I Will Wait – Episode 3

_03_

After banging the door in her face, I increased the volume because I knew she was probably still standing at the door. I didn’t want to come here in the first place now I had to put up with a nerd for a neighbour.

After an hour I decided to call Esther, I wasn’t surprised that she had not bothered to call. I was even sure that she didn’t even know that I was out of the country, typical of her.

‘Hey babe.’ I said when she picked on the second ring

‘Corny?’ she asked surprised

‘Yes?’

‘The country code.’ She said

‘Oh I am in SA with mum.’

‘And you are only telling me now?’ she said with something like anger in her voice

‘Well if you had called to check up on me maybe I would have told you.’ I said playfully

‘Corny really? I am the lady, or have you forgotten?’ ‘I was just playing with you.’ I told her

We talked some more before I cut the line. Something was off in her voice, she was not the same nagging woman that I knew or maybe I was just being paranoid.

I decided to take a shower because the first meeting would be taking place in an hour’s time, mum was going to pay back for making me come here. I was already missing the farm and getting my hands dirty unlike my brother who loved the lime light, speaking of which we had not talked in over a week.

Growing up I was always closer to my little sister Kendra, she was the bundle of joy. Our parents had her eight years after our birth and naturally both Cornell and I thought it was our responsibility to take care of her. But as we grew older I noticed that he tried so hard to stay away from us, I talked to him several times about it but he kept drawing further. Quite funny because twins are supposed to be close naturally but for us it was different, he never talked about me and I had learnt to do the same. He had no idea that I was now engaged and Esther didn’t even know that I had a twin. Well I was planning on introducing them during our parent’s 48th wedding anniversary which was in a weeks’ time.

I quickly dressed up and walked to the conference room where the first meeting was going to take place.

I looked around the room and nothing was appealing, all I could see were people from different countries all looking like nerds.

But one girl caught my particular attention, the same girl that had banged on my door like a mad woman. She was a slender short girl with the word nerd written all over her. If you didn’t look twice you would think she was one of the minions or was it just me hating her for no apparent reason.

She was in black with a forest green throw over and little make up.

I walked to the end of the room and picked a seat trying so hard to avoid being seen by mum because she would make sure to introduce me to everyone.

‘Yolanta Chabala representing Zambia.’ The chairperson announced

The minion picked her messed up papers and stood to walk to the stage when her phone fell off.More interesting stories available on Topster Stories App

‘Shit’, she muttered much to everyone’s surprise.

‘Excuse me?’ The chairperson asked

She looked up and noticed that we were all starring at her, she quickly picked up the broken pieces and walked to the front roll.

‘Nerd.’ I thought to myself

She connected what looked like a flash disk to the projector and an image of a pregnant lady with a child and a man on her arms appeared with the words ‘Made a way by Ally.’

I was looking at the image intently thinking of how I had admired what my parents had but Esther showed me a different view of love.

‘Ms Chabala, why the story made a way?’ The chairman asked the minion

She opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out, now the other participants from other countries were getting impatient and calling her names.

***

As I stood in front of all those people memories came flashing back at me, memories of how I had lost the last competition. Now more than ever I needed my family around, I needed for them to tell me that I would be okay and that I was the best the world could see.

‘Ms Chabala, we are waiting.’ A familiar voice said

It was Mrs Kazadi, the woman that had allowed me to cry on her shoulders when I came out second position two years ago. She had comforted me and assured me that she had never come across anyone with as much talent and brains. I looked over and couldn’t help but smile

‘Sorry about that.’ I said

I could hear sounds from the audience, some people were even rolling their eyes at me.

‘The story made a way, well; from the image that is on the screen one can come up with a lot of conclusions. But I drew my inspiration from the home that I was brought up in.’ I smiled when I said that

‘I was raised by a second mother, who later on raised a child that was given to her by a dying woman. May her soul rest in peace.’ I said as I remembered aunty Chansa’s beautiful face.

‘Just to cut you short, that story says by Ally.’ The chairperson said

‘Ally is my name, the name I use when I write.’ I responded

‘Please go on.’

‘This is a story of how a woman accepted to raise another woman’s child, a story about how she selflessly gave herself just so the little child could have the best life ever. Made a way is about appreciating my second mum, who has been more of a mother than the woman that birthed me. It is a story appreciating her for how she raised my little sister, a story about how she didn’t make us feel different from her biological child. My mother has proven to me that not all step mothers are evil,

actually I prefer referring to her as my second mother. If I was given a choice to pick her over everything, I would still call her mum. Thank you.’ I said before stepping down.

..

Tbc

I WILL WAIT