The changing tides episode 18

The Changing Tides
Maria arrived in Kitwe the following day, she had used the first bus from intercity and by the time
she was getting off the bus it was a few minutes passed 12 hours.
She grabbed her small bag where she had packed a few clothes she had and walked slowly to thebus station right in Kitwe town.
She watched as the bus guys called out customers for power tools bus which was heading to
Lusaka. one of them came to her and asked if she was going and she shook her head.
“no am coming from Lusaka” she tried to smile at him.
She looked around the strange town that she was hoping would be lenient on her. Quietly Maria
sat wondering where she could begin from. Everything and every person she was looking at was
new and she had no where to start from.
She thought about how she even choose to go to kitwe of all places. “Maybe I could have stayed
back in Lusaka” she thought to herself.
“It’s the only place I have known my wh0le life. How do I even begin here” she thought to herself.
“Well Maria, there’s no turning back now” , she heard her inner voice tell her.
“You just have to find a way out here. Be strong and courageous you can’t fail again this time
around you are standing strong.”
She later on decided to move around town just to take in the environmenet and familiarise herself
with it. .
She saw an advert where they had written. “Shop keeper urgently needed.” She quickly grabbed
the number and saved it in her phone, went to get some air time and called the line.
“Helo! I called to ask for the shop keeper job I saw being advertised is it still vacant?” She asked
when the person in the other side responded.
” am sorry we just hired someone a few minutes ago” the man responded.
“Okay thank you” Maria sighed. .
She walked to some eating place and sat down after making an order, as she waited Maria
watched some photos on the phone of her son. Paul had bought her an android Samsung phone,
tears almost rolled down her face as she watched the pics of Paul and her son.
They looked so happy with smlies on their faces. Maria looked at the one they had got together.
The 3 of them looking beautiful as a family.
She recalled the time they took the photo. they had gone out to a shopping mall and took baby
Paul to a jumping castle. Paul held her wa-ist as they watched their son jump up and down excited.
“How many more prescious kids are you going to give me?” Paul asked her.
She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“How many do you want? ” She let a laugh. .
“well my love, if I can have as many as I can from you I would go for 100” he teased.
Maria had laughed,
“a 100? Am sure by the time I will be having 10 I will be long gone my body would have given up”
she told him.
I want you to grow old with me love, so I won’t let that happen. 3 will be okey then” he smiled
rubbing her back.
“I love you” she remembered him whisper.
Maria wiped the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat as the waiter walked towards her witha tray of the food she had ordered.
“It’s going to be hærd to forget you Paul, ” she sighed,
” but I have to do this I pray all this goes well for me in this strange land.”
That evening, Maria found herself a cheap lodge and paid for 5 days hoping within the days she
would find something tangible and find a house for rent.
She woke up early the following morning and as she was finishing taking a bath her phone rung. .
She thought it was Doro and wondered why she was calling her back when she was just from
calling her.
She quickly wiped her face with a towel and grabbed her phone..
“Helo, you called yersterday for the shop keeper Job. So you have any experience?” The man on
the phone asked her.She noticed he had an Indian accent.
Maria’s heart beat fast at the mention of a Job. “give me this one God” she whispered holding the
phone away from her mouth and placing it right back.
“Helo are you there?” The voice asked her.
“Yes sorry, am here sir, I have some experience yes I worked in a shop as a cashier for 6 Months
in Lusaka.”
“Oh good then, if you are ready you can come over to my shop in town and and start right away.
The person we hired yersterday has not reported for work so you can start today if you are ready.”
He added.
“Oh yes am more than ready sir” Maria exclaimed.
“I will surely be there” she added before hanging the call.
She jumped in excitment and called Doro to tell her the good news as she walked to the shop in
town.
After asking her a few questions, Maria was told to start working in a wh0lesale shop as a sales
person. Her new boss was an Indian man in his late 20s he spoke calmly and seemed to be on
the quite side.
The first day at work Maria was learning some things about the shop. She had put her mind to
work trying by all means to forget about Paul.
Back in Lusaka, Paul was still hurt with Maria gone. He could walk in his room and look at the
clothes Maria had left. Grabbing one of the dresses he loved, he held it close to himself and cried.
.
“I miss you so much even when I don’t want to,” he whispered.
“How am I going to forget you ” he asked himself.
He was lost in thoughts when baby Paul was brought in from school and he ran to his father’s
bedroom. Paul had enrolled his son in pre school.
“Dad! ” Baby Paul shouted hugging his father who lifted him up.”How was school sonny” Paul
asked k-ssing his forehead.
“Fine” the boy responded with one word.
“I want mommy,” he told his father. “Where is mommy gone to?” He asked making a face. Paul
sighed, the baby had been asking about his mother since she left and he was running outexplanations.
“She will be coming soon okey?” he assured the boy .
“Mommy will be back soon” he said again echoing his own lying voice in his head.Realising how
much the child was being affected.
Days went by and Tasha had made herself a regular visitor to Paul’s house claiming to be visiting
Grace who had moved in to stay with Paul.
As Paul walked out taking his son outside he found Grace and Tasha seated chatting and
laughing. .
“Hi!” He greeted Tasha and walked on.
“Paul!” She called him back.
“Yes Tasha,” he responded looking at baby Paul who was already running to the door.
“Paul am sorry for what happened to Maria, I really learnt to respect you guys you were doing
great together” she said holding Paul’s hands.
“Yeah, I guess you two are happy now right? What are you going to say now? That you were right
and I was a fool huh?” He asked looking at both Grace and Tasha.
“Come on cuz.. we women we understand better a woman than you do. That girl lost it the
moment she joined pr-stitution you don’t just pull out from such, it was bound to happen sooner or
later.” Grace smiled.
“Well good for you I guess” he spat and walked out leaving Tasha still standing.
“Oh that girl is a witch” Tasha spat going back to her seat.
“It’s like she put a spell on him or something, it’s been over 3 months now but he’s still tied to her.”
“Well patience my friend. What matters is that she’s out of his life. It’s just a matter of time he will
come to realise the good in you and will forget about that girl,” Grace responded. .
“I told you the plan will work, trust me dear. Paul is all yours and soon you will be the woman of
this house” she added.
Tasha smiled,
” I really appreciate what you did for me Grace, I don’t know how to thank you.”
Grace smiled,
“well I wouldn’t let my good cousin get married to a street slut my dear. You deserve him and I will
help see to it that you guys end up together” she added.