Part 3: Fragile Heart

By Winston Muleba II 

“Yes Mutinta, how are you?” Mr. Tembo greeted me once more. 

‘I am ok, how are you too?' I replied.

“How much is the taxi fare?” he asked. 

‘He charged me K30 but after we went past the other guest house, he added a K20, so it’s K50,” I narrated to Mr. Tembo. 

“Ok. Here you are, give him,” Mr. Tembo gave the money to give a Taxi driver. 

He bought some condoms at the reception as we proceeded to a room he booked. However, I resisted going into a room but eventually accepted and entered. 

No sooner had I entered the self-contained room than I saw Red roses spread all over the room and the bed was nicely covered with a classic white duvet and sheets. On the bed there were bottles of champagne and red wine. The fragrance in the room confused me more. This was my first day of seeing a plasma TV mounted on the wall. 

My bladder got pressure, nati nsundeko eponshilaikala (I urinate before I relax). I anticipated finding a bath tub in the bathroom amazingly, only to find a Jacuzzi, Gosh! This was my dream come true, I longed for this life of bathing in Jacuzzi’s lol. I played with a hand drier in the bathroom that I almost started blowing my air had it not been for him to call me. 

“Iwe Mutinta, what are you still doing, 30 minutes mu toilet?” Mr. Tembo shouted as he called me. 

‘Naisa (I’m coming), I’m done,’ I replied. 

“Endeshako naiwe (hurry up), it’s getting late,” he added. 

‘Sorry, for taking long, you know how we ladies are. I was making up and doing my hair shachisalangana imishishi (my hair pattern defaulted),’ I lied in defense. 

“Oh! This is Brazilian hair right? I hear it’s very expensive!” Mr. Tembo asked. ‘Yes it is,’ I replied. “So who bought it for you?” he further asked. ‘Mulenga bought it for me,’ I responded. 

“Do you know that, that Mulenga just wastes your time? You deserve a better man, a man who could take good care of you and your family,” said Mr. Tembo. 

‘But how could you take care of me and my family when you already have a wife and children?’ I asked. 

“That’s no problem, I can handle that one, for your information I’m planning to divorce my wife so that you move in with me as my new wife,” he disclosed his plans to me. 

‘Really!! But what I am I going to tell Mulenga and my family seeing that you are more like a father to me in terms of age?’ I questioned him though with fear. 

“When I shave my beards and do a brush haircut, I look like a sweet 25 year old man besides age doesn’t matter what matters is love, how we feel for each other,” he explained as I listened. 

“Here is a glass of wine,” he gave me. 

‘No, I don’t take beer, I have never and I don’t intend to,’ I said. 

“Come on, this is not beer, its wine, Taikola (it none alcoholic)!” he justified his offer. 

‘If you say so, give me some,’ I gave in and accepted. 

This is one of my memorable moments with Mr. Tembo. As we took some wine, we romantically tickled, joked, chatted to mention a few. He told me about his family and his family. He told me why he proposed me though I was young. He promised to take care of me. I remember we played katuntulu, akabwambe, ichidunu mu room just the two of us. This man really knows how to treat and make a woman feel like she’s in heaven. 

Taking wine for the first time, I still got dizzy elo nasabaila nomba (I talked aimlessly) LOL! I can’t even remember what I was exactly telling him at some point. I got drunk to an extent of feeling very hot and I ended up removing my bear back and remained with just a breast holder. Following suite he also removed his vest…. 

We took some nap and in the process, I don’t know what happened I just found myself alone in the room. I looked around; Mr. Tembo was nowhere to be seen. I got confused and almost cried, I checked the bathroom he was not there, rushed to check my hand bag, only to find a cheque worth K3, 000 and attached to it was a note which read as “you’ve brought happiness in my life sweetheart, find a cheque and book a lodge of your choice, I want us to be together even tonight. I am sorry I had to leave the room without your consent for some urgency reasons. However, I love you and looking forward to making you my wife.” 

Immediately, I finished reading I thought of calling him to say thank you. Only to find a Samsung Galaxy S6 where I had put my ka Nokia phone the previous night. 

I called Mulenga to check up on him before I called Mr. Tembo. 

‘Hi Sweetie! Goodmorning?’ I greeted him. 

“Hello, my wife. How you? I miss you babe,” said Mulenga via phone. 

‘I am fine. I miss you more. Guess what? nalitola Samsung Galaxy S6 when I was going to fetch water the other day. 

“Really!! Mami that’s good news but very strange, that phone is traceable, please take it ku police because you’ll be caught by the mobile service providers. Besides, you don’t know the story behind the all falling process,” Mulenga advised. 

‘Iwe naiwe, pantu watemwa ama analysis napashilingile (you fond of over analyzing small issues). Anyway, will call you ubushiku kuma 22hrs,’ I told him and cut the line. 

Just after I finished talking to him, I then called ba Tembo and told him the lodge I was going to book. I quickly took a bath in a Jacuzzi and rushed home. Alas I found my grandma very sick. 

“Mwishikulu wandi bushe kanshi nikwisa wachilala (my granddaughter where did you sleep last night?” asked my grandmother. 

‘Ba Mbuya nalele kumwabo Mercy (Grandma, I spent my night at Mercy’s place),’ I cheated. 

“And whose that phone for” she asked. 

‘Bambuya naiwe it’s my friends,' I again cheated that that a Samsung phone was not mine. 

“You know what mwishikulu wandi, in this world you must learn to be transparent .Yesterday there was a lady who came here to shout at me. She bitterly shouted at me and charged that you are dating her husband Mr. Tembo, a Lecturer at one of the Colleges. She complained that ever since you started dating her husband, their marriage has not been stable. Sure my granddaughter, why date a man when you have Mulenga as your loving and caring man?” Narrated my grandmother. 

LOOK OUT FOR PART 4 

Contact the Author on +260 950 594 050 or by email: mwenyamuleba@gmail.com