Sweetest Taboo 3 pt1

                               Shekinah....The aftermath

Oh yes he sat in that classroom the perfect lesson constantly drawing....drawing me to him ?
imminently enticing ...our young hearts understood us not
with him i must smile
with him my soul would learn to breath
with him my face would understand why
this wide grin only occurs in his presence

my little hand held his accepting a proposal that would bind me for life
innocently taking pictures
that would bind the memory for life
Vowing to love forever
though she knew him not

mother nature sure knows her seasons
for when fall came it was I that flew into anothers nest
that was never as secure as yours
A broken promise
a fading picture teinting the ocean red
where your ship should have sailed

Across the seas I heard a cry
my mind floats without you
lost at sea where your kiss should have been my campus
zombing on sweet lies and perfect goodbyes
yet sailing back to where i began.

She claimed ur heart
more ink drops
a flight home and history was her name
a love so pure and unteinted
at the mention of your name my heart knows home at last

I will love you always like I did then
The more I do now
Extremely tomorrow and
forever my lover and friend


‘For goodness sake do not tell me you are working late again’moaned my feisty best friend Hope. She and I have been inseparable since the very first day we met as children. Her being popular and me suffering at the hands of monster Mwalubemba. That was then. When we were petite, worry free until we lost our friend Janet. The twosome has remained solid ever since and my love for Hope intensified. I can safely say she is the only other person outside my family that I am comfortable loving or being close to.

Hope is just that. Hopeful. She lives off the hope of achieving her dreams any dreams. Today it could be a fashion designer or tomorrow it could be a singer whatever floats her boat for the day. Her main ambition is to live life at the fullest. Currently she has been onto the whole Miss Zambia auditions. She is tall, slender beautiful and confident. The only thing standing between her and that cup is that she is mixed race or coloured. One of those girls you just love to hate because beauty for them comes naturally. They do not have to chase it with make up or endless hours at the gym. Beauty worships the very ground she walks on and promises to bestow every man at her feet. To be Hope’s friend it would be in your best interest to ensure that youare in your best shape otherwise entering a club or party with her will justmake you wish you had stayed at home.


That is exactly what caused me to start taking aerobic classes at the gym. Not only was it a good stress reliever but it also shaped and toned my short figure to give me a fighting chance at the dudes. Although to be honest with you I don’t even know why I bother because I just do not have the confidence like she does to date or let alone be around a man. It bothers me a lot to allow myself to be that vulnerable around a man. They are shady creatures. Anyway I don’t have the time to be mingling with them. The closest thing that I can allow myself to do is be in a gym full of buff sweaty gorgeouschocolate men who when they approach me, I run like hell! Ludicrous? Yes I know but don’t judge me.

‘Woman you need to put those files down and let those sexycurls down eh? Come on now. It is Tendai’s birthday and she will have your head on a silver plate if you cancel. We are all going for a house party round hers later and you know how wild those get’ she giggles playfully on the phone. I imagine she is probably already painting her toe nails to match whatever colour outfit she is wearing tonight and Cecilia is probably going to be doing her hair. One thing she is right about though is Tendai’s feisty nature to behead you without a trace. Tendai is an aspiring model too and sexy as hell. Dark beauty with blackshiny strong hair that reflects her tenacity. She is the proper definition ofdiva but has her nice moments. We have all learnt through the years that a present is vital when going to her parties and it must be expensive enough. Missing her party is no excuse to dodge buying her present if you want to survive in Sata’s ‘money in your pockets’ regime. The man makes us laugh. The money in your pockets concept proved to be so farfetched that the majority of us newly grads have ended with no money at all. Even the poor maids who are now demanding minimum wage end up with no wage as their employers slowly let them go. I stop and think about what I would do if my maid Charity were to up and leave. I doubt I could survive. ‘I know you are thinking that you have not got a present for her but trust me I already sorted that out. I got her a ticket to go bungee jumping and if she survives that maybe an elephant back ride will ensue. Hahahaha fingers crossed she takes a nose dive then we can all get away from these parties! But come on! Plenty of cocktails tonight!’


‘Alright fine I will come’
‘Yay I knew I will count on you, you little alkie and yes the flat is still in one piece just come home already’
‘OK I will be there soon’ thank God for Charity because our flat would be far from clean. Hope’s definition of clean is leaving hairstraighteners and weave extracts in the living room. We have been sharing the flat in Ibex hill since 2010. In all honesty it is absolutely gorgeous and furnished to girly style perfection. The kitchen is a happy yellow with a mahogany central table and suiting fitted counters around. The rest of the place is cream white apart from the two bedrooms and the bathroom. Hope’s room is a light shade of orange and fitted with matching duvets that just change in colour every week. Mine is lilac but I do not care for fancy beddings though Hope sees to it that I have them ‘ah ah what if your boo comes round. You can’t be raggedy!!’ she would say with one arm resting on her hip and the free longhand clicking at me from head to toe which is not a long distance for her. She isseriously deluded because she knows we both can’t remember the last time I hada dude over. No I am not a lesbian so don’t even think that!


