A gambling Heart

Episode one
My name is Zaria Nel. I am 27 years of age and I am a financial
analyst. I live with my boyfriend Wesley, he is a 32 and he is a
software developer.
I love Wesley to the core, he means a lot to me. Our relationship
is by far the best thing that ever happened to me. Itʼs full of
laughter and happiness- we rarely fight. We have a great sex life
and we communicate openly.
I have loved Wesley through his mistakes and successes.
I have celebrated with him through the good and the bad. The
times when he was struggling I stood by him and supported him.
Now he is financially stable, he started his own company and he
is thriving.
Today is our fifth anniversary and I am supper excited because I
know he is going to propose, I honestly canʼt wait to be Mrs.
Muchindu.

I am standing at the stove fixing breakfast when hard muscled

arms come around me and warm breath touches my ear.
‘Happy Fifth anniversary sweetheart,ʼ he whispers in my ear, the
blur of his voice sends a shiver of desire through me.
‘Happy anniversary baby,ʼ my face beams with pride and joy.
He puts his face on the nape of my neck and kisses me. My
head falls onto his shoulder while he kisses all over my neck
then I turn toward him and grip the back of his neck, drawing
him even closer, my lips capture his in a deep intoxicating kiss.
We are both breathing heavily when he finally ends the kiss.
‘I wish I didnʼt have to go for work,ʼ he says
‘Well we can always call in sick.ʼ
‘That offer is tempting but I will have to pass, I have a lot of work
to attend to at the office.
‘Your loss,ʼ i smirk
‘We will definitely finish this in the evening.ʼ
I set the table and serve him breakfast. I am sitting on the stool
making small talk as he eats.
When Wesley finishes his breakfast, we stand up together.
‘I need to go.ʼ
‘Yes,ʼ I agree looking at the time I also need to get ready for
work.
I carry his briefcase and walk him out of the house to his car.
He pulls me in his arms and kisses me thoroughly once more, ‘I
will see you in the evening.ʼ
‘Ok, see you.ʼ
‘I love you.ʼ
‘I love you too.ʼ
I watch as he gets into the car, he waves at me before he drives
off and I head back inside.
I clear the table and leave the dishes in the sink then i hurriedly
walk to the bedroom.
I strip out of my nightdress, walking into the bathroom to get a
shower. I leave the bathroom a few minutes later and dry. I dress
in my underwear and a blue business suit.
Standing in front of the mirror, I pull my hair into a tight bun.
After adding a little make up and putting on my black heels, I am
ready for the day ahead.
I walk out of my room into the kitchen and pour myself a cup of
coffee. After that I set off to work.
As I drive to work, I listen to the news playing in the back ground.
An hour later, I pull into the car park under the building and head
straight to the lift pressing the floor I need to get out.
As I step out of elevator on the 15th floor, I spot my best friend
Melanie talking intensively to someone on the phone.
I actually have a two best friends Melanie and Yedda. We have
been friends since 7th grade we all went through high school
and college together.
Melanie and Yedda live together.
These two are more than friends, they are my sisters. They are
my ride or die chicks, they are my support system. What we
share is deeper than anything I have ever had. I love my girls to
death, you hurt them I murder you and make your death look like
an accident.
‘Chule,ʼ she pecks my cheeks and rocks back to smile at me.
‘I missed you more,ʼ I smile back at her.
‘Happy Anniversary to you and yours,ʼ she hands me a tiny box. I
open it revealing a pair of pearl earrings.
‘OMG,ʼ I exclaim, ‘They are so lovely. Thank you.ʼ
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘I need to rush out right now I will see you later.ʼ
Melanie is the companyʼs Public Relations Manager. Yedda
works is an accountant for the Bank of Zambia.
‘Okay good luck.ʼ
‘Thanks, I will need it.ʼ
I walk away and head straight to my office. I put my bag on top
of my table and sit down.
Starting up my computer, I check my emails then I start
responding to pressing emails.
A few minutes later, my secretary Violet pecks her head into the
doorway and lightly knocks.
‘Coffee?ʼ she asks
‘No,ʼ I nod my head, ‘Maybe at ten.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘I am reviewing an important document and I donʼt wanna be
disturbed. I wonʼt be seeing anyone till lunch time.ʼ
‘Sure,ʼ she steps out and shuts the door behind her back.
This morning, I am working heavily on a 1 year plan and it
requires me to do a lot of data crunching and analysis which is
quiet hectic.
Time flies by so fast before I know itʼ itʼs lunch time. I am tired
and exhausted already, my head hurts and I am hungry. Right
now I wish I could just go home and rest.
I am still thinking about what I will have for lunch when Melanie
bursts into my office with a large box of pizza and some drinks.
She sets them on the table.
‘I got lunch on my way back,ʼ she says
‘Have I told you how much I love you lately?ʼ I tease
‘Lord, your daughter only loves me when I bring her food show
me a signal lord, how will i deal with her,ʼ she says
We burst out laughing, ‘Ndiwe mbuzi,ʼ I say
‘Mbuzi iliko bwino mwati ni chule,ʼ she rolls her eyes and laughs.
‘I am so done with you I seriously need to sell you.ʼ
‘What would you do without me baby?ʼ
‘Ah please.ʼ
‘Jokes aside, letʼs eat,ʼ she says
‘Thatʼs better.ʼ
I pick a slice of pizza and take a victorious bite.
‘So whatʼs for tonight?ʼ she asks
‘I donʼt know I guess Wesley is taking me out.ʼ
‘Are you ready for the proposal though?ʼ she asks with a smirk.
I feel a blush creeping up onto my face I just canʼt help it. I have
waited for this for five years now.
‘Just thinking about it right now is making me emotional. I am
more than ready to walk down the aisle.ʼ
‘You deserve it.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Congratulations in advance.ʼ
After lunch I have a meeting with the executive board, we
discuss the progress of the ongoing project. There after I head
back to my office and follow up on my emails.
At exactly 16, I turn off the computer and stand from my chair,
getting ready to go home.
I walk out of my Office to Melanieʼs she is busy typing when I
enter her office.
‘Tsup!ʼ she looks up at me.
‘I am leaving.ʼ
‘I am still around I need to finish typing this proposal.ʼ
‘I will see you girls tomorrow then.ʼ
‘We shall be waiting and we need all the details plus photos.ʼ
‘No problem.ʼ
‘Have fun and take care of yourself.ʼ
‘You too.ʼ
‘Bye.ʼ
I plant a quick kiss on her cheek before I walk out of her office.
At the car park, I climb into my car and turn the key then the
engine roars to life, making sure my seat belt is on I roll out of
the driveway.

Episode Two
I get home at 5 I step out of the car and make my way to the
door.
When I reach the door, I shove my hand deep in my bag
searching for the keys then I unlock the door and walk in.
I close the door behind my back and head straight to my room. I
let my bag slid from my shoulder onto the floor. My shoes
quickly find their place next to my bag.
I am about to throw myself on the bed for a short nap when I see
a wrapped rectangular box sitting on top of my bed with a
banquet of roses on the side.
My face beams with excitement I pick up the flowers then hold
them close to my nose and inhale deeply the scent is amazing.
I sit on the edge of the bed and anxiously un-wrap my package
to find a long burgundy dress with a wide slit and rounded hem.
‘OMG! I gawk as I hold the gift in my hands.ʼ Aside from the
dress, there is also a pair of beige strappy sandals in the box.
Excited I grab my phone and dial Wesleyʼs number, he answers
on the first ring.
‘Darling!ʼ
‘Baby I love the dress and the shoes, thank you very much,ʼ I
excitedly say.
‘I am glad you like them,ʼ he responds.
‘I wasnʼt expecting this, like seriously.ʼ
He laughs, ‘I guess I pulled out the surprise perfectly.ʼ
‘You did.ʼ
‘I will pick you up at 7.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘I love you.ʼ
‘I love you too.ʼ
He hangs up and then I put the phone on my bed, lord I just love
my dress. I wish I can wear it right at this minute.
I pick up the flowers and set them in the jar before I decide to
take a short nap.
At 6, I roll out of my bed lazily and go to the bathroom to freshen
up.
After I step out of the shower, I make the bed and tidy up the
room.
I am about to start getting dressed when a loud knock sounds at
the door, I grab my towel from the door before going downstairs.
As I near the door, the knock gets louder.
I open the door to find Melanie and Yedda standing on my door
step carrying some plastics in their hands.
‘Hey girl!ʼ Melanie practically screams like who does that?
Melanie is louder than Yedda and i.
‘You are something else,ʼ I roll my eyes.
‘Hey Zee,ʼ Yedda says with her quiet voice.
‘Tsup Kasuli.ʼ
Yedda raises her eyebrows at me and says, ‘I will be year older
soon.ʼ
‘As if that changes anything,ʼ Melanie laughs
I open the door wider and they walk in before I shut it.
We call Yedda Kasuli because she is the youngest among us,
Yedda is only 24 and Melanie is 27 like me though I am older
than her by two months.
‘What are you girls doing here?ʼ
‘We just came to make sure you will be appropriately dressed for
the evening.ʼ
I canʼt help but smile, my girls are dramatic but they are most
caring and loving friends I have ever had, they go out of their
way to see me happy all the time.
‘You guys are the best,ʼ I say as I lead them upstairs to the
bedroom.
‘We bought you a few outfits for tonight all you have to do is
choose what you will like.ʼ
‘That has been sorted,ʼ I point to the box on the table.
Melanie quickly opens it and she screams out in excitement.
‘This is beautiful,ʼ Yedda says
‘Thanks.ʼ
‘Wes is heaven sent,ʼ says Melanie
‘You can say that again.ʼ
Melanie then asks me to sit on the stool in front of the mirror.
She sits on the other stool, grabs my leg and puts it over hers.
She slowly starts applying nail polish with so much skill.
As Melanie paints my nails Yedda is busy applying makeup on
my face.
‘I was checking out some dresses on Jamosa Angels Bridal
facebook page and I saw something perfect for you,ʼ Melanie
says
Yedda laughs.
‘I havenʼt even gotten the ring and you are here telling me about
wedding dresses.ʼ
‘You are a few hours away from getting it. As your maid of honor
I have to start planning in advance.ʼ
‘And who said you will be my maid of honor?ʼ
‘Story izibika boi, I am your maid of honor by force.ʼ
Yedda and I burst out laughing, Melanie is something else.
At 6a55, I am all dolled up. My makeup is done and my hair has
been fixed.
I am admiring myself in front of the mirror. This dress is a perfect
fit-it was definitely tailored for me. It clings to me in all the right
places.
‘You look amazing Mrs. Muchindu,ʼ Yedda and Melanie say in
unison.
‘Asante,ʼ I respond smilingly.
They get a few photos of me before they pack up their stuff.
‘Enjoy your evening baby.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
I walk them to the door.
‘We shall anxiously be waiting on the other side, please update
us.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ

-An hour later-

I tap my foot in annoyance as I glance down at my watch to
check the time again- its 8 pm. He said he would pick me up at
7 but he is nowhere to be seen and his phone is off.
‘Where the hell is Wes and why hasnʼt he gotten in touch with
me? What if something bad has happened to him? No! I canʼt be
having such thoughts.ʼ
I anxiously grabbed her phone again from the table and presses
a button to speed dial his number. I frown as she gets the same
response as before.
I throw my body on the bed and stare at the ceiling.
At about 8a30, Wes walks through the door.
I sit upright and look at him, he snuggles to my neck and gives
me a quick kiss, ‘You look good,ʼ he whispers.
I shot him a deadly stare, I could murder him right this minute
and no one would ever find his body.
‘I had a lot of paper work to finish at the office, I am sorry he
says.ʼ
I glance at my watch,ʼ ‘At 8a30?ʼ
‘Yes hun.ʼ
‘And you couldnʼt call or even send me a text I have been for
close to two hours now.ʼ
‘My battery was dead,ʼ he says trying to touch my hand but I
move.
‘I guess you will now say that there was no electricity at the
office?ʼ
‘Come on.ʼ
‘Its fine anyway, I will just get undressed and sleep.ʼ
‘Baby!ʼ
‘Stop it!ʼ I holler my fists clench at my side.
‘I am sorry, I will make it up to you we can still go for dinner. Our
reservation is still intact.ʼ
‘I am sorry but we can still make it for dinner.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
I wait for him while he changes his clothes I am only letting this
slid because I know I am getting a proposal by the end of this
evening.ʼ
‘All done,ʼ he smiles at me five minutes later.
I put my heels back on and grab my clutch.
I walk towards the door but he grabs my hand and pulls me in
front of him.
‘What?ʼ
‘I am sorry,ʼ he whispers and lightly cupping my face. His thumb
traces my lower lip, ‘I didnʼt mean to hurt you, I am really sorry.ʼ
I remain quiet. He leans forward, kissing me gently on the lips. I
canʼt resist him no matter how upset I am, I kiss him back with
everything in me. His body presses me up against the wall only
to be interrupted by his ringing phone, we separate.
Five years I have been dating him and still I canʼt get enough of
him.
He pulls his phone from his pocket and looks at it then he cuts
the call and turns it off.
‘Why did you do that?ʼ I ask
‘Tonight is all about you,ʼ he smiles
My heart melts with joy, oh how I love my future husband.

Episode Three
We walk inside the restaurant with our fingers intertwined and
up to the hostess stand.
‘Hello,ʼ the woman smiles at us.
‘I have a reservation for Wesley Chilafu,ʼ he says
She leads us to a small room with a single table set for two in the
center. It is a very fancy and ornate private dining room. There is
a candle lit on the table along with a note and a few rose petals.
I smirk quickly picking up the note.
‘The time weʼve had together has been amazing I canʼt believe it
has been another year. Thanks for bring the best part of my day-
everyday! I love you.ʼ
‘Thank s baby,ʼ I gently kiss his lips before pulling back and
looking at him.
‘You are welcome.ʼ
He pulls out a chair for me and I sit. He sits next to me.
He signals for the waitress, she strolls over and hands us two
menus. After we leaf through the menus, we give her our food
and drink orders.
She comes back a while later with our food and drinks and
places them on the table.
‘Enjoy your meal,ʼ she says
‘Thank you,ʼ I respond.
We spend the next hour feeding each other and stealing kisses,
the food here is amazing and I love our little private space.
‘Youʼve enjoyed your food?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
He signals for the waitress again and she walks back in this time
around carrying a fancy dinner plate that has a silver cover on
top of it. He walks over to me, ‘This is for you.ʼ
I am like oh my God is this it, my heart starts beating faster than
usual.
‘Thank you,ʼ I respond and she marches out.
So I open the lid and find a small package that is wrapped, I
unwrap it and find a box from a jewelry store. I look at him and
he is grinning.
‘Oh lord, is this the moment I have been waiting for.ʼ
I open the small box expectantly only to find a pair of diamond
earrings and a bracelet. The smile on my face instantly turns into
a sad face before turning into a frown.
He got me some fucking earrings and a bracelet, what am I
supposed to do with these. I have plenty of earrings and
bracelets, like really I just canʼt believe he could do this.
I slam my fist into the table suddenly overcome with rage.
‘Babe,ʼ he says with a quizzical look on his face.
I close my eyes and try to calm my anger before I murder him
right this minute.
He holds my hand,ʼ Are you okay?ʼ he asks
‘How am I supposed to be okay? Itʼs been five fucking years and
I donʼt have a ring to show for it?ʼ I want to scream but I quickly
shut my mouth.
‘Are you okay?ʼ He asks with a concerned look on his face.
I clear my throat, ‘So do you have any question for me?ʼ I ask
‘Uhh….what?ʼ He asks, like dude has no clue he is supposed to
be proposing tonight.
‘Thanks for the earrings and the bracelet,ʼ I manage a weak
smile.
‘You are welcome,ʼ he smiles back at me, ‘for a minute there I
thought you didnʼt like them.ʼ
‘They are lovely,ʼ I respond,
The earrings and the bracelet are beautiful and they look
expensive. They must have cost him a fortune, on any other day
I would have been happy to receive them but today is not an
ordinary day a ring would have made me happier.
‘I would like to propose a toast,ʼ he says
I raise my glass to join him, ‘to love and a happily ever after,ʼ he
says before he sips his wine. I take a long sip of my wine and put
the glass on the table.
Itʼs hard for me not cry at this moment, my insides are aching.
‘I think we should go, I am not feeling well,ʼ I say
‘Okay,ʼ he stands up.
I stand up as well and grab my clutch, I pick the small box with
the earrings and bracelet shoving it my bag. He lets me walk out
of the room first shutting the door behind us.
The ride back home is quiet and somewhat uncomfortable, I
canʼt wait to get home and call my girls. I need to vent.
Finally we pull up into our driveway and he parks the car, we step
out and walk up to the front door, he opens the door and I walk
in heading straight to the bedroom.
I slip my shoes off my feet and undress.
Standing at my dresser, I open the middle drawer and pull out
my purple pajamas.
As I button my shirt Wes walks into the bedroom.
‘Are you okay?ʼ he asks
I ignore him as I finish getting dressed then I grab my phone and
make my way to the door, he quickly stands in front of me and
blocks the way.
‘What?ʼ I snap at him.
‘Didnʼt you like the dinner? Why are you suddenly gloomy?ʼ
‘You want the truth?ʼ I yell, startling him.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I am 27 years old and you are 32, we are both financially stable,
we have been together for five years. Why isnʼt there a ring on
my finger?ʼ I ask
‘Oh.ʼ
‘I thought you were going to propose tonight and then you
decide to get me some stupid earrings and a bracelet.ʼ
‘You are being unreasonable.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Why are you in such a hurry to get married? What we have is
amazing, we are practically married.ʼ
I canʼt help but laugh, ‘Then make it official.ʼ
‘Why are you suddenly so desperate for marriage?ʼ he asks, his
tone is angry and cold.
‘Desperate?ʼ
‘Zaria this is unlike you, I will propose when the time is right.ʼ
‘Is there someone else?ʼ I ask
He shakes his head, ‘I am not having this conversation with you
now.ʼ
‘Wes.ʼ
‘You need to calm down first.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
I march out of the room and head to the spare bedroom, this is
where the girls usually sleep when they spend the night.
I walk in and lock the door behind my back.
Wes and I have often talked about marriage and how we are
looking forward to it. But now it looks like he has no interest in
marrying me.
‘Lord I risked it all for him, let him not break my heart,ʼ I burst into
tears as I throw myself on the bed.
I am deep in thoughts thinking about all the things we have been
through.
When I met Wes, he was just a mere student with nothing to his
name, things got so hard for him that he almost got out of
university but my father intervened.
After he graduated he worked for one lousy company that paid
him peanuts. I invested part of the money mum left me to help
him start up his own company.
Itʼs not that I want him to pay me back for the stuff I have done
for him, I just thought I deserve the ring, itʼs been five years and
we have been perfect why wait?
My phone rings startling me from my trance.
I pick up instantly, ‘Baby we have been waiting,ʼ Melanie says
excitedly
‘Did he propose, send us the photos,ʼ Yedda says
I sniff, ‘He didnʼt propose,ʼ I say as more tears pour from my
eyes.
‘That son of a bitch,ʼ Melanie curses.
‘Melanie,ʼ Yedda says.
‘He called me desperate.ʼ
‘Should we come and get you?ʼ Melanie asks
‘No.ʼ
‘You need to stop crying.ʼ
‘I will be fine I promise I will see you guys tomorrow, I give you all
the details.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘I love you.ʼ
‘And we love you even more baby.ʼ
They cut the call and I lay back on the bed.

Episode Four
“The sad thing about this whole love thing is that you could do
everything right and still not be the one.”
I spend the next few hours turning and tossing trying to think of
a possible reason why he doesnʼt want to propose. Finally I doze
off.
I am walking down the aisle with dad by my side. My hair is
perfectly styled, my dress white and long. There are
bridesmaids dressed in peach holding banquet of flowers.
When we arrive in front of the altar Wes is waiting for me.
I have a huge smile plastered on my face as dad hands me over
to him.
The ceremony starts with some words from our pastor I am not
paying attention to what he is saying. I keep stealing short
glances at Wes. Man he looks so fine.
Then we come to the part I hate and I look intently at the
audience.
‘If anyone has anything lawful impediment they know of that
these two people may not be married, speak now or forever hold
your peace.ʼ
The pastor waits for a few minutes and just as he is about to
speak, someone stands up quickly and she walks to the front.
‘These two canʼt get married,ʼ she says.
I hear gasps from the guests. The pastor looks at the woman
waiting for more, ‘I am carrying his child,ʼ she says handing him
some documents.
I look at the woman in shock then I look at Wes, he is quiet but
the guilt is evident in his eyes. How can he do this to us?
A sharp pain suddenly blooms through my chest and I start
feeling weak.
My eyes suddenly snap open and I shoot upright roughly
pushing the sheets from me. I breathe out slowly, burying my
head in my hands. It was just a dream.
I pull out my phone and the time reads 5a10 am.
I groan and roll out of bed walking into the kitchen to get myself
a glass of water. I pour myself a glass and eagerly drink two full
glasses.
There is more to that dream than meets the eye, my dreams
always have meanings. Is it possible that Wes is seeing another
woman? Has he lost interest in me?
Tormented with all these thoughts, I grab my phone and dial
dadʼs number.
My father and I are very close he raised me single handedly after
mum died. I was seven years old then, itʼs always been me and
him from as far as I can remember. That man worked so hard to
give me the best that life could offer he is my go to person.
‘Pumpkin,ʼ he answers in a sleepy tone.
‘Did I wake you up?ʼ
‘No baby. How are you and why are you up this early on a
Sunday?ʼ
‘I couldnʼt sleep.ʼ
‘Are you okay?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You are sure?ʼ
‘Yes, I just missed talking to you.ʼ
‘Oh my little pumpkin daddy misses you too. You should come
home for dinner this week.ʼ
‘I am free on Wednesday.ʼ
‘Perfect.ʼ
‘How is Precious?ʼ I ask
‘Precious is fine, we have some news to share with you,ʼ he says
excitement evident in his voice.
Precious is dadʼs girlfriend, she is 30. They have been together
for two years now.
She is a nice and kind person I didnʼt like her in the beginning
because I thought she was just after his money after I got to
know her, I realized she loves him genuinely.
‘I am all ears.ʼ
‘Canʼt you wait till Wednesday?ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘Precious is pregnant,ʼ he says
‘Thatʼs good news daddy.ʼ
‘Are you okay with this?ʼ
‘Totally cool with it dad, I am 27 and I am going to have a little
sister isnʼt that awesome.ʼ
‘I am glad you are happy.ʼ
‘This is good news the girls and I will come and celebrate with
you.ʼ
‘I will tell her to get ready for Melanieʼs drama,ʼ he laughs
‘I think we should leave Melanie out of this, what if only Yedda
and I come?ʼ
‘We will have to hear what Melanie will say about that.ʼ
‘You wanna snitch on me?ʼ
‘Melanie is girl,ʼ he says
‘Ah please.ʼ
I spend the next few minutes laughing and joking with dad. Dad
treats my best friends like they are his own, they even call him
dad.
After in finish talking to dad I start to clean up the apartment.
Just as I finish, Wes finally walks out of the bedroom. He glares
at me, ‘Morning.ʼ
‘Morning,ʼ I respond coldly.
‘Still mad I guess.ʼ
I shrug and head for the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He follows
me and sits on the table. I am humming quietly to myself as I
cook completely ignoring Wes.
When I finish preparing breakfast, I set the table and head for
the bedroom.
I strip off my pajamas and turn the shower on waiting for the
water to get warm when I get my desired temperature I get right
in shivering as the warmth rushed through me.
I wash my body slowly thinking about that dream, I seriously
canʼt get over it and I have this awful feeling at pit of my
stomach.
When I finally get out, I towel myself then I pick up my
toothbrush and brush my teeth. When i walk out of the
bathroom to my room, Wes is sitting on the bed.
I drop my towel to the floor and start getting dressed.
Afterwards I sit at my table, comb my hair and apply some
minimal make up. Satisfied with my look, I grab my car keys,
phone and purse.
‘I will be spending the day with the girls,ʼ I tell Wes
‘Donʼt you think we should talk about whatʼs going on here?ʼ
‘And whatʼs going on?ʼ
‘I didnʼt propose but that doesnʼt mean I will never propose I am
making plans.ʼ
‘I see.ʼ
‘I hate it when we fight,ʼ he stands up and walks over to me.
‘I hate too but do you realise you called me desperate, was I
wrong for expecting you to propose.ʼ
‘No you werenʼt and I am sorry for calling you desperate.ʼ
‘What are your plans for us? We are past the age of playing hide
and seek, itʼs either you want to marry me or not, so what
exactly do you want?ʼ
He scratches his head, ‘You know I love you a lot Zaria?ʼ
‘Love alone is not enough, I need commitment and stability.ʼ
‘I know.ʼ
‘But?ʼ
‘I am working on something, I just need you to give me a little
time, I need you to trust me on this one,ʼ he says
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Meaning?ʼ
‘You need time, then time you shall get. I will see you when I get
back.ʼ
I walk out of the room and slam the door behind me. Maybe I am
over reacting but I need Wes to make a decision about us, he
should man up and do what is required of him.

Episode Five
The first time I saw him, butterflies erupted in my stomach and
my heart thumped so hard pain stabbed through my ribs
stealing my breath.
He was dressed in an expensive suit without a jacket.
When he flicked me a quick appraising look everything around
me froze and all I could see was this gorgeous man.
‘Lulu,ʼ my friend Millie whispered startling me from my trance.
We were at her boyfriendʼs birthday party she had actually
dragged me there.
‘Who is that man?ʼ I had asked her
‘Wesley, he is one of Victorʼs friends.ʼ
‘Yummy,ʼ I smiled
‘He is taken,ʼ she had given me a warning look
‘Married? I asked
‘Nop, he lives with his girlfriend.ʼ
‘Single,ʼ I mumbled
‘Lulu he is off-limits,ʼ she said.
‘Relax Millie.ʼ
I couldnʼt get Wes off my mind, I kept watching his every move
from the corner of my eye and the fact that he had a girlfriend
didnʼt move me, as long as he wasnʼt married he was available
and free to mingle. I so badly wanted to talk to him.
‘Hey!ʼ
I looked over my shoulder to see Wes standing behind me.
I was sitting alone with a glass of whiskey in my hand Millie had
gone to be with her boyfriend.
‘Hey,ʼ I smirked
‘Pretty lady shouldnʼt be sitting by herself,ʼ he said
‘Well I came here with a friend but she is busy somewhere with
her boyfriend.ʼ
‘I am Wesley but my friends call me Wes.ʼ
‘I am Luyando, my friends call me Lulu.ʼ
‘Nice to meet you Lulu, would you like to go somewhere a bit
quieter.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
He took my hand, ‘Come on.
I donʼt know how much we actually spoke that night but I knew I
didnʼt want to let him go, there was this instantaneous
animalistic attraction between us and he had a way of making
me feel special like I was the only person in the world.
By the end of the night, we exchanged numbers, he went his
way and I went mine. Must I mention he didnʼt say anything
about his ‘supposedʼ girlfriend that night?
After a week, he asked me out for lunch and I accepted.
Wesley and I got close pretty quickly, he told me about his
girlfriend Zaria but I didnʼt mind because I knew I would end up
having him all to myself in no time.
It started with little touches then flirting and before we knew it
we were having sex.
We would spend our days together wrapped around each other
and when we werenʼt together we were texting.
‘Lulu, I donʼt like this kind of behavior, Wes has a girlfriend and
you keep throwing yourself at him,ʼ Millie scolded me one
evening.
‘Girl, she is just his girlfriend not his wife, why are you so
insecure about it?ʼ
‘I know Zaria she is a nice person and doesnʼt deserve all this.ʼ
‘Then save her the heart break and tell her about me and Wes.ʼ
‘You know I canʼt please leave Wes alone.ʼ
‘I am sorry, I canʼt I am in too deep.ʼ
She shook her head and let out a frustrated breath of air, ‘I am
washing my hands off this issue,ʼ she said before she grabbed
her bag and left.
The sun is shining itʼs a regular Sunday afternoon, the guys and I
are having a brail. Music is playing in the background, Victor and
Mathias are grilling different sorts of food.
Zach is sitting next to me he is eating and drinking beer.
I am sitting in silence, a beer cane between my legs, gently
touching the tips of my fingers together.
‘A penny for your thoughts,ʼ Zach says
‘Just thinking about life,ʼ I respond
Victor laughs, ‘I thought life is going great for you. You have two
women at your back and call, what more do you want?ʼ
‘Zaria and I had a fight last night she didnʼt even sleep in our
room.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ Zach asks
‘She expected me to propose last night but I didnʼt and she got
really angry.ʼ
‘I donʼt blame her,ʼ Zach says
‘Why is she suddenly desperate for you to marry her?ʼ Mathias
asks
‘They have been together five years or have you guys
forgotten?ʼ
‘Just because they have been together five years doesnʼt
automatically mean he should marry her.ʼ Victor responds
Zach stares at them, his mouth open.
‘I am stuck between a rock and a hard place, I love Zaria but I am
in too deep with Lulu, she brings out a side of me I never knew
existed plus she is pregnant for me.ʼ
‘You are being selfish and self-centered. You want Zaria to
continue playing wifey to you while you enjoy the fun and
excitement with this Lulu. Let Zaria go, she doesnʼt deserve
this,ʼ Zach angrily says
Victor laughs out loud, ‘No offence but why does it seem as if
you have a crush on Zaria? He asks Zach.
We all turn and look at him intently.
‘Thatʼs total bullshitʼ he says defensively, ‘Zaria is a nice woman
and letʼs not forget everything she did for Wesley. If not for
Zaria, this man wouldnʼt be where he is right now.ʼ
‘Did he ask her to do all these things for her?ʼ Victor enquires
‘Of course he didnʼt,ʼ Mathias laughs and takes a sip of his beer
‘We know he didnʼt, she did what he did because loves him.ʼ
‘He doesnʼt owe her anything, he doesnʼt have to marry her just
because she helped and supported him at some point. If Wes
loves Lulu more than it is Lulu he should be with.ʼ
‘You are right.ʼ
I sit with my back to the wall listening to the conversations and
the pointless arguments over Zaria.
During the five years I have been in a relationship with Zaria, I
had had intimate flings on the side with different women. You
canʼt blame me I am a man I easily get tempted.
I also love the excitement of something new- there is just
something about new energy.
Meeting Lulu that night was a big coincidence yet I was instantly
attracted to her. In my mind our relationship was supposed to be
a one-off thing but she left me craving for more.
Despite her being three years younger than Zaria, lulu is more
experienced sexually and she loves to explore.
I have been with Lulu for 8 months now and she is 2 months
pregnant. She has met most of my family members and they
prefer her to Zaria.
They have never approved of my relationship with Zaria because
she is coloured.
What is man supposed to do in such a situation? I donʼt want to
let Zaria go because weʼve been together for so many years and
she has been with me through thick and thin. Then there is Lulu,
the chemistry between us is intense plus she is carrying my
child and I am so thrilled about being a father.
‘Wes!ʼ Mathias shakes me startling me from my thoughts
‘What?ʼ
‘What are you gonna do?ʼ
‘I donʼt know.ʼ
‘Zariaʼs father will murder you,ʼ Zach says
I roll my eyes, ‘That man has never liked me so he can go to hell.ʼ
They burst out laughing.
‘You know what, I will cross that bridge when I get there for now
let me just enjoy my life.ʼ
‘Thatʼs my guy.ʼ

Episode Six
The girls and I are lying on the floor on our backs- eyes shut.
There is a long silence. Not really uncomfortable but not really
comfortable either, Iʼve just finished telling them about last night.
‘What if Wesley is cheating on you?ʼ Yedda asks finally breaking
the silence.
‘Could he really be cheating on me?ʼ I canʼt help but wonder,
because if he is I donʼt know if I am gonna survive it, I donʼt have
the strength in me for another relationship.
I have invested everything in this relationship, body heart and
soul.
Admittedly the five years we have been together havenʼt been so
perfect, weʼve had fights galore where Iʼve even moved out of
the apartment but we always get back together in the end.
‘You think he would go that far?ʼ Melanie asks
That thought crossed my mind several times last night but I
refuse to believe Wes would actually do something to ruin what
we have, we have come a long way he canʼt mess this up.
The past few months Wes and I have become so engrossed in
our work that weʼve hardly had time for each other, I donʼt
question him because he hasnʼt given me any reasons to doubt
him.
‘Do you ever look through his phone?ʼ Yedda asks
I shrug, ‘Wes and I have a simple policy of not going through
each otherʼs phones.ʼ
‘I think you should,ʼ Melanie says
‘I donʼt think I would stoop that low, if he is cheating then I will
find out one way or another after all nothing stays hidden under
the sun but I wonʼt go snooping around.ʼ
Melanie rolls her eyes,ʼ Yeah right.ʼ
‘Zaria, you and Wes have been together five years, youʼve
played wifey all these years I think you have a right to go through
his phone.ʼ
I shot her a greasy look, ‘I have played wifey yes but must I
remind you that I am not his wife yet?ʼ
‘No offence girl but I think you are just afraid of checking his
phone because our suspicions might be true.ʼ
I open my eyes and manage a weak smile, ‘Maybe I am scared
but I wonʼt go snooping around.ʼ
‘If you say so.ʼ
‘Precious is pregnant,ʼ I say trying to change the subject.
‘Our own Precious?ʼ Melanie squeals with delight
‘Yes, our mummy precious.ʼ
‘This is good news,ʼ Yedda says
‘I know right.ʼ
‘When are we celebrating?ʼ Asks Melanie
Yedda and I stare at her before we burst out laughing.
‘What?ʼ she rolls her eyes
‘You are not the one pregnant so why do you want to celebrate?ʼ
‘Shut up you both, I am just happy for daddy hence we need to
celebrate.ʼ
‘I hear you.ʼ
‘Oh Lord I should call her and find out the sex of the child so we
can start planning the baby shower, we need to make a list of
people we are going to invite and also make a budget.ʼ
‘Slow down Melanie.ʼ
‘Whatever.ʼ
‘You are dramatic,ʼ Yedda laughs
‘I am excited.ʼ
‘You are overexcited.ʼ
‘Dah! What do you girls want to do today?ʼ
‘I just wanna eat and sleep I am seriously too drained to do
anything.ʼ
‘Because of Wes?ʼ
‘I have this sinking feeling at the pit of my stomach that
something is wrong and my heart keeps beating faster than
normal.ʼ
‘Youʼve a strong intuition Zaria we all know that donʼt play a blind
eye to what you are feeling this could be a sign.ʼ
I sigh, ‘I donʼt know but this is depressing, how about we talk
about something else?ʼ
‘Letʼs just order Pizza and watch some movies then,ʼ Yedda says
‘I think that will do for me, I havenʼt watched a movie in forever.ʼ
‘You guys choose a movie while I order Pizza,ʼ Melanie stands up
and walks to her room to get her phone.
I turn on the television and flip through the channels to see if
there is any movie we can watch, perhaps a good comedy movie
something to get my mind off Wes.
‘How about I feel pretty?ʼ I ask Yedda
‘Amy Schumer?ʼ She asks excitedly
‘Yep.ʼ
‘Yes, letʼs watch this, I love how funny and real Amyʼs movies
are.ʼ
Melanie walks back into the living room with a smile on her face.
‘What?ʼ
‘Pizza will be here shortly.ʼ
‘Great the movie will be starting shortly.ʼ
‘What are we watching?ʼ
‘I feel pretty.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ she nods her head.
A few minutes later, the pizza is delivered to the house, we get
settled and as the story begins, I turn up the volume. After the
movie ends, we watch two more movies.
‘I feel tired,ʼ Melanie stands up and stretches her arms high
when the third movie ends
‘We have been lying here almost the whole day just eating and
watching TV, why are you tired?ʼ Yedda asks
‘Leave me alone Yedda.ʼ
I stand up too, ‘I am going to call Wes just to let him know I will
be spending the night here.ʼ
‘Itʼs gonna be a great night,ʼ Melanie smiles
I walk over to the bedroom and sit at the edge of the bed while
rummaging through my bag to find my phone. When I finally find
my phone I dial his number.
‘Hey babe,ʼ I chirp into the phone
‘Hey,ʼ he responds in a soft tone, thatʼs odd, Wes is usually loud
on the phone.
‘How have you been? Are you home or you are still with the
boys?ʼ
‘uh-huh?ʼ he responds distractedly
‘I just called to let you know that I will be spending the night with
the girls.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Okay?ʼ
‘Enjoy the night with the girls. I got to go. I will call you later. Bye.ʼ
‘Bye. I love you.ʼ
He ends the call without responding.
My jaw drops, ‘Like what the fuck?ʼ
He usually answers back on this one, why did he just cut the call
like that?
‘What is thereʼs someone else? I ponder on this for a few
minutes before I decide to join the girls.
I place the phone on the table and sit on the edge of the bed,
Lulu walks in and she wraps her arms around me from behind, I
feel her cheek and her warm breath against my neck.
‘Hey,ʼ I say
Her grip tightens a little, ‘Was that Zaria?ʼ
‘Yes. She wonʼt be going home tonight.ʼ
‘So I can have you here the whole night?ʼ she asks excitedly
I guess so.
She turns me around so that I am facing her.
‘When are you going to tell her about us?ʼ she asks
‘I donʼt know, I donʼt wanna hurt her, you know Zaria and I have
been together for a long time, I just canʼt break this news to her
abruptly.ʼ
She reaches out and gently runs her hand through my hair.
‘I know how hard this is for you babe, I donʼt wanna put pressure
on you but remember I am pregnant for you so the sooner you
make a decision the better for everyone.ʼ
I hold my hand against her cheek and rub gently rub her lips with
my thumb then I kiss her, the kiss starts slow and soft but
quickly hits up as my tongue invades hers in a possessive surge.
‘I will never mess up what we have here, I will own up to my
responsibilities, I canʼt allow my child to be raised by someone
else,ʼ I say when the kiss finally breaks.
She smiles, ‘You will be an amazing father.ʼ
‘I hope so.ʼ
‘I am serious.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ I say quietly
‘For what?ʼ
‘For making me the happiest man on earth, you and our child will
never lack.ʼ
‘I love you,ʼ she whispered smilingly
‘And I love you too.ʼ

Episode Seven
Two Days Later
I stifle a yawn as I walk into the house it has been an incredibly
long day at work and all I want to do is go to sleep. I kick off my
shoes as soon as I enter my bedroom then I change into a pair of
shorts and a t-shirt and return to the living room to tidy up, I
didnʼt clean in the morning because I woke up late.
After cleaning up, I begin to prepare supper. After I finish
cooking, I set the table and decide to wait for Wes to come so
we can eat together.
I walk into the living room and sit down on the couch then I turn
on the television with the remote and decide to watch ‘You.ʼ
When it finally comes to an end, I glance at my clock which is
hanging near the television, it is almost 22 and Wes hasnʼt come
home yet. ‘Where is he?ʼ He should have been here a long time
ago. I stand up and walk to the kitchen to get myself some
water.
As I walk back into the living room, the door opens and Wes
walks into the living room.
‘Hey babe,ʼ I walk over to him.
‘Hey.ʼ
I kiss him softly on the lips and wrap my arms around him, I
missed him and I donʼt want us to continue fighting.
He lightly kisses me back and pulls out of my embrace. I frown
like really? Where is the passion that usually burns between us
when we kiss? What the hell is going on with him?
‘Where have you been?ʼ I ask
‘Out with the boys,ʼ he responds.
‘Dinner is ready I was waiting for you so we can eat together.ʼ
‘I am not hungry,ʼ he says and walks over to our room, his face
expressionless, I grow even more concerned.
I follow him to the bedroom, ‘Are you okay?ʼ
‘Ya.ʼ
‘You are acting so cold towards me.ʼ
‘I am just tired.ʼ
He strips and wraps a towel round his body.
‘I love you,ʼ I say hoping he will respond this time around but all I
hear in response is the closing of the bathroom door.
‘Lord, am I losing him?ʼ i wonder
I head back to the living room and clear the table before I place
everything back in the kitchen, I have lost my appetite.
After I turn off the lights, I walk the stairs to the bedroom, I feel
sad and full of despair. What if Wes has found someone else? As
soon as I enter the room, I see his phone lying on the bed.
‘Should I get it and go through it like the girls suggested? I am
tempted to pick up the phone.
‘No,ʼ my inner voice says and I listen to it, I am not the kind of
woman that snoops around.
I pick his clothes and place them in the washing basket then I
put his shoes on a shoe rack.
His phone rings as soon as I finish changing into my night dress,
I pick it up and answer.
‘Hello,ʼ I say
No response.
‘Wesleyʼs phone hello,ʼ I say again.
There is still no response but I can hear breathing on the other
end of the line.
‘What are you doing on my phone?ʼ he startles me as he walks
out of the bathroom then he grabs the phone from my hand
before I can even answer him.
He stares at the phone then back at me.
He shakes his head and walks out of the bedroom.
I wonder why he acted that way because thatʼs not the first time
I have answered his phone when he is in the bathroom and he
never reacts like this.
Wes walks back into the bedroom about thirty minutes later.
‘Who was that on your phone?ʼ I ask
‘Oh now you wanna monitor my calls?ʼ
‘Itʼs just strange that the person kept quiet when I answered the
phone.ʼ
‘They didnʼt want to talk you. You have your phone donʼt you?ʼ
she responds harshly
‘Are you okay?ʼ
He clicks his tongue, ‘What do you think?ʼ
I shake my head and crawl into the bed then I slid under the
covers. I donʼt know whatʼs going on but I intend on finding out
soon, I canʼt have Wes treat me like rubbish in this house.
I fall asleep amidst my thoughts and when I open my eyes itʼs
morning. I stretch lazily before my hand reaches out and finds
the side of his bed empty- it is after six in the morning.
I roll out of bed and grab my robe, I search the entire house for
Wes but he is nowhere to be seen, seems he left without saying
bye but why?
Hurt, I head back upstairs so I can get ready for work. I take a
quick shower and step out of the bathroom wrapping a towel
around myself.
I walk to my closet and pull out some clothes and quickly get
dressed, I need to finish an important report and hand it over to
my boss before he leaves for his trip later in the day.
The rest of the day drags on for me I canʼt seem to pay attention
my mind is constantly on Wes and whatʼs happening to him.
My absent mindedness shows even in my work today.
‘Zaria!ʼ my boss walks into my office.
I look up at her. ‘Yes madam.ʼ
‘Are you okay?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Your report has too many errors this is unlike you, you need to
redo it, I think I will look at it when I get back from my trip.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘If you need someone to talk to, you know I am always here
right? I am not only your boss but I am your mother too when
you need guidance.ʼ
I nod my head and smile at her, this woman is heaven sent. She
is friends with my father and so she always tries to look out for
me.
I start going through the report and I feel ashamed of myself,
how could I send something this bad? I need to stop thinking
about Wes so I can focus.
I try by all means not to think about Wes but I just canʼt and to
make the matters worse I canʼt seem to ignore the sinking
feeling at the pit of my stomach- something bad is about to
happen, I can feel it.
Finally itʼs lunch break I grab my bag and walk out of the office
bumping into Melanie in the process.
‘Where are you rushing too?ʼ she asks
‘Lunch.ʼ
‘Okay, letʼs go then,ʼ she says
‘I am going for lunch with Wes,ʼ I respond
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Ya. I will see you in a bit babe,ʼ I rush off before she can ask me
anymore questions.
When I finally get to the parking lot, I get into my car and drive to
his work place I just want us to have lunch together and maybe
talk.
It takes me thirty minutes to get there and when I do I walk
straight to his office, the door is slightly open so I push it and
walk in. He is sitting at his desk typing on his computer.
I clear my throat so he can notice me. He looks up at me, a
surprised look on his face.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ he asks
‘I am fine thanks, how are you?ʼ I pull a chair behind and sit
down.
‘I asked you question.ʼ
‘I am here to see you, you left without saying bye, you havenʼt
texted all day.ʼ
‘I have been busy,ʼ he says.
‘Itʼs lunch time I was hoping we could have lunch together.ʼ
Before he can respond, the door opens and a beautiful woman
walks in.

Episode Eight
‘Opps! I am sorry for just barging in on you like that, I didnʼt know
you had company,ʼ she says
‘Hey Lulu!ʼ Wes exclaims.
‘I will come back some other time,ʼ she turns to leave.
‘No itʼs okay, come on in.ʼ
‘You are sure?ʼ She asks
‘Yes,ʼ he responds
She walks to where we are sitting and I canʼt help but admire
how beautiful she looks, she is wearing a midi spaghetti strap
lace dress that hugs her body perfectly.
‘Zaria! Meet Lulu,ʼ Wes says
‘And Lulu, meet Zaria.ʼ
I manage a smile, ‘Itʼs very nice to nice to meet you,ʼ I extend my
hand to shake hers.
‘Good to meet you too,ʼ she shakes my hand firmly.
She turns to Wes, ‘I brought you lunch,ʼ she smiles placing the
plastics in her hands on the table.
‘Thank you. I was actually about to head out for lunch,ʼ he
responds
‘So do you work here too?ʼ I ask her even though I have never
seen her here before.
‘No,ʼ she shakes her head.
I turn to Wes, ‘Babe you left the introduction hanging. Who is
she?ʼ I ask
He gives me an awful stare, ‘I thought I said she is Lulu, you
want her full name? Luyando Mweene.ʼ
Lulu laughs,ʼ I am Wesleyʼs friend,ʼ she responds ‘and I know you
are his girlfriend, Zaria Nel.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘How long have you guys known each other and how come I
donʼt know anything about you?ʼ
‘Must you know all my friends?ʼ Wes snaps
I look at him and shake my head, ‘Why are you being so rude?ʼ
‘Quit asking my guest so many questions canʼt you see you are
making her uncomfortable?ʼ
I shake my head before I stand up and grab my bag, ‘I think I will
get going, see you at home.ʼ I march towards the door hoping he
will stop me but he doesnʼt.
I walk to my car dishearten, I feel like screaming but I donʼt.
Tears begin to settle in my eyes like a puddle of water. I open the
door climb in and slam the door shut.
And then the tears finally fall.
How could he just humiliate me in front of that woman and who
is she? Why does she know so much about me? Lord my heart
aches and my head hurts. I have so many questions that only he
can answer.
I drive out of the driveway and as I start to drive down the road
that leads to my work place, I feel my body begin to shake
uncontrollably as the tears continue to pour from my eyes.
Unaware of how much time has passed, I release that I have
pulled up into the parking lot at work. Itʼs even a miracle that I
didnʼt cause an accident because I am a mess.
I sit in my car for a few minutes to gather my emotions then I
wipe my tears. After I calm myself down, I walk in, heading
straight to my office. I put my bag on the table and sit down.
‘Babe!ʼ Melanie walks in a few minutes later
‘Hey,ʼ I respond without looking up at her, I pretend to be busy
on my phone.
‘Are you okay?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
She walks over to me and sits on my table then she lifts my face
so our eyes can meet.
‘You have been crying?ʼ she asks
I am reluctant to admit that I have been crying because I donʼt
feel like talking about what happened.
‘What happened?ʼ she asks
‘Nothing,ʼ I quickly respond
‘Babe?ʼ
I sniff, ‘I donʼt wanna talk about it.ʼ
I am glad she doesnʼt push me for information but instead she
pulls me to her and wraps her hands around me.
‘Whatever it is, this too shall pass,ʼ she says
I cry silently on her shoulder as she slowly rubs my back.
Eventually I stop crying and I pull away from her.
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Anytime for you babe,ʼ she smiles
She tells me some funny stories and I end up smiling before she
goes back to her office. The rest of the day I try so hard not to
think of Wes as I work on the financial reports.
Finally its 4 o clock and I donʼt feel like going home.
‘Arenʼt you going home?ʼMelanie pecks her head into the door
way
I shake my head, ‘I need to finish this and email it to madam
boss.ʼ
‘Okay. I wonʼt wait for you, I have a date with bae,ʼ she winks
‘Which one?ʼ
‘What do you mean which one ai?ʼ
‘I donʼt even know who your current bae is, you keep changing
men.ʼ
She rolls her eyes, ‘Dah! I better get out of here.ʼ
I laugh, ‘See you later my favourite goat.ʼ
‘Fool,ʼ she says and slams the door.
I spend the next three hours engrossed in my work, going
through the reports, editing and making sure the figures are
accurate.
At about 19a20, I stand up and stretch my arms slowly above my
head I guess itʼs about time I go home. I pack my stuff in my bag
and shut down my computer then I walk out of the room letting
the door close behind me.
When I finally get to the car park, I slid into my car and
immediately drive home.
Itʼs 20a00 when I finally walk into the house, I am hungry and
tired, I just need a good meal, a cold bath and then I can call it a
night.
I notice Wes in the living room watching foot ball, a bottle of
castle in his hands. He barely spares me a glance as I head to
the bedroom.
I place my things on the table and change my clothes then I
head to the kitchen. I donʼt feel like cooking not after what
happened last night and this afternoon.
Working my way around to one of the cabinets over the sink, I
open it and reach inside grabbing a box of corn flakes then I
make my way back to the tale and pour some in a bow. I walk to
the refrigerator and pull out a gallon of milk and carry it to the
table.
I pour the milk all over my cereal and later dump some sugar
onto it. Then I sit down at the table to enjoy my supper.
‘Cereal for Supper?ʼ Wes asks startling me, I didnʼt even notice
him standing in the door way.
I nod my head.
An awkward silence settles between us but I can feel his eyes on
me as I eat.
He clears his throat, ‘We need to talk,ʼ he says in a voice that
makes me freeze.
I look up at him his face is blank and expressionless.
‘Let me just finish up here, I will join you shortly,ʼ I respond, my
heart beating faster than usual.
‘Okay,ʼ he walks out of the kitchen
That sinking feeling I have been feeling at the pit of my stomach
suddenly comes back and I suddenly lose my appetite. I stand
up and pour the remaining cereal in a bin and put the bow on the
sink.
I take a deep breath before I walk into the living room, Wes
seems to be in deep thoughts he has his face bowed to the
ground.
I sit on the couch from across his, ‘Babe.ʼ
He looks up at me with guilty eyes and I can tell that he did
something that he shouldnʼt have been doing.
He takes in a sharp breath and lets it out slowly.
‘Itʼs that bad?ʼ I ask
‘What?ʼ
‘What you did.ʼ
He looks at me and gives me a half smile then he stands up.
‘Zaria Nel!ʼ he begins
‘Zaria Nel?ʼ He hasnʼt called me that in years, my palms
suddenly become sweaty and my heart is beating fast, it feels
like itʼs about to pop out of my chest. This is serious.
‘I love you, always have always will. You met me at my lowest and
picked me up. You believed in me even when I didnʼt believe in
myself, you stood by me through thick and thin, you have truly
been a great companion throughout the years….,ʼ
‘But?ʼ I cut him short.
He shuts his eyes for a brief second and quickly opens them, ‘ I
just donʼt know where to start from,ʼ he says.
His voice is dry as if he is nervous he canʼt even look at me.
‘Whatʼs going on?ʼ I ask my voice a bit shaky.
‘I know things have been rocky between us the past few days
and I know itʼs also my fault. I know this hasnʼt been fair to you.ʼ
I lean back on the chair, wondering what in Godʼs name he is
driving at, afraid to interrupt.
‘I never meant for anything of this to happen, well you know we
canʼt always predict what the future holds and….,ʼ
‘What the hell is going on Wes?ʼ I snap at him, I canʼt take it
anymore.
‘I have fallen in love with someone else and she is carrying my
child,ʼ the words finally escape his mouth before he can stop
them.

