A BEAUTIFUL CALAMITY

A
BEAUTIFU
L
CALAMIT
Y
(A Short Story)
A BEAUTIFUL CALAMITY

Why has the moth always been attracted to the flame? Is it the desire to share in
the glory of the light’s luminance, escaping the gloomy stench of the cocoon’s
darkness? Or could it be that the light gives the moth an illusion of beauty,
making it behold itself equal to the flamboyance of the butterfly? Whatever it
may be, this phenomena had always captivated Ruvarashe. As she watched a
moth flying above the flickering flame of a candle in her room, she could not
her help but stare in a mixture of awe and adoration.

Having grown up in a tumultuous whirlwind of a childhood herself, she was no

different from a moth enveloped in a cocoon. Her father had been a mystery that
she could only fathom in her dreams, having abandoned her soon after she was
born. As for her mother, she had passed away when she was young; her life
claimed by an ailment that the elders had never shown interest in divulging to
her. These experiences were the only life that Ruvarashe knew, eighteen years
of it and she spent most of it building castles in the clouds.

“Ruvarashe!....Ruvarashe!”

That was the piercing voice of Aunt Rudo, calling from outside. Rudorwashe
was the mother that Ruva wished she never had. Being Ruva’s estranged
father’s sister, she was the one who received the onus of taking care after her,
but it seemed that she forgot to receive the love that came with the role of
motherhood. She was truly an irony of her name, Rudorwashe, which meant
‘the love of God’.

“Ruvarashe!” the voice called again.

“I am coming!” replied Rudo.

As she approached her aunt, Rudo could not help but wonder what sin she had
committed this time around. It seemed that her aunt was never satisfied with all
that she did and did not hesitate to air her dislike of Ruva’s wrongs.
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“I am here aunt...you called me?” Ruva said as she squinted, trying to adjust her
eyes to the darkness of the night.

“Yes, of course I did....for like a thousand times” replied Aunt Rudo, obviously
agitated. “Are you deaf or just that good at being stupid, Ruva?” she continued

“I am sorry mama, I could not hear you from the house”

Aunt Rudo gestured to a pile of wood that was heaped under the big mopane
tree in the homestead’s compound. “Did I not tell you to move this wood into
the hut before dusk?” she asked.

“You did mama”. “I thought I would get to it soon after doing the laundry, but I
ended up forgetting”

“Well, the wood still needs to be carried and I surely am not going to it. I
already do a lot by taking care of you so you must hold up your end of the
bargain and stop being lazy!” Aunt shouted, donning a frown on her face.

Rudo began to feel her eyes watering and it was like something was stuck on
her throat. “I am sorry mama, let me....”

“Sorry huh? That is all you will ever be Ruva. A sorry and good for nothing
nobody” interjected Aunt Rudo as she turned and started walking towards the
door.

The aura of the night became still and cold and a deafening silence fell upon the
place in the aftermath of the confrontation that Ruva had just had with her
‘mama’. Her heart pounded like the engine of a steam locomotive and rage
filled her heart as she gathered the wood together in her arms. Being the only
child her aunt lived with in the rural areas, chores such as this were not a
dilemma to her. However, her aunt’s treatment was a constant was always a
hard pill to swallow and Ruva wished that she could just wake up one day and
find her aunt gone, swallowed by the corruption of the night. After she had
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finished her dreary task, Ruva retreated back to her small room, ready to go to
the only place where she was free to live as herself. Her dreams.

One early morning, as Ruva was busy sweeping the yard, she saw a figure out
of the corner of her eye, seemingly approaching their homestead. As the figure
took shape with proximity, Ruva realised that it was a man that she had never
seen before, which came as a surprise because she knew almost everyone who
lived in the neighbouring surroundings.

“Greetings my daughter, how do you do?” the man saluted Ruva.

“I am well sir, how do you do” she replied as she curtsied in an act of obeisance
to the elderly man.

“Is your mother around, my child?”

Ruva felt anger swirling inside her at the mention of Aunt Rudo as her ‘mother’,
but she managed to supress it enough to reply; “Yes, she is in the house”

“Good. I was hoping that perchance,I could have a word with her. Do you think
you can call her for me?” requested the man. “You can tell her that it is her
brother, Bhekumuzi who seeks audience with her” he added.

Ruva ran into the house and found her aunt sitting on her sofa, knitting what
appeared to be a jersey. “Mama, there is a man by the name Bhekumuzi who
says he is your brother and would like to talk to you”.

“Show him in already, you imbecile. Why do you treat our guest like that,
especially when he has told you who he is? Don’t you know that this is his
house too?” replied Aunt Rudo in a harsh tone.

Ruva ran to fetch the man and as she did, she noticed that the familiar sensation
of something feeling like it was stuck on her throat was slowly developing
again. She reached to the door and found the man still standing there, patiently
waiting with a tender look on his face.
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“Mama says you can come in, sir. She is sitting in the lounge”.