Since moving to Lusaka we have been lucky especially with meworking at the cabinet offices after completing my Law Degree. I am still at the bottom but we are comfortable enough to pay for the flat and send mama somemoney every month. The epitome of a woman. I owe her my soul. I pull up outside the flat and I am immediately hijacked by Hope and two other girls she has invited over and they are clearly tipsy already.
‘Ooooh girl quick we have to get going asap! Mumba andTasila will do your hair and makeup cuz you know you are raggedy like that’Hope’s recent catch phrase- Raggedy!

‘Charity please take out the things from the boot’ I yell over my shoulder as I am hijacked into the house.

‘So listen woman I have an awesome surprise for you at theparty which might just put an end to this dry
raggedy spell of yours. You are going to love it and maybe soon we will be lining up to catch your bouquet!’

‘I am not even on that marriage plane still. The only thing that will get me near a man is a gun’

‘Oh nonsense! If you think you have me for a best friend just to have as a deco you have another think coming’

‘Well what about you why can’t you get married’

‘Because I don’t get down like that. I live in the edge, you live in the safe and marriage is safe’ the other girls giggle but carry ondoing my makeup.

‘You are going to owe me big because this surprise is here tostay baby! Whooo! Now down this bomb and let’s get going Shey’

Sigh. I dread to think what awaits me. This is going to be adarn long night.

Sweetest Taboo2 pt8

‘And the top stories once again. A young man was today left at the mercy of an angry mob of street vendors who beat him and another woman within an inch of their lives. It is stated that these two people were dropped off by a league of women wearing T-shirts stating that the accused had defiled two young girls and his mothers. The T-shirts written sweetest taboo provoked an angry response instigated by the driver of the car who on loud speaker instructed the crowd to do what they like with this paedophile. Clare Mwanza has this report. Clare.’
‘Thank you Dorothy. I am standing here outside the market where the young man was dropped off wearing nothing but his underwear and a T-shirt that had a picture of him kissing the woman he was dropped off with in a violent manner. The young man begged for his life as the street vendors picked all sorts of objects from streets to throw at him and beat him. Women and children also joined in with the madness and when the young man tried to escape, the whole line of street vendors closed in on him and ate him alive. After speaking to a lot of the people here, you will tell the atmosphere is still tense and very angry;
[Vendor being interviewed] eh mummy kwachiba ka madam so pa loud speaker katweba ati chikamba uyu, baiche atemwa. (A young woman on loud speaker told us this dickhead likes children) ilyashi ilyo tatufwaya mummy awe twachimuponona saana na nina wakwe. Kwachishala fye so no bwamba nga twachilepaula (We don’t like to hear such stuff and if we had our way we would have ripped his dick off)’
‘So what stopped you? Why did you not cut his private parts off?’
‘Ka mayo kachilanda ati ubwamba ubu, kukashila kalepule akene (the lady told us to leave the private parts for her to reap off herself).’
‘The woman who was stated to be the victim’s mother had her hair cut off and hundreds of men strip her naked and beaten then left her in her naked state for the world to see. The women’s group who had orchestrated this mob stood at a distance and watched. After a while the women commanded the mob to disperse by a gunshot to the sky. The women then lined up in front of the crowd and their speaker described the ways that these two had allowed for two young children to be defiled and beaten continuously for a week simply because he was a pastor’s son. At hearing this, the mob bombarded the two again leaving them in a pool of blood before police arrived on the scene. Several women had been recruited and left with this new group of merciless empowered women to fight against rapists in Zambia. The sentiments here are that the young man and every rapist should be castrated for such a heinous crime.
Zambia police said that they had to release the two from custody as there was not enough evidence to hold them. It is said that as soon as the two left the police station the car with the ladies in took them away. This is Clare Mwanza reporting in Ndola.’
‘Thank you Clare. We knew you would come in handy. So you see Trevor, we can leave you here in order for you to bleed and suffer and possibly die. But no we are not that cruel eh?’ Towela says. ‘No we will let your mother wash you and put some salt on those wounds as well as hers. You two share such a special bond. When she is done washing you, you can wash her because now you know her very very well’ with that she collects the bucket of urine that has been set aside and hands the frail mother to pour it on Trevor and vice versa. The stench is incredible. Trevor is almost numb to the pain.
Bana Linda stands up to speak.
‘I think we need to let him go now. Perhaps he has learnt a lesson. The bible says we need to learn to forgive and let things go. Surely we would not want to be punished this way for our sins. Did not Jesus say he who has no sin cast the first stone?’
At this the crowd of women are furious. There is an uproar about the merciless and unkind way Trevor behaved. Word has it that this has not been the first offense but what makes them even more angry is the child who is now gone. Towela stands up and orders the crowd to be silent.
‘It is not in my place to say what the mothers who have lost so much are feeling nor is it in my place to count myself more righteous than anyone. But you have spoken well Bana Linda. Tell me…if you died today and did not confess your sins…what punishment awaits you? Oh hell fire right? Would this be for an hour, a day or what? No it would be for a lifetime. Tell me, did not those who sinned by selling in the temple get punished with a whip? Do we as individuals think if we steal or embezzle funds we would get away with it simply because the police and law keepers have sinned before? Yet they lord over us and yes they punish us for crimes because that is the way we keep order!’ The women agree ferociously.
‘Now this man here, refuses to even confess. Despite everything he refuses to even apologise. Yet letting him go is sending a message to others that they can keep hurting our children by hiding under the umbrella of God and defiling them! I appreciate your sentiment and you are free to leave but the law of this land forgets we are finite individuals. You ask us for the one thing in this world we do not have. You ask us for time. We are assisting to clean out the mess of this town and this country because the children are our future. If you take me to the police to deal with me for a crime it is still considered casting the first stone!’ Towela says confidently.
I decide to put an end to this charade and take my blade. Adeleke grabs hold of the penis and in one clean sweep, he is castrated. Trevor passes out from the pain. I feel like I could leave him for dead but I would like him to remember every time he tries to rape someone, the enormity of the crime he has committed. The crowd goes up in fits of praise as they hold the penis and insist that the mother eats it. Towela orders for it to be fried but I stop it. I have a better idea. I ask Towela and her nurse friends to cease the flow of blood and transfer him to the hospital for medical attention. Death is not on the cards for me. She obeys and does as she is told.
As the nurses attend to Trevor, Chanda is at my feet begging for mercy. Apologising in every language that she knows and finally showing some remorse. The ladies thrilled with their mission decide to post the penis anonymously to the police with a note stating this is what should happen to the men who rape our females.
‘We are Africa. We bear the fruit of Africa. Not for the men to exercise their strength on. For the very same children and young people raped are, children, wives and mothers of our nation. The strength that rides on their shoulders is derived from the respect they should be accorded. We are Africa.’
‘Towela, you have done us proud! How can a man piss on our heads and then tell us it’s raining? This young man is not even remorseful yet about what he has done. His mother has apologised, whether it is because of fear or genuine remorse we do not know but we are going to make sure she fulfils and earns her apology by apologising fully to the young girl who she offended. A child must feel safe in this community and if she cannot feel safe amongst us, her fellow women, how can she grow to be a woman of substance?’ her eyes roam the room demanding an answer for a rhetorical question. Her arms a Kimble she continues her speech. ‘I have instructed the nurse on duty that they should give Trevor a special tattoo on his bum to state who he is oooo! This kind of demons cannot think they will roam free in this town. They can try elsewhere where people think they should wait till judgement day, but I for one I am not going to sit back and risk my children getting sick because someone thinks he will have to wait till judgement day. No!! They will not kill my children for me. If my child wants to get sick, let it be her choice. Chai!! Wonders shall never cease. Make sure each and every tree in this town is stamped with who this man is.’
After all is said and done, we eat drink and celebrate our victory. My daughter will have to go through immense counselling to put these demons behind her. I just wish Janet had the same chance. ‘It is all over now Mwaka. The police are going to arrest Trevor once he is done with his treatment. Don’t worry about Brandon, he will understand when he gets back’ Towela reassures me.
‘I am leaving him Towela. I am taking my children with me and I am leaving him. I need a man who will be a man even when all hell breaks loose. I need a man who will fight to the death for his family’.
‘I was hoping you would say that’ I smile and embrace my two friends Towela and Khetiwe. My heart goes out to Khetiwe because I know she of all people is suffering the most but even she smiles wide and bright. Something I have not seen in a while. There is hope for the future. There is hope for my Shey, my Clara and all the children, young girls and women out there.