-Episode Nine-
‘I have fallen in love with someone else and she is carrying my
child,ʼ the words finally escape his mouth before he can stop
them.
Someone else?
Pregnant?
Shock washes through me like a wave of sickness and makes
me reach out and hold on to the back of the chair.
Pain stabs through me with a shocking intensity and my heart
races as if in a nightmare.
I suddenly canʼt breathe I canʼt take in any air at all.
Did I hear him right? My Wes is in love with someone else? It
canʼt be.
Bile rises in my throat and I swallow it back.
I feel sick but I canʼ afford to be sick not now I need to confront
this situation. How did it happen? Were there signs I missed, yes
we havenʼt been spending a lot of time together? When did it all
happen?
‘Who is she?ʼ I ask when I finally gather some strength. I know I
am supposed to be yelling and ranting but I am afraid at how
calm I am.
‘Lulu!ʼ he says
‘WTF?ʼ Did he just say Lulu as in the girl that just brought him
lunch this afternoon at the office? So this is why he humiliated
me in front of her?ʼ
‘The same woman I met this afternoon?ʼ I ask, choking out the
words.
‘Yes, he glances at me then returns his gaze to the door.
‘Lord!ʼ This is too much for me to bear.
‘Zaria, I am sorry…?ʼ
‘Sorry?ʼ I cut him short, ‘Did you just say you are sorry Wesley?ʼ
‘I am sorry, I didnʼt mean to hurt you, I didnʼt plan for this to
happen, it just happened,ʼ he says
‘How long have you been with her?ʼ I ask
‘Donʼt do this to yourself.ʼ
‘How long?ʼ I yell slamming my fist on the table
He looks at me and shakes his head. ‘8 months.ʼ
‘8 fucking months and you couldnʼt tell me, you have been lying
to me for eight months.ʼ
‘I didnʼt know how to break the news to you.ʼ
‘Oh and now is the perfect moment?ʼ
‘Donʼt make this hard for me.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Now I am making this hard for you right, do you know
how it feels to have your boyfriend of five years tell you he is in
love with someone else and she is pregnant do you?ʼ
‘Zaria!ʼ
‘Wes after everything we have been through, after everything I
have done for you. This is how you will repay me?ʼ
‘You can keep the house and I can start paying you for all the
money you spent on me.ʼ
I look at him unable to believe he just said that. I dedicated my
life- body, mind and soul to this relationship and he thinks
money will carter for the damage he has just caused me.
‘I know I am fool but I there is nothing I can do, Lulu is carrying
my child and I have to marry her as soon as possible.ʼ
‘And me?ʼ
‘You are a good woman Zaria, you will find someone who………..,ʼ
‘Oh please, spare that bullshit.ʼ
‘Calm down.ʼ
‘I should calm down?ʼ
‘Yes,ʼ he snaps
My knees sink to the floor as realization finally hits me he does
love this other woman. I can see it in his eyes but will happen to
me? Where will I go from here? How do I start all over again?
He stands quietly, his hands clenched by his side he opens his
mouth to speak but closes it instantly when his phone rings.
He picks it up and puts it to his ear, ‘Hello,ʼ he says
Itʼs her I know itʼs her.
‘Okay, I will get you something on my way that side, what else do
you need?ʼ He asks
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Sure,ʼ he says before he hangs up.
‘I will give you some time to calm down, we can talk tomorrow
about the way forward,ʼ he grabs his car keys
I stand and grab his arm as he is about to walk out.
‘Wes, please donʼt do this to us, you know I love you very much
please.ʼ
‘Donʼt do this to yourself Zaria,ʼ he says
‘How far along is she?ʼ I ask
‘Two months.ʼ
‘I know this is a difficult situation but I am willing to forgive you,
just tell her to get rid of the baby and dump her, our lives can go
back to normal,ʼ I anxiously say.
‘You want me to kill my own child?ʼ he asks
‘You did it once you can do it again.ʼ
‘I was young and naïve then.ʼ
My heart aches suddenly and a sharp pain pierces my soul as
memories of the past flash right before my eyes. During our
second year together, I got pregnant for Wes but he made me
get rid of it because he was struggling and not ready to have a
child. I was financially stable and could have catered for that
child but he didnʼt want us to keep it because he didnʼt want us
having children out of wedlock.
I feel tears flood my eyes and I quickly blink, I donʼt wanna cry
not now.
‘I forgive you for cheating just get rid of the baby and let us start
all over.ʼ
He looks at me intently. In some part of my brain I know I should
let him go, I know I am supposed to walk away from this
relationship right this minute and maintain some of my dignity
but instead I hold on to him tightly, this man is my whole life, I
canʼt let him be with another without putting up a fight.
He sighs and releases some air, ‘You deserve more than I have
given you. You deserve to be with someone who will appreciate
you for who you are. I am sorry I not that someone, if I stay with
you, I will just end up hurting you,ʼ he says
‘Wes, please,ʼ I plead
He tries to yank his hand off mine but I quickly lean in and kiss
his lips. I am desperate, I canʼt help myself.
He doesnʼt kiss me back instead he pushes me off me and
releases his hand from mine.
‘You are making this situation harder than it already is,ʼ he says
‘I love you demit canʼt you see?ʼ I snap
‘I am sorry.ʼ
‘Then donʼt leave me, if you are sorry stay with me and make it
up to me for hurting you,ʼ my voice cracks even though I am
trying not to show weakness.
‘I have to go.ʼ
‘Go,ʼ I snap finally finding a little dignity far too let.
‘Letʼs talk in the morning, I hate to see you cry I canʼt stand here
and watch you fall apart,ʼ he says before he finally turns to walk
out of the room. I watch him until he opens the door and walks
out closing shut behind him.
My stomach tightens, my mind races, this is too much for me I
break down and weep loudly.
My Wes is in love with someone else, the man I thought was my
best friend and husband to be, my partner and confidant. How
could this be happening to her?
‘Oh God what am I going to do?ʼ

-Episode Ten-
‘When you give someone everything like youʼre married,
eventually you might feel the pain like a divorce too,ʼ Darryl
Cherry
I am lying on the floor on my back and tears are continuously
coming out of my eyes. I am crying so hard, so hard that my
body is now riddled with hiccups as I squirm about on the floor.
I canʼt stand to think of Wesley marrying another woman,
starting a new life, starting a family with her. How can this be
happening to me right now, I thought I had it all figured out, I
never thought this would ever happen to me, I was so sure our
love would last forever.
How will I break this news to my girls, what will my father say?
He was never for the idea of me moving in with Wes in the first
place but I begged him till he allowed me to. He doesnʼt even
know I used part of the money mum left me to help Wes start up
his company.
Oh, God, he is gonna kill me.
And what about social media, how do I start pulling down our
photos? How do I change my relationship from ‘In a relationship
with Wesley to singleʼ people will talk, I will be mocked. Five
years and I walk away with nothing.
My world has shifted.
I will never be the same again, my body aches way too much, will
I heal from this? Will I ever find someone or maybe itʼs too late
for me?
The night drags on for me, I canʼt sleep. I am looking into the
darkness wondering if darkness is all my life will contain after
this. I donʼt even have the energy to stand up and go to the
bedroom.
The tears canʼt stop pouring from my eyes. I have never cried
this much my whole life.
When it is finally morning, my voice is almost gone and my head
is pounding so hard, I feel like itʼs about to explode.
I stand up and head to the bathroom, standing in front of the
mirror I stare into my eyes, they are puffy and red I look terrible.
Who is this woman staring back at me?
I feel like a completely different person inside.
I drag myself into the bathroom and take a cold short shower
when I step out, I quickly get dressed. I walk into the kitchen and
make myself a hot cup of black tea.
A few minutes later, I hear the living room door open and
footsteps click on the floor.
He walks into the kitchen.
 ‘Hey,ʼ he says
‘Hello,ʼ I respond without looking up.
‘How are you?ʼ
‘You expect me to answer that question?ʼ
‘We need to talk.ʼ
‘What more do you wanna say?ʼ I ask, ‘Have you changed your
mind? Have you realized you wanna be with me?ʼ
He briefly closes his eyes, ʼNo.ʼ
I want to yell and scream at him but I donʼt have the energy to do
so. I am tired.
‘You are going to move in with her?ʼ I ask
‘No,ʼ he shakes his head, ‘She is against cohabiting, she will only
move in with me when I marry her.ʼ
‘That stings,ʼ I manage a smile as I feel a tear slid down my
cheeks.
My hands are shaky and my knees feel weak, I can feel him
looking at me but I donʼt look up, I donʼt want him to see how
much he has broken me.
‘I want you to have the other house and the company will be
paying you every month…,ʼ
I laugh out loud cutting him short before he can finish his
sentence, ‘Was this relationship a business deal to you?ʼ
‘I am trying to make amends for hurting you.ʼ
‘And you think this house and a few cents will carter for the
emotional damage too?ʼ
‘Zaria?ʼ
‘This is an insult Wes, if you want to pay me for what I spent on
you then pay it in full. You started that company with my money,
I paid your workers for the first few months with my money and
you are here telling me you will start paying me back. Pay me in
full right now,ʼ I snap at him
‘You know I canʼt pay everything at once.ʼ
‘Then keep your money. I will pack and leave by the time you get
back from work I will be gone.ʼ
‘Zaria,ʼ he starts to speak but I put a finger to my lips to tell him
to keep quiet, I am done talking.
Two creases etch his forehead, ‘I will go and get ready for work,ʼ
he says
‘Okay.ʼ
As I prepares for work, I decide to call my boss and ask for a
week off work, I canʼt function I need a few days to get the hang
of things and adjust to this new life.
‘Take care of yourself darling, let me know if you need more
days,ʼ she says
‘A week will be enough ma and thank you for being
understanding.ʼ
‘You are welcome.ʼ
Then I text the girls and tell them I have some news for them but
it will have to wait till they get back from work.
‘Zaria?ʼ he says
I had not seen him standing in the doorway not until he spoke
out. I half turn and look at him.
He walks to me and throws his arms around my neck to embrace
me, placing a kiss on my lips. The kiss is bittersweet, I slowly end
it and we rest our foreheads together.
I pull away from him to feel tears trickling down my cheeks.
‘Tell me this has been a horrible dream lord let me wake up from
this night mare.ʼ
‘I guess this is goodbye,ʼ he says, ‘You will always be a part of
my life, thank you for everything.ʼ
I shut my eyes in an attempt to control my emotions,ʼ Goodbye,ʼ
my voice cracks with emotion
‘Good bye,ʼ he says and just like that he is gone.
I feel overwhelmed and devastated, my heart hurts and I feel like
I want to die. My phone suddenly rings and I quickly wipe my
tears with the palm of my hand, its dad calling.
I clear my throat and try to be calm before I answer his call.
‘Daddy!ʼ I say trying to sound as normal as possible.
‘My baby,ʼ he says worriedly.
‘Hey.ʼ
‘Your boss just called me, she says you asked for a few days off
work because you are unwell, whatʼs wrong?ʼ
‘I am fine,ʼ I lie
‘Zaria Nel! What is going on? From the tone in your voice itʼs
evident that you have been crying.ʼ
I take a deep breath,ʼ Dad, I canʼt tell you about it on phone.ʼ
‘Can I come and see you?ʼ
‘No, let me just get dressed, I will come and see you. Are you
home?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Will be there shortly.ʼ
‘Okay baby.ʼ
I head for the bedroom and pull my suitcases out I place them
on the bed and start dumping in my belonging without folding
them.
It takes me three good hours- three hours to finally finish
packing my stuff. I hoist the suitcases off the bed and start
towards the door.
When I get to the garage, I open the trunk of my car and place
the suitcases in. I go back into the house and bring more
suitcases, thirty minutes later and I am finally done putting them
in.
I lock the door and place the keys under the flower pot which is
outside the door. I walk to my car but before I get in, I look back
at the house and I feel my emotions whirling.
I finally get into the car then put the car in gear and pull out of
the driveway.
I am trying so hard not to fall apart. It is hard for me to drive
while wiping the tears off my cheeks every minute.
I am driving to dadʼs house first then I will drive to the girls house
later, thatʼs where I will be staying.

-Episode Eleven-
I pull into dadʼs drive way and get out of my car. I wipe my tears
on my sleeve and try to compose myself before I walk down the
sidewalk towards the front door.
Stopping before the door, I suddenly feel hesitant to go in. I shut
my eyes for second to gather enough strength before I fling the
door.
‘Hello,ʼ I ask, questioning if anyone is there
‘Zaria!ʼ Dad appears from the living room to welcome me he has
a large smile on his face.
I take hurried steps towards him. He opens both his arms wide
open and takes me into them, wrapping me in a huge bear hug.
‘Itʼs to see you baby,ʼ he says ‘And how are you?ʼ
‘I am okay pappy? I missed you a whole lot.ʼ
‘And I missed you my darling, you have been scarce,ʼ he points
an accusing finger at me.
‘Work, work, work,ʼ I smile
‘You should be finding time to visit your old man kiddo this
house isnʼt the same without you.ʼ
‘Soon you are gonna have a son and he will be running all over
the house.ʼ
‘You will always be my baby girl,ʼ he holds my hand and ushers
me into the living room where Precious is lying on the couch with
her legs on the coffee table.
‘Hi,ʼ I smile at her causally
‘Well, look what the cat dragged in,ʼ she smiles back at me
I stare at her as she stands looking sweet as she is. She is a
plus-sized woman. I look at her small tummy that is barely even
showing a bump.
‘I havenʼt started showing yet,ʼ she says as if reading my mind.
I silently smile.
When she gets close to where I am standing, she startles me as
she envelops me in an embrace, ‘Itʼs good to see you hun,ʼ she
says
‘And itʼs good to see you too mother,ʼ I say mockingly
She bursts out laughing as she pulls away from me, ‘Oh please.ʼ
‘I am trying to be a respectable child here,ʼ I say
‘Spare me the drama,ʼ dad responds
‘Sit down honey, what can I offer you?ʼ she asks
‘Water will do,ʼ I respond
‘Okay,ʼ she walks to the kitchen and comes back a minute later
with a glass of water which she hands ti me.
‘Thanks,ʼ I respond. I take a sip and place the cup back on the
table.
‘So why didnʼt you go for work? Whatʼs happening? Dad asks as
soon as we all settle down.
I clear my throat wondering if I should tell him the truth.
‘Well I wasnʼt feeling too well this morning.ʼ
He sips his whiskey and looks at me deeply, ‘What is going on
Zaria.ʼ
As he looks at me he leans forward in his chair with elbows on
his knees and hands clasped.
‘Are you pregnant?ʼ he asks
‘What?ʼ I laugh
‘Because if you are pregnant I will kill you right this minute,ʼ he
says
‘Dad relax, I am not pregnant.ʼ
‘I am ears.ʼ
I take a deep breath, ‘Wesley broke up with me,ʼ I finally let it out
‘He what? Dad jumps out of his chair.
‘Apparently he impregnated another woman and he wants to
marry her before she gives birth.ʼ
He slams the glass down, his face full of anger and his mouth
wide open with shock.
There is an awkward silence for a moment- There is a tension in
the air.
‘I warned you about that boy, I told you not to move in with him
and now you see the results of your action. You were there
playing wifey & he was out there looking for something new. Tell
me why would he buy a car when he could the milk for free?ʼ He
asks
I decide to remain silent
‘You gave up too much only to end up with heartaches and
disappointments,ʼ he says disappointment evident in his voice.
His words struck me like a slap in the face, truth hurts I guess, I
shouldnʼt have moved in with Wes.
‘Five Years! Five good years and you walk away with nothing,ʼ he
shakes his head
My lips quiver while tears flood my eyes as I stare back at him.
‘Donʼt even cry, isnʼt this what you wanted?ʼ
‘Baby, take it easy on her,ʼ Precious says
‘You know what? I feel like I have failed her as a father, I
shouldnʼt have allowed all this nonsense. I know how much she
loves that imbecile and this will break her just look at her.ʼ
‘I am sorry,ʼ I say
‘Come here,ʼ he says
I stand up and walk to him, he wraps his arms around me and I
lay my head on his shoulder letting the tears pour, ‘Itʼs gonna be
okay,ʼ he says
‘I am sorry daddy,ʼ I whisper
‘Itʼs not even your fault, Wesley is an imbecile and I will deal with
him for messing with you.ʼ
‘You did what you had to do Wesley there is no need crying over
spilt milk,ʼ his sister says
‘I just feel like I messed up her life big time, Zaria built her whole
world around me you know?ʼ
‘It wasnʼt your fault, you were not obligated to marry her all
because she helped you, it doesnʼt work like that.ʼ
‘I know I just feel guilty.ʼ
‘Stop feeling guilty, you have Lulu and the baby to focus on,ʼ she
smiles, ‘I canʼt wait to be an auntie.ʼ
‘And I canʼt wait to be a father, speaking of Lulu when do you
think I should propose?ʼ
‘Soon, the sooner you do it the better, so that you have enough
time to plan for the wedding before the baby is born.ʼ
‘Thatʼs a good idea, besides I already bought a ring.ʼ
‘You did?ʼ
‘Yes I bought it when she got pregnant.ʼ
‘Thatʼs wonderful news then.ʼ
‘I just hope Zaria will forgive me for this.ʼ
‘Wes, mulabeko (Forget) Zaria, she is in your past now, she will
move on trust me.ʼ
‘Hopefully.ʼ
‘Trust me she will, anyway I better get going, I need to buy mum
some foodstuffs before I head home.ʼ
‘Okay pass my regards.ʼ
‘Bye,ʼ she stood up and walked out.
I bow my head to the ground and drown myself in deep
thoughts, I love Lulu and I am glad she is having my child but I
feel bad for Zaria, I know she is broken.
The look in saw in her eyes this morning made me weak, she
doesnʼt deserve to be going through this, if I could un-break her
heart and carry her pain, I swear I would but there is nothing I
can do.
Anyway maybe it wasnʼt meant to be like my sister said, I just
hope she heals from this and forgives me.

NB:
Ladies who are in relationships and keep giving your boyfriend
sex throughout, learn from this. Men will most likely want to
marry you if you are exceptional. Look at Lulu, she refused to
cohabit with Wes and he is being driven to her, Zaria on the
other hand was a wife to Wes and she sacrificed everything she
could to him as a wife..... Forgetting she was not yet married.
When time caught up with her, it was too late. For four good
years she was enjoying whatever present came at their useless
anniversary and only to need the ring on the fifth. Remember
when it was starting she said they used to have good sex.....
That's what she was, a stepping stone for Wes, one to help him
make the next step.... She enjoyed the sex without her realize
that time was moving..... The clock was ticking but look at
Lulu.... 6 months in a relationship she gets pregnant..... 8
months in a relationship Wes wants to
Marry her at all cost and some ladies in here find it fine coz Wes
can't tie himself to what doesn't make sense to him. Really!!!
Ladies watch out.... Don't just read and feel sorry... Read then
learn then apply to your own situation. Don't think all is fine coz
he brings u presents,,,,, he takes u out.... He gives u better
sex..... No. You need to be the one knowing when to make a turn
or stop or put a comma. Us guys can go on and on and if u are
ok with it then it's fine..... Try to come up with marriage issues
when there is another girl outside the box.... You will see the
Wes in your man. Learn from this dear ladies..... It doesn't matter
what u have done but if u want to play teenager by just having
sex and going out spoiling each other, don't cry when another
lady plays mature and more womanly by wanting to get married
to him.

-Episode Twelve-
The day had been spent with my father catching up and getting
reacquainted then later I drove to the girlʼs house.
I have my own keys so when I got there I let myself in and moved
my bags to my room. I lived here with the girls before I moved in
with Wesley so I can safely say I am home.
The bed in my room is stripped so I take a few minutes to spread
it with fresh sheets a pink quilt. I spend the next one hour
unpacking my suitcases and putting away my things in the
closet and adjourning bathroom. As I work I make a mental note
of things I need to get rid of.
I am opening up the windows to freshen up the bedroom when I
hear a vehicle in the drive. A moment later, a voice calls from the
door.
‘Yedda darling.ʼ
Itʼs Melanie I rush out to greet her, pausing when I see her
reaction to my appearance.
‘Melanie darling,ʼ she exclaims holding out her arms and I step
into them for a hug,
‘See what the cat drugged in,ʼ she laughs, ‘Madam Boss told me
you are unwell, tsup?ʼ
I draw in a sharp breath, ‘Itʼs a long story.ʼ
‘I have all the time,ʼ she pulls me towards the couch and we both
sit down.
‘I am gonna tell you about it letʼs just wait for Yedda to come
back so I can tell you girls at the same time but all I can say now
is that I have moved back in.ʼ
‘Moved back in where?ʼ
‘Here?ʼ
‘And Wes?ʼ
The door bursts open before I can respond and Yedda marches
in like a little boss that she is.
‘Kasuli Wesu!ʼ We scream in unison.
‘OMG!ʼ She exclaims ‘Itʼs a full house.ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘How are you doing Babe?ʼ she asks looking at me intently
‘I am okay,ʼ I quickly say
‘That doesnʼt sound convincing, spit it out, whatʼs bugging you?ʼ
‘I have good news and bad news, which one should I start with?ʼ
I ask
She kicks her shoes off her feet and places her hand bag on the
floor, ‘Well start with the good news.ʼ
‘I have moved back in?ʼ
‘Moved back in? As in here?ʼ
‘Yep.ʼ
‘So whatʼs going on?ʼ
‘I need something to drink first,ʼ I respond before I stand up and
walk to the other side of the room.
I pick a bottle of brandy a pour a small amount of the liquor in it.
I can feel their eyes on me, I know they are anxious to know
whatʼs going on.
‘Whatʼs going on?ʼ Melanie asks again
‘Not another word,ʼ I cut her off, not until for a while yet.ʼ
After gulping down my first shot, I pour myself another glass,
after my second shot I finally gain a little courage.
‘Wesley has fallen in love with another woman,ʼ I finally say
‘No,ʼ Melanie says in disbelief
‘Are you sure?ʼ Yedda asks
I laugh because I donʼt wanna cry anymore, itʼs done and dusted
I need to move on, ‘Yes.ʼ he told me so himself and that same girl
is two months pregnant for him.ʼ
‘That bastard,ʼ the girls rush over to me and wrap their hands
around me, ‘How could he do that to you? After everything you
have been through with him?ʼ
I quickly go through the whole story, the day I went to see him at
the office, how his behavior towards me changed and finally how
he told me he has fallen in love with another woman.
‘I am short of words, keleza che boi Wesley ni chule,ʼ (Wes is a
frog) Melanie says and I smile.
‘How are you holding up now?ʼ Yedda asks when we sit down
again
‘Well I am okay. It didnʼt kill me right so it will definitely make me
stronger.ʼ
‘You are right about that.ʼ
‘Honestly I am deeply hurt by this and my heart is on fire, itʼs
aching but thereʼs nothing I can do. I have to pick my broken
pieces together and move on.ʼ
‘ʼYou know what, its better a broken relationship than a broken
marriage. Who knows this could be Godʼs way of saving you
from tying yourself down to a worthless man,ʼ Yedda says
‘Baby girl you deserve so much more, you will find better. This
isnʼt your loss, itʼs his.ʼ
‘Thank you my girls, what would I do without you?ʼ
‘You would be dead,ʼ Melanie rolls her eyes
‘Ya right,ʼ I click my tongue
‘Anyway welcome back home babe, I am glad the three of us are
back together.ʼ
‘Thanks.ʼ
The three of us share a giant friendly hug and I feel better, I feel
safe and at home.
‘So!ʼ Melanie says after a while
‘What?ʼ I ask
‘Are we allowed to get revenge on Wesley?ʼ
‘Nah,ʼ I shake my head, ‘No revenge baby! Only weak people
take revenge, we are strong women we swallow the bitter pill
and we walk away with our heads held up high.ʼ
‘Canʼt we be weak for just an hour?ʼ Yedda asks
‘No,ʼ I shake my head, ‘You guys we need to forget about Wesley
and Lulu.ʼ
‘That will be hard, no one hurts our girl and walks away scot
free,ʼ Yedda says
‘I love you girls so much and I know you would do anything for
me but we need to move on.ʼ
‘Well.ʼ
 ‘Promise me you wonʼt do anything silly,ʼ I say
They exchange glances and Melanie shrugs her shoulders,
‘Promise.ʼ
I shake my head, ‘I am serious.ʼ
‘Fine, we are strong women and we are walking away.ʼ
Time flew by so quickly that days were gone I knew it. The
entire week I tried to keep myself so busy though sometimes I
found myself distracted with thoughts about Wesley.
I had hoped he would call and say he had made a mistake and
he needed me to go back home but I didnʼt, sometimes I felt all
this was a nightmare I needed to wake up from and then reality
kicks it.
Itʼs time to move on.

MELANIEʼS POV
‘Hey! Are you done?ʼ Melanie whispers
‘Yesʼ I respond
‘Letʼs get going before Zaria wakes up,ʼ I say in a low tone.
Itʼs a Saturday and we woke up very early so we can leave before
Zaria wakes up, we have a score to settle with Lulu. She messed
with our girl we wonʼt allow her to go scot free.
We did a little digging on her and now we know where she stays,
we also know she knew Wesley had Zaria before she threw
herself at him. We shall go after Wes later but now is about Lulu.
We hurriedly walk out of the house and quietly shut the door
before we head towards the garage. In no time we are on our
way to Luluʼs house.
‘Donʼt you think Zaria will be made at us for doing this?ʼ Yedda
asks
‘You are scared?ʼ
‘No,ʼ she shrugs, ‘I just donʼt want to put Zaria in trouble.ʼ
‘We are doing this for her, we are going to teach that riffraff a
lesson that she will never forget in her entire life.ʼ

-Episode Thirteen-
LULU
“Luyando!” Bang! Bang! “Luyando!”
I wake up terrified to a loud noise outside my door, the sun is out
and shining ridiculously bright, it is about 7 am in the morning.
‘Bang! Bang! Bang!ʼ The knocking continues, this time louder
and more insistent.
‘What the fuck? Who is making noise on my door this early?ʼ
I throw the covers off me and stretch, yawning loudly I roll out of
bed and walk towards my door. I open the door to reveal two
women standing on my door step. I step outside and close the
door.
One of the ladies is tall and dark while the other is coloured and
looks like the younger version of Zaria. I can tell they are angry
just from their eyes.
‘Can I help you?ʼ I ask yawning loudly
‘Yes,ʼ the dark one answers in a harsh and rude tone.
I feel the eyes of the other lady flicker me over, head to toe.
‘I am all ears,ʼ I respond
‘So you are the bitch who destroyed our girlsʼ relationship,ʼ she
asks
‘Pardon?ʼ
‘Does the name Zaria Nel ring a bell?ʼ
‘Oh, Zaria sent you?ʼ
‘Zaria didnʼt send us, we are here on our own accord you
messed with the wrong girl bitch.ʼ
‘Thereʼs no use causing attention to yourself on my door step,
just leave before I call the cops.ʼ
‘Just leave before I call the cops,ʼ the dark one imitates me.
‘Call them, call them right now,ʼ the other one rolls her eyes at
me.
‘I seriously have no time to entertain you, if you will excuse me
please.ʼ
I roll my eyes before I turn around and start walking towards the
door.
I reach out for the doorknob, however before my fingers touch
the cold metal of the door knob I feel something hit me hard in
the back of my head with force, I donʼt fall but I stumble towards
the door.
I quickly turn, ‘What the hell is wrong with the both of you. Canʼt
you see I am pregnant?ʼ
‘You got pregnant for another womanʼs man,ʼ the dark one says
her face taut with furry.
‘Wesley was single when I found him, he had no ring on his
finger your friend was just a girlfriend.ʼ
‘It doesnʼt matter what she was to him, he was her man and you
shouldnʼt have interfered.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Wesley came after me because he saw something me
that Zaria didnʼt have so deal…ʼ
The slap of her hand across my face cuts me off mid sentence,
blistering pain shoots through my jaw. My skin is on fire where
her hand stuck and a deep ache is starting to settle into my jaw.
‘Did you just hit me?ʼ I ask amazed
‘Yes she did,ʼ the coloured cheekily responds ‘and we will do
more than just hit you if you continue barking.ʼ
‘You girls donʼt know who you are messing with, just leave
before this gets ugly.ʼ
‘You donʼt know who you messed around with and yes this is
about to get ugly.ʼ
I try to walk away from them for the second time but one of them
grabs me by the hair and the back of my dress, shoving me
down to the ground.
Before I could get up, one of them pushes me down and holds
my hands.
‘You are going to hurt me, I am pregnantʼ I scream but my pleas
fall on deaf ears
She pulls a belt from her bag and with the knuckles starts hitting
me and tossing the end in all directions hitting me all over my
body, head, shoulders, legs except the stomach.
I scream, ‘Please stop it! Donʼt hit me please, I am pregnant.ʼ
‘Next time you wonʼt open your legs to someone elseʼs man
Waumfwa?ʼ
‘Please,ʼ I plead.

YEDDA
When we finish beating her, we grab the buffalo beans that we
came with and rub it all over her face, arms and legs, we have
done a number on her and she looks weak and helpless now.
Itʼs a good thing she is the only person living in this whole
compound otherwise the police would be on us already not that
we are scared.
We laugh as we watch her scratching vigorously and
uncontrollably.
‘Boi letʼs get a video and some photos,ʼ Melanie laughs
‘You are right,ʼ I remove my phone and begin to capture.
She has tears running down her eyes as she continuously
scratches her face, ‘This is for making our girl cry,ʼ Melanie says
then she removes her gloves and trashes them to the ground.
‘Boi letʼs go.ʼ
‘I hope your body itches the entire day,ʼ we say and rush out of
her compound to the car. We close the gate on our way out.
‘She will never forget this experience.ʼ
‘Ikr,ʼ we burst out lauging.
‘Where did you even get the Buffalo beans from Melanie? I
forgot to ask.ʼ
She laughs, ‘Story for another day.
Trust Melanie to pull out something like this, she is ghetto like
that. She didnʼt even tell me about the buffalo beans till we
reached Luluʼs house and were heading towards her door.
This is crazy I know but we are sisterʼs keeper and we wonʼt
allow someone pick on her while we are still alive.

ZARIA
Saturday morning I wake up early like normal and shower and
then I have my breakfast before I sit down to watch some
television. I havenʼt seen the girls today, I thought they were off.
When they finally get back, they have bright smiles on their
faces.
‘Where have you guys been?ʼ I curiously asked
‘Jogging,ʼ Yedda says
‘Jogging dressed like that and with a car?ʼ I ask suspiciously
‘We went to buy Pizza we wanted to surprise you with some
breakfast in bed,ʼ they place a box of pizza on the table.
‘Something is wrong somewhere,ʼ I say
‘Stop being suspicious and let us eat up.ʼ
‘Okay.

LULU
I rise to my feet and drag myself into the house my whole body
is on fire. After I give Wesley a call, I rush into the bathroom and
jump into the shower- Big mistake.
The water causes more damage than good spreading the itch
even more.
I leave the shower and dry my body and sit on the floor where I
continue scratching.
The large red burning itchy welts on my legs and arms caused
by the stinging nettles have now become patches of raw
bleeding due to nonstop scratching.
‘OMG!? What happened to you?ʼ Wes asks walking into my
room.
‘Zariaʼs friends they did this to me,ʼ I cry.
‘How could they even think of hurting a pregnant woman, we
need to get you to the hospital,ʼ he says
I spend a few more minutes screaming out in pain as the stinging
nettles makes their presence felt.
‘We need to get to the hospital,ʼ he insists and this time around I
agree, I canʼt deal with the pain.
I stand up and get dressed in a T-shirt and just wrap a chitenge
around my waist. Before we leave I stare at myself in the mirror.
I am a mess the tiny blisters on my face have large areas of
missing skin from which blood is slowly oozing.
‘They will pay for this I swear they will,ʼ I tell Wes, ‘and come to
think of it, letʼs get a police report before we go to the hospital.ʼ
‘You need to get to the hospital first.ʼ
‘Awe this is assault so we shall go to the police first before the
hospital, those ladies are gonna pay for this.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ

-Episode Fourteen-
The record player is blasting- Melanie, Yedda and I are having
loads of fun- dancing, laughing and talking loudly. Thereʼs never
a dull moment when I am around them, they always make
everything brighter and when I am with them, ordinary moments
turn extraordinarily beautiful.
They never fail to make me laugh I know I am lucky to have them
by my side.
Melanie starts screaming when one of our favourite songs starts
playing on the radio.
‘One-two-three-four, uno-do-tres-cuatro. I know you want me
(want me). You know you want cha (want cha).ʼ
We lift our arms in the air and swing our hips from side to side. It
isnʼt long before beads of sweat are rolling down our faces. We
laugh out, singing and dancing until our feet and lungs are on
fire.
A few minutes later, the song ends.
Exhausted we settle ourselves on the couch.
‘Oh God!ʼ Yedda exclaims, ‘That was a good exercise,ʼ she
laughs
‘I donʼt even remember the last time we danced this much,ʼ
Melanie says
‘Graduation night,ʼ I say
‘I can still remember that day as if it were yesterday. Lord we
danced straight out for three days.ʼ
‘The drinking and the dancing,ʼ Yedda says
‘And then the hangover, lord I thought I was gonna die,ʼ I say
‘We drank so much.ʼ
‘And then I started vomiting and you guys thought I was dying,
you had to call a doctor,ʼ Yedda says
‘You are such a baby,ʼ I point at her
‘Dah.ʼ
A loud knocking at the back of the door interrupts the
conversation.
‘I will get it,ʼ I stand up.
When I open the door, two police officers, Wesley and Lulu are
standing on our door step. Cold chills sweep down my spine at
the sight of Wesley.
When I take a second glance at Lulu, I notice that her face is
swollen, bloody and bruised. Her hair is a mess, she just looks
terrible. What could be going on? I wonder.
‘Where are your minions?ʼ Wes asks harshly, his eyes are
burning with rage.
‘What are you talking about?ʼ I ask
‘Madam,ʼ one of the officers begins, ‘We are here for Miss Yedda
Dawson and Miss Melanie Chileya,ʼ he says
‘What for if I may ask?ʼ
‘Your friends apparently beat up and assaulted her,ʼ they point at
lulu
I open my mouth but struggle with what to say. How could they
beat up a pregnant woman like this? I mean Lulu isnʼt my
favourite person at the moment but to beat her like this?
Oh lord, no wonder they were acting like that this morning so
this is what they were up to?
‘Officer!ʼ Lulu says, ‘Just get inside and pull them out. They need
to pay for doing this to me,ʼ Lulu says.
‘They will be no need for him to follow us in, we are here,ʼ
Melanie says behind me.
‘How can we help you officers?ʼYedda asks
‘Arrest them officers,ʼ she says
‘Just shut up Luyando or whatever they call you. Isnʼt the
beating we gave you not enough?ʼ Melanie asks, ‘You think I
canʼt beat you up because of the officers?ʼ
‘Melanie!ʼ I cover my mouth with my hand.
‘Can you both step outside,ʼ the policemen tell Yedda and
Melanie.
‘Gladly,ʼ she responds rolling her eyes.
Okay I know Melanie is crazy but to act like this in front of some
policemen will put her in trouble.
I step aside and as soon as Yedda steps outside, one of the men
grabs her arm roughly, ‘You are coming with us.ʼ
Melanie walks outside and reaches for the policeman pulling
Yaddaʼs arm free, ‘You donʼt have to grab her like that as if she is
a criminal, we shall go with you so chill.ʼ
‘Madam, allow us to do our job here, you can willingly go with us
or we will use force.ʼ
‘You are both criminals,ʼ Lulu says
Melanie shoots her an evil look, ‘Thank your lucky stars that you
pregnant, we would have done more that. Ifimenso ububi.
Mtchew,ʼ she clicks her tongue.
‘Both of you are under arrest for causing grievously bodily harm
against Miss Luyando Mweene. You have the right to remain
silent. Anything you say will be used against you in the court of
law.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ Yedda responds, ‘Where is your car?ʼ
‘Outside.ʼ
‘We will go outside with you as long as you donʼt roughly grab
our arms. We are innocent until proven guilty remember,ʼ Yedda
winks at the policemen
One of them shakes his head, ‘Letʼs get going, we donʼt have the
whole day.ʼ
‘Which police station are you talking them?ʼ I ask
‘Central police station,ʼ he responds
‘Girls I will call dad and we shall meet you there shortly.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ they nod their heads smilingly, they know dad will get
them out I am sure thatʼs why they are smiling.
The other officer holds Melanieʼs hand while the other holds
Yedda and they walk to the gate.
‘I canʼt believe you would send them to do this to her. I thought
you were better than this, I am disappointed in you,ʼ Wesley
says. His voice is cold and hard.
Anger strikes me like lightening, jolting my body rigid. This man
knows me better than this why would he think I sent them to
beat up his girlfriend. Has he forgotten how crazy Melanie is?
‘You know what, I donʼt have time to talk to you both,ʼ I respond
I knew that silly girl would come after us with the police but she
doesnʼt know who she is dealing with. I swear if not for her
pregnancy, we would have left her for dead.
At the gate, the officer pushes the gate slightly but before we
step out I pull my arm from his grip.
I run back to Wes and without notice I swing around with my
right foot and kick hard in his groin repeatedly. The officer runs
after me and grabs my shoulder pulling me away from him
‘What kind of woman are you?ʼ he yells
‘The kind you should never mess with,ʼ I respond ‘now you can
take me with you,ʼ I say with a look of satisfaction and pride on
my face.
Itʼs evident that Wes is trying to verbalize obscenities at me but
all he can manage are feeble moans. I caught him off guard he
didnʼt expect me to do that.
Zaria looks at me in shock, her eyes are wide open and her
mouth is hanging open in shock.
‘That was for making Zaria cry.ʼ
The officer grabs both my arms and leads me to the car, this
time I donʼt even fight him since I got what I wanted.
The drive to the station is loud Yedda and I canʼt stop laughing
at what happened back there.
‘You women need to spend a week in the cells, you are a danger
to society,ʼ the officer who is driving says.
Yedda and I burst out laughing, ‘Why are we a danger to society
if I may ask Mr. Officer?ʼ I ask
‘How could you beat up a pregnant woman like that? Going to
the extent of rubbing buffalo beans on her body?ʼ the one in the
back seat with us asks
‘Because she deserves it,ʼ Yedda responds
Arriving at the station, we step out of the car and walk inside.
They escort us to a small room equipped with only a table and
three chairs, Yedda and I sit.

-Episode Fifteen-
Arriving at the station, we step out of the car and walk inside.
They escort us to a small room equipped with only a table and
three chairs, Yedda and I sit.
They walk out quietly leaving us alone.
This isnʼt the first time we have been arrested for physically
assaulting someone.
A few months ago, I beat up a man at a restaurant where the
girls and I had gone out for lunch. This man passed a silly
comment when we walked past his table to ours. The girls and
got so angry we pounced on him.
They called the police on us, well the rest is history.
‘You caught me off guard when you went after Wesley like that,
dude you are crazy,ʼ Yedda says
‘I am ghetto like that and he knows it, I wonder why he
misbehaved. I am seriously not done with Wes.ʼ
‘Melanie let Wes be, you have done enough damage already.ʼ
‘The riffraff called the police on us. He needs to be taught a big
lesson.ʼ
‘But did you see how bruised his girlfriend looked, her face was
even bleeding.ʼ
I burst out into near- hysterical laughter when I remember how
bad the lulu girl looked, we inflicted so much pain on her this is
something she will never forget.
She should even thank her lucky stars that she is pregnant
otherwise we would have inflicted more pain.
The door swings open several minutes later, a smartly dressed
man walks in.
‘Yedda and Melanie?ʼ he asks. His voice is deep, almost
melodious the kind that makes you want to trust him.
‘Yes,ʼ I respond.
‘Iʼm detective Mwale & I have a few questions for you.ʼ
‘You are handsome,ʼ Yedda says softly, ‘I wouldnʼt mind being
locked up in this room with you. Well if you know what I mean.ʼ
‘OMG,ʼ Yedda has guts, I laugh out.
He shoots her a deadly stare,ʼ Young lady I am not here to play
around.
‘Well I am just appreciating Godʼs creation Detective or are you
going to charge me for that too?ʼ she gives him a blank look.
I laugh out so hard this time tears run down my face.
He pounds his fist on the table and yells, ‘Silence.ʼ
Eventually I compose myself enough to create the silence of the
environment but I am still laughing inside.
The detective finally takes a seat.
‘The two of you have been arrested for attacking and physically
assaulting a pregnant woman with intent to injure (and also to a
charge of threatening to cause grievous boldly harm,ʼ he said,
‘Whatʼs your plea?ʼ
‘Not guilty and we would rather not answer any questions
without our lawyer present.ʼ
‘Proving to be difficult, I see,ʼ he smiles.
‘As soon as our lawyer comes we shall willingly answer all your
questions handsome,ʼ Yedda smirks
‘You look like a bundle of trouble,ʼ he shakes his head
‘Well they all say that but I am a good girl. I guess you & i can
form an unbreakable bond,ʼ she winks
‘Yedda,ʼ I playfully slap her arm, is she seriously flirting with this
man.
‘Excuse me,ʼ he gets up and walks out closing the door behind
him. I stand up and walk to the door trying to open it but it has
been locked from the outside.
‘Lord you scared that handsome man away.ʼ
‘So you also noticed he is handsome?ʼ she rolls her eyes
‘Girl you are shameless, you seriously went overboard.ʼ
‘Dude, I am feeling this man deep within my soul, I have finally
found my soul mate,ʼ she stands up
I canʼt help but laugh at her, this girl will be the death of me.
We sit and wait in that room for what seems like forever but it
could have been just a few minutes.
The door opens again and Detective Mwale and Zariaʼs dad walk
in.
He asks us a few questions then after about thirty minutes we
are bailed out.
‘Girls congratulations,ʼ Dad says smilingly as we walk towards
the car park.
‘For?ʼ Zaria asks
‘For putting Wesley and his girlfriend in place, I owe you one.ʼ
‘You are the man,ʼ I laugh.
‘Dad you shouldnʼt be encouraging them,ʼ Zaria says
‘Live a little my darling. That man did you wrong all they did was
get back at him a little.ʼ
‘Whatever!ʼ she shrugs
‘Anyway just know that this case wonʼt go anywhere, I will have a
talk with Wesley and I know he will withdraw the case.ʼ
‘Thanks pappy.ʼ
‘You are welcome,ʼ he says
‘I gotta rush girls, I am taking my girl out for lunch,ʼ he says
smilingly
‘Say hi to Precious,ʼ we say in unison.
He gets into his car and waves at us.
‘Buffalo Beans? Like really?ʼ I give the girls an accusing look.
‘She deserves it,ʼ Melanie answers
‘She is pregnant, what if you had caused harm to her unborn
baby too.ʼ
‘You know what letʼs forget the buffalo beans, I had such a good
time in that interrogation room,ʼ Yedda smiles
‘Oh really?ʼ
‘Your little girl just fell in love with one Detective Mwale,ʼ Melanie
says as pearls of laughter burst from deep within.
‘You lie.ʼ
‘Itʼs true but I donʼt know why Melanie keeps laughing about
this.ʼ
I shake my head, ‘Tell me about it.ʼ
‘Girl you should have seen this man, the minute I saw him I was
so glad we got arrested. The whole time he was talking, I was
staring into his eyes just blown away. There was this instant
connection with him,ʼ she says
‘I guess your heart started beating hard and the butterflies in
your tummy started jumping up and down,ʼ Melanie teases her
‘Actually,ʼ Yedda begins, ‘There were no jitters, no nerves or
beating of the heart. I just felt safe around him I swear itʼs not
something I have ever experienced before.ʼ
‘OMG! You are serious?ʼ I ask my eyes wide open with unbelief
‘Dah! I am serious and I donʼt care if you guys laugh at me but
what I know is that this guy is someone I was meant to cross
paths with.ʼ
‘Ahem,ʼ I clear my throat.
Melanie drops her head and I can tell she is doing her best not to
laugh again.
‘Well I am glad you find this amusing but soon you will be
dancing on my line up,ʼ Yedda says
Melanie and I exchange glances and we laugh.
When we finally get home, we notice a car parked in front of our
gate. I pull over on the other side and step out of the car ready
to shout at the owner of the car.
I knock on the window and he opens his door.
‘Zach!ʼ I exclaim
‘Hey you,ʼ he grins and opens his arms as he walks towards me.
He engulfs me in a bear hug and pecks my check.
‘Itʼs good to see you girl,ʼ he says
‘Itʼs been a while I thought you abandoned me because your
friend dumped me.ʼ
‘You know I would never do that, I had to travel to the village and
the network that side is so bad. I heard about happened
between you and Wes so I decided to come as soon as I got
back.
The girls step out of the car they greet Zach and head for the
gate.
Zach is one of Wesleyʼs best friends he is the most matured
friend that Wes has. Zach and i are quiet close.
‘So how are you?ʼ he asks
‘I am fine.ʼ
‘I am sorry about what went on between you and Wes. Wes is a
fool to let you go.ʼ
‘Thatʼs his loss I guess, I am no longer crying after him, I guess
its life, sometimes you lose some sometimes you win some.ʼ
‘So how about I treat you and the girls to lunch.ʼ
‘I guess I canʼt say no to food so we are on.ʼ
‘Thatʼs my girl,ʼ he says
I smile at him, ‘I think you should just come in and wait for us to
freshen up then we will be all yours.ʼ
‘Awesome.ʼ

Episode sixteen
I have been single for the past one year and before that, I was in
a relationship with our pastorʼs son but things didnʼt work out,
nigga was sleeping with almost every girl in the praise team so I
dumped his ass.
The last couple of months, I have gone out with a few guys but
none of them stood out for me.
The girls think I am extremely picky but I know what I want when
I see it. I think I just saw what I have always wanted today.
It is still very early days and I am not one to jump into anything
quickly but what I know is that I must him. I am supper excited to
have met him today, I am thankful to Wes for sending the cops
to arrest us actually.
Like they say, everything happens for a reason so our being
arrested wasnʼt in vain.
Well I am quiet exhausted, the girls and I just came back from a
night of fun and laughter. Zach spoiled us, he took us out to eat
then we went to the movies and finally we went clubbing.
My feet hurt from all that dancing, lord I need a massage- No, I
think what I need is a strong macho man like the detective to
carry me to bed and rub my feet till I fall asleep.
“Earth to Yedda!” Melanie clicks her fingers in my face.
‘What?ʼ
‘You zoned out.ʼ
‘I guess she was thinking about that detective you met.ʼ
‘Madam is in love,ʼ they laugh
‘You guys I really like that guy and I will go after him.ʼ
‘What if he is married?ʼ
‘He doesnʼt look married.ʼ
‘How do you know?ʼ
‘Well I can tell by looking, that man is single, he has been waiting
for me all these years and today fate brought us back together.ʼ
‘Love is a beautiful thing abeg oh,ʼ Zaria says with a smirk
‘You can say that again.ʼ
‘Letʼs wait and see what this holds for the future,ʼ Melanie says
with a grin knowing she is irritating me.
‘Whatever!” I rise to my feet, ‘I am tired I think I am gonna call it a
night.ʼ
Zaria stands up too, ‘I think we should all go and sleep.ʼ
‘Tonight was amazing,ʼ Melanie says
‘All thanks to Zach,ʼ I say
‘Yes. Have you noticed that he is even better looking than Wes?ʼ
Melanie asks smilingly
Zaria shoots Melanie a blank stare, ‘No I havenʼt noticed, have
you been checking him out. Wait! Donʼt tell me you are in love
too.ʼ
‘Shut up,ʼ she hits her arm playfully
‘I wish it was him you had dated and not that riffraff.ʼ
‘Oh because he bought us some food and drinks, I should now
date him?ʼ
‘Well he is a nice guy,ʼ I say
‘You guys are hilarious donʼt even go there because you know I
would never ever date Zach.ʼ
‘Who said anything about dating him?ʼ Melanie rolls her eyes at
her
‘So what are you saying?ʼ she asks
‘You could use him to get back at Wesley I canʼt imagine the look
on that foolʼs face if he found out you are banging one of his
best friends.ʼ
‘Oh Lord! I think I have heard enough! Angel Gabriel blow your
horn right this minute,ʼ she says before she sinks down on the
couch behind her and covers her face with her hands.
‘Did she just die on us?ʼ Melanie asks
‘Yes, I think we just lost Zaria.ʼ
We get down on our knees and begin to shake her, ‘Zaria! You
canʼt be dead!ʼ Melanie lets out a loud piercing wail.
Pretty soon we all burst out into a fit of laughter.
‘Melanie you are a fool,ʼ Zaria says in between her laughter.
‘Madam you are alive?ʼ I ask
We started laughing again so hard that tears are streaming down
our faces.
When the laugh dies down, Melanie stands up, ‘I think I just peed
on myself,ʼ she says
‘Lord Jesus no, Zaria moves away from her.ʼ
‘You guys made me laugh so hard I couldnʼt hold it.ʼ
‘Iyee!ʼ Zaria puts her hands on top of her head, ‘Lesa somone!
Wechikulu chonse ai?ʼ (As big as you are)
‘Shut up.ʼ
‘Auntie Melanie has peed on herself,ʼ I laugh
She rolls her eyes and stands up, ‘I am gonna change and then
we can pray and go to sleep,ʼ
‘Ill. Stinky.ʼ
She raises her middle finger and direct it at me, ‘Fuck you.ʼ
‘It takes two know.ʼ
‘Bye.
Zaria and I stand up and we all go to our separate rooms to get
changed. After a while we meet up in Melanieʼs room, she has
the biggest bedroom among the three of us.
We sit on the edge of her bed and read some verses from the
bible before Zaria closes for us in prayer.
‘Amen.ʼ
‘You witches go to your room, I wanna sleep.ʼ
‘I am sleeping here with you,ʼ Zaria says
‘Me too.ʼ
She rolls her eyes, ‘You have your own rooms.ʼ
‘But we wanna share yours.ʼ
‘Oh lord,ʼ she sighs.
‘Thatʼs a yes.ʼ
‘No,ʼ she laughs.
We climb into her bed and slip under the covers on her bed.
‘Good night bubbles,ʼ Melanie yawns after she turns off the light
and joins us in bed.
‘Good night Gangsta baby,ʼ we say in unison.
The next morning, I am the first to wake up, I roll out of bed and
walk to the kitchen looking for something to eat I am really
hungry. It feels like I didnʼt have anything to eat last night.
In the kitchen I pour myself a bowl of cereal and sit down to eat.
After I am done, I started cleaning the plates, Itʼs like 5 in the
morning and I know the girls wonʼt be up till around 9 so I clean
up the house as well and prepare them breakfast.
By the time the girls finally wake up, I am almost done with the
laundry.
‘Morning bubbles.ʼ
‘Gangsta baby.ʼ
‘What time did you wake up?ʼ
‘Five.ʼ
‘On a Sunday?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Love makes people do weird things ai.ʼ
‘Itʼs too early for drama.ʼ
‘Za alikiwi?ʼ
‘Toilet.ʼ
‘As usual.ʼ
Its 13: 00, the guys are lying on the couch in the living room
watching television. I step out of my room to the living room all
dressed up.
‘And where are you going?ʼ Melanie asks
‘To the police station.ʼ
‘Bitch,ʼ Zaria says
‘Wait I am not gonna cause any trouble I am just paying my dear
inspector a visit.ʼ
“Dressed like that?” She eyes me from head to toe.
‘I am fine.ʼ
‘You want to lead that man into temptation.ʼ
‘You girls are delaying me, I better get going.ʼ
‘All the best.ʼ
‘Thank you, I am gonna need it. If I am not back by 18 then come
and bail me out.ʼ
They laugh, ‘Okay.ʼ
I walk out of the house to the garage and get into my car.
Soon I am on my way to that police station, well I know I am
crazy but I also know I am a goal getter.
‘Follow your heart they said,ʼ well I am doing just that.ʼ
It isnʼt long before I pull up in front of the police station. I step
out of my car, compose myself and walk in.
When I get to the reception I ask for Detective Mwale and I was
told to wait while a female police officer went to get him.
A little while later, she comes back and directs me to his office.
I walk down the corridor slowly aware of the sound my heels are
making on the tile floor.
I take a deep breath before I knock on his door, ‘Come in,ʼ he
says.
I walk into the room with a huge smile on my face.
‘Hey darling!ʼ I say
‘You! What are you doing here?ʼ he asks surprised to see me.