“Very well, let me go in and have a chat with her. Thank you my child” the man
said as he headed into the house.

Ruva felt eerie as the man thanked her, for it was something that she had never
known, hence the whole thing felt inappropriate to her.

As time passed, Ruva could not help but to grow curious of what her aunt and
the mystery man were talking about in the house. She was able to hear some
murmurs and occasional laughter by her aunt. The sound of her aunt’s voice and
laughter were a pathetic oxymoron indeed. According to her, laughter was to
her aunt what God was to an atheist, non-existent! After what seem like an
eternity, Ruva heard the all-so familiar voice of her aunt calling her with its
scornful undertone; it honestly felt like a déjà vu. She ran into the house and sat
on the floor, legs folded, as per the tradition for woman.

“Ruva, my child....” Aunt Rudo started “....this is my brother, Bheki. He is your

uncle and has come all the way from Bulawayo, where he lives with his
family”. Aunt Rudo paused as if waiting for the smoke of her words to clear and
silence ensued.

“We have been talking with my brother and have a proposition for you, if you
will agree” she resumed.

Rudorwashe’s mind began to race when she heard her aunt’s words. She had a
lot of questions whose answers she dreaded to know. Were they about to ask her
to marry an old village man in exchange for a handful of money? She had seen
other girls in the village do it after they were forced by their families. Would
she even be able to do it? Was she about to be tossed from one hell into
another? Would her youth’s innocen—
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“I would love for you to come and work for me at me my pub, if you do not
mind”. This time it was her uncle Bheki who spoke.

Ruva thought that she had heard amiss and her wide open eyes said it all. A mix
of relief and disbelief engulfed her. “What?” she asked in shock.

“Your mother has told me that you are currently neither going to school nor
working so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you to see the
country as a girl who is now coming of age” uncle Bheki said. “That is only if
you are interested, of course”

“Your uncle is a well-known business man in Bulawayo with a lot of business

ventures and he wants you to come and work at one of his companies” added
Aunt Rudo.

Ruva felt a smile beginning to form on her mouth and she fought hard to hide it
from the cold stare of her aunt’s eyes. “Yes...” she murmured “....Yes!”.

“Very well, go then and pack all of your clothes. But remember, ‘the child of a
king is a slave elsewhere’ so as you go to the city, do not expect to be treated
with the regard of a queen but know that you are there to work. Don’t trouble
my brother or else you will have to come back here and go to the farm with me”
emphasised Aunt Rudo.

“Yes mother, I shall remember everything you have taught me and make you
proud” Ruva replied, a hint of mockery in her voice.

“Alright then...”said uncle Bheki “...I will be on my way now. Tomorrow, I will
be back in the morning to fetch you”. “Goodbye for now, my child”.

“Goodbye uncle, travel safe” Ruva replied as her aunt and Aunt Rudo were
heading for the door.

That night, Ruva was as happy as a lord, for indeed, she felt like one. Finally,
she would get the chance to escape from the claws of her devilish aunt and this
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hell she called a home. As she lay on her reed mat, she could not fall asleep
from all the joy-infused adrenaline bubbling inside of her and she did not see
the need to sleep because for once, she could be free to live as herself. In the
real world.

The much anticipated morning finally arrived and Ruva was very expectant. She
had woken up very early and had done her chores like every day, only she knew
it would be the last time she ever did them at her aunt’s house. By noon, uncle
Bheki had arrived with the car that was going to take them to the city and Ruva
wasted no time in putting her luggage into the trunk of the automobile. She said
her goodbyes with her aunt and sealed it all with a half enthusiastic hug that
cemented the end of a chapter for her. They got into the car with her uncled and
started off on the narrow gravel strip, leaving her aunt standing and waving at
the departing vehicle.

‘Goodbye, you witch’, Ruva said in her heart as she looked at the disappearing
figure of her mama through the car’s mirror. Finally...she was leaving this
cursed place and its horrible life behind. She was elated to be doing away with
the chores, the scolding from her aunt, and the backward life of tradition that
she had hated ever since her days as a child. She could finally live the life she
had always desired. She could finally be Ruvarashe, the flower of the Lord.

“Wake up, young lady....we have arrived” uncle Bheki’s voice said softly.

Ruva opened her eyes and only then realised that she must have fallen asleep
during the long drive. The view that greeted her eyes was one of splendour and
unimaginable beauty. The lights were shimmering from the streets light and
their sparkle mixed with the sight of people moving up and down in the streets
under the night sky was nothing short of a Renaissance art masterpiece. The
hive of activity made it hard to believe that it was eventide and their diversity
A BEAUTIFUL CALAMITY

told the story of freedom. In that very moment, Ruva felt that she had come to a
place where she belonged. She was home.