''Zambian MPs propose castrating child rapists

November 25 2003 at 02:06pm

Lusaka - Legislators have recommended castrating men who rape children in Zambia where incidences of the crime rose by 68 percent in the first half of this year.
Members of parliament had given initial approval to the measure, allowing it to go for cabinet consideration, a parliamentary official said on Tuesday.
Police statistics show the incidence of child rape in Zambia jumped 68 percent to 400 cases in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2002.
A widespread belief that having sex with a minor can cure Aids has exacerbated the problem.
Amos Nakalonga, chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Good Governance and Human Rights said in a report seen by reporters on Tuesday that the committee "recommends that men who rape children must be castrated - we are upholding people's views".
The parliamentary official said the recommendation was likely to be included in draft legislation but did not say when parliament was likely to debate the amendment further.
Parliamentary committee reports often act as guides to the government when it introduces or amends laws.''

Sweetest Taboo2 pt7

‘So I was thinking that since we have all the time in the world to our selves, please let us make sure that we use it wisely. Now you can think I am being evil but really I am not. I just think that if you do something to someone you should be able to take it. So this week, we shall have some suggestion from every woman in this neighbourhood who has been through this ordeal and even if you haven’t, you can still be sending a message to anyone who thinks it is OK to do this to our children’ Towela stands there confidently in our little sitting room. The ladies who had come here to support Bana Kulu Themba quickly change their minds and exonerate me from all wrong doing after hearing the real reason she received such a greeting. They all lean towards teaching my sister …… cannot even call her that anymore, and her demon son a lesson that fits the crime. One woman, Mrs Adeleke who has recently joined our community is not one to talk lightly. She has moved here from Nigeria with her husband and two teenage daughters as her husband is an accountant. She is flashy, mouthy and no nonsense.