-Episode seventeen-
‘I came to see you my darling,ʼ she says, a bright smile still
playing on her lips.
I quietly study her from head to toe. She is wearing a white
dress with very thin straps that hug around her neck. The dress
is a perfect fit it hugs her slender body showing every curve that
she has. It has a slit on the left side.
How could someone be beautiful, cute, elegant and everything
else at the same time?
When I saw her yesterday for the first time, I was totally smitten
by her bubbly personality I didnʼt expect to see her in my office
today though.
‘Arenʼt you going to ask me to sit?ʼ she asks startling me from
my reverie.
‘Yedda! what do you want?ʼ I ask
Her smile broadens, ‘So you still remember my name?
Impressive!ʼ
‘I asked you a question.ʼ
‘We had the pleasure of meeting yesterday but we were not
formally introduced, I am Yedda. Yedda Dawson,ʼ she extends
her hand towards me.
‘Detective Alex Mwale,ʼ I shake her hand
‘Nice to officially meet you Detective,ʼ she holds my hand in a
strong grasp.
‘So, what are you doing here?ʼ I ask releasing her hold.
‘Donʼt be such a bore,ʼ she says.ʼ I thought we are past that
stage.ʼ
She places her bag on my table then she walks to the sofa
across from my table. She isnʼt just tall but also navigating four-
inch heels and doing it so well as if they an extension of her own
feet.
Then she sits and crosses her long legs emerging from her side
slit.
I clear my throat, ‘Are you for real right now?ʼ
‘Yes baby, I am real. I am the real deal, so how are you?ʼ
‘I am fine thanks and by the look of things you are fine too.ʼ
‘I am better now that I am talking to you,ʼ she winks
‘What sort of a woman are you?ʼ I ask wondering how someone
could be this bold and courageous at the same time.
‘The one you have been waiting for all your life,ʼ she laughs
‘Letʼs get straight to business, what are you doing here?ʼ I ask
trying to sound uninterested
‘Can I treat you out for lunch? No strings attached, just lunch we
will get talking and if after this you think I am annoying, well I will
back off.ʼ
I open my mouth to respond but before I can say thing, she says
something that blows my mind away.
‘When I said I liked you yesterday, I meant it and I am sorry if I
am too straight forward but this is me being me.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Are you always this straight forward? What if I am
married?ʼ
‘Which verse in the Bible prohibits married men from making
friends or going out with them for lunch?ʼ
‘Well,ʼ I smile,ʼ There is no verse that says that.ʼ
‘Great, I didnʼt ask you to marry me did I, I said letʼs have lunch.ʼ
I smile, I know most people would find her annoying but not me, I
think she is cute and has a good sense of humor. Thereʼs
something to be admired in a woman that goes after what she
wants, it shows courage and confidence.
I know i caught him of guard and now he is trying to figure out
what sort of woman I am, I am the kind that goes after her heart,
I am the kind that will make you smile, I am the kind that loves to
take risks. I hate to play the part of the laid back and elusive
woman that society tells us we should be to get a man.
For a second letʼs just put aside that only men can pursue
women, itʼs all about gender equality right so if he can do it then
I too can do it. If you feel he is the one for you, he is mature
enough and wonʼt be put off by you showing interest then go
after him girl- I am here cheering you all the way.
‘Ahem,ʼ I clear my throat when I catch him staring, this man
sitting in front of me is interested in me, I can see through him,
the way he keeps looking at me and smiling, ‘Lord Your son is
hotʼ the things I would do to him.
‘So are you up for lunch?ʼ I ask again
‘Well i…,ʼ he hardly utters his response when the door opens and
in sails a tall beautiful curvy woman. She closes the door behind
her back and strode towards his table.
‘Alex,ʼ she says, ‘I didnʼt know you had company.
She turns to look at me and smiles, ‘Hey.ʼ
‘Hey,ʼ I return her smile
‘So Alex arenʼt you gonna introduce us?ʼ she asks placing her
bag on his table just next to mine.
Alex stands up and walks around his desk to where I am sitting,
‘Trish this here is Yedda, the girl I told you I have been seeing.ʼ
He stares me directly in the eyes, ‘Babe this is Trish she is a
family friend.ʼ
‘Aw,ʼ I exclaim, ‘Itʼs a pleasure meeting you Trish,ʼ I smile at her,
playing along to whatever is happening.
She stares at me fiercely and angrily then she looks away and a
less than comfortable silence fells among us.
I clear my throat, ‘Baby, we are supposed to head out for lunch, I
am starving.ʼ
‘Yes, I think we need to get going now.ʼ
I stand up.
‘I am sorry Trish but you caught us at a bad time, babe and I gat
to run for lunch now,ʼ I say smilingly
She frowns.
‘I will get your number from him and maybe we can hang out
soon.ʼ
‘Alex!ʼ She says angrily, ‘Can i talk to you in private?ʼ
‘No,ʼ he shakes his head.
‘Alex and I come as a pair so you can say whatever you want to
say to him in front of him,ʼ I hold his hand.
She clicks het tongue, grabs her bag and storms out of the
room.
Just then Alex and I burst out laughing.
‘You owe me one,ʼ I say
‘I owe you big time, your coming here is blessing in disguise.ʼ
Deeply engrossed in my thoughts the loud knocking at the door
makes me jump. I frown I am not expecting anyone certainly not
at 8 oʼclock at night. The knock comes again even more insistent
than before.
I rise to my feet and walk to the front door and tentatively open
it.
My eyes open wide in shock when I see who is standing at my
door step.
‘Hey!” he says, from the tone in his voice I know he is not here
for a social visit.
‘Sir.ʼ
He laughs, ‘Wesley, are you going to let me in or I will have to
stand here while I talk to you?ʼ
‘Come in,ʼ I respond opening the door wide.
I usher him into the living room, he looks around before he takes
a seat. Lulu is taking a nap upstairs I hope she doesnʼt wake up
soon.
‘What can I offer you? I ask, my hands trembling, I have always
been scared of this man.
‘Nothing,ʼ he says
‘Not even water?ʼ
‘I donʼt want anything, take a seat we need to talk,ʼ he says
I look into his eyes- cold, unfriendly, stern.
‘I am not gonna waste your time, I will go straight to the point,ʼ
he says
I nod my head.
‘You got my daughters arrested and I want you to withdraw that
case tomorrow.ʼ
‘But sir.ʼ
He looks at me intently, ‘But?ʼ
I remain silent.
‘You are lucky Zaria still has a soft spot for you otherwise I would
have destroyed you and left you with nothing.ʼ
‘I know I messed up sir but Yedda and Melanie had no right to
beat up my pregnant girlfriend like that.ʼ
‘They did the right thing. You will always do the right thing by
withdrawing that stupid case.ʼ
He stands up,ʼ I hope I have made myself clear,ʼ he turns and
heads for the door.

-Episode Eighteen-
Trish
I step out of the car and angrily slam the door as hard as I can
before I walk rapidly walk in to the house. I am so angry my heart
feels like itʼs racing its pounding so hard in my head. How could
Alex humiliate me like that?
‘Trish, are you okay?ʼ Maureen asks, Maureen is our house help,
she is slightly older than my mother, she has worked for our
family for over ten years now, she is like family but I donʼt like
her, she can be irritating.
‘Are you okay?ʼ she asks
‘I am okay?ʼ I angrily snap at her.
‘Trish!ʼ she begins
I shot her a death stare and she quickly shuts her mouth.
‘You know Trish,ʼ she starts again but I stop her mid flow by
hitting her hard across her face.
‘Do you ever keep quiet?ʼ I yell, ‘Why canʼt you leave me alone?ʼ
‘I just want to help you my child,ʼ she says while holding her
cheek.
‘Donʼt call me that,ʼ I let out a cry of anger and grabbed the
closest thing to me which happens to be a glass vase and
through it towards her with all of my might and it crashed into
the wall, breaking into a million pieces.
‘Trish, my God you need to calm down,ʼ my mother yells as she
rushes into the room.
I am about to pick something else from the small coffee table
when mum grabs my arm, ‘Itʼs okay hun,ʼ she says turning me
towards her.
She pulls me into her arms and hugs me tightly, ‘shhh,; she says
rubbing my back slowly till I finally manage to calm down.
‘Maureen clean up here and make her a cup of tea,ʼ mum says as
she holds my hand and leads me to my room.
When we get to my room, I sit on the edge of my bed while mum
sits on the chair next to the bed.
‘Talk to me,ʼ she says
I feel my heart aching with anger as I stare at her, before long
tears are falling down my face.
‘I went to see Alex,ʼ I say in between sobs
‘What happened? Did he hurt you? Did he call you names?ʼ
‘No,ʼ I shake my head
‘What did he do?ʼ
‘He introduced me to a girl he is seeing,ʼ I say breaking down in
tears
‘Aw!ʼ she exclaims, ‘I am sorry my darling.ʼ
‘Mum he practically kicked me out of his office, all I wanted was
to spend a few minutes with him, by his side,ʼ I cry.
‘Baby, if he is with someone else then you should forget him,ʼ
she says
‘No!ʼ I yell
‘Fine, I will talk to his mother, I will do whatever it takes to make
him yours, is that okay.ʼ
‘Yes,ʼ I sniff wiping tears off my face
‘Good, now stop worrying and give mummy a smile.ʼ
I manage a weak smile.
Maureen walks in shortly and hands me the cup of tea.
‘Feeling better?ʼ she asks
‘Mtcheww,ʼ I click my tongue
‘Be nice,ʼ mum says
‘I donʼt like her,ʼ I say. I take a swift drink from the cup in my
hands which I instantly spit out.
‘What?ʼ she asks
‘Holy crap. There is too much sugar in this tea.ʼ
‘I am sorry,ʼ she gets the cup from me. ‘I will make you another
one.ʼ
‘Donʼt bother,ʼ I shake my head, ‘you are good are just good for
nothing.ʼ
‘Trish.ʼ
‘I want to be left alone.ʼ
‘Honey,ʼ mum tries to touch me.
‘I said I wanna be left alone,ʼ I scream at her.
Maureen quickly walks out of the room mum rises to her feet too
and looks at me intently before she walks out closing the door
behind my back.
Alex shouldnʼt have treated me like that, not in front of that silly
girl. Where did he even pick her from? His mother said he was
single, how come he suddenly have a girlfriend? I wonder.
‘I think I should call his mum,ʼ I say to no one in particular
opening my bag and removing my phone.

Wes
‘What did you just say?ʼ Lulu asks
‘I said we need to withdraw the case against Melanie and Yedda.ʼ
She laughs out loudly.
‘Lulu all I want is for peace to reign, I donʼt want us to purse this
issue anymore so we are dropping the case tomorrow morning.ʼ
‘Who is we?ʼ
‘You and i.ʼ
‘You must be kidding me Wesley. You must be kidding me.ʼ
‘You donʼt know what Zariaʼs father is capable of.ʼ I say
‘I am not scared of that fake muzungu,ʼ she says with a raised
voice
‘You are being unreasonable Lulu.ʼ
‘And you are a coward,ʼ she says hitting me with a pillow.
‘Lulu!ʼ
‘Have you taken a good look at me? Canʼt you see what those
idiots did to me and you are here telling me to drop the case?ʼ
‘I donʼt want trouble, letʼs move on.ʼ
‘Well, we are not gonna move on, I want those girls to pay dearly
for what they did to me. I want them to be locked up. I am
pregnant with your child for Godʼs sake. You should be on my
side.ʼ
I walk towards her and try to hold her hand but she pushes me
aside.
‘I am on your side, you know I love and care for you and our
baby.ʼ
‘Then prove it,ʼ she rolls her eyes and marches out of the room.
Defeated, I lie down on the bed and close my eyes. ‘How am I
going to handle this situation? How do I make her understand
that we canʼt fight Mr. Nel, that man has connections, he could
easily destroy me.
‘I will withdraw the case, it doesnʼt matter what she says,ʼ I say to
no one in particular.

-Episode Nineteen-
Two months
LULU
Thatʼs how long it has been since my fight with Wesley, well after
giving it much thought and weighing down the advantages and
disadvantages of that case, I decided to withdraw it.
I didnʼt withdraw that case because I am afraid of Mr. Nel, I just
did for my own peace of mind and I know karma will deal with
those girls for humiliating me like they did.
I woke up feeling very happy today well, itʼs our Ten months
anniversary and Bae just called, he says he has a surprise for me
this evening, I think I have an idea of what will happen this
evening, I can feel it.
Tonight is going to be an epic night.
You know when I first met Wes I knew we would make a great
couple so I went after him even though I knew he had someone
else, ‘girlfriendʼ.
I didnʼt steal Wes from her he decided to be with me he made
his choice. I hope everyone else will learn to live with that.
Well ten months and still going strong, it doesnʼt matter what we
face along the way. Nothing and nobody will tear us apart
because we are meant to be.
Anyway I just finished having a bath I am going out with a friend.
First I would like to get my hair and nails done and then, I want to
buy some new clothes and shoes. I just feel I should spoil myself
today.
After I finished getting dressed, I walk into the kitchen and
prepare some breakfast. I sit down at the table to have my
breakfast while responding to some messages on the phone.
A knock sounds at the door as soon as i finish eating, I am sure
itʼs my friend Sabrina at the door so I quickly clean the table and
place in the sink then I grab my hand bag and car keys before I
head towards the door,
 ‘Girl you are right on time,ʼ I smile at her when I open the door.
Sabrina is my best friend we are birds of the same feather so we
flock together. She is my ride or die. She is one person whose
loyalty I donʼt have to question. Sheʼs been with me through
thick and thin.
I simply adore her.
‘You are glowing.ʼ
‘Letʼs just say pregnancy looks good on me.ʼ
‘Slay mama,ʼ she says excitedly
‘Thatʼs me,ʼ I blush
I lock up the door and we walk to my car. As soon as we both
settle in, I drive out of the compound and into the main road.

YEDDA
We are lying together on the couch watching a movie. I have my
head on his chest and he has one hand wrapped around me and
the other is running through my head. This makes me feel so
relaxed and secure.
Alex and I arenʼt in a relationship, we have been hanging out a lot
these past two months but we havenʼt made any type of
commitment to one another. Honestly I donʼt even know what
we are.
‘I wanna ask you for a favour,ʼ he says after the movie finishes
‘Tsup.ʼ
‘My sister is hosting a birthday dinner for my mum and I would
like you to come with me as my date.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘I want you to meet my mum and siblings.ʼ
‘Really?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Thatʼs my girl.ʼ
A satisfied smile settles on my lips when he calls me his girl.
‘You look happy.ʼ
‘I am happy.ʼ
‘Tell me about it.ʼ
‘You make me happy.ʼ
‘I want you to be happy.ʼ
Is it safe to say that I have officially fallen for Alex? Like I am in
too deep but I wonʼt voice this out loud.
I did my part and now the rest is up to him, I know he likes me
too but I think he is the kind that doesnʼt like to rush things. He
wants us to take things one step at a time.

LULU
At an Italian Restaurant, I am sitting next to Wesley. Facing us
across from the table are Victor and his girlfriend Millie. Sabrina
and Matthias are sitting on the side.
From the look on Millieʼs face, I can tell she is still upset about
my relationship with Wes. She needs to get over it though
because I am not going anywhere, Wes is mine, she can die for
all I care.
We are not dinning in the main restaurant but in a smaller room
nearby which Wes hired just for this dinner. This place is elegant
and their food is awesome.
We have a standard dinner conversation as we eat. Eventually
when we finish eating, soft music starts to play in the
background and Wesley slips out of his chair, pushes it aside
and gets down on his knees.
It takes me a couple of minutes to figure out what is going on.
He puts his hand in his jacket pocket and removes a small blue
box. He opens it to reveal a heart shaped ring.
‘Luyando Mweene, mother of my unborn baby, would you
honour me by being my wife. Will you marry me?ʼ he asks
‘Oh my goodness,ʼ my heart literary stops for a few seconds
before I respond, ‘Yes, I will marry you,ʼ I respond
The ring fits perfectly.
He slips the ring on my finger and everyone around the table
applauds.
We stand up and kiss before he holds me in a tight embrace, ‘I
love you so much.ʼ I say
‘I love you too,ʼ he responds
‘Congratulations girl,ʼ Sabrina screams as she walks towards us
then she embraces the both of us, ‘May your love last forever,ʼ
she says excitedly
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Congratulations my man,ʼ Victor and Matthias say in unison.
‘Thank you.ʼ
I stare at Millie who is obviously upset with the turn of events,
she looks like she is about to burst.
‘Congratulations,ʼ she says coldly
‘Thank you.ʼ
I am finally getting my happy ending, my mother would be so
proud of me if she were alive.
I am finally engaged, I canʼt wait to post photos on facebook,
lord I want to see the look on Zariaʼs face when she sees my
ring, I know she will burst but who cares, in the end, I laugh the
last.

-Episode Twenty-
I step back into my room after a quick shower and my bed is not
yet spread. I fight the urge not to scream.
‘Maureen! I scream,ʼ my voice is loud and thunderous.
This woman will be the death of me she knows how much I hate
coming back to a dirty room.
She rushes into my room, ‘Yes my child,ʼ she asks smilingly.
I feel a sea of anxiety deep down, ‘How many times have I told
you not to call me that? Have you taken a good look at yourself
in the mirror? Are you capable of birthing a child a like me?ʼ
‘I am sorry Trish,ʼ she says
‘We are not at the same level, call me junior madam.ʼ
She nods her head.
‘You called me.ʼ
I roll my eyes and point towards the bed, ‘Spread the bed and
clean up here,ʼ I say
‘Okay.ʼ
She makes the bed quietly then she picks the clothes which are
on the floor and puts them in the washing basket.
‘I am done,ʼ Maureen says
‘I am going out so prepare my breakfast and make sure my car is
clean.ʼ
I am going to see Alex I havenʼt seen him for two months
because I travelled out of the country for healthy purposes but
now I am back and I am gonna get what belongs to me, “Alex.”
‘Okay,ʼ she walks out of the room.
I get dressed quickly, tie my braids into one big bun then I apply
some minimal makeup and stand in front of the mirror to admire
myself.
I look elegant, I always do. I am clad in a yellow jumpsuit and
pink heels. I grab my handbag and car keys before I walk out of
my room to the dining room to have my breakfast.
‘Morning baby,ʼ Mum says as walks past me towards the door.
‘Morning.ʼ
She pauses at the door and looks at me, ‘going somewhere?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You look beautiful.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘You are welcome,ʼ she says ‘take care of your beautiful self, I
have to run. I am meeting a friend for breakfast.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
She blows me a kiss before she walks out of the house shutting
the door behind her back.
Placing my bag on top of the table, I pull back one of the chairs
and settle down.
I have my breakfast quietly as Maureen stands next to the table
she has to wait for me as I eat just in case I need anything. When
I finish eating, I stand up and grab my bag.
‘Where to?ʼ she asks
I shot her an evil look, ‘you are not my mother so donʼt ask me
silly questions.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Good, I might not be back in time for lunch,ʼ I say storming out
of the house to my car.
I pull up in front of Alexʼs gate about an hour later I compose
myself and step out. I have a huge smile on my face as I walk
towards his front door. Taking a deep breath, I press the doorbell
and wait.
The front door opens greeting me with a blast of cold air and a
whiff of his cologne.
I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and holding
him tightly, ‘I missed you so much my darling,ʼ I say
He pushes me off him, ‘Trish! What are you doing here?ʼ
‘I came to see you, I am sorry I have been quiet I got sick and I
had to travel out of the country.ʼ
‘Trish….,ʼ
I know you missed me. I cut him mid flow before pushing past
him into the living room.
‘So we need to talk,ʼ I smile
‘About what?ʼ
‘All I need is just a few minutes,ʼ I say
‘Ten minutes, thatʼs all I will give you.ʼ
I sit down.
I am looking around the room when I spot a pair of black brown
sandals on the floor.
I look at them for a few minutes just to be sure my mind is not
playing games.
‘And those?ʼ I ask
‘They belong to Yedda,ʼ he says
‘Yedda?ʼ my teeth clench together, my hands roll up into fists of
rage, so he is still seeing that stupid girl.
‘Are you okay?ʼ
‘No I am not,ʼ I yell. ‘Is Yedda here?ʼ I ask anxiously
‘Yes,ʼ he responds
‘What is she doing here?ʼ I stand up.
‘She is my girlfriend, what sort of question is that?ʼ
‘Alex, you canʼt be with another woman, you belong to me.ʼ
“Alex,ʼ I call his name as walk I down the stairs to the living room,
he is talking to Trish.
As I approach Alex, Trish looks conflicted with several different
emotions
‘I didnʼt know you had company,ʼ I fake a smile.
I donʼt like this girl and I know she doesnʼt like me too so the
feeling is mutual.
‘Babe you remember Trish right?ʼ he asks
‘Yes,ʼ I nod my head, ‘Hey,ʼ I smile extending my handout to
shake but she ignores the gesture and turns to face Alex. I shake
my head before I drop my hand.
‘What is she doing here?ʼ Trish asks pointing at me.
I smile as I hold Alexʼs hand, ‘I should be the one asking what
you are doing here and not vise-versa,ʼ I say
‘I wasnʼt talking to you,ʼ she says, her voice is loud and fast.
I think this woman doesnʼt know me very well I can go from lady
to ghetto in a second.
‘Trish, you have to leave,ʼ Alex says
‘What if I donʼt want to?ʼ
‘Then I will have to use force.ʼ
‘I am not going, I came here to talk to you and she must leave
before we have that conversation.
I laugh, ‘Babe, I am going back to sleep, join me when you are
done settling this issue.ʼ
I lean forward and lightly kiss him before I turn to walk back
upstairs.
‘Who does Yedda think she is?ʼ I wonder, feeling the anger
boiling inside me.
‘I will join you shortly,ʼ Alex smiles at her.
As she turns to walk back, I spring to my feet and run towards
her, I grab her and swing her around so she is facing me.
She gasps surprised. I slap her as hard as I can and she falls
down, i take that chance to get on top of her.
‘What the hell is wrong with you?ʼ Alex pulls me off, I struggle to
get away but eventually he manages.
She rises to her feet and comes for me, ‘How dare you hit me?ʼ
she yells slapping me back.
My vision blurs and it takes two seconds, enough time for me to
blink & touch my cheek. Enough time to look up at her and catch
her smiling.
‘I am not some you should mess around with,ʼ she says
‘You bastard.ʼ
Alex holds my hands roughly as he pulls towards the door.
‘You will pay for this,ʼ I yell
Finally we get to the door and he manages to push me out, I am
fuming with anger. I feel like I could kill someone right now.
I bang on the door several times before I decide to leave but I
will be back. I will not allow this little girl to humiliate me. Alex
has always been mine and no girl that tries to fight me lives to
tell the tale.
Yedda has nothing on me she wants war then war she will get.

-Episode Twenty one-

Trish
“People donʼt abandon people they love. People abandon
people they were using.”
Today is absolutely the worst day of my life. I am lying on the
floor looking up at the ceiling unable to move. My head is
spinning and my heart is sad.
I have been crying so hard, I canʼt seem to control my emotions.
I woke up this morning to photos of Wesleyʼs engagement,
apparently he asked Lulu to marry him last night. People have
been tagging me on facebook, some have been calling and
texting me.
My phone is flooded with photos of Wes and his fiancé.
The reality is finally sinking in, he has officially moved forward.
For five good years I waited for that ring and she just popped up
from nowhere and grabbed it, this should have been me.
I should have been the one at the dinner last night I should have
been the one receiving those congratulatory messages. I have
been going through Luluʼs photos because I am trying to
understand why her?
What does she have that donʼt? Ten months down the line and
he has already proposed? Lord you need to give me strength
because it feels like my heart is breaking all over again. I didnʼt
think he would propose this soon.
Amidst my thoughts, my phone suddenly rings and I almost
shriek.
When I answer, I hear a familiar voice laughing loudly on the
other end of the line.
‘Zaria Nel.ʼ
‘Who am I talking to?ʼ
‘I am your worst nightmare.ʼ
I roll my eyes, ‘I seriously donʼt have time to waste this morning.ʼ
‘How does it feel to emotionally, physically and financially invest
in man only for him to walk away and marry another?ʼ she
sarcastically asks. I finally realise who is on the other end of the
line, itʼs Lulu.
‘You won, you had the last laugh did you have to call me to
torment me more?ʼ
‘No darling, I just wanted to say thank you for building this man
for me, my children and I will forever be indebted to you,ʼ she
laughs
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘Wesley and I will be getting married in three months time I will
not forget to send you an invitation card my darling. Or maybe
you would like to be part of my wedding committee?ʼ
I abruptly end hung up the phone and dissolve in tears.
‘Zaria, I just..ʼ Melanie walks into the room and stops in her
tracks when she sees me.
‘I just saw photos on facebook,ʼ she says.
She sits down on the floor next to me and holds my hand.
My crying is so intense that for a while, I am unable to talk.
‘Itʼs going to be okay.ʼ
Finally I blurter out amid my thoughts, ‘He is marrying her, my
Wes is marrying another woman.ʼ
‘I know darling, I am sorry please stop crying,ʼ she says holding
me close, soothing me.
‘You donʼt have the slightest idea how I felt listening to Lulu brag
about being the one who got the ring,ʼ I say sobbing softly.
‘Lulu called you?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘That bastard, I will deal with her.ʼ
‘Melanie just let it go.ʼ
‘No!ʼ she says louder than before, ‘As if itʼs not enough that she
got the ring, alekutumina phone for what?ʼ
‘Melanie!ʼ I hold her hand.
She wipes my tears ʼjust stop crying and leave Lulu to me.ʼ
‘Melanie.ʼ
‘Its fine, she says. ‘Go and take a bath while I make you a cup of
tea.ʼ
‘Please donʼt do anything stupid.ʼ
‘I wonʼt.ʼ
She walks out of the room slamming the door behind her back,
she is angry.
Stripping off my clothes, I walk into the bathroom and I step into
the shower. I turn the tap on full and stand under the water with
my eyes closed.
I canʼt seem to block out the image of Wesley, down on one
knee asking her to marry him.
‘Why would he do this to me?ʼ my mind screams.
For a moment there I thought he would come to me, I thought he
would realise he made a mistake choosing her.
The tears start to fall from my eyes again, I fall down to my
knees completely broken and defeated.
Will I ever heal from this? Itʼs too painful. I canʼt even begin to
explain how I feel in words. Being heartbroken is the worst
feeling ever, I can never wish this kind of pain on another.
I slowly stagger to my feet after several minutes of crying,
turning of the tap I step out of the shower.
I pull a white towel from the rail I wrap it around my body. I catch
a glimpse of my face on the mirror- my eyes are red and puffy
from all the crying.
I quickly get dressed then I slip my feet into soft leather slippers
and walk out of my room.
Melanie hands me a cup of coffee and I sit down on the couch.
A knock sounds at the door as I sip my tea. Melanie walks to the
door and opens it.
Shortly after Zach walks in, he is carrying a banquet of flowers in
one hand, a huge pink teddy bear and a plastic in another.
‘Hey,ʼ he says
‘Hey,ʼ I smile
‘I didnʼt want to get you to make you feel better so I got a bit of
everything.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ I say with a smirk.
He hands me the teddy bear and I hold it close to me, ‘I love it.ʼ
Melanie gets the flowers which she walks with to the kitchen to
put in a vase.
He hands me the plastic before he sits next to me. There is a
bow of ice cream and chocolate in the plastic.
‘Oh Zach, thank you so much.ʼ
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘I am really sorry you are such a nice a person and you donʼt
deserve to go through such.ʼ
I sniff, ‘I just feel so sad and empty.ʼ
‘You donʼt have to, you have me and you have the girls.ʼ
‘Thanks once again,ʼ I smile.
My mother and Trishʼs mother are best of friends, the two of us
grew up like siblings, I have always loved Trish but not the way
she wants me to love her, I love her like a sister.
There was a time when we were very close she was my go to
person and vice-versa. Then she confessed her love for me and
ruined what we shared. At that time I was deeply in love in with
my first girlfriend so I distanced myself from her. She was angry
she would show up at my house, call me names and so forth.
Trish is temperamental, her anger snaps in the blink of an eye.
When she gets angry she is capable of hitting someone with
anything close by.
She has been undergoing therapy for anger prevention and
control but from the look for things it is not working.
‘Itʼs clear she is not stable she needs to be locked up,ʼ Yedda
angrily says
‘I will make sure she doesnʼt come close you.ʼ
‘Donʼt worry about me because I am not a normal person too
and I can handle her very well.ʼ
‘I care about you Yedda I wouldnʼt want anything to happen to
you. Trish is dangerous.ʼ
‘I am equally dangerous,ʼ she smiles, ‘And I am not gonna allow
her to take you away from me, I like you a lot too.ʼ
‘Come here,ʼ I extend my hand towards her she walks to me and
takes my hand.
He pulls me close to him and we stand chest to chest. I
enthralled. I feel faint. He wraps his hand around me, my body
relaxes.
We stay in that position for a few minutes neither of us is
speaking.
‘Is it wrong that I really want to kiss you right now?ʼ he asks
breaking the silence.
His words get my attention I pull my head up and gaze at him.
‘Itʼs not wrong.ʼ
He leans in and kisses me gently on my lips. The kiss is magical
and everything I have imagined it would be.
When we pull apart, I take a deep breath.
‘Will you be my girlfriend?ʼ He asks
I get butterflies in my tummy, ‘Yes.ʼ

-Episode Twenty Two-

Alex
I am sitting on the couch watching television, I got back from
work an hour ago, Melanie has gone out with her boyfriend and
Yedda is not yet back home.
My life is messy and boring, I donʼt feel like going out much
these days, itʼs either I am at work or sleeping at home.
I feel weak empty and lost, I donʼt feel like facing the world. I am
even off social media till further notice, I am trying to heal and
move on from this phase of my life.
Zach has been trying get too close to me but I have told him I
need space, he is Wesleyʼs friend me and him canʼt get too cozy.
He says he just wants to be friends but I have seen how he looks
at me I think Melanie is right he likes me more than he claims to.
Several minutes later the door creaks open and Yedda walks in.
‘Baby girl,ʼ I smilingly say
‘Tsup.ʼ
‘How was your day at work?ʼ
‘Hectic, yours?ʼ
‘It was okay.ʼ
‘Why are you lying there looking all miserable?ʼ
‘Just watching a movie.ʼ
Sets her bag on the floor and kicks her shoes off before she sits
on the other couch.
‘I know you are still thinking about Wes.ʼ
‘Nah.ʼ
‘I know you Zaria, I know what that baboon dud is wrong but life
must go on. He seems to be happy with her, donʼt put your life
on hold just because of him.ʼ
I sigh, ‘Itʼs just so hard for me to believe he did that to me, there
are times I feel like this whole thing is just a bad dream that I will
wake up from.ʼ
‘Its reality, you need to pick yourself up, you need to get out
there and meet people. You might get lucky and find your Mr.
Right.ʼ
‘Oh please, Mr. right.ʼ I shrug my shoulders, ‘Does he even
exist?ʼ
‘Well I donʼt know whether he exists or not but you can pick one
idiot and drug him to the right.
I burst out laughing, ‘You are a fool.ʼ
‘A fool for you.ʼ
I roll my eyes, ‘how is the new relationship going?ʼ
Her face brightens up, ‘Exciting, Alex is awesome.ʼ
‘And Trish?ʼ
‘She has been quiet.ʼ
‘Auntie Trish should stay in her lane otherwise we will deal with
her mercilessly.ʼ
‘Anyway that aside, a colleague brought a book at work that I
liked.ʼ
‘What book?ʼ Melanie screams as she walks into the living room.
‘Umulomo,ʼ we laugh
‘I heard you talking about a book.ʼ
‘You are back early,ʼ I ask
‘Yes, bae received an emergency so he dropped me off and
rushed to his sisterʼs house.ʼ
‘Ok.ʼ
‘So back to the book, what is it about?ʼ I ask
‘Love in ninety days by Diana Kirschner.ʼ
‘What is it about?ʼ Melanie asks
‘Well itʼs the essential guide to finding the potential man of your
dreams in just ninety days.ʼ
‘How?ʼ Melanie and I ask in unison
‘She talks about dating three men at once so you donʼt become
obsessed with one man before he shows signs of commitment,
plus it just talks about a whole lot of things, itʼs something I
would have done if I were single.ʼ
‘I love the idea,ʼ I say, ‘that means I wouldnʼt be tied down to one
man.ʼ
‘And you would have the chance to explore,ʼ Melanie says
‘And how do you find the men?ʼ I ask
‘Mostly online.ʼ
‘I need to read this book it could be what I need to be happy
again.ʼ
‘Let me just buy it right now on Amazon.ʼ
‘Good idea.ʼ
‘I am thinking if I have a couple of men, I donʼt have to be
emotionally invested in them as I did with Wes.ʼ
‘Yes, I like the idea too,ʼ Melanie smiles
‘You have a good man with you, donʼt start entertaining this
idea.ʼ
‘Leave me alone, letʼs just read and see if we can go for it.ʼ

Zach
I stare at her photo in my phone and my heart flutters with joy,
she said she doesnʼt want us to be too close, maybe she thinks I
will hurt her like my friend did.
I love Zaria from the bottom of my heart. I have been in love with
her for years now but I have never summoned the courage to tell
her how I feel.
I know I shouldnʼt be feeling like this because she is my best
friendʼs ex but I canʼt help it. I fell in love with Zaria before she
even started dating Wes, I would watch her from a distance
when we were in University because I didnʼt think a girl like that
could fall for a guy like me but Wes beat me to it and asked her
out.
I had to learn to live with the fact that she would never be mine
because I saw how much she loved Wes, he was her everything.
But now that they arenʼt together anymore, I canʼt help but feel I
should get a little closer to her. I know Wes would kill me for
even thinking about this, I would be breaking the brother code
but this is something I would risk for her.
‘What do I do? How do I tell her how I feel without scaring her
off?ʼ
I have been avoiding Wes and the guys for the past few weeks
now because of this same issue. I hate Wes for hurting her.

WES
“What did you say lulu did?ʼ Victor asks taking a long sip from
his beer. We are at the club trying to relax our minds.
‘She called Zaria.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘To boast about the ring.ʼ
Victor laughs.
‘Itʼs not even funny my guy, you know how connected Zariaʼs
father is. I donʼt want to mess with him or his daughter again.ʼ
‘He canʼt do shit,ʼ he laughs
‘You donʼt know that man like I do.ʼ
‘He had a chance to destroy you when you broke Zariaʼs heart
but he didnʼt. He just talks but less action.ʼ
‘I am all that I am because of Zaria and I fear he could take it all
away if he chooses too.ʼ
‘Stop being scared and just forget about this whole issue.ʼ
‘If you say so.ʼ

-Episode Twenty Three-

We are sitting on the couch each of us holding a glass of wine,
itʼs been a whole week since Yedda downloaded ‘Love in 90
daysʼ and we just finished reading it.
I am certain this is what I need to get my groove back, I need to
go out there and explore so yes I am doing this.
‘I will do it,ʼ I say
‘Do what?ʼ
‘Date three men and try to find love in 90 days, I have nothing to
lose after all.ʼ
‘You know what we are going to do first?ʼ Yedda excitedly asks
‘What?ʼ
‘Set an account for you on Tinder.ʼ
I tilt my head back and forth, ‘Okay.ʼ
‘Letʼs do this,ʼ Melanie says a huge grin spreading across her
face.
We exchange a high five and she stomps her feet to the song
playing on her phone, ‘Hereʼs to having fun.ʼ
She grabs my phone,ʼ Letʼs sign you up.ʼ She downloads the
tinder app from the app store.
‘So am I supposed to use my real name?ʼ I ask
‘Yes, because you have to link it to your facebook account,ʼ she
says
Melanie and I anxiously drink our wine as we wait for Yedda to
finish setting up an account. After a couple of minutes, she
hands the phone back to me.
For my profile she has chosen one of my favourite photos, where
I am wearing a short sexy dress with minimal make up, a huge
smile plastered on my face.
I deem all the photos she has posted acceptable. I shift my
attention to the bottom to read what she has written.
Zaria, 27,
Financial Analyst
Less than a mile away
‘I am a loving girl whoʼs looking to meet some new people.ʼ
I shake my head, ‘You are something else.ʼ
‘Now time to find Mr. Right.ʼ
I look at the screen and photos of random men in my vicinity pop
up.
We carefully swipe on the guys who seem to have what I am
looking for.
‘Jeff?ʼ
‘Heʼs cute but he kinda looks old and I think he is married.ʼ
‘Definitely,ʼ Melanie says
‘He canʼt be thirty.ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘Next,ʼ Yedda says
‘Look at this one,ʼ Melanie says, ‘He looks interesting and he is
cute.ʼ
‘Albert, thirty years old, business man.ʼ
‘I hope he is not a serial killer.ʼ
‘Oh please.ʼ
‘Right swipe,ʼ I smile
‘Great.ʼ
‘I am tired, I think thatʼs all for today letʼs wait and see who will
swipe back.ʼ
‘Fingers crossed.ʼ
We rise to our feet and head towards Melanieʼs bedroom.
‘You guys like to mess my beddings, go to your rooms.ʼ
‘I am the one who washes those beddings after all so why are
you complaining?ʼ I roll my eyes
‘I need some privacy,ʼ she says
‘You need some privacy, get married,ʼ Yedda replies.
‘Dah.ʼ
We follow her closely into her room, get down on our knees to
pray and finally get on the bed with her, instantly dozing off.
I wake up the next morning to messages from Tinder, I smile
when I read the one from Albert.
Your profile got me hooked, figured I should introduce myself.
Iʼm Albert.
I roll out of bed and rush to my room, sitting on the edge of the
bed, I reply to Albert.
Zaria here and itʼs good to know you Albert
I take a closer look at his profile, ‘not bad,ʼ I say to myself.
Albert and I talk for the next thirty minutes or so and we agree to
meet next week. Then I log out of Tinder and rush towards the
bathroom, I have a presentation at work today.
I take a quick shower and get dressed in a blue office suit with a
white blouse underneath and black heels. My hair is tied down in
a bun and I have applied a little make up.
When I step out of my room, the table has been set for breakfast
Yedda is already dressed up while Melanie is lying on the couch
eating an apple she is still wearing her night dress.
‘And you?ʼ I ask surprised that she hasnʼt gotten ready yet.
‘I am calling in sick, my back aches.ʼ
‘Sorry oh,ʼ Yedda laughs
‘But whatʼs funny Yedda,ʼ Melanie frowns
‘You are not sick we all know you just donʼt want to work today.ʼ
‘Leave me alone.ʼ
We laugh
I clear my throat, ‘So Albert and I talked.ʼ
‘You did?ʼ they ask excitedly
‘Yes and we are gonna meet next week.ʼ
‘Progress,ʼ they say
‘A whole lot of it.ʼ
‘And I have messages from other guys too, I have responded to a
few.ʼ
‘Way to go.ʼ
We have our breakfast and rush out of the house, we need to
get going or else we will be stuck in traffic.
I get into my car while Yedda gets in hers and we drive out to our
separate direction.
I get to work thirty minutes later.
‘Morning,ʼ I greet my colleagues on my way to my office.
‘Morning,ʼ my secretary Violet greets when I finally get to my
office.
‘Hey V, how are you?ʼ
‘Excellent.ʼ
‘Please get me a hot cup of coffee.ʼ
‘Right away.ʼ
I get into my office, set my bag on the table and sit at my desk.
Turning on my computer, I begin to edit the notes on the
presentation I will be making soon.
Violet walks in and sets my coffee on the table.
‘Thank you,ʼ I say without looking up.
‘Wlecome.ʼ
‘Set up the conference room for the meeting.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ she walks out.

At about 9: 00 I am standing in front of the board presenting an

investment idea. I slowly go through my slides as I explain how
the new investment will be beneficial to us.
I ask a few questions here and there just to be sure people are
closely following me. When I done, I sit down and anxiously wait
for feedback.
My boss is the first to talk, ‘You never cease to amaze me Zaria
this is an excellent idea.ʼ
‘Thank you, I respond
After the meeting I walk back into my office so I can start making
phone calls.
My door bursts open a minute later, it is Emily, the senior
financial analyst.
‘What was that about?ʼ she asks
‘Excuse me?ʼ
‘You presenting all that bullshit, whatʼs the meaning of that?ʼ
‘I found an idea, I called for the meeting and I presented, you
have any issues with that?ʼ
‘I will not allow you to sabotage me.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Yes, you stay in your lane, I am your senior.ʼ
I laugh, ʼThen why are you scared of me? You might be the
senior but I have more potential that you have so back off.ʼ
She shoots me an evil eye, ‘I am watching you.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
The weeks rush by so fast and before I know it, itʼs Saturday and
Albert and I are meeting up today. I have never randomly hooked
up with guys from the internet so this is a first.
The girls and I went shopping earlier in the day. I bought some
new clothes and plaited my hair.
I am wearing a long sleeved fitted top and a flare skirt plus some
ankle boots.
‘You look amazing dude,ʼ Yedda says staring at me
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘But I am scared.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘He could be a murder.ʼ
‘Oh please.ʼ
‘I am serious.ʼ
‘Go out there and have fun, he seems like a nice guy.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
I grab my purse off the table and walk out of the door as they
follow me.
‘Good luck girl,ʼ they say in unison as I get into my car and drive
off. He asked if he could pick me up but I told him we would
meet at the restaurant he choose for our dinner.
I get to the restaurant and I am greeted by a lady seated at the
reception desk.
‘Do you have a reservation?ʼ she asks
‘I should think so.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘It should be under Albert,ʼ I say, ‘I am not sure if he is here yet.ʼ
She smiles before she quickly leafs through her book for a
second.
‘We have your reservation yes but he hasnʼt arrived. Would you
like to be taken to your table?ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
She leads me to a table at the far end of the room and I take my
seat.
‘Would you like to have a drink as you wait?ʼ she asks
‘Water will do,ʼ I respond.
After waiting for about ten minutes, he finally shows up.
‘Zaria!ʼ he asks
I look up, my eyes widen in shock. First things first, he lied about
his height, he is at least two inches shorter than me, secondly he
looks so different in person, in a bad way if I should mention.
‘So sorry I am late,ʼ he smiles
I smile back at him confused. Lord I did not sign up for this.

-Episode Twenty Four-

‘You look more beautiful in person,ʼ he says with an amused look
on his face.
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Would you mind standing over there so I can have a look at your
body.ʼ
‘Excuse me, ʼI stare at him blankly
‘Itʼs okay if you are not comfortable with that,ʼ he quickly says
‘What the Fuck?ʼ I almost blurt out but I stop myself in time.
‘Arenʼt you gonna have a seat?ʼ I ask
The edge of his lip quirk upwards in response before he pulls a
chair, settles in.
‘Waiter,ʼ he calls the waiter over and orders for the both of us. He
doesnʼt even ask me what I want. He just orders me a tuna
sandwich with salads and tea.
‘You could have asked me what I want to eat,ʼ I say after the
waiter walks away.
He gives me a snobby grin,ʼ You need to eat healthy so you can
lose a bit of some weight.ʼ
‘Say what?ʼ I ask my eyes wide open in shock.
‘How much do you weigh?ʼ he questions
‘Lord,ʼ I laugh wondering where the conversation is leading to.
‘Donʼt take this the hard way, you are beautiful but I feel you
should lose a bit of weight, I like women slender, the smaller the
sexier,ʼ he winks
‘Jesu.ʼ
He is about to speak again when the waiter walks back to our
table with the food. He places it on the table.
‘Enjoy your food,ʼ he says before walking away.
‘Thank you,ʼ he responds
‘Zaria Nel, such an interesting name,ʼ he says as he takes a
tentative bite of the chicken on his plate.
At this point I am just staring at him as he eats, believe me I am
in shock, not only is he short but he has no manners too, what a
bad combination.
He looks up at me, ‘Whatʼs wrong with you?ʼ he asks through a
mouthful of food.
I decide to ignore him I need to get out of here soon.
‘Hello? Do you hear me talking to you? You are ignoring me,
whatʼs wrong?ʼ he asks
‘Excuse me, I need to use the rest room,ʼ I rise to my feet
‘Feel free,ʼ he says
I quickly walk towards the bathroom with my bag in my hand
unfortunately there is no exit at the back, I am doomed.
I pull out my phone and dial Melanieʼs number it rings twice
before she responds.
‘You need to come and bail me out of here,ʼ I quickly say
She laughs, ‘Itʼs that bad?ʼ
‘Itʼs more than bad.ʼ
‘Still at the same place?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
I wash my hands thoroughly and make my way back to the table.
He looks up at me and smiles. I smiled back as I sit down.
‘So are you Zambian?ʼ he asks as soon as I settle down.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You donʼt look Zambian and your name suggests otherwise.ʼ
‘Well itʼs just a name,ʼ I shrug
‘So you said last time that you havenʼt been seeing anyone for a
while. Is that right?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
“Why?ʼ
‘Why what?ʼ
‘Why is a beautiful lady like you single?ʼ
‘I was seeing someone but he left me for someone else.ʼ
‘You know why he left?ʼ
‘He fell out of laugh.ʼ
‘I donʼt think so.ʼ
‘What do you mean?
‘I think you have an attitude and hence men run from you.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘You havenʼt even touched the food I have bought you that
shows how arrogant and rude you are.ʼ
‘I think I have heard enough, ‘I stand up.
‘And where do you think you are going?ʼ
‘I am going home I wonʼt stay here and let me insult me.ʼ
He stares at me, smiles, gulps his beer and stands up too.
He is about to respond when Melanie appears, ‘Excuse me,ʼ she
says
‘And who are you?ʼ he asks as he cocks his head and glances
down at her body.
‘She is my best friend,ʼ I frown.
‘I am really sorry to interrupt your dinner but thereʼs an
emergency at home,ʼ she says
‘What kind of an emergency?ʼ he asks
‘Itʼs not something I would wanna talk about here,ʼ come on letʼs
go, she holds my hand.
‘Gladly.ʼ
‘Are you just gonna go and leave me leave all by myself?ʼ he asks
‘Yes,ʼ we respond in unison and with that we rush out of the
place.
Once outside we burst into pearls of laughter.
‘Wait! That was Albert?ʼ Melanie asks
‘More like dwarf Albert.ʼ
‘Lord, I could basically see over the top of his head,ʼ she laughs
‘He looks so different in person and to think he was this tall
macho man.ʼ
‘I am done I am not going for any of these dates ever again.ʼ
‘Was he that bad?ʼ
I roll my eyes, ‘Letʼs get going.ʼ
‘Well I didnʼt come with my car I got on a taxi so we use your car.ʼ
I hand her the keys, ‘you are driving I donʼt really have the
strength.ʼ
‘Thanks for inviting me out to dinner tonight I didnʼt expect this
at all,ʼ she says moment before we leave the restaurant.
‘I am glad you had fun.ʼ
‘I couldnʼt think of a better way to spend my night.ʼ
Dinning with her was hundred times better than I had expected.
Thereʼs never a dull moment with Yedda, she is fun and exciting
to be with. I feel so comfortable with her as if we have known
each other for years.
‘Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?ʼ i ask
She smiles, ‘You did.ʼ
‘I just feel like saying it over and over again.ʼ
‘Then keep saying it.ʼ
She is wearing a blue cap- sleeved lace dress, her bosom spills
up at the neckline, cut straight across. The heels of her sandals
accentuate her long legs.
‘You are the most beautiful woman, I have set my eyes on,ʼ I say
We are standing very close together next to my car, holding
hands.
‘I love you,ʼ she says
‘I love you a lot Yedda, you are everything to me.ʼ
She smiles at me, ‘How did I get this lucky?ʼ
I scratch my head, ‘You beat up someone and ended up at the
police station.ʼ
She laughs.
‘Beating up that girl was a blessing in disguise; see how I ended
up meeting you.ʼ
‘I know right.ʼ
I lean in closer and kiss her lightly on the lips and hurriedly say,
‘We should get going.ʼ
She steps aside as I open the car door for her. She climbs into
the passenger seat and waits for me to walk around.
I like being with Yedda, she makes me feel complete. She is the
first woman I have been with since I lost Janet. Itʼs actually
surprising that not only to me but my family and friends that I am
finally moving on after years of holding on.
I hope Janet is happy about my decision to move on and I hope
she continues to rest in peace.

