Mubos Research & Consultancy

ABUSED (FROM UNDER THE SUN SERIES)
For the last three months I have been sharing short stories from my Under The Sun Manuscript to my readers for free and it will go on up to early next year. I hope you will enjoy this one too. Please feel free to share with friends who may also enjoy reading them. Also please don’t forget to like my page.

PART 4
My sharing with Doreen of what happened at uncle Kombe’s home helped me a lot. I began healing inwards and found it much easier to forgive and forget. I even got more determined to do everything in my power to look after John and Lucky.
One evening, as we were watching TV I thanked my wife for helping me face the ghosts of my past and helping me to forgive the wrongs done to me at my late uncle’s home.
She just looked at me and smiled. But I got something in her look that forced me to find out if all was fine.
“I’ve been thinking hard about what you shared the other day,” she answered looking worried.
“What have you been thinking about?”
“Well. I might be wrong Nkonje. But I strongly think something much more happened beyond the sexual abuse you suffered.”
I was confused and curious. Confused because I didn’t know what she meant and curious because I wanted to hear what it was she was thinking.
“What do you mean much more might have happened?”
“I think you were targeted and then used by both your uncle and his wife to father their children.”
This came like a slap in my face. I had never ever thought it that way.
“How could you ever think like that?” I asked her.
“I don’t know why, but I think you were used.”
I remembered how my mother and grandmother gossiped and complained about uncle Kombe not having any children in their first five years, prior to his coming to take me from the village. My uncle never said they had problems and I concluded it was because aunt was at college the first three years of their marriage.
But then, I began seeing what Doreen said began making sense. Both times she got pregnant, it was after ra**ng me and she never got another child after I left. This really left me confused indeed.
The thought that I could be Chimwemwe and Lucky’s father was so overwhelming it made me sick to my stomach. In the end I began to tremble and cry. I became so very confused and afraid. I tried to push the thought out of my mind but failed. The harder I tried, the more the pieces seemed to fall in place and fitted together.
“Could this be the reason aunt Kutemba kept insisting that I should be in their children’s life even though uncle Kombe’s two older brothers were still alive?” I thought.
“Please let us take this slowly until we are completely sure about it. Let us not make things much worse than they are, especially for the two innocent boys,” Doreen said.
“But how and why should I be used this way?” I complained.
My mind ran to my mother wondering if she too had a hand in it. Why did she side with her brother when I sought her help? Did she plan it with them?” I sincerely prayed she wasn’t because that would permanently damage our relationship.
“Nkonje, please do not over think about this. I am here with you and we will find a way to resolve this,” my wife brought me back from where my mind had taken me to.
Doreen and I agreed to take a DNA test without letting the children or anyone else know. We planned to take hair samples and their saliva. Doreen promised to speak with her brother Boyd who worked at a medical facility which conducted DNA tests as a private service.
The next time we went to see the boys, we collected samples. It was quite easy for us to get the samples than I had thought it would be. Doreen requested aunt Kutemba’s aunt, Mary, to allow her help clean the boys’ rooms while I took them out to watch a football match at the stadium. She collected hair samples from their combs. Later that evening, we went out for a meal at KFC where we collected the plastic cups they used without them knowing or suspecting.
The waiting period was very torturous for me. I didn’t know what to do if the results came positive. Questions like “How will I be relating with the children as their father when they knew me as their cousin? How would I be able to tell them? Would they even believe me or they would only begin thinking I was being disrespectful to their parents? How will it affect my relationship with my wife?
Most days I failed to eat and failed to sleep at all some of the nights too. My health suffered and people began noticing that something was wrong with me. I tried hard to pretend all was fine but the writing was all on the wall for all to see.
The results came out positive. I was, indeed Chimwemwe and Lucky’s father. I was sick to my stomach and threw up a couple of times. I became so ill for two weeks which I spent in Kitwe General Hospital. My blood pressure had shot up badly and it took the doctors four days to stabilize it. But when the boys came to see me over the weekend, their sight just took me back to square one.
For the first time I was able to see how Lucky and I resembled. He and our little girl, Rose, also looked very much alike. Chimwemwe, too, had my features although he looked much more like his mother.
In all this, Doreen was by my side. “Do not be too harsh on yourself. You are a victim in all this,” she constantly told me and reassured me that we were in it together.
“But how am I to tell them? And even if I were to tell them. Would they believe me?”
“You don’t need to tell them, at least not now. Time will come when we will tell them. For now the best is to let it be,” Doreen advised.