‘My dear friends I greet you. It is a disgrace that this excuse of a mother could even be sitting here and expecting us to have mercy on her!’ she says pointing threateningly at my sister. ‘I cannot begn to understand how this woman can know that her 11 year old niece is being attacked by her own blood and turns to look away! If he was my own….’ She pauses for dramatic effect by looking around the room at the ladies, her face scowled in disgust at the prospect that this twat of a boy could even be used as an analogy for her own spawn. For my looking at him only, it was enough to see that he was indeed the devils spawn. ‘If he was my own (beats her chest with a hand, her breasts bounce in agreement) he would not have been able to live to tell the tale!’ yes!! The women agree in unison. ‘My sisters, this boy right here will only go ahead to rape one child after another. I will tell you what we shall do. Our sister towela has shown us the pictures of the abomination these two have caused. If he had even as much as given an apology for his actions maybe we would have listened!’ she says tugging at her earlobe ‘but instead these two wicked cockroaches decided to sit at that your meeting, deny everyting and then blame the poor baby for something she does not even understand! Madam hell is waiting to receive you well well! Inyama! Maybe even hell will fail to accept such cruelty because you surpass the devil ooo! My own suggestion is that, she lies down here on this carpet, pass me a razor blade, we are going to make cuts on her own vagina eh, and then make the son wash her in the hot water that the poor child had to endure! My sister Towela take more pictures. Mrs Mwanza here is a fantastic journalist!’

There is an uproar of agreement and with that the women grab hold of Chanda my sister and Mrs Adeleke is quick to spread her legs and whilst slapping and spitting on Trevor, orders him to cut lines on his mother. She screams out in pain but the ladies bid her mouth with a cloth. This is literally like being in a house of horror. I am definitely going to move house after this. I have no mercy for Chanda because everything that Towela has decided to do is to re-enact the rape with the two as the actors. The more I see it the more angry I feel. Chanda lays on the floor sobbing whilst the women get the water ready.

‘My sisters, the child told us that when this boy thought the aunty was coming home, he quickly rushed the two girls into the bathroom and dipped them one by one into the Shomeka. When I checked Sheys bruised vagina, mmm mmm mmm mawe….you will not believe that she was burnt because the water must have been too hot but did he care? No. he wanted to get away with his crime. May I repeat that this was not once, not twice, but repeatedly for one whole week. Whilst we were thinking this trusted boy, not even a friend of the family but family himself was minding the store and taking care of our children, he was having brutal sex with them and then dipping them in hot water like chickens whose feathers need to be plucked!’ Towela’s words fade away as I disappear into a world of pain and horror. Each description feels like a thousand knifes being stuck into my body with the intention of a slow death. No there is no escaping this horror. If anyone believed in mercy, after hearing this, the word mercy was thrown out the window in an instant. For what could mercy achieve in this situation? If I cannot stomach just hearing the events what more the children who were involved? For goodness sake poor little Janet was driven mad by it to the point of taking her own life. The only child of Khetiwe for after Janet, she could not bear children anymore. There had been complications with her womb and she was declared barren. So one child is all she had in this world. One child through whom you see your eyes and your dreams and your pride. One child to unite her family. Now her family which was once perfect has begun to fall apart. The constant fights and arguments that have ensued have led her to come and seek refuge at our sanctuary in Towela’s home.

And so the women grab hold of a screaming Chanda and dump her into the hot bath. Trevor is given a big bottle of vinegar and salt and forced to soak it in. It does not matter how many time they both cry and beg for mercy. Each woman is out to defend her own. The salt soaks into the cuts ruthlessly and when they are satisfied, they hurl her out of the water.

It is decided that the next fun thing to do would be to distribute the t-shirts that have been printed by Towela. I cannot believe how she gets things done so quickly but she is beyond help with her devious mind. She knows any and every contact necessary to keep this shit wrapped right around her little finger. The police care not. After all, this is one less expense for them. They are just interested in us finishing the job and handing him to them… if we hand him to them.

The T-shirts have Trevor kissing his mother after licking my vomit and are marked in big bold letters:

‘SWEETEST TABOO- MOTHER AND RAPIST SON’

The back of the T-shirts are covered with the following words:

Five minutes too much

Stop!

A small word four + exclamation mark, scream piercing through the night

deafening the ears of the minds who should sleep but this

child alone screams Stop! To a silent world

Five minutes too much to tear the hymen of the young virgin

to cleanse you, you kill the soul in me crying

stop!

all together five, five minutes is too much

for the little fingers on each hand to

fight off the five six seven times you

strike thrust break tear hurt

in five quick minutes

you

change the life and the dream and the courage of a child of five crying in the dark for her mother

you stand there victorious

sweaty and smelly reeking of blood

that you spilled on her sheets before heading back to your wife/mother/girlfriend/lover

All in five minutes un raveled her world

when you should have been her hero

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR CHILD- DESTROYED IN FIVE MINUTES

R.I.P JANET

The women then instruct only 3 out of the group to take a trembling Trevor and his mother wearing the T-shirts and parade in the heart of Ndola where you find the famous street vendors. Now Trevor is only wearing boxers and this feminine T-shirt. The vultures await them! They cannot run from anyone not with this vicious mob of women. Mrs Adeleke is not a woman you want to mess with.

