One Saturday afternoon, my friend Rebecca visited me in the village. I was delighted to see her after a long time. We had a fruitful chat; we discussed so many issues including current affairs, school, employment challenges and relationships. This was really a great time after so many years of seeing Rebecca.
‘You know what Rebecca, me I am fading up of this life of being single, it’s high time I got a boyfriend,’ I said to Rebecca.
“Ala mwandi it’s true, I am also not sure whether my boyfriend takes me for a wife or just a mere girlfriend, just the other day, we met his elder sister and he introduced me as his classmate. Honestly, how could he? I felt bad! though I didn’t express it,” responded Rebecca.
‘You see my friend, even though I want a serious relationship, I have known men to be serious complicated beings. Before I broke up with my Ex, he promised me heaven on earth but only to be dumped over a useless girl from the Copperbelt Province who came here for a holiday. Kwena abaume tabatasha (men do not appreciate,” I narrated to Rebecca.
“Anyway do not despair my friend; we should pray that God gives us true and caring boyfriends rather husband to be,” Rebecca suggested.
‘Amen to that,’ I replied.
‘Iye! It’s time up; I have to start preparing supper for my grandma. Do you mind coming even tomorrow, so we could finish exchanging notes?’ I asked Rebecca.
“Ok boi, I will come tomorrow since I'm still within the village, better still come to my place,” she responded.
Upon qualifying to grade ten, my grandmother had no financial muscle to take me to St. Mary’s Boarding School where I was offered admission for my senior secondary; I thus ended up going on the streets, selling seasonal fruits and cassava with a view to going back to school upon realizing a certain target of money.
One morning, as I was selling mangoes by the railway side, one of my regular customers approached me and asked why I was selling mangoes and cassava on a daily basis instead of being in school.
“Hi Mutinta! How are you?” he greeted me with a smile.
‘Hello Mulenga! I am fine, thank you,’ I responded while looking down, as I was very shy lol.
“Today I am not here to buy mangoes as usual, instead I am here to chat with you and get to know you better as well as finding out why you don’t go to school,” he said.
‘Hmmm that’s strange, ba mbuya ngabansanga tuleisha balankalipila pantu tabakwishiba olo futi uli mwaume ine ndimwanakshi (if my grandmother finds me chatting with you, she will blast at me because she doesn’t know you and besides you are a man and I am a woman). As for school it’s none of your business,’ I told him.
“Iwe naiwe (come on), why do you behave like a small girl, sometimes? Don’t you know that you’ve grown to age of making your own decision?” he challenged me.
“Ok, can I possibly see you when you knock off?” Mulenga suggested.
‘Maybe that could work out though I am not sure because just from here I will go fetch some water from the river then go collect fire wood in the bush,’ I explained my programme to him.
“Ooh! Then you will find me by the road side waiting for you around 3pm right?” he gladly said.
‘What is it that you really want to tell me, that you can’t say in a minute and leave me alone? Honestly you are making me uncomfortable; I am not used to the life of having males as friends,’ I expressed myself without fear.
“Really!!! Don’t think too much. I am just trying to be friendly that’s all,” he replied.
‘But I am not interested in your friendship, I am sorry will you excuse me, I think of some other things and don’t ever bother or talk to me again all else nkazalapofye kuli ba mbuya ati ulanshupa (I will report you to my grandma that you bother me)”
“Ok fine, I am going,” Mulenga said and off he went.
Exactly around 3pm as I was going to fetch water from the river, I meet Mulenga by the road side just as he suggested.
“I thought you were just lying about fetching water from the river. Anyway, I decided to wait and meet you from here,” said Mulenga.
‘Didn’t I tell you not to ever bother or talk to me again? I am not interested in your friendship period, taumfwa? (Are you deaf?). There are so many other girls in this village why can’t you befriend them, wakoselelafye ine (but you're just obssessed about me),’ I reacted.
“Come on, do not be so mean. Take it easy!” he replied.
‘Take it easy ifinshi?’ I arrogantly responded.
Mulenga decided to go back with a low face. However, as I proceeded to the river, just before the fetching spot, I saw ichipululu (owl) on a branch next to the fetching spot. I dropped my 5 litre container and a dish together with ing’ana (cushion). I went back running and calling Mulenga for help .Fortuitously I found Mulenga by the same road side, I ran towards him and jumped on his back while crying.
“Iwe ninshi (what has happened)?” he asked why I was crying.
I explained to him what I saw on the tree next to the fetching spot and he acted like a gentleman, held and hugged me till I stopped crying.
He then cheerfully escorted me back to the river and just by the fetching spot; he offered to help me carry a dish.
As I helped to put the filed in dish on his head, the water poured on our clothes, gosh this was romantic though I didn’t portray that I caused the water to pour on us.
“Aw! Mutinta see what has happened, this is 4pm and our clothes are wet and we can’t go the village this wet. Let’s go pa chulo apo tumeko first twalaya (on an anthill, will go when we get dry) atleast it’s not yet dusk,” he said.
‘You think so?’ I willingly asked.
We sat on top of an ant hill; he took off his shirt and hanged it on the grass.
I was shy to see his chest but I had no option but to be brave.
I remained dressed seeing that I was in a long white ‘laced’ dress.
“Chewe, I am sorry if I offended you earlier on today. I didn’t mean to be bothering you by following you to the river. It’s just that you are the only lady in this village who has attracted my attention. When I come to buy mangoes I just don’t come to buy but to have a glance of how you are doing,” he expressed himself.
‘Who told you Chewe is also my name?’ I confusedly asked.
“Never Mind!” he replied.
‘Oh ok, but call me Mutinta instead of Chewe. I've understood your concern moreover it’s me who’s supposed to apologize, I acted so rude and childish.
You are such a nice man and don't deserve to be treated the way I did,’ I said.
From nowhere a moment of silence posed and in the blink of an eye, we kissed.
“Let’s go, I’m sorry. This is not the right time and place for this. Besides I don’t want to take advantage of your situation.
We came here to fetch water. If people found us kissing, it would be very embarrassing and bring shame to your grandmother and my parents,” he said.
‘What do you mean? We are just the two of us here. Are you shy?” I enjoyed a kiss, kiss me once more!’ I said.
LOOK OUT FOR PART 2
Contact the Author on +260 950 594 050 or by email: mwenyamuleba@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment