Beating The Odds – Episode 13

Beating The Odds – Episode 13

 

© Brian Ngoma

 

“Officer!” Thelma called him. “What’s your name again?” she walked to him.

 

He shifted uneasily. “I am Paul Boadi,” he answered.

 

“That surname,” Thelma said. “Anyway, is it any of your business how many plates are found on the table in my home?” she asked him. “No offence.”

 

“None taken madam, I am sorry. Please call me if anything comes up,” Paul said ashamed.

 

“But do you think the boy can come this way?” Yohane asked. “The accident happened from Kabangwe area and how is it possible that he can be around these areas? Kabangwe is far away from Chilanga. Don’t you think?”

 

“It’s true, your area of focus should be Kabangwe area officer,” Thelma said. “But thanks for coming by, i really appreciate it.”

 

Blank shot left the house and walked to his car. He felt eyes on him and he turned around but saw nothing. Behind a curtain was Kani watching him. Kani was now sure that he had found a family. They had his back. He saw Blank shot’s car leave the yard. That was the last time he saw Blank shot till in his twenties.

 

“He’s gone,” Thelma said behind him.

 

He quickly turned around. “Thank you,” he said walking to her and hugged her. “I was scared; he would have taken me back to prison.”

 

“No, he would not have,” she assured him. “Now i have some good news, let’s sit down.”

 

He didn’t know what the good news could be. He was afraid he might be told that she had found a school for him. He was not ready to face the world, if anything he thought he was never going to be ready to face it. They sat down.

 

“So Yohane found your mother,” she said.

 

He felt tears forming in his eyes.

 

“Her name is Kayila Vundika,” she paused. “name ring a bell?”

 

He nodded.

 

“She has been in prison since you were in her womb. She has served thirteen years of her life sentence.”

 

“Life sentence?” Kani asked.

 

“Yes, she was supposed to serve twenty-five years but something happened in prison,” Thelma said withholding some information. She was afraid he might be hurt. She didn’t talk about the reasons his mother was in prison. When he asked, she said she didn’t know. “From what i got, you have a sister but you two separated at the orphanage. Her name is Tasha. Remember her?”

 

“Yes, though i don’t know how she looks now.”

 

Thelma looked at the sad faced boy and said. “She was adopted three years before you were adopted by Greg and Veronica. I tried to look for her too but i couldn’t find her, sorry.”

 

“I want to see Mayi,” he said under his breath.

 

“Of course, when you are ready,” Thelma said. “When would you like to go?”

 

“Today.”

 

Thelma was surprised. She looked at the watch and it was 2pm. She cleared her throat, “We can’t make it in time. Let’s go tomorrow. First thing in the morning.”

 

“Okay,” he left her and went to his bedroom.

 

After napping in the room, he decided to drink some water in the kitchen. He had been in his room for close to four hours and it was almost getting dark. As he walked to the kitchen, his thoughts were on his mother. He didn’t know how he would react once he saw her or say to her. He reached the fridge and got a bottle of water from it. As he was drinking the water, he saw an opened small wooden squared door on the floor he hadn’t seen earlier. He fearfully stepped back and dropped the bottle of water. The carpet had been pushed away to pave way for the small door. He slowly peeped in and saw some stairs leading down. “Thelma!” he shouted looking around. There was no response. He decided to go in and have a check.

 

He got on the stairs and went down. As he got down, there was a passageway and he heard some activity. “Thelma!” he shouted again. He followed the passageway and was led to a dusty big room.

 

“Oh you have found me?” Thelma said behind him dusting a table.

 

“What is this place?” he asked bewildered.

 

“Something my father built. He used to call it his secret Cellar.”

 

“For what?”

 

“He was one of the freedom fighters and according to him, this place was a secret hideout for his colleagues. Even the late Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe hid from here when the colonial masters were looking for him,” she laughed.

 

“I don’t know him.”

 

“Because you didn’t go to school. All the more reasons you should go to school.”

 

He scratched his head shyly.

 

“It’s only me who knows about this place.”

 

“What about Yohane?”

 

“He doesn’t know. So it’s just you and i now. I clean it once in a while when I’m bored. It was my late grandchilds favorite play ground. He would come down here and play all day. I had even mounted the TV on the wall for him with his PlayStation. Kids,” she said thoughtful.

 

“How was he like?” Kani asked. “Your grandson.”

 

“He was a good boy, happy all the time and had a great sense of humor.”

 

Kani felt sorry for her.

 

“Anyway, that’s enough for the day. Let’s get out of here before Yohane comes,” she patted his back.

 

They left the cellar and went up the kitchen. He watched her close the entrance to the cellar. After, she placed the carpet on the small wooden door, they went in the living room and sat down while waiting for Yohane to bring supper for them.

 

Yohane came with the groceries and everything Thelma had sent him to buy. She prepared supper. After eating, Kani went to bed. He couldn’t sleep, he just kept think about his mother.

 

The following day, early in the morning, they started off to Kabwe. The drive was a quiet one. Kani was lost in his thoughts. He only had a name on his mother. Despite not having a face to put the name on, he loved her dearly was really looking forward to see her. He had pieces of memories in his head from the orphanage and what the nurses, teachers and caretakers told him about his mother and Tasha.