'We are all just going to have fun with the Kabova's (vendors)' Towela says with the sweetest smile on her face. 'As you all know, there is no punishment worse than that accorded by the vendors. I have my loudspeaker with I kept during public meetings my husband attended, so I will announce what little present we have for the vendors  before releasing these to the pack of wolves.'

' When they have been disciplined, please, bring them back here still breathing abeg so we can finish em well well' Adeleke orders and with that it is bye bye Trevor, hello street vendors.

 

 

Sweetest Taboo2 pt6

Chapter 6

It is a shame that things had to go the way they did with Janet My daughters Christmas is turning out to be a nightmare which is something I will not tolerate. There has been a lot of talk all week about how Janet was found after drinking bleach or whatever. You see the problem with rumours is that they have a tendency not to be true but if people wanted something to talk about I was prepared to give them the talk. No more need for magazines or television or any other form of treatment. I was going to put things straight and if not immediately, send a warning to any other rapist out there that thinks they are invincible.

To make matters worse, my baby and I had to sit through a heart breaking time at the doctor’s office as she received her counselling prior to getting tested for HIV. She had so many questions that not even the doctor after many years in his profession found easy to answer. So much information, so little time and overnight she had lost a best friend and a good holiday.

‘So if your test comes out positive, there is still so much you can do to live a normal life Shekinah but you will need to be on medication for your whole life….’

‘So I am not a virgin and now I might be sick? All because I wanted to have some sweets? Mama I said I was sorry!’ she says turning in her chair to look at me with tears filled in her eyes. I told her it was OK and that everything would be fine but come on poor girl. It was one thing for me to have gone through it so I know exactly what she is going through but my baby, her world is collapsing around her. Her best friend is gone, she does not want to watch TV. No I cannot even persuade her to watch Shera and the worst part is that her own home has been stolen from her….by her rapist. She now has to live with Towela. I have no words to comfort her because I have no idea what to say to strengthen her apart from promise her that it was all going to be OK.

Those were the longest two weeks of our lives. Each night I woke up covered in sweat because the doctor was just about to reveal the results and then I would wake up. Shekinah has lost so much weight from her lack of appetite that she will not even touch the mango tree she loves so much. Something about it reminds her so much of those events but she will not talk about it. Towela has tried everything under the sun but she just sits in the house not doing anything to stimulate herself. Before Janet’s death, Shey Shey could at least sit with Thandie and paint or even master up the courage to go to the park with her aunty. Needless to say at the moment I watch her every move. My heart cannot be at peace when I know he is still around.

We finally got the results and thank God she is negative. Bana Kulu Themba came over to enquire about how things were and I told her about the result. 

‘Mmmhmm, mwalishiba fye amakaladi…..’ I was removing the feathers from the chicken when she came to see me.  Like what the hell is that supposed to mean? What is she insinuating? But no let her repeat herself eh. I want to make sure she is saying what I think she is saying then she will know me.

‘Sorry I beg your pardon but what do you mean by what you just said?

‘You can fight all you like for your Shekinah but bonse in this town we know amakaladi. They are whores and by the time she is 15 she will be……Ehhhhhh!!!!Mayo Mayo’ the witch screamed her lungs out as the hot water greeted her old wrinkly face. The neighbours came rushing out to find out what the commotion was all about and tried their best to attend to her. Removing chicken feathers and all manner of debris from her. Could the water have blinded her? Yes. Did I care? No.

‘Get this disgusting witch off my property before I deal with all of you!! Let anyone say something and I hear it. You will see what I will do to you. Make sure if you are still seeing that you never ever step foot here again olo akalumba, I swear, you will wish you had never met me. Bonse fye mwayamba ukwingila mukaputula nokonkonsha, I will deal with all of you!’ they break their little party and disappear off to attend to the kolokombwa inher witch house. Nonsense.

My sister meets me at the door looking very shocked at what I had just done. She just reminded me that she is next on our list. Towela needs to come and finish this nonsense up. The burial is done and dusted but the revenge is still on. To my sister I must play the fool.

[Phone call-Towela] Hi girl. You need to come and help me with this chicken I smile. Yes now, I don’t know how to the recipe like you. How long will it take for you to get here? Oh OK cool.

Towela hungs up and I go about my duties avoiding my sister. I have an explosive temper and for this to work the way we need it to it has to be done the right way.

An hour later Towela arrives and with her charming self, greets my sister and Trevor as though they are not the enemy. I wonder what she has up her sleeve today. 

