I ran a handthrough the water to feel the temperature and on noting that it was hot enough I turned off the Jacuzzi. Diana loves to live like a queen. Of all three friends I must say she is the only one with her head on her shoulders. No- that is not fair. Lara has become stronger than I too. Temwani is yesterday’s news and now she does not even care for what he looks like! She has not looked back sincefilling us in on the drama of his untimely departure. She looks every bit the diva that she has always dreamt of and the confidence! The girl can now ignorephone calls or call back when she feels like it but she is no longer the tinylittle desperate Lara that we used to know. In her place is a creature unlikeany other.
When being discharged from the hospital, the doctor who had been looking after me had taken a fancy to Lara. She looked at him up and down and told him she did notneed nursing so his services were not welcome!
‘Lara!’ I said shocked in my wheelchair. I was so taken aback by her rudeness that I almost fell out of my wheelchair I swear! ‘Kwaliba? How can you say that?’ I admonishedhim in his presence. She looked cheekily at me and came behind me to push the wheelchair. As she braced herself for the push she said:
‘Was it not a man that out you in this chair? Men care nothing for us but everything for themselves. Today it is I love you sweetheart and tomorrow I will be in this bed being doctored by him while he pretends to all watching that I fell down a flight of stairs in a bungalow!’ she hissed her teeth and wheeled me out. It seems as though that did the trick for the handsome Dr Chaze. He looked through my file and retrieved my phone number. Seriously there should be data protection in this country but who really would enforce it in a corrupt state? He calledand introduced himself.
‘I was wondering how you are doing and to check that you are mending well…’Dr C lied.
‘Just hold let me get it for you….OK her number is 09777-’ he begun to laugh heartily. What makes you think that was the reason for my call?
‘Well what wasthe reason Doctor? Do you call all your patients to find out how they are doing?’
‘And if I said I did would you believe me?’
‘No not at allso if you want to have enough talk time to call her I suggest you take the number before I change my mind’
‘Wow, you girls...i mean ladies are so straight talking’
‘Well no timefor chitchat’ I gave him the number and got off the phone feeling cheeky. Lara was mad as hell but only pretentiously. We all knew how much she loved the attention. She took the number and played it cool when he called and every dayafter that.
‘Claire!Claire!’ mum calls from outside. Diana has gone to work and I have been left with my mother alone at her place. Daniel is a good baby and sleeps through thenight so at least that does not disturb Diana. I rush outside to see what theurgency is all about.
In front of thehouse at the veranda are Bwalya and Joyce sitting like angels sent from heaven.If one did not know what demonic creatures they were one could easily be fooled by their act. I know them and I know the wings temporarily clipped to theirbacks are not there to stay and cannot fly. I turn to get back in the house but Bwalya calls out and stops me in my tracks.
‘Please mulamu hear us out.’
‘What is thereto talk about? You wanted me out of your lives and I have left have I not?’
‘Please we are sorry eh. We are sorry but you know how these men can get’
‘Is it just the man or it is you as well? Bwalya you have made my life hell since the very first day I met you! Until this day I still do not know what it is that I am supposed to have done to you!’ I have to struggle to hear what she is saying since the other ear with the messed up eardrum is threatening to go deaf. I cannot stay outside too long for risk of infection what with all the dust. Bwalya lookslike she is about to cry. For what I do not know. My mother comes to standbetween us and gently beckons me to come in the house with them. Perhaps she remembers my temper a bit too well.
‘Why don’t weall go inside and talk about what it is that has brought out guests Claire?’Mum says. She wraps the chitambala- head cloth around her head and makes a knot at the back. ‘Let us go inside please eh’ she motions to all of us. I walk fast ahead of them. I do realise I look like a three year old throwing a tantrum but so what. After so many blows to my face instigated by them, I think I earned the right to behave any damn way I pleased.
We head for the living room. The two of them sit on the big couch that faces Diana’s TV whilst mum and I settle on the two sitter. I am grateful to Diana for finally buying asecond sofa. This spinster lifestyle of hers really should come to an endsometime. Especially now that her and Dominic are official! Bwalya reshuffles herself in her seat uncomfortably despite the vast amount of space that shehas. The reason for her presence is probably what creates her anxiety more than anything. She does not know where to begin so Joyce takes over.
‘Mulamu the reason we have come is to ask you to return home to your husband.’ She pauses and crosses her legs ankle over ankle putting up the same act that she usuallydisplays when she is trying to act traditional. She coaxes her head to one sideand rubs her hands together. I so badly want to knock her dental formula into next year that I am twitching with eagerness to hit her. Mum holds my hand and squeezes tight. ‘Our brother has not been the same for a week. He has failed toeat and has begun to lose weight…’
‘Please he is losing weight in 5 days? Give me a break save the sob story for someone who cares and anyway if you want him to eat so badly, you feed him since you wanted him all to yourself Bwalya’ I retort and Bwalya looks down in pretence shame. Sheis only acting this way out of respect for my mother. Respect my foot! If they truly respected my mother they would not have laid a finger on me whilst their brother was hitting me. They would not have jumped over this woman’s daughter’sbody whilst she lay almost unconscious on the floor. They would not haveallowed me to be beaten within an inch of my life!!
To my astonishment, mum is buying into the act presented by the devil! Like a lamb to the slaughter, I watch her sacrifice me. Damn! This is probably how that dude…whatwas his name again? The one from the bible whose dad wanted to sacrifice him? Ahyes Isaac! The feeling of hate regurgitates its way to my throat letting me taste the bile!
‘Aunty, you know that marriages can be trying but out brother now knows what he did and he is very sorry…he asks that his wife return home with the child so they can workthings out’
‘Awe, that is a respectable request after all she is still his wife’ my mother says between desperate giggles. Joyce continues.
‘There is no reason why the whole town should know about this affair for a woman should not air her dirty laundry in public’ oh great she has her now. Proverbs have anannoying way of getting adult attention which is just infuriating. They seem tothink that a simple proverb is the answer to all ailments and disagreements!Hello! My face is still a mess and the proverb aint fixing that now is it?
‘No you have spoken the truth my daughter’ I drop my jaw to the ground as the words leaves mum’s mouth. ‘I was very shocked that my son in law could resort to such measures. The two of them were such love birds’ she shakes her head in melancholy.‘If I had known that this is what you people thought marriage was about, we would never have let her get married to your family but that son in law is sosoft spoken’
‘Aunty we know he has done wrong but we are all human and need to have the heart of forgiveness. Please give him a chance to sort things out’
‘If he wanted to sort things out he would be here himself!’ It is Diana. I smile at seeing her. ‘Now get out of my house before hot water does it for you!’
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