Solitude – Episode 37

 

SOLITUDE

 

_37_

 

We are standing there face to face, I can see Chanda doesn’t believe what I just told her but I have made up my mind.

 

‘You are not joking?’ Chibesa asks

 

‘Unless you want to follow her.’ I say then settle into my chair

 

I wait for a few seconds before they both leave, banging my door in the process and I am scared it could have cracked being glass.

 

I sigh deeply then look at the financial reports, I have been compelling these the past few days and from what I am looking at the firm has enough money to run on its own for the next six months but we need to start generating income if it has to run efficiently.

 

The door opens and August’s scent hits me before I even see him.

 

‘Are you going to stand there and not say a word?’ I ask

 

‘What is really going on?’ He asks

 

‘You fired Chanda.’ He adds when I don’t respond

 

‘Yes.’ I say looking at him

 

‘Nella she is one of the best lawyers this firm has.’

 

‘I never said otherwise.’

 

‘Then why would you fire her?’

 

‘You are questioning my decision?’ I shoot back

 

‘Nella I understand this is hard for you, I know it’s hard to get over the fact that she sold the firm to the Nakambas but firing her will just do more harm to the firm than you think.’

 

‘I appreciate your concerns August but my decision is final, yes she might have been a good lawyer but so are you. Chibesa too. And a lot other lawyers in the firm.’

 

‘You hate her that much?’

 

I shake my head

 

‘I don’t hate her.’

 

‘Then make me understand.’

 

‘August you have got to accept that it is not okay to trample over people, to gamble with people’s lives and future. What Chanda did was wrong at all levels and just because I haven’t pressed charges doesn’t mean I am okay with it, she needs to learn that what she did is not okay.’

 

‘She will come back for you.’

 

‘I know.’ I say

 

‘August.’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘Are you scared of Chanda?’

 

‘No, but I care about her. Something that you wouldn’t understand because you have grown up alone.’

 

The words slip out of his mouth faster than intended and I can see the regret on his face but that’s the least of my worries right now.

 

‘Nella.’

 

‘Save it August.’ I say with a smile even though I am hurt

 

He looks at me apologetically but I look away and fix my eyes on the PC.

 

News of Chanda’s dismissal has reached the city, I have media houses calling my office asking about the decision I have made and I keep cutting them off because it is not the business of the world to know what happens unless I want them to. The only person I owe an explanation is Chanda.

 

I leave the office after 7PM, I had last minute presentations to draft which are due tomorrow.

 

‘I thought you would never leave.’

 

I sigh

 

I am honestly not ready for drama and I was hoping to get some sleep tonight; peacefully.

 

‘You are still here.’ I say

 

She smiles at me but I know that smile is not genuine

 

‘Chanda go home and rest, you don’t look too well.’ I say honestly

 

She laughs

 

‘You who has taken away my job is showing care, how ironic.’

 

‘Go home and rest.’ I insist

 

‘All of a sudden you have grown some wings, haven’t you?’ She asks

 

‘I don’t know what you are talking about.’

 

‘Of course you know what I am talking about, so you think you can come into my life and ruin everything that I have built? Everything I have worked tirelessly to gain?’

 

‘I am sorry you looked at me as an enemy but I was never one, I never even intended to be one.’

 

She clicks her tongue

 

‘Anyway I waited hours for you just so I can give you a piece of my mind, Nella I won’t let go of the firm easily. If it means burning it down again I will do it.’

 

‘Burning it down again?’ I ask with a raised eyebrow

 

She laughs

 

‘You think that was natural? You think the firm could have just magically caught fire? Of course someone had to do it. Someone had to bring it down.’

 

I gasp in disbelief

 

‘So you would rather burn down the firm whilst burning yourself in the process and a hundred other people just so I can burn too?’

 

 

‘Finally figured it out, Nella even if it means killing myself in the process just so I can see you dead I will go to those lengths.’

 

‘I see.’ I respond getting into the vehicle

 

I drive away leaving her there, I don’t know if it’s just me but she looks a little disturbed. When I get home I take a bath and prepare myself for bed, I don’t want to eat anything.

 

…

 

‘We need to talk.’ Katai wakes me up from my sleep

 

Lord knows I hate being disturbed from my sleep but she would never know this because she is someone I just use for sex, she can never be half the woman that Chanda is.

 

‘Chibesa wake up.’ She says again this time shaking me violently

 

‘What the hell Katai.’ I say rubbing the sleep from my eyes with irritation

 

I look at her and she doesn’t look like she has slept any bit

 

‘What do you want?’ I ask sitting up right

 

‘We need to talk about our future Chibesa.’ She says

 

I want to laugh, her naivety is beyond me

 

‘By future you mean?’ I ask

 

She removes home testers and hands them to me.

 

‘What is this?’ I ask

 

‘I was going to wait till morning but I couldn’t.’

 

I look at them, all three are showing that she is pregnant.

 

‘Katai whose are these?’ I ask

 

‘I picked them.’ She says sarcastically

 

‘Katai.’

 

‘Chibesa we are grown ups and we have been having unprotected sex, I told you when you decided to come back to me that I wasn’t on any pill.’

 

‘I thought you were joking.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘I mean all women are on pills.’

 

‘Because you have slept with all of them?’ I sigh.

 

‘We will see a doctor tomorrow morning just to be sure.’

 

‘I already did that and it came out positive, you are going to be a father.’ ‘You know I love Chanda.’

 

‘And you know I love you.’ She challenges ‘I am not raising this baby alone.’ ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

 

‘It means you are going to marry me and we will raise this baby together.’ ‘But Chanda?’

 

 

‘She is a married woman and it isn’t your fault that she is loose, Chibesa I am not like her. I will not hide you to the world. I will be faithful to you and the world will know about us. With your promotion and a baby on the way what else do you want? Why not just settle down. Don’t you want to come home to home cooked meals and a loving wife? One waiting to love you without holding back?’

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I open my mouth to say something but she places her index finger on my lips.

 

‘Yes I will marry you.’ She says slipping a ring on her finger

 

‘The wedding is in two months, I will make calls tomorrow.’ She says and switches off the head lamp before going back to sleep leaving me in shock