-Episode Twenty Five-

TRISH
I wake up screaming loudly and drenched in a bath of my own
sweat, I look around the room nervously. It was the same terrible
dream that I have been having for years but now the dream is
becoming all too real.
Taking a deep breath, I slip out of bed and walk to the bathroom
to splash some cold water over my face. Hands on each side of
the basin, I look into the mirror and for a minute i canʼt recognize
myself.
I canʼt bear to look at my reflection again, I am a mess maybe
not on the outside but I can feel it. I have gone an extra mile just
to get Alexʼs attention but nothing has worked so much.
I donʼt even know what to do anymore. Why canʼt this Yedda girl
just leave him for me? I donʼt want history to repeat itself but if
she doesnʼt back off I might be forced to unleash the monster in
me.
Frustrated I walk back into my room and pull on my rob, then
finally I slip my feet into a pair of tiny slippers. I walk out of my
room with my phone in my hands into the kitchen.
In the kitchen I walk towards the cupboard and pull out a bottle
of red wine. A quick search produces the corkscrew then I open
the bottle with a flourish. I donʼt bother getting a cup I drink of it
upon opening it.
I am full of deep thoughts when the door creaks open as mum
walks into the kitchen.
‘Isnʼt it too early to be drinking?ʼ she asks startling me from my
reverie.
I look up at her, ‘Hey mummy.ʼ
She is all dressed up and ready to leave the house, my mother is
a busy woman, she is never at home. She is always up and
about. She supports me financially but she is emotionally
detached from me.
‘I am not feeling too well.ʼ
‘Whatʼs wrong?ʼ she asks as she pours herself a glass of orange
juice.
‘The nightmares are hunting me again.ʼ
‘Oh not again,ʼ she exclaims
‘Maybe you need to take time off, why not take a vacation?ʼ
‘Vacations donʼt solve anything,ʼ I sigh.
‘Should I make an appointment with Charlotte?ʼ she asks
‘No,ʼ I shake my head.
Charlotte is my therapist but I only talk to her when I see it fit.
Right now I donʼt think her words can make any difference.
‘You know what we are going to talk about this when I get back. I
have to rush out quickly.ʼ
‘As usual,ʼ I mumble under my breath.
‘Say what?ʼ
‘I will see you later,ʼ I say
‘I love you baby, a whole lot. Get some money in my drawer, go
out and spoil yourself.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
With that said she is gone.
I rise to my feet after a few minutes and head back to my room, I
know the right person to call so I can feel a whole lot better. This
nightmare just spoiled my day and Alex isnʼt giving me any
attention.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I dial Ezraʼs number and put the
phone to my ear. He answers immediately.
‘Baby girl.ʼ
‘Hey.ʼ
‘How are you?ʼ
‘I am okay, where are you? I need to see you.ʼ
‘I was about to head out of the house.ʼ
‘To?ʼ
‘To hang out with the guys.ʼ
‘Is you wife at home?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I need to see you.ʼ
‘Where are you?ʼ
‘Home.ʼ
‘Okay, I will come and see you before I meet up with the guys.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
As soon as the call disconnects, I stand up and enter the
bathroom.
Ezra is a good friend of mine, he is married but we are best
friends with benefits.
I met him a year ago at a club and we instantly hit it off, after
having a few drinks we went to his car and started talking.
Before we knew it he was kissing my neck and the next minute
our hands were all over each otherʼs bodies. Well the rest is
history.
We exchanged numbers afterwards and he told me he was
married, I didnʼt freak out because I wasnʼt looking for any
serious relationship with anyone else apart from Alex.
I have been sleeping with him for a while now, itʼs nothing
serious just sex and I love the fact that I can talk to him about
anything, he is a good listener and he is at my back and call
when I need him.
I walk into the bathroom and after slipping off my robe and
underwear I start up the shower and step in. I step out of the
bathroom a while later with a towel wrapped around my body.
I quickly get dressed in white short sleeved, lace back lace
dress. As soon as I finish, there is a knock at the door.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You have a visitor,ʼ Maureen says
‘Okay.ʼ
Slipping my feet into a pair of tropicals, I rush out of my room to
the door. Ezra is standing at my door step.
‘Hey you,ʼ I smile.
‘Hey.ʼ
I hold his hand we walk past Maureen and into my room.
Inside my room I place my arms around his neck and pull him
close, kissing him deeply. He puts his arms around me and
hungrily kisses me back.
In a swift move, he picks me up in his arms and places me on the
bed before he locks the door. I love how he is always in control.
He incites this burning desire in me that makes me forget my
problems for a bit.
Shortly afterwards he starts undressing me and in just a few
moments we are both nude.
‘You are always beautiful,ʼ he whispers in my ear.
Soon he is lying on top of me, caressing and kissing her then he
runs his hands down my inner thighs and gently spreads my
legs.
ALEX
I am sitting by her grave trying to find the right words to tell her. I
have been coming here every month since she died but today is
different, I am here to say goodbye because I have made a
decision to move on.
Janet died five years ago she was attacked and killed by
unknown people one Friday night on her way to my place. Her
death shattered my life, she was my first love and we had so
many plans for the future.
For years I have blamed myself for her death, if she had stayed
home that night she would still be alive. What hurts the most is
that we havenʼt been able to find who killed her. I feel like I have
failed her.
I open my mouth to speak but quickly close it. I donʼt know
where to start from.
‘She would have wanted you to move on,ʼ I hear a familiar voice
from behind startled I turn to find her sister.
‘Janice!ʼ
‘Hey,ʼ she smiles.
‘Itʼs been a while I didnʼt know you came back.ʼ
‘I came back two days ago and I decided to visit my baby sister
today.ʼ
‘What a coincidence.ʼ
‘Ya.ʼ
She places the flowers in her hands at the head of the grave
then joins her hands with mine.
‘Let us pray.ʼ
We bow slightly in prayer.
After the prayer she looks at me directly in the eyes, ‘my sister
wants you to move on itʼs been five years Alex. You should move
on. She doesnʼt blame you for her death, we donʼt blame you
either.ʼ
I sigh, ‘Itʼs hard but I am now moving on, I found someone,ʼ I say
‘You did?ʼ she smiles
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I would like to meet before I go back to the states.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
‘I am happy for you Alex and I am sure Janet is happy for you
too.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
She pulls me into her arms and engulfs me into a tight hug. I
close my eyes and a breeze of air rushes past me.
Just as suddenly as it began, it was over. I canʼt help myself as I
moan and nearly scream as he lets me go. Itʼs been a while since
I have been with any man, I feel relived and satisfied.
‘You are okay?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
He smiles
‘You never disappoint.ʼ
He rolls out of the bed picks his clothes and quickly gets
dressed.
I get up too and wrap a towel around my body. I reach for my
purse and take out some money. I hand it to him.
‘Will that be enough for you?ʼ
He counts the money and smiles, ‘More than enough.ʼ
‘Good.ʼ
‘I better get going before the guys start calling me.ʼ
I walk him out of the house to the front door. He leans in and
kisses me before he walks out of the door.

-Episode Twenty Six-

ZARIA
I am standing in front of the mirror, admiring myself.
I am clad in a yellow ruffle pockets v-neck long sleeved jumpsuit
coupled with a pair of white strappy sandals.
I am going for another date with someone I met on tinder, after
dwarf Albert I didnʼt know I would go on another date with
anyone from tinder but here we are. Bradley seems different.
And he is white I have always had a thing for white guys so letʼs
see where this will lead to.
‘You look pretty my darling,ʼ Yedda says
‘Thank you Kasuli.ʼ
‘I will be twenty five soon,ʼ she rolls her eyes
‘That doesnʼt change the fact that you are the baby of the
house.ʼ
‘Dah!ʼ
‘Dah yourself,ʼ I laugh out loud.
‘What time are you meeting Bradley?ʼ
I glance at my watch, it is almost six thirty and I have to go. I
grab my clutch and I am good to go.
‘I need to go right now.ʼ
She walks me out of the room to the door.
‘Have fun,ʼ she says
‘Thank you.ʼ
I wave goodbye to her as I hop into my car and head off to meet
Bradley.
Pulling up in front of the restaurant, I get out of the car and
begin walking towards the door of the restaurant. This place he
chose for our date is one of the best in town, it is pricey but
there is sure no doubt
When I walk through the entrance my eyes begin to scan the
room, finally I spot him and he looks up at me.
He gives me a sheepish grin and I smile back at him, my nerves
kick in as I walk towards his table. Then he stands up, put out his
arms and gives me a huge hug.
‘Zaria Nel,ʼ he says
‘Hey Bradley,ʼ
He eyes her from head to toes, ‘You are breath taking,ʼ he says
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Please take a seat.ʼ
I sit nervously in my seat. I put my hands on the edge of the
table. It is covered with a blue clothe covered with white lace.
‘I love your body, itʼs perfect,ʼ he says putting his arm around me
as we are seated.
Shortly after, the waiter walks over to our table with the menu
and he introduces himself. He asks me to order first and I do just
that, atheist he is not like dwarf Albert, who forced a salad on
me.
‘I will get your food and drinks right away, ‘he said. He bowed
and walked out of the room.
‘The food here is excellent,ʼ he says when the food arrives.
He pours me a glass of wine and hands it over to me, ‘Thank
you,ʼ I smile taking a sip of my wine.
‘So who is Zaria?ʼ he asks between mouthfuls of food.
I take a deep breath I donʼt know how to respond to this
question maybe because I also donʼt know who Zaria is.
He looks at me intently obviously waiting for an answer.
I clear my throat and take another sip of my wine, ‘Zaria Nel is 2
year old financial analyst,ʼ I begin. ‘I am an only child, I was
raised by father, I lost my mother when I was very young I have
no memory of her.
‘Oh sorry.ʼ
I manage a smile, ‘Itʼs okay.ʼ
‘So what do you like doing in your free time?ʼ
‘Mostly hanging out with my girls.ʼ
I told him about Yedda and Melanie in one of our online
conversations.
‘And I love reading traveling and generally just having fun I love
to try out new things.ʼ
‘Adventurous?ʼ
‘I think thatʼs the word,ʼ I laugh.
‘How long have you been single?ʼ
‘A year,ʼ I lie
‘How did your last relationship end?ʼ
‘He fell in love with someone else,ʼ I reply
‘Why would someone leave a goddess like you for someone
else?ʼ
‘I wouldnʼt know.ʼ
We spend the next two minutes getting to know each other he is
actually fun to be around. He tells me he is the last born in the
family of three, he runs his motherʼs company, his father is late
and he loves meeting new people.
‘And how did your last relationship end?ʼ I ask
‘I donʼt really know, we just didnʼt work.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
We finish our delicious food and soon we are walking out of the
restaurant hand in hand. We stand next to his car for a while just
quietly gazing into each otherʼs eyes. I think I like him.
‘Will I see you again?ʼ he asks
‘Would you like that? I would like to see you again,ʼ I say.
‘Yes. I had such a great time with you.ʼ
‘Same here.ʼ
‘I like you a lot Zaria and I would like us to get closer than this,
letʼs see where this leads,ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
He leans forward and kisses me, the kiss is not long enough to
be seductive but it is enough to give me a taste of what I could
expect in future.
He opens the car door for me and I slid into my seat.
‘Take care baby girl,ʼ he says before he slams the door shut.
‘Thank you.ʼ
I wave at him before I drive off I think I just won a jackpot with
Brad. Well itʼs too soon to judge but who knows what could
come out of this relationship.
I drive home happily I think the butterflies in my tummy have
resurrected, I can feel them dancing. When I get home, I open
the door only to find Zach sitting in the living room.
‘You are back?ʼ Yedda asks
‘Yes. And Melanie?ʼ
‘I think she wonʼt be coming back tonight.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
I turn to Zach, ‘what are you doing here?ʼ I ask
‘I had to see you,ʼ he says
‘Why?ʼ
‘You look nice,ʼ he says ignoring my question.
‘Excuse me,ʼ Yedda stands up and heads towards her room.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ
‘I came to see you, thought I would surprise you. I have
something to tell you.ʼ
‘Oh,ʼ I take a sit on the couch across from the one he is sitting
out.
‘Where are you coming from?ʼ he asks
I am about to respond when my phone rings, I pull it out of my
bag and answer.
‘Hey,ʼ I smile
‘Just called to check if you are home,ʼ he says
‘Yes, I got home safe and sound.ʼ
‘Great.ʼ
‘I really had a great time, thank you for tonight.ʼ
‘I had a great time too thanks.ʼ
‘I just got home, let me just settle in and then I will text you.ʼ
‘Cool.ʼ
When I end the call, I can feel Zachʼs gaze on me.
‘What?ʼ
‘Nothing,ʼ he says
‘Okay.ʼ
There is an awkward silence for a few minutes before I speak up,
‘I went on a date,ʼ I say
‘Really?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Ya so the girls felt I was gonna get depressed so they set up an
account for me on tinder.ʼ
‘You met someone from Tinder?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘Just trying out new stuff.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Yep.ʼ
He stands up, ‘I think I better get going.ʼ
‘I thought you said you wanted to tell me something.ʼ
‘Itʼs not important.ʼ
‘Zach!ʼ
‘Goodnight Zaria,ʼ he turns and walks out of the door slamming it
shut behind him.
I shrug. ‘Good night Zach.

-Episode Twenty Seven-

ZARIA
I awake to the sound of my ringing phone, I have no idea how
long I have been sleeping or how I dozed off in the first place, I
yawn loudly as I reach for my phone on the table beside my bed.
Then I pick up the receiver, placing it gently to my ear.
‘Hello,ʼ I say in a meek tone.
‘Afternoon my darling,ʼ a familiar voice speaks on the other end
of the line.
‘Hey my darling,ʼ I smile sitting upright
‘You sound different, are you okay?ʼ
‘Yes, I am fine I just woke up.ʼ
‘Oh, hope I didnʼt wake you.ʼ
‘Nah.ʼ
‘I miss you a lot, can I come over and pick you up maybe we
could go out and chill.ʼ
I sigh, ‘I have something I need to attend to soon, I donʼt think
that will work.ʼ
‘And what time are you likely to be done?ʼ he asks
‘I am not sure but I can come over when I am done and maybe I
could spend the night.ʼ
‘Thatʼs even a better idea.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘On second thought, let me know when you get back home so
that I can pick you up.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘So I will see you later.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
‘I love you pumpkin.ʼ
Itʼs been three weeks since Bradley and I first went on a date,
should I mention we are now an item. He is a good person,
smart, handsome, well he is also a charmer.
I am going on a date this afternoon with Stephen and then
tomorrow I have another date with Oscar. The goal is for me to
get three credible men that I can date at the same time for
ninety days and there after I will choose who is more serious and
committed to settle down with.
I get out of bed and rush towards the bathroom for a quick
shower.
Stephen should be here soon, he actually insisted on picking me
up from home though he didnʼt tell me where he will be taking
me but he told me to be in a blue t-shirt, black ripped jeans and
sneakers. He seems adventurous, my kinda man. I like him
already.
So after my bath I get dressed and apply a little make up then I
let my hair loose flowing about my shoulders.
About thirty minutes later, I hear a knock at the door and I
already know who it is. The girls arenʼt home today, Melanie has
traveled out of Lusaka for work and Yedda is with Alex.
I grab my purse and rush out of the bedroom. When I open the
front door, I stop dead in my tracks he is wearing the exact
clothes I am wearing.
‘Wow!ʼ he exclaims, ‘Baby girl you look hotter in person.ʼ he says
I smile as a blush blooms my cheeks. His deep voice instantly
sends my body into a -frenzy of desire.
His lips pull up into a cocky smile and he gets closer to me,
‘Shall we?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
I nod and allow him to lead me to his car, he opens the door for
me and I slid into the passenger seat then he goes round to the
driverʼs seat and climbs in.
He has his hand on my thigh the entire drive, my heart is
thudding in my chest and so many emotions are swirling through
me so I was just stuck with Wes when I could have variety of
men.
We arrive at our destination almost an hour later he holds my
hand as I step out of the car.
‘Surprise!ʼ he smiles
We are rocky national park, itʼs a new park this is the first I have
heard of it. He gets some things from the car and we walk
around trying to get a quiet and private spot.
Finally he spreads a small soft blanket and spreads it out on the
floor under some large trees then he asks me to sit down and I
do as instructed.
Then he sits down himself and leans back against a large tree.
He moves the basket between us before taking out a bottle of
wine and pops it open. He pours me a glass of wine and does
the same for himself then he raises his glass up for a toast.
‘Hereʼs to having a great day,ʼ the clink of our glasses echo
loudly as we lock eyes.
I smile before I quickly look away.
He removes some other foodstuffs from the basket and places
them on the blanket.
We spend the rest of the afternoon eating and talking. By the
end of the evening, I am confused, I donʼt know who I like the
most between him and Bradley, I guess only time will tell.
‘I want to see you again, I had a wonderful time.ʼ
I laugh softly
‘I already said that didnʼt i?ʼ he asks
‘You did and so did I, I would like to see you again also.ʼ
‘Awesome.ʼ
He gently grasps my hand I draw close to him, taking me into his
arms he says, ‘I never knew three hours could pass by so fast.
You are so easy to be with.ʼ
He takes my face in his hands and lowers his lips to mine and
lightly kisses me.
‘I have to go I will talk to you later.ʼ
‘Okay Bye.ʼ
‘Bye.ʼ
I push the gate open and walk in, closing it behind my back, two
done, one more to go. Walking into the house, I find Yedda lying
n the couch watching television.
‘You are back?ʼ
‘Yes. Got back about an hour ago, Alex is working tonight.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘So how was it?ʼ
‘Great, he is everything and more itʼs early yet but so far I do like
him though he was a little touchy.ʼ
‘So did he kiss you?ʼ she asks
I roll my eyes. ‘Well!ʼ
‘You bitch,ʼ she exclaims
‘He kissed at the gate when he dropped me off. And can you
believe we wore matching clothes?ʼ
‘Aw!ʼ
‘I know right.ʼ
‘Bradley came over,ʼ she says
‘He did?ʼ I ask
‘Yes, he left about twenty minutes ago.ʼ
‘OMG!ʼ
‘What?ʼ
I remove my phone from my bag and found a tone of missed
calls and messages I had deliberately put my phone on silent
before going out with Stephen.
‘I completely forgot, he was supposed to pick me up.ʼ
‘What did you tell him?ʼ
‘Told him you rushed off to run some errands for dad.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘But he looked supper mad.ʼ
‘Let me call him.ʼ
‘Ya do that.ʼ
I dial his line and he answers almost immediately.
‘Darl-----,ʼ
‘Where the hell have you been?ʼ he cuts me short before I can
finish, from the tone in his voice I can tell he is very angry.
‘I thought I told you I had errands to run,ʼ I respond
‘And you couldnʼt pick up your phone?ʼ
‘I was busy.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Are you still gonna pick me up or I sleep?ʼ
‘Just do as you please,ʼ he snaps
I find this funny so I burst out laughing.
‘Oh so now itʼs funny.ʼ
‘Pardon me but I feel like you are exaggerating.ʼ
‘Exaggerating?ʼ he asks, ‘I have been calling and sending you
messages for two hours now.ʼ
‘And I was busy.ʼ
‘Fine,ʼ he responds coldly and cuts the line.
‘See your life,ʼ Yedda laughs
‘Wonders shall never end.ʼ
‘Youʼve made someoneʼs child upset.ʼ
‘He has a short temper he will get over it soon.ʼ
She laughs.
‘Let me just change my clothes so we can watch a movie,ʼ I
stand up and head for my room.

-Episode Twenty Eight-

Wesley
Itʼs a Sunday afternoon and the sun is shining brightly on us we
are having lunch at one of the best restaurants in town, i love
this place because it has a beautiful outdoor setting.
Lulu and I are sitting next to each other facing us from across
the table are Victor and his new girlfriend Kathy, he ended things
with Millie about two weeks ago. Sabrina and Zach are sitting on
the other side, I hope the two can hook up, Mathias is missing
heʼs out of town for work.
‘So,ʼ Victor begins, ‘have you guys finally set your wedding
date?ʼ
‘Yes,ʼ Lulu responds smilingly
I stare at her in shock because just yesterday she told me she
was still trying to find the perfect date.
‘And what date did you decide on?ʼ I ask
‘August 18th,ʼ she says looking at me intently
I gag on my food, taking a large swig of water to prevent from
chocking August 18th is Zariaʼs birthday.
‘Are you okay?ʼ she asks
‘Choose another date, not the 18th,ʼ I say
‘Well thatʼs the date I want,ʼ she says suspiciously
‘Thatʼs Zariaʼs birthday,ʼ Zach says
‘Oh.ʼ
‘I donʼt think itʼs appropriate that we should get married on her
birthday,ʼ I say
‘Wesley I donʼt care if the 18th is Zariaʼs birthday, we are getting
married on that day full stop.ʼ
Victor clears his throat, ‘Well she is the bride and if thatʼs the
day she wants to set as her wedding day, then so be it,ʼ he says
‘So,ʼ Lulu starts, ‘The 18th of August is like three months from
now, we have a lot of planning to do, I want us to be married by
the time this child is born.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ I respond, ‘I just donʼt know what game Lulu is playing but
I seriously hate it.ʼ
We spend the next few minutes discussing the wedding, the
venue and all the other tiny details.
‘You have been unusually quiet, tsup?ʼ Sabrina pokes Zach
He shoots her a serious look, ‘I am okay,ʼ he says in a cold and
harsh tone.
I donʼt know whatʼs happening to Zach, he seems to be in a
world of his own, he has been distant the past few weeks. I can
sense that something is wrong but he doesnʼt want to confide in
us.
I am about to ask Zach to act polite when I catch sight of Zaria,
she is leaning against a car while talking on phone. She is
wearing a dress that shows her body off spectacularly & she has
her hair tied back loosely, I scan her body and smile, she still is a
beautiful woman.
Shortly after, a man walks over to her and wraps his arms around
her and whispers in her ear. A huge smile spreads across her
face then he leans in and kisses her.
I am a bit shocked I didnʼt think she would have moved on so
fast.
All of a sudden, Lulu slaps my arm hard startling me from my
trance, ‘Are you for real?ʼ she yells
‘What?ʼ
‘You are staring at her.ʼ
Everyone at the table shifts their attention towards Zariaʼs
direction, ‘Zaria!ʼ Zach says.
Afterwards a waiter walks over to them and directs them to a
table next to ours.
Zaria and her man walk hand in hand smilingly, she notices us as
she walks passed our table but ignores us completely.
Yes things didnʼt work between us and I have moved on but
donʼt I deserve a little hi.
‘Maybe we should leave,ʼ Zach says when he senses the tension
in the air.
‘No!ʼ Lulu says, ‘we wonʼt leave because Zaria is here, we all
have to get used to this,ʼ she says

Zaria
‘Are you okay?ʼ Oscar asks as he pours me a second glass of
wine
‘Yes,ʼ I lie.
Seeing Wesley has completely ruined my mood, I know I am
supposed to get used to bumping into him in public but itʼs just
so hard to ignore him and pretend he doesnʼt exist.
I would be lying if I say I have completely gotten over him, i still
get goose bumps when I see him or hear his name and my heart
still skips a bit.
You know whatʼs really irritating, itʼs seeing all his friends at that
table having fun with Lulu, these are the same people I
welcomed into my home and treated like family.
Anyway, I have learnt my lesson I will never entertain a manʼs
friends ever again.

YEDDA
I just grabbed myself a cup of coffee from the kitchen and I am
about to settle down into my chair for a movie when a knock
sounds at the door.
Placing my cup on the table, I head for the door. When I open
the door, I look around but there is no one in sight, I am about to
walk back in when I notice a strange black box sitting on the
doorstep. I analyze the box wondering who could have left it
there.
‘For Yedda Dawson,ʼ the note on top reads but it isnʼt signed. I
pick it up, itʼs extremely heavy and a little smelly. I carry it into
the house and put it on the coffee table.
I quickly grab one of the knives from the kitchen and swipe open
the duck tape before pulling the cardboard flaps. I cover my
nose at the horrible smile from the box before looking down.
Bile rises at the back of my throat and I vomit, acid burning my
throat and mouth retching hard, I am unable to control the
spasms that jerk my body.
Inside the box is a puppy whose head has been severed from its
body while the tail and its tongue have been chopped off into
pieces.
My heart starts to beat so fast that I think it will burst out of my
chest. My body is shaking and I am screaming from the top of
my lungs.
As my head begins to spin, I reach for something to hold myself.
Eventually I pick up my phone, scroll down and dial Alexʼs
number, hoping he will pick up.
I hold the phone up to my ear with shaky hands and listen to it
ring. Tears are running down my face.

ALEX
I am chairing a meeting at work when my phone rings, without
checking the caller id. I hit the speaker button and answer with a
curt, ‘Hello.ʼ
‘Baby,ʼ she cries out.
When I realise its Yedda, I excuse myself from the meeting and
walk out.
‘Baby! Are you okay?ʼ I ask.
‘No,ʼ she bursts into tears.
‘What happened?ʼ
‘Please come,ʼ she pleads
‘Where are you?ʼ
‘I am at home.ʼ
‘Okay stay put I am on my way.ʼ
From the tone in her voice I can sense something is wrong.
I rush back into the office and excuse myself before rushing
down to my car. I hope she is fine.

-Episode Twenty Nine-

ALEX
Tears are running down her face and her hands are shaky, she is
sucking in great gasps of air. I draw her into my arms she
presses her head to my chest and cries.
Aside from the strange box with the dead dog an unknown
number sent her messages and strange photos on whatsapp
with the words, ‘Your end is near, watch your back.ʼ
A part of me breaks when I feel her body heaving and shaking in
my arms.
‘I wonʼt let anyone hurt you,ʼ I say in a weary voice, I am so
scared at this point because history might be repeating itself.
Why does it seem like every girl I get involved with somehow
gets threatened by unknown people? I wonʼt let anything happen
to Yedda I will what I can do protect her.
Her bedroom door swings open a few minutes later and Zaria
walks in carrying a cup of tea in her hands.
‘Baby, drink this it will help you feel better,ʼ she says handing the
cup to Yedda.
Yedda picks up the cup and saucer and tries to keep it steady in
her trembling hands.
Zaria sits at the edge of the bed and watches as Yedda rapidly
drinks her tea. When she finishes drinking her tea, she hands
the cup back to Zaria.
‘I will be in my room if you need me,ʼ Zaria tells Yedda then she
turns to me, ‘We need to talk,ʼ she says
I nod my head.
I wipe the tears from her eyes and softly shush her. After a few
minutes she snuggles into my body and calms down as her eyes
shut close, soon she is sleeping.
Finally I gently lay her on the bed and cover her body. I watch
her sleep she looks fragile beyond belief. With one finger I reach
out and caress her cheek, she looks so soft. I brush my thumb
over the shadows beneath her closed lashes.
I kiss her forehead softly then get up from the bed and quietly
leave the room.

ZARIA
I am deep in thoughts that I donʼt hear Alex join me in the living
room. He clears his throat and I look up at him.
‘Hey,ʼ he says
‘Hey.ʼ
He seats on the couch across from the one I am sitting on.
‘Can I get you some coffee?ʼ I ask
‘Sure.ʼ
I rise to my feet and walk into the kitchen I pour him a cup of
coffee, walk back into the living room and hand it to him.
‘Thanks,ʼ he says
‘I am trying so hard to understand who sent Yedda that
disgusting gift and those nasty messages and pictures ,ʼ I say
He takes a sip from his coffee,ʼ well itʼs quiet strange,ʼ he says.
‘The girls and I donʼt necessarily have enemies, well maybe we
have one or two people who donʼt like us but I donʼt think
anyone who knows us would be stupid enough to do that.ʼ
He sighs.
‘What I am saying is that, this was a personal attack on Yedda
and it must have come from someone who has a grudge on her.
My question is “do you have any exʼs that would wanna hurt
Yedda or any people who would wanna hurt you by getting
through her?”
He hesitates for a moment before he responds, ‘I donʼt know of
anyone who could want to hurt her but I will do my best to find
the person who sent her all these.'
‘I love Yedda as if she was my own sister, I can take the bullet for
her. I donʼt want to see her getting hurt so do what you can to
find the person threatening her or I take the law into my own
hands.ʼ
‘I will do what I can.ʼ
‘I just called Melanie and she is fuming, she is gonna turn this
place upside down if anyone tries to hurt Yedda. We love you
Alex and we know our girl is happy with you so please donʼt let
us down, cage whoever is trying to get to her.ʼ
‘I swear I will protect her with everything in me.ʼ
‘Good,ʼ I smile.
‘I will go and sit next to her so that she sees me when she wakes
up, I donʼt want her freaking out.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
He stands and walks towards Yeddaʼs room.
I walk to my room too and make a few phone calls.

Trish
‘Thank you for today,ʼ I tell Ezra, we are standing at the door and
he is about to leave.
‘Thank you for the money,ʼ he says
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘Donʼt forget about my request,ʼ he pouts like a little girl.
‘You know I make things happen, I will get you a new car before
you even know it. Trust me.ʼ
He smiles wrapping his arms around me. Then he leans into me
and kisses me deeply like we are never going to kiss again. He
pours in every emotion he has for me in that one kiss.
We pull away from each other breathlessly, ‘If we go on like this, I
wonʼt allow you to go,ʼ I say
‘I can never get enough of you,ʼ he whispers.
‘Letʼs go out on a vacation next weekend, i need the distraction.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
I smile, ‘Excellent, I will start planning soon.ʼ
He kisses my lips lightly and I allow him to leave.
I walk back into the house with a huge smile on my lips, I feel so
happy. My life will soon fall into place.
‘Trish,ʼ Maureen stops me as I am about to enter my room.
I look back at her, ‘What?ʼ I ask uninterested
‘I would like to talk to you.ʼ
‘About?ʼ
‘I donʼt like the life you are leading, from my own understanding
that man is married but you keep bringing him here, giving him
your body and money,ʼ she says
I laugh and clap my hands together wondering where she got
the guts to talk to me like that.
‘I know itʼs none of my business but you are a beautiful young
lady. You shouldnʼt waste your life like that.ʼ
‘You are right, itʼs none of your fucking business,ʼ i say snidely.
‘I am just worried about your wellbeing.ʼ
I shake my head, pissed at her foolishness, ‘You shouldnʼt be
worried about me you are not my family.ʼ
I turn but she puts her hand on my shoulder, ‘Trish.ʼ
I angrily turn around at this point my heart is boiling with rage.
How dare she talk to me like that, where did she even get the
guts to touch me?
I quickly grab her by the neck then pin her against the wall,
choking her. She tries to pull my hand from her neck but I am
stronger than her.
I lose control tightening my grip against her neck as she gasps
for air.
‘Trish! You are gonna kill her, let her go,ʼ I hear someone scream
but her pleas fall on deaf ears. I just want to finish her off.
Suddenly someone grabs me by the shoulder and pushes me. I
let go.
Maureen falls to the floor holding her neck, coughing.
‘I will kill you one day, stop poking your nose into my business,ʼ I
growl.

-Episode Thirty-
I am sitting on the floor in my room my heart is thumping with a
mixture of pain and hurt. Its beating incredibly fast the pounding
is loud in my ears.
The anger demon in me is slowly fading away but I donʼt feel
relieved because of whatʼs happening to my body. The
thumping pain is beginning to make me sick, i am breathing
heavily through my mouth & my entire body is shivering despite
the beads of sweat that are falling down my face. I close my
eyes for a few minutes.
The room begins to spin faster until I canʼt take it anymore. I lie
on the floor and close my eyes again.
My bedroom door creaks open a few moments later and mum
walks in.
I am trying to take slow deep breaths but I am finding it difficult
to take in any air.
She gets down on her knees next to me, ‘Breath! Breath!ʼ she
whispers.
My heart is thudding even harder and my head is pounding. I
feel so sick, suddenly bile rises at the pit of my throat I quickly
rush for the toilet bowl and throw up.
Mum is standing right behind me, she has her hand on my back
rubbing it slowly and saying I will be fine.
Afterwards, I stand up, walk towards the sink and splash some
water on my face and pat it dry with a towel. I walk back into my
room feeling a whole lot better.
‘What happened?ʼ mum asks as I lie down on my bed, I seriously
donʼt feel like talking to anyone.
‘Please leave me alone,ʼ I say, my voice comes out as a soft,
weak squeak.
‘Trish, you need to schedule an appointment with Charlotte.ʼ
‘I said I want to be left alone.ʼ
‘Trish!ʼ
‘Please,ʼ I plead
‘Fine.ʼ
‘I am going out call me when you need me.ʼ
‘Sure,ʼ I manage a weak smile.
She opens the door, walks out and closes it behind my back.
I was this close to killing Miriam, if they had not stopped me on
time, I would have surely ended her life.
I have dealt with anger issues ever since I was young, I am quiet
short tempered, when provoked my anger spirals out of control,
I usually feel a surge in me something that is uncontrollable.
When I am upset I feel consumed by a strange force and that
surge comes out as my anger.
As a child, I always flew into tantrums at home, at school or
while playing with my friends. I guess this the reason I donʼt have
any friends now.
Normally I was asked, ‘what the hell is wrong with you? Canʼt
you be like other children your age? Why are you always moody
and harsh towards others?ʼ
They all thought I was abnormal but from my perspective, I was
normal. They just didnʼt understand me.
When Alex became my friend, I was thrilled, I felt he understood
me and treated me a whole lot better than everyone else. He
was my go to person and more.
Everything was perfect until he met Janet. That girl ruined
everything for me.
Alex was deeply in love with her, I could see it in his eyes when
he talked about her. I was angry, I asked him to choose between
me and her, guess what? He chose her.
He told me he loved me only as a friend but he loved Janet more
than that. He wanted to build a life with her he wanted her to be
the mother of his unborn children.
Have you ever built your life around someone for years only for
him to look you in the eyes and tell you itʼs not you he wants?
I felt a slew of emotions, rage, anger, confusion. I was a mess,
for months I couldnʼt function. I was overwhelmed & frustrated. I
felt vulnerable, I had to attack.
I have given Yedda enough warnings I just hope she stays away
from Alex. When provoked, I am hostile, angry and aggressive. I
am not a person she would want to mess with.
‘I think we should leave, I am not feeling too fine,ʼ Lulu rises to
her feet.
Zaria and her boyfriend abruptly left without finishing their meal
after she received a phone call.
‘Whatʼs wrong?ʼ I ask sounding uninterested.
‘Wesley just take me home,ʼ she snaps
‘Whatever!ʼ I say standing up too.
‘Guys we better get going, we shall hang out again soon. Thank
you for coming.ʼ
‘Cheers,ʼ Victor says
‘I will be leaving as well,ʼ Zach stands
‘But I thought you would stay a little bit,ʼ Sabrina says
‘You thought wrong.
‘Cheers bruh,ʼ we fist bump before he leaves.
On the ride back home both Lulu and I are quiet and quiet
irritated. I donʼt know why I felt this way when I saw Zaria with
another man. And the fact that she had this huge smile playing
on her lips makes things worse there was a time when I was the
only one who could make her smile. Does she love him like she
loved me? Is she using him to get back at me?
‘So you are thinking of her?ʼ Lulu breaks the silence
‘Who?ʼ
She clicks her tongue looks outside the window.
We continue driving in silence. I pull into my driveway about
thirty minutes later. Lulu gets out of the car and slams the door
behind her before she quickly walks into the house.
I lock up the car and hurriedly follow her into the house.
‘What is wrong with you?ʼ I ask angrily
She looks at me, shakes her head and clicks her tongue.
I hold her hand, ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?ʼ
She yanks her hand off my grip, ‘I should be asking you that
question.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Are you fucking still in love in with Zaria?ʼ she asks, she is
directly looking into my eyes.
I keep quiet.
‘You heard me.ʼ
‘What sort of stupid question is that?ʼ
‘Are you still in love with Zaria?ʼ
‘I chose to be with you, what makes you think I am still in love
with my Ex?ʼ
‘You chose to be with me only because I fell pregnant so are you
still in love with her?ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘Then act like it, I am your woman now and I will not allow you to
have eyes for other women.ʼ
‘Is that why you are acting up?ʼ
‘I saw how you were drooling on her.ʼ
‘You are just being insecure.ʼ
‘I am being protective of whatʼs mine.ʼ
‘I see.ʼ
‘Donʼt fuck with me Wesley, I could really mess you up.ʼ
‘Threats?ʼ
‘I am serious.ʼ
‘You know what, I need to rest I am really tired.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ

Episode Thirty One-

I canʼt sleep.
I am lying on my bed with my face buried in my pillow.
I feel so restless I have been turning and tossing for hours. My
body is exhausted but my mind is awake. Several thoughts are
running through my mind as usual, they are all focused on Alex.
Why is Alex making this hard for me? When Janet died I was
there for him, I gave him a shoulder to lean on, I was certain he
would ask me to marry him after healing.
I waited and waited for him only for Yedda to pop up and steal
him from me.
What do all these women have that I donʼt have? I know I am a
little too difficult to deal with but I love Alex and I would never
hurt him.
He has always been a part of me & heʼs the only man I have ever
loved. Is it so hard for anyone to understand that I just want to
feel wanted and loved?
I am so tired of pleading for Alex, I have done everything
possible to get his attention but he keeps ignoring me. I will
make one last attempt to get close to him but if he rejects me
again, then I will have no choice but to go after the woman he
claims to love.
I mean if I canʼt have him then no one will.
I close my eyes picturing Alex and I married, we make such a
cute couple. Why is it taking him so long to realise that I am the
woman for him? I mean Yedda has nothing on me. I am curvy
and beautiful whereas she is slim and unattractive with zero
curves? Like who does that?
I fall asleep eventually.
I wake up later startled from that grueling nightmare that just
took place. I sit up panting heavily and sweat is running down
my forehead.
I sigh, ‘Why canʼt she leave me alone, why should she continue
bothering me even in death.ʼ
‘I will kill you,ʼ her words echo in my mind and a shudder runs up
my body.
I shake my head, trying to erase her words from my mind. It was
just a dream after all. I will not allow a dead girl to torment me.
I lay back down on my bed, afraid to fall back asleep.
I grab my phone and glance at the time itʼs 3 in the morning. I
start playing Candy crush on my phone to pass some time.
By the time the sun begins to set, I feel exhausted and my head
is pounding but I canʼt go back to sleep.
I still feel restless, I have tried to relax but it doesnʼt work
because I canʼt escape from my head.
‘Maybe I should go and see Charlotte or maybe I should call
Ezra, he knows how to help me relax.ʼ I roll out of my bed and
head for the bathroom, taking a quick cold shower.
I dress myself and look beautiful. I walk into the dining room and
drink my tea in the quiet light of the morning.
‘Morning sweetheart,ʼ says as she sits next to me.
‘Morning.ʼ
‘How are you feeling?ʼ
‘Better.ʼ
‘Great.ʼ
There is an awkward silence for a few minutes.
‘I am traveling, is there anything you need before I leave?ʼ she
asks
I shake my head.
‘I will be away for a month, will you be okay?ʼ
‘I am not a child mum.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘And where are you going?ʼ
‘Nigeria.ʼ
‘Whatʼs in Nigeria?ʼ
‘Bussiness.ʼ
‘Okay.
When I finish drinking my tea, I stand up.
‘Safe trip.ʼ And with that said I march out of the house to my car.
I get to Alexʼs house an hour later I park my car in front of his
gate and march in. At the door I knock once and wait.
Alex opens the door later and looks at me confused. He looks all
dressed up and ready to go for work.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ he asks
‘Can I at least come in?ʼ
‘As you can see, I am going for work and I donʼt have time to
talk.ʼ
‘Alex!ʼ
‘Trish! Say what you want and leave.ʼ
‘Alex I am in love with you. Iʼve never stopped. Please give us a
chance.ʼ
‘I have a girlfriend Trish and I have told you that a number of
times. Move on.ʼ
‘Please, give me a chance to show you that I mean well. I love
you,ʼ I plead
‘I love you Trish but only like a sister and nothing more.ʼ
‘I am not your sister,ʼ I scream at him.
‘I am sorry but I love Yedda please stay away from us.ʼ
Tears stream down my face and I quickly wipe them.
‘You have rejected me once more. Fine I will go but be rest
assured that I will make your life as miserable as mine.ʼ
‘Trish.ʼ
I sniff.
‘I am fine. Good bye Alex.ʼ
I walk out quickly I swear I will ruin his life like he has ruined
mine.
I am sitting in my car, my hands are shaking and my heart is
beating a little too fast. I can feel it coming up from my toes
through my body towards my head trying to take over my body.
I am angry.
With shaking hands, I dial Ezraʼs number.
‘Hello.ʼ he answers
With my trembling voice, I say,ʼ I need to see you right away.ʼ
‘Please,ʼ I shudder.
‘Where are you?ʼ
‘I am just leaving Alexʼs house. Where are you?ʼ
‘At home.ʼ
‘Your wife?ʼ
‘She just left she is going to Kabwe for a church conference.ʼ
‘I am coming.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
I hung up and drive at high speed to Ezraʼs house.
When I get to his house, he is waiting outside for me. He holds
my hand and leads me into the house. His house is much smaller
than I imagined, this is the first time I am entering the house.
‘What happened?ʼ he asks
I donʼt have time for words I flung myself into his arms around
his neck he pulls me into his arms. His mouth covers mine as he
kisses me deeply.
We undress each other quickly he moves on top of me, he
enters me and starts to move. With each thrust my body begins
to relax and I know I will get back to normal soon.
As he drives deeper into me, a groan escapes his lips, eventually
he spills his seed into me.
I lay in his arms and feel a sense if peace sex always helps to
calm me down.
‘When can I see you again?ʼ Stephen asks
‘Iʼm actually not sure. I am supposed to travel out of Lusaka this
week for work.ʼ
‘So I have to wait?ʼ he frowned
‘I am sorry?ʼ I grimaced. ‘I will keep you updated about my week
when I get to work tomorrow.ʼ
‘I could work with that.ʼ
‘Let me walk you to the door,ʼ I say as we both stand up.
He came in the morning to spend some time with me when I told
him I was bored.
We are standing at the doorstep when he grabs my face in his
hands and moves his lips against mine as his hands slid down
my sides grabbing onto my hips pulling me as close as possible
to his.
We instantly part when someone clears their throat, smoothing
my dress I turn and come face to face with an angry Zach.
Stephen doesnʼt look so happy to be interrupted.
‘Hey!ʼ Zach says
‘Hey,ʼ I respond.
‘Babe, this is Zach, a friend of mine,ʼ I say looking at Stephen
then I turn to look at Zach, ‘Zach, this is Stephen, the man I told
you about.ʼ
Zach gives me quizzical look.
‘Nice to meet you Zach,ʼ Stephen says
‘Sure,ʼ he says coldly
‘I better get going babe, I will see you later,ʼ Stephen says
‘Okay.ʼ I reach up and lightly kiss him on the lips, ‘I will call you
later,ʼ I whisper in his ears.
‘Will be waiting.ʼ

-Episode Thirty Two-

A heavy silence settles over us, the tension in the air is
maddening and it nags me. His eyes bore into mine and I am
sure he can see into the center of my soul if he wants to.
I clear my throat he grabs my hand and tightens his grip.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ I ask
‘Whatʼs going on in that head of yours?ʼ he asks, his voice is
cold.
‘What do you mean?ʼ
‘This is not the Zaria that I know, how could you stoop so low?
Changing men as often as you change your panties?ʼ he asks
‘What?ʼ I raise my eyebrow
‘Today you are with this man, tomorrow you are with someone
else. What are you trying to prove?ʼ
‘Itʼs my fucking life Zach you are not the boss of me I can do
what I want with my life.
‘I have no right to question you?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I care about you Zaria, I cannot watch you destroy your life like
this, you need to stop.ʼ
I laugh, ‘You care about me?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Hypocrite, thatʼs what you are? One minute you are here caring
about me the next you are with Wes and his baby mama making
wedding plans.ʼ
He sighs, ‘Not everything is as it seems.ʼ
‘Humor me.ʼ
‘Letʼs just forget about Wesley for a minute, thatʼs not why I am
here.ʼ
‘Why are you here?ʼ
‘I canʼt deal with this anymore Zaria it breaks my heart to see
you smooching with other men. I love you,ʼ the words rush out of
his mouth before he can stop them.
My lips open in shock, well I knew Zach kinda liked me but I
didnʼt know it was this deep. What does he mean he loves me?
He is friends with Wesley and thatʼs a deal breaker.
‘Say something,ʼ he shakes me startling me from my thoughts.
‘What am I expected to say?ʼ
‘I donʼt know. Anything.ʼ
‘I seriously have nothing to say.ʼ
‘I fell for you the first time I saw you, I would always watch you
from a distance back in college but I didnʼt have the guts to
approach you. Well Wesley beat me to it and for the past few
years I have loved you in silence. Wesley is out of the picture
give me a chance.ʼ
I shake my head.
‘Thatʼs impossible.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘It just canʼt be, just leave me alone,ʼ My voice has a hint of
annoyance in it.
‘I canʼt.ʼ
‘Zach!ʼ
‘Let me show you I care.ʼ
‘No.ʼ
He pushes me up against the wall, pinning my body down with
his then he brings his lips close to mine, my breath hitches in the
back of my throat.
Finally he kisses me, a long kiss, tender at first then he slowly
begins to search for my mouth with his tongue while his hands
roam everywhere.
My mind tells me to push him off first but I do the opposite, I kiss
him back in a more passionate way that I had ever kissed anyone
in my life.
Suddenly he pulls back.
‘When I am next to you my body aches for you and when I am far
from you, it begs for you. Please give us a chance I swear I wonʼt
hurt you like Wes did.ʼ
I look up to him in confusion, wondering what just happened.
‘I canʼt do this,ʼ I say
‘Zaria.ʼ
‘Just leave.ʼ
‘Are you sure this is what you want?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘When I walk out of this place, I am not gonna look back. I love
you but I wonʼt force you to be with me against your will.ʼ
I am about to respond when the gate is pushed open and Brad
walks in. He is carrying some roses in one hand and a plastic in
another.
He walks up to us, ‘Hey babe!ʼ he says
‘Hey,ʼ I smile
He leans in and kisses my lips lightly, ‘How are you?ʼ he asks
completely ignoring Zach.
‘I am fine now that you are here.ʼ
He smiles.
Then he hands me the flowers and plastic, ‘I got this for you.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
Zach clears his throat, ‘I have to go now,ʼ he says
‘Okay,ʼ I respond.
He clicks his tongue and turns to leave. Brad holds my hands
and we walk into the house.
‘Are you okay?ʼ Brad asks once we get into the house.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You are distant you donʼt like what I got you?ʼ
I manage a weak smile, ‘I love the dress, itʼs perfect,ʼ I say
‘Then?ʼ
‘I am fine.ʼ
‘You donʼt look fine,ʼ he insists
‘I said I am fine,ʼ I snap at him
He looks at me briefly and shakes his head, ‘Itʼs about that guy
right?ʼ
‘What guy?ʼ I ask irritated
I am seriously not in the mood for his tantrums, Brad is the
jealousy type and I think he is a bit controlling. Right now I just
want to be alone, I need to think.
Zach kissed me, I still canʼt believe it. I am trying so hard to get
over that kiss but I just canʼt.
‘The guy I just found you with,ʼ he says
‘Oh, thatʼs Zach he is an old friend.ʼ
‘And old friend?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I donʼt believe you.ʼ
‘Your loss.ʼ
‘You irritate me sometimes Zaria,ʼ he says
I laugh, ‘Okay.ʼ
‘Itʼs funny?ʼ he shouts at me.
‘I seriously donʼt wanna fight with you so if you came here to
start a fight then leave.ʼ
‘You are kicking me out?ʼ he asks with a shocked expression
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
I am walking back and forth in my living room, I just got home
and I am so angry at the moment. Zaria humiliated me in front of
her boyfriends.
What did I expect? Did I honestly think she would run into my
arms after telling her how I feel? I feel so stupid right now, I
swallowed my pride and opened up to her and all she could say
was ‘leave, I canʼt do this.ʼ
Letʼs forget the fact that I am a man, this fucking hurts. I want to
scream and cry at the same time.
‘Lord!ʼ I slam my fist down on the coffee table hoping to feel
better but I donʼt. My phone suddenly rings, I stare at it- its
Sabrina calling can my day get any worse. I switch it off and
throw it on the floor it slides across the rug onto the floor in front
of the cabinet.
Frustrated, I grab a bottle of whiskey and start taking large
gulps, I want to be drunk so I can forget.
‘I think he just hung up on me,ʼ I tell Lulu.
I like Zach a lot and I wouldnʼt mind being his girlfriend but he
seems so distant and low-key. He has never called me nor
texted ever since I gave him my line and I am tired of waiting.
‘He hung up on you?ʼ She asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Try again.ʼ
I dial his line again, ‘The mobile subscriber you have dialed has
their phone switched off, please leave a message or try again
later.ʼ
‘This man can be stubborn but donʼt give up. If you truly like him
then go after him with everything youʼve gut. Learn from me,ʼ
she smiles
‘What should I do next?ʼ
‘Go to his house seduce him if you have to. Use what you have
to get what you want.ʼ
‘I will.ʼ
‘Thatʼs my girl.ʼ
‘So how are things with Wes?ʼ
She clicks her tongue, ‘We had an argument because of Zaria
but I have him under control. I will not allow him to walk out of
this relationship, we are getting married weather he likes it or
not.ʼ
‘Thatʼs the spirit mwana, you donʼt let go of men like Wes.ʼ
‘I know right.ʼ
‘Let me go and change so we can go to the mall. I need a few
baby stuff.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ

-Episode Thirty Three-

I have been sitting in my room since morning just staring into
space. I canʼt seem to get that kiss of my mind I donʼt even
understand why Zach kissed me in the first place. I am confused
because I have never been attracted to Zach, I mean he is my
exʼs friend.
But that kiss yesterday just got me thinking, I donʼt even know
what I want anymore. I have three men at my disposal plus Zach,
where do I even take them all?
At this point I am not even sure if this game is worth it, what was
I thinking dating three men at once? This is not who I am, what
do I do now?
I force myself to get up, shower and get dressed. I have a mini
lunch date with my father. I havenʼt seen him in a while, I miss
him a lot and I think we have a lot to catch up on.
I finish getting dressed and walk out of the room to the living
room. Yedda is lying on the couch she hasnʼt been feeling too
fine since the incidence with the dead dog.
‘Ready to leave?ʼ she asks
‘Yes, are you gonna be okay on your own?ʼ
‘Yep.ʼ
‘You are sure?ʼ
‘Yes and Alex is coming over so I wonʼt completely be alone.ʼ
‘Cool.ʼ
I picked my car keys and walked to the door.
‘I will see you when I get back.ʼ
She smiled, ‘Have fun and say hi to big daddy for me.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
‘I love you babe.ʼ
‘I love you too.ʼ
I left the house and drove to the restaurant. I get to the
restaurant a good ten-minute pass noon, I spot my father in the
middle of the restaurant as soon as I walk in.
‘Daddy!ʼ
He stands up and we share a hug, itʼs been a few weeks since I
last saw him.
‘Good to see you my darling,ʼ he plants a kiss on my forehead. I
giggle like a small girl.
‘I am happy to see you too,ʼ I say
We sit down and place our order.
‘How are you?ʼ he asks
‘I am fine and you? How is Precious? I thought you were gonna
come with her.ʼ
‘Precious is fine, she couldnʼt come because she is attending a
friendʼs kitchen party.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘And how are the girls?ʼ
‘They are fine.ʼ
‘Has Yedda recovered?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Thatʼs good,ʼ
The waiter walks over with our food and places it on the tray.
When he walks away we resume talking. We catch up on a few
things and then he looks at me intently.
‘What?ʼ
‘I am not comfortable with what you have just told me,ʼ he says
I just told him about the dating game I got involved in and
everything that has been happening the past few weeks. My
father and I are very close, I can tell him anything.
‘I am all ears.ʼ
‘How effective is this game you have gotten yourself in? How
sure are you it will even work? What if you fall for all the three
men by the end of three months?ʼ
‘I donʼt think that is possible daddy.ʼ
‘Anything is possible,ʼ he says
‘So what do you think I should do especially now that Zach is in
the equation?ʼ
‘I canʼt really tell you what to do baby but what I can say is you
are gambling with your heart and this could end badly.ʼ
‘I know.ʼ
‘I donʼt want you to get hurt so just be careful.ʼ
‘I will.ʼ
After an hour of chit chatting with dad, I say goodbye to him and
make my way out. I get to my car and drive off. I think dad is
right, I am truly gambling with my life but how to end all this?
Maybe I should wait till the 90 days is over to make a decision.
As I walk into the house about thirty minutes later, I get a call
from Bradley.
‘Hey.ʼ
‘Hey baby!ʼ he says
‘How are you?ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
I am still angry with him about the other day.
‘I called to apologize for getting angry at you, I am sorry I just
got too carried away.ʼ
‘You should learn to control yourself Brad.ʼ
‘Babe, I said I am sorry.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
‘So can we go out this evening?ʼ
‘I donʼt feel like going out tonight.ʼ
‘Can I come over?ʼ
‘Ya you could.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
I hang up and walk straight to my bedroom, the house is quiet
maybe Yedda has gone with Alex.
I kick off my shoes in my room and lie on my bed I really need to
think about what I will do next.
Itʼs a quiet Sunday afternoon and I am feeling very low, I drunk
way too much the previous day, my head is pounding. I am
spending the day indoors because I donʼt wanna face anyone.
A knock at the door startles me from my trance a few minutes
later and I lazily walk to the door, I am not expecting anyone so I
donʼt know whose knocking.
I open the door and find Sabrina standing on my doorstep, my
smile instantly turns into a frown.
‘I wasnʼt expecting you.ʼ
‘I was in the neighbourhood and thought I would drop by,ʼ she
replies
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Can I come in?ʼ
I stand in the doorway contemplating whether to let her in or not,
this girl isnʼt even my friend.
‘Please,ʼ she pleads
I open the door wider and step back motioning her inside. Then I
close the door behind my back.
I see her taking a look around the living room which I must say is
a mess I havenʼt had the energy to clean up the past few days I
have really been down because of Zaria.
‘You have a nice house Zach,ʼ she says
‘Thanks have a seat.ʼ
I motion for her to sit down on the empty couch, ‘donʼt mind the
mess around this place, been too occupied to clean.ʼ
She smiles, ‘Itʼs okay.ʼ
I look at her, ‘So what can I offer you?ʼ
‘Nothing really and if it you donʼt mind I would like to help you
clean this place up.ʼ
‘No,ʼ I shake my head.
‘Please.ʼ
‘You never take no for an answer do you?ʼ I laugh
‘No.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
She opens her hand bag and removes a chitenge which she
wraps around her waist before she starts picking up the bottles
on the floor.
As she cleans the house I engage her in a conversation. I ask her
about herself.
I get to know that she is a business woman she orders clothes
and beddings from South Africa which she sells at her boutique.
She is single and she stays in Chalala.
The last man she dated impregnated her cousin the two are now
happily married.
An hour later, the house is spotless, then we walk into the
kitchen and she starts preparing us something to eat.
‘So why are you single?ʼ she asks
‘I havenʼt the one actually,ʼ he says
‘Is there such thing as the one?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Let me actually rephrase my first statement, I have met the one
but she is unavailable.ʼ
‘And how do you know she is the one?ʼ
‘She makes me feel a certain kind of way.ʼ
‘Mmmmm, so why arenʼt you with her?ʼ
‘She doesnʼt wanna be with me.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘She is seeing someone else.ʼ
‘Does she know how you feel?ʼ
‘Yep.ʼ
‘Then she isnʼt the one for you.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘What woman in her right sense would reject you?ʼ
‘Her,ʼ I laugh.
‘Forget her and move on, that woman isnʼt for you, I am sure she
doesnʼt feel the same because if she did she would be with you
right now.ʼ
‘You could be right.ʼ
‘I am.ʼ
I laugh, maybe Zaria isnʼt really the one for me, I have been
loving her from afar for years now and just when I thought we
would be together she rejects me.

-Episode Thirty four-

 I am deeply engrossed in a spreadsheet which is progressing
rapidly when my bossʼs voice booms in my office as he sticks his
head into my office space.
‘Yes,ʼ I look up.
‘Are you busy?ʼ he asks
I sigh, ‘I am finalizing the excel model and PPT presentation.ʼ
‘I want you to analyze this financial statement.ʼ
‘Okay. But can I do it tomorrow when I am well rested?ʼ
‘Sure, take as much time as you need.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ she muttered
I smile, ‘You donʼt need to thank me itʼs my job.ʼ
She smiles back at me before walking out of my office. I pull one
of my drawers and place the stack of papers in it before focusing
on my work.
By the time I am done with the spreadsheet, I am exhausted. I
stand up and stretch my arms before reaching for my phone.
Its almost 5 pm, I need to get out of here. I fall back on my seat
shutting down my laptop when my phone starts buzzing.
‘Hello.ʼ
‘Hello to you too my darling,ʼ Oscar says in his deep voice.
‘Tsup.ʼ
‘Can I see you?ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘I will come over in a few minutes, I about to leave the office.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
The line cuts off after that.
I grab my bag and put all my things in it, ready to leave. Melanie
is still not back from her trip, I miss her a lot. The house is boring
without her, Yedda is better now she has even started going for
work.
I get to my car and drive off. I drive off for about thirty minutes
before pulling into Oscarʼs driveway. Stepping out of my car, I
walk towards the front door and knock softly.
Oscar opens the door a minute later he has a huge smile on his
face obviously happy to see me.
‘Hello,ʼ he says
‘Hello.ʼ
He leans in and kisses me lightly on my lips before he ushers me
into the living room. I kick off my shoes and throw myself on the
couch.
‘How was your day?ʼ he asks as he settles in next to me.
‘Exhausting. The senior financial analyst is out on a business trip
so I have to do everything myself, its quiet tiring.ʼ
‘I can imagine.ʼ
‘And how was your day?ʼ
‘Perfect,ʼ he responds
‘Great.ʼ
‘I made you something to eat just in case you are hungry.ʼ
‘Oh how thoughtful of you.ʼ
‘Itʼs nothing babe.ʼ
After a while he leads me to the dining room where he dishes
some food for me, we sit next to each other and eat in silence.
Among the three men, Oscar is the quietest sometimes his
quietness scares me, like you never know what he is thinking
about.
‘Enjoying the food?ʼ he asks
‘Yes,ʼ I nod my head.
When we finish eating, he cleans the table and we go back to
the living room.
‘Movie?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
He picks up the remote and turns the television on, flips through
the channels till he finds a movie we can watch.
I am lying in between his legs with my back on his chest. He is
playing with my hair as my eyes stay focused on the movie.
‘I think I love you,ʼ he whispers half way through the movie. My
heart skips a bit, isnʼt too soon to be talking about love.
‘Zaria!ʼ
I turn around and look at him, ‘I donʼt know what to say.ʼ
‘I want us to be official Zaria; I want you to meet my family and
friends, I want to make a commitment to you, I think you are the
one.ʼ
My eyes widen in shock, ‘Slow down! I am not ready for that kind
of commitment, itʼs too soon. Can we get to know each other
first?ʼ
The smile on his face turns into a frown and the colour drains
from his face.
I am about to say something to him when my phone rings. I rise
to my feet and pull it out of my bag, its Brad calling.
I stare at the phone for a minute before cutting off the call. It
rings again instantly.
I cut and send him a message, ‘Call you back soon I am kinda
busy.ʼ
‘Who was that?ʼ Oscar asks
‘A friend,ʼ I respond
He stands up, ‘Itʼs another man right.ʼ
‘No,ʼ I shake my head fast
‘You are lying. Give me your phone.ʼ
‘No,ʼ I say putting my phone in my back pocket.
‘I said give me your phone,ʼ he yells causing me to jump back a
little. His voice is harsh and his face is full of anger.
‘I think I should go,ʼ I say quickly grab my bag and shoes.
‘Donʼt you dare go anywhere, he says, his voice rising again.
I stand frozen, he walks over to me and I practically drop my bag
and shoes. The look in his eyes terrifies me, itʼs as though a
different person has taken over this is not the Oscar I know.
Five minutes elapse.
He is standing in front of me staring at me intently, it looks as
though he is about to pounce on me.
My heart is beating rapidly I just want to get out of this place.
Slowly he leans in he grabs my face and pulls it to his. Pinning
my arms to the wall, he presses his lips forcefully on mine.
He bites me on my lips before he starts sucking and licking them
so aggressively, i am terrified. Eventfully he pulls away from me.
‘I love you and I want to make things official, will you please think
about it and give me an answer by tomorrow.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ I nod my head.
‘You still wanna go home?ʼ
I nod my head. Why the fuck is he acting as if everything is okay
between us after what he just did.
‘Okay.ʼ
I quickly wear my shoes and grab my handbag he holds my hand
and walks me out to my car.
‘I love you Zaria, I am sorry for coming out so strongly. Please
donʼt cheat on me with someone else.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
He opens my car door for me but before I step in, he pulls me
into a tight hug.
‘Goodnight.ʼ
‘Goodnight.ʼ
I get into my car and drive off, my arms are shaking and my head
is pounding, what have I gotten myself into?
I knew this could go badly and I could end up hurt yet I went
ahead and got myself involved with men I hardly know.
I breathe out a sigh of relief when I finally get home. Parking my
car, I hop out and walk towards the front door.
‘Hey! You are back?ʼ Yedda asks when I walk through the front
door.
‘Yep.ʼ
‘You are okay?ʼ
I sit on the couch and burst into tears.
‘Za! What happened?ʼ
I donʼt even have the strength to talk right now, she wraps her
arms around me I lay my head on her chest and let it all out.
When I feel much better, I look at her and begin to explain what
just happened.
‘I canʼt believe this I thought Brad was the ruthless one.ʼ
‘Well from what I experienced today I think Oscar is worse.ʼ
‘I think you need to stop all this,ʼ Yedda says, ‘I have been
thinking we made you get into this without thinking about the
consequences.ʼ
I shake my head.
‘I was actually telling Alex about this whole thing and he….,ʼ
I give her a quizzical look before cutting her short, ‘You told Alex
about my affairs?ʼ I ask
‘Well I just wanted him to get some information on the men so
that we know what you are dealing with.ʼ
I stand up, ‘You told him about this?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Unbelievable.ʼ
‘What?ʼ
‘You had no right to tell Alex about my affairs, I got myself into
this I will get myself out.ʼ
‘Zaria,ʼ she tries to touch my hand but I push her aside and stand
on the other side.
‘You shouldnʼt have involved your boyfriend in my affairs this
was supposed to be our story.ʼ
‘I am sorry I was only trying to help.ʼ
‘You know what! Fuck off,ʼ I raise my voice.
I grab my bag from the floor and march off to my room, I am
fucking pissed, why would she discuss my affairs with her
boyfriend?

-Episode Thirty five-

“Love is like gambling, you risk your heart in the hope of winning
another.”
ZARIA
I close my eyes and slump against the cool bathroom wall. I rock
back and forth as tears race down my cheeks.
My heart is aching, I feel so frustrated and empty. I am trying so
hard to fill the empty feeling in my chest but nothing seems to
work.
There is a knock at my bedroom door a minute later startling me
from my trance, I ignore it.
I know its Yedda I donʼt want to talk to her at least not now.
I sit on that bathroom floor for what seems to be a very long time
breathing and telling myself that I will be alright.
Eventually I rise to my feet and splash some water on my face
trying to relax before I go back to my room.
I throw on a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt then I crawl under
my covers and yawn. Today has been a stressful day, hope
tomorrow will be better.

SABRINA
I am standing in front of the mirror studying my reflection. The
dress I am wearing perfectly fits me it shapes my body in a way
that my waist appears far narrower than it actually is.
Lulu bought this dress for me the other day when I told her Zach
had invited me out for dinner.
Ever since I showed up at his doorstep and helped him clean the
house Zach and I have been talking.
He is nice and calm he is a goal getter and knows what he wants
in life, my kinda man.
I actually like Zach a lot and I hope things progress to the next
level soon.
I am still staring at myself in the mirror when a knock sounds at
the door. I quickly grab my bag and head out of my room.
I pull the door open he is standing at my doorstep. His eyes
travel the length of my body. Itʼs a quick glance but I see it either
way.
‘Hi,ʼ I nervously say
He smiles, ‘Hey! You look absolutely gorgeous.ʼ
‘You donʼt look bad yourselfʼ I respond.
‘Shall we?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
I lock my apartment door and follow him towards his car. When
we are both settled in, he drives us to the restaurant we will be
dinning from.
When we arrive, he gets out of the car and opens the door for
me, such a gentleman. Then he puts a hand at the back of my
back and leads me towards the entrance.
Finally we walk in, the place is wow- I simply love it. He walks me
to the table at the far end of the room.
I sit down and thereʼs a bottle of wine on the table. My eyes
follow as Zach takes a seat in front of me.
A waitress brings us a menu and I scan it before making an
order.
‘Would you like some wine?ʼ
I smile coyly
‘Yes please.ʼ
He opens the bottle of wine and pours us both some wine. He
hands me a glass.
‘Thank you.ʼ
We are sipping wine and talking, more like getting to know each
other. I donʼt know if itʼs just me but the more we talk, the more
the chemistry between us grows.
He makes me smile and I keep feeling his eyes on me as I talk. I
havenʼt been with any serious men my whole life so dating Zach
will be like winning the lottery. I donʼt mind taking things slow
with him.

ZACH
We are sitting across from one another at the restaurant. I canʼt
stop staring at her she is actually a nice and humorous person.
This isnʼt a date though itʼs just dinner between two people who
enjoy each otherʼs company.
I love Zaria a lot but I wonʼt put my life on standstill just because
she doesnʼt like me. And maybe itʼs about time I looked
elsewhere for love because the person I want to be with seems
to be occupied.
Sabrina and I have been talking since that day she popped up at
my house. I donʼt really like her friend Lulu but Sabrina seems
different.
‘So,ʼ I begin, ‘Why did you show up my house that day? You
havenʼt answered this question.ʼ
She smiles and takes a sip from her wine, ‘You want the truth?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Well Lulu forced me to visit she thought I would have a better
chance with you if I followed you home.ʼ
‘Oh. So you didnʼt want to come?ʼ
‘I would be lying if I say I didnʼt want to come to you, I just
needed a little pushing.ʼ
‘I know Wes and Lulu have been trying to hook us up.ʼ
‘And?ʼ
‘I donʼt like the idea but you seem to be harmless.ʼ
She laughs
I am a very private person I donʼt like people in my business so
what we talk about and do must stay between us.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
‘I must confess though that I enjoy spending time with you, you
are a nice and beautiful woman. I bet any man in his right senses
would be glad to have you in his life.ʼ
She remains silent for a minute before she looks up at me and
speaks.
‘Does that include you?ʼ
I chuckle, ‘Playing smartʼ arenʼt we?ʼ
‘I just want to know if I stand a chance with you.ʼ
I hold her hand and squeeze it, ‘I wouldnʼt mind having you in my
life when the time is right.ʼ
‘Thatʼs fair enough.ʼ
We spend the next few minutes eating our food and talking
about random stuff, I ask her some personal questions and she
does the same.
An hour later, we leave the restaurant and I drive her back home.
I drive for about twenty minutes before pulling into her driveway.
As soon as he pulls into my drive way, he steps out and walks
round to my side, he opens the door for me and I step out.
He holds my hand in his and walks me to the door.
I had so much fun with him, can this night not end? Finally we
get to my door step.
‘I had a great time,ʼ he says
‘Me too.ʼ
‘So we call it a night?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
He leans in and kisses me on my forehead, ‘Goodnight Sabrina,ʼ
he says
‘Goodnight.ʼ
He turns to leave but I hold his hand, i canʼt let him go not like
that, I have been dying to kiss him all night I wonʼt let this night
pass me by.
‘What?ʼ he asks
I lean forward and quickly kiss him on the mouth.

-Episode Thirty six-

‘Let the hearts gamble after which fate will take charge,ʼ Tonile
Cho Ndhlovu

I lean forward and quickly kiss him on the mouth. At first he

doesnʼt respond so I wait for him to pull me back but he doesnʼt
instead he slides his arms around me and pulls me closer to him
as our lips move together.
The kiss is tender and slow at first then he deepens his touch,
he kisses me deeply feeling all the softness inside my mouth
with his tongue. I havenʼt been kissed like this in a long time, his
kiss is enthralling, I can feel every cell in my body tingling.
We kiss for a minute or two before Zach finally pulls away.
‘I couldnʼt hold myself,ʼ I say suddenly feeling a bit shy
He chuckles then he kisses me again brushing my lips over hers
for a moment.
I didnʼt expect Sabrina to come on to me like that, let me say I
donʼt like women who are too straight forward they tend to be
clingy most times, I wanted to push her off me but I couldnʼt, itʼs
just a kiss after all and I am a free man so I have nothing to lose.
I donʼt know when last I was with a woman. I have been hoping
Zaria will come around & rescue me. The last woman I dated left
me for someone else because I couldnʼt love her as much as she
loved me.
The unexpected kiss between Sabrina and I has stirred up things
that I thought were long dead. My body is on fire with desire.
‘Do you wanna come in for a drink?ʼ she asks when I pull away
from her.
‘A drink?ʼ I am caught between pushing her away and falling
under her spell.
She knows what she wants and she is putting it out plainly but
do I even know what I want?
Normally I donʼt entertain women anyhow but come on, I am just
a man and I have needs. Besides, I donʼt wanna spend eternity
crying over Zaria, maybe me and her werenʼt meant to be,
maybe I should take a risk with this one- gamble with my heart a
bit, who knows I might win.
‘Itʼs fine if you donʼt want to,ʼ she begins obviously tired of
waiting for my response, I had a great night…..,ʼ
I grab her one more time and plant a lingering kiss on her lips
cutting her sentence short.
‘Yes, I want to come in for a drink,ʼ I say.
She smiles before she leads me into her house. I look around for
a minute, itʼs small and cozy I love how neat she keeps it.
‘Beautiful place you have here,ʼ I say
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Please take a seat and feel at home while I dash upstairs and
change into something comfortable.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
‘The kitchen is over there you can get us some whiskey.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
She hurries off to her room while I walk into the kitchen. I grab
two glasses out of the cabinet and set them down then I grab a
bottle of whiskey and open it up. I pour us each a half a glass
before replacing the lid and setting the bottle back on the table.
I walk back into the living room and place her glass on the table
while I sip on my mine.
Sabrina walks into the room a minute later wearing a white short
revealing dress I almost choke on my drink when I see her.
‘You are okay?ʼ she asks
‘Yes.ʼ
She throws herself on the couch next to me and I hand her the
other glass.
We drink in silence for a few minutes. My mind says I should
stand up and get out of this place but my body is saying a whole
different thing.
‘Movie?ʼ she asks after a while.
I shake my head.
She grabs a remote and turns on the television then she flips
through the channels and finally finds a movie we can both
watch.
She lifts a blue woolen blanket that had been neatly folded on
the other couch and spreads it on the carpet.
She lies down and stretches out her hand to me.
‘Come and lie down with me.ʼ
I kick off my shoes and flop down on the blanket next to her.
I am nervous and I think he can see it, I hope this night turns out
the way I expect it to. I need to have him hooked.
‘Come here.ʼ
I move closer to him and snuggle in his arm I take in a deep
breath and my body instantly relaxes.
‘The girl you like, when last did you talk to her?ʼ I ask.
I am asking because I need to know what I am dealing with here.
He laughs, ‘I havenʼt spoken to her since the day I confessed my
feelings to her.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘I am not one to force love, I told her how I feel and she kicked
me out, I am moving on.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Letʼs not talk about her,ʼ he kisses my forehead and softly I sigh.
‘No problem.ʼ
We focus our eyes on the television as the movie starts.
I am seriously not even concentrating on the movie I keep
stealing short glances at Zach. What would it take for me to
have this man to myself?
Half way through the movie, I am tempted to take the risk. I look
up at him and he catches me staring.
I chuckle.
We gaze into each otherʼs eyes silently for a moment.
Without giving it a second thought, I lean in and press my lips
against his, I groan as he slides his hands to my butt.
A simple touch from him sends me into some frenzy.
Deepening the kiss, I climb on top of him and slowly move my
hips grinding against him.
He runs his hand up my thigh, under my dress a wave of desire
washes over me. I want more.
As we continue to make out, I put my hands under his shirt and
lift it up pushing it back.
‘I want you inside of me,ʼ I whisper into his ears.
He doesnʼt take time to change positions with me. Once on top,
he pulls off my dress and underwear. Once I help him out of his
trousers, he wastes no time in positioning himself on top of my
body.
Well the rest is history!

Zaria
I wake up in the morning to my ringing phone yawning I stretch
my hand to my bed side table and pick my phone before
answering.
‘Hello,ʼ
‘Hey babe,ʼ Itʼs Oscar
‘What do you want?ʼ I ask annoyance evident in my tone.
‘Is that a way to greet your hubby?ʼ he asks
I click my tongue, ‘what do you want Oscar?ʼ I ask again
‘I called to apologize for my behavior last night, can I see you
today after work. I wanna make it up to you.ʼ
‘No,ʼ I respond.
‘You are still angry?ʼ
‘Let me put this in simple language, I donʼt want to see you again
Oscar, whatever we had is done.ʼ
I hear him chuckle on the other end of the line, ‘We are not over
till I say so.ʼ
‘Fuck off,ʼ I angrily say before ending the line.
He calls again after a minute and I cut the line again, I instantly
block his line on my phone, I just canʼt deal.
I get out of bed and step into the bathroom. I feel better than
yesterday, I hope today will be a good day.
I step out of the bathroom a few minutes later.
My outfit for the day is already ironed and folded in a neat pile
waiting on my table.
I walk out of my room and into the kitchen when I finished
getting dressed. I find Yedda in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit at the table ignoring her.
She turns and looks at me, ‘Morning.ʼ
‘Morning.ʼ
Silence
‘Still upset about last night?ʼ
More silence.
‘Zaria?ʼ
‘I seriously donʼt wanna talk about it, we are cool.ʼ
She looks at me defeated.
A few minutes later, I stand up and walk to the sink I wash my
cup and place it back in the cabinet.
I grab my bag and storm out of the room.

-Episode Thirty seven-

I have been sitting on the floor for the past one hour i couldnʼt
sleep last night because of how Zaria reacted to what I told her
& today she practically ignored me.
How do I get her to see that I am deeply sorry for telling Alex
about her relationships? I didnʼt mean to hurt her I just wanted to
make sure she was dealing with the right men.
Zaria is like a sister to me, I would never do anything to hurt her.
The tension between us doesnʼt sit well with me.
How do I get her to talk to me and hear me out?
There is a knock on the door a few minutes later, I rise to my feet
and walk up to the door hoping its Alex.
I hold the door knob and open the door. I draw back in surprise
at the person standing on my doorstep. I recognize her even
though she looks a little different, maybe itʼs the hair.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ I ask
‘I am hoping the two of us might have a word for a second.ʼ
I look at her suspiciously, ‘How does she even know where I
stay?ʼ
‘Trish, you and I have nothing to talk about.ʼ
‘We have a lot to talk about darling.ʼ
‘I am all ears.ʼ
‘Wonʼt you at least let me in so we can have some privacy?ʼ
‘Whatʼs wrong you here?ʼ
‘Itʼs not the right place for what I am about to tell you, someone
could walk through that gate and hear us.ʼ
‘Just say what you want to say and leave.ʼ
She rolls her eyes and pushes me aside before she walks past
me into the house. I shake my head, the nerves of this woman.
She looks around the living room and smiles, ‘Nice place youʼve
got here.ʼ
‘Cut the crap and go straight to the point, I donʼt have the whole
day.ʼ
‘Listen,ʼ she says sternly, ‘I want you to stay away from Alex.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Wait, are you asking me to stay away from my own
man?ʼ I ask giving her a quizzical look.
She frowns, ‘you seriously need to back off. Alex is mine.ʼ
I cross my arms defiantly, ‘If he is your man then you shouldnʼt
be having this conversation with me but with him.ʼ
‘You are the one after him.ʼ
‘This is getting a little boring please leave.ʼ
‘Yedda! I am warning you, I wouldnʼt want to hurt you because of
Alex, stay away.ʼ
I raise a brow ‘And if I donʼt?ʼ
‘Then I will be forced to unleash the monster in me.ʼ
‘Well be ready to unleash the monster because I am going
nowhere.ʼ
‘This is war.ʼ
‘If it is war you want then bring it on, I am ready for you.ʼ
‘You donʼt me well.ʼ
‘You donʼt me either.ʼ
‘Fine, donʼt say I didnʼt warn you.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
She shakes my head before she storms out of the house.
I roll my eyes, ‘What a drama queen.ʼ

Zaria
Today has really been a busy day for me I had four meetings
back to back in the morning, I am exhausted and my feet hurt
from all that standing, I canʼt wait to go home and rest.
‘Are you done with the financial report I asked you for?ʼ my boss
asks
‘I am working on it right now, just editing it. I should be able to
email it before I leave.ʼ
She smiles, ‘You are really a hard working woman, just like your
father.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
She walks out of the room and I continue typing.
Speaking of today, I received some texts from Oscar this
afternoon where he was threatening to deal with me if I donʼt
see him, I need to report this guy to the police station he doesnʼt
seem stable.
I give myself a small shake to clear my head and turn my
attention back to my computer.
By the time I finish editing itʼs almost 18 and I am yawning like
crazy.
I email the document to madam boss and pack up before leaving
the office. I walk quickly to my car.
I remove my car keys from my handbag and just as I am about to
open the door, I feel someone grab me by the back of my shirt
nearly knocking me off balance.
My head whips around and I come face to face with Oscar.
‘Hello darling,ʼ he sneers
‘What do you want here?ʼ
‘You have been ignoring my calls and texts, as if that isnʼt
enough, you blocked me,ʼ he says coldly
‘I donʼt want anything to do with you.ʼ
‘Do you honestly think you can come in and out of my life as you
please? Itʼs not over till I say so.ʼ
‘Oscar please let me go.ʼ
He laughs, ‘You have to come with me,ʼ he says
‘I wonʼt come with you.ʼ
He pulls a knife from his pocket and places it at my neck.
I gasp.
‘Are you gonna go with me right now or not?ʼ
‘Oscar?ʼ
‘Is everything alright madam?ʼ I hear the security manʼs voice,
Oscar quickly lets me go.
‘We were just talking,ʼ he says trying to hide the knife.
‘He was trying to hurt me,ʼ I quickly say
Oscar shoots me an evil look.
‘Leave this one to me, you can leave,ʼ he tells me.
I quickly open my car door and get in, I drive out instantly. I need
to get a restraining order against this man Yedda was right after
all, Zach too.
Speaking of Zach, I wrote him a message this morning and he
didnʼt respond, maybe he is upset about how I kicked him out
the other day.
I decide to drive to his house just so I can have a word with him. I
donʼt want him and I to date I just think I need to apologize for
treating him unfairly when he came home.
I pull up in front of his house after a few minutes I step out and
walk towards the door.
I knock softly on his door and wait, the door is opened by a tall
light woman with a towel wrapped around her waist.
‘Hey!ʼ
‘Zaria me Nel,ʼ she smiles, ‘how are you?ʼ she extends her hand
to me.
‘Hi,ʼ I shake her hand wondering how in Godʼs name she knows
my name, she is the same woman I saw having lunch with Wes
and his crew.
‘Is Zach around?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I would like to see him.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘Itʼs personal.ʼ
‘My name is Sabrina by the way,ʼ she says.
‘I didnʼt ask for your name.ʼ
‘I am Zachʼs girlfriend.ʼ
My eyes open wide in shock, ‘His girlfriend since when?ʼ
‘We have been together three months now.ʼ
‘Wow.ʼ
‘So I will call my man and let him know you want to see him,
would you like to come in?ʼ
‘No,ʼ I shake my head.
She walks back in and returns several minutes later holding
Zachʼs hand.
‘Zaria?ʼ Zach is obviously shocked to see me.
‘I didnʼt me to come here unannounced.ʼ
‘Itʼs okay, you wanna come in.ʼ
‘No, I just wanted to apologize for the other day.ʼ
‘Cool.ʼ
,I have to go now.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
I turn and quickly walk towards the gate wondering what just
happened.

-Episode Thirty Eight-

I watch Zaria as she hurriedly walks to the gate she pulls it open
and walks out.
‘Zach!ʼ Sabrina clicks her fingers in my face.
‘What?ʼ I snap at her
‘Zaria?ʼ
‘What about Zaria?ʼ
‘Thatʼs the woman you are in love with?ʼ she asks
I shake my head and quickly enter the house, she runs after me.
In the living room, I walk over to the table and pour myself a
large glass of wine.
‘You didnʼt answer my question,ʼ she says
‘What did you ask?ʼ I ask pretending not to know what she is
referring to.
‘Zaria, your best friendʼs Girlfriend. You are in love with her?ʼ she
points an accusing finger at me.
I take a seat before I gulp all of the wine down.
‘Zach!ʼ she yells. ‘Answer me!ʼ
I pour more wine in my glass and swallow it down.
‘Yes, Zaria is the woman I am in love with,ʼ I finally say
Her eyes widen in shock and the colour drains quickly from her
face.
‘What?ʼ
She gets the glass from my hands and gulps some wine.
‘Thatʼs betrayal in its highest form, does Wesley know about
this?ʼ
I shake my head.
‘No. And I didnʼt betray anyone, itʼs not like Zaria and I ever had
anything going on.ʼ
‘Itʼs still betrayal, how could you fall in love with your friendʼs
girlfriend?ʼ
‘Ex,ʼ I correct her
‘Still the same thing.ʼ
‘I think you should leave,ʼ I say.
‘What do you mean I should leave?ʼ she asks
‘I didnʼt ask you to come over in the first place.ʼ
She shoots me a gloomy look, ‘Zach donʼt you dare play with
me.ʼ
‘I am serious, we just sex and now you are evading my space.ʼ
She laughs, ‘I thought you wanted me to come over.ʼ
‘You thought wrong.ʼ
This girl is kinda irritating me, at this point I only want her out of
my house, I need to be alone so I can think.
Why did Zaria come over? What if she realized she loves me too
and she came to tell me? Have I just blown my only chance at
love?
‘Zach!ʼ
‘Please just leave I wanna be alone.ʼ
She frowns but doesnʼt respond, ‘You wanna be alone fine, I will
be in your room sleeping, take all the time you need thinking, I
arenʼt going nowhere.ʼ
I walk into his room and slam the door behind my back. I walk
back and forth thinking of my next move.
‘Zaria Nel?ʼ Can I compete with a woman like her? She is
beautiful rich and intelligent.
Why does it have to be her?
I love Zach and I am not taking any chances, my biological clock
is ticking, I canʼt afford to lose a man like him.
He must marry me.
I am glad we had sex without using protection I just hope I fall
pregnant, that will be enough to trap him.
As I drive back home, I am in deep thoughts, I canʼt stop thinking
about what happened at Zachʼs house.
Canʼt believe Nigga has been seeing someone for the past three
months and he had the guts to confess his love to me.
Anyway Zach is the least of my problems I hope Oscar wonʼt
come back at me again, he needs to leave me alone.
Finally I get home I park my car in the driveway before I step out.
I lock my doors and walk towards the front door.
The door is locked, wonder where Yedda has gone too, hope she
gets back home before I sleep, I need to talk to her.
I shuffle through my purse for my keys. I find the keys and insert
them into the lock I unlock the door and push it open.
I step into the house slamming the door behind my back. Then I
head straight to my room, once inside my room I kick off my
shoes and strip out of my clothes.
I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower. Under the
water, I feel my muscles relax.
Shortly after, I step out of the bathroom and walk over to my
closet. I take out a clean underwear and dress.
When I am fully dressed I grab my phone and head to the
kitchen, I get myself some juice before going to the living room.
I am sitting on the couch texting Stephen, he wants to come
over but I donʼt feel like seeing anyone tonight.
Him- I really miss you babe, why canʼt I com over tonight?
Me- I am tired, I should be sleeping soon.
Him- Tomorrow
Me- Definitely
Him- Tomorrow it is
Me- Sure
I place my phone on the table and decide to watch some
television I have a lot on my mind I am not even paying attention
to the movie thatʼs playing on the TV.
The door creaks open several moments later and Yedda walks
in, she is carrying a large box of Pizza.
‘Hey,ʼ she says
‘Hey. How are you?ʼ
‘Fine and you?ʼ
She places the box on the table and sits on the couch across
from mine.
An awkward silence settles between us for a while before I finally
clear my throat and break the silence.
‘About yesterday and this morning,ʼ I begin.
‘I am sorry Zaria, I didnʼt mean to interfere in your life I just
wanted to….,ʼ
‘I know you were only looking out for me. I am sorry for acting
the way I did.ʼ
A huge smile plays across her lips, ‘I really sorry.
‘Itʼs okay I was fool to actually think I could have a stable
relationship with someone I just met online.ʼ
‘Itʼs not your fault we actually forced you to do this.ʼ
‘I have learnt my lesson.ʼ
‘What next?ʼ
‘I will break it off with these guys, I canʼt go up to ninety days.ʼ
‘I see.ʼ
‘Oscar came over at the office,ʼ I say before getting a slice of
pizza.
‘What did he want?ʼ
I take a deep breath as I begin to narrate the whole story to her.
‘He must be reported,ʼ she says
‘Yes, we can go and see Alex at Lunch tomorrow so you can
report that fool.ʼ
‘Thank you very much.ʼ
I am about to respond when the door bursts open startling both
Yedda and i.
‘Babies, I am home!ʼ Melanie screams
‘Aw!ʼ We quickly rise to our feet and run towards her. We wrap
our hands around her while screaming, welcome.
‘You fools are gonna kill me,ʼ she says pulling away from us.
‘We missed you too, goat.ʼ
She rolls her eyes, ‘Frogs.ʼ
‘Welcome back home,ʼ Yedda says
‘Tell me about everything I have missed.ʼ
We help her with her suitcase, ‘All in good time mummy.ʼ

-Episode Thirty Nine-

“At some point you have to realize that some people can stay in
your heart but not in your life.”

Zaria
Itʼs 6 in the morning and I am already awake, I have been up for
the past few hours, I find it hard to sleep these days.
I roll out of bed and undress I do my morning shuffle to the
bathroom with a towel wrapped around myself.
I step into the shower and begin washing my body. I am
humming to myself softly as take my shower.
I step out of the shower about ten minutes later, feeling so fresh
and relaxed. I walk back to my room and dry my body.
Afterwards, I walk to my closer and pick something to wear.
I flip through my closet trying to pick out what to wear. I picked a
peach body hugging dress and quickly get dressed. Afterwards I
apply some make up and pin my hair in a simple bun.
Walking out of my room to the kitchen, I hear a knock at the
front door.
I head for the door wondering who could be at the door this
early.
‘ʼI am coming,ʼ I shout and open staring at the person on the
other side shockingly.
There stands Wesley at my doorstep.
Silence reigns for about a minute. I clear my throat to get his
attention, arching his brow his gaze looks me up and down.
‘Hey,ʼ he finally says
‘Hey.ʼ
‘You look good, how are you?ʼ
‘I am fine and thanks, you donʼt look bad yourself.ʼ
He chuckles, ‘I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I should
pass by and say hi, itʼs been a while,ʼ he says
‘Oh,ʼ I respond surprised at how calm and collected I am.
‘I was hoping we could talk, perhaps over coffee,ʼ he says
I give him a quizzical look, ‘Talk about what?ʼ
‘Just catching up on stuff, I know we broke up but that doesnʼt
mean we canʼt be friends.ʼ
‘Not to sound rude but I donʼt think I have the time to go out with
you for coffee, I have a lot of stuff going on and you are the last
person I want to spend my time with.ʼ
‘Who is at the door?ʼ Melanie asks as she appears from the
other room.
I donʼt respond but I signal for her to come and see for herself.
She hurriedly walks to the door and opens it wider.
‘If it isnʼt Mwansa Kabinga, shonongo shetani, the devil himself,ʼ
Melanie exclaims, ‘Iwe Shetani, what are you doing here?ʼ she
asks
I canʼt help but burst into a fit of laughter, there is never a dull
moment with Melanie.
‘Hey Melanie!ʼ Wes says
‘Hey to yourself what are you doing here?ʼ
‘I just came to see Zaria.ʼ
‘Came to see Zaria for what? Is she your child? Are you in
anyway related?ʼ
He shakes his head.
‘Please leave,ʼ she says
‘I just want a minute of her time.ʼ
‘Sorry you canʼt have that, just leave and make this the last time
you show yourself here.ʼ
He shakes his head and looks at me, I shrug, I am not interested
in what he has to say.
‘I will leave then,ʼ he says.
‘Good.ʼ
Melanie pulls me back into the house and she shuts the door in
his face.

Wesley
I stare at the closed door for a minute before I leave. I just
wanted to spend some time with Zaria & talk, I miss having a
normal conversation with someone who will listen without
interrupting.
Lulu and I have been having so many arguments of late. And I
am having lots of doubts about her she is temperamental and
argumentative.
She is always lashing out at me and fighting over unnecessary
stuff. At first I thought it was the pregnancy but things are slowly
getting out of hand and I canʼt help but wonder if I made the
right decision choosing her over Zaria.

Sabrina
Itʼs almost ten when Zach pulls over in front of Café where I am
meeting Lulu for breakfast.
‘Thanks for driving me,ʼ I lean over and lightly kiss his lips.
‘You are welcome,ʼ He responds.
‘I will see you later.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
I open the car door and step out I wave at him before walking
towards the entrance. I walk in and scan the room for Lulu, soon
I spot her.
When she sees me she motions with a hand for me to walk to
her table.
‘Hello,ʼ I smile at her when I get to the table.
‘Hello my darling, you are glowing.ʼ
I smile.
Before sitting down I tell her that I will take care of our order. A
waitress soon approaches our table and we make an order.
‘Spit it out,ʼ she says when the waitress walks away.
‘What?ʼ
‘I want all the details.ʼ
‘Well Zach and I did the deed,ʼ I whisper
‘OMG,ʼ she exclaims, ‘You bitch.ʼ
‘I learnt from the best.ʼ
‘From the smile on your face, I donʼt need to ask whether he was
good or not.ʼ
‘Girl! He was more than I could ever imagine, nigga knows how
to use his thing, heʼs been doing me well I am so satisfied.ʼ
‘Bitch,ʼ she hits me playfully, ‘I hope you are pregnant.ʼ
‘I have been praying about this for a while now, I need to get
pregnant, I canʼt let this one pass me by.ʼ
‘And if you donʼt get pregnant, there is always plan B,ʼ she
laughs.
‘Yes oh.ʼ
‘So how are things between you and Wesley?ʼ
She rolls her eyes, ‘He has been a pain in the neck, lord that man
drives me crazy, we had an argument last night over my
spending. He expects me not to overspend on my wedding like
who does that?ʼ
I laugh, ‘He is a bum.ʼ
‘A black ugly bum, I am going all out on this wedding, I want the
world to talk. I want everyone to know that Lulu has finally
arrived.ʼ
‘Thatʼs the spirit girl.ʼ
‘You me,ʼ she laughs.
‘Now, I have gist for you girl,ʼ I say
‘Gist me.ʼ
‘You canʼt believe the woman Zach has been in love with.ʼ
‘Who?ʼ
‘Zaria.ʼ
‘As in Zaria Nel?ʼ
‘The one and only.ʼ
‘How?ʼ
I laugh before I narrate to her what happened the previous day.
‘I canʼt believe this, how could he do this to Wes?ʼ
‘I donʼt know too but please donʼt tell Wes about this, at least
not now. Zach will be mad at me.ʼ
‘Your secret is safe with me. Now that we know who the woman
he is in love with is we should make sure he stays with you.ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I will help you donʼt worry.ʼ
‘I know I can count on you.ʼ

-Episode Forty-
“Lucky are those who find true loyal friends in this fake world.”
Zaria
Thursday afternoon, I step out the elevator onto the fifteenth
floor. I walk past the front desk to my office.
I am just getting back from the police station where I went to
report Oscar for threatening and attacking me the other night.
I sit on my desk and turn my computer back on, when itʼs on, I
check my emails.
The door swings open a minute later, Melanie walks in and shuts
the door behind her back.
‘You are back?ʼ she asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘How did it go?ʼ
‘Good. Alex said they will summon Oscar to the police station
and warn him not to get close to me.ʼ
‘Thatʼs good, he should do that soon, that guy is a psycho.ʼ
‘He really is.ʼ
‘And the other two?ʼ
‘Brad is out of town, I will talk to him when he gets back. I am yet
to meet up with Stephen after work. I will break things off with
him.ʼ
‘Thatʼs my girl.ʼ
‘It was fun while it lasted.ʼ
‘And Zach?ʼ
‘I donʼt think I want to be in a relationship with anyone right now,
I wanna work on myself first, besides Zach already has
someone, I donʼt want any drama in my life.ʼ
‘Ya, I guess you are better off alone, you just need to completely
heal and focus on you. The right man will come when you least
expect it, you wonʼt even have to chase after him.ʼ
‘Thanks for being here babe,ʼ
‘Iʼve gat your back babe, you and Yedda are the only family I
have. Your happiness matters to me.ʼ
I smile, her words warm my heart I truly appreciate my minions.
What would I do without them? Aside from dad, Melanie and
Yedda are the only family I have got.
I stand up instantly and wrap my arms around Melanie catching
her by surprise. She holds me tight.
‘Have I told you how much you mean to me?ʼ I ask
‘You havenʼt,ʼ she laughs
‘Bum.ʼ
‘Sometimes you annoy me but I love you still. You and Yedda
mean so much to me, I would never trade you for anything.ʼ
‘I love you doll.ʼ
‘I love you even more.ʼ
She pulls away from me, ‘I donʼt wanna get all emotional so bye
bitch.ʼ
I roll my eyes, ‘Like really Bitch?ʼ
She laughs and heads for the door.
‘I will see you later.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
She walks out, shutting the door behind her. I stare the photo on
my desk itʼs a photo of us three.
‘Lord I donʼt know what I did to get these two but thank you.ʼ
I get back to my computer and finalize my reports, when I am
done I email them to my boss.
At exactly 17, Melanie and I step out of the office, itʼs been a
hectic day but thank itʼs almost over.
‘What time are you gonna be home?ʼ Melanie asks
‘Soon, I donʼt think I will be at Stephenʼs for long.ʼ
‘Okay, I am gonna cook a feast, come back fast.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
I get into my car and wave at her before driving off. I get to his
house almost an hour later. Stepping out of my car, I lock the
doors and walk down the pavement to the front door.
At the door, I ring the doorbell and wait for him to answer.
He opens the door with a huge smile on his face, a few minutes
later.
‘Hey!ʼ I say
‘Hey.ʼ
He opens the door wider and steps aside so I can walk in. I enter
and he closes the door. He walks me towards the living room
and asks me to sit.
‘Can I get you a drink?ʼ he asks as soon as I sit.
‘No.ʼ
‘So how have you been?ʼ he asks
‘I have been okay. How have you been yourself?ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
‘So?ʼ we say in unison
I laugh, ‘You go first.ʼ
‘No, you go first.ʼ
‘Well, I donʼt know how you will take this but I want out of this,ʼ
she says
‘You are dumping me?ʼ he asks
‘Kinda.ʼ
He draws in a quick breath ‘It was good while it lasted,ʼ he says
‘Just like that?ʼ I ask
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Cool,ʼ I stand up.
‘Wait a minute,ʼ he says
‘Tsup.ʼ
‘Can I be honest with you?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I am married and I have one child,ʼ he says
My eyes widen in shock, ‘What?ʼ
He is about to say something when a loud knock sounds at the
door.
‘Excuse me,ʼ he walks towards the door.
I stand still in one spot did he just say he is married? How?

Stephen
I open the door to find a strange man standing at my door.
‘Can I help you?ʼ I ask
‘I am here for Zaria,ʼ he says, the anger is evident in his face.
‘And who are you?ʼ I ask
He merrily glares at me before he pushes past me and walks into
the house as if he owns it.
‘I donʼt know who you think you are but this is my house and I
will not allow you to just walk in as you please.ʼ
He ignores me and marches towards the living room.
‘Oscar!ʼ exclaims
‘You slut,ʼ he barks.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ she asks
‘I should be asking you the same thing,ʼ he says
She shakes her head, ‘I donʼt know what you want from me
Oscar but please leave me alone.ʼ
‘I know you had me reported at the police station but even that
didnʼt stop me from stalking you.ʼ
‘Have you been watching me?ʼ she asks
He laughs, ‘I knew you were seeing someone else, I stalked you
only because I wanted to confirm my suspicions.ʼ
‘I donʼt know whatʼs going on here but this is my house and I am
gonna ask you to leave now?ʼ I tell the mystery man.
He looks at me then back at Zaria.
‘I said leave,ʼ I yell.

Zaria
‘Please leave Oscar,ʼ I plead with him.
‘I am gonna have to call the police if you donʼt leave,ʼ Step says
Oscar shoots him a deadly look before he unexpectedly
pounces on him. He punches him hard in the face, the blow
lands hard, Steph falls on the ground knocked out.
‘Oscar!ʼ I scream
‘This is for sleeping with my woman,ʼ Oscar kicks Steph in his
groin a couple of times.
I hold his hand, ‘you are gonna kill him,ʼ I scream
‘You bitch,ʼ he yells, ‘This is your entire fault.ʼ
He is angry, I can see it in his eyes he looks like a different
person not the Oscar I know.
‘I should have known you are all the same,ʼ he yells slapping me
hard across my face.
‘Leave me alone,ʼ I scream
‘Shut up.ʼ
‘You fool.ʼ
He pulls a gun from inside the pocket of his long coat and points
it at me.
I shut up instantly.
‘You are going with me,ʼ he says
‘What?ʼ
He grabs my hand.
Steph is about to stand up but Oscar threatens him with a gun.
‘You stand up you die,ʼ he says.
He tightens his grip on my hand and walks me out of the house
to his car.
‘Get in,ʼ he says
I get in the front seat without arguing with him. Once in the car,
someone grabs me from behind, wrapping a cloth around my
face. Before I know it, itʼs lights out for me.