When I got discharged from hospital, it proved very hard for me to relate with my now two sons like before. Instinct simply took over and I began to treat them a bit more firm in relation to disciplining. Doreen had to intervene some of the times. Even the boys notice such that one day Lucky said it.
“Why are you now treating us like daddy used to?”
“I guess it is because now I am your daddy since your father left you in my charge.”
I knew I was lying. Although I was very angry at what my uncle and aunt did to me, I loved the boys. I knew I was only 15 years older than Chimwemwe, but I was their father and I had to do my very best to help them grow up well. I was filled with gratitude to my uncle who, despite committing such a heinous thing against me, left enough resources in my hands for their upkeep and schooling.

Photo for illustration only – credit to iStock

ABUSED (FROM UNDER THE SUN SERIES)
For the last three months I have been sharing short stories from my Under The Sun Manuscript to my readers for free and it will go on up to early next year. I hope you will enjoy this one too. Please feel free to share with friends who may also enjoy reading them. Also please don’t forget to like my page.

PART 3
Five years after completing my secondary education, uncle Kombe died after a short illness. I was deeply hurt. Although what had happened at his home drove a wedge between us, I still loved and respected him. I did give him a ring once in a while to just know how he and the boys were. The person I didn’t want to ever see again was his wife. Without uncle Kombe I wouldn’t have been educated and even though things were not very good between us, he continued supporting me even to pay for my university fees until I completed.
I felt very bad for his children, Chimwemwe and Lucky, who would have to grow without his warm and tender fatherly love. I knew my uncle certainly had catered for their education and wellbeing, but I wished they had enjoyed the joy of having a father in their lives. My heart really bled out for them.
Aunt Kutemba tried very much to stay in touch with me after my uncle’s death. She insisted I was the closest next of kin to her and the children and as such I needed to be in their lives. Most of the time I ignored her calls but she never gave up.
By this time, I was married and had a family of my own. My wife Doreen, was a very sweet and thoughtful person. I never told her anything about what had happened to me at my uncle’s home. All I told her was that I was brought up and educated by uncle Kombe.
It was at my uncle’s funeral Doreen met aunt Kutemba. Somehow, the two got to chat and aunt was able to get both my number and hers off her. So every time I refused to answer her calls, my aunt would ring Doreen who would compel me to talk to her.
One day, after knocking off from work, I found my aunt and her sons home. She had travelled to Kitwe because she wanted to talk to me face to face. I was happy to see my little cousins but definitely upset at aunt coming without letting me know first.
“I am sorry for coming without letting you know. I just came to apologize to you about the past,” she said.
“It is okey aunt thanks,” I managed to say hoping to cut the conversation off.
“No Nkonje, I am truly sorry for everything I did that upset you,”
“I said it is okey, aunt Kutemba. People do differ in life but for me what is important is that you and uncle helped me to be where I am today.”
“My children mean the whole world to me and I want them to grow up knowing their father’s side. You, to me, are more a father to them now that your uncle is gone. You are more than a cousin to them and I want you to promise me you will be in their lives just as your uncle would have been.
By now my body temperature had risen high and my blood pressure was raised. I felt like exploding but I did not want my wife to know anything of what had happened and neither did I want the boys to know either.
“I promise you to do the best I can to help the boys. I will be in their lives and help them grow up just as uncle helped me. I will visit them as often as is possible for me and they are free to come for holidays whenever you want them to come,” I said.
Doreen notice my insincerity. She knew me very well and she easily picked it up that my answer was not genuine. She noted too, that I wasn’t very comfortable in my aunt’s presence.
My aunt stayed the night and said she would leave the following day in the afternoon. The following day I left for work very early in the morning. I did not want to see her again and I made sure I left before she woke up and also made sure I got home very late that day, just to make sure I found her gone.
It was after two days, when we were sat playing with our baby girl Rose in her room, that Doreen started.
“I noticed the other day that you were not being sincere with your aunt.”
“Oh, yeah,” I fumbled as I tried to search for words because she got me completely off guard.
“What had happened between the two of you?”
“Nothing really. You know the usual stuff of aunties and the people their husbands keep. Sometimes she was mean to me. I tried to complain to my uncle but he sided with her and I didn’t like it. I differed with my uncle and that led to my going into boarding school.”
