The Bodyguard – Episode 18

The Bodyguard – Episode 18

By Tisa Phiri

I had been watching the group of guys drinking and chatting loudly. It was almost an hour since I drove back to the bar. I had parked besides the road and ducked in my car so the people I was watching wouldn’t see me.

I finally heard Kakoma’s voice, he was saying his good byes.

” good you bas***d, get moving” I whispered to myself..

” today you will pay for all my troubles..”

I watched him walk to his finished car which screeched as he opened the door. slowly I drove behind him keeping a reasonable distance.

I imagined Ackim seated next to me in the car.

” go back home Paula” he told me.

“this is too risky.”

” no way my love” i whispered

“am not letting this go by, that man is dying today just like he took you away from me.”

“please go back, let it go…. please” he begged me.

I shook my head realising I was talking to myself, tears rolled down my face as I increased speed by the corner when I saw Kakoma’s car turn onto a small gravel road.

I increased speed further and bashed his junk car from behind. My car was intact, that was the goodness of dad’s car it was big and the impact on it was not even so much. I saw the man in the car stagger and push the door out. it was dark and the only light was the one from my headlights.

I quickly moved out the gun in my hand. Glad Ackim taught me how to fire a gun, I remember when he told me with the danger around it might come handy one day.

I walked towards Kakoma, looking around, there was no one coming or going in our direction. The advantage of living in a small town, there were little activities especially by 21 hours.

He held his head as he noticed I was standing in front of him my gun pointed straight at him.

” you!” He shouted not knowing whether he was surprised or shocked.

“Yes me” I answered rudely…

“you idiot, your day has come” I told him sternly

“you better start talking now before I ki*ll you.”

He sat down defeated a string of blood flowing from his forehead where he had hit his head.

“What do you want? ” He asked casually..

“Are you sitting here pretending you don’t know what I want to know? tell me you bas***d why you kidnapped me and has been wanting me dead for months . Start talking now!” I screamed..

“tell me why you killed Ackim.”

He let a laugh…

“oh I see lady, so all this is for that tough homeless body guard.” he spat.

“Am glad he’s dead that fool almost ruined my life and he was so close to discovering the truth.” he added calmly.

I knew he wasn’t taking me serious and I was too pissed to play jokes with him. I cocked the gun and shot one bullet in his left foot.

“Damn! You b***h!” He screamed moaning as blood immediately rushed out his foot.

I moved closer to his smelling body.

“talk now you fool, the next one will land in your empty brains. you killed the man I ever loved and you dare call him homeless. That man was more than you and your stupid 20 friends put together. speak or I sh00t” I shouted pressing my boot on his wound..

I watched him scream powerlessly and lifted my foot when he shouted

” okey stop! I will tell you what you want to know…”

I stood straight as I listened in.

“it’s your brother who sent us to ki*ll you.”

“Wait what brother?” I asked shocked.

He let a laugh..

“oh poor thing” he sighed

“your dadddy never told you he had a son before you here in Zambia? ..”

“Yes ” he continued .

“Your brother sent me. if you think am lying ask your daddy..” he added stressing the word Dadddy like a child would say it.

“Go on” I ignored his sarcism.

“Yes he wants all your father’s wealthy and since your father had refused to take him as he deserves, he decided to eliminate you and get all your inheritance. he’s plan is to ki*ll you and later on your father then take all the wealthy. He’s not satisfied with the peanuts your father has been giving him…”

kakoma told me all the details of how my newly discoverd brother staged my kidnap and wanted money from my father. He explained that Ackim was almost discovering the truth and he become a threat, so they decided to ki*ll us both.

I looked at him bleeding terribly.

“Please don’t ki*ll me” he begged. I could see the bash from the car and the shot in his foot left him powerles.

“Tell me where he is” I ordered.

“just maybe I will let you go..” i firmly held the gun direct at his forehed.

“He… he’s in Chingola..” he stammered.

