The changing tides episode 6

The changing tides
Episode 6
Paul saw Tasha off after some time of chatting with her. He quickly rushed to Maria’s room to
finish up their conversation.
He stood in the door way shocked at what he was seeing. Maria’s room was empty. He walked to
check in the small closet and found there was nothing, all her clothes were gone.
“Maria, what have you done?” Paul sighed, as he sat slowly on her bed. He knew that it was his
fault Maria decided to leave.
Walking out to his room, Paul found a note placed on his bed and when he rushed to open it he
noticed it was Maria’s handwriting.
Sitting down he read the note which explained that she was gone and won’t be back. She didn’t
really give a reason for her leave but just said she hoped he would have a life he deserved with
Tasha.
From the note, Paul could tell there was more to the words he was reading.How can she do this to me?” He asked himself pacing around the room.
” I love her and I wanted her to be here. How do I cope without seeing her every day?” He thought
to himself.
Shaking his head, Paul walked out to his car and decided to go and look for Maria. Hoping he
could catch up with her before she went any farther.
“If I have to tell everyone the truth about how I feel about this girl so be it”, he whispered to
himself as he started the car engine.
“Am going to find her and am bringing her back home.”
He drove around for some hours, even looking out in the streets in town but there was no sign of
Maria. He was so worried that by the time he got home passed midnight he felt so exhausted.
He was locking the door silently when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. Turning to
see who it was, Paul saw his sister Margret in her night gown. .
“Paul come over here” she told him as she walked towards the sitting room.
“Where are you coming from?” She asked him when they both sat opposite to each other.
“Am am um, what is it sister?” He stammered
“You look sad” he answered instead of responding to her question.
“Answer my question Paul. I know something is going on in this house and I want to find out what
it is. I found this in my room” she said to him handing him a note.
Paul looked at his sister and got the note.
“Mam,
Am so sorry I have to leave this here for you. I can’t just get myself to face you. I know you have
been so good to me but I can’t just stay anymore. Please forgive me mam. It’s not anyone’s fault
that I left I just wanted to make that clear and I can’t say why too.
May God continue blessing you for you kind heart.
Maria.”
“So now Paul, tell me what’s going on. I noticed Maria was different from the day we returned from
seeing mom. And you are the one who was with her here” Margaret sighed.
Paul raised his head to look at his sister.
“Am sorry sis, I have to tell you the truth now even when it’s too late.
I love Maria and I have done so since the first day I saw her. I tried to control myself but one day I
lost it and I slept with her. I know I was wrong and I tried to apologise to her hoping she would get
past the pain I had caused her. She was not the same since then and today I went to talk to her,
she almost told me something but we were interrupted by Tasha’s visit. So by the time i went back
i found shes gone. I went to look for her to bring her back but I couldn’t find her ..” he outlined
slowly..
“Forgive me my sister I really feel bad all this happened . Believe me I wanted what is best for her.
I love her and that I don’t regret. ”
Margret looked at her brother, she had seen him grow as she got him when he was still a small
boy. She had raised him like her own son and she knew Paul was a good boy. He had not given
her any problems.
“Paul, am not doubting that you love her because you have never lied to me and I know if you sayyou do then it’s true. I don’t like the fact that you got so wasted and failed to hold yourself and
broke that innocent girls V-rginity.
Remember where she came from, she’s so delicate. She’s been through a lot in her young life and
you could have known better than do that to her.
If she ran away it’s because something is not okey with her. I urge you to go find her and bring her
here. I suspect Maria is pregnant and she’s scared of saying it.” Margret added.
“Pregnant? ” Paul asked looking at his sister’s face.
” Maybe thats what she wanted to tell me this evening. Oh my God, now I won’t forgive myself if
anything happens to her and my child.
What am I going to do sis?, I can’t just let her run away with my child” he cried.
“You have to find her and make her know how you feel. You are working Paul, you can’t fail to
raise that child and Maria. Work on it and find her, ” Margret added and left for her bedroom.
Paul leaned back on the sofa. He was convinced Maria was pregnant there was no other reason
she could have left.
The following weeks Paul moved around looking for Maria but there was no sign of her.
Maria was now almost due. Her pregnancy was not an easy one as she had issues with her BP.
She was always up and down and Doro had asked her to leave her house as she was using it for
her business. .Maria found herself another room but since her healthy wasn’t so good she failed to
maintain her small business she had started.
One day she was in her one roomed house wondering how she was going to cope with the issue
of rentals and food . She closed her eyes feeling her baby movements. She thought of Paul and
wondered how he would feel if he came to know she was carrying his child.
As tears rolled down her face Maria said a little prayer for her baby. .
As though things were not hærd enough, Maria’s landlord came by and evicted her from the house.
“You have not paid me for 3 months now, I can’t let you stay here for free Maria” the owner of the
house told her. .
Maria tried to beg so that the man could give her some time so that she could find the money but
he just didn’t listen. .
She got her small bag and walked away with her heavy preganacy. Maria’s hope and vigour to live
was diminishing with every step she took, how cruel the world was to her.
She found Herself back to the streets after trying to find refuge at her only friends place where she
found Doro had moved away and she had no idea where she had gone.
With no home and money that night Maria found herself sleeping in the corridors of the streets.
She went back to doing small works for people. She had tried finding a job as a maid but no one
was willing to employ her with her heavy pregnancy.
Weeks later Maria gave birth from Kamwala clinic where some street boys had helped her towhen her labour started.
After she was discharged she went back under the fly over bridge where she had found a hiding
place.
Maria looked at her baby in her hands. Tears running down her face.
He was the exact copy of Paul and she loved him so much.
His small hands holding her as she looked at his face. He was the most delicate thing that maria
had ever seen and she knew she would give anything for that boy to live and survive the
harshness of the streets. .
“I will have to find your father, my baby”, she whispered to him one day.
” I can’t let you suffer here when your father is out there. He will have to take responsibility of you
my son.” She talked to her baby as though he could hear and understand her. .
Unfortunately the following day, Maria went to Margret’s house, she found strange people there.
She was told the family had moved away and the new owners didn’t know where they had gone
to. Maria recalled Margret telling her she had built a new house but she didnt get to know where it
was. She knew that was where they had gone.
“Thank you,” she told the lady who was looking at her and her baby in her back.
She walked along the streets her strenght gone . Realising that she had taken too long to make
the decision of going back to Paul.
“Your child is 5 Months now. I think it’s high time you accepted your fate and joined pr-stitution
Maria. Am sure you have noticed there is no one way out here. Your son needs to eat and you
have to find a better shelter for him. Don’t tell me you intend to make that boy grow on the streets
my dear,” Doro told Maria. .She had found her walking around the streets that afternoon.
“But who is going to look after my son when am gone to do your so-called work.?” Maria shook her
head not really wanting to join pr-stitution.
“Well, find someone to help you. Since it’s just in the night, some girl can be remaining with your
child and you can pay her from your earnings” Doro tried convincing her.
That day Maria made a decision and joined her friends. Even when she did it with so much pain in
her heart Maria had to endure the feel of dirty and sweat from the bodies of the men she had to
sleep with.
From her first client Maria knew whatever happens she wasn’t going to enjoy any bit from what
she had started.
Her only hope was to see her son grow up healthy and with all the basic things he needed.