“But you need to forgive her since she came to apologize.”
“I have forgiven her and I will try to help wherever I can.”
“If you are finding it difficult to forgive her, please do it for your cousin’s sake because their father helped you.”
“I will do so, I promise.”
In the next two years, I tried my level best to help my little cousins. I visited them to spend time with them and began taking them, out at least once a month. But as for my aunt, things took a very sharp downturn spiral for her. I guess the loss of her husband affected her so much. She lost her job as a teacher as she took to heavy drinking and later drug abuse. She completely mismanaged her estate and lost all assets she had in her name through gambling. Had it not been for uncle Kombe’s lawyer, she would have done the same to the children’s estate too.
As her health deteriorated, her relatives assigned one of her maternal aunts to come and live with her and help look after the children because they feared we, from her late husband’s side, would ask to take custard of the boys due to their mother’s diminished responsibility capability.
One day, people found aunt Kutemba’s body on the road by the underpass of the train overhead bridge from which she had jumped to end her life.
It was after aunt Kutemba’s burial I discovered my uncle had left an addendum to his will. It stated that should his wife, Kutemba, die while the children were under the age of 18, I should take full custody of his two sons Chimwemwe and Lucky. I was to make sure they had the best education they could ever get. He gave me full custody of his house and made me sole administrator of their estate.
At this time, I was working for Lonrho Pvt as a personnel officer in Kitwe and living in Parklands. My five-year contract was coming to an end in two months’ time. I was told that my contract wouldn’t be renewed because the company was downsizing.
To Doreen, my wife, this came as an answer to her prayers. She had been growing anxious each month as we drew nearer to the end of my contract. I had been searching for a new job the past twelve months to no avail. Therefore, this new turn of events made her very excited as there was now a fall back for us even if I failed to get a new job before end of my contract.
For me, however, I wasn’t happy at all. I was glad to look after my two cousins but I did not want to ever to go and enter my uncle’s house again.
“God, indeed, works in many and mysterious ways,” she had said when we were on our way home.
“How do you mean?” I asked, even though I knew exactly what she meant.
“I have been worrying so much about what was going to happen when your contract ends. But now here we are. Just at the very end, help has come from a different source.”
“Oh you mean that?”
“You don’t sound happy, are you?”
“No, because I don’t want to go and live in that house ever again.”
“Why? What is wrong with it? I thought it would have been much better to let the children live in their familiar environment than to move them to a new place.”
“I don’t want old memories to haunt me the rest of my life.”
“What are you going to do then? Where are we going to live with your little cousins since we won’t have a house by then?”
“I am thinking of putting that house on rent and then with the money rent a house in Kitwe ourselves.”
What about the boys’ school?”
“I will transfer them from Chingola Trust school to Kitwe Trust school.
“But what really happened to you in that house?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Doreen ended the conversation and we travelled the rest of the trip in total silence. But later that evening, as we were in bed, she brought the subject up again. She held my hands and looked me straight in the eye.
“Nkonje, please tell me the truth. I know you have been hiding something from me about what happened to you while you were living with your uncle.”
I felt a huge lump getting stuck in my throat and I began shaking. I broke down and cried hysterically like a small child. My body shook as I cried. Doreen held me closely tight and also began crying because she saw I was very deeply hurt.
It took a l bit of time before I gained composure. Doreen just kept holding me like a baby without saying a single word. I could feel her body shaking too.
“Something terrible happened to me in that house,” I managed to say.
Doreen sat up looking at me. I told her everything that happened to me.
“Oh Nkonje, I am so sorry you had to bare all this alone for so many years,” she said hugging me again.
We cried together again for some time before she said, “I now understand you my husband. I will go by your decision. But please be very rational in your judgement because this involves the innocent children’s lives.”

Photo for illustration only – credit to iStock

UKUMBOMFYA FYE NE WALWISHA (FROM UNDER THE SUN SERIES)
For the last three months I have been sharing short stories from my Under The Sun Manuscript to my readers for free and it will go on up to early next year. I hope you will enjoy this one too. Please feel free to share with friends who may also enjoy reading them. Also please don’t forget to like my page.

