Not Another Love Story – Episode 25
NOT ANOTHER LOVE STORY
Episode – 25
#MWAPE
“Hey! Come in…” He said cheerfully.
Even though I no longer worked there, I felt like I was home.
“How have you been?” The manager asked me.
“Am surviving…” I responded with a warm forced smile. “Getting a job is difficult out there.” I continued.
“Yeah, it’s a rough time right now. Anyway, I called you over for two things.” He sat down and pulled up an envelope from his drawer.
“The first this is your paycheck for the extra hours you had worked. You’ve always been a good girl and I saw it fit to include you on the allowance list. The second one is a job proposal.” He said.
“Job proposal! I get to work again?” I asked him excitedly.
I thought I would take the news about the pregnancy very well, you know, the whole strong independent woman kind of vibe but that wasn’t the case. The moment I was alone I would overthink everything and that was starting to depress me a lot.
Now, hearing of a job offer that I didn’t even apply for _ that right there was the definition of a blessing.
I almost screamed my lungs out, “Please sir, you can carry on _ am just excited.”
“It’s okay. You know we have a sister Hotel in Kasama and if my memory serves me right you have some relatives there, don’t you?” He asked me.
“Yes, I do. However, Kasama is very far.” I nagged. My once joyful face had bowed to the pressures of life.
“I know, but you won’t be a waitress that side. You get to do more and also save for College.” The manager told me.
He wasn’t in any way forcing me to take the job, he did spend a lot of time running me through the benefits of accepting it.
LATER THAT AFTERNOON
“Hi baby, am so sorry. Work has just been hectic…” Allan said.
“Work, okay!” I exclaimed.
“What’s with the attitude?”
“It’s not an attitude. You’ve said work was busy yet you were with Ivy the whole day playing husband. I don’t blame you.” I told him.
“It’s not what you think baby…” He said in his charming way.
“You don’t know what am thinking. Don’t even try and pretend that you do. I have responsibilities at am and I can’t carry them out because I no longer have a job. A job I lost because of you…”
“Come on, I told you if you need money _ you just have to tell me.” He said in an assuring manner.
“It’s not about money Allan. It can’t always be about money… I need these hands to work so that I as well can enjoy the fruits of my labour.” I told him.
I felt so angry and he didn’t even seem to care about it.
“If it’s a job you want, you will definitely get one after we settle in Livingstone,” Allan said.
“And what if we don’t settle? What if your escape plan doesn’t work?” I questioned him.
I realized that I was talking a lot and needed to stop… Despite it being a call, I could tell that Allan was now pissed.
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#ALLAN
“Damnit!”
“What’s with the rampage?” Lucas asked as he walked into my office.
“Can you believe Mwape is now questioning me?” I told him.
I could hardly feel myself thinking as I paced around the table. Lucas just stood at the door watching me.
“Well, maybe something got to her.” He pitched as he sat down.
“It’s Ivy… She posted photos that we took in the morning and somehow Mwape saw them.” I told him.
“Well, it’s not something to be shocked about _ we all know Ivy has a huge Instagram following with all her businesses.”
“You not helping at all…” I told him as I sat down.
“Is everything ready for Friday?”
“Everything is good. I bought the car and it’s off the books just like you requested. So, who is going to run this company when you disappear? We both know your father will turn every stone in Zambia to find you…” Lucas said as he picked up the Zambian Daily Mail paper.
“Am not taking any money from the company,” I told him.
“It’s not about making money… Imagine how it’s going to look like, what the bloody newspapers are going to be saying about you?” Listening to Lucas wasn’t good for my energy.
“I don’t care about the world. This is about what I want!” I objected to his statements.
“Am your friend man… Mwape loves you, I can’t deny that. However, you needed to understand that her love was all built on the man you are not. All I can say is, think hard about this move you are about to make.” He said.
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#IVY
“Hello…”
“Yes, I was waiting for your call Me Manager.”
“Am sorry Ivy, I had a board meeting going on and it then slipped my mind.” He said.
“No worries. Did you do what I asked of you?” I asked him.
“Yes, she came over today. I told her about the job opening in Kasama just like you said.”
“And what was her take?” I asked him.
“Well, she smiled about it. We all know that Kasama is a long way from Lusaka. I gave her the money we owed her and the extra that you added. Am sorry… But do you really have to do this?” He asked me.
“Well, it’s not your place to question what I decide to do. But since you helping me, I will assure you one thing _ it’s actually for her good and mine as well if she takes that good.” I giggled.
“It’s just that you are making her life difficult and helping her out at the same time. It’s confusing Ivy.”
“Thanks a lot. If anything comes up please do let me know.” I cut the line.
Everything was falling into place… ‘Two more days to go and then I would get to see what Allan will do.’
Tbc…
KENNEDY C KATONGO
