The Undisputed – Episode 16

The Undisputed Episode 16

Other Episodes Of The Undisputed

 

© Tisa Phiri

 

Love is a mystery, one can not predict who they would fall in love with. Sonetimes it catches the hardest heart and melts it.

The pleasure and fulfuling goodness that comes to one’s heart and mind is something that can not be explained. When you experience it, you can’t deny the satisfaction that comes with being closer to the one your heart longs for. All you feel is the desire to see them, look into their eyes and see the light that brightens your day.

These were the thoughts of Kelly as he lay down saddened by the thoughts of Mattie. He wanted her back in his life. He knew from the moment he picked her from the orphanage in behalf of his mother that something in him had changed.

Kelly felt he loved his wife, she was easy to live with, they agreed on most of the issues and their friendship was extraordinary but over time what he had thought was love was succumbed to an ordinary type of love that he felt with the coming in of Mattie. He started thinking what he had with his dear wife was not what he actually wanted.

He thought trying to get Mattie to himself will eventually wear off the moment he lay with her. Blackmailing her when he had the chance but without realising it, what was just a play become the only thing he wanted in his life.

She was perfect in his eyes, her light skin closer to his own as he was a coloured, born from an American white man who married his mother years back and unfortunately died of a heart disease when Kelly was still a teenager, he was raised by his mother and owing to the riches left by his father, they had a comfortable life and he managed to go to the best schools. With a lot of his father’s friend connecting him to the business world making him find the best job in the country. He provided what was required for his family ans had extra more.

Kelly’ s biggest regret was to force Mattie to abort twice. At first it was the the fear of his wife discovering his intentions with Mattie that drove him but now he felt he was supposed to support her and stand with her and allow her to bear his kids .

Owing to the fact that she was no lobger going to have kids, he felt bad there was nothing he was going to have to connect him to her. He wished he had thought through things before, now Mattie was gone and he felt so empty.

” you have not been yourself honey, the past months you seem lost in thoughts and you barely eat your food” his wife complained one day.

” am okey honey, i just feel bad about Mattie. How can she just leave like that? She could have said something to us. ” he sighed pouring out the truth to his wife.

” i know its sad she left but what can we do? Mattie is no longer a kid and she knows why she had to leave that way, i really hope she’s fine wherever shes gone to” she sighed.

” yeah, i hope so too. I have looked everywhere but nothing” Kelly shrugged sadly.

” i know you love her” Kelly’s wife responded this time shocking his husband who looked at her his eyes wide open.

” what do you mean Joy?” He asked his wife his heart racing.

” am no fool Kelly, i noticed the day we went to see mother the time she told us about Mattie, how you looked at her. I thought it would end there but i realised especially after we moved here that you completely changed. You never looked at me the same way. The excitement in your eyes whenver she was around was something i had never seen in you. She’s a bit younger than you but that girl stole my husband’s heart and what was i to do” she shrugged casually.

” what? Joy, why haven’t you said anything before?” Kelly asked his wife.

” well, i want you to be happy honey. We have a baby and i understand somehow us marrying because our parents arranged us was not so much of a good idea. We are good as friends but i know when a man is in love” she smiled.

Kelly was shocked with the calmness that was on his wife’s face. He wanted to ask her some more questions but he couldn’t get himself to. How much she knew of him and Mattie was not so clear but what confused him the more was why his wife seemed unconcerned about it all.

” you will find her one day honey, dont worry” she smiled standing and leaving Kelly mesmerized.

Kelly looked in all places he could think of. He moved with an alertness just in case he spotted her somewhere, crossing the road or in another car, walking in the street or something that could let him see her again. Talking with Thandi was a confirmation that Mattie didn’t want to be found. She could have told her friends but she didnt and Kelly presumed she wanted to be alone for a while. He knew he hurt her a lot and wanted to make things right. Only that his options were limited.

One day as he paced around his yard talking on his phone he saw the gate man rushing to open the gate and he wondered who had come. It was a saturday and he didn’t have any visitor expectations.

” hey, let me call you back later okey?” He told the person on the other end of the phone when he saw Thandi and Sali disembarking from the car that just drove in.

” hey girls! What a surprise! ” he walked towards them

” sorry to just burge into your house like this, we should have called but i realised i never got your line from you the last time we met”Thandi responded shaking Kelly’s hand.

Sali who stood staring intensely at Kelly didnt speak a word. She shook his hand and for a moment felt like torturing him for what he caused her friend but then realised she no longer had the power to do it.

” shall we go inside please ” Kelly indicated to the girls after exchanging greetings with Joe who instead decided to stay back in his car.

” go on love, i will be here ” he smiled at Sali nodding his head.

” we came to find out if you have any news concerning Mattie”Sali who didnt want to waste any more time asked Kelly no sooner had they sat down.

” i wish i I knew but i have nothing. ” Kelly shook his head

” yeah? Like i thought . You just used her and now she’s gone missing because of your selfishness ” Sali snored angrily.

” am sorry?” Kelly gave her a stare

” come on Sali this is not the time for that. We just need to find her, we run out of options. Her phone line has been off and we have no idea where she is. We are getting more worried ” Thandi spoke looking at Kelly.

” i want her safe too and God knows i have tried to search but all to no avail” he frowned leaning on his knees as he sat on the couch.

” what are we going to do now?” Sali asked her eyes on Thandi.

” let’s go to Kafue. We have the whole day ahead of us, God willing we should manage to go round Kafue and see how much we can find out about her mother” Sali added standing up like she couldn’t wait to leave Kelly’s side.

