Solitude – Episode 46
SOLITUDE
_46_
‘There is no bond stronger than that of sisters.’
I am standing outside the Police station waiting for Chanda to come out. I spot her wearing the clothes that I had earlier sent.
‘Freedom is sweet you know.’ She says opening her arms ‘Sister.’ I say getting into her embrace
‘You are going to squeeze Bentley out of me.’ She says and I can’t help but laugh ‘I see you haven’t learnt anything in there, have you?’
She removes her tongue and I laugh
I lead her to the car where Mr. Mbewe is parked just next to mine ‘Than
k you.’ I say looking at him
‘Chileshe would have been very happy seeing you two like this.’ Chanda and I smile at that
I drive us to her place and the entire way she hasn’t asked how I managed to get her out.
When we get there she takes a bath while I struggle with what to cook.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Trying to cook.’
‘And?’
‘I can’t cook.’ I say
She looks at me, obviously expecting me to say it is a lie but it isn’t. ‘You are not lying?’
I shake my head
‘I mean I cook but I can’t cook.’
‘What does that even mean?’
‘Well it means that when I cook the food doesn’t taste nice.’ She laughs, so hard her tears fall.
‘Nella who will be cooking for your husband?’ ‘Who said I am getting married?’ ‘Girl you are not dying alone.’
‘But who said cooking is the only way to keep a man?’ I ask with a shrug
‘Honey if you can be his bestfriend, mistress, chef and business partner be rest assured that you will have it all.’
I roll my eyes.
‘Don’t worry, I was that and more for August and yet we couldn’t work.’
‘Bitch you cheated.’ I say the words slipping out of my mouth She opens hers as if to respond but keeps quiet.
‘Wait, did you just call me a bitch?’
‘Deal with it Bana Bentley.’ I say and I watch as she laughs
‘I don’t even feel like cooking, why don’t we eat out?’ she asks ‘Bill on you.’
‘I am jobless.’ She says
‘Oh that is true,’ I respond with a laugh
We drive to mandahill and walk to spur, we find a table inside and make our orders.
‘You knew I was going to get you out?’
‘I did.’
‘How?’
‘Nella you are not as dull as you think you are.’ I eye her
‘Yes, law is not your best field. I am not saying this to insult or undermine you but you have the brains, you have a good head over your shoulders and that is enough.’
‘So you have faith in me after all.’
‘Nella; Chileshe wasn’t stupid, she couldn’t have left the firm in your name if she knew that you would bring it down. She knew what you possess.’ She says with a smile
‘August is working with the Nakambas.’
‘I saw that one coming.’
‘What?’
‘August has always wanted to be part of the firm and I being Chileshe’s daughter worked well.’
‘Wanting to be a part of it to the point of wanting it for himself?’ I ask
‘No.’
‘Then?’
She sighs
‘Let us eat our food.’ She says when it has been brought
‘No Chanda we are talking about this.’ I say
‘But the food.’ She says making a face and I almost laugh
‘Fine, you can eat and talk.’ I say when she makes a puppy face
‘I have a feeling August is doing all this to get back at me.’
‘At you? Why though when you don’t even own the firm?’
‘He knows how important it is to me, Nella he doesn’t care if you own it or not but what he cares about is that it means a great deal to me and that is why he will do everything in his powers to make me pay for hurting him. Honey you are just a pawn in all this.’ She says not trying to sound hurtful even though it stings
She sighs when I put my folk down
‘Listen here, the Nakambas knew I could never sell the firm if it was in my hands. They know how much I value it, my work and everything my mother has put in. The only reason I sold myself out to them was because if it belonged to them, then I would have full control as well because it means that much to me. August couldn’t care less if you came out of this without a finger, you are not of much concern to him. This battle is between him and I and he is going to do everything in his powers to make sure he gets to me.’
I shake my head
‘It doesn’t make sense; August gave you fake documents to the firm. He played you, making you believe they were originals and me too for making me believe he was on my side.’
‘Exactly Nella, he was not helping me. August gave me fake documents and he knew this would happen. Sooner or later he was going to take the firm from you.’
‘All this because you two are not together?’
‘I really want to understand him, I really want to. But I guess all this hit him really hard, we had our future planned out.’ She says with a sad face
‘Chanda it doesn’t give him the right, what you guys had is
separate from work.’
She smiles
‘Hunny not everyone thinks like you, when you have been with someone for a very long time your life begins to revolve around them. There is nothing in the world that you can do that won’t involve them, I am not talking about matching outfits or baby names. I am talking about business proposals, building empires together. We didn’t see ourselves with anyone else, well of course despite me being with Chibesa I really hoped August would be the one I end up with.’
‘Are you sure.’
‘Well no, but we had come a very long way to just leave him.’
‘I see.’ I respond sipping on my juice
‘So I feel how he is behaving is partly my fault.’
‘Chanda if you want to carry someone’s cross for their bad behavior, be my guest. But August has no right, the both of you are two messed up people who are going to face serious law charges. You need a lot of money to bail yourself out from the Nakambas and he, trying to get the firm from me again is going to land him behind bars. I won’t let anyone toy with me anymore’
‘You can’t prove that.’
‘What?’
‘That August is trying to get the firm from you.’
‘You underestimate me.’ I say and I watch the shock on her face
‘Away from that, Chibesa finally tied the knot to Katai yesterday.’ I tell her after much silence
I watch as she puts her folk down.
‘They went to civic centre, but knowing her; she probably has something big cooking.’
She smiles
‘Will I ever be okay?’ she asks swallowing hard
‘In due time you will be, remember I am here. And we shall raise Bantley and be unstoppable.’
‘You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time.’ She says ‘So are you.’ I respond
‘Isn’t that your phone?’ I ask when the vibrating sound I have been hearing doesn’t stop
‘I think so.’ She says looking for it
When she finally finds it she picks up.
‘Hello.’ She says
I watch her facial expressions
‘Alright.’ She responds dropping the line
‘Is everything okay?’
‘Mr. Nakamba is dropping all charges.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘He is.’ She tells me
‘There is a fish somewhere.’
‘Something is totally off.’
‘Nothing is off.’ August says and we both turn around to look at him ‘What do you want here?’
‘I am sorry Nella, for everything.’
‘Everything.’ He adds looking at Chanda
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I see how her eyes melt, and for the first time since Chileshe died; I don’t question her leaving the firm in my hands. August is lying, August is a phony, August is here to hurt Chanda and probably use her, August is a bad person, August can’t be trusted and I have to stop him.