As the car turned into a suburb just after the city centre, uncle Bheki took the
time to orient his niece. “This is the suburb where we live, Ruva. It is called
Whitestone. We will go to the house and rest then tomorrow, we will go and I
will show you where you will be working”.

They arrived at a big house that was palatial and were greeted by a gate that
opened by itself. The car entered the yard and parked in a garage slot. They both
got out of the car and carried their bags into the house. The interior of the house
was unlike anything that Ruva had seen before and her dropped jaws told it all.
The aesthetics of it all were a marvel and she took a moment to stop and take it
all in before following her uncle upstairs to her room.

“It seems like all the people are asleep now. This will be your room. You can go
in and refresh then come down and have some food if you are hungry” her uncle
said, almost whispering.

Ruva went into her room and fell on her big bed as she muffled her screams of
elation with a pillow. She was overjoyed and could not even hide it. She took a
long bath in the en-suite bathroom and then headed downstairs to have a bite
before retiring to bed. She was served a very scrumptious meal by the house
maid, who identified herself as Khethiwe. After that, she went to her room and
slept.

The birds chirped gracefully when Ruvarashe woke up in the morning. She felt
relaxed and refreshed, having slept on a bed for the first time in her life. As she
finished bathing, she could make out voices from the ground floor. When she
had finished dressing, Ruva rushed downstairs to the sight of her uncle, along
with three other people that she did not know.

“Good morning, my child. Did you sleep well?” greeted uncle Bheki.
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“Good morning to you, too. I slept very well, thank you for asking” she replied.

"Alright then. Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the family. This is my
wife, your aunt Cressida and these are our two children, Zayn and Marisa" the
uncle continued. "Everybody, this is my niece Ruvarashe. She is going to be
working at the pub".

"Hello Ruvarashe, it is nice to meet you" Cressida said,shaking Ruva's hand

with a warm smile on her face.

"Likewise....it is my pleasure to know you all" Ruva replied.

"Okay, Ruva, we are already late so we should be on our way now. Goodbye
everybody, we will see you all in the evening" Uncle Bheki said as he kissed his
wife farewell.

They got into the car and made their way back into town. Now that there was
daylight, Ruva could really see the placed and she loved them all. From the
clothes stores to the fast food joints and the supermarkets,it was indeed a sight
for sore eyes. They soon cane to a fancy looking building and her uncle parked
the car near the entrance to the building. They went inside and were
immediately received by the aroma of delicate food and different exotics
beverages.

"Let me go and fetch your manager from the office, I'll be back now" uncle
Bheki said as he walked to the back of the building.

After a short time, he came back with another man. "This is Mr Dube, he is the
man in charge of this place. He will be the one you report to and he will take
care of all your needs while you are here".

Ruva looked at the tall and dark man standing beside her uncle and greeted her.
She took time to study him and could see that he was a man with a built frame
and a well chiseled face.
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" Okay Ruva, your uncle has told me a lot about you in the past days and I hope
that you will enjoy working with us. You will be in charge of cleaning the tables
but with time, I hope that you will move onto other tasks once you get
acquainted with the job" Mr Dube said in a deep voice.

"The pleasure is all mine, sir. I do hope that I will be of good service to this
company" she replied.

"Well then, I guess that my work here is done. I must be on my way, I have
other engagements that require my immediate attention. Goodbye to you two"
uncle Bheki said. He took his exit as Mr Dube showed Ruva around the
building and took her to where she would be working.

Ruva really felt that she had started a new chapter in her life in these past
months. She enjoyed the atmosphere that the pub had,the melody of music
filling the air and the cluster of people that came in to enjoy their hard earned
money. She had even progressed in her job and was now working at the bar,
serving alcoholic beverages to the men and women who came in to have a good
time. The money that she was earning was a bonus to her and had given her the
liberty to buy some new clothes and other accessories that she adorned herself
with. However, of all the developments that had occurred in her life since she
had move to the city, none of them could top the young man that was a regular
at the bar. He had caught her eye and although she had never spoken to him, the
thought of him gave her butterflies in her stomach.

It was a cold winter night and a light drizzle was falling from the sky. Ruva was
finishing up at the bar and getting ready to leave,when from behind her a still
voice spoke;"Is there still time for one more drink?". She turned around to find
the young man she had been smitten by standing. Her heart made a rhythm like
the drums of mountain warriors and she stood there, unable to say even a word.
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"Ye.....yes...hhm" she answered. "Please sit down and I will pour one for you
one. Whiskey right?"

"Thank you so much, miss" the young man said, sitting on one of the stools.

"I'm just doing my job" Ruva said, shyly handing the man his drink. "This one
is on the house actually" she added.

"Thank you once again. Say, why don't you join me since you are done for the
day" the young man said with a smile that mabe Ruva's melt heart melt.