ICIPANDE CA BUTATU
Ilyo papitile imyaka isano apo napwilile isukulu, ba yama ba Kombe balifwile pa numa iyakulwala fye panono. Kwena imfwa yabo yalinkalipe. Nangula ifyacitike ku n’ganda ku mwabo fyaliletele icimpatanya pa kati kesu, ine nalibatemenwe elyo kabili nalibacindikishe sana. Eco limo limo nalebatuminako phone pakuti ningeshiba umutende wabo pamo na bana babo. Nalishibe ukutila ukwabula ba yama ine nga nshasambilile isukulu. Bene babikilepo fye ukungafwa mpaka napwisha ne sukulu likalamba ku university. Umuntu nshalefwaya ukulanda no kumona mu menso ni ba muka yama ba Kutemba.
Nalyumfwilileko utu bafyala twandi Chimwemwe na Lucky uluse no bulanda nganshi abo nomba abakakula ukwabula shibo wa citemwiko cakwete ba yama ba Kombe. Nalishibe umkwabula no kutwishika mu mutima wandi ukuti ba yama balisha bapekanya pa lwa mikulile na masambililo ya bana babo. Nomba ine nga nalitemenwe sana ukumona aba bana bakulila mu busuma bwa citemwiko ca ba wishi.
Pa numa ya cililo ca ba yama, ba muka yama balyeseshe sana na maka yabo ukwesha ukumpalama. Ilingi line nalebapulula mu kukana asuka ama phone yabo. Lelo tabanenwike iyo. Babikilepo fye ukumpapata no kulanjeba ukuti ndingile ukuba mu bumi bwa bana babo pantu nine nali lupwa lwabo wa mupepi untu baishibe bwino.
Pali aka kash*ta, nalyupile no kupa nalikwete no lupwa lwandi ne mwine. Umukashi wandi Doreen, ali umuntu wa mutima uusuma sana elyo kabili ali umuntu wa mano nganshi. Lelo nshatalile amwebako akantu nelyo kamo pa fintu fyancitikile ku n’ganda kuli ba yama. Icintu namwebeleko fye cakutila, ba yama ba Kombe e bantu bankushishe no kunsambilishe isukulu, capwa.
Ni pa cililo ca ba yama epo Doreen amwenene ba muka yama ba Kutemba. Apa pene epo ba muka yama batendekele ukulanshanya na Doreen mpaka abapela na phone number yakwe elyo na phone number yandi. Eco lyonse fye nga nshibashwike phone bene nishi kutumina umukashi wandi pantu balishibe ukutila alempatikisha ukululanda na bene.
Ubushiku bumo ilyo nafumine ku nchito, nalishilesanga ba muka yama ku n’ganda. Balishile ku Kitwe pantu balefwaya tulanshanye na bene. Nalitemenwe ukumona utufyala twandi, lelo kwena nalifulilwe ba muka yama ico baishile ukwabula ukunjipusha pa kubala.
“Ndelomba ubwelelo pa kwisa ukwabula ukukwishibisha. Njishile fye mukukupapata ukuti unjeleleko pa fintu fya ku numa pa kati kesu.”
Ico nshalefwaya ukutila tutwalilile ukulanshanya, ine nabaswike fye ati, “Cisuma ba muka yama.”
“Awe Nkonje, ninjishiba walifulwa. Napapata njelelako pa fintu fyonse nacitile ifyakukalifya umutima.”
“Ba muka yama, nimweba ukutila cili fye. Nalishiba abantu pano calo balapusana mu fintu ifingi. Icikankala cakutila imwe na ba yama mwalingafwile no kulenga mbe ifyo ndi ilelo.”
“Nkonje abana bandi aba e cintu icikankala ine nakwata, elyo ndefwaya bakakule no kwishiba aba ku lubali lwa ba wishi babafyala. Kuli ine we wishi washalapo nomba ni iwe. Iwe walicila pa bufyala kuli aba bana. Ici cine e cintu ine ndekulombela ukutila pano pene pa menso yandi ulaye ukutila tawakabafutatile aba bana, elyo kabili ukubafwa mu kukula kwabo pamo fye nge fyo noko lume umwine ali no kubakusha.
Apa nomba ine umutima wandi wacilamo ukukalipa naumfwa no mulopa watendeka ukubutukisha mu mubili. Nomba ico nshalefwaya umukashi wandi na baice ukwishiba ifyacitike kale, awe nalyeseshe ukuyalulula na maka yandi yonse.