-Episode Forty one-

“Show me a gambler and I will show you a loser.” Mario Puzo
Zaria
The sunlight glazes through the window, I open my eyes slowly.
My head is woozy and I am so thirsty, my tongue is cleaving to
the roof of my mouth.
Looking around the large room, I realise I am in a strange room
lying on a strange bed. How did I end up here? When I attempt
to sit, a sharp pain shoots through the back of my head.
I sit on that bed for what seems like an eternity but my mind is
still fuzzy about where I am.
Itʼs not until the door creaks open and Oscar walks in that I
remember what happened.
‘You are finally awake?ʼ he smiles at me
I frown did this man just kidnap me? What have I brought upon
myself?
‘Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?ʼ he asks
I open my mouth to speak but stop suddenly, what can I possibly
say to him? I am speechless.
‘Zaria I asked you a question,ʼ he scowls at me
I choose to remain quiet, I donʼt have the strength to talk to him,
let him do his worst.
‘Answer me?ʼ he yells
I stand up and walk towards the window, pretending like I didnʼt
hear what he just said.
‘Zaria,ʼ he runs up to me and grabs my arm. ‘I am talking to you.ʼ
More silence
‘Zaria!ʼ he yells right in my ear making me push him away from
me with so much force he almost falls.
‘You want me to use violence?ʼ he roars
‘What the fuck is wrong with you?ʼ I yell angrily. ‘Why did you
fucking bring me here?ʼ
‘Are you hungry?ʼ he asks ignoring my questions
‘No!ʼ I snap. ‘I donʼt want your food I just want to get out of this
place.ʼ
‘I am not letting you out of here.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘I poured my heart out to you I told you how much I loved you.
What did you do? You went and cheated on me with that riffraff,
all I did was love you Zaria.ʼ
‘How sure are you I cheated on you with him? What if I cheated
on him with you?ʼ
‘What do you mean?ʼ
‘Never mind, so what do you want from me?ʼ
‘I want to marry you.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Marry me?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You must be joking.ʼ
‘I am not joking.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Wonders shall never end.ʼ
‘Wait here,ʼ he walks out of the room locking the door behind
him.
He walks back in a minute later, getting down on one knee he
pulls out a small box from behind his back.
‘I thought of you when I saw this so I instantly bought it,ʼ he says
opening the box to show me a beautiful ring.
‘I love you Zaria Nel, I canʼt wait any longer, will you agree to
marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?ʼ
‘Lord!ʼ My eyes widen in shock and I feel my mouth gaping open,
like who does this?
‘I know things have been rocky between us but I will make it up
to you please marry me?ʼ
I burst into a fit of laughter, wondering if this is happening or
maybe itʼs a figment of my imagination.
‘You are making funny of me?ʼ he snaps at me
‘You are being dramatic.ʼ
‘I am being serious Zaria, I love you and I want to marry you.ʼ
I laugh some more, ‘Mama said they would be days like this,ʼ I
say
His face suddenly turns red with rage and he stands up then he
removes the ring from the box and hurls it.
‘Did you just reject my proposal?ʼ he asks. I can see the rage
apparent in his eyes.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘You rejected me?ʼ
‘I donʼt love you, is it by force now?ʼ I yell
‘And now you are raising your voice at me.ʼ
‘Just let me go.ʼ
‘Zaria!ʼ he grabs my arm but I push him aside and plan to make
my escape. I reach for the door, open it and run down the hall
which leads to the kitchen door.
I am about to pull the door open when he catches up with me
and grabs me from behind.
‘Leave me alone,ʼ I scream
My screams fall on deaf ears as he places his hand around my
neck squeezing me tightly. I try to free myself from his grasp but
his grip gets tighter.
 I try to scream for help but there is little air left in my lungs and
no sounds come out.
‘I will kill you,ʼ he screams
After what seems like forever he lets go of me then he pushes
me with so much force and I fall onto the ground hitting my head
on the tiled floor.
The dull thud echoes throughout the room before I fall into
unconsciousness.

Yedda
I am staring at my computer screen reading the final script for
the report I will be presenting in the morning- I think itʼs almost
perfect, I just need to make one or two adjustments.
I am ripped from my reverie by the sound of my ringing phone. I
pick it up and answer without checking the caller id.
‘Hello.ʼ
‘Babe.ʼ
‘Hey baby.ʼ
‘Are you home now?ʼ
I sigh loudly, ‘Not yet babe.ʼ
‘Still at the office?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Babe, itʼs late.ʼ
‘I just wanted to finish working on my script.ʼ
‘Couldnʼt you have done it from home?ʼ
‘I canʼt concentrate at home the girls are always making noise.ʼ
‘My place is always open.ʼ
I laugh, ‘You always distract me so no thank you.ʼ
‘I wanted to see you, I miss you.ʼ
‘I miss you even more.ʼ
‘So can I see you tonight?ʼ
‘Yes, let me just pack up and head home, you can come and pick
me from home.ʼ
‘Are you gonna be safe?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Alright. See you soon.ʼ
‘Later babe.ʼ
‘I love you.ʼ
‘I love you too.ʼ
I hung up the phone and focus my eyes back on my computer, I
go through one more time then I click save and shut down the
computer.
I yawn loudly as I stand up and pack my things into my bag, itʼs
almost twenty hours, I decided to work late tonight because we
have an important meeting tomorrow and I have to make a
presentation.
I step out of my office, closing the door behind my back.
‘You are off?ʼ Cecilia asks
Cecilia is a colleague she has been working late the past few
days - she is in charge of one of our major projects in our
department.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I am almost done too.ʼ
‘Should I wait for you?ʼ
‘No. its okay you can leave.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Drive safely.ʼ
‘See you tomorrow.ʼ
I wave at her as I walk to the elevator. I step into the elevator and
press ground floor. I step out a minute later and directly walk
towards my car.
When get to my car, I pull out my car keys and just as I am about
to open my car door, a hand clamps tightly over my mouth.
‘I warned you to stop going after my man but you didnʼt listen.
You leave me with no option but to kill you,ʼ a familiar voice said.

-Episode Forty Two-

Yedda
‘Shh, one word and you are dead,ʼ she whispers again.
This time I have no doubt its Trish damn this girl, I should have
dealt with her when I had the chance.
‘If at all you value your life, you will do as told,ʼ another person
says and this time around itʼs a man. His voice is dark and husky,
it send shivers down my spine.
My heart begins to race as they drag me away from my car.
Strong hands are covering my nostrils making it hard for me to
breath.
I canʼt scream even if I want to because my mouth has been
stuffed with a cloth.
They drag me behind the building, itʼs dark and most people
have already left. The possibility of being rescued here is zero to
none.
‘A miracle thatʼs all I need right now.ʼ
Trish
I warned her to stay away from my man but she didnʼt listen, I
have been patient with her but this is where I call it quits. She
needs to go, thatʼs the only way Alex will be with me.
And even if he doesnʼt end up with me, I will make sure he ends
up with nobody. He doesnʼt deserve to be happy with someone
else.
‘I wonʼt even waste much of your time, you know why I dragged
you out like this,ʼ I say when we get to the other side of the
building where itʼs darker and a little isolated.
I pull out a knife from my pocket and without hesitation I stab her
in the chest.

Cecilia
I stand up and yawn out loudly, I just finished working on my
report. My entire body aches itʼs been a busy day. Clicking off
my computer, I pack my stuff and sling my handbag over my
shoulder.
I turn off the lights and walk out of my office its quiet and dark.
I know most people would be terrified about being the last ones
at the office but I love me some quiet time. I work better when
everyone is gone.
I walk up to the elevator and press ground floor, it starts to move
taking me down to the parking lot. At the parking lot, I am
surprised to find Yeddaʼs car. We always park our cars next to
each other so I know it very well.
She left about two hours ago, what is car still doing here? I
wonder
I walk closer to her car and thatʼs when I notice her bag on the
ground. I pick it up.
‘Something is wrong somewhere.ʼ
Getting into my car, I drive to the security guard on duty.
‘How can I help you madam C?ʼ he asks
‘Has Miss Dawson left?ʼ I ask
He nods his head, ‘I thought the two of you are working late.ʼ
‘She left the office about two hours ago but her car is still here
and I found her bag next to her car.ʼ
‘She hasnʼt left this place,ʼ he says
‘Did you check her car?ʼ
‘I peeped through the windows it looks empty.ʼ
‘We need to look for her.ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Let me just call for backup.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ

Alex
I pull up in front of Yeddaʼs house and step out of my car, as I
walk towards the door, I try calling her again it keeps ringing but
no answer. I tried to call her before I started off but she didnʼt
pick.
I knock on the door and wait, Melanie opens it a minute later. A
huge smile spreads across her face when she sees me.
‘Long time my nigga,ʼ she says
‘Long time indeed. How are you?ʼ
‘Laka! You?ʼ
‘I am okay.ʼ
‘Good to see you.ʼ
‘Good to see you too.ʼ
‘I am here for my ill mama, is she here?ʼ
‘Nah! she hasnʼt gotten back from work.ʼ
‘Thatʼs strange,ʼ I say
‘She said she would be working late.ʼ
‘I know she was working late but I called her about forty five
minutes ago and she said she was heading home.ʼ
‘Tried calling her?ʼ
‘She is not picking.ʼ
She opens the door wider, ‘Come in, let me try and call her using
my phone.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
I step in and close the door behind my back, we get into the
living room and I sit down. Melanie grabs her phone from her
table and dials her line.
She tries calling for about five times but no one picks.
‘Maybe she is driving,ʼ she says
‘She always answers her phone even when she is driving,ʼ I say
‘Ya itʼs strange that she hasnʼt picked up but letʼs wait she
should be here shortly. Can I offer you anything to drink?ʼ
‘I am cool.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ

Zach
‘See what you made me do,ʼ I scream at Zaria who is lying on the
floor. ‘Get up and face me?ʼ I yell
When she doesnʼt get up, I get down beside her and shake her
but get no response. Panic sets in when I notice the blood on the
floor.
‘Wait, did I just kill her?ʼ My heart slams hard against my chest
at the thought of murdering someone I canʼt afford to go to jail.
‘Zaria, wake up,ʼ i shake her but still no response.
I quickly pick my phone from the table and call my best friendʼs
number.
‘Dude,ʼ he answers almost immediately
‘Where are you?ʼ
‘I am home.ʼ
‘I need your help.ʼ
‘I am all ears.ʼ
‘You need to come over now.ʼ
‘Whatʼs going on?ʼ
‘I canʼt explain over the phone but please come immediately itʼs
a matter of life and death.ʼ
‘You are scaring me.
‘Dude just come,ʼ I snap
‘Okay will there shortly.ʼ
I end the call and wait patiently for Andy to arrive. I am walking
back and forth anxiously when he finally walks in about thirty
minutes later.
‘What have you done?ʼ he asks
I point at Zaria, ‘I think I killed her.ʼ
‘Dude?ʼ he gives me a quizzical look. ‘Again?ʼ he asks
‘It was an accident,ʼ I respond
‘You said that the first time.ʼ
He walks towards her and gets down besides her, he puts his
hand on her neck checking for a pulse.
‘What?ʼ I ask
No response
‘Is she dead?ʼ
‘Yes. You killed her
A wave of fear sweeps through me, ‘Are you sure?ʼ
‘I donʼt know but she looks dead.ʼ
‘What do we do?ʼ
‘You know what should be done,ʼ he responds
‘Not again.ʼ
‘Itʼs the only way out or you want us to go to the police station
and report this.ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘Then letʼs do it.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
We wrap her body up in a blanket then tie her legs and feet with
a rope. Afterwards, we pull her body out of the house and half
carry-half drag her to the car.
Afterwards, we stuff her body into the trunk of the car.
‘I will drive,ʼ Andy says
‘Cool,ʼ I reply
We get into the car and he drive out really fast.
‘What happened?ʼ he asks
‘When she woke up she became rebellious, I asked her to marry
me but she mocked me.ʼ
‘And?ʼ
‘She kicked me and ran for the door, I caught up with her and
strangled her, I think she hid her head hard.ʼ
‘This is really messed up but I think you have to go into hiding
after this.ʼ
‘I will.ʼ
‘Cool.ʼ
We drive to the rural area in the outskirts of town and step out of
the car. We open the trunk and carry her body out before
dumping it next to a garbage site.
Then we back into the car and Andy drives of very fast, spinning
tires and he doesnʼt slow down until we get a mile down the
road.
When we finally get home, he hands me a bottle of whiskey.
‘You need this,ʼ he says
I sit on the couch and drown my sorrows in my whiskey I loved
Zaria I seriously didnʼt intend to kill her. Tears begin to stream
down my face as the events of the day flash before my eyes.
‘You are crying?ʼ he laughs
‘I loved her.ʼ
‘You will find someone else,ʼ he takes a sip from the bottle of
whiskey.
‘Hell yes I will.ʼ
We burst out laughing.

Melanie
I dial Yeddaʼs line for what seems like the hundredth time that
evening but she doesnʼt answer. I try Zariaʼs line and it takes me
straight to voicemail, frustrated I place my phone on the table.
‘This is strange,ʼ Zach says, she should have been here some
hours ago.
‘They both should have been here a long time ago,ʼ I worriedly
say
‘Itʼs getting late, I am worried too.ʼ
‘I think we need to go to Yeddaʼs place of work and find out,ʼ he
says
‘Sure.ʼ
I grab my phone and just we are about to walk out of the door,
my phone rings. I answer it without checking the caller id.
‘Melanie you need to come to the hospital right away,ʼ the voice
on the other end says
‘Hospital? why?ʼ
‘We are heading to the University Teaching Hospital, you need to
come itʼs a matter of life and death.ʼ
‘Whatʼs happening?ʼ I ask
Zach grabs the phone from my hand so he can talk to the
person on the other side of the line because my hands are
trembling.
‘Hello, whatʼs going on?ʼ he asks
‘What?ʼ he asks a minute later, dropping my phone to the
ground.

-Episode Forty Three-

Trish
I step out of the car and march towards the door. I push the
door open and walk into the house with queasy steps. My hands
and dress are covered with blood & i still have the knife I used to
stab her in my hands.
‘Trish!ʼ Maureen screams when she sees me.
I roll my eyes and try to walk past her but she grabs my hand,
‘What?ʼ I yell
‘What have you done?ʼ she asks with eyes full of concern.
Sometimes I feel this woman cares for me more than my own
mother.
‘Maureen please, just let me be,ʼ I whisper pleadingly.
‘My child,ʼ she says, ‘Talk to me.ʼ
‘For the love of God, just leave me alone.ʼ
‘Fine,ʼ she says
I walk to my room, I am glad mum is not home because I am
seriously not ready to face her. I get in and lock the door behind
me.
I stand in front of the mirror and stare at my reflection, I just
stabbed someone, I have no regrets I killed her because she
deserves it. Alex is mine.
Stripping off my clothes, I walk into my bathroom. I turn the tap
on full and stand under the shower and let the water pound my
body. Then I quickly wash the blood off my hands.
I soap every inch of my body from the tips of my toes to my
head. I close my eyes and memories of the night flood my mind.
After I stabbed her the first time, she groaned in pain. I quickly
removed the knife from the wound and then stabbed her again.
Because of the darkness I had no idea where I stabbed her the
second time but when she finally rolled off and kept quiet I knew
I had done enough.
‘We have to go,ʼ the man I was with said
‘Do you think she is dead?ʼ I asked
‘Yes, come on now before someone starts looking for her.ʼ
We jumped through the fence and ran across the street to where
my car was parked.
‘She deserves it,ʼ I tell myself over and over again before I turn
off the tap and step out of the shower.
Pulling a towel from the rail, I wrap it around my body and walk
to the sink & wash the blood off the knife until it is shiny.
When I get back into my room, I grab a bottle of beer, uncap it
and quickly gulp down a deep slug of it.
‘Yes! I killed her,ʼ I let out a huff of laughter.
An hour later, I am so drunk I can hardly stand straight I fling
myself down on my bed and hide my face in my pillow.

Melanie
As soon as Alex pulls up in front of the hospital, I get out, slam
the door and run as fast as I can to the entrance. I try to get my
breath when I get to the front.
‘Melanie!ʼ Cecilia calls as soon as she sees me.
‘I walk up to her.ʼ
‘Where is Yedda? What happened to her?ʼ I ask breathing
heavily.
‘You need to calm down,ʼ she says
‘I need to see Yedda where is she?ʼ I ask
Alex walks up to me a minute later, he gives my hand a light
squeeze and encourages me to breath. I draw in a sharp breath
and let it out slowly.
‘She was stabbed.ʼ
‘Stabbed?ʼ My heart slams against my chest and tears flood my
eyes. ‘Is she dead?ʼ I ask
‘She is still alive, the doctors are attending to her we are waiting
for news.ʼ
‘What happened?ʼ Alex asks trying to get as much information
as he could
‘Both Yedda and I were working late tonight but she left earlier
than me. I was surprised to find her car still parked next to mine
two hours later when I stepped out of the building.ʼ
‘Yes?ʼ
‘I immediately alerted the security guard on duty and they
launched a search around the premises. She was found lying
unconscious in the pool of her own blood.ʼ
‘Did they find the person who stabbed her?ʼ he asks
‘No,ʼ she shakes her head.
‘Yedda! Such a sweet soul, who would want to hurt you?ʼ I ask
tears running down my face.
‘Itʼs gonna be fine,ʼ Alex says even though I know deep down she
doesnʼt believe those words, I can see the fear in his eyes he is
as scared as I am.
I pull out my phone and dial Zariaʼs line again- her line is still off.
Where is Zaria when I need her the most?
‘Still off?ʼ Alex asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Let me make a few phone calls and see if my colleagues can
head over to Oscarʼs house to check for her.ʼ
‘She went to see Stephen.ʼ
‘Well we can check both sides just to make sure she is safe and
sound.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ I whisper
‘You are welcome.ʼ
I watch him walk out as he goes to make that phone call. I sit on
the floor and star at the wall thinking of absolutely nothing, my
mind is kinda blank.
Alex walks back in a few minutes later and hands me a cup of
coffee.
‘Thank you,ʼ I say taking a sip from it.
‘I have sent someone to check on Zaria.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
We sit quietly in that waiting room for what seems like an
eternity, I feel like I am about to run mad. We havenʼt gotten any
news on both girls.
The tears in my eyes canʼt stop pouring and my stomach is
constricted into knots, I have a sinking feeling at the pit of my
stomach, something bad is about to happen.
Eventually a nurse comes into the waiting room, ‘Yedda Dawson,ʼ
she says
I quickly rise to my feet and walk over to her.
‘And you are?ʼ
‘I am her sister,ʼ I respond
She gives me a warm weary smile, ‘Your friend is out of surgery
and she has stabilized.ʼ
I sigh in relief.
‘She is very fortunate that her wounds werenʼt very deep
otherwise it could have been fatal if she hadnʼt been brought
here on time. Luckily the stabs didnʼt damage any vital organs
but she lost quiet a lot of blood.ʼ
‘Can we see her?ʼ Alex asks
‘Yes, though she is still unconscious, she might wake up
between today and tomorrow.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
The nurse leads us to where she is and she asks us to walk in
one at a time. I walk in first.
‘Oh my baby,ʼ tears start flowing down my cheeks again.
She is lying on a hospital bed hooked up to several machines.
Her face looks pale and her eyelids look kinda bluish. Her
breathing is slow and the monitor on the other side is beeping
bit by bit.
‘I will find the person who did this to you. I swear I will,ʼ I say
before I walk out. I canʼt stand to see her in that state, my heart
is breaking and as if this isnʼt enough Zaria is missing.
‘Mwelesa, let your eyes shine on us, heal my baby and let Zaria
come back safe and sound.ʼ
Wiping the tears from my eyes, I walk out of the ward.
‘Are you okay?ʼ Alex asks when I walk out.
I nod my head.
‘You can go in.ʼ
Before he responds, the phone in his hands vibrate.
‘Excuse me, I have to pick this.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
He quickly walks off.
‘You can go in,ʼ I tell Cecilia
‘Sure.ʼ
Alex returns a few minutes later, he has an odd look on his face.
‘I have some bad news,ʼ he says
‘What could be worse than this?ʼ
‘Both Oscar and Stephen are nowhere to be found, Zariaʼs car
was found flipped just off the side of the road.ʼ
‘And Zaria?ʼ
‘She is nowhere to be found, her bag and phone were in her car.ʼ
‘Can this get any worse?ʼ I drop to my knees as my heart breaks
for the billionth time this night.

-Episode Forty four

‘When lifeʼs a mess, thereʼs a must,ʼ Monica
Xavier
I am driving steadily along the lonely road that leads to my
house. As I turn on the radio, a familiar song starts to quietly play
I tilt my head back for a moment and listen.
‘Daddy was an old time preacher man he preached the word of
God throughout the land, he preached so plain a child could
understand. Yes daddy was an old time preacher man.ʼ
My lips curve up in the faintest of smiles as the soft tune echoes
through the car. I remember singing this song when I was a little
boy and my mother would accompany me with a piano.
As i reminisce over the good old days I find myself humming
along, even so far as to sing along with the chorus.
‘In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore,
Iʼm on my way to Canaanʼs land, yes daddy was an old time
preacher man.ʼ
As the song comes to an end, I realize that I need to relieve
myself. I pull over to the side of the road and step out of my car.
The cold wind outside hits my face and I groan.
I yawn, walking a distance away from my car carrying a torch
light in one hand. I relieve myself, peeing for what seems like a
long time.
Once I finish, I head back towards the car. I have my torch
pointing in the direction where I have parked my car.
I am about to get into my car when I hear a dogʼs plaintive wail. I
freeze in my tracks for a second, the dog barks again, louder
and insistent.
‘What is happening?ʼ I ask no one in particular.
I have never heard a dog bark in that intense way, I move my
torch left and right and notice where the dog is barking from.
It looks like the dog is barking at something I turn and walk
towards it. My heart beats faster than normal as I get closer.
I point my torch downwards and alas, it is a body of a woman
and she is wrapped in some cloth, both her hands and legs are
tied with a rope.
I look around me just in case this is a trap and the people who
dumped the body are still around. This place looks deserted so
they are gone.
The dog runs off as I get down on my knees and take a closer
look, itʼs actually a woman and it seems she was recently
dumped here.
I put her hand on her neck to check her pulse, it is very faint. I
breathe a sigh of relieve in finding that she is still alive but simply
unconscious.
The poor woman, why would someone subject her to this kind of
cruelty, I scoop her into my arms and quickly make my way to my
car.
There is no time to untie her, I place her at the back of the car
and shut it before I go round to the driverʼs seat.
With my eyes forwards and both my hands on the wheel I drive
off. I press the gas pedal further down as I sped away from here.
After a short length of driving, I stop in front of my farm house. I
step out of the car and carry her in my hands and into the house.
My daughter Xandria is sitting on the couch when I walk in, she
rises to her feet when she sees me. She has a quizzical look on
her face.
‘Call the doctor I will explain later,ʼ I say
‘Okay,ʼ she quickly grabs her phone.
I take the woman into one of the spare rooms and lay her on the
bed then I untie her legs and arms.
‘The doctor is on the way, who is she?ʼ Xandria asks
‘I donʼt know.ʼ
‘What do you mean you donʼt know?ʼ she shots me a curious
look
‘I just found her lying somewhere in the woods.ʼ
‘And what where you doing in the woods?ʼ
‘Taking a piss.ʼ
She laughs, ‘Old habits die hard.ʼ
I roll my eyes at her.
‘She is beautiful,ʼ she says
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Nana has left?ʼ I ask
‘Yes, I told her to leave since it was getting late.ʼ
‘Sorry for getting back late, I got carried away and didnʼt notice
the time.ʼ
‘Itʼs okay,ʼ she smiles.
I smile back at her, she is too mature for her age, she is only 15
yet she behaves as though she is in her 3oʼs.
Xandria is the only valuable person I have in this world since her
mother died about 12 years ago itʼs always been her and I
against this world.
An awkward silence settles between us as we wait for the
doctor. A doctor at the door startles both my daughter and I,
waking us from our reverie.
‘That must be the doctor,ʼ she says
‘I will get it,ʼ I stand up and walk out.
I pull the door open and find the Doctor standing on my
doorstep. We exchange greetings and I usher him in.
I tell him all about the woman I picked as we walk to the spare
bedroom.
‘Hey Doctor,ʼ Xandria extends her hand to him.
‘Hey young woman,ʼ he shakes her hand.
‘How are you?ʼ
‘I am better than you.ʼ
‘You are sure?ʼ
‘Very sure.ʼ
‘We shall see about that.ʼ
She giggles
‘Thatʼs her,ʼ I point at her
‘Will you excuse me?ʼ he asked
‘Okayʼ Xandria and I walked out.
We sat in the living room anxiously waiting for what seemed like
eternity. Eventually the doctor walked out of the room, I instantly
stood up.
‘How is she?ʼ
‘I have run some test she suffered a concussion,ʼ he says
‘But is she going to be fine?ʼ I ask hopefully
‘Yes she will be fine thereʼs been some swelling on her brain. I
am treating her with oxygen right now to make sure the brain
gets what it needs.ʼ
‘When is she likely to wake up?ʼ
‘She could wake up tomorrow but she will need a lot of rest
because she is going to be dealing with headaches, dizzy spells
and nausea for some time.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘When she wakes up make sure you keep her calm.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘I will be back in the morning to check on her progress, feel free
to call me when need arises.ʼ
‘Thank you so much buddy.ʼ
‘Thatʼs what friends are for,ʼ he smiles, ‘I guess I will see you
tomorrow.ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Good night sweetie,ʼ he tells Xandria
‘Night Doc,ʼ she responds
I walk him to the door and when he finally leaves I lock the door
behind my back. I hope I donʼt regret helping this stranger and
bringing her into my house.

Trish
“Trish!ʼ A familiar voice loudly calls my name.
‘What?ʼ
‘I have finally found you,ʼ she responds
‘What do you want from me?ʼ
‘You! I want you.ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘I am coming for you,ʼ she laughs out loud
I try to run but I fail, itʼs like my feet are rooted in the ground. I
canʼt move.
‘Leave me alone,ʼ I scream even though I canʼt see her, I can only
hear her voice.
‘No,ʼ she screams, louder
Finally she appears in front of me, she is wearing a white dress
which is covered in blood. Her skin looks pale, her lips are
parted and blood drizzles from the corner of her mouth. Her
eyes are blazing red and they bore into mine, itʼs as if she can
through me.
Panic sets in as she intently stares at me, then she pounces on
me and begins to bite my arm.
‘No!ʼ I scream my voice louder and higher. ʼLeave me alone.ʼ
My eyes shoot open and I sit up on my bed, it was just a dream.
Sweat and tears run down my cheeks. I can feel the rapid
beating of my heart through my clothing.
‘It was just a dream,ʼ I say to myself once more
I take a deep breath and try to calm down the fast pace of my
heart. Finally I push the covers off my legs and put my feet on
the floor.
I make my way into the bathroom and splash some cold water on
my face.
‘Maybe itʼs time I went to see charlotte,ʼ I think to myself. ‘Yes I
must see Charlotte today but first I need to visit Alex.ʼ
I walk back into my room and grab my phone, ‘Itʼs 5 in the
morning. I wonʼt be going back to sleep I better start my day.

-Episode Forty five-

Trish
At 6 am, I walk into the bathroom and run a bath for myself
making due with shampoo as my bubble bath. The minute I step
into the tub, all the tense muscles in my body start to relax.
I soak in the hot tub for nearly thirty minutes when I decide itʼs
time to get out. I dry myself with a towel and walk out of the
bathroom to my room.
A few minutes later I am standing in front of the mirror, I am clad
in a long black dress with a long slit on one side, tall black heels
and black painted lips. I comb out my hair and let it fall on my
shoulders.
Satisfied with my looks, I grab my bag then head downstairs.
‘Morning,ʼ Maureen politely greets me
‘Morning,ʼ I respond with a smile, I am in a good mood.
‘You look happy,ʼ she says
‘I am happy.ʼ
She pulls back a chair for me at the dining table and pours me a
cup of coffee then she places some slices of bread, eggs and
bacon on my plate.
‘Enjoy your meal,ʼ she says
‘Thank you.ʼ
I quietly eat my breakfast, when I am done I stand up and walk
towards the door. I walk outside to the beautiful warm sun hitting
my skin.
Getting into my car, I drive off to Alexʼs house. I pull up in front of
his gate about an hour later. Stepping out of my car I lock my
doors and push the gate open.
I walk to the door and knock twice Alex opens the door a minute
later.
‘Morning.ʼ
‘Morning, what do you want?ʼ he asks
‘Canʼt I visit an old friend again?ʼ
‘I have had a rough night and I donʼt have the time to entertain
you so state your cause and leave.ʼ
‘We used to be best of friends Alex,ʼ I begin
‘Used to be,ʼ he says cutting me short before I can finish.
‘What happened to us?ʼ
‘You happened.ʼ
‘Me?ʼ
‘Leave,ʼ he says, his tone is cold and harsh
‘Whatʼs going on? Is Yedda okay?ʼ I ask
He shakes his head, ‘If I find out you are responsible for what
happened to Yedda, I will strangle you with my bare hands,ʼ he
growls
‘What is that supposed to mean? Is Yedda dead?ʼ I ask curiously
‘You wish,ʼ he responds
‘Whatʼs going on?ʼ
‘Hereʼs the truth,ʼ he begins, ‘When I lost Janet, something told
me you had something to do with her accidents, there was
nothing leading to you hence a case could not be opened
against you but if I find out you tried to hurt Yedda in any way, I
swear to God I will shoot you Trish.ʼ
‘But Alex,ʼ I grab his arm he yanks his arm off mine.
‘Make this the last time you show your filthy face in my house,ʼ
he screams before he walks back into the house shutting the
door in my face.
I stand at his door for a second, thinking about what just
happened? Does it mean that stupid girl is still alive? Itʼ canʼt be.
I killed her.
After a minute or so, I march out of his compound to my car I get
in and sped off.
‘She has to die, she must die,ʼ I keep telling myself as I drive to
Charlotteʼs office.
I get to Charlotteʼs office and I am told she is off work for the
next two weeks because she has travelled.
‘Fuck!ʼ I curse before I walk out there feeling angrier than before,
I am gonna kill someone, I can feel it.
I get back to my car and pull out my phone from my bag, I dial
his number and he picks up instantly.
‘She didnʼt die,ʼ I yell. ‘The stupid bitch is alive.ʼ
‘How come?ʼ
‘How am I supposed to know? I thought I did enough damage.ʼ
‘What next?ʼ
‘Find out which hospital she is at and finish her off, she should
leave to see tomorrow.ʼ
He laughs, ‘It is done madam.ʼ
‘Good.ʼ
‘Let me get to work.ʼ
‘When you get rid of her today, I will triple your pay.ʼ
‘Thatʼs a small thing,ʼ he laughs again.
‘Awesome.ʼ
As soon as that call ends, my phone vibrates indicating a text
message.
‘Morning my darling,ʼ I smile as I read the text from Ezra, just the
person I need to see.
‘Morning,ʼ I respond
‘Where are you?ʼ he asks
‘Town.ʼ
‘Can he see you?ʼ
‘And your wife?ʼ
‘She has already left for work, so you can come over.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Canʼt wait to see you.ʼ
‘Same here.ʼ
I place my phone on the car seat and drive over to his house.
When I get there, I park my car in front of the gate and walk in.
I take a deep breath and then knock at the door of the house,
when no one answers I knock again louder this time.
I hear a thud inside the house and then the door opens. I am
surprised to see Ezraʼs wife at the door instead of him.

Melanie
I wake up in the morning feeling the weight of the world on my
shoulders, I couldnʼt sleep last night, how could I when Yedda
was lying in a hospital bed and Zaria was nowhere to be seen.
I rise out of bed with a groan and drag myself toward the
bathroom. I stand in front of my bathroom mirror and stare at my
unfriendly reflection. My eyes are red and puffy plus there are
dark sockets under them.
I take a quick bath and walk back to my room. I put on a t-shirt
and a pair of jeans then I slip my feet into a pair of sneakers.
As I tie down my hair, my phone vibrates suddenly announcing
an incoming call I pick it up and answer.
‘Morning Darling,ʼ the familiar voice says on the other end of the
line.
‘Pappy!ʼ I manage a weak smile
‘How are you holding up this morning?ʼ
‘So, so.ʼ
‘Donʼt worry, Yedda will be fine and Zaria will be found. I will do
everything I can to find her.ʼ
‘Please do.ʼ
‘It shall be fine, he says.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘I am on my way to the office I will be meeting up with some top
investigators then afterwards I will meet you at the hospital. I
want Yedda transferred to a private hospital.ʼ
‘Thank you daddy,ʼ I say
‘You and Yedda are like my daughters too, I have to see to it that
you are taken care of.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ I say again, this man is more of a father to me than
my own father. I have never met someone this loving and
selfless.
‘You are welcome,ʼ he laughs. ‘And stop thanking me.ʼ
‘I canʼt help it.ʼ
‘And least I forget I have sent Aaron to pick you up. He will drive
you to the hospital and keep an eye on you.ʼ
Aaron is one of his drivers.
‘Okay.ʼ
He hangs up the phone and finish getting ready. As soon as I am
done, I get done on my knees and bow my head in prayer.
‘Dear Lord, please bring Zaria back home safely and heal Yedda.
I come against any plots and plans of the enemy upon their lives
in Jesus name. Amen.ʼ
A knock sounds at the door just as I say Amen I grab my bag and
phone and walk out of the door, slamming it shut behind my
back. Then I lock up.
‘Morning,ʼ Aaron politely greets me.
‘Hey.ʼ
‘Shall we?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
We quietly walk to his car once we get in he drives me to the
hospital. He pulls up in front of the hospital about an hour later
then he steps out and opens the door for me. We walk towards
the entrance of the hospital.
I walk into Yeddaʼs room and sit on the chair which is next to the
bed. She looks peaceful though her face looks pale.

Episode Forty Six-

Trish
I stare at her with a confused look on my face. ʼWhat sort of silly
joke is this?ʼ I thought he said she isnʼt home.
‘Surprise to see me?ʼ she asks with a giant smile spread across
her face.
I shake my head and turn to leave but she grabs my arm roughly.
‘Not so quick,ʼ she says
I spin halfway around, ‘I seriously do not have time for Jokes
Susan.ʼ
‘And she knows my name,ʼ she exclaims
‘Yes, I know your name and then?ʼ I angrily ask because she is
now getting on my nerves.
‘Oh and she can talk back,ʼ she laughs
‘What do you want?ʼ I ask
‘I want us to talk.ʼ
‘I donʼt think you and I have anything to talk about.ʼ
‘And thatʼs where you are wrong darling, you and I have a lot to
talk about.ʼ
‘I donʼt think I have the time to waste.ʼ
‘Do come in please so we can have a drink while talking.ʼ
‘And if I say no?ʼI ask trying to remove my hand from her arm
without being too obvious.
‘I will have to use force,ʼ she says tightening her grip and flushing
me a smile.
I forcefully yank my hand from hers & then I roll my eyes and
click my tongue.
‘I donʼt know what you have heard about me Susan but I am not
in your class so the next time you wanna play games, I suggest
you find someone else.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘And I am leaving now tell Ezra to call me when he getʼs back.ʼ
And with that said, I turn and start walking towards the gate. I
hear her laugh out loud before she claps her hands. She must be
mentally disturbed I guess.
I am about to pull the gate open when angry strong hands grab
me from behind, I quickly spin around and come face to face
with a huge man.
The man is darker than anyone I have ever come across, he
looks like the devil himself. He has a scar running at an angle
across his face.
His face breaks into a vicious grin then he lifts me up in his arms
as if I weigh nothing. He walks past Susan into the house.
Susan slams the door shut and locks it.
He dumps me on the floor when we get to the living room, there
is another huge man sitting on the couch and he has a gun in his
hands.
Shivers run down my spine, what is all this?
‘Tie her up,ʼ Susan says, this time around she isnʼt smiling.
The man who carried me tackles me to the ground and begins to
bind my arms and legs with a rope.
‘Get off me,ʼ I yell struggling to get away but to no avail.
‘Shhh,ʼ the other man says pointing a gun at me and I instantly
shut up, I donʼt want to die, well I know I will die one day but not
in this manner. When I am all tied up, Susan clicks her fingers
and the other man rushes upstairs.
He comes back a minute later with Ezra, he too has his hands
legs all tied up.
‘Ezra, what have they done to you?ʼ I yell
He looks as though he was beaten.

Susan
There is a long uncomfortable silence in the room as I stare at
my soon to be ex husband and his mistress. Never in my life
have I ever thought I would find myself in such a situation but
well here we are.
I excuse myself and head to the kitchen, where I grab a bottle of
whisky and some glasses from the cabinet and take them to the
living room.
I place the glasses on the table and pour straight shots in all of
them. I take two of the glasses and hand them to the men
helping me.
‘You want a glass?ʼ I ask Ezra.
He shakes his head. I look at Trish, ‘and you?ʼ she rolls her eyes
and clicks her tongue.
‘Suit yourself.ʼ
I pick up my glass and raise it high, ‘To discovering new things,ʼ I
gulp down my whiskey welcoming the slow burn at the back of
my throat.
Six months ago, I discovered my husband was cheating on me.
I didnʼt have the strength to confront him, I thought he would get
back to his senses and end his affair with Trish, but he didnʼt.
And you know what hurts the most, this isnʼt just a case of
infatuation, I think Ezra has fallen in love with Trish and that
stings a whole lot.
Two days leading to this moment, I discovered I was pregnant
and that for me was an eye opener, I couldnʼt continue living with
a man like this, for my babyʼs sake I decided I would leave his ass
but not before I taught him and his mistress a lesson.
I hired these men a day ago and asked them to come over this
morning and beat up Ezra before tying him down. Then I got his
phone and texted his mistress.
‘Will you tell me what I am doing here?ʼ Trish asks snapping me
from my thoughts.
‘Did you know the man you have been screwing is married?ʼ I
ask
‘Yes.ʼ
‘And you still went ahead and dated him?ʼ
‘I liked him, what did you expect me to do?ʼ
I grab my glass and take a large sip from it, she has guts.
‘Are you happy that you have finally managed to ruin my
marriage?ʼ
‘I didnʼt ruin your marriage darling it crumbled on its own. Itʼs not
my fault that your husband chose to be with me over you.ʼ
Her words sting, I stand up ‘I hate you so much, I cannot think of
another person in the whole world that I despise more than you,ʼ
I hiss
‘Susan,ʼ Ezra begins
‘Donʼt you dare talk to me you son of a bitch,ʼ I shout so loudly
my throat almost gets ripped apart.
‘He doesnʼt love you why should you use force?ʼ she asks
‘You idiot,ʼ I scream before I slap her hard across her face.ʼ Do
you know what you have done to my marriage?ʼ I yell loudly, I am
bawling inside with anger, shame and pain, all the feelings come
along at the same instant.
‘She is not to blame,ʼ Ezra says, ‘If you want to blame anyone
then blame it on me, I am the one who went after her, I broke our
vows and not her.ʼ
I look at Ezra and pain sweeps through me.
‘I am sorry I cheated but thereʼs nothing I can do now, I have
fallen in love with Trish.ʼ
‘Ezra!ʼ Trishʼs eyes open wide open.
‘What is that supposed to mean?ʼ I ask him
‘I donʼt love you anymore.ʼ
I feel my knees go weak, everything in me is telling me to break
down and cry but I know better than to allow my feelings to
consume me in front of them.
‘Trish by the time I am done with you today, you will never look at
a married man ever again,ʼ I grab a belt from one of the men and
whip her, ‘This is for ruining my marriage,ʼ I whip her again, ‘And
this is for all the married women who are suffering because of
their husbandʼs mistresses.ʼ
She yelps in pain as the blows come harder and stronger. By the
time I am finished with her, I am sure her back is full of bruises
and scars. And now that my job is done here, I can leave and not
look back.

Zaria
I slowly open my eyes as I regain consciousness, my head hurts
so badly I canʼt focus on anything else for a minute. ʼit hurts.ʼ I
take in my surroundings as my blurry vision focuses. I ‘am lying
in a bed thatʼs unfamiliar to me. There is a couch next to the
bed, a small table in the middle and some books piled up in a
corner.
I am still trying to remember what happened and where I am
when the door creaks open. I turn my head to see a beautiful
girl walking towards, me she is wearing a blue flared dress and
flip-flops on her feet.
‘You are awake?ʼ she says calmly, she has a huge smile on her
face.
‘Who are you?ʼ I ask
‘Well my name is Xandria and I am your host.ʼ
‘Host?ʼ
‘My father found you unconscious in the woods he picked you
up and brought you here.ʼ
I groaned as I sit upright, I rub my head lightly to try and ease
the throbbing headache. Xandria is quietly staring at me.
‘Are you okay?ʼ she asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I will go and call my father, donʼt panic just feel at home.ʼ
She runs out of the room and comes back a minute later with
her father.
‘Hey,ʼ he says
‘Hey.ʼ
‘I am Xavier.ʼ
‘Zaria,ʼ I say softly
‘How are you feeling?ʼ
‘I have a splitting headache,ʼ I say
‘The doctor said you will be dealing with headaches, dizzy spells
and nausea for some time because you suffered a concussion,
do you remember what happened to you? I found you in the
woods.ʼ
I close my eyes and the memories of that night flash before my
eyes. I remember Stephan strangling me before he let me go
and I hit my head on the floor, I canʼt remember what happened
next.
Panic sets in at the realization of what happened he dumped me
in the middle of nowhere because he thought I had died. Oh
lord!
My heart begins to beat faster than usual & my head pounds
harder.
‘Are you okay?ʼ Xandria asks
I raise my hands to my head trying to stop the pounding but it
doesnʼt go away.
‘Zaria, are you okay?ʼ Xavier worriedly asks. I want to answer him
but I canʼt, the pain is excruciating. My lips canʼt move.
‘Call the doctor,ʼ he says to Xandria and she runs out of the room
like one who is being chased.
My head finally explodes and I canʼt take it anymore. I scream.
He wraps his hands around me as I scream. My head keeps
pounding. I want the pain to go away. It hurts.
‘Zaria!ʼ
Thatʼs the last thing I hear before I collapse into his arms.

-Episode Forty Seven-

Xavier
‘Zaria!ʼ I call gently tucking her hair behind her ear. ‘Zaria!” I try
again reaching out to touch her cheek gently. She pursues her
lips before she opens her eyes slowly.
‘Hey,ʼ she stretches and smiles fully as her eyes finally open
wide.
‘Whatʼs the time?ʼ she asks as I help her sit upright.
‘Ten hours,ʼ I mumble as I stare at her, she is a very beautiful
woman, I wonder if she is Zambian.
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Are you feeling okay? Any dizziness? Headache? Nausea?ʼ
‘I feel tired and a little dizzy,ʼ she responds.
‘You will get better in time,ʼ I say
I want to ask her about what happened to her but when I
remember her reaction earlier, I decide to keep my mouth shut,
she will tell me about it when she sees it fit.
‘Should I bring you something to eat?ʼ I ask
‘I think I should take a bath first.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ I help her up stand, ‘let me show you the bathroom.ʼ
We walk into the bath room and fill the bathtub with warm water
spiced with floats of highly perfumed aromatherapy bubble bath
soap.
‘Thank you,ʼ she says
‘You are welcome, ‘I walk out of the bathroom and shut the door
behind my back.
Zaria
I look around the bathroom itʼs huge, much larger than the one in
our house. The wall is painted the same as the bedroom.
I strip out of my clothes and step into the bath tub. The water
feels great I soak in it for a long time, thinking about the events
of the past few months. Why would Oscar do this to me? Why
did I even start this stupid 90 day game in the first place? I
should have listened when Yedda asked me to quit.
I need to go back home and make things right, I need to start
afresh but before I go I will spend some time here-Thatʼs if
Xavier allows me too, I just need some fresh air and peace of
mind.
After I finish bathing, i wrap myself in a towel then I walk back
into the room. There is a dress and new underwear on the bed, I
get dressed wondering where he go these things from.
Afterwards I brush my long hair and then secure it into several
braids so that it can have a nice wave when I later untie it. I am
standing in front of the mirror when I suddenly hear the door
open I turn to see who has just entered. It is Xandria and she is
walking towards me.
‘You look beautiful,ʼ she says
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘I love your hair.ʼ
I smile, ‘Thanks hun, I love yours too.ʼ
‘Breakfast is served,ʼ she says
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Come on.ʼ she grabs my arm and leads me out of the room.
When we get to the living room, Xavier is setting the table. He
looks up at me, immediately we lock eyes. We look at each other
for what seems like forever and in that moment, it feels like we
are bound together. It somehow feels connected to him- almost
like a part of him.
‘Earth to daddy,ʼ Xandria clicks her fingers in his face and he
looks away quickly. I am sure he felt it too.
‘Sit down,ʼ he says to me and I do as I am told.
He pours me and Xandria some coffee before filling his cup and
sitting down. Xandria then says grace and we start eating.
Xavier
I watch her as she eats slowly, I donʼt know if she felt what I felt
when we locked eyes. A unique kind of warmth shot through me,
I havenʼt felt like this in forever, who is this woman?
‘Dad is Nana coming today?ʼ Xandria asks startling me from my
day dreaming.
Nana is the woman who has been taking care of Xandria from
the time she was three, she is an older woman who is more like a
grandma to her.
‘No baby, I asked her to take the day off since I wonʼt be working
today.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘So what are we going to be doing?ʼ
‘Watching television and reading your books.ʼ
‘Thatʼs boring,ʼ she says before she turns to Zaria, ‘Auntie Zaria
can I show you around after breakfast.ʼ
I shot her a quizzical look, ‘Auntie Zaria needs to rest baby
maybe some other time.ʼ
Zaria smiles, ‘Yes you can take me round, a little walk wonʼt do
any harm.ʼ
‘I still think you should rest,ʼ I say
‘We are going to be fine,ʼ she responds
I shrug, ‘okay.ʼ
Xandria sticks her tongue out at me before she bursts out
laughing.
I am exhausted, I feel like I am going to pass out, I have been up
and about almost the whole day. After I spent some time in
Yeddaʼs room in the morning I had to go to the police station to
answer some questions then back to the hospital because
Yedda was been transferred to private hospital
I am sitting in Yeddaʼs ward staring at the wall thinking about all
the bad things that could go wrong. I am so worried about the
girls I havenʼt been able to function properly since last night.
I must have dozed off on the chair because I jolt awake when
someone calls my name. I rub my aching eyes and face the bed.
‘Yedda! You are awake.ʼ
‘Mel,ʼ she says again, her voice is hoarse and slurred.
‘You are awake?ʼ I ask as tears flood my eyes.
‘What happened?ʼ she asks, from the look on her face I can tell
she is still in pain.
‘Donʼt strain yourself, let me call the doctor to come and attend
to you.ʼ
She gives a short breathy laugh that makes her wince.
‘I will be back.ʼ I say. I fling the door open and rush towards the
Doctors office.
‘I am sorry for putting you through this,ʼ Ezra says after his wife
and her men leave.
I click my tongue, ‘you should have been more careful and what
nonsense where you saying? How can claim to be in love with
me?ʼ I ask
‘Thatʼs the truth, I love you.ʼ
‘Thatʼs bullshit. You know I am in love with Alex.ʼ
‘Alex doesnʼt love you and you know it.ʼ
‘Stop saying rubbish and help untie me I have stuff to work on.ʼ
He struggles with the ropes on his hands and when he finally
manages to untie himself, he walks to me and unties me.
I breathe a sigh of relief, finally I am free though my whole body
aches that woman did a number on me. I must get back at her
for this but right now I something more important to attend to.
‘I am leaving,ʼ I say
‘Will you manage to drive?ʼ she asks
‘Yes I will.ʼ
‘Can we talk?ʼ
I shake my head, ‘Not now, there will be plenty of time for that.ʼ
With that said, I walk out slamming the door behind my back. I
guess I need to go back home and soak in warm salt water
before I carry on with my day.

Oscar
I am pacing nervously back and forth in the living room, a search
for Zaria has been launched and her father is giving a huge sum
of money as reward for anyone with information. I just saw the
notice on television. I didnʼt know her father has so much
influence and money. I will dead meat if I am found out.
The scariest part is that Zariaʼs body has disappeared we went
to that place where we dumped her and didnʼt find it. Is it
possible that she didnʼt die?
‘You need to fucking calm down, be a man Oscar, be a man my
best friend says.ʼ
‘I am scared.ʼ
‘That girl is dead and nothing will link her to you. We cleared off
the other man too so you have nothing to worry about.ʼ
‘But her body…,ʼ
‘It might have been eaten by animals, chill man.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
He hands me a bottle of beer, ‘Take this to calm your nerves.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ I respond as I take a large gulp from the bottle.

