RENTED LIFE 27

AKANWA KANDI 67

The plane landed in South Africa, 15hours of no sleep and constant tears weighed down on June and her children. They stuck so close, they had never been that close. It was the most tragic and traumatizing news they had ever experienced. June was asking God for strength, she had no idea what to do, she asked God many questions. Until now she had no idea that Augustine died with Miriam.

The call for their next flight came on and off they went headed to the plane. June was tired but looking at Kabwe rejecting every food and the boys being so down was all the strength she needed. One of them had to be strong. June had spoken to her mother and her sister. They were all at the airport waiting for her. As the plane left South Africa every minute stripped her down and she begun to feel dizzy.

June asked for an energy drink and some food from the hostess who she explained her situation to. The hostess was very kind. She brought the food and calmed her down. Her children were fast asleep until the plane landed in Lusaka Zambia at KKIA.

It was nightmare hearing the hostess say they were home. June wanted to scream with unexplainable grief but then she also needed to be strong for her children.

“Kabwe… boys… lets go” June said as she got up.

June held Kabwe while the boys held on to each other. The two airhostesses on the plane were kind enough to hold on to them too as they walked. When June got to the stair case, she looked out and her legs became stiff, she could not move.

Kabwe looked at her mother and she felt her pain.

“Mummy, let’s go…” she said.

Kabwe holding on tightly to her mother felt her slowly lowering to the ground and she burst into a loud cry. The air hostess was quick to come to her and she begun to speak words of encouragement to her so she could feel better. However, June and Kabwe were now crying bitterly.

The passengers that were walking out came to give their support and June managed to walk with her children to the waiting lobby where she met her mother and her siblings. June was crying bitterly and asking God why. Kabwe could not stop crying as well as she kept calling for her father.

“Take heart my daughter.. take heart” June’s sister begged

The house was prepared for the funeral and when they arrived it sunk in that Augustine was indeed no more. June wept, she called out to God but the reality sunk in all the more. Her dear husband was really gone.

The mourners who had arrived early had made sure they took everything outside that needed to be outside to create enough room for mourners. The house was still huge but Augustine was a well-known man. The master bedroom had not been touched and everything remained intact as it was locked. June had a spare key which she moved with in her purse and with the help of her sister she asked to be taken to her bedroom after an hour of their arrival. June gave her sister to unlock the door and she walked in powerlessly as she begun to think of her husband.

“Mulima… my husband was here … he was here with me…”she said as she cried tiredly.

Mulima held on to her sister but her eyes were everywhere and she was sort of confused looking around the messed up bedroom. It looked like there was a baby that was initially sleeping there as there was a baby bed next to the master bedroom. The bedroom had robes everywhere.. Underwear and strange clothes. June soon also noticed this and she stopped crying in her confused state as she looked around trying to put one and two together. There was a bag of clothes on the bed and she opened it, next to it was a big hand bag and when she opened the hand bag she found a passport belonging to Miriam, a small purse with a portrait inside of Miriam, Augustine and the baby in one photo.

June was shocked... with her mouth open and her face covered in tears she looked at Mulima.

“Mulima… look at this...” she said as she crawled to the floor.

Mulima already knew that Augustine died with Miriam but had not made mention of it. Neither did she think Augustine would be so stupid to bring Miriam to his home.

“Mulima finshi file chitika? What are you people not telling?” she yelled. (What is happening?)

People heard the yelling from the living room and Miriam’s mother sighed. She knew her daughter had found out.

“That prostitute was in this house!! Augustine!!!” she screamed hysterically not knowing what to do.

“Take me to her…” June yelled hysterically.

She almost over powered Mulima but her other sister Bukata came to stop her.

“Awe… ndekeni.. I want answers…” (no leave me alone)

“June… June calm down listen…” Bukata begged.

“tapali efyo mulenjeba… ok just tell me where she is.. She was in this house right!!”

Mulima tried to calm her sister down and sit with her.

“awe Mulima… and what of that baby in the photo? Even Augustine was in the photo? Awe leave me!!”

In the sitting room June’s mother begged her older sister.

“Kabiyeni ko aunty june” (please go there aunty June)

June was named after her mother’s older sister commonly known as Aunty June by everyone. She had a heart of gold.

People in the funeral agreed that adults should go there to explain what was going on. When Aunty June entered the bedroom June was hysterical.

“My daughter calm down…” she begged.

“Awe Aunty June…aunty june moneni… why are they holding me… I just want them to answer me.. where is Miriam.. why are her clothes here? Let her explain to me what has happened to my husband.. is Augustine really dead? Who is the baby? Aunty June please explain to me” she mourned

June was uncontrollable and she was yelling and pushing everyone around who tried to calm her down as she questioned and wept bitterly.