Ruva initially hesitated but found herself going to the other side of the counter
and talking a seat next to the guy. Sitting next to the person who had been the
object of her affection since arriving to Bulawayo, she could not help but to be
self aware and could not even bring herself to look into the young lad's
captivating eyes. She sipped on red wine, a beverage she had come to like in
silence.

"I am Themba, by the way" the young man's voice broke the dead silence.
"Since you are having a drink with me, you might as well know who you with".

"My name is Ruvarashe" she said under her breath, almost inaudibly.

"Nice to formally meet you, Ruvarashe. I have seen you around but had never
had the chance to introduce myself" Themba said.

Upon hearing that the fine man had noticed her, she felt faint from the flooding
of feeling in her head.

"Say, how have you been finding the Bulawayo. Did it live up to the
expectations that you had?" Themba asked.

"It has been graceful, in fact" Ruva replied, more boldly this time. The wine was
surely starting to take effect and her inhibitions were getting lesser by the
minute. "The only problem is that I have not made a friend yet. I have not had
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the time to move around and see the rest of the city as I have no one to be my
guide" she said, laughing.

"It is alright. I do understand what you are saying" Themba said, also laughing.
"You know what, if you are free, I can be your 'guide' and show you all the
places to be".

Ruva could not help but feel a rush of electricity running down her spine. " I am
free this Saturday, if you are up for the job".

"Saturday it is then" Themba replied,standing up. "I look forward to seeing

you,farewell miss....I'm sorry... Ruva".

Ruva watched the young man as he walked until he exited the building and
disappear into the darkness of the night. As she went home, she could not help
but think of Themba and the brief time they had spent together. Life was surely
becoming good for her and she was blossoming into a beautiful flower, she
thought.

Saturday finally came and Ruva woke up with a spring in her step. She felt the
same jitters that she had last felt the day her uncle had come to take her from
Aunt Rudo's house. The thought of Aunt Rudo brought a brief sulk to her face
but she was quick to dismiss it. Life was her oyster now and she had no time to
think about evil people such as her aunt. She prepared her best outfit and wore
her hair in the style that was popular in the city. When the time had come, she
went into town to meet up with Themba.

Themba already waiting for her at the city park, a bouquet of red roses in his
hand. 'What a gentleman', Ruva thought to herself as she greeted him. The scent
of his cologne was enough to swirl her in a pool of euphoria. His appearance
was like that of a sculpture chiseled by a craftsmen of high regard. He gave her
the flowers and they were on their way.
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The rest of the day flew by very fast for Ruva, who was consumed by the
presence of Themba. They moved from place to place and saw a lot of places
that were all beautiful and adorable. The day culminated in the evening with a
dinner at Casablanca Restaurant. The mood in the restaurant had an aphrodisiac
tone to it and had Ruva eating out of Themba's palm.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Themba asked as he had his dinner of a rare
steak and wine.

"I had a blast of a time. Thank you for taking me out" Ruva answered, looking
straight into the vortex that was Themba's eyes. She could not help but be
swallowed deeper and deeper.

Themba cracked a smile on his fair face. "I'm glad you found it amusing. I must
say, I have not enjoyed myself like this either in a long time. I guess it was what
we both needed.....we should probably do it again soon".

" I agree, I would love that very much" Ruva said as she giggled.

After their dinner,the pair decide to take a walk as the bustle of the city was
beginning to die down. They eventually reached the bus stop where Ruva
boarded her bus. They stood and continued to talk, each not wanting to leave the
other.

"You know what, why don't you come back to my place for the night?" Themba
asked, looking straight into her eyes.

"I....I don't know if I should. I do not want you to see me as a forward girl, like
the rest of the city girls you were telling me about" she replied.

"Believe me Ruva, you are a rare gem, incomparable to these city girls.... and
only a fool would not see it. And I insist that you come with me. I will behave, I
promise" Themba said, with a smirk that revealed his white teeth.
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" Okay, I guess I will be your guest. But it is just for tonight. And if you don't
behave, my uncle will kill you" Ruva joked.

The pair walked with their hands clasped together. It was a short walk as
Themba rented an apartment in the city centre and soon,they were indoors. His
house was neat and fresh for a place owned by a single, young man. They had
some tea that Themba brewed and they continued in conversation as they sat in
front of the television. As time elapsed, the atmosphere grew more sensual
between the two. It was then, that Themba leaned in and caressed Ruva on her
lips. She paused in the middle of a sentence as fireworks set off in her head. She
could not help but reply equally. In that moment, she felt her cocoon breaking
away and her form being finally released into the waiting arms of a fine man the
world had ever seen. She allowed the euphoria to sweep her as she embraced
Themba and gave in to the urge of lust that was coursing through every part of
her body.

Ruva was awakened by the