GETTING THEM 29

 GETTING THEM 29

7 MONTHS LATER 

It was my fifth time at the immigration department that week all in hopes that I could be told something more assuring, even if not convincing at least something I could hold on to for the next day. I had not heard from Lumbiwe in 4months and even though she was really not a social media person, she would not be away from her social media accounts for over two weeks at the most. The last I heard of my sister was when she sent me a post card and money, I talked to her that day on a WhatsApp call confirming I had well received the money and that I would spend it wisely. Where was Lumbiwe? Where was my only sister? 

“Miss you can go in…” a white lady called out to me from the reception. 

There was always a queue of devastated people trying to find their loved ones and each day one person was walking away with the sad news that their relative was not found or worse off that their relative was found dead. I was not going to entertain that thought, I had it in my mind that there was no way that could be. I had prayed way too much for my sister to lose her like that, the Lord would not do me like that.  

With a heavy sigh and dry lips I walked in to the office where I would get some information or some leads at least to my sister. I did not realise I would have to wait a moment when I got there but I was left alone in the office while the gentleman whose face I had gotten used to seeing for the last three months was nowhere to be seen this time. The man returned with somewhat of a calm face and some sort of assurance as he was greeting me I figured all was well perhaps, I was already relaxed in my church before he could speak. You see, unlike me, Lumbiwe was not so ambitious and maybe that had a lot to do with life giving her few options. She had to take care of me and ensure I got educated as life suggested that one of us would be educated, I really had a hero in my life who required to be celebrated. Lumbiwe was that hero. To sum it all up, when the man looked at me with that face I was relieved that at least Lumbiwe was not anywhere living her best life and completing forgetting about me, something must have genuinely been wrong and now it seemed it was now going to be in the past or so I thought. 

“I am pleased to inform you that we have some sort of relief in your story, not completely but some sort of…” he said. 

I was certain this meant they had evidence my sister was alive but perhaps had just not gotten in touch with her yet. 

“Really? I asked nervously, still shaking and wondering what I was going to hear next.  

“We managed to get in touch with a lead to the family that your sister worked for in Zambia, the lead is Mr Anderson’s former driver” 

Mr Anderson was Lumbiwe’s boss, the husband to Ms Torsh, the woman who employed my sister.  

“Ms Torsh and Mr Anderson are not together, she is not in Europe as your sister portrayed, Mr Anderson and your sister eloped, Ms Torsh is still in Zambia but just relocated to Livingstone where they have an orphanage” 

I was numb for a minute as I tried to connect all that together.  

“We can easily trace Ms Torsh and hopefully she will help us locate Mr Anderson and your sister. I do believe you sister choosing not to communicate for now is a way of trying to settle the dust as Ms Torsh has still been fighting for whatever she can salvage from her marriage. Your sister knows this...” he said 

“Lumbiwe? Eloped? I asked in shock.