“does dad know he’s been doing this?” I asked again..

“I don’t think so” Kakoma answered.

“he knows about his son but thinks lowly of him. I don’t think he suspects a thing.. ”

“Give me his address then..” Kakoma mention some address and I noted it down in my head. what he told me left me shaken and weak. I walked back to the car and left him in the middle of the road.

As I drove home my mind went wild. No wonder Ackim mentioned the issue to be personal. He was almost getting to the truth, he always insisted the wanting me dead wasn’t a political move.

I shed some tears as I slowly drove back to my home, my father had some explaining to do.

Parking in the garage, i walked to the house the gun still held in my hands. I was in a state of confusion and devastation.

I found dad standing by the door.

He ran to me seeing me walk slowly to the house holding a gun.

“Paula..what happened? where are you coming from this time of the day with a gun? Drop it right now!” he shouted.

“I was worried sick you dispeared, for God’s sake can you try forget that body guard and start living a normal life again.”

I looked at him..

“that’s how you call him after all he did for you dad? Just a body guard? How dare you dad” i started as I went in and sat on the dinning chair.

“Ackim kept me alive, he died trying to protect me and you address him like he was nothing. I want you to know that he made me happy. I loved him with all my heart and he wasn’t just a bodyguard to me.”

My father looked at me shocked.

“what? How could you go out with him Paula? he was….”

“Stop dad!” i cut him before he could say more.

“I dont care how you refer him to be. I loved him and still do and if he was alive I could have been with him whether you liked it or not..”

Dad looked at me with a frown.

“Paula why are you talking to me like that? It’s unsual of you, tell me what happened out their” he asked seriously.

“Well dad..I think it’s you to do the talking now. Tell me about my supposedly brother” I told him sitting up and looking at him.

“What?” He sighed running his hand on the forehead.

“yeah him, dad i know i have a brother here and I want to know the truth tonight.”

I saw him deafeated he slowly sat on the chair next to me.

“Am sorry my dear, I didn’t want you to know about that derranged son I have. I had an affair way back before i moved to Asia and met your mom.

The woman I was going out with got pregnant but she discovered after I already left. I never promised her any marriage so I forgot about her when I was that side. I met your mother and fall in love with her, you know the rest” he told me sighing.

“But 8 years ago when I came back. That woman approached me with a young man she claimed to be my son. I didnt believe her story so I took a DNA test and for sure he was my son.

I told them i had a family and the best I could do was help him establish himself.

I couldn’t let you guys meet because the boy is useless he’s a serious drunkard and couldn’t even get himself to complet secondary school. All he does is ask for more money every day, he’s just so wasted I even told him I did more than enough for him. He has squandered a lot of money in the past years and I couldn’t take it any more.

You are my only sensible child I have Paula and I didnt want to bother you with this nonsense.” He added holding my hand..

“Well dad, your secret almost cost my life that son of yours almost killed me and he succeeded in killing Ackim”

Dad looked at me his eyes wide open.

“don’t tell me he’s the one after you all this time” he asked afraid of the answer.

“Yeah, I got it from his right hand man dad no wonder they decided to ki*ll Ackim too because he was almost uncovering the truth. He wants all your money and wont stop until am dead and then later he’s coming after you.”

I saw dad bow his head in shock.. “how dare he?” He shouted,

“after all i did for that idiot? gave him some flats and millions to establish himself and now he dares to plan this?”

I saw my father sweat and I was scared his Bp had risen.

“Calm down dad” i held him..

“No, that fool will get my worst” he shivered

“how dare he? I was lossing my head thinking I had political enemies after me but all this was planed by that derranged idiot.!”

I managed to walk dad to his room and gave him his medication to calm him down we both needed a break before we could discuss the issue further.

I went to sleep and thought of Ackim that night

“i wil not rest until I put the people who killed you in prison” I said to myself before falling asleep.

To be continued

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