“Namulaya ba muka yama, inkesha na maka yandi yonse ukubafwilisha. Nkaba mu bumi bwabo no kwesha ukumona ukuti nabafwa pamo fye nga fintu ba yama bangafwile ine. Nakulaesha ukwisa mu kubamona nga nakwata insh*ta elyo na bene bantungwa ukwisa kuno mu kumbona nangula ukutandala.”
Umukashi wandi Doreen alimwene ukutila nsalelanda amashiwi ukufuma ku mutima wandi. Wene alinjishibe sana icakuti alishibe ilyo ndelanda ukufuma ku mutima wandi nangu iyo. Kabili alimwene ukutila nshali umuntungwa insh*ta yonse nali na ba muka yama.
Ba muka yama balilele tababwekelemo ku Chingola bulya bwine bushiku iyo. Baile ubushiku bwakonkelepo mu kasuba. Lelo ine nafumine pa n’ganda lucelo celo ukuya ku ncito. Nalimine bwangu, ninshi tabalashibuka, ico nshalefwaya tumonane na ba muka yama na kabili. Na pa kubwela ku ncito nalicelelwe ukubwela pantu nalefwaya nsange ninshi nabaya.
Pa numa ya nshiku shibili, ilintu twali mu muputule wa mwana wesu Rose, Doreen alibushishe ilyashi lya pali ba muka yama.
“Nalimona bulya bushiku mwalelanda na ba muka nalumenwe ukutila tamwalelanda muli bu cishinka.”
Ico nshalecetekela wene ukunsosha pali ici pali ilya nsh*ta, awe naliwayawaile sana ifya kumwasuka.
“Oh, aah …….”
“Bushe ni finshi fyacitike kanshi?”
“Awe tapali ifyakusakamana. Walishiba fye ificitika pali ba muka yama na bantu abalume babo baleta mukusunga. Na bena limo limo tabalensunga bwino. Nalyeseshe ukuilishanya kuli ba yama nomba bene lyonse balepela abakashi babo insambu. Ici e calengele tupusane na ba yama icakuti bantwala na ku boarding school.”
“Nomba ulingila ukubelela pantu baliisa mukulombo bwelelo.”
“Nalibelela elyo kabili nkalaesha ukubafwa mu nshila ningabafwilishishamo iili yonse.”
“Nga cakutila ulefilwa ukubelela abene pa lwabo beka, esha ukubelela pa mulandu wa bana pantu ba wishi na iwe balikwafwilishe.”
“Nakulaya nkacita umo mwine walandila.”
Pa myaka ibili ya konkelepo, nalyeseshe na maka yandi yonse ukwafwilisha abafyala bandi, Chimwemwe na Lucky. Naleya mu ku bamona umuku umo cila mweshi. Limo nalebasenda twaya mu kulya atemwa ukwangala ukufuma pa n;ganda. Lelo ba muka yama bena ubwikalo bwalibalulila. Capalile kwati icisendo ca imfwa ya balume babo calibafinina sana. Balitendeke ukunwa ubwalwa no kupepa co**in icabipisha nganshi icakuti balushilapo ne ncito ya bu teacher balebomba. Ku mulandu wakuilekelesha muli uyu musango, balyonawile icuma cabo mukunwinamo elyo na mukubecelamo. Nga te lawyer wa ba yama ba Kombe, Ngambo, ukukosapo, awe ne ndalama sha bana na shene nga balyonawile.
Ilyo balupwa lwabo bamwene ukutila ubumi bwabo bwakonkanyapo fye ukuya pa nshi, balitumineko ba nyina mwaice, ba Emelia, ukuya mu kubasunga ico baletina ukuti nga ifwe fwe ba lupwa lwa ba wishi wa bana twaishiba ukutila tabalesunga abana babo bwino, kuti twabapokolola abana.
Ubushiku bumo, abantu batolele fye icitumbi ca ba muka yama Kutemba pa musebo mwisamba lya bulalo bwe sh*tima buntu batombwekepo pa kuti baipaye abene.
Ni panuma yakushika ba muka yama naishibile ukutila ba yama balishile balemba kalata iyakukonkanya pali will yabo umo balondolwele ukutila nga cakuti abakashi babo, ba Kutemba, balifwile ilyo abana babo bali ne myaka iinono iyakukana fika pe kumi limo na cine konse konse (18 years), ine, nine nalingile ukusenda Chimwemwe na Lucky. Nalingile ukumona ukui basambilila bwino pa ma sukulu ayasuma. Kabili balimpele