Beating The Odds – Episode 3

Beating The Odds – Episode 3

© Brian Ngoma

“Mayi,” Tasha paused. “baby,” she said to her mother. “Want to see baby Mayi.”

“Of course Tasha go and see him,” Mayi Tasha said letting go of her.

“Come too,” Kayila told Mayi Tasha.

“There is no space for the four of us there,” she responded.

Kayila didn’t say anything. She wanted her friend to see her child but there was nothing she could do. The cell was stuffed already and with the arrival of another person, it became even worse. Mayi Tasha stood from the other side and watched Kayila looking at her baby boy. She knew she was feeling the same way she felt when she held Tasha in her arms but at least it was under different circumstances. For her, she came in prison with Tasha unlike her friend who gave birth from the prison cell. “What are you naming him?” She asked.

“Limbikani,” Kayila answered smiling at her baby.

“That’s a good name,” the old woman joined in. “In these conditions he’s born in, he needs to be strong to survive.”

Kayila felt a dark cloud over her. She ignored the old lady and continued breastfeeding the child. Tasha was busy touching the fingers of the little boy. “Mayi,” she called Kayila. “Limb…..” she stammered pointing at the boy. “Limbik…” she paused again.

“Call him Kani,” Kayila smiled at little Tasha.

Kani was growing healthily. Despite the poor condition of the cell, he was a chubby baby. All the inmates admired him and everyone wanted to hold him but Kayila was strict with her child. She only let Mayi Tasha and the old woman to hold him. Tasha could hold him too but under her supervision. Her only worry was when the boy started taking solid foods. As it was, he was surviving on his mother’s brea$t milk. Even though these thoughts crowded her mind, Kani was a light in her life and he was growing very fast. At eight months he was already crawling and trying to stand up. He was always causing havoc in the cell and when he wanted to cry at night, no inmate slept. In the morning, Kayila would be confronted by angry inmates and got lectures on how she can control her baby at night.

One Friday morning, Kayila was watching Tasha and Kani playing while waiting for Mayi Tasha to come back from that day’s work. Usually, the two women would take turns in babysitting their children. When Mayi Tasha was out there in the gardens, Kayila would be looking after the two and vice versa. Mayi Tasha returned and found Kayila sited looking at the kids. She looked at her from the distance and felt sorry for her. She was very young compared to her, she was supposed to be out there living her life freely but life can be cruel sometimes. “What are you thinking about Mayi Kani?” she asked her siting down.

“Our children’s future,” Kayila answered.

“Do you think they have a future?” Mayi Tasha asked.

“Definitely, they have. When they reach five years they have to leave this hell hole. I had read about the prison act; they will have to leave.”

“But Tasha is already three,” Mayi Tasha said her brows knitted in a frown.

“I know but she looks two so don’t worry we can still keep her,” Kayila said. “I don’t have relatives out there. Is there anyone who can keep Tasha out there?”

“My option is the orphanage; I don’t have relatives out there too,” Mweene answered. “How will they survive?” She was getting more worried. She had never thought of the possibility of parting with her daughter.

Kayila looked at Kani and Tasha. “Look at them,” she said. “Who do you think they got?”

Mayi Tasha carefully looked at them and clinched her jaws at the sight, “Each other.”

“Of course,” Kayila smiled. “They have each other. Tasha sees Kani as her brother. See the way she takes care of him, she loves him deary.”

Mayi Tasha inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly. If their two children had each other’s back just like they had each other’s back, there was nothing to worry about. Whatever was waiting for them out there in the world, they would beat it together. She thought.

Later that night, Mayi Tasha woke Kayila up when everyone was asleep. “There is something I have to tell you Mayi LimbiKani,” she squirmed on the mattress.

Kayila woke up. “What is it Mayi Tasha?” she asked stretching herself.

“You have noticed that most nights I’m taken away,” she paused and went on. “I have never told you why I was imprisoned.”

“No you didn’t,” Kayila said. “And to think of it, i have never told you either but I’m sure you have heard from other inmates. Tell me what happened?”

“Well, I found my husband in bed with another woman. I was disappointed and got angry. I fought with the other woman and my husband got away. There was nothing I could do to the woman, I let her go. Months later, my husband returned home. I forgave him. I later found out he was still cheating on me with the same woman. I confronted the two. I went to the girl’s house and found them again. We fought again and I threatened her with a knife,” she paused. “Trust me, I just threatened her I didn’t do anything to the two of them. I was tired of all the drama and left the house. The following day, the police came at my house and said I killed my husband. When I left the girls house, he was still alive. They told me all the evidence pointed to me. The same girl even testified against me in court. I never killed him Mayi Kani, I would never have killed him. I loved him,” She sobbed holding back her voice in fear of waking up the kids and the other inmates.

Kayila was crying too. She held her friend close and consoled her. They both wept. “But why do they take you and where do you go?” She asked after some minutes.

“I don’t think i can talk about it,” Mayi Tasha’s crying voice was breaking out.

“You know you can tell me, we are family.”

Sobbing and eyes all teary, Mayi Tasha looked at Kayila and tightly held her hands. “They want me to confess to killing my husband.”

Kayila’s lips set in a grim line. “That’s not justice.”

“They beat me, they subject me to a torture I have never experienced in my whole life. They undress and whip me. They put handcuffs on me so hard that the blood cannot flow,” Mayi Tasha cried loudly such that the muscles in her face tightened. “They turn me upside down and hung me with a steel cord between my legs. If I try to scream, they suffocate me, Sometimes i just wish i can die but the thoughts of Tasha being all alone scares me,” she sobbed. “I don’t think my body can take any more of that punishment Mayi Kani, it can’t. I’m weak I cannot even work at the gardens. I have been having blackouts. I cannot take this anymore.”

All the women were now awake; they were all crying hearing Mayi Tasha’s story. No one knew what was happening and having that insight of their fellow woman being treated cruelly, they couldn’t help it but break down. “Just accept that you killed him,” an inmate suggested while she wiped her tears. “You cannot go through that again, you will die.”

“I cannot accept something I never did,” Mayi Tasha held Kayila’s hand. “Promise me one thing Mayi Kani.”

“Anything,” Kayila said fear raking her with freezing contempt.

“I know if they take me, I won’t come back,” she paused. “Please take care of Tasha. I know you love her as your own, please ensure she has the life we only dream of,” She was sweating and tearing up uncontrollably.

“You are not going anywhere Mayi Tasha please,” Kayila cried. “How do you think I will survive in here without you? Me, Kani and Tasha need you here. You are not going anywhere, I refuse. We are in this together.”

“I have never had a sister; Kayila you are my sister. I love you so much,” Mayi Tasha sobbed.

“I love you too Mweene,” Kayila cried even more.

The two women tightly held on to one another and cried the night out. Kayila looked at Kani and Tasha who were fast asleep on the other side of the mattress in each other’s arms curled into a ball.

To be continued

ALL EPISODES

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