The Bodyguard Reloaded – Episode 3

The Bodyguard Reloaded – Episode 3

© Tisa Phiri

Ackim….

I left the front Windows of the vehicle I was driving open . The soft breeze of the September night touching my face, my mind was so much active planning and thinking about my life .

I wondered to myself , my whole life had not been so easy . I was okay before I joined the army , I actually had a dream of becoming an engineer when I was growing up , however my father insisted I join the force since he couldn’t take all of us to college . My elder brothers were also in the army but luck for them none of them went for the hardest training to become commandos .

I on the other hand worked so hard , at first it was just to prove to my father that I was strong enough since he started calling me names when I first rejected joining the force .

With time I started loving the drills and the adrenaline of every part of the training , the hard nights and the nights out in the deep forests. It became part of me and I felt belonging .

Even when general Loko forced me to go beyond my abilities to please him , I didn’t give up on myself . l had hoped one day I would save a purpose in this life .

Well now I had no idea what that purpose was anymore . I recall my mother walking in the hospital ward I was admitted for a day after the last fight I had with George and his gang .

She sat beside me and told me God loved me and that he saved my life for something greater in this life.I smiled not really understanding her point .

“You are even blessed with a woman who would give anything for you.” she added looking at Paula who sat close to me holding my hand. I smiled at her and kissed her hand ,

” that I agree with you mum

” I told my mother . She prayed for us and I felt really great . She was right, over the year I came to love Paula more and more and she was the best woman ever , selfless and always there for me even when I was stressed with work plus the secret Intelligence thing was also putting me under pressure. She seemed to just understand me and I couldn’t help love her .

“Ackim ! Hey man it’s your phone ” Jim called me bring me to the moment . I was lost in my thoughts though I was still able to control the car as I drove.

“Yeah sure” I sighed picking my phone.

“Yes love” I answered , it was my Paula .

“Where are you babe ? Tell me what’s going on , am loosing my mind right now” she cried on the phone .

“Stay calm and try to get some sleep am working on something just hoping all goes well , don’t worry about me I will be ok.” I told her .

“I love you” I said before hanging up. We got to town centre and my phone rang again ,

“it’s Chama” I told Jim .

“Yes Chama ! Anything there ?” I asked parking the car aside the main street of town centre . lt was past 23 hours and it was so quite only a couple of vehicles moving on the roads.

“Are you there ?” He asked .

“Yeah just got here what’s up ?”

“Well I used the system for the force to trace the line , it’s showing 7th street that’s were the owner of that line was some 35 minutes ago. Am not so sure about now, still working on it”

“What ?” I asked puzzled

“7th street ?”

“Yeah” Chama responded,

“why Ackim , does the address ring a bell ?” He asked me .

“It does actually, what’s the house number again?” I inquired my mind confused. The only people I could remember in that street where Dr Mwamba’s family.” It can’t be them” I thought as I drove there waiting for Chama to confirm the actual address.

“That family was with us at the wedding and even if l didn’t get a chance to talk to them after the wedding because of the confusion with Chikola, I knew they couldn’t have betrayed me and Paula , they were practically family.

In fact, Maya was our knife girl which was her dream come true , even her mother’s efforts to convince her she was beyond the age of dancing as a knife girl failed .

“I will do it mom” she told her mother.She was always at our home during week ends to baby sit the twins.

“No it can’t be them working against us” I whispered shaking my head.

“What did you say ?” Jim asked me wondering what I was talking about .

“It’s nothing man” I responded , “am just thinking aloud. There’s some people l know from 7th street am just wondering if at all they have something to do with my kids”

“Mmmmmm , anything is possible man, remember you don’t trust people any how” he sighed

“I know, but these people are not just anyone , they helped save my life once and we have been more like family over the period ,no ways man there must be a mistake somewhere am sure of it.”

A few seconds later my phone vibrated , l opened the text and my heart skipped .

“Oh she didn’t!” I shouted hitting the steering making some noise as l hit the horn. My mind stating the name of the woman Jane.

The last time l saw her and talked was some months past almost 8 Months or so . She called me and confessed her love for me .

“I love you Ackim and you and me have been close , please don’t dump me for that coloured girl” she pleaded .

“Stop it Jane” I had told her ,

“you and me have always been just friends nothing more and besides I already told you I was in love with Paula even before we met . lt doesn’t make sense for you to insist on us being anything rather than just friends.”

She said lots of things to get me to date her but I turned her down , the next time she called and asked me for help , she told me something wasn’t right at her place like she was suspecting thieves breaking in . The time I reached her house to help I found her naked in her bedroom and she tried to seduce me to lay with her , unfortunately I wasn’t ready for her craziness and I stormed out.

I didn’t get to tell Paula back then and I was overtime assuming Jane had gotten over her obsession with me .

I looked at her gate and my furry emmerged ,

” how dare she scheme against me!” I sighed taking in some deep breath to calm myself down . I almost stormed out to push open the door but Jim held my hand .

“Don’t rush man, we have to stay focused . Don’t let your anger control your actions” he warned still holding my hand .

“Yeah you are right man, I have to focus .” I sighed

“Good , now let’s walk silently and check out each side of the house before we proceed to go in.” he added leting go of my hand .

I was glad I had company cause the anger I had was going to make me act like a mad man.

To be continued

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