 

They reached the prison around 11pm. They were led to the visiting room. Thelma had already phoned in once they got into Kabwe. They found a woman facing the wall. Thelma looked at Kani and said, “That’s her.”

 

Kani felt his heart sink into oblivion. As he walked towards her, he felt his knees almost breaking. He stopped and looked back. Thelma motioned him to go ahead. He reached the woman and patted her back. She turned around and what Kani saw was something he could have never expected to see. The sight of her was horrible; She looked older than her age, she had bruises all over her face, her lips were as dry as the Sahara. Kani got afraid and stepped backwards. “Mayi,” he said.

 

The woman looked at him and looked at the roofing’s. She started pacing around the room. “Mayi!” Kani called her again. “Is this her?” he looked back at Thelma.

 

Thelma walked to a window and talked to an officer. She came back to him. “That’s Kayila Vundika, your mother. She is sick. She is suffering from memory loss.”

 

“No,” Kani cried. “What is that?” he fell on his knees. “That’s not Mayi. Bring my Mayi,” he shouted on top of his voice.

 

“Limbikani,” the woman said.

 

It was her. “Mayi,” Kani got up and held her hands. “I am here Mayi talk to me.”

 

Kayila looked at him with a fading smile before looking away. Kani was broken he ran out of the room to a toilet where he curled himself in a corner and cried. “Mayi!” he sobbed.

 

A moment later, Thelma came to the door and knocked. “John Doe!” she called him. “Someone wants to talk to you.”

 

“Who?” he asked.

 

“A woman who knows you.”

 

He quickly left the toilet and met up with Thelma. She led him back to the visitor’s room and found an old woman sited next to Kayila. “Who is she?” he wiped his tears.

 

As soon as the woman saw him, she got to her feet and hugged him. “Wakula mwana iwe (You have grown). Is this really Limbikani?” she looked at Thelma.

 

Thelma nodded.

 

“I was your mother’s mid wife when she gave birth to you,” the old woman said. “Where is Tasha?” she looked around.

 

“I don’t know,” Kani answered. “What’s wrong with Mayi?” he asked her.

 

The woman’s face turned sad. “She has been sick and we don’t know what’s wrong with her. They keep telling us that she’s pretending but she’s not. It started right after you had left with Tasha. She fell sick that we got worried she would die. She was taken to the clinics but they couldn’t help her. All night, she kept crying for you. We tried to comfort her but nothing helped. She almost killed herself, she withdrew from any social activities, she had Long-lasting sadness and irritability. She literally stopped doing anything. She couldn’t even eat. After a while, she stopped talking. When she talks, she says your name only.”

 

Kani looked at his mother. “Can i talk to her alone?”

 

They excused him. He sat with her holding her hand. “Mayi, I am back for you. I am sorry it took me this whole time. I didn’t know how to but iam here. Life hasn’t been easy for me. I lost Tasha,” he paused and wiped a tear. “It kills me to see you like this, i don’t know how you were but i am sure this is not it.”

 

She blankly looked at him and smiled. She touched his cheek.

 

He felt a lump on his throat. “I will get you out of here Mayi. I don’t care how long it takes but you are not dying from here. I will get you out. That’s a promise Mayi,” he kissed her hand and stood up. He felt her squeeze his hand. “Yes Mayi, I promise.”

 

He left with Thelma. On their way to the car, he stopped and looked at the prison fence and gate. “So i was born from here?”

 

“Unfortunately yes,” Thelma answered.

 

“Promise me one thing Thelma,” he said.

 

“What is it John Doe?”

 

“Never bring me back here again,” he said.

 

She was confused. “I thought you would be happy to see your mother.”

 

“Seeing her has taken a part of me and I don’t want to come back here again Thelma.”

 

“Okay John Doe, let’s leave.”

 

“Thelma!” he called her.

 

“You can now call me Cayn,” he said remembering his favourite character from bible stories. “Cayn with a Y.”

 

“Okay Cayn with a Y,” she said. “Surname?”

 

“Cayn Simfukwe,” he directly looked into her eyes.

 

She saw how much he trusted her.

 

“That’s if you don’t mind,” he added.

 

“I don’t mind at all my boy,” she smiled. “Now that we have found your mother, how about we look for your sister?”

 

“Thank you but you’ve done so much for me. Let her be. If we are destined to meet, we’ll meet. If not, it’s okay i just hope wherever she is, she’s leaving well.”

 

Thelma was astonished by the young boy’s words. At thirteen and he was speaking like an adult. She then remembered what the detective said about him doing things of an adult. She couldn’t even help but reminisce that night he saved her from the destructed car. Indeed, Life had made the young boy to grow up into an adult. “If you say so,” she held his hand as they walked to the car.

 

They got into the car and found Yohane patiently waiting for them. He didn’t ask how they had gone but from their faces, he could tell it wasn’t wise to ask. He started the car and left the prison. Kani looked back at the gate. He had promised his mother that one day he would get her out of that hell hole. It didn’t matter how long it took but he was coming back there and true to his word, he did.

 

To be continued

ALL EPISODES

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