Forks And Knives – Episode 21

FORKS AND KNIVES

 Episode 21

A story by Kennedy C Katongo

∆ ANOTHER LOVE STORY- P.1 ∆

Mambwe had never been for the idea of dating a single mother. His brother knew it and didn’t want to tell him in fear of him changing his mind about her. But now that the cat was out of the bag, everything was left to chance.

“Oh, I see. Well, there is nothing I can do. Am sure she will tell me herself. So where can I find her? Am sure you know.” Mambwe said as he packed his laptop.

“PEP, at Levy Junction.” He responded.

“Say what! I knew I had seen her that day. Do you remember that day April pulled a fast one on me for the money. I saw someone like her and when I tried to follow her – I lost her.” Mambwe said energetically.

His reaction, that wasn’t what Malumbo was expecting to see from him. Now the thought of his elder brother being desperate was knocking on his door, “Can we have Chinese food?” He asked.

“What happened to you? Now you just want us to be eating Chinese food on a regular. You the one paying right?” Mambwe asked his young brother.

“That’s just not fair. I paid last time and the other time as well.” He nagged.

“While we at this. You also need to find a girlfriend. You need to stopping frogging from one girl to another. That’s not healthy.” Mambwe advised him as they were now heading down stairs.

“Excuse me. But am not available for relationships right now. I just want to live my life, enjoy the current moment and what it has to offer. I don’t want no drama.” Malumbo said as he began to giggle.

“What drama!”

“Listen, do you remember that guy we used to call Pastor at church? Well he got posted somewhere in Choma. Do you know what happened to that perfect girlfriend of his?” He asked Mambwe.

He shook his head to alarm his brother that he actually had no clue what happened.

“Okay. The girl had been seeing another man. So she dumped him – she dumped a pastor, a God fearing man and devoted servant of the word…” As Malumbo was talking he was cut short my his brother. “Do you have to make it sound so bad. I mean, he was just a human being as well.”

“These young Pastors don’t need to be getting dumped. If he does, what more me whose not even in any church program. Not only that…” He moved closer to whisper, “The dude had paid for the whole semester for the same girl. He even had her do a filling for one of her tooth. She still cheated and left him for some boy in a tone jean. It’s because of such things that am scared out of my mind to commit to a lady.” Malumbo explained.

Now Mambwe was shocked, in his moment of thought as he tried to understand the story his brother had just told him, he began to laugh. For some reason he found the whole story amusing.

“He even did a tooth filling for her and now she out there smiling at every guy. Lord your daughter’s.” He added as he laughed.

“I don’t see why you find it funny but this happened to the Pastor. These days all you need to do is make sure you are the favorite boyfriend – then you good.” Malumbo added.

“That’s very sad. I feel for him. The girl did seem jumpy.” Malumbo said, they were now in the car and heading out.

“She just wanted a man to pay for her tuition fees. I mean, she was just a bad investment that’s all.”

“Let’s be real bro, that’s just very bad. Is that the whole point of saying ‘i don’t like a stingy man’ so that they can capitalise. If am going to be in a relationship I need a queen. A woman that can support me, push me to be the best man I can be – not these strange daughters of nanikane who are busy always asking for money for talk time as if they calling heaven.” Malumbo said as they drove.

The story about the kind of woman Malumbo would want to date or marry went on and on. From time and again Mambwe would recall about the Pastor who was dumped after doing a tooth filling and paying tuition fees for his girlfriend and would start laughing to the point of tearing.

“Am just saying – If she managed before I was dating her, why can’t she manage with the little help I bring to the table when we dating? Why do these girls suddenly have to start asking for favours. These days bro, I can’t even drop a message in a lady’s DM on social media without being asked for a favour. These girls think am Father Christmas.” Malumbo said with a serious face. That didn’t stop Mambwe from cracking his ribs from laughter.

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The day that followed before lunch time, Mambwe was already at Levy Junction as he slowly took a walk heading to PEP stores. Once there, he asked the young lady he found if Tandiwe was around.

She told him to wait a bit and she would be out as she was a bit busy in the store room. After some good minutes she came out, “You said someone was looking for me?” She asked her friend.

“Yes. There is a man in a suit seated just outside. I think I’ve seen him here before.” Her friend said as she pointed to where he was. Because there were a lot of people walking the corridors, it was hard for her to get a clear view of him from inside the store.

The moment she left, Jeff arrived at the table, “Where is she going?” He asked as he pointed at Tandiwe.

“She’s gone to see that man who came.”

“Which man is that?” Jeff asked curiously as he went to stand by the door so that he could see whom Tandiwe had gone to meet. From a distance, he watched as she approached Mambwe – he stood up and gave her a hug that lasted no more than 2 seconds.

“How did you find me?” Tandiwe asked Mambwe.

“Well, I happen to have a very curious brother. His the one that told me were I could find you.” Mambwe said.

“I see. And what else did he tell you?” She asked, from the way she behaved Mambwe was able to notice that she was nervous.

“That’s all he told me. Unless maybe there is more to be told?” She looked at him and smiled, then shook her head.

Mambwe tried to ask her out for lunch to which she turned him down, in her excuse, “I don’t do lunch with strangers.” She had told him. Despite being hungry, he sat there as they spoke for a while before she returned to resume her work in the store.

“I’ve just remembered, am sorry for calling you… You know.” She covered her face.

“No I don’t know. For calling me what?” He asked her.

“A pervert!” She covered her mouth after saying the word.

“Oh! Well, am sure you had your reasons. No offense taken.” He responded, he was up standing as they were having the conversation.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked him as she stopped walking.

“Nothing really. It just gives me great joy knowing that am taller than you.” He said as both of them began to giggle.

For what it was worth, Mambwe was now on a better road. On Tandiwe’s side, she still couldn’t get the whole thing – mostly the fact that she found him charming.

When Tandiwe got in the store, Jeff was waiting for her.

“I don’t like what you doing!” He said as she walked passed him.

“Excuse me!” She exclaimed.

“Who was that?” Jeff asked her.

“You have no right to question me about who I talk too.” She responded as she continued on her way .

“Is that so? But you have the right of going through my phone without my permission! Is that right!” He exclaimed as he followed her to the store room.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. You have your life and I have mine. Just leave me alone.” Tandiwe said sharply, her voice was raised as well as her back facing Jeff as she spoke. This never happened. The two of them never went through such arguments and this one seemed to be the ultimate one.

Not only was it obvious that Tandiwe had feelings for Jeff which she did not express, but, also that she was one jealous person.

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For Mambwe, it was a job well done as he phoned his young brother to tip him on how things had unfolded at the mall. Despite him knowing more about her already, Mambwe was being patient with her and believed that with time, she would open up to him and confide in him about things in her life – mostly were the baby was concerned.

To be continued.

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