MADALISTO – Episode 6
MADALITSO – Episode 6
A story by Jochrine Kunda
I woke up and remembered what happened making me scared to open my eyes “God please let this all be a dream,” I kept saying that to myself until I decided to open them and I had a blurred vision so I blinked a couple of times and saw people gathered dressed in black then it sunk in that the whole thing was real. I sat up and watched everyone crying but my tears weren’t any near from falling and what surprised me was that I was myself, I didn’t get emotional at all and never dropped a tear for two days because I could feel her presence, hear her voice and laugh filled in the house. I wished all the people could leave and stop sympathising with me because all I wanted to do was be with grandma, just the two of us. On the night before the burial I had a dream where I was in a forest and heard sounds of people celebrating from a distance then grandma came from an open area
Me: do you know how much I’ve missed you?
Grandma: I know, how are you feeling my child?
The voices I heard got louder
Me: mom, their voices are causing me pain especially through the heart
Grandma: this is just the beginning my child. This is what you’ll go through, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you my final goodbye because death came in my way but I tried by all means to be with you when I took my last breath
Me: No, you’re not dead
Grandma: acceptance is the key to be truly free so once you accept that I’m no more you won’t have to fight with yourself anymore
Someone laughed out loud and I was familiar with the voice
Me: mom, that voice sounds familiar
Grandma: she’s your biggest rival and will destroy you if you’re not strong, once you keep your strength you’ll be her downfall Princess
Me: Princ….. (she was gone)
I got up and went to the kitchen to get myself some water then got choked when Linda walked in with a man around his late 30s and she gave me a bad stare. Most people were awake and were preparing for the churches service, I went to my bedroom and dropped to the floor then cried for the first time since the funeral started. After what seemed like forever I went to take a bath and wore a long black dress and Chitenge, my eyes were red and swollen as I looked at myself in the mirror sobbing loudly and I saw Taonga walk in then she wrapped her arm around my shoulder
Taonga: come to on Madalitso you weren’t crying all along so why weep like the deceased was a youth? she was old and her time was up, there’s nothing we can do to bring her back
I lifted up my head and she was in black ripped jeans, a white revealing shirt and had maroon dye on her hair
Me: are you happy that she’s no more? now there’s no one to tell you about morals and how to conduct yourself
Taonga: sis, she’s gone and never returning soooo let’s not talk about her
Me: I’m sure you didn’t come all the way here to tell me that rubbish, what do you want?
Taonga: yes, that’s what I wanted to hear
I kept a straight face
Taonga: ummmm…is Peter coming for the burial?
Me: GET OUT OF MY BEDROOM NOW
Taonga: mwebantu!!! what have I done wrong?
I roughly grabbed her hair and dragged her out my room then locked the door and fell to the floor weeping, Tapiwa and the guys were the only ones who showed me care all the others gave me a cold shoulder, the previous day I. overheard grandma’s sister telling her daughter that I was a useless orphan who should have died along with my parents even though I’d never offended her. My phone rang and it was Hector
Hector: how’re you holding up?
Me: trying
Hector: sis, we’re outside
Me: alright I’m coming
I went outside and when I reached the lounge Taonga followed me behind, I spotted the guys then ran to them and group hugged letting it out we stayed like that for a long time until we heard someone clear their throat, I turned and saw Taonga looking at me and I felt her eyes pierce through my skin and hatred was written all over her face……
************
The church service went well but I couldn’t believe my eyes when Linda walked in with black ripped shorts and a brown knitted jersey and everyone whispered to each other as she walked in, after the church service we went to the cemetery and I kept crying and zoning out. We got there and the pastor did the preaching then her casket was lowered to the ground and I had a big lump on my throat then I approached and watched it
Me: I’ll terribly miss you, you were the last person I had as a parent but you had to leave me and since you couldn’t stay with me forever like I asked so I beg that you please watch over me and protect me, tell my parents that I love them. Mom, I’ll try to be strong but I won’t promise you not to breakdown because the place you hold in my heart is greater than anything I’ve ever known, I love you so dearly. Rest In Peace my dearest parent
I felt dizzy and was drawn away then I watched them cover her with soil
Peter: you’re not alone
Hector: we’re here for you (we group hugged)
Linda was the first to leave when we we’re done with the man I saw her with that morning
Saint: I’ve been observing your aunt lately I must say that she’s acting strange
Me: I guess she’s just emotional, she’s also taken grandma’s death badly despite the constant arguments they always had
Saint: No, not that way she looks comf……..
Hector: how’re you feeling?
Me: I’m better with you guys, I don’t know how I’ll make it back home when you are not there, when I see anything that belonged to her, her favourite chair and when I enter her bedroom and not find her knowing she was once in there (I was crying)
Peter: I can talk to mom over there and tell her that you can stay with us for some time just to help get your mind off things
Me: let me not bother you, the sooner I face this the better
Saint: Think about the offer Madalitso
Hector: yeah, think about it it will help you clear your mind off things please let us be of help
I took a deep breath
Me: alright but shell have to talk to Aunt Linda first
Peter: yeah
Me: let me find my parents’ graves, I was this told that they were buried here
Saint: are you sure you can stomach this?
Me: yeah I’ll be fine
I went to grandma’s sister, the one I overheard telling her daughter about me being a useless orphan and asked her to take me to where they were buried and she gladly did, it was a five minute walk then we finally stop but as we were walking she kept looking around like she was lost. She showed me a tombstone which was written ” Kangwa Chileshe” a man who died at the age of 25 and the next one was written “Lilly Mubanga” a lady who died at the age of 20
Me: This doesn’t make any sense at all, the names are……
Grandma’s sister: I’ll take it that my sister didn’t tell you that your parents your parents were criminals who hid their identity by changing names. These names you’ve seen are their real names in case you’ve heard of any others and they asked my sister to change your surname to protect you from their enemies because they’d come for you
Me: but how is it that Aunt Linda is Phiri and that woman is Mubanga?
Grandma’s sister: ummmmm…umm…they had different fathers
“Exactly why Linda treated me that way,” I thought to myself
Me: thank you grandma
She left and I just stood there blankly starring at the tombstone…
To be continued…
Huuuun next episode please
Hmmmm……
How can people be this wicked
Take heart Madalitso and be strong because you have a lot of challenges ahead to tackle