THE WORSE GONG

She told me she is married. I could not take it up. I carelessly admired her, staring
at her well built up body from top to bottom though my eyes were seeming to be
fixed in one position. The pain in my heart was still growing bitterer and bitterer.
My heart was still in need of hers. How could it manage to enjoy life in loneliness
while its soulmate was still alive with another man who was a foreigner in the
soulmate's world.

At first, I did not know it was her. I saw her at a certain filling station where she
got recruited. I wanted to purchase some fuel for the taxi I was driving. As I was
pulling at the station, I swerved to the point she was. I smiled at her but she did not
smile back.

“How are you Mr.?” she greeted.

“I am fine thanks and how are you madam?” I offered back.
“I am fine as well. How many liters should it be?” she asked but I did not answer. I
was just smiling at her.
“Sir I said how many liters do you want?! You are wasting my time! Are you deaf?”
she now asked in anger. I reacted as if I had been daydreaming and I had just been
shaken unexpectedly.
“Let it be 20... no... no let... let it be 15... no... no not 15 but make it 10...” I became
more confused when I saw on the billboard that fuel prices had been raised by
almost forty percent the same morning. I was not even sure as to how many liters
my money could purchase. I was then forced out of the station by the security
personnel for disturbing business. I rather reluctantly did so. However, when I saw
that the situation was becoming very critical, I gave in.

It was some few minutes after the second hour of the afternoon. I went back to my
business but time after time I was driving past the station to see when the beautiful
morning star was going to knock off. I wanted to pick her so that I could have some
good moments of getting to know her.

It was around six when I saw her knocking off. Lucky enough, I was without
passengers and I was probably the only driver remaining who was driving to Nessa.
I called her. When she saw it was me, she was reluctant to board my taxi but when
she saw that there were no other taxis, she could not do otherwise. She wanted to be
at the back but I commanded her to occupy the front seat.

“My name is Davie. May I know yours please.” I began.

“I already know that you are Mayamiko. You don’t have to wonder how.” she
answered facing the other side as if hiding her face.
“Really? But how?” I enquired.
“Do you want to tell me that you cannot recall the face of Emma Masula?”

After hearing her name, I no longer wondered how she came to know me in the
strange location. I screamed on top of my voice while re-mentioning her name. I was
over excited to see such a beautiful figure after five solid years had elapsed.

That night I did not wait for more customers. I had to go with Emma only. I needed
to talk with her. I really missed her a lot.

“I cannot believe I am seeing the real Emma. The world is just too small.” I
continued.
“You don’t have to doubt. I am Emma. As you can see, nothing has changed on me
since you left.” she chipped in. But I thought she was joking for I saw her to have
completely changed over the past five years.
“How has your life been for the time I was out of this country?”
“Life has been full of ups and downs my dear. I have been through mountains and
valleys.” she emphasized.
“That is life nowadays. But I never thought you could still address me as dear, Miss
Emma Masula.”
“That name is outdated. You should stop calling me that childhood name.”
“I don't know what you mean by childhood name. Then tell me your new name.”
“I know that you are not ready to hear that name. However, for your own
information, I am Mrs. Zimba.”
“What?? How come??” my face changed as I asked to now.
“It is a long story.” she briefed.

I got confused with what she told me. I could not even control the taxi properly.
Emma had always been the woman of my dreams. I had all the wish to make her
Mrs. Gondwe. Now I hear that she is Mrs. something else. Damn it!

I remember how hard her life became when she became pregnant for me barely two
months after the death of her parents who were attacked by unknown gunmen. She
had no one to help her. Her parents never went with her at their village such that
she never knew her relatives. She now had to face the music of town life all alone
without a job or a business. I was her only hope.

Her life became even worse when I was offered a scholarship to study overseas by a
certain charity organization which was founded by certain white men. She hardly
had a reed to hold onto it on the middle of an ocean of her hurdles. I only gave her
K50,000 to help her settle up a small-scale business. I promised to be sending her
some money at times. I then went to study Public Administration at Kangaroo
University.

“From that time, I was lucky to be called by my friend to start living with her in the
same township." she began her story. "My friend was working at a certain firm and
I was helping her with household chores. What I benefited a lot from her was free
hospitality. I was really saved from accommodation and food costs and other
amenities.

