Life above all episode 38&39

LIFE, ABOVE ALL

Episode 38

GANIZANI

It’s almost two months since my sister Tiyamike went missing my little sister disappeared clean off the earth leaving barely a trace. The police have even stopped looking they said there’s nothing they can do. What’s funny is that they don’t believe she was kidnapped because she had an argument with dad that night she went away and after what dad told them they just think my sister took off with some friends.
I don’t believe Tiya would just pack and leave without even saying good bye.
And speaking of my father, he has been ill for the past two months, his illness is strange, the doctors couldn’t help him, he just lies in his room and when Auntie Stella goes out, she locks him up.
Auntie Stella has been traveling a lot of lately, just last week she was in Dubai where she came back with a brand new car, she also opened a boutique at one of the malls in town, that’s where she spends most of her time at. She doesn’t seem to care about me and my sister in fact we are invisible in her eyes.
It’s a Friday evening and I just got home, I went looking for my sister yet again but as usual my search proved to be futile, Thoko and I stopped going to school a month ago because there is no money for our fees, Auntie Stella says she can’t waste money on us.
Auntie Stella scowled as I walked into the house I wasn’t in the mood to argue, I walked past her to the girls room where Thoko was sleeping she hasn’t been feeling fine.
‘How are you?’ I asked
‘I am fine,’ she sat upright, I handed her the medicine I had bought for her, I managed to steal some money from Auntie Stella in the morning, I know stealing is bad but I had no option.
‘Ganizani!’ she screamed, she barged into the bedroom a minute later, staring at me furiously.
‘I was hoping you would offer me an explanation when you walked in but you just bypassed me as if I am useless,’ she fumed with anger.
I chose not t respond.
‘Are you the one who got a hundred kwacha from my purse this morning?’ she asked intently looking at me, her eyes were kind of blazing red it was as though she could see through me.
‘No,’ I shook my head
‘Then where did you get this medicine?’
‘A friend gave it to me.’
‘I work hard for my money you go out too and work hard for your own money let this be the last time I will lose money in this house.’
‘God! And you are here watching this?’ I asked
‘What do you want him to do?’
‘Auntie Stella you are a wicked woman, I pray that someday God will punish you severely for your evil deeds,’
She looked at me angrily before she raised her hand and slapped me hard across my face.
‘If I was as wicked as you say I am, you wouldn’t still be in this house, your father is as good as dead and as his wife, everything he has is mine don’t give me a reason to kick you out,’ she snapped
He words hurt but I played it cool and decided not to respond.
She marched out of the room and banged the door behind her back.
‘I miss Mother,’ Thoko said
‘We all miss her.’
‘Do you think she will ever come back?’
I took a deep breath, ‘Take your medicine so I can go and find you something to eat,’ changing the topic.
‘Mother left and then Tiya too left, is dad going to join them? Are you going to leave too?’ She innocently asked.
I looked at her feeling weak, she is too young to witness all this I wish my mother was still alive. Why did she have to die? And where is God when we need him the most? Does he even care as much as he claims to?
“I won’t leave you Thoko.’
‘Promise?’
‘I promise baby,’ I sat back on the bed and hold her in my arms, I want to cry but I can’t afford to break down in front of her, I am she has and I have to be strong for her.
***

TINA

The past months, my life has been a roller coaster ride, I have had to deal with one challenge after the other, I am helpless I don’t know where to go to for help. It’s like my family was just hit with a series of unfortunate events, first my brother suddenly got ill then my sister Mildred died and now my mother is terribly ill, it’s like she hasn’t recovered from my sister’s death.
She is currently admitted at the hospital though there hasn’t been an improvement in her health. I am so stressed I don’t know where to turn to for help, I went back to the wise man for help and he gave me some lotion to rub all over her body but the more I rub the lotion on her the sicker she becomes.
I just walked out of the hospital, I came to check on mum and her situation is still the same, I walked helplessly to my car thinking of a solution, I need to find what is haunting my family before we are all wiped off.
My phone rang just as I was about to get into my car.
‘Hello.’
‘Tina,’ Stella said on the other end of the line.
‘Yes sis, how are you?’
‘I am fine and you?’
‘So so.’
‘How is mum?’
‘Mum is still sick, she is getting worse.’
‘I just got back from Dubai a few days ago but I will surely visit you tomorrow.’
‘Okay.’
‘I will also send some money to help you with the hospital bills.’
‘Thank you Stella.’
‘You are welcome.’
I ended the call and got into my car, atleast Stella has been helping with the hospital bills, I wonder why mum doesn’t even like her when she is the one helping us.
****

STELLA

Power is sweat, the past months I have been having a lot of money, I have traveled to different places just in these few months I have been a member of the cult.
I was advised to start a business by Mr. Bwalya so people wouldn’t ask questions about my money. I opened the boutique a month ago and I must say it is a success.
In just a month I have managed to make a name for myself, the placed is usually crowed with customers because of the blood I sprinkled all around the shop before I opened it.
*****