‘OK so what we are going to discuss today is the living arrangement in the house eh.’ She says looking them square in the eyes. They seem to be so taken by her like the idiots that they are. ‘But first I will need you to lock the door because I heard that Chisanga and his friends are on the way home and I do not want to put the children through any more pain yes.’ I turn and lock the door as my dimwit of a sister agrees to it because somehow she thinks this discussion will be good for her. ‘Ok so if we can just move to Trevors room and see how we can design it a bit better just to make sure that his room is you know done well enough for him to carry out his church duties. The past is the past aine?’ we all agree and proceed to Trevors room, then when everyone is sitting on the bed miss nice turns to a bitch in two seconds and opens her handbag and takes out a simple box of matches. Now Trevor is looking worried. His mother gets anxious and looks at us quizzingly.

‘Trevor I have a choice for you. You can go to prison and suffer at the hands of inmates…or you can do just what you did to those girls right here in this room to your mother. You are going to screw your mother, hit her and force yourself on her just like you did to the girls’ Trevor gets up angry and tries to come up me but you will be surprised what power a woman with a gun holds. Towela continues like a boss lady. ‘I have poured enough paraffin in this room to light all of us up in an instant. That smell is not from us being generous enough to apply cobra muno awe. You village idots are going to pay for what you did and I am pretty sure by what you seen from Bana Kulu Themba this aint a joke. Hit your mother and rape her’ Trevor starts crying with his mother and begging us not to make him do it. I am sure that my baby cried for him to stop and he didn’t so sorry but crocodile tears are not welcome at this venue. Towela shouts at him to get on with it before she lights them up. My sister is crying so loud it annoys me. 

Trevor hits her on the face and right there he strips her clothes off as we watch and rapes his mother. Towela is busy taking pictures as though it is a fashion parade and does not seem phased by the view. It nauseates me so much that I gag and throw up.

‘When you are done Trevor, I want you to lick this vomit off the floor and kiss your mother with it. You understand?’ Trevor cries and gets off the mother who is besides herself with tears. Towela cheekily asks her to smile for the camera.

‘Now listen you guys, it is not that I am being cruel. It is your job as a woman to take these things eh? We can’t allow a man who wants to relieve himself to go without getting some. Were those not your words? Very wise words indeed. Now please clean this floor up with your tongue Trevor’ another picture and even as he kisses his mother another picture.

‘Thank you for your cooperation and we are sorry the delay of this punishment. Circumstances beyond our control deeply regretted but for you taboo lovers, this must be the sweetest taboo for you huh?’ she bursts out laughing so hard that even I am afraid of her and proud at the same time.

Trevor gets dressed and sits on the bed crying. As for my sister she is to remain locked in this room until we are done with her. Goodness me tomorrow is going to be awesome!

Sweetest Taboo2 pt5

‘‘He leaves and she's a child again who knows nothing but pain. 

Innocence lost at such a big cost. Sobs, sniffs, wails as her mind twirls in her world full of turmoil!!!! 

AAAAArrrrgggghhh scrubbing away, yet never feeling clean  

As she re-lives the nightmare that's made her mean... 

Glass crushes, mind smashes and the hearts burnt to nothing but ashes. 

These are the sounds of a broken heart.’’ – PW 2013

The skinny dangling neck of the rose bushes stares threatening at every person walking through the gates of the Phiris house that night. It is not very cold but a little windy and as it is evening, the breeze whistles through our flimsy jerseys ushering the cold kiss of death to the skin.  Towela and I hesitate to come out of her car. It is not somewhere we want to be but somewhere we know we need to be despite the howling screech of the boisterous wind. It was enough to dry your bones in an instant.

Unlike  many marriages we had witnessed in Ndola, you know because we had not really lived outside Ndola, the Phiris of Hillcrest were known to be blissfully happy. Khetiwe's husband, a short sweet surgeon was about the only man who you would never accept could have an affair. Either that, or he was really good at hiding it. Even more so, he was the proud husband of Mrs Khetiwe Phiri, the shy soft spoken teacher at Kansenshi Secondary school. We had known Khetiwe for a long time that is why our children were so close albeit hers being very shy and reserved, she had always been welcome at our home.

'Well then, let us go in shall we?' Towela says releasing herself from the seatbelts embrace.

'What do we say to her? We are sorry?'

'We do not say anything yet. We will just make sure she knows we are there for her. And you know Khetiwe is not a woman of many words so, just let her be Mwaka. You are the gobby one. This is not the place to get vocal.'

The small gate squeals its welcome to the horror house as we enter, our chitenges providing comfort as well as defence from the vampire mosquitoes. We walk up to the front door and notice that some of her neighbours are already here from the shoes that are left by the veranda. Soft crying and grunting beckons us in. The house is only lit by a candle because as usual the lights have been disconnected thanks to the power cuts. We go round her small sitting room and greet the ladies who are sitting on the floor in a line crying. Headscarves coming undone and some trying to fix them. The maid comes in to bring some drinks around and when she sees us motions us to the kitchen.

'Ba aunty has been waiting for you' she says between cries. I told her to us where she was and she took us through the kitchen to the back of the house where Khetiwe was trying her best to keep busy by cooking in the mwaisa banga pot  as we used to call.

