here am not looking back and she will never come near my son again. Let her kill herself for all I care, this time she’s all
alone. ” he scoffed angrily.
Doro’s visit was fruitless as Paul didnt even give her the chance to talk to him. He threw it in her
face that she was the one that introduced Maria into pr-stitution and she had no right to defend
her. Without a word Doro left.
“Am sorry Maria, Paul wouldn’t even listen to me. You were right it’s like he’s a different man all
together I didn’t understand. You know what though,? just take it easy and am sure one day he
will come to realise how wrong he is ” she ecouraged her as Maria lay down in the bed tears
falling like water from her eyes. .
“Well atleast you tried and there’s nothing else we can do. Let him be my friend. I just hope he will
allow me to see my son one day. He can’t deny me that right I gave birth to that boy. ”
“Yeah sure thing my friend. So what now?” Doro asked.
“Well, I don’t want to go down the wrong path again. Only this time am not staying in Lusaka. Am
going to the copperbelt and start afresh there.
Thankfully I still have some money saved up from my salary and I can pick it up from there.
Maybe start school again and if am lucky do some small business during the day. I promise
You I will make it and all this pain will one day be history. God saved my life for a reason and that I
will live and strive to achieve” Maria said wiping the tears from her face.
Doro smiled tears in her eyes too.
” Do that girlfriend and make me proud I love you..”
“I love you too Doro ,you are my only family. I will never forget you and I wish you went with me
too” . She answered with a weak smile.
Doro shook her head.
“No. I have a boyfriend even though he’s a mafia he helps me and now am not going out anymore.
I can do just fine. Go and find yourself friend and when you are okey come back and show me
what God can do.” She smiled rubbing Maria’s hand.
“You know my life is like a river, it has these tides that keep on changing and most of them have
been so painful leaving me broken. But you know what?
Am taking charge of my boat now and the changing tides will not change my course at all, am
getting hold of my life and God help me through” she smiled tearly putting her head down on the pillow.