Solitude – Episode 1

SOLITUDE

-01-

Born June 27th 1968, Chileshe Chanda is a woman of valor; a ball of fire, a woman with a good heart and as fragile as a new born baby. Her parents had birthed only her and guarded her with their lives but death took them away at a time when she was not strong enough to stand on her two feet. With nothing but a grade twelve and computer science certificate; she worked her way up the ladder until building her own law firm. It wasn’t easy but a woman with a purpose always gets it right eventually, and that is what she was.

She got married at twenty two, it was love at first sight. She met Edward Chanda back at university when she was studying for the bar, he was her lecturer and the first time they talked; they both knew they would never stay away from each other. Despite the age difference of ten years apart she didn’t mind because not once did he make her feel younger than him.

Two years later they tied the knot and there came their only child Kristin Chanda but Edward gave up after battling with a kidney failure. Chileshe had refused to

believe that her husband was really gone, she didn’t shed a single tear during his funeral and throughout the whole burial procession.

This had people talking about her, they claimed that she had not actually loved her husband and being the bread winner of his family; they had stripped her of all he had worked for. But being the lady that she was; she picked herself up and built her firm with sweat and blood.

‘It’s time to go ma’am.’ I say disrupting Chileshe from her thoughts

She sighs before looking at herself for the last time on the mirror. She picks her clutch and we walk together outside where the driver is waiting.

‘Good morning Mrs. Chanda.’ He greets holding out the door for her

‘Good morning Mike.’ She responds catching him by surprise

He has worked for her for twenty years and not once has she ever responded to his greeting, he has no idea that she knows his name too.

‘The office please.’ She says before opening her window lightly

He starts the ignition and connects into great east road, her offices are just after Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.

The drive is quiet, she keeps looking through the window as she thinks of the twenty years that she has used this route. It was not always rosy but she has done it, a tear registers in her eye as she thinks of what she has done wrong; she wipes it as she comforts herself.

‘We have been through this.’ She says to herself with a lump on her throat

The car stops when we get into the building, it is a large building made out of glass; her architect had been against this but she wanted it and so she got it.

I decide to remain in the car with the driver.

She walks into the board room leaving an expensive scent trailing behind her, she is the most elegantly dressed woman in the room and knowing it too makes her feel like she is on top of the world. At fifty she has aged graciously like fine wine.

‘Sorry for reporting late, but I had last minute errands to run before coming to join you.’ She says running her eyes from one end of the room to the other.

She can hear the swallows from the men.

‘Perverts’ is what she calls them, the ladies on the other hand have always envied her and that alone made her want to work even harder.

Chanda her only daughter is in the room as well, the lady is half her mother’s age and does everything like her mother, something that worries Chileshe. At twenty five she has not showed any signs of a relationship because according to her she has no time to mingle or get social with anyone. Her main goal is to be half the woman her mother is and do her proud but what she doesn’t realize is that aside from hard work, good character also earned her mother all that she has and that is something that Chanda has never had.

Her only nephew Chibesa is in the room as well, when her sister had died years back; she left her to take care of her one month old baby. At the time Chanda was just weeks old and so the two grew up more like twins except they never saw eye to eye.

Chileshe stands and scans the room, everyone has been anxiously waiting to hear from her after calling for this meeting.

‘I am resigning as President of this firm with immediate effect.’ She says with a weak smile.

She can hear the gasps from the room but she knows too well that her mission is done, there is nothing else to do that she hasn’t done the last twenty-five years that she has run the company.

‘It is time for younger and fresher blood to take over, mine is stale. I will be in touch to announce who takes over from me in a few weeks’ time.’ she says with another bright smile picking up her clutch and refusing to take any questions.

She walks out of the building as fast as her legs can take her, she knows that everyone must have been looking at her wondering why she is resigning.

‘Where to?’ I ask when Chileshe gets in the car

She smiles at my thoughtfulness, she doesn’t know how the drive would have been had her driver been the one to take her home.

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‘The Goma lakes.’ She says

I know better than to ask questions, Mubanga loved the lakes because it held so many memories. Memories she had shared with her husband. And now content that she would soon join him.