'Oh Mwaka' her small voice manages and then she finally breaks down. 'Mwaka my little one is gone' Towela and I motion to the maid to continue with the cooking as we assist Khetiwe to get up and follow us somewhere private. Each of us holds one arm to help her stabilise as she is so weak from her crying that it is almost impossible for her to walk. What do you say to one of your friends when her child dies? What do you say to any mother who has just lost a child?

I am especially heartbroken because of the circumstances in which she lost the child except Towela and I do not know what to say so we just hug our friend and pray to God for comfort.

The maid had come this morning to give the bad news.

'Ba Aunty Ba aunty, Janet nafwa (Is dead)' I had dropped the washing that I was just about to hung up on the wash line. This maid was very weird. How do you just drop a bombshell like that? Could she not ask me to sit down first and then tell me this awful news? It has been a month since the incident of evil and no we have not been complacent but they say a patient man cooked a stone. Towela's reasoning has been that we have to study our guinea pigs and make sure that the revenge was worthwhile. So far she has mixed the sample from Shikulus shit into the minced meat that was served to Trevor and his mother and allowed Shey to urinate in a chamber pot for easy mix of lemonade. Bana Kulu themba and her double trouble had immensely enjoyed the lemonade and requested more. Of course we were only too happy to oblige. It is funny how foolish people can be when they think that they are taking you for a fool just because you are smiling. But this news…I thought Janet was doing better after we mentioned to her mother what had happened?

 

 ‘Well slow down charity, ah ah what happened?’ she was beside herself. She had been with the family since Janet was a baby and had obviously been very fond of the child.

‘I was doing the laundry and she came to sit beside me. She told me that she was scared that Ba Trevor was going to kill her because they had told their parents. Every night she was not sleeping, she was sleep walking it even got to the point where she was seeing Trevor as if he is right in front of her. She said that her spirit was bad and that Trevor had told her that she was going to hell. I told her over and over that it was all just in her head but aunty, you know how Janet is, was. She was very fragile and nothing we said seemed to make sense.’ I could not believe my ears at what I was hearing. We sat down on the bench outside as she continued to tell me what happened. ‘When I went to the back to put the clothes on the wash line, I found her hanging from the pawpaw tree. She had kulikad (hung) herself Ba aunty’

‘Mama what happened to Janet? Why are you crying?’ I did not even notice that she had crept up behind us to show me how far she had gone with her painting. I called Clara and told her to take her back to Towela’s and stay with her and Thandiwe until I got back.

So tell me, what do I say to my good friend Khetiwe? How do I console her? Neither of us even knows that children can be so creative as to jump off from a mango tree with a bedsheet aroundher neck. So we decide…..No more mercy.

 

 

Sweetest Taboo2 pt4

At 10:00 hours in the morning the guests began to arrive. The donkey Trevor and his mother arrived in the night from the hospital. My baby and I decided we were going to stay with Towela during the night because the heat was too high. With the help of a good bottle of wine, I managed to get some sleep but not after getting tortured mercilessly by nightmares.

 

By 11:00 everyone has arrived. Bana Chonta, Bana Kulu Themba who is considered family since we have known her for such a long time but also Bashikulu Bwalya has arrived. We have not seen him in the longest of times but at 74, he is considered to be the elder of the gathering which mean he is going speak today. They all choose the best place to gather is under the mango tree.

 

Towela and I take the drinks that are required from the Munkoyo to the few fantas that we know they will be drinking. The next serving will surely depend on how things go and who says what. Bashikulu Bwalya is known to be very cultural and foolish. How one can pick him as orater for such an important even is beyond me. Simply because according to them he is the wisiest of the group.

 

Finally, when everyone is settled, he stands up to speak. His voice is still quite powerful.

 

'My dear friends, I greet you. It is unfortunate that we have to meet in such circumstances. Very unfortunate indeed. ehe' everyone agrees with him. He shuffles his stick between his legs as though in deep thought before he speaks again. 'We have all heard that Trevor, mwana pastor has taken liberties with our daughter....'Liberties? is that what he thinks this is about? That we called him all the way from his home to discuss liberties?? I am very angry and Towela spots it quickly furrows her eyebrows and cools me down. Bashikulu continues in his strong hoarse like voice. 'It is very very wrong for a young man to think this kind of thing is OK. Yes we agree that he should not have taken her virginity. But my friends, you will agree with me that this situation is one of a delicate matter....'

 

'mmmm' they all agree.

 

 

'It would not be right for me to kill the boy, when the boy has also lost his father!' I raise my head and figure out how this is going to pan out. This man is not going to be on my side. He is too ancient in his ways. My heart sinks. 'What we need to do is call the young man here and the girl and find out for sure what happened?'

 

'Are you saying that my daughter is a liar? Is that what you are saying Bashikulu?' I retort with a scornful look. Towela squeezes my hand.

 

'Bana Clara, I know you are upset but must you talk like one possessed? We are trying to discuss this like adults not like children in a play ground'

 

'Shikulu, forgive me but if we are going to discuss this like adults, I demand that my child be treated with respect, not like she is ....' Brandon interrupts me and tells me to let the old devil talk. He is first.

