Solitude – Episode 3

SOLITUDE

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She got into her little apartment with the weight of the world on her shoulders, she couldn’t believe that Chileshe was dying. This woman had been a mother to Nella for the past years and she wasn’t ready to start living without her.

At age sixteen, Nella had lost both parents and was forced to start living in an orphanage, with no interest for school even after completing high school with good grades; she held on to her make up brushes like they meant the world to her.

According to her, her mother had given her the brushes on her fifteenth birthday and since there was nothing to keep them close; she decided to make use of them.

Chileshe had been visiting the orphanage one evening and all the kids had come to show her what they were good at, something about little Nella had caught her attention. She didn’t look so excited to see the lady and the brushes in her hands made her more intrigued.

So she asked the little girl to do her trick and boy was she awful, but her passion and determination is what moved Chileshe the most. Without anyone’s knowledge, not even Nella herself; she adopted the little child and sponsored her to tertiary education where she learnt all she had to about make up.

Being a two years course, she was done at eighteen going into nineteen and had become Chileshe’s makeup artist since then. Big modelling agencies had offered her more but she turned all of them down because Chileshe had given her something more than money could buy – love and hope.

She sighed when she looked back at all this, yes she had enough savings to do anything in life but she had never known another life apart from the one she saw starring into Chileshe’s eyes. She decided it was best to stop thinking so much about what the future held and hold on to what she had at the moment, after taking a bath; she made some popcorns for herself and decided to watch a movie.

She must have slept because her alarm for five in the morning woke her up, she usually started preparing herself this early when going to see Chileshe and now she had to learn new routines about how to go about her life.

She made herself a cup of tea and sat on the couch doing absolutely nothing, after what seemed like forever she decided it was best she started to clean.

Stretching her legs, she picked up a broom and connected her headsets as she cleaned. By the time she was done two hours later she realized she had not thoroughly cleaned in a long time and boy had the house been a mess.

She took a long relaxing bath before deciding to go to the mall, she had some shopping to do and also, she wanted to have her hair done.

When she was done, she settled for a mustard dress that hugged her figure perfectly and olive drab wedges; the combination of the two colors just came out perfectly.

Her house was in chelstone so she decided to go to east park mall, somehow she would have to start looking for a job since her services to Chileshe would no longer be needed.

***

I was just getting on the bus when my phone started buzzing with notifications, a few heads turned to look at me. I quickly removed it and put it on silent. This was unlike me, I rarely had any sort of interaction with people and the world at large to receive so many notifications.

I opened my facebook and I was beyond shocked to see my face everywhere, I couldn’t understand what was happening but before I could even figure it out, I got a call from an unknown number.

‘Ms. Mpanda?’

‘Yes.’ I responded not recognizing the voice on the other end of the line

‘I need you to come to Chota and Associates in the next thirty minutes.’

‘Who are you?’ I ask looking at my phone just in case true caller has brought a name

‘That is not important right now, I am afraid to tell you that Mrs. Chanda died last night and you are needed to the reading of her will.’

I felt my stomach turn, not believing anything that he had just told me.

‘You are calling the wrong person.’ I say before cutting the line

I log back into facebook and reality hits me, she is really gone and everyone is talking about it.

Without warning the tears roll down my eyes, I am in denial. There is no way that she could have given up. Just yesterday we were okay, we talked. She said that she was getting better. I worked on her makeup, she told me that she was going to be okay.

The person that I am seated with keeps staring at me then I realize it is the ringing of my phone that he is fused about.

‘Hello.’ The person on the other end of the line responds as I pick up

It is the same voice that broke the news to me, I hate him immediately for being this heartless. I want to blame him for the death of the woman I have grown to love as a mother and so I do. I blame him.

‘I am sending you an address, please come to this location without fail because it is really important that you be here.’ He says but I don’t respond

‘Ms. Are you there?’

‘I heard you.’ I say with anger as more bitter tears continue to fall

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No sooner do I cut the line than the message comes through, I look at it. The address is in Kabulonga and again he puts emphasis on the text that my presence is needed.

I am too broken to find out why, so I get off the bus and request for a pick up using the ulendo app.