-Episode Forty Eight-

Trish
‘Lord what happened to you?ʼ Maureen asks the minute I walk
into the house.
‘Not now,ʼ I respond
‘Look at you, you look as though you were beaten,ʼ she says
‘I seriously donʼt have the time to deal with you today,ʼ I hiss
‘Trish..,ʼ
‘Just fuck off,ʼ I yell
I start walking towards my room when Maureen grabs me on my
upper arm. I turn around angrily.
‘What the hell is wrong with you?ʼ I ask
‘You must listen to me today,ʼ she says in a serious harsh tone.
I laugh, ‘What makes you think I will listen to you? Where did you
even get the guts to speak to me like that?ʼ
‘You must listen to me,ʼ she says louder than before.
‘You know me very well Maureen so donʼt provoke me.ʼ
‘I am tired of watching you mess up your life Trish.ʼ
‘Itʼs not your life, why do you care?ʼ
‘I care because..,ʼ
‘You care because of what?ʼ I ask
She keeps quiet.
‘Cat got your tongue?ʼ I roll my eyes
‘Sit down,ʼ she commands
I give her a quizzical look, she has never spoken to me like this
before, what has she smoked.
‘Maureen, please leave me alone, I have a lot of things to work
on.ʼ
‘Sit down,ʼ she says again
‘Why?ʼ
‘You need to listen to me I am tired of hiding the truth from you.
Itʼs about time you knew.ʼ
‘Knew what?ʼ I ask confused
‘Please sit down.ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
‘What truth are you talking about?ʼ
She looks at me intently for about two minutes before she opens
her mouth and says, ‘I am your mother.ʼ
‘What?ʼ I ask in utter confusion
‘I am your real mother.ʼ
I burst out laughing, ‘Oh lord! What have you been smoking
Maureen ai? Have you taken a good look at me? Do you think
you are capable of birthing someone like me?ʼ I ask before I
laugh some more.
‘This is no joke; she says
I look at her and I see she isnʼt smiling, she looks serious. ‘What
do you mean you are my mother?ʼ I ask
‘I carried you in my womb for nine months, I gave birth to you.ʼ
‘You are serious?ʼ my eyes widen in horror.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘And mum?ʼ
‘She is not your real mother, she only adopted you.ʼ
‘Is this some kind of a joke? This doesnʼt make any sense!ʼ I
burst out.
‘I am sorry my child but thatʼs the truth.ʼ
‘I am not your child Maureen! I am not your child! You are just the
filthy dirty maid here.ʼ
‘I am your mother,ʼ she says. From the look in her eyes, I can tell
that she isnʼt lying.
Is this why she always cared for me more than my own mother,
she has always looked out for me and treated me like royalty no
matter how much I insulted her or treated her harshly.
‘Tell me you are lying Maureen tell me itʼs a joke and I will forgive
you please,ʼ I plead
‘I am sorry, itʼs not a joke you are my daughter, your mother took
you from me when you were just a day old.ʼ
‘Oh lord,ʼ I feel my knees go weak and sink slightly toward the
floor
‘But how?ʼ I ask helplessly looking at her for a way to explain this
madness.
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Your mother (Sharon) and her husband struggled to have
children. Theyʼd tried for 5 years and had three miscarriages.
When I came to work for them, their marriage was on the verge
of breaking. They tried to adopt a child but it didnʼt work out
eventually they stopped trying. Their marriage sort of lost its
flame and they were always arguing, it was at that time that your
father and I fell in love and we secretly started seeing each
other. Eventually I fell pregnant and your mother found out.ʼ
I felt slumped against the wall in shock.
“I wanted to abort but she asked me to keep the pregnancy so I
could give the baby to her. I agreed because the baby would
have a better life with her than with me. She took care of me
throughout the pregnancy and when I gave birth to you, your
birth certificate had her name listed as the mother.ʼ
‘So you gave me up just like that?ʼ I ask
‘I had no option.ʼ
‘Thatʼs bullshit.ʼ
‘I gave you up because I knew you would have a better life.ʼ
‘And why did you stay behind?ʼ
‘After I gave you up, I left for some time then I came back later
and took care of you. It was the least I could do.ʼ
‘No, you cannot be my mother I refuse to believe this,ʼ I angrily
stand up
‘My child,ʼ she tries to touch me
‘I am not your child,ʼ I scream tears streaming down my face.
‘You are just the maid.ʼ
‘I am your mother,ʼ she yells
‘No- no- no,ʼ I murmur as my rage threatens to break free.
‘My daughter, let me help you,ʼ she says walking towards me.
My heart begins to hurt at the moment and a blazing inferno of
utter rage fuels me.
She stands in front of me and is about to speak again when the
door swings open and mother walks in.
‘Hey darling,ʼ she says smilingly
I look at her furiously, ‘Why?ʼ I ask
‘What honey?ʼ she asks
‘Who is my mother?ʼ
She looks at me and then looks at Maureen the colour from her
face quickly drains.
‘I had to tell her,ʼ Maureen apologetically says
‘Mum is this true?ʼ I ask hoping she will say it is just say itʼs
nothing but a silly joke.
Silence
‘Mum!ʼ I yell
More silence.
‘How could you do this to me?ʼ I cry
‘I am sorry baby.ʼ
‘No,ʼ I shake my head,ʼ Maureen cannot be my mother.ʼ
‘She is your biological mother,ʼ mum says
‘No!ʼ I scream again
‘Please let me explain,ʼ she tries to touch me but I push her so
hard she stumbles and falls backwards. This the worst day of my
life, they both lied to me, the more I think about it, the angrier I
get.
‘I am sorry my baby,ʼ Maureen says
The rage sweeps through my body I can feel it flooding my veins
until it fills my heart. Then I begin swearing at them. Shortly after
I grab the vessels from the table and smash them against the
wall- they shatter to pieces.
‘Stop it,ʼ mum screams
Her pleas fell on deaf ears as I pick the bottles on the table and
toss them across the floor.
Maureen
She is screaming and throwing things on the floor like a mad
person, itʼs as if something has possessed her, no one can calm
her.
Sharon rushes into her room and comes back later, we hold her
down against her struggles and she gives her a shot of some
kind of sedative. She calms down and lies on the floor. She is
crying and dozing at the same time. After a few moments, she
drifts into an uneasy sleep.
We carry her and take her to her room.
‘What happened?ʼ Sharon asks after a few minutes.
‘I had to tell her.ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘Have you taken a good look at her? Do you even know what she
has been going through?ʼ
‘She is my child,ʼ she hisses
‘She is mine,ʼ I yell
‘You might have given birth to her but her birth certificate states
I am her mother.ʼ
‘I donʼt care.ʼ
‘We had a deal and you failed to honour it, see what you have
caused.ʼ
‘I want my child back.ʼ
‘She is not your child.ʼ
I shake my head I know I made a mistake giving her up. I want
her back now and I will do everything to do get her back.

Melanie
‘How is she doing?ʼ I ask the doctor as soon as she was done
examining Yedda.
‘She is stable but I donʼt want you stressing her with questions, I
believe she isnʼt mentally ready to be interrogated.ʼ
‘Okay doctor.ʼ
‘She needs a lot of rest so she can fully recover please donʼt
disturb her.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
I walk back into the room after the doctor leaves.
‘How are you feeling?ʼ I ask
‘Fine,ʼ she responds but I can see she is still in so much pain.
I sit on the chair and quietly watch her doze off, I just called Alex
and he says he is on his way. When I am sure she is fast asleep, I
leave the room I need to rush back home and get her some
clean clothes.
I walk into the hospital disguised as a doctor and no one pays
attention to me because they are all busy up and down, I walk
straight to her room, I know no one is with her currently. Itʼs so
quiet in her room, so quiet that I can hear the sound of my
beating heart. The only other sound in the room is the rhythmic
breathing, a low mummer coming from her.
I quickly grab the pillow and move it toward her slumbering her
face, as soon as it touches the tip of her nose, I press down as
hard as I can.

-Episode Forty Nine-

I quickly grab the pillow and move it toward her slumbering her
face, as soon as it touches the tip of her nose, I press down as
hard as I can.
She snaps her eyes open.
The pillow is pressed over her mouth and nose I want to look
into her eyes as she dies. I press hard and then harder. She kicks
her legs and struggles to remove the pillow from under her nose.
Someone suddenly grabs me from behind and through gritted
teeth screams, ‘You fool,ʼ his fist hits the side of my face,
knocking my body to the floor. I donʼt remember much
afterwards just punches and kicks.
‘I will kill you today.ʼ
He kicks me in my face, I cough and chock.
Some Doctors and nurses quickly rush into the room, ‘Whatʼs
happening?ʼ they ask as they pull him off me.
‘He tried to kill her,ʼ he yells
As the doctors are asking him questions, I try to stand up. I have
to get out of here or else Madam Trish will be mad at me. My
legs are weak but I am able to stand up.
I walk towards the door but he soon sees me, he catches up with
me and grabs my hand before tightly squeezing it, I groan in
pain. Hasnʼt he done enough damage?
The doctors ask him to take me out while they attend to the
woman I think she is still alive. I wish I killed her before he caught
me.
I take one hard breath and gasp for air. For a moment there I
thought I was gonna die. The doctor examines me and takes a
few tests.
‘Your vitals look stable but there is still room for improvement,ʼ
he says
‘Okay.ʼ
He walks out of the room and I close my eyes, I canʼt believe I
escaped death once more, ‘What is wrong with Trish? She wants
to finish me off? I know Trish sent that man. I can never forget
that manʼs voice even in my sleep.
Alex walks in a few minutes later he has a worried look on his
face.
‘Babe,ʼ he leans over and kisses my forehead before he wraps
his arms around me, ‘I donʼt know what I would have done if he
had killed you,ʼ he says in a low voice.
I smile, ‘I am glad you walked in at the right time, if you had
walked in a minute later I would have suffocated to death.ʼ
‘I am alive baby! I am here to stay so cheer up.ʼ
‘How are you feeling?ʼ he asks
‘I am okay except for the pain on the wound.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ he sits on the edge of the bed, ‘Babe do you have any
idea about the person who wants you dead?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I know the doctor said we shouldnʼt stress you but that
information will help in apprehending the person since they still
want you dead.ʼ
‘Itʼs Trish,ʼ I reply
‘Trish?ʼ he asks but he doesnʼt look as shocked as I expected
him to be.
‘I knew it.ʼ
‘You did?ʼ
‘I suspected it could be her but I didnʼt have any evidence it
would have been her word against mine.ʼ
‘That girl is obsessed with you.ʼ
‘She will rot in jail for touching you,ʼ he says angrily
He stands up and walks out of the room then he walks back in a
few minutes later.
‘You are okay?ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘Calm down.ʼ
‘I canʼt.ʼ
‘I have called someone to watch over you before Melanie comes,
I need to go to the station and arrange for Trishʼs arrest.ʼ
‘Stay with me,ʼ I pout.
‘I will be stay with you the whole night but right now this is
important.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
He kisses my forehead, ‘Someone is at the door, they will not
move until either Melanie or I get back here.
‘I have heard you talk about Melanie a couple of times but not
Zaria is she okay.ʼ
He scratches his head, ‘Zaria is okay Melanie will be coming with
her soon.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ I respond even though I donʼt believe what he just said,
something is wrong somewhere. I can feel it in the pit of my
stomach.
‘I will see you later,ʼ he smiles before he turns and walks out
firmly closing the door behind his back.
I walk out of the house and lock the door behind me, I hurriedly
walk down the pavement leading towards the gate, I push the
gate open with one hand then I walk out.
My car is parked in front of the gate I unlock the doors and place
the plastics in the back seat. I am about to get into the car when
another car stops right next to me. Bradley steps out.
‘Hey,ʼ he says
‘Hey.ʼ
‘I am here to see Zaria.ʼ
The fool, so he doesnʼt know what happened to Zaria, doesnʼt
he watch the news.
‘She isnʼt here, ‘I respond
‘Has she changed her number?ʼ I canʼt get through to her.
‘What rock do you live in?ʼ I ask
‘What do you mean?ʼ
‘Where have you been for you not to know that Zaria has been
missing?ʼ
‘What?ʼ his eyes widen in surprise, ‘I was out of the country.ʼ
‘I see.ʼ
‘What happened? How long has she been missing? Have you
launched in a missing persons report at the police?ʼ
I sigh, ‘I wish I could stand here and answer all these questions
but I have to leave.ʼ
‘Wait.ʼ
I ignore him and get into my car & instantly drive off. Once I get
to the hospital, the doctor notifies me of what happened earlier. I
sigh in relief when I am told Yedda is okay and the man who tried
to kill her has been arrested. I hurriedly rush towards the
elevator and get it, press four. A minute later I step out and walk
to her room. There is an officer standing at the door, I show him
my Id and he lets me in.
‘Melanie,ʼ she speaks up
‘Baby, I am sorry I wasnʼt here to protect you, I had to rush back
home and get you some things.ʼ
‘Where is Zaria?ʼ she asks
I keep quite because I donʼt know if telling her is a good idea.
‘Tell me the truth please.ʼ
‘Zaria is missing,ʼ I say
‘What? How? When? What happened? Is she dead?ʼ
I sit down and tell her all about it.
‘Oh lord,ʼ a tear slides down her face, ‘She has to be found or
else I will never forgive myself.ʼ
‘Itʼs not your fault.ʼ
‘I told her about this 90 day dating thing, I opened Tinder for her.
This is my fault.ʼ
She tries to sit up but winces in pain.
‘Donʼt strain yourself you havenʼt healed.ʼ
‘I need to get out of here we need to look for Zaria.ʼ
‘The police are doing their best to find her.ʼ
‘The police are useless,ʼ she says
‘Please calm down.ʼ
‘Oh Zaria I hope you are live,ʼ she says before she breaks down
in tears. I move towards her and hold her in my arms the thought
of Zaria being dead terrifies me. I hope she is still alive.
I am anxiously walking back and forth in my living room my heart
canʼt stop thumping hard and fast. Someone called me a few
minutes ago and they said they have new about Zaria.
‘Baby, please sit,ʼ Precious says
‘I canʼt.ʼ
I havenʼt been able to function well ever since my baby went
missing. I havenʼt been sleeping and eating well, I canʼt seem to
focus on anything, Zaria is my life, I will die if anything happens
to her.
Precious holds my hand and gives it a light squeeze, ‘It shall be
well,ʼ she says
‘I want my baby back home, I want her back.ʼ
‘She will come back home.ʼ
‘Each minute feels like I am losing her.ʼ
‘Donʼt talk like that.ʼ
I am about to respond when a knock sounds at the door, I
practically run for the door.
I open it and find a man standing at my doorstep.
‘Mr. Nel,ʼ he says, he looks nervous.
I open the door and he walks in, ‘Letʼs get straight to business.ʼ
I grab a bag of money and open it, I count a few notes and hand
it to him, ‘You will get the rest of the money when you tell me
about my daughter.ʼ
‘I can take you to where Oscar is, he can tell you more about
Zaria,ʼ he says
‘Okay.ʼ
H e gets a paper and writes down the address.
‘Good.ʼ

-Episode Fifty-
‘Thank you very much when everything is confirmed I will call
you so I can give you the remaining balance.
‘It was nice doing business with you,ʼ he extends his hand to me
and I shake it.
‘The pleasure is mine
‘Sure.ʼ
He heads towards the door and walks out. Then I grab my phone
and text someone to follow him. I donʼt trust this man I mean if
he can be willing to sell off his friend for money, I donʼt know
what he might do next.
‘Babe, I have to get going,ʼ I lightly kiss precious on the lips.
She holds my hand and lightly squeezes it, ‘Be careful.ʼ
‘Donʼt worry about me, I will be fine. I have to bring Zaria back
home, thatʼs the most important thing.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
She walks me to the door, at the door she wraps her hands
around me and holds me tightly, ‘Call me if anything happens.ʼ
‘I will.ʼ
She is still holding on to my hand, she doesnʼt want me to go, I
can see the fear in her eyes but this has to be done. I need to
find my girl and bring her back home.
I put my hand under her chin and lift her face to mine, ‘I love you
very much baby and I promise to come back safely.ʼ
‘I am just so scared,ʼ she says.
I embrace her again, ‘donʼt worry, everything is gonna be fine.ʼ
‘May God protect you.ʼ
‘Amen.ʼ
‘I will be waiting,ʼ she says, she is almost crying.
I let go of her hand and walk towards my car. I get in and start
the car before I drive off. I have called some of my friends who
are working on this case and they will meet me at the address he
gave me. I will need the back up just in case these men are
playing games with me.
I park my car a few houses away from his house, grabbing my
gun I jump out of the car.
Another car pulls up next to mine shortly after and my friends
step out. They walk towards me. We exchange greetings and
push the gate open.
We walk towards the door and knock softly, a few minutes later.
Oscar opens the door.
‘What fuck?ʼ He exclaims.
‘You must be Oscar,ʼ Detective Phiri says.
‘What is going on here?ʼ he asks acting ignorant to what was
happening.
‘You are under arrest for abducting Zaria Nel, you have the right
to remain silent or whatever you say will be used against you in
the court of law.ʼ
‘No!ʼ he tries to get back into the house but Phiri punches him
right in the face. Dazed by the blow, she is defenseless he grabs
him by his hand and drags him out of the house.
‘I didnʼt do anything please let me go.ʼ
‘Uzakambila kusogolo mambala iwe.ʼ
They put him in their van and I get in my car, as they start their
car I start mine too. I am driving closely behind them to the
police station. When I get to the station, I get a call informing me
that the other guy has been arrested too, the one who sold out
his friend.
‘Bring him over to the police station,ʼ I say before ending the call.
They drag Oscar out taking him inside the station. We head to a
small room I want to be there when he is being interrogated.
They sat him down on the floor.
‘We shall not even waste any time with you because your friend
already sold you out. So what did you do to Zaria?ʼ Phiri asks
Silence
‘What did you do to my daughter you fool?ʼ I yell
More silence.
‘So you arenʼt got nothing to say now?ʼ Phiri screams at him
then he roughly grabs him and throws him against the wall
before he pins him with one hand and punches him in the face
repeatedly with the other.
Then he finally lets him fall to the ground and kicks him in the
head.
‘Are you ready to answer now? Where is Zaria? What did you do
to her?ʼ
‘I killed her,ʼ he says, blood is oozing out of the side of his mouth
and his face is swollen up.
My heart thumps hard against my face, ‘you what?ʼ
‘I killed her & my friend helped me to dispose off her body.ʼ
My knees become weak at the possibility of my child being
dead.
‘Tell us what happened,ʼ I whisper
Before he could respond, a knock sounds at the door.
‘Come in.ʼ
The detective walks in with his friend and pushes him to the
floor. He looks at me, his eyes full of rage.
‘You tricked me.ʼ
‘You think I would let you go scot free, you are an accomplice as
well.ʼ
‘So you sold me out? How could you?ʼ Oscar weakly says
‘Shut up both of you.ʼ
We ask them some more questions and they narrate how they
dumped my babyʼs body in the woods in the middle of nowhere.
I leave the police station a few minutes later and drive home, I
feel hopeless. The police will be doing a search in the area
maybe just maybe she could still be alive.
I get home and I find Precious is waiting for me by the door. The
minute I walk into the house, she opens her arms to me and
tightly hugs me I sent her a text before getting home.
I lay my head on her shoulder and break down, the last time I
cried this much was when I lost Zariaʼs mum. Lord this hurts, I
just hope she can be found, I am hopeless but I am hoping for a
miracle.
‘She will be fine. Hush!ʼ she rubs my back gently.

Wes
‘Zaria is missing!ʼ my eyes widen in shock.
I just found out too, ‘I havenʼt been watching the news of late,ʼ
Zach says
‘We need to go to her house and find out exactly what
happened,ʼ I say
‘You are right.ʼ
I stand up, ‘Letʼs go.ʼ
We walk towards the door and Lulu suddenly comes to stand in
front of me, ‘You are not going anywhere.ʼ
‘Lulu,ʼ please move out of my way.
‘Zaria is your EX, you have no business going over to her house.
She can die for all I care but you arenʼt going anywhere.ʼ
‘Are you for real?ʼ
‘Yes,ʼ she yells
Zach shakes his head, ‘Lulu please behave like a civilized
woman.ʼ
‘Eh?ʼ
‘You are acting so childish and immature.ʼ
‘Jesu!ʼ she screams, ‘did you just call me childish?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
She turns to me, ‘Your friend is insulting me and you are just
quiet?ʼ
‘What do you expect me to do?ʼ
‘You are a fool Wesley, in fact both of you are fools. Immature
uncultured men,ʼ she screams.
Enraged, I raise my hand and slap her hard across her face
knocking her to the floor with a cry.
‘I will kill you,ʼ I raise my hand in the air, poised to slap her again
when Zachʼs hand locks onto my wrist.
‘Man you will hurt her, she is pregnant,ʼ he says
I pull away from her and March out of the room, Lulu is
unbearable.
Searing pain sweeps through my brain, paralyzing me for a
minute. I raise my hand and touch my mouth I feel the blood
dribble down my chin.
“Oh lord, he just assaulted me.ʼ
‘See what you have caused,ʼ Zach yells before he walks out of
the house slamming the door behind his back. Shortly after, the
car drives off.
‘I will make him pay.ʼ
I take a big breath before I stand up and pick up my phone then I
dial Sabrinaʼs number and narrate my ordeal to her.
‘Just stay where you are, I am coming with the police,ʼ she says
‘Good.ʼ
I sit on the couch and anxiously wait for Sabrina to arrive I will
not allow Wesley to turn me into a punching bag he must pay.
Thirty minutes later, there is a knock at the door. I quickly sit on
the floor and start crying. Sabrina walks in with an officer
following her.
‘Wesley did this to you?ʼ Sabrina asks as she helps me up.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘What happened?ʼ the officer asks
I take in another big breath and explain what happened making
sure to add in a few lies here and there.
‘Do you intend to press charges?ʼ he asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Then you will have to come down to the station but first you
need to go the hospital and get that lip worked on.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ

-Episode Fifty- one-

‘You think getting him arrested is the right thing to do?ʼ Sabrina
asks as we step out of the car at the police station.
‘Yes, if I let this go he will think I am okay with this and he will
make it a habit. I just want him detained for a day or two then I
will drop the charges.ʼ
‘What if he changes his mind about marrying you?ʼ
‘He wouldnʼt dare, Wesley knows me too well to do that.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
We walk into the police station and ask for the officer in charge
of this case, he is a friend of Sabrinaʼs so he will do his best to
work by our terms. Someone directs us to a small room where
we find him.
We take a sit and he asks me a few questions, he takes notes on
his pad while I narrate the whole story.
Afterwards he assures us that Wesley will soon be arrested. We
return home thirty minutes later.
‘Let me make you something to eat,ʼ Sabrina says as she
disappears into the kitchen.
I lie on the couch and wait patiently. She comes back after some
time with two plates of rice and chicken placing them on the
table.
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘What did you say happened to Zaria?ʼ
‘I hear she has been missing for a couple of days now.ʼ
‘I hope they donʼt find her.ʼ
‘I hope she is dead,ʼ I respond. ‘Itʼs because of that woman that
Wesley has started tripping.ʼ
‘These men,ʼ she shakes her head.
‘And how are things with Zach?ʼ
‘That fool told me he doesnʼt want to see me, can you imagine
after he used me to satisfy his needs.ʼ
‘And you just let him be?ʼ
‘What was I to do?ʼ
‘Trap him, tell him you are pregnant, use plan B.ʼ
‘Ah, I am just tired boi, I have so much going on at the moment
the last thing I want is to bring more problems for myself.ʼ
‘The loan?ʼ I ask
‘Boi Loan yanipesha, I donʼt know how to pay back my business
is slowly going down elo they are threatening to get my house.ʼ
‘Iye boi!ʼ I exclaim
‘There is this white man I met that I want to dupe, hope my plan
works out.ʼ
‘And if you get arrested?ʼ
She laughs, ‘Letʼs cross that bridge when we get there.ʼ
‘Okay just be careful.ʼ

Wesley
We have been knocking on Zariaʼs door for the past thirty
minutes but to no avail. Seems there is no one home. I have tried
Melanie and Yeddaʼs lines but they arenʼt going through. Maybe
they black listed my number.
‘Give me the number so I can call on my phone,ʼ Zach says
‘Sure.ʼ
I give him Melanieʼs number and he dials it, she picks up
immediately, the phone is on loud speaker.
‘Hello.ʼ
‘Hey Melanie, Zach on the line.ʼ
‘Hey Zach.ʼ
‘How are you?ʼ
‘So so.ʼ
‘Just found out about Zaria, any update?ʼ I ask
‘They just caught the man who abducted her and from what he
said there is a huge possibility she is already dead.ʼ
‘Dead?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘But what happened?ʼ
‘Itʼs a long story.ʼ
‘I am at your house right now and it looks deserted.ʼ
‘We are at the hospital, Yedda was stabbed.ʼ
‘Stabbed!ʼ I exclaim
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Thatʼs sad.ʼ
‘It is.ʼ
‘Please text me the hospital name and I will come and see you
guys.ʼ Zach says
‘Sure.ʼ
He cuts the call and looks at me, ‘She canʼt be dead,ʼ I say
‘She has to be alive.ʼ
‘I will never forgive myself if anything happens to Zaria,ʼ I say
‘Letʼs go to the hospital.ʼ
We walk towards the car and just before I step in. My phone
vibrates indicating an incoming call. I pull it out of my pocket and
answer without checking the caller id.ʼ
‘Hello.ʼ
‘Wesley Muchindu?ʼ the voice on the other end of the line ask
‘This is he, who am I talking to?ʼ I ask
‘Officer Chulu on the line.ʼ
‘Yes officer, how can I help you?ʼ
‘You need to come to Central Police station right away, your
fiancé has reported you for assault,ʼ he says
‘Assault?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Thatʼs absurd.ʼ
‘Please report to the police station right away.ʼ
‘What nonsense?ʼ I furiously say before ending the call.
‘Tsup?ʼ
‘Can you believe Lulu has pressed charges of assault against
me?ʼ
‘What?ʼ he exclaims, ‘No offence but that woman is mentally
unstable,ʼ he says
‘You want the honest truth?ʼ
‘Yes,ʼ Zach responds
‘I regret leaving Zaria for Lulu, I want Zaria back. Lulu and I canʼt
work.ʼ
He looks at me intently, ‘Donʼt you think itʼs a little too late for
that?ʼ
‘We arenʼt married yet.ʼ
‘Two months more and you guys are gonna be married.ʼ
‘I doubt if that wedding will happen.ʼ
‘I see.ʼ
We get into the car and he drives to the hospital. I am not going
to the police station, if the police want let them follow me.

Zach
‘Melanie!ʼ I pull her close to me and embrace her tightly. She
seems to have lost weight, her eyes are puffy and her hair is
messed up, this isnʼt the Melanie I know.
She pulls away from the hug and stares at Wesley then she
frowns.
‘Hi Melanie,ʼ Wes says politely
‘And what are you doing here?ʼ she asks him
‘I just wanted to know how Yedda is and how far you have gone
with Zariaʼs case.ʼ
‘That is none of your business.ʼ
‘What happened?ʼ I ask Melanie
‘Itʼs a long story but one of the men she was seeing abducted
her, according to him, they had an argument and he pushed her,
he got scared and dumped her body in the middle of nowhere.ʼ
‘Lord!ʼ
‘And the body hasnʼt been found, so we are anxiously waiting for
news. Itʼs a 50/ 50 thing maybe she is even dead.ʼ
‘This is really sad, I am short of words.ʼ
‘Ya it is.ʼ
‘And how is Yedda?ʼ
‘She is better she got stabbed by her boyfriendʼs crazy ex.ʼ
‘And all this happened at the same time?ʼ I asked
‘Yes, same night.ʼ
‘I pray Zaria is found.ʼ
‘I pray so too.ʼ
I snap my eyes open & a feeling of floating unreality sweeps over
me. All my senses are alert and strained with tension. I am lying
in my bed staring at the wall, the events of the morning flash
before my eyes. I simply cannot believe that Maureen the helper
is my mother, what sort of nonsense is this?
A knock at the door snaps me from my thoughts.
‘Come in.ʼ
Mum walks in.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Alex is here to see you,ʼ she says
‘Alex?ʼ I ask unable to believe that Alex has come to see me.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I will be out shortly.ʼ
She walks out of the room and I quickly stand up, I rush to the
bathroom and splash some water on my face. I get back to my
room and quickly do a retouch of my face then I change into a
pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Slipping my feet into a pair of flip-
flops, I walk out of the room.
I find Alex sitting on the couch with another man he must be an
officer at the station where he works from.
‘Hey,ʼ I say smilingly
‘Trish,ʼ he says, there is something about the way he said my
name that I donʼt like, it speaks anger and hate. Are things okay?
‘You are here to see me?ʼ I anxiously ask
‘Trish, you are under arrested for the attempted murder of
Yedda Dawson,ʼ he says
My heart slams hard against my chest, ‘What?ʼ
He stands up, ‘You have the right to remain silent and anything
you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You
have the right to an attorney and if you cannot afford one, we
will provide one for you,ʼ he continues.
‘This is absurd,ʼ her mother says.
‘We have enough evidence that shows that your daughter is
guilty,ʼ he says taking out a pair of handcuffs.
‘You canʼt be serious,ʼ I scream
‘I am serious.ʼ
‘I donʼt care what kind of evidence you have but I wonʼt allow
you to take my daughter with you.ʼ
‘Madam, if your daughter doesnʼt comply, we will have to use
force.ʼ
‘No,ʼ I screamed before I attempt to run out of the house but Alex
catches up with me in no time. He locks my hands behind my
back and puts the cuffs in place.
My struggle is futile the cuffs are fastened securely. He walks
me out of the house and into the van outside, could my day get
any worse?

-Episode Fifty- two-

I wake up feeling sick, my head is throbbing and I feel gross. I am
covered in sweat and my throat hurts. Xavier walks in a few
minutes later with some tea and bread.
‘How are you feeling?ʼ he asks
‘My throat is scratchy and my head feels like someone is trying
to saw a hole through it.ʼ
‘I got you some tea,ʼ he says, ‘It will help you feel better.ʼ
‘Thanks,ʼ I say before taking the cup of tea.
I take a sip of my tea,ʼ I think I have overstayed my welcome, I
need to call back home they must really be worried about me.ʼ
‘You know you can stay here for as long as you want.ʼ
I nod.
‘I will be heading to the town to get you the medicine that the
doctor prescribed. You can call your father when I get back.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
I finish drinking my tea and fall asleep again.
About an hour later, I open my eyes to Xandria staring at me. I
yawn and sit up.
‘Hey, you are back from school?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Good.ʼ
‘Nana says you are sick again,ʼ she says with a face full of
concern.
‘I just had a headache.ʼ
‘How are you feeling now?ʼ
‘A whole lot better,ʼ I smile
‘That is awesome.ʼ
‘How was school?ʼ I ask
‘Boring?ʼ
‘Why?ʼ
‘My best friend didnʼt come to school today, she is sick. School
is always boring when she is absent.ʼ
‘You have a best friend?ʼ
‘Yes, her name is Lucia.ʼ
‘Beautiful name.ʼ
‘Do you have a best friend too?ʼ she asks
I smile and nod my head, ‘I actually have two best friends, their
names are Yedda and Melanie,ʼ I say
‘Wow.ʼ
‘They are more than my best friends, they are my sisters and I
love them a lot.ʼ
‘Are they as beautiful as you are? Do they have long hair like
yours? Are they white like you?ʼ
I laugh, ‘I am not white, I am coloured and yes they are as
beautiful as I am maybe even more.ʼ
‘I hope I meet them someday.ʼ
‘You will.ʼ
‘Do you feel like taking a walk with me?ʼ
‘I wouldnʼt mind.ʼ
‘Let me just change my uniform and then we will be good to go,ʼ
she rushes out of the room.
She is such a good kid, spending time with her makes me wish I
had my own child, I hope itʼs not too late for me to find someone
that can love me for me, I want to have my own man and start a
family.
I walk into the house and find Lulu sleeping on my bed she looks
peaceful in her sleep. I walk towards the bed and shake her
vigorously. She snaps her eyes open a few minutes later.
‘What?ʼ she says angrily
‘How dare you report me to the police?ʼ I scream at her
‘You assaulted me.ʼ
‘Oh please you look just fine.ʼ
‘I am not Zaria I will not allow you to mistreat me.ʼ
I raise my hand to in a bid to slap her but she holds it, ‘You want
to slap me again?ʼ
‘Donʼt involve Zaria in your nonsense.ʼ
‘Zaria this, Zaria that? Wonʼt we have peace in this house? I
hope she is dead,ʼ she screams
‘You are leaving?ʼ
‘Leaving?ʼ she shots me a deadly stare
‘You are leaving my house, right now.ʼ
She laughs, ‘I am not going anywhere.ʼ
I grab her bag and start packing her stuff while she quietly
watches, this woman is not even my wife yet and she is behaving
like a lunatic, I canʼt take this anymore, in fact I am so done with
her.
‘I am tire of you Lulu, you need to leave. You have no manners
whatsoever I wonder what I saw in you.ʼ
‘I am not going anywhere,ʼ she pounces on me and starts hitting
me, I push her off me, she stumbles and lands butt down on the
floor. I march out of the room with her small suitcase.
‘You fool! Idiot! You excuse of a man,ʼ I hear her yelling from the
bedroom.
I throw her suitcase outside and head back into the house for
her. I grab her arm dragging her out of the house.
‘Stop it, youʼre hurting me,ʼ she hisses
‘I asked you to leave but you wouldnʼt listen, so I am kicking you
out by force.ʼ
‘Leave me alone,ʼ she screams again trying to free herself from
my hand but I hold her tightly.
‘I am so done with you, to hell with the marriage I donʼt want to
marry you anymore.ʼ
‘You will marry me whether you like it or not.ʼ
‘Over my dead body.ʼ
‘We shall see.ʼ
The door is wide open, I push her out and she falls, at that same
time the gate opens and two police men march into the
compound.
Lulu begins to roll on the verandah while screaming loudly.
‘My baby! My baby! You have killed my baby!ʼ
I look at the police men who walking towards us then back at
Lulu this time around tears are even rolling down her face.
‘Whatʼs going on here?ʼ the policemen ask
‘Nothing.ʼ
‘This doesnʼt look like nothing,ʼ one of them says before he
kneels down next to Lulu, ‘Are you okay?ʼ he asks
‘He hit me again,ʼ she said in between sobs
‘What?ʼ
‘Lord this is bullshit,ʼ I say
The other policeman walks over to me, ‘You are under arrest for
assaulting your wife to be, you have the right to remain silent or
anything you say could be used against you in the court of law.ʼ
‘Officer this is a mistake.ʼ
‘This is no mistake we caught you in the act, shut up.ʼ
‘Step aside please.
I realize arguing with them wonʼt solve anything so I step aside
and he locks my hand together above my head before clasping
them in the confines of the handcuffs.
‘Should I call an ambulance for you madam?ʼ he asks Lulu
She shakes her head, ‘I will call my sister and she will drive me to
the hospital.ʼ
‘Are you gonna be safe.ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
They drag me out of my compound into the van which is parked
in front of my gate.
I am sitting next to Precious on the couch we are anxiously
waiting for an important call from the police. My phone rings a
few minutes later and I instantly grab it and answer without
checking who is calling.
‘Daddy!ʼ she says
‘Zaria!ʼ I shout out almost immediately,ʼ Baby is that you?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Oh my lord, Zaria,ʼ I say unable to believe she is the one on the
other side of the line.
‘Where are you? What did they do to you? I need to see you.ʼ
‘I am fine daddy, a Good Samaritan picked me and I have been
recovering since then.ʼ
‘Tell me where you are and I will come and get you.ʼ
‘I will text you my location.ʼ
My heart is overwhelmed with joy I canʼt believe I just talked to
my daughter. A few minutes later, I receive her text and I
instantly stand up.
‘I am going to get my daughter,ʼ I say
‘I am coming with you,ʼ Precious says
Grabbing my car keys we hurriedly march out of the house. I
canʼt wait to see my baby.

-Episode Fifty three-

”No other love in the world is like the love of a father for his little
girl.”

Mr. Nel
I drive as fast as I can to the address that Zaria sent me, my
heart is pounding it is pounding so fast. I canʼt wait to see my
baby. Zaria is my entire life, she is my little star life would be
meaningless without her in it.
‘I think itʼs that gate over there,ʼ Precious says
I push the accelerator then come to a screeching stop in front of
the gate then I jump out of the car and push the gate open &
walk towards the front door, Precious is walking closely behind
me.
When I get there I knock on the door waiting for it to open, it
takes a while but the door finally opens, revealing an older
woman in a long black dress. ‘What can I help you with?ʼ she
asks
‘I am here for my daughter, her name is Zaria.ʼ
She opens the door wide enough for us to walk in then she shuts
it instantly then she leads us to the living room.
‘I will go and get her please feel at home,ʼ she says before she
walks towards the stairs.
‘This is a beautiful place,ʼ Precious says
‘Ya.ʼ
As we anxiously wait, I look to my right and see Zaria coming. I
freeze for a moment as all the weight on my chest gets lifted and
for the first time in weeks I feel happiness flood through my
body.
Suddenly I lurch across the room and practically tackle her, ‘Oh
my baby, I thought I lost you. I thought I lost you,ʼ I murmur into
the damp nape of her neck.
She hugs me back, ‘I am fine daddy! I am fine.ʼ
I hold her tightly as if my life depends on it, the moment is filled
with emotions mostly scared and happy ones all roll into one. My
daughter is alive, this the happiest day of my life.
She steps back,ʼ I perfectly fine! I am fine daddy,ʼ she smiles at
me
I can hardly believe she my baby is standing in front of me at this
moment.
‘I thought you were dead,ʼ my voice cracks with emotions
‘I didnʼt die,ʼ she laughs
I pull her to me and hug her some more and softly say, ‘I thought
youʼd never come back to me, I canʼt believe you are standing in
front of me.ʼ
I sniff and blink away the tears that are about to fall.
‘Daddy I am perfectly fine, I missed you,ʼ Zaria says before she
reaches out and pulls me into a desperate hug. Then she pulls
back and wipes the tears from my face, I didnʼt even realise I had
tears streaming down my cheeks.
‘Oh daddy, I canʼt believe you are crying,ʼ she says
‘I thought I had lost my little girl,ʼ she pulls away from me and
then I notice a man and a young girl standing next to each other.
‘Daddy this is Xandria,ʼ she points to the girl ‘and this is Xavier,
he is the one who picked me from the woods and nursed me till I
got better.ʼ
I extend my hand with a heart full of gratitude,ʼ Thank you so
much Xavier, may God bless for what you have done, how can I
repay you?ʼ
He shakes my hand and smiles, ‘You donʼt have to repay me, I
did what any sane person could have done.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘We are glad to have you back Zaria,ʼ Precious says before they
tightly hug each other.
We spend the next few minutes talking Zaria narrates what went
on that day and how that stupid Oscar tried to get her to agree
to marry him. That man will pay, he pressed the wrong button. I
will make sure he never gets out of jail- no one messes with my
baby and lives to tell the tale.

Zaria
‘Thank you so much Xavier for everything you have done for me,
I will never forget this kind gesture.ʼ
We are standing next to my fatherʼs car, ready to head back
home. My eyes filling with tears at the thought of home and my
girls, I really canʼt wait to see them.
Dad told me about what happened to Yedda, I am glad she is
getting better. I wonder how Melanie has been coping with this
kind of pressure.
‘You are welcome Zaria, it was fun having you around,ʼ he smiles
I turn to look at Xandria and she has tears running down her
face, staring at her gives me second thoughts about leaving, I
donʼt want to let her go but this isnʼt my place, I have to go back
home- back to my life.
‘Please stay,ʼ she whispers when I wrap my hands around her
‘I promise to come back for you darling,ʼ I console her as the
tears start continuously pour from her eyes.
‘I donʼt want you to go.ʼ
‘I love you, donʼt ever forget that,ʼ I whisper. ‘And I will miss you.ʼ
‘I will miss you too Zaria, the past few days I have been with you
have been awesome, you made me feel the warmth of having a
mother. I will never forget you.ʼ
Her words bring tears to my heart and I hug her tight. ‘Oh my
darling. You will always be in my heart.ʼ
She holds on to me tightly as if her life depends on it and I have
a hard time letting go of her. When I finally pull away from her, I
run towards Xavier and he wraps his hands around me.
‘Thank you so much for everything

Xavier
I am holding on to her tightly, I never thought it would be this
hard to let her go. I have had a wonderful time with her and we
have become so close in a short span.
‘I will miss you,ʼ I whisper softly in her ears
‘I will miss you too.ʼ
I wish I could tell her how special she is to me, I havenʼt felt this
connected to someone for years. Somewhere for a moment, I
feel like I am falling for her but I canʼt say it out loud.
‘I have to go,ʼ she says
I give her a tight hug and kiss her on her forehead before I pull
back from her.
‘Bye.ʼ
‘Bye.ʼ
I get into the car and he closes the door for me. As the car drives
off, I wave a last goodbye, tears roll down my eyes and my heart
aches, it feels like I am leaving a part of me behind.
Precious turns and holds my hand giving it a gentle squeeze,
‘You will be fine.ʼ
I shake my head and wipe the tears from my eyes. Life must go
on.
We get to the hospital a few hours later, I want to see Yedda and
dad wants me to get checked up- just to make sure everything is
perfectly fine with me.

Melanie
“Any news on Zaria?ʼ Yedda asks
I shake my head, ‘No.ʼ
‘That fool must rot in jail he must pay for what he did to Zaria.ʼ
‘The fact that her body hasnʼt been found gives me hope that
she could still be alive,ʼ I say
‘She is alive, I know she is.ʼ
The sound of the door opening stops me from saying something
new I turn my head towards it. Dad walks in followed by Precious
then finally Zaria walks in behind them.
‘Surprise!ʼ she screams
I stand up and stare at her from head to toe, unable to believe
she is the one I am looking at.
‘Itʼs me,ʼ she says
‘Zaria!ʼ I scream, I am afraid to touch her, what if I am just
dreaming and she disappears after I touch her.
‘Earth to Melanie,ʼ she clicks her fingers in my face.
‘You are alive?ʼ Yedda asks before finally breaking down in tears.
‘Yes,ʼ Zaria says.
‘OMG.ʼ
Tears begin to fall down my face and she hugs me tightly, I hold
on to her.
‘Thank you Jesus.ʼ

-Episode Fifty Four

A week later
It feels good to be back home I missed my girls a lot even
though a part of me feels like I should have stayed with Xavier,
seeing Xandria cry like that broke my heart in pieces. I wish i
didnʼt leave her behind. Yedda is getting better the doctor said
they could discharge her this week. I havenʼt gone back to work
because I am still not feeling to fit to be in a crowded
environment. I am still getting the headaches and dizzy spells
but the doctor assured me that they should be gone soon.
I have just stepped out of the bathroom when my phone begins
to ring. I pick the phone from the table and put it to my ear.
‘Hello,ʼ I answer
‘Zaria!ʼ the familiar voice on the other end of the line happily
says
‘Hey my darling.ʼ
‘I miss you.ʼ
‘And I miss you even more,ʼ I truthfully say
‘When are you coming to see daddy and i?ʼ
‘Soon.ʼ
‘Please come back here, daddy has been miserable without you.ʼ
My heart skips a bit.
‘I think he likes you. He hasnʼt been himself since you left please
come back so I can see him smile again.ʼ
‘Xandria!ʼ I hear his voice on the other side before I could
respond.
‘Sorry,ʼ she says
‘Give me that phone,ʼ he says
I chuckle, these two remind me of dad and I, we were always
fighting like Tom and Jerry even though we were inseparable.
‘Zaria!ʼ he breaths
‘Hey you.ʼ
‘Apologies for what Xandria said, she is just being a little
childish.ʼ
I laugh
‘What?ʼ
‘Are you sure she is being childish or the truth hurts?ʼ I tease
‘Oh please.ʼ
I laugh, ‘How are you?ʼ
‘I am okay, you?ʼ
‘I am fine.ʼ
‘Good to know.ʼ
An awkward silence settles between us, I can hear him breathing
on the other end of the line.
‘So,ʼ we say at the same time.
‘Go first,ʼ he says
‘Nah you go first.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
He clears his throat, ‘I will be in town tomorrow would you mind
having dinner with me?ʼ
I cough did he just ask me out? Is this like a date or we will just
be having dinner as friends?
‘Zaria!ʼ he startles me from my reverie
‘Dinner is okay with me.ʼ
‘Great, please text me your location and I will pick you up at 7.ʼ
‘I can find my own way,ʼ I say
‘I wanna be the one to pick you up from home.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘See you.ʼ
‘See you.ʼ
I hung the phone up and put it back on the table, moving my
hands to my waist I remove my towel and use it to pat dry my
dripping wet skin on my arms and legs.
Then I walk out to my closet and pull out some clothes. I quickly
get dressed and walk out of the room. Melanie is preparing
breakfast we are heading to the hospital to see Yedda.
‘You look good,ʼ she says
‘Thank you.ʼ
I am about to sit on the couch when a knock sounds on the door,
I walk towards it and open it. Standing on my doorstep is Zach,
he looks fresh as ever.
‘Hey!ʼ
‘Hey you.ʼ
We stand there and just stare at each other before he finally
pulls me into his arms and hugs me tightly catching me by
surprise.
‘I thought I lost you,ʼ he whispers
‘I am okay.ʼ
‘I was so worried Zaria.ʼ
‘Hey, I am fine now,ʼ I roll my eyes pulling back from him.
‘Can we talk?ʼ he asks
‘You wanna come in?ʼ
‘Nah, we can just stand over there and talk.ʼ
‘Cool,ʼ I close the door behind my back and follow him.
He reaches for my hand and holds it in his, ‘Zaria, I donʼt want to
beat around the bush anymore. I am not playing around, I love
you, I wanna be with you,ʼ he says while intently looking at me.
I seriously donʼt even know how I feel about what he is saying,
this is all confusing.
‘I wanna be with you, give us a chance.ʼ
‘And what happens to Sabrina?ʼ
‘She was a mistake her and I are no longer together.ʼ
‘Right now, the last thing on my mind is a relationship.ʼ
‘Please,ʼ he pleads
‘Zach i____”
His lips cut off the rest of my sentence I melt into his kiss feeling
a warm tingle as his tongue tangle with my own.
‘What the fuck?ʼ A familiar voice screams.
And just like that the kiss is over, we detach from each other and
Zach steps back.
‘Zach? Zaria? What is going on here?ʼ he asks slowly walking
towards us, the anger is evident in his voice.
‘What are you doing here Wesley?ʼ
‘I asked you a question,ʼ he says
‘I donʼt think I owe you any explanation,ʼ I respond almost
immediately.
He looks at Zach, ‘You are supposed to be my best friend, why
are you kissing my woman?ʼ
‘She is not your woman,ʼ he says
‘I am not your woman Wesley, your woman is Lulu.ʼ
‘I am sorry my man,ʼ Zach begins ‘But Zaria is the woman I am in
love with, I have always loved her.ʼ
‘What the fuck?ʼ he says his face twisting in rage and hatred.
‘I am sorry.ʼ
‘How dare you betray me like that? Were you guys fucking even
before we broke up?ʼ
‘Oh lord,ʼ I shake my head, ‘Zach I think we should talk some
other time and Wes I think you have over -stayed your welcome.ʼ
‘I will see you later,ʼ Zach says
He leans in to peck my forehead when Wes grabs him from
behind. As soon as Zach turns to face him, Wesley punches him
in the face and just like that a fight ensues between them.
What sort of drama is this now?
‘How could you be this reckless?ʼ I ask Andrew
‘That man offered me a lot of money to sell you out if he gave
me that money I would have used it to buy your freedom out of
jail.ʼ
‘You are stupid I shouldnʼt have listened to you in the first place.ʼ
‘How should I have known that he would have me followed?ʼ he
asks
‘See where your love of money has landed us.ʼ
‘This is your mess and not mine, I didnʼt tell you to kill that girl.ʼ
‘She is alive remember?ʼ
‘And her father has vowed to take us down.ʼ
‘We need to plead guilty when the case goes to court.ʼ
‘And then?ʼ
‘That will lower our sentence,ʼ he says
I shake my head I donʼt think am ready for that.
‘Just think about it Oscar we have no choice.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
I have been in this filthy cell for a week and it feels like an
eternity, this place is gross I wonder how people survive life
behind bars. I must get out of here or I will die.

-Episode Fifty Five

‘That feeling of regret when time passes and you realise youʼve
let the wrong person go.ʼ
Wes
I am angry- so angry that I could kill someone right this minute I
thought Zach was my friend. He broke the brother code by
going after my girl. Wait do I even have the right to call her my
girl after everything I did to her? I want Zaria back. I made the
biggest mistake of my life when I let her go.
A knock sounds at the door startling me I walk towards the door
and open it. My sister and Lulu are standing on my door step I
kicked Lulu out of my house when I got out of police custody.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ I ask
My sister looks at me, ‘What happened to you?ʼ
I know I am a mess Zach did a number on my face but I will get
back at him when he least expects it.
‘I got into a fight.ʼ
‘Because of Zaria?ʼ Lulu asks
I shoot her an evil stare and then shake my head the mare sight
of this woman disgusts me.
‘What are you doing here?ʼ
‘We need to talk,ʼ my sister says before she pushes past me into
the house, pulling Luluʼs hand.
‘You have 5 minutes,ʼ I say
‘Whatʼs this nonsense about you calling off the wedding?ʼ she
asks
‘I donʼt want to marry her anymore.ʼ
‘You see,ʼ lulu says, ‘your brother has completely changed, he
beats me up, he yells at me,ʼ she says before tears slowly start
streaming down her face.
‘Drama Queen!ʼ I exclaim clapping my hands together, ‘You
deserve an Oscar,ʼ I laugh
‘What the hell is wrong with you?ʼ My sister yells, ‘Why are you
being so insensitive to your fiancé?ʼ
‘What fiancé?ʼ I roll my eyes
‘What did I ever do to you?ʼ Lulu cries harder, I can see through
her. This is just an act and I will not fall for it, I made a mistake
leaving Zaria for her, I donʼt see myself marrying someone this
childish.
‘You need to stop being childish Wes Lulu here is your wife to
be. The wedding day has already been set, you canʼt just call off
everything.ʼ
‘Watch me.ʼ
‘Please!ʼ Lulu pleads, ‘Donʼt do this to me,ʼ she gets down on her
knees
‘Wes.ʼ
‘Did she tell you she got me locked up?ʼ I ask my sister
‘You hurt her.ʼ
‘Oh.ʼ
‘Let Zaria go.ʼ
‘Your fight minutes are over. Leave!ʼ I gesture towards the door.
‘I am leaving,ʼ my sister stands up, ‘but she is staying here with
you.ʼ
‘No.ʼ
‘She is and forget about this nonsense of calling off the
wedding, you donʼt want to have me as an enemy.
And with that she marches out of the house.
I look at Lulu and my heart aches with anger, I could literary kill
her this minute but she is not worth it. I hurriedly head for my
room I need to take a bath so I can calm down.