 

'Like I was saying, bring the young man and the young girl here.'

‘You can ask Trevor to come here if you so wish, but my child will not be put through this. It is too painful and she is just a child!’ My sister kisses her teeth and looks at me in disdain. She looks at me as though if she had the chance to kill me right now she would.

 

‘Shikulu if you permit me, I will speak’ Bashikulu agrees and sits down. ‘This woman here sits and acts like she is the only one to have given birth to a child. Yes. Is she the only here whose child is in trouble...’

‘Except my child did not go raping people. She is in trouble because your carcass of a son robbed her of life? Is it because he is sick? Is he HIV positive and you thought you could cure him with my daughter? Atase! God strike you dead! What kind of mother knows that her own niece is being attacked and keeps quiet?’

‘Well that is not the story that I heard’ my sister shouts back. I look her up and down and feel an urge to strangle her right now. I cannot believe she has the nerve to speak. Shikulu proceeds with calling Trevor.

 

The smug little creature decides to come and sit majestically next to my husband and he sits so calmly next to him. When he is asked he completely denies it and says that he would never ever hurt a child.

 

He claims that the only thing he has done for our family is to help us out when we needed him and his mother agrees. Bana Kulu stays silent and just looks down.

 

‘Shey should come out here and explain what went on’ I reluctantly agree to my baby being brought out. She comes out in a chitenge looking frightened. The gathering obviously intimidates her but I motion her to come and sit next to me. Towela whispers to me not to show any emotion. I instruct Shey to tell us what has been going on and that no one was going to hurt her.

 

Shey describes how Trevor locked her and Janet in the room and climbed on top of them after beating them. My heart is torn as she describes how she was shaken and dumped in the shomeka to wash off the dirt. She also tells us how Trevor said that this was his way of punishing her for being a bad girl. ‘Mama I was scared to tell you because he said he would kill you and me’

 

‘Its OK baby you have done well to tell mummy OK? Go back and play with your friends mummy will be there shortly.

 

‘It is apparent from the child that Trevor you did do this. You cannot have been completely accused in this. What I have decided is that this is a normal thing. We cannot punish Trevor for doing what is normal for a man. It is a man’s nature to have an outlet. It is not realistic.’ To my surprise even Bana Kulu Themba agrees.

 

‘Now we are all mature people and we cannot let the shame come upon our family so what we will do is make sure that this does not happen again and we continue to live together as one.’

 

With that we are all dismissed and it has been decided. My daughters’ rapist is going to live with us. According to the others it is history repeating itself so it is time for operation one.

 

‘Mwaka, I shall go and use your phone now. You know some people are supposed to deliver something for me. My people, I thank you for your wisdom and awe, we have heard you. Very well. Please excuse me’.

 

The guests are served with more munkoyo. Shikulus glass is specially served as well as his wise counterpart Bana Kulu Themba. How she turned against us so quickly when all the while she has been blaming my little girl. I smile at her and tell her to please enjoy her drink.

An hour later the two are hobbling down the corridor trying to get Shey out of the loo. Shey sits defiantly still as mummy instructed. Before the old man could make it back outside there is a horrible explosion of guts.

 

His trousers are completely soiled and exuding uncompromising farts. The shit flows down his trousers whilst Bana Kulu clutches at her stomach and begs for relief as she hobbles down to her house. Towela has initiated the first phase.

‘What is the meaning of this? Eh? What is the meaning of this? Will you punish and take the law of God into your own hands?’

 

The smell is horrifying but I am glad I have someone to clean it up. I play dumb just as I was instructed. ‘If it were me we would all be sick. How can I poison you sure? I think it is just old age eh? Don’t worry we shall keep this in the family yes’

 

‘Are you stupid or something? How can this be in the family when all the neighbours are watching? This is disgraceful!’ well at least now he know what disgrace feels like. Shey comes out and screams ‘Ahhhh Ambuya why??? You are not a baby!!’

 

Her ambuya waddles his shit stained self to the bathroom for a wash. The next hour his wife calls distressed. My husband answer and asks her to speak slowly.

 

‘Our house has been attacked by angry women. There are about 20 of them and they have burnt down the maize field. I don’t know what to do!!...’ She is crying her eyes out. I turn to Towela and notice her filing her nails pretending not to stick her nose where it is not wanted.

 

‘OK relax I am on my way’ Brandon hangs up and calls Shikulu to quickly dress. Trevor is on all fours cleaning the shit of his supporter off the floor. When he gets up to go and rinse the cloth outside, Nurse Towela takes a sample and hides it. His mother does not have a clue because she is always curious about the fast events going on. She volunteers to go with the men and see what is going on. This should make for an interesting drive with an exploding old man.

 

Brandon calls me when they arrive and tells me what the hustle was all about.

‘Baby, everywhere there are papers stuck to trees with Grandpas name on it and his picture. The words say…:

 

Have you seen this man? He is a rapist supporter’

 

I smile at Towela. Oh dear. That is dreadful!