The Power Of Destiny : Episode 24

…He had to hope that Chisala was not doing anything that was jeopardizing their safety and freedom.
Kopakopa: “We continue the operation as before”.
“We should have just killed that boy, there was no need keeping him. If you needed a son, you could have gotten any girl pregnant” one of the gang members said.
Kopakopa: “Shut up! Nobody questions my decision, no one!” he shouted, the veins on his neck protruding like they were going to burst out from under the skin, “We all concentrate on the mission, Mabvuto is my problem, and after the mission, I will deal with the problem.

Now, let’s have dinner” he concluded and everyone fell silent.
They sat round the dinner table and ate their dinner in silence. Every man praying in his heart to come back from the operation, alive. At the back of their minds, was also a nagging feeling that this operation would go wrong. The fact that Chisala had left the house secretly was a source of worry to them.

Kopakopa felt Chisala’s disappearance was of no consequence to the operation because he knew nothing about it, or did he?
He bolted out of his seat suddenly as everything became clear in his mind’s eye. The day they were discussing the operation, Chisala had stumbled into the kitchen and he had thought that he was sleepwalking, but was he really sleep walking or eavesdropping on their conversation. He had also been seeing Chisala everywhere he turned, like the boy was shadowing him.

“No! it can’t be” He scre-med in his heart.
Kopakopa: “We leave immediately, there might be a problem, but we might be able to salvage the situation if we hurry” he said and they hurried into another room where they kept their ammunitions.

Chisala was sitting on a stone slab in the street, lurking in the corner and watching the house, he didn’t know yet what he would do, but he knew he would keep watch and not allow Kopakopa to succeed in his mission. But due to inactivity, he dozed off, leaning his head on his thighs. Because he was sleeping, he did not see a car drive to the gate and James come out with Elizabeth.

They had gone on a date, and James had come to drop Elizabeth, but he was pleading with her to let him spend the night at their place, instead of the hotel.
Since he got back from America for his summer break, he had not gone home, even though his mother had been asking him to come home, as she had missed him. He had been staying in Livingston because of Elizabeth, in a hotel.

Their relationsh¡p was falling apart, and James was doing all he could to hold it together. He had decided to marry Elizabeth, not just because he loved her, for he loved her, as she was a very beautiful young lady. But, he wanted to marry her because of her father’s estate which had been bequeathed to her.
James: “Please Eliza, I am tired of the lonely nights in that motel. I am in Livingston because of you” he said

Elizabeth: “And I didn’t ask you to stay. I came home to be with my mother, can’t you just go to Lusaka? your mother must miss you” she said. She wanted to end the relationsh¡p, but was afraid of hurting James, as the relationsh¡p went beyond them, but to their families.
James: “Just tonight, I won’t ask you for this again”
Elizabeth: “No touching, understood?” she said and James nodded. The gat man had the gate opened, waiting for them to drive in, and he hated the delay. He stamped his foot to register his displeasure. James hurried Elizabeth into the car and drove into the house.

Chisala was startled awake by the bleating of a goat passing by with her kids. He wiped his face and looked around him. He jumped up from the slab when he remembered what was on ground. He looked at his led lit wrist watch and saw that it was almost 8pm. Everywhere was dark and silent. He looked towards the house and saw that it was lit, the curtains were drawn and the occup-nts of the house probably felt safe, not knowing about the terror that was about to be visited on them. He had barely finished the thought when he saw a pair of headlights in the distance. He instinctively knew that it was Kopakopa and his gang. There was no time, he ran towards the house, shouting and scre-ming on top of his voice.

TBC

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