Yedda
‘How are you feeling?ʼ he asks
‘I am getting better, I seriously canʼt wait to leave this place,ʼ I
respond
He smiles slightly and brushes the hair out of my face with one
gentle hand, ‘I miss spending time with you away from the
hospital.ʼ
‘Me too, this place sucks.ʼ
‘Have I told you lately how much I love you?ʼ he asks intently
looking at me
‘Well, I think you did some five minutes ago.ʼ
He laughs, ‘I love you Yedda I canʼt wait to make you my wife. I
want to spend the rest of my life with you.ʼ
My heart skips a beat and I smile brightly.
‘You complete me Yedda, I never knew a safe place until I looked
into your eyes,ʼ he says
‘Wait! Are you proposing?ʼ I ask
He bursts out laughing, ‘Babe, you are dramatic.ʼ
‘Am i?ʼ
‘Yes, you think I would propose to you in a hospital?ʼ
‘Well, you are unpredictable.ʼ
‘Babe, have you taken a good look at yourself? Look at your hair,ʼ
he laughs
I frown, ‘Are you saying I look ugly?ʼ
He laughs, ‘you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen
you my lady are second to none.ʼ
His words warm my heart this is the kind of love they write about
in books, I feel content.
‘I love you so much Alex.ʼ
‘And I love you even more I canʼt believe I almost lost you.ʼ
‘You are never gonna loose me, I am here for keeps,ʼ I smile
He smiles back at me before he bends his head forward, he
presses his mouth on mine kissing me wildly. I am lost in the
frenzy of kisses when the door swings open- Zaria and Melanie
walk in.
‘Get a room,ʼ Melanie loudly says and Alex instantly pulls away
from me.
I laugh out loud, ‘Learn to knock.ʼ
‘In a hospital room? Is this your bedroom ai?ʼ
‘We just got carried away,ʼ Alex says
‘I can see that,ʼ Melanie says
I roll my eyes, ‘Go to hell.ʼ
‘Fine,ʼ she raises her hands up in the air.
‘I think I better get going,ʼ Alex says
‘So soon?ʼ I pout
‘I will come and spend the night here with you.ʼ
Melanie and Zaria exchange glances, ‘You want to spend the
night here?ʼ Zaria asks
‘Yes.ʼ
‘I am still too young to be an auntie,ʼ Melanie says
‘Shut up,ʼ I respond
Alex quickly kisses me again before he hurries out of the room.
‘I love you.ʼ
‘I love you too,ʼ he responds firmly closing the door behind his
back.
‘You girls are dramatic,ʼ I say
‘And you are?ʼ
‘Cool and humble.ʼ
They burst out laughing, ‘Tell that to Alexʼs mum.ʼ
I shake my head,ʼ you two are mad.ʼ
‘Birds of the same feather flock together,ʼ they say in unison
before they sit down.
‘Whatʼs new?ʼ I ask
‘Zaria is going on a date,ʼ Melanie says
‘Tell me about it.ʼ
‘With the new guy.ʼ
‘Xavier?ʼ
‘Yep.ʼ
‘He asked you out?ʼ
‘Itʼs just dinner,ʼ she says
‘And thatʼs how most romantic relationships start.ʼ
‘Leave me alone please.ʼ
‘And also, Zach and Wesley had a fight today they almost killed
each other if not for me.ʼ
I laugh, ‘Every guy is running after you? Whatʼs your secret?ʼ
‘I donʼt even want to be with anyone right now, I just want to
have a few moments of peace.ʼ
‘But who would you choose between Zach and the new guy?ʼ I
ask Zaria
She bites her lower lip for a minute obviously thinking about her
answer, ‘I donʼt know,ʼ she says
‘I would say go for Xavier,ʼ Melanie says
I shake my head, ‘We donʼt know anything about this new guy,
yes he picked her up and took care of her but that doesnʼt mean
they should end up together. I am still putting my money on
Zach,ʼ I say
‘I love Zach,ʼ Melanie begins ‘but he comes with so much
baggage & being Wesleyʼs friend I just feel he wonʼt be the right
one for her.ʼ
‘Letʼs remove Wesley from this equation, he is in the past. Zach
has been there for our girl, he deserves her.ʼ
‘I canʼt wait to see Xavier I feel he is the right man for our girl.ʼ
They go on and on arguing about who is best for me, they are
acting as if I am not even there.
‘Enough!ʼ I yell and they instantly shut up.
‘What if I say I want both me,ʼ she asks
My eyes widen in shock, ‘I would say you are being dramatic.ʼ
Melanie laughs, ‘We are not going that road honey, just say yes
to Xavier.ʼ
‘I am not saying yes to anyone.ʼ
‘Say yes to Zach,ʼ I say
‘Xavier,ʼ Melanie says
‘Zach! Zach! Zach!ʼ
‘Oh lord, can the two of you shut up already.ʼ
‘Fine.ʼ
‘I will think about what I want and when I decide I will tell you.ʼ
‘Fair enough.ʼ

Episode 56
‘Life is an echo, what you send out comes back, what you give
out you get.ʼ

A few months later

ZARIA
We walk into the court room and take our seats, it is the last day
of the trial today Oscar and Andrew will be sentenced. They
were declared guilty last week all that remained was for the
sentence to be issued.
Shortly after the duo is brought into the court room, I look up at
them and Oscar locks eyes with me. I quickly look away I am
disgusted with myself for dating someone like him.
What hurts the most is that Stephen died, I feel responsible for
his death- this is my fault. I swear if I could go back to the day I
met Oscar, I would turn around and walk away.
‘All rise!ʼ The bailiff says
We all stand up as the judge walks out of his chambers, sits
down and pulls up his sleeves as the bailiff calls the court to
order.
Once there is order, the judge clears his throat, ‘Are all parties
present?ʼ he asks
‘Yes your honour,ʼ responds the representative.
‘Oscar Siyame & Andrew Mwansa, you are hereby sentenced to
thirty-five years in prison with no possibility of parole for being
found guilty of the following charges: Murder of Stephen Bwalya
and attempted murder of Zaria Nel.ʼ
The court room buzzes with a murmur.
‘Silence in court,ʼ the bailiff says and everyone obeys
‘Itʼs over,ʼ I whisper
‘Yes it is,ʼ dad smiles before he wraps his hand around me and
tightly hugs me.
I sigh in relief at least now justice has been served, I donʼt have
to feel so guilty about Stephʼs death.

OSCAR
‘You are hereby sentenced to thirty years in prison with no
possibility of parole,ʼ his words echo through my head as the
bailiff puts us in handcuffs and drags us out of the court.
I look back at Zaria one more time and my heart aches, I love her
I wish she had given us a chance. What happened that night was
a mistake, I would never have deliberately tried to kill her.
I hope she knows how much I love her. I hope someday she
forgives me.
Right now I have so many regrets I donʼt even know where to
start from.
My life has crumbled right before my eyes all because I listened
to the wrong person. Well I donʼt blame Andrew for this but I just
feel if I had a better friend, we wouldnʼt be in this mess right
now.

A week later
YEDDA
We are in court yet again and this time for Trishʼs sentencing. As
they walk her into the court room I canʼt help but feel sorry for
Trish, she looks so different. Her face is gaunt and pale plus
there are dark circles under her eyes and her arms are covered
with bruises. Her hair is unkempt and unshed tears are visible in
her eyes. This is the first time I have seen her looking so
vulnerable and afraid.
‘She looks sick!ʼ I whisper in Alexʼs eyes
‘I know right,ʼ replies Alex
‘I somehow feel sorry for her.ʼ
‘Me too.ʼ
‘She is mentally unstable because no mental person can behave
like she does.ʼ
‘I just feel bad that Janet had to die because of her obsession, I
hope she is locked up for life.ʼ
‘I hope so too.ʼ
After Alex visited Trish a month ago, she got so mad that she
ended up confessing that she caused Janetʼs accident.

TRISH
I am standing in front of the podium noticing the stoic
expressions of everyoneʼs face.
Breathing in deeply, I steady my emotions and glance up at my
mother & Maureen. My mother has a blank look on her face
while Maureen hasnʼt stopped crying. My heart burns with pain
and anger at the thought of Maureen being my mother, I hate
her with such a deep passion she deserves to die.
I will never consider this woman my mother she sold me off in
the first place so she has no place in my heart. She is a disgrace
to womanhood.
Shaking my head, I focus my gaze on Alex and Yedda, oh yes
they look so cozy and happy together. I should have killed her
when I had the time, she should have died like her friend Janet.
A few minutes later, everyone stands for the judge and once he
settles in, everyone sits down.
‘Head juror,ʼ the judge says turning in her seat to face the jury.
An older woman stands up.
‘What do you find the defendant, Ms. Trish Chileshe on the case
of Murder & attempted murder?ʼ he asks
The juror takes a look at her notes then she lifts her head, ‘The
jury finds Ms Chileshe Guilty for murder & attempted murder.ʼ
The court room erupts with cheers causing the judge to slam his
gavel down on the bench to bring the room to order before he
announces his verdict.
‘Trish Cheleshe you are sentenced to six months in solitary
confinement and Thirty years of jail for the Murder of Janet Sika
and the attempted Murder of Yedda Dawson.ʼ
When the sentence is issued, I donʼt flinch I donʼt even open my
mouth to say anything.
At the back of head I already knew how things would play out, I
had known since the beginning that I would get a harsh
sentence especially after I attacked & almost killed my cellmate.
From where I am standing, I watch as Maureen begins to cry
uncontrollably while my mother picks up her bag and marches
out of the court room.
The bailiff puts handcuffs on me and leads me out of the court
room.
I take one look at Alex and Yedda before I am lead out, ‘I hope
you die,ʼ I yell.

I am curled up in the corner of my room tears are streaming

down my face. All I feel is a black hole inside of me, a black hole
that threatens the destruction of my entire being.
There is only a month left to my wedding and things between
Wesley and I seem to have hit rock bottom. He doesnʼt seem to
be interested in marrying me anymore.
Lately he has been avoiding me he walks in and out of the
house acting as though I donʼt exist. What do I do now? Where
do I go to for help? I canʼt afford to lose Wes I have invested so
much in this relationship to just let it slip out of my mind. This is
all Zariaʼs fault, why did she have to resurrect from the dead?
Lord I am desperate, I have to get married to Wes even if itʼs the
last thing I do alive.
The door creaks open and Wes walks in, he looks at me and
shakes his head.
‘Can we talk?ʼ I ask
‘I am not interested,ʼ he rudely responds
‘You havenʼt been showing up for the wedding rehearsals,ʼ I say
He laughs a sharp bark that is without joy
‘What do you want me to say? Isnʼt it enough that you are
forcing me to marry you? Must I come for the stupid rehearsals
as well?ʼ
‘Wesley! Please for the sake of our child, please stop treating me
like this,ʼ I plead
‘I am not even sure if that child is mine,ʼ he snaps
My eyes widen in shock, ‘This child is yours and you know it.ʼ
‘We shall see.ʼ
‘Just man up and own up to your responsibilities.ʼ
‘Leave me alone.ʼ
He grabs his phone and throws himself on the bed, he types
away as I talk to him. Frustrated, I walk out of the room. I just
canʼt deal.
I know he is trying to frustrate me so I can cancel the wedding
but I wonʼt weather dead or alive, I must marry Wesley.

Episode 57
Saturday morning, I am startled out of my sleep by a loud
scream.
‘Happy Birthday Zaria!ʼ The girls scream on top on their lungs
pouring a bucket of water over my head.
I take a big gulp of air as the water travels down my spine.
‘OMG!ʼ
Itʼs freezing
The girls canʼt stop laughing & what makes it even worse is that
Yedda is recording the whole scene.
‘You guys,ʼ I frown
‘What?ʼ
‘My Bed? My hair? My pajamas?ʼ
They burst into a fit of laughter, ‘Stop being petty, the bed, the
hair, the pajamas like really?ʼ Yedda rolls her eyes.
‘And stop recording you fool.ʼ
‘Make me stop,ʼ she sticks her tongue out.
‘Whatever.ʼ
‘How does it feel to be 28?ʼ
Silence
‘Bitch!ʼ Melanie pokes me with her finger, ‘We are talking to you.ʼ
‘I am not talking to you guys.ʼ
‘Is that so?ʼ
‘Yes.ʼ
I am about to grab a towel to warm myself when I am met with
another large bucket of ice water.
‘What the fuck?ʼ
‘Happy 28th Babe,ʼ Melanie bursts out laughing
I shoot her a death glare, ‘you are dead meat,ʼ I say raising my
fist before I begin chasing her around the house while Yedda is
busy following behind still recording.
When we get to the living room, I stand frozen at the door. The
entire room is decorated with multicolored tiny balloons,
streamers and gifts are piled high on the one of the couches.
As I walk in, the balloons burst into the air before they suddenly
begin to grow encircling me. Torn between amusement and
anger tears begin trickling down my face, I am overwhelmed
with love & happiness.
A chorus of happy birthday begins, they sing at their pit of their
stomach.
It is the most horribly pitched song I have heard, even though
the girls keep going off key, I canʼt help but melt a little. Who am
I that I should be loved this much?
“Happy Birthday Bae!ʼ they say in unison, ‘we love you Zaria &
we wish you none but love & happiness. You are our bundle of
joy we can never trade you for anything or anyone.ʼ
They present me with a giant, ‘Happy Birthday card, with
signatures and wishes from the both of them.
‘Thank you!ʼ
‘You are always welcome.ʼ
‘And all these are my presents?ʼ I ask
‘Ofcourse.ʼ
‘Twenty eight presents for your twenty-eighth birthday have fun
opening them.ʼ
‘Wait.ʼ
I rush to my room, strip out of my wet pajamas and wrap a towel
around my waist then I sit on the floor and begin opening my
presents.
They got me a mini camera, jewellery, Handbags, some jeans, a
huge teddy bear, perfume, chunky knit blanket, a new phone
and a whole lot of stuff. My heart canʼt contain this excitement.
‘Thank you!ʼ I whisper tears streaming down my face.
They laugh before they hug me tightly.
Afterwards I cut one of the cakes and feed the girls then we sit
at the table and have breakfast.
‘So whatʼs for the rest of the day?ʼ
‘We have so many things to do today but first things first, we are
going for a wedding,ʼ Melanie exclaims
‘A wedding?ʼ I ask
‘Wesley is marrying today, we got a card, we are all gonna show
up and support them.ʼ
‘You guys, is that even necessary?ʼ
‘Of course,ʼ Yedda says
‘And we have the perfect dress for you,ʼ Melanie says
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Letʼs get ready we donʼt wanna miss the kiss.ʼ
I rise to my feet and rush towards my room for a bath, I am about
to walk into the bathroom when my phone rings, I walk back and
pick it up.
‘Father Dearest!ʼ
‘Happy Birthday my darling.ʼ
‘Thank you,ʼ a huge smile spreads across my face.
‘I am supper proud of the woman you have become, I am sure
your mother is happy where ever she is.ʼ
‘You made me the woman I am today daddy, I am thankful for all
the sacrifices you made.ʼ
‘I would do it all over again my darling.ʼ
I smile, ‘I love you daddy.ʼ
‘I love you even more my darling, in the next life I still want you
as my daughter.ʼ
I laugh, ‘And I still want you as my daddy. So what do I get for
28?ʼ
‘I have a lot planned for the day.ʼ
‘I am all ears.ʼ
‘I am not telling, at least not yet.ʼ
‘Not fair.ʼ
‘Patience my darling.ʼ
‘Okay,ʼ I pout as if he can see me
‘I have got to go baby, will keep in touch.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Love you.ʼ
‘Love you too.ʼ
As soon as the call ends I run towards the bathroom.
I wake up to the sun streaming in my window. I slept well in spite
of the argument that Wes and I had last night. I sit up straight
feeling unsettled and uneasy.
I grab my phone to check the time: 6a40 am on a Saturday
morning. Today is my wedding day and I am quite excited
because finally I will be marrying the man of my dreams, my
babyʼs father.
Well yes we have had arguments here and there but thatʼs all in
the past.
The good thing about all this is that I have his familyʼs support,
they have been on my side from the word go they actually called
Wes and sat him down a week ago and told him to behave.
I sit for a few minutes thinking about the upcoming dayʼs events
then I stare at my wedding dress which is on a hanger on the
outside of my dresser, it is simple and elegant, perfect for a
pregnant bride.
I hope Wesley is gonna love it as much as I do.
I am about to stand up when the door creaks open and Sabrina
walks in.
‘Good morning,ʼ Sabrina says
‘Morning,ʼ I smile
She is my maid of honour she has been supportive throughout
the journey. I couldnʼt have made a better choice.
Things didnʼt work out between her and Zach but she has
managed to pull herself together, she is seeing one old rich man
who helped her with repaying her loan.
‘Your sister in law just called, she is coming with the makeup
artist so you need to bath.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘And Wes?ʼ I ask, ‘Have you heard from him?ʼ
‘He is getting ready you donʼt have to worry about a thing.ʼ
‘Sure,ʼ I roll out of bed and head for the bathroom. I take a warm
relaxing bath, itʼs my wedding day actually and I need to be
relaxed, I have worked so hard to get to this day.
After my bath, I walk to the breakfast hall and eat. After
breakfast I return to my room. My sister in law and the makeup
artist have just arrived so I sit in front of my mirror as she works
on me.
At 9 Am, I find myself walking down the aisle toward Wesley. My
heart skips a beat when I see him standing at the altar. He looks
handsome in his gray suit but I canʼt help and notice he looks
angry too.
Still nervous, I bravely strode forward with the help of my uncle
who will be giving me away. We get to the front and he takes my
hand then he clicks his tongue and we turn to face the priest
together.
We are standing in the front of the church friends and family
members are here to witness our union. I am angrily holding
Luluʼs hand it should have been Zaria by my side and not Lulu.
The reason I am standing here is because my family threatened
to disown me if I leave Lulu. They are happy she is carrying my
child, according to them no child of mine will be raised out of
wedlock.
If I could turn back the hands of time, I swear I would, things
shouldnʼt have gotten this far.
‘Dearly beloved,ʼ the priest begins. ‘We are gathered here today
to witness the union of two lovely people, Wesley Muchindu and
Luyando Mweene.ʼ
I zone out during the rest of the service, I keep yawning loudly I
am bored. I canʼt stop thinking about Zaria.
‘Wes!ʼ Lulu lightly hits my shoulder
‘What?ʼ
‘Stop yawning like that,ʼ she whispers
I roll my eyes, ‘Leave me alone.ʼ
‘Is anything the matter?ʼ The priest asks
‘No,ʼ she says
‘Is there anyone here who thinks these two should not be joined
in holy matrimony, let them speak now or ….,ʼ the priestʼs oratory
is interrupted when the door of the chapel swings open, Zaria
and her girls march into the church.
Zaria is clad in a long white dress with slits on both sides and
long sleeves tucked into a pair of white gloves trimmed with grey
fur. Her minions are dressed in yellow short flared dresses.
They look extremely beautiful if I must say.
‘Click! Click! Click!ʼ the sound of their heels echo throughout the
room as they majestically walk down the aisle of the church to
the third row where they all sit down.
Episode 58
“You canʼt blame someone for walking away if you didnʼt do
anything to make them stay.”
Quiet murmurs and whispers fill the room and everyone has their
eyes on Zaria and her minions.
I am fuming! My hands are shaky as I stare the trio that just
walked into the church I can feel my heart beat increase as my
stomach is twisting like a cobra ready to strike.
How could Zaria do this to me?
Her dress is mesmerizingly breathtaking she looks more of a
bride than I do, you arenʼt supposed to outdo the bride, itʼs not
fair. Her minions are wearing similar dresses as if they are
bridesmaids.
What sort of woman are these? They are so bold and fearless,
when I sent them that invitation I didnʼt think they would show
up but see my life, they just made such a grand entrance putting
my wedding on a standstill. I can tell by the look on Wesleyʼs
face that he is thrilled, what a fool he is.
I take in a deep breath trying to calm my nerves before I turn
towards the pastor and ask him to continue.
After a pause, the pastor continues, ‘If anyone has reason that
these two shouldnʼt be…,ʼ
At that moment Yedda begins coughing, it begins as a few gasps
that quickly grows into an uncontrollable spasm. Within a
minute, the cough grows louder and violent.
She is deliberately doing this to spoil my day I manage to keep
my composure because I am the bride. Now everyone I staring
at her, quickly I see one of the ushers hand her a bottle of water.
She takes a large sip and keeps quiet after a few minutes I look
at her and I can see the smile on her face.
‘Can we continue?ʼ I impatiently tell the pastor.
He looks at Wesley, ‘I think letʼs skip to the next part, will you
please hold her hand in yours?ʼ
‘Do you..,ʼ He begins but immediately gets interrupted by
Melanie.
She stands up and walks up to the altar, at this point I am filled
with rage and I am trying so hard to fight the urge to attack her.
‘Excuse me,ʼ she says to the priest
‘Yes young lady.ʼ
‘Where can I find the toilets?ʼ she asks
My anger spirals, I am clench my fists and grit my teeth but
despite the anger in my heart I keep my mouth shut.
‘We are in the middle of a wedding madam you could have asked
one of the ladies at the door instead of coming all the way here
to disrupt the ceremony. If you continue with this behavior I
might have to kick you out.ʼ
‘Sorry!ʼ she says almost laughing
He directs her to the toilet and she marches off.
‘Do you Wesley Muchindu take Luyando Mweene to be your
lawfully wedded wife to live together after Godʼs ordinance in the
holy state of matrimony? Will you love & honour her in sickness
& in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness
and in joy----.ʼ
He pauses as Melanie walks back into the church, her heels
making a sound with every step she takes. When she takes her
seat, he continues.
‘To cherish & continually bestow upon her your heartʼs deepest
devotion forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long
as you both shall live?ʼ
I wait. A second, two, three awaiting his response but it doesnʼt
come.
‘Wesley!ʼ I pat his shoulder lightly
‘What?ʼ
‘He just asked you a question.ʼ
‘Oh!ʼ
‘Whatʼs the matter?ʼ asks the pastor sensing that something is
wrong.
‘Nothing,ʼ I nervously say
‘Mr. Muchindu? Should I give you and your bride a few minutes
alone?ʼ he asks
He shakes his head, ‘We are okay.ʼ
‘Then I will ask you again.ʼ
‘Okay.ʼ
‘Do you take this woman Luyando Mweene to be your lawful
wedded wife?ʼ
He glances at me then at the priest before he responds in a
nervous but firm voice that can be heard throughout the church.
‘No.ʼ
The murmurs and whispers fill the room once again, my eyes
widen and my heart thumps wildly.
The priest walks closer to him, ‘Think well son,ʼ he says in a
soothing voice, ‘I know you are nervous but please think well
before you respond,ʼ he urges him.
After a few minutes, he repeats the question, ‘Do you Wesley
Muchindu take Luyando Mweene to be your lawfully wedded
wife?ʼ
Wesley clears his throat and responds with a firm voice, ‘No.”
My throat instantly becomes dry and my legs become weak,
Sabrina stands up and holds my hand so I donʼt fall.
‘Wesley!ʼ His sister stands up, ‘What is the meaning of this?ʼ
‘I am sorry sis but I will not marry her, Lulu isnʼt the woman for
me,ʼ he says
‘Wes,ʼ I plead meeting his gaze.
‘You are irresponsible and childish you are unfit to be a wife. I
doubt I ever loved you I must have been driven by lust. If I marry
you today, our lives will be miserable so I am setting you free.ʼ
His words hit me like a dagger to the heart, ‘Please,ʼ I plead
‘I am sorry my heart belongs to another you will find someone
better, I am sorry.ʼ
Without saying another word, he marches out of the room & a
moment later his sister runs after him.
Heartbroken, humiliated and devastated, my knees give way and
I sink to the floor wailing loudly. Sabrina tries to pull me up but I
just squeeze myself into a tight ball and wail louder.
People in the church start marching out, whispering and
sympathetically staring at me. I feel like a fool.
Shortly after, Zaria and her minions stand up too and they walk
out.
‘You shouldnʼt have done that,ʼ my sister says when she catches
up with me.
I just couldnʼt go ahead and marry her. I donʼt love her I just
realized I was driven by lust & infatuation.
‘You wouldnʼt understand,ʼ I respond
‘But?ʼ
‘Please!ʼ I plead, ‘I donʼt wanna talk about it, not now.ʼ
‘Fine,ʼ she turns and walks back into the church
I am about to get into my car when I spot Zaria and the girls
heading towards their car.
‘Zaria,ʼ I call
She turns & we lock eyes, I expect to see warmth and love but
what I see is a blank and an emotionless look.
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Can we talk?ʼ
‘About?ʼ
‘I would like to apologize to you for----,ʼ
‘I hold no grudges, you donʼt have to apologize to me for
anything,ʼ she cuts my sentence short.
I stare at Wesley and for a minute memories of his betrayal flash
right in my face, the way he dumped me and kicked me out, the
way he made me feel like a worthless woman. Anyway thatʼs in
the past now.
‘I want you to know that I regret letting you go & taking you for
granted. I guess itʼs too late for me to have you back but I wish
you the best in life, if I could take back the hands of time I swear
I would make better decisions,ʼ he says tears flooding his eyes
For a minute there I feel sorry for him but he made his bed and
now is the time for him to lie in it.
‘Everything happens for a reason, we didnʼt work out because
we werenʼt meant to be. Itʼs sad that you didnʼt marry your
wonder woman but I hope you find someone you will love truly
some day,ʼ I say
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Girlʼs letʼs get out of here,ʼ I say before we walk towards our car.

Episode 59- Pre Final

LULU
Three months--- Thatʼs how long it has been since I was left at
the altar by Wesley, the man who was supposed to be the love
of my life, ditched me in front of my friends & family.
I seriously donʼt know how I have managed to survive the past
few months without losing it though I have constantly been
feeling sick and my heart is still shattered.
I have been waiting for Wes to show up just to apologize for
what he did but he hasnʼt shown up neither has he even shown
remorse for humiliating me in such a manner.
His family and mine sat down a few months ago to talk and Wes
promised to take care of the baby once she is born, yes the scan
confirmed I am having a girl, my due date is next week, I am
hoping this child will strengthen the bond between Wes and I, I
hope he will come back when I give birth.
I still havenʼt given up hope on us, even if it means using the
child to get to him I will.
‘You wanna take a walk?ʼ Sabrina asks
‘No.ʼ
I have been hiding myself in this house the past three months, I
canʼt face the world because i am afraid they will mock me, I
canʼt deal with the humiliation and the pain.
ZACH
Three months- thatʼs how long it has been since I last saw Zaria
Nel, once upon a time I thought I would marry that girl and we
would have a happily ever after life, well letʼs laugh to that.
I believe whatʼs meant to be will always find its way into your life
effortlessly.
So the last time Zaria and I talked was a few days after her
birthday, I had just received a promotion at work which required
me to move from Lusaka to Livingstone so I called Zaria and we
met up.
We had a lengthy conversation, I told her how I felt and she told
me her side of the story. I understand she wanted to start afresh
and didnʼt want to tie herself down to anyone who was involved
with Wesley.
A relationship between us would bring chaos and we both didnʼt
want to have a life full of drama so I left and we agreed to be
friends.
I have been in Livingstone for three months now and I must say
life has been peaceful here I met someone two months ago and
she helped me get over Zaria, she also introduced me to Jesus
and helped me give my life to Christ, we are taking things slow
but I love where we are heading.

ZARIA
An awesome three months it has been, I am really grateful to
God for vindicating me and bringing peace into my life once
more, things have been moving in the right direction and I
couldnʼt be happier.
I have so many things to share but first things first, Precious
gave birth to bouncing baby boy, though he was born
prematurely, he is the healthiest little boy I have ever seen. I
have a little brother and itʼs so exciting, the experience is just out
of this world, you must see how happy my dad is, I havenʼt seen
him this happy in years. I am glad Precious walked into his life
and gave him little Zuriel.
So, I got promoted at work, I am now the senior Financial Analyst
isnʼt that exciting?
Last but not the least, Xavier and I have been seeing each other
for the past few months, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I
said yes, the attraction and chemistry is there, itʼs been there
since day one.
Choosing to be with Xavier over Zach was a tough decision but
in the end love wins. Zach isnʼt the man for me, I had to let him
go, we agreed to be friends and we talk here and there, he has
totally changed and he told me he met someone so in the end
we both won.
Today is Friday and I just got back from work, I am exhausted, i
just wanna throw myself on my bed and sleep but I have a date
with the girls and our men, so the rest will have to wait until later.
‘Girl you are back?ʼ Melanie asks, she is sitting in front of the
mirror and wrapped in a white towel.
‘Yes I am but nalema boi, I just wanna sleep.ʼ
‘Eh kulibe vogona iwe kolwe, I just told Yedda to start getting
ready.ʼ
I yawn loudly, ‘I wish this could wait.ʼ
‘It canʼt wait, I have a feeling tonight is gonna be a good night,ʼ
she screams
‘Fool.ʼ
‘Kasambe.ʼ
‘Fine,ʼ I roll my eyes
I walk to my room, stripe out of my clothes and head for the
bathroom. I stand under the shower feeling the hot water soak
into my skin, my sore muscles groan in excitement and a sigh
happily.
A warm shower is always the best therapy after a long tedious
day.
I step out of the shower a moment late to find some clothes laid
out for me on the bed, trust Melanie to get us new dresses for
days when we are going out like this.
I pick the note on top of the dress, ‘Get dressed,ʼ it reads. I laugh
as I drop my towel and start moisturizing my skin. When I am
done quickly slip on my dress and slip my feet into my heels.
Standing in the mirror I pull my hair up and let it down several
times trying to decide what looks better. Moments later I decide
that it would be better I make a messy bun.
I put a little make up and sprits on some spray before I grab my
purse and walk out. Both girls are in the living room, they are
dressed and have been waiting for me.
‘You look beautiful!ʼ I say
‘And you look beautiful too.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘Shall we?ʼ
‘Yep.
We walk out of the house and get into the car, Melanie is driving.
About an hour later, she pulls up in front of a hotel and we step
out of the car.
We follow her inside the men reserved a private room for us to
dine in. When we walk down the hall to the room, we find them
anxiously waiting for us.
Xavier stands up instantly and walks over me, ‘You look
beautiful,ʼ he murmurs letting his eyes wash swiftly over me.
‘Thank you,ʼ I smile.
I say hi to Alex and Jonas (Melanieʼs boyfriend) then we sit down
and we order our food.
When the food comes we start eating while talking about
random stuff, itʼs an exciting and fun night. We talk and laugh,
we also talk about the good old days and how life has been good
to us.
After we finish eating, Xavier excuses himself he walks out of the
room and walks back in a minute later. When he walks back Ed-
Sheeranʼs perfect begins to play in the back ground.
He walks closer to me going down on one knee at the side of the
chair I am sitting on and taking my hand in his, he clears his
throat, ‘Youʼre amazing, unique and beautiful, you are everything
I want in a woman and more, I know it hasnʼt been long since we
started but I knew the minute I saw you I wanted to spend the
rest of my life with you. Zaria Nel marry me,ʼ he says
‘Oh God!ʼ I had no idea he would ask me to marry him, lord I am
sure the girls knew this would be happening. Lord how I waited
for this ring for five years and it just came in three months.
‘Say yes Kolwe,ʼ Melanie says and everyone bursts out laughing.
‘YES!ʼ I scream throwing my arms around his neck, ‘I will marry
you.ʼ
Not more than a minute later the door creaks open; dad and
Xandria appear around the corner with banners & balloons
saying congratulations Zaria.
He slips the ring on my finger and before he kisses me, ‘Thank
you for making me the happiest man on earth,ʼ he whispers
‘My little girl,ʼ Dad wraps me in his arms and I canʼt help but shed
a little tears. I am getting married, finally. Then I hug Xandria and
I can see she is excited, she has been calling me mum for the
past few months.
‘We have to start planning the wedding, you wonʼt have to lift a
finger congratulations girl,ʼ Melanie says.
‘My mummy Zaria, I am happy for you,ʼ Yedda says
‘Thank you Kasuli.ʼ
‘Bell bells, I hear you,ʼ I exclaim.

Episode 60- Final

“Life is about choices! Some we regret some weʼre proud of.
Some will haunt us forever. We are what we choose to be.”

FOUR MONTHS LATER

WES
My life is a mess, the decisions I made in the past screwed me
up.
I am at a point in my life where I am struggling with loneliness. I
have disconnected from the world around me, the shame is too
much for me to bear.
The situation I found myself in wasnʼt part of the plan that I had
envisioned for my life at this moment in time. The birth of Luluʼs
child shook my perspective on my life decisions quiet
significantly.
Speaking of Lulu, she gave birth a few months ago. A few weeks
after Zaria got engaged, well I have been stalking Zaria and I
know she got engaged and is yet to get married soon.
A few months ago, Sabrina called to inform me that Lulu was in
labour and she asked me to meet her at the hospital. I dropped
everything I was doing and rushed to the hospital.
When I got to the hospital, I was told she had already given birth
to a baby girl, I was directed towards her room, upon getting
there, I found Lulu crying, her expression was far too sad for a
woman who had just become a mother.
‘Whatʼs wrong?ʼI asked
Lulu gazed up at me with a look of sadness and pain.
‘Sabrina where is my baby? Is she okay? Why do you people look
as though you are mourning?ʼ I helplessly asked.
‘I am so sorry Wes,ʼ Lulu cried
‘Sorry for what?ʼ
‘For--,ʼ she was interrupted by the nurse who walked into the
room carrying a baby wrapped in a pink blanket.
‘Little miss sunshine is perfectly fine, you should be able to go
home as soon,ʼ the nurse said
‘Is that my baby?ʼ I asked
‘You are the father?ʼ she asked
‘Yes.ʼ
She gave me a quizzical look and handed the baby to Lulu
before she turned and walked out of the room. When I took a
glimpse of the baby, I was speechless.
Sabrina quickly excused herself and left the room.
I just stood there and stared at the baby for ages.
‘Whose baby is this?ʼ I finally found the courage to speak.
Silence!
‘Who is the father of this baby?ʼ
More silence.
‘Who is the father of this baby?ʼ I raised my voice I must have
scared the baby because she started crying.
The baby had Asian characteristics and there was no way in hell
I would be the father.
After I questioned her, Lulu confessed that she had been
sleeping with a Chinese man before we met. In her defense, she
said she stopped sleeping with the man after she became
intimate with me so when she discovered she was pregnant, she
was sure the baby was mine.
I was too angry to listen to her bullshit so I stormed out of the
hospital and never returned. I havenʼt seen Lulu in four months
now I blocked her numbers and stopped sending her money.
I have so many regrets right now, the decisions I made in the
past are haunting me, if I could turn back the hands of time, I
swear I would stick to Zaria, well I guess itʼs too late now
because Zaria is with someone else and from the look of things
she seems to be so happy.

LULU
Wanna see who your real friends are? Screw up and see whose
still there. I havenʼt heard from Sabrina for three months now,
she ditched me when I needed her the most. She just detached
from me when I gave birth to Tilile- I named her Tilile because
she has brought nothing but tears into my life.
Things have gone from bad to worse since I had this child I
seriously thought the child was Wesleyʼs, if I knew she belonged
to that foolish man I would have aborted.
Now I have to live with the shame of raising her alone, I am so
broke right now I can hardly afford to pay rent I donʼt even know
who to turn to or where to go for help.

TRISH
I groan and slowly open my eyes, as my blurry vision focuses I
realise where I am.
I am in a familiar small room the walls of this room are painted
white. There is a small mattress in one corner, a table and a
small chair in another corner. I am sitting on the floor and leaning
against the wall thinking about the harsh sentence that the
judge gave me.
I try to act strong but inside I am falling apart, it hasnʼt even
been a year but this place feels like hell, how will I survive 30
years? Itʼs too much, I just want to die.
A few minutes later, the door is opened and a man walks in.
‘Hello,ʼ he says ‘How are you doing?ʼ
I blink at him slowly but choose not to respond, how am I
supposed to feel? Canʼt he see the conditions I am in? At this
point I am not feeling anything, just emptiness.
‘I have some good news for you,ʼ he says
I ignore him and stare blankly at the floor , the only good news I
wanna hear is that I am leaving this place and going back home.
‘You are going back to the normal cell to join your friends today
and your mother is here to see you.ʼ
‘My mother?ʼ I ask
‘Yes.ʼ
‘Come.ʼ
I stand up instantly and walk after him, dragging my feet against
the floor. I smell bad i havenʼt had a bath in weeks now. I have
been locked up in solitary confinement. It is awful in there. No
one to talk to I thought I was gonna lose my mind thank God I
will be taken to a normal cell now.
Soon we get to the visiting room with various people sitting
about. I frown when I find Maureen waiting up for me I thought it
was my mother. What the hell does she want?
She stands, ‘My child.ʼ
I click my tongue, ‘I will never be your child what do you want?ʼ
‘I am here to see how you are doing.ʼ
‘I am fine, leave now.ʼ
‘Trish.ʼ
‘Just leave.ʼ
Tears begin flooding her eyes and before I know it she is crying, I
pull a chair and sit down.
‘I am sorry my child.ʼ
‘What have you brought?ʼ I ask
She hands me a plastic and I check to see its contents – some
bread, drink and fruits. I pull out the bread and start eating then I
take a sip from the drink. Itʼs as if someone is chasing me. I am
very hungry.
‘Thank you for the food,ʼ I stand up after a while feeling much
better.
‘You are welcome.ʼ
I signal for the officer to escort me back.
‘Can I atleast hug you before you go?ʼ she asks
‘Donʼt get ahead of yourself.
‘Trish.ʼ
The officer grabs my hand and escorts me back to the cell.

ZARIA
I beam at the reflection on the mirror as I gaze at the girl on the
other side. Her strapless gown of semi embodied fabric
accentuates her waist, hugging her hips and flared out a bit.
She is also wearing a two-tier veil with a matching crystal head-
peace.
The girl in the mirror is me, Zaria Nel and soon to be Zaria
Mumbi in less than an hour.
‘You look absolutely beautiful my princess,ʼ dad barges into the
room waking me from my reverie.
‘Thank you daddy, you donʼt look bad yourself.ʼ
‘As the father to the bride I should make s statement,ʼ he laughs
‘I wanted to give you something let this be your something old,ʼ
he holds out a little black box.
I open the tiny box revealing a pair of beautiful diamond earrings.
‘These belonged to your mother she wore them on her wedding
day. I want you to have them.ʼ
As he fixed the earrings on my ears, I was close to bursting in
tears.
‘Thank you so much dad, mum is at peace wherever she is,ʼ I
sniff
‘Donʼt cry, you are gonna ruin your make up,ʼ he says
‘I am just a bit emotional I canʼt believe I am finally getting
married.ʼ
‘When the time is right the lord always makes it happen,ʼ he says
I laugh.
‘I am proud of you darling and no matter what you will always be
my little Zee, I want you to know that you can always count on
me.ʼ
‘Oh daddy,ʼ I cry
He pulled me close to him and wrapped his arms around him.
‘I love you.ʼ
‘I love you even more buddy.ʼ
Afterwards, I spread a blanket on the floor and get down on my
knees so he can bless me.
He lays his hand on my head.
‘You are my priceless gift, I shall forever be grateful to God for
giving me the honour of being your father. I wish you and your
husband a blessed life. I pray your home is blessed with love,
laughter and joy. I pray that give you have long healthy marriage
in which both you and your husband will remain faithful to one
another throughout all seasons of life.ʼ
‘Amen!ʼ the girls scream as they barge into the room too.
‘Girls you look beautiful,ʼ he says
‘Thank you daddy, the way you look handsome. Lord,ʼ Melanie
says
We all burst out laughing, ‘Donʼt let mummy precious catch you
eyeing her man,ʼ Yedda says
‘Oh please, I am just appreciating my daddy.ʼ
‘Whatever.ʼ
‘We need to get along, let me just check if the cars are ready.
You girls do some sister chatting,ʼ he struts out of the room
leaving me and the girls.
‘Eh finally!ʼ Melanie screams
‘Nati finally,ʼ Yedda responds
‘Naipeza mbambo,ʼ I laugh
‘The way I am so ready to dance, I want to turn that wedding
upside down,ʼ says Melanie
‘Please dance respectably,ʼ Yedda says
‘To please who?ʼ
‘Fool,ʼ I say
‘Okay back to normal, this is serious business,ʼ she makes up a
serious face. ‘Zaria Nel we are so happy for you my lady, you
should see how my heart is overwhelmed with excitement. We
love you baby and we wish you a happy and long lasting
marriage.ʼ
‘Thank you.ʼ
‘And please remember weʼve got your back and if Xavier does
anything silly we are one call away. I still have some buffalo
beans set aside for any stupid in-laws,ʼ she says.
‘You are dramatic sister,ʼ Yedda says, ‘But seriously baby we are
excited for you, may God bless you with lots of lots children.ʼ
‘Amen.ʼ
‘Girls, we have to get going,ʼ dad calls out.
The girls and I share a group hug then we get a few photos, they
hand me my banquet of flowers and we are ready to leave.
I am standing at the corner of the church doors .Daddy is
standing beside me his arm linked in mine. I am waiting
nervously and patiently, I will soon walk down the aisle to meet
my husband to be.
‘The one Iʼve waited for, my loveʼs desire. The one he kept for me
until it was time, the one that I dreamed about-----,ʼ Maurette
Brownʼs the one he kept for me begins to play.
We walk slowly onto the long red carpet that stretches across
the church, all eyes lock on me as I walk towards Xavier. He is
wearing a blue single breasted tuxedo with a white –wing collar
shirt.
The music stops as my father hands me over to him and we
stand in front of the altar.
The priest then begins the ceremony with a prayer and
afterwards he starts preaching. A moment later, he leads us
through our vows then afterwards it is time for the exchange of
rings.

XAVIER
My heart skips a beat and I am overwhelmed with joy when the
priest finally says, ‘By the power vested in me, I now proclaim
you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.ʼ
I gently lift the veil look at her with a smile, then I lean in slowly
until she grows impatient and meets me halfway, I press my lips
on hers, passionately kissing her.
Everyone cheers Melanie and Yedda are screaming right behind
us, ‘Give us iwe.ʼ
‘You look beautiful my wife,ʼ I breathe
‘And you are as fine as ever, my husband.ʼ
‘Ladies and gentle men,ʼ the priest says, ‘allow me to introduce
the new couple in town. Mr. & Mrs. Mumbi.ʼ
They all applaud and stand.
My wife and I walk out of the church, arms linked with huge
smiles on our faces. The best men and women, followed by the
groomsmen and bridesmaids follow suit, walking behind us.
We finally stop in front of the church, family and friends pause
for hugs and photos.
‘Mum and dad, I am so happy for you,ʼ Xandria says
‘Thank you my darling,ʼ Zaria responds
The girls are screaming, dancing and making too much noise,
everyone is staring at them, lord these girls are dramatic.
They get into their car and she lays her head on his chest, he
wraps his hand around her. As the car drives off, they canʼt help
but share another kiss this is where they belong- in each otherʼs
arms.
She is his and he is hers, forever.
‘I love you,ʼ he whispers
‘I love you too,ʼ she says, her heart is filled with joy, she is glad
she waited for him.
She gazes up at him with an appreciation she canʼt hide, ‘I am
glad I met you.ʼ
He bends his head and kiss her again softly, filled with
happiness and acceptance, she kisses him back.
“Itʼs so amazing when someone comes to your life and you
expect nothing out of it but suddenly there, right in front of you
is everything youʼve ever needed.ʼ

Epilogue – A year later

‘Melanie!ʼ I whine while pouting. ‘Can you please help me zip up
my dress, please?ʼ I ask
‘That dress wonʼt fit,ʼ Melanie responds
‘It will fit,ʼ I reply
She bursts out laughing ‘have you taken a good look at yourself
in the mirror? You are double the size than you were when we
had these dresses made.ʼ
‘We had them adjusted,ʼ Yedda responds. ‘Be a darling Melanie
and help her out.ʼ
‘Whatever.ʼ
She moves forward and quickly stands behind me, her fingers
grip the zip and she pulls it up. When it is done, she steps aside.
‘Boi are you sure you are not carrying twins? You canʼt be this
big,ʼ she teases
I roll my eyes, ‘Melanie is a fighter she has been teasing me ever
since I got pregnant. Itʼs been a year since I got pregnant and I
am now expecting my first child, pregnancy has been quiet
tough but I canʼt wait to meet my little munchkin, Xavier wants
another girl, I want a little boy.
Anyway today isnʼt about me, toady our Kasuli is getting married
and she asked us to be her bridesmaids despite me being
heavily pregnant, I am due next month.
I am not gonna be doing any serious dancing just a little
something here and there.
‘You look beautiful,ʼ Yedda says as I take one last look at the
mirror.
‘Donʼt I look too big?ʼ I ask
‘You look perfect my darling, you make pregnancy look
beautiful,ʼ she says
‘True that,ʼ Melanie smiles at me.
‘We are happy you are getting married baby, may God be at the
center of your union,ʼ I say
‘Amen.ʼ
‘And know weʼve got your back always,ʼ Melanie adds.
‘Are the cars here? I think we need to get going, that Bishop is
sticks to time, he warned us about being late,ʼ Yedda says.
‘You are right,ʼ I respond
‘Let me just check if the cars are here,ʼ Melanie says

YEDDA
This is the day that the lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad
in it. I am supper excited I canʼt believe I am getting married
today. When Alex asked me to marry him a few months ago, I
thought we would wait a little bit but well he didnʼt want to wait,
so here we are, itʼs my wedding day.
‘Are you ready?ʼ Uncle Ted asks he will be walking me down the
aisle I lost both parents some years back.
The bridal song echoes through the church as I link my arms
with Uncle Ted, he winks at me before we both walk down the
aisle.
As I walk towards my husband to be, I feel the burn of his stare
on me, I canʼt help but blush. Husband of my youth, I will forever
be grateful to God.
Wait I am also thankful to Lulu for getting us arrested, if not for
her I wouldnʼt have met this wonderful man of mine.

ALEX
My heart overwhelms with joy when I lock eyes with Yedda as
she walks towards me with the most amazing smile on her lips
and she looks very beautiful in her elegant mermaid Gown.
When she reaches the altar, she lets go of her uncleʼs arm and I
take over.
As the Bishop starts talking, I whisper, ‘I love you too.ʼ
‘I love you too,ʼ she whispers back.
Everyone in the church has their eyes centered on us, I only wish
my father where here to witness this day. As the Bishop
continues talking, my mind wanders to the first day we met and I
canʼt help but smile.
My darling Yedda is fierce and courageous thatʼs one thing I love
about her, she is bold enough to go after what she wants I won
the jackpot when I fell in love with her.
Finally we say our ‘I doʼsʼ and the Bishop pronounces us as
husband and wife.
‘You may kiss the bride,ʼ the Bishop announced
I kiss her softly on her lips before we hold hands and walk out of
the church. I canʼt believe I am married to the woman of my
dreams, now I can be with her forever.
It doesnʼt matter what obstacles stand in the way of your love, at
the end of the day love always wins.
‘Hereʼs to a wonderful and healthy marriage,ʼ she says pressing
her lips on mine, we share a brief kiss before Melanie pulls her
back.
‘Get a room you too,ʼ she rolls her eyes
Everyone bursts out laughing, thatʼs Melanie for you.
I take her in my arms and whisper, ‘You are the best thing thatʼs
ever happened to me.ʼ
She smiles. ‘So you are my husband now ai?ʼ she asks
‘Till death do us apart darling.ʼ
We have the rest of our lives to love each other and make
beautiful babies.

One Month Later

Xavier awakens to someone shaking him, he opens his eyes and
realizes the bed is soaked, her water just broke and he needs to
take her to the hospital.
He jumps out of the bed and quickly gets dressed then he grabs
the small suitcase that she packed before he helps her out.
Once in the car, he drives as far as he can.
When they get to the hospital, Zaria is rushed towards the
maternity wing.
He calls the girls as he waits for the doctors to attend to his wife.
The girls get to the hospital an hour later, they are in the
company of Alex.
After a few hours and Nemours checks, she is ready to push.
‘Push,ʼ the doctors encouraged her.
She felt the child coming as the pain increased, crying out she
grabbed Melanieʼs hand.
‘It hurts a lot,ʼ she moaned
Melanie gave her a sympathetic look and stroked the back of her
hand, Zaria had requested for the presence of the girls to be
with her.
‘Be strong and push some more,ʼ they said
She gave one final push and felt the baby leave her loins. She
sighed in relief when she heard the sound of the babyʼs cry.
‘Itʼs a boy,ʼ the doctor exclaimed.
When they finally placed the baby in her arms, she felt her life
take on a new meaning. She looked down at the little boy who
had come out of her and tears welled in her eyes.
Afterwards Xavier walked in, when he saw his son, his heart
melted with love.
‘Thank you,ʼ he whispered
‘You are welcome.ʼ
‘This baby looks exactly like me,ʼ Melanie said staring at little
Arthur, this was two months after Zaria had given birth.
‘Why would my child look like you?ʼ Zaria rolled her eyes
‘Because I am beautiful and because I am his God-mother.ʼ
‘The child looks like me, I am the rightful God-mother,ʼ Yedda
responded
‘Give me back my child before you drop him with your tantrums.ʼ
‘You are fool, why are we even here?ʼ
‘Because you love me and my children,ʼ she laughed
‘Mummy!ʼ Xandria screams walking into the room.
‘You are as loud as your auntie Melanie I will kick you out,ʼ Zaria
says
‘Sorry mummy.ʼ
‘You look beautiful.ʼ
‘Thank you, I am leaving now I am gonna see you later.ʼ
‘Have fun and wish Carol a happy birthday.ʼ
‘Sure.ʼ
She walks out of the room and I stare at my child then at the
girls, my life may not be perfect but I am happy, I have these
amazing friends, a great husband and two wonderful kids, what
more can a woman wish for.
‘I love you fools,ʼ I say
‘And we love you even more mummy,ʼ they say in unison.
‘Hereʼs to strong healthy marriages and friendships.ʼ
My name is Zaria Nel Mumbi, this has been our story.
Ends……