A Cry For Love – Episode 3
A CRY FOR LOVE – PART 3
© Tisa Phiri
KETTY…
It was only a week towards my big day and I was so nervous and excited at the same time. Moving about my empty house, I took time to reflect on my life walking about the house. Landing my eyes on my late father’s pictures, I stopped and started touching it memories of my father flushing back to my mind.
“Ketty my dear, come sit with me here” he called me one evening. I was only 17 then, I sat next to him and he opened some files.
“Look at this my child” he displayed them before me.
“What is this daddy?” I asked him flipping through them I could not understand a thing written on the papers.
“Well, this is all the documentation of my life accumulated wealthy. The title deeds, the money saved in the bank accounts and many other important documents of my estates ” he smiled showing them to me one by one.
“But daddy, why are you showing them to me now? Is there something I should know about them?” I asked him. He sighed and let me closer to him I rested my hand on his as he looked at me seriously.
“All this is yours my daughter, I have put it all in your name so that in case anything happens to me, you should know about what I have worked for and make use of it for your life. The thing is your mother and I have not been on good books for a while and I cannot trust her enough to do the right things, am sure when you grow up a little bit you will be able to understand” he smiled
“But daddy, mom and you are doing great together, what do you mean by…” I could not finish asking the question and my mother walked in and sat across us.
“like I said, you will understand when you get matured my daughter, now get this and take it to your room am coming after you” my father squeezed my hand and I obeyed his order leaving them glaring at each other with mom I now could see something between them was terribly wrong.
Instead of moving to my room as told, I stood by the stairs and listened in to them as they talked.
“What was that about Chalwe?” the cold voice of my mother asked.
“it’s none of your business Enala. It was something between me and my child so stay out of it” my daddy snapped and stood up I ducked a bit to avoid him seeing me.
“you will not do this to me again and again Chalwe, am still under your roof as your wife and you will not treat me like I don’t exist” my mother pulled him back I saw my father`s face turn red with anger he was silent for a moment and when he opened his mouth to speak what I heard made me shiver.
“This marriage ended a long time ago, the moment you decided to sleep with my best friend to humiliate me, was the day you put an end to this marriage. Now if you will excuse me, I have something to do” my father added.
“Well, he is a better man than you are you know, at least he cares for and …”
My mother`s words were cut short with a slap from daddy she sniffed in.
“How dare you insult me Enala? How dare you, after everything I have done for you?. You team up with my friend wanting to get everything I have? Well, I got news for you, even when your plan to ki*ll me succeeds you two will never get a dime from me, you are so pathetic you make me sick” daddy shouted and stormed out of the house I run to my room crying.
“What is going on here?” I spoke to myself as I had locked my bedroom door. I could not believe mom could have betrayed dad with uncle Henry, I always thought he was a good man and saw him coming home even when daddy was out of the country on business trips but now I understood what was really going on.
“How could she?” I cried feeling broken I felt sad for my father, I had never seen him that upset and I knew he was not doing well. Looking at the file in my hands, I recalled his warning words to take care of it so I quickly hid the file and walked out just to find my mother standing by the door.
“What was that?” she asked
“What mom?” I stammered looking down the floor.
“You know what I mean, what was that your father gave you down stairs?” she held my hand with a strong grip.
“Let go mother, you are hurting me” I tried to pull my hand loose but she wouldn’t let me go.
“Is it true you and Uncle Henry are sleeping together?” I asked her straight up upset at the way she was holding me.
“What was that?” she narrowed her eyes, before I knew it, she was on me beating me up for disrespect. I cried out in pain as she hit me repeatedly there was more to her beating than what I had just said I could feel her hurtfulness in her cold hands.
“You stupid girl, how could you talk to me like that? am your mother” she yelled in my face and before she could hit me again, my father walked to us and pulled her back pushing her to the wall.
“What are you doing? Are you mad ?” he screamed and all I could hear was shouting and screaming around them I run out and went to the back yard crying myself out.
“Hey sunshine!” Mario walked in through the back door to my house making me startle I looked at him enter.
“Hey my precious gem, you are welcome “I tried to smile, but I guess the gloomy face from my memory was still planted on my face he stopped in his steps looking at me.
“Are you okey?” he asked moving closer.
“yeah, yea, I am now,” I placed down daddy`s picture frame and hugged him.
“You miss him right?” he asked still hugging me.
“Yeah you have no idea” I responded with a grin he pulled me to sit on the couch.
“Don’t worry, am here, am going to help you forget him, come on smile now” he made his silly face and I kissed him on the lips.
“I know you are a good man and you love me Mario, no doubt you will make me happy but never will I forget my father especially the way he died” I shrugged sadly he shook his head.
“Am sorry about your daddy baby, really I am, but it’s been what? 10 years now”
“yea, I know, it feels like yesterday most of the times though especially when I see that witch of a mother I have” I snapped and Mario shook his head placing me down beside him and sitting up to look at me.
“Well, well, enough of sad talks baby, let’s talk about the wedding.” He smiled and I nodded my head at him.
“Yeah and the woman to give us a child?” I chuckled, his face went down the same second.
“What?” I asked
“We already talked about this Mario and am not giving you an opportunity to talk me out of it” I shook my head.
“Baby, why do you insist on doing this really?” he asked this time so serious.
“well, I have thought through things and I don’t want to end up like my parents, they were unhappy and because of little misunderstandings, they made grave mistakes in their lives and daddy ended up in the grave, so yeah, I want us to be complete and since I cannot give you a child, we need to find a way of having one” I clearly outlined and he sighed deeply sitting back.
“I don’t know baby, all this just feels so wrong, I love you and it’s enough”
“No, it’s not enough baby, we will be just fine okey. Now what can I offer my dear hubby to be?” I smiled changing the subject he shrugged dismissingly.
“Red wine will do” he answered
“Wine, you are drinking this time of the day?”
“Yes, its Friday, can’t a man have a drink?” he smiled and I stood up to get him his wine.
“Hmm, so I went to see this woman in kamanga, she is the sister to my maid.” I started, looking at him but he seemed to know where I was going with my story and he looked at the TV instead.
“She a good girl and good looking for sure, but I don’t like her altitude. Oh God, where can I find that perfect woman, well at least almost perfect woman to mother our baby?” I asked myself not minding Mario`s unconcerned look.
“So what do you say?” I moved to him and he looked at me lifting his blows.
“About what?” he responded.
“Mario, seriously?” I scoffed.
“Look, if you want to get us a baby do it on your own terms but please leave me out of it” he smiled teasingly.
“But she will have to lay with you in order to get pregnant” I reminded him and he made a disgusting face.
“Really, baby, you will allow another woman to touch me? “He asked
“Yep, if that is what I have to sacrifice for our eternal happiness, then yes, just once or twice is enough to get pregnant if the ovulation period is well calculated and then done!, the rest will fall in place.
“Hmmm, whatever” he looked away and I sat closer to him playing with his fingers he kissed my hands and stood up to leave.
“I came checking on you baby, I got to go. Am working tonight. “He kissed my forehead.
“What? SDO?’” I asked him.
“yeah, am a ZAF officer and until am promoted to MAJOR or a higher rank, above Captain, am still going to do night duties” he chuckled as I lead him outside he stopped in front of his Benz and leaned on it looking at me.
“Well, will see you tomorrow then. Work well and come early we need to finalize the dances tomorrow” I reminded him and he smiled getting into the car I watched him till he was out of the gate.
“I love him” I told myself as I moved into the house.
Meet Ketty..
To be continued