” well, am coming with you” he responded

” what? Oh no Mister, that is not happening, hasn’t it occurred to you that you are the reason my friend disappeared on us? There’s no chance i will ever allow you to accompany us !” She shouted loudly.

” Sali stop now!” Thandi tried to calm her but she was already at the door. ” no Thandi, that man needs to hear the truth. I hope your wife gets to know the truth about how you left my best friend barren and broken you selfish man!” She turned back before walking out the door.

” am sorry she’s pissed” Thandi looked at Kelly who kept his face down.

” but shes right. You played a big part in all this and you have to know and understand we all will do anything for each other. I just hope she’s fine wherever she is. ” Thandi sighed standing up to leave too.

” Thandi,” Kelly called her

” am sorry for what i did and i wish to see Mattie again so that i can beg for her forgiveness. If you find her. Tell her that i miss her a lot and i love her. ”

Thandi wanted to say something, raising her hands but seeing how serious Kelly looked and the sadiness in his eyes, she withdrew her initial thoughts and instead nodded silently before walking out.

She found the furious Sali still talking and cursing and she sat in the back of the car thanking God, not wanting to imagine what would have happened if Sali still hard her powers. It was like the lose of her powers trigger some hot temper.

” okey guys we can go now ” she cut in making Sali stop talking. Joe who was just witching in silence started the engine and off they drove out of Kelly’s yard. Kelly stood by the wondow watching as the car drove away.

He quickly dashed for his keys and ran outside deciding to tag along unnoticed.

” look Sali” Thandi pointed out as they passed the compound they used to stay in.

” lets go and check our house out!” Sali exclaimed

” you sure? Maybe some other time. We need to find Mattie ” Thandi frowned.

” we won’t take long Thandi, we just have to check if that woman we left there is keeping it well enough. We have not been there for over 2 years now” Sali argued

” Joe are you okey with this?” Thandi asked Joe and he smiled at them.

” yeah, remember i promised to take you where ever you want today. So just tell me and i will drive you there ” he shrugged his hands on the steering wheel.

” okey then, we go ” Thandi responded sitting back as Sali gave the directions to their old house.

They drove though the dusty and small roads with Sali who seemed calm now explained some areas to Joe.

” turn here. Its that house there!” She told Joe.

” ok” he obeyed taking a turn.

They unfortunately found the house locked, the lady they had given to stay in it wasnt around .

” where could she be?” Thandi asked peeping through the window to take a view of the inside.

They were still talking when the woman walked to the house.

” Thandiwe! What a surprise” she smiled happily.

” hey, we just passed through to say hi. How are you?” She asked her.

” am okey. You people have just missed each other with Mattie, she left yersterday” the womam went on attracting the girl’s attention.

” what? Where did she go? Has she been here?” Thandi asked as Sali moved closer to them too.

” you didn’t know?” The woman responded surprised.

” what?” Sali this time spoke

” well, she has been staying here with me for almost two years now. She told me she tried to look for you two but you shifted from your boss’s house. She came to stay here in the hope that you will pass through one day.” The woman explained.

” oh my God, we should have come back here from the last time we came to check this place. Oh this is good news Sali” Thandi exclaimed.

” where has she gone to now?” Sali asked with a with a smile of relief on her face.

” well, something happened with her mother i think. She told me she was going to visit yersterday morning and she won’t be coming back any time soon” the woman responded.

” to Kafue? Okey then we continue our journey” Thandi sighed looking at Sali and Joe.

” i don’t understand ” Sali begun as soon as they got in the car after saying their good byes to the woman.

” why did she come back here? And how has she been living without a job or any money?” She shook her head.

” we need to find her and we will know all the answers. I just wish we had thought of this place again after the first search we had. ” said Thandi.

They all were silent as they drove to Kafue, each one hoping they would find her. Even though they didnt know the actual location of her mother’s place, they had gotten the name of the area to look.

That afternoon they drove around Shikoswe, a township in Kafue asking about Mattie’s mother who they only knew as Margaret from the story the Mattie told them.

Trying to describe Mattie as her child and telling people this woman had two kids before and one of them a girl died years back.

” oh i think i know that woman!” A lady they stopped to ask told them .

” you do?” Sali asked her

” yes, but i have not seen her in a long time. Take this road, go straight up and turn right after the railway line. You will find a small market there. Ask for a saloon called Beuty saloon there. The woman who works there is her friend i hope she’s still there because it has been a year since i saw them both, beacuse i moved to the other side of town” the lady added.

” thank you so much aunty” Thandi and Sali thanked her. They drove in the same direction and found the saloon. Like the lady had told them they fortunately found this friend to Mattie’s mother. A elderly woman but wore some tight clothes that didnt go with her age. She had bleached skin with burns on her cheekbones.

She sighed after the girl’s explained why they were there. ” let me take you girls. I saw Mattie this morning she came to see her mother, probably to bid farewell, she has been very sick for some time now and there has been no one to take care of her. I just hope those two will reconcile ” she shook her head as they walked down the road to where the girls were assuming was the house.

” Mattie!” Thandi and Sali shouted with joy when they came to the small yard seeing her washing something in a basin.

Her long hair curled up and a bit mess and she looked thinner and older than the last time they saw each other.

” oh my God girls you came!” Mattie jumped up in excitement tears in her eyes as she ran to them.

Meet the older Mattie.

 

To be continued