Episode 39

STELLA

‘Stella! Stella! Stella!’ A deep voice awakened me from a deep slumber, I snapped my eyes open and looked around the room but saw no one except my husband who was lying on the other bed.
Yawning loudly I closed my eyes and was about to go back to sleep when a loud voice called my name again, this time louder.
‘Stella!’
‘Yes.’
‘Stella!’
As soon as I recognized the voice, I climbed out of bed and knelt down.
‘Speak wise one, your servant is listening,’ I respond
Loud cracking laughter echoed around the room as a bright light suddenly appeared. It flew around like crazy until it stopped and the wise one stood in its place.
‘Oh wise one, great are you among all kings, may you live forever,’ I said
He patted my back gently and asked me to sit up. I stood up and sat on the edge of the bed.
‘To what do I owe this visit my god?’I asked
‘I have a mission for you,’ he said in a loud voice.
‘I am all ears.’
‘You have to kill a baby tomorrow,’ he said
My heart slammed hard against my chest, ‘Kill?’ I asked
‘Yes.’
‘But I have never killed before,’ I said ‘and why do you want this child dead?’
‘The child is still in the womb and you are going to kill it, we don’t want this child to leave,’ he said
‘How am I gonna do that?’
‘One of the cult members is a nurse at the same clinic, you will go to her tomorrow and she will help you out with this assignment.’
He went on to give me details about the clinic and the same nurse who would help me. This was going to be my first assignment and if I failed, they would be consequences to my actions.
‘If you successfully manage to kill that baby then you will promoted and your money will multiply,’ he said
‘I will do what I have to do wise one,’ I said
Throwing back his head, he let out a loud laughter, ‘You must do it,’ he screamed before he disappeared into thin air.
I couldn’t go back to sleep after that encounter with the wise man, I was restless his words kept ringing in my mind, killing an unborn child? How possible would that even be? I wondered.
As soon as the sun penetrated through my window, I crawled out of bed and marched to the bathroom taking a cold shower.
I stepped out of the bathroom several minutes later and quickly got dressed. I wore a pair of black underwear and a black dress. When I was done, I grabbed my bag walked out of the room and locked it behind my back.
I was having breakfast when my daughter walked in she has been staying at her father’s house for the past few weeks.
‘Hey sweetheart,’ I smiled
‘Hey Ma,’ she responded.
‘To what do I owe this visit?’
‘Is it wrong to visit my mother?’ she asked placing her bag on the table.
‘No it’s not,’ I said
‘Well dad is leaving for Livingstone with his girlfriend so he asked me to stay here till her gets back.’
‘Eh, what is in Livingstone?’
‘She will be celebrating her birthday plus dad wants to utilize this time to propose.’
‘Propose?’
‘Yes.’
‘You mean your father wants to marry that girl?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you are okay with it?’
‘She is nice,’ she shrugged
I frowned, ‘I will not allow it,’ I mumbled under my breath
‘What?’
‘I am happy for them,’ I lied
‘Ya you should be, you left him remember and you moved on even when he begged you to give you guys a second chance,’ she said
‘I had my reasons.’
‘Of course you did.’
I didn’t finish having my breakfast, I lost my appetite when Celine told me about her father’s plans, so he was planning to marry that beautiful young lady, well I am not gonna allow it, that man made me go through hell, there is no way I will allow him to be happy with another.
‘Are you okay?’ Celine asked
‘Yes,’ I responded startled
‘Okay.’
I stood up and grabbed my handbag, ‘I have an important appointment I will see you later.’
‘And how is your husband?’
‘So so,’ I said
‘Okay, so I saw you got some new cars,’ she said
‘Oh ya.’
‘I find it strange that you have become a billionaire overnight,’ she said.
‘My husband has money, he gave me some and since he is in a bad state I have decided to use the money to better our lives.’
‘I see.’
‘Ya.’
‘Okay, have a great day mummy.’
‘Sure hun,’ I kissed her forehead and walked out of the house.
I got into my car and started it, driving straight to the clinic, it was a small private clinic situated in the outskirts of town. As soon as I pulled into the drive way, I called Sharon the nurse who would be helping me.

‘Hey,’ she said when she found me leaning against my car.
‘Hello,’ I said, i know her I saw her last time at the function organized by the black Arms Family.
‘You are welcome,’ she said
‘Thank you.’
She led me into one of the offices at the clinic and gave me some instructions afterwards she gave me some lotion to apply on my face to protect me against anyone who might be praying against me.
I had been introduced to the hospital as a woman of God who prayed for people who were in difficult situations.

Afterwards she took me to a small room in the maternity wing where a woman was about to give birth, from what I have been told, it had been almost a full twenty four hours since she checked into labour and delivery but she wasn’t dilating.
Sharon pushed the door open and we walked in.

The woman lay in a hospital bed with a woman sitting on the left side, her stomach was still distended and she was silently crying. The baby hadn’t been born yet.
I walked over to her and greeted her.
‘This is the woman of God I said I would help you find Ma,’ Sharon said apparently they are related in some way.
‘Thank you,’ she said
‘Good morning,’ I said
‘Good morning.’
‘Please pray for my child I don’t want her undergoing a cesarean section,’ she said
‘It is well,’ I responded.
Getting down on my knees I held the pregnant woman’s hand and started praying while chanting inside, finally I held her tummy and pretended to pray for her while transferring the medicine in my hands to the baby.
‘Amen,’ I finally said
‘Amen,’ they responded
‘She will be fine,’ I assured them before I left.
An hour later, the woman went into labour, after pushing for what seemed like forever, she gave birth but the baby was still born.
You should have seen how excited I was, I had been worried about failing my first assignment. Sharon managed to wipe the woman’s blood with a white cloth which she handed to me before I left the clinic without being noticed.
*****

To be continued