Later, after some months of living together, Malita started bringing her workmate
as a man for me. This shocked me a lot and I opted to stop living with her. I was
already used to hard life. However, more drama came to the scene when I was
asked to pay back all the costs I freely enjoyed which Malita claimed to have been
coming from the man, Mike Zimba. Seeing that the world is being too aggressive to
me, I gave in.

I then got eloped to him. Afterwards, I gave birth to my son. That was when I told
you on the phone that I have a baby boy whom you named Destiny. Sorry that I did
not tell you that I was in a hell where I had no peace of mind. I did not want to
disturb your education.

All was well with Mike but the major problem was his ill treatment of Destiny. My
son was really suffering in the hands if his social father. Whenever you sent me
money for Destiny, we were being beaten badly by Mike for I was failing to cogently
tell him the source of the money. One day, he took my phone and threw it in the
toilet. That was when I lost touch with you. Unfortunately, Mike happened to be
unproductive and this stirred more controversy in our family. These are just the
highlights of my hard way.” she narrated.

I felt sorry for her. I did not know what to say and how to say. Tears travelled
through her cheeks and her sweet dimples.
"I am very sorry for you dear for all what you have been through." I comforted her.
“So how come you are here instead of being at school?” she continued with a
question.
“It is a long story as well but I can make it short for your sake.” I responded.

“One day, as I was coming from class, something I will never forget in my life
shocked me a lot. I found a letter from my sponsors. The letter read:

Dear Davie,
We would be glad enough to hear that you are doing good. We are good as well here.

We have been very proud over the past years to support a hardworking man like
you. It has been a very good journey of memorable moments. Hope you enjoyed it as
well.

On a sad note though, we are very sorry to announce your withdrawal from getting
more financial support from us. We have finally learnt that you have a wife and a
son back home. We know you have tried to hide this but you do not have to forget
that there is no secret under the sun.

Sticking to our rules, that we don’t support parents who redirect our support to
their families, we have decided to do what was supposed to be done.

Finally, we thank you for deceiving yourself. Enjoy your new life as an independent
father. Thank you and goodbye!

With regards,
Jimmy Calvin (Manager, J & G Organization for Needy Students).

I finished reading the letter with tears all over the paper. I did not know what sin I
committed to deserve such a scratch on my wound at the eleventh hour. As I was
crying over the spilt milk, my phone rang. It was a message from the bank. My
sponsors had sent me money to use as my transport. This is how I found myself
driving this taxi to source funds to finish my degree.” I also narrated my story to
her.

Her face became sorrowful. She shed tears and so I did. In no time, we were near
where she lived. We exchanged numbers, hugged and kissed before we part ways. I
stared at her beautiful body continuously as she went to her husband's house. I
then started off for home. Throughout my way home, my mind was just cropped up
with Emma.

It became my duty to be calling Emma every time of the day. After some days, I
came to know my son as he also came to know me. But it was paining me to see my
shadow being brought up under the torture someone else who was not his biological
dad. At all cost, I wanted to get him back together with her mother. After all, he
took after me and nobody would need an explanation of him and me.

One day, Emma came to my house when she was coming from her workplace. Mike
was still at work. Destiny was at his part time and was supposed to knock off at six
in the evening. We chatted for a good period of time. She prepared food and we ate
together. I became jealousy to note that the man who purloined my family was the
one enjoying such delicious meals day by day. We then went to my bedroom and the
sinful act was committed.

As we were in the course of it, a heavy knock was heard on my door. I was afraid
because armed robbers were so famous in my area. I asked who it was but there
was no response. I confirmed it was a thief. I took my pistol which I bought when I
was overseas. I opened the door and at the same time fired bullets at the man
standing by my door. Behind him was a young boy whom I didn't spare either. Blood
oozed from them and was spread in my house. I then took my phone to see who the
men were only to be shocked after discovering that they were lifeless.

After a closer look at the men, we discovered that the man was Mike with the boy
being Destiny. Someone must have told them about Emma's whereabouts when he
was coming from picking Destiny at his part time. Emma was shocked too and I
heard her talking on the phone but I could not make out her speech. Meanwhile, I
thought she was calling the emergency number for help. She was vexed up. In no
time, I heard a siren by my compound. I did not know whether it was an ambulance
or a police car.