Solitude – Episode 44

SOLITUDE

 

_44_

 

August

 

(Unedited)

 

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I have always known that Chanda is not dull, turning herself in was a very smart move. None of us saw it coming and now Mr. Nakamba is fuming because he had already gone to talk to her hoping that we would turn this all around and implicate Nella; honestly I feel about to be doing this but it’s nothing but business and I hold nothing against her.

 

‘Your little girlfriend is smart.’ He says sipping from his whisky

 

I look at him wordlessly because I am sure he might use whatever I say against me someday

 

‘I am trying to think really hard about the step that we are going to take now but I have run out of ideas, do you perhaps know how we can get the firm back?’ He asks me when I don’t respond

 

‘I could try to talk to Nella.’

 

‘Could?’

 

‘I will talk to Nella.’

 

‘What makes you think she will bend over to you?’

 

This time Mrs. Nakamba asks

 

‘I am still an employee and I think she likes me.’

 

‘So you will capitalize on her emotions?’

 

‘Something like that.’

 

‘That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.’ She says getting up to where her husband is

 

I watch her, she is a woman of a very few words and this has made me believe that behind all this quietness is a lot that I don’t know about her. She places her hands

 

 

gently on his shoulders and begins to massage him, I see him relax. His facial expressions confirming it.

 

‘Women in this day and age would never risk their career for a man.’

 

‘Nella is dumb, the firm is not her dream career and I bet with me getting close she would lose it all.’

 

She laughs and even though it irks me I have to pretend that I like her if the offer they have laid down has to go through

 

‘Chanda was your girlfriend for a very long time, why would you choose to betray her like this?’

 

Now the questions are beginning to get to me.

 

‘I am not betraying her.’

 

‘It’s just business?’ She asks as if reading my mind

 

‘Yes it is just business.’ I say taking a long sip from my glass of whisky which I haven’t touched until now

 

‘Apart from what you have already put across, what else do you have that we can use to bring Nella down?’

 

‘She has very important documents that I am pretty sure has no idea how important they are, I could easily get those from her.’

 

‘You underestimate her don’t you?’

 

I laugh, I know Nella. She is eager to learn, she is passionate about what she does but leaving her the firm was a very bad idea. She has no knowledge whatsoever on how to run it and me getting it from her would be the easiest thing to do.

 

‘We will leave you to it, we expect results soon because Chanda needs to be out of that hell hole and Nella locked up.’ Mr. Nakamba says

 

 

I smile.

 

‘I am working on it.’

 

‘Have a good day.’ I say standing up

 

‘August.’ Mrs. Nakamba says when I reach the door

 

‘Yes ma’am.’

 

 

 

 

 

‘Chileshe was the smartest woman that had ever trailed this field of work, she could have left the firm to Chanda. Or Chibesa, even yourself knowing how good you three are at your job but she didn’t. She left it in the hands of Nella, maybe you should think of that.’

 

‘Nella was Chileshe’s daughter, I am sure it was just a soft spot. Maybe even to make up for the lies of now telling her that she wasn’t her child, aside from that; I don’t think there is anything that she considered. Nella is a makeup artist and has no knowledge whatsoever about running a law firm.’

 

She smiles, a mocking smile.

 

‘There is so much you will never know if you are not open minded, we have been in this business too long to know who has potential.’ She says dismissively

 

I look at her one last time before I walk out. This visit was supposed to make me feel happy about being the one to give them back the firm but it has left me feeling all kinds of ways. For starters because from the way they spoke it’s like they have so much faith in Nella.

 

I drive over to her place, I am sure she thinks I was out of the country but I never left. I was just using the time to think through everything.

 

 

The gateman recognizes me and opens the gate for me, I see her car parked in the parking lot.

 

‘How are you boss?’ The gateman greets

 

‘I am okay, how are you?’ I ask removing a K50.00 note from my wallet

 

‘Ah boss zikomo zoana.’ He says with a grin

 

‘Palibe vuto.’

 

He laughs and I am guessing it’s because of my funny accent

 

‘Is your madam around?’

 

‘Yes she is behind.’ He says

 

I have never been to her backyard before so he leads me there and I find her sipping on juice as she burns some things on the braii stand. I look around for clues and see the box that she had in the house down

 

‘August.’ She says with surprise and I am guessing it’s because she thought I was out and I have to pretend to have missed her when I just want to find out what she is burning

 

‘You didn’t tell me you were back.’ She says as we embrace

 

I can smell the lavender on her skin, every shower gel she uses has lavender.

 

‘You should have told me that you were on your way, I could have picked you up from the airport.’ She says looking at me away from my embrace

 

‘I had to come, I was worried about you.’

 

‘Me?’

 

 

‘With Chanda being behind bars and only Chibesa at the firm, thought you might need a little help.’

 

‘I need a lot of help.’ She says with a smile

 

‘What do we have here?’ I ask pointing at the box

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‘I had to get rid of everything, she says not even daring to look at me.’

 

I want to ask what exactly she read that made her get rid of it all but I keep my cool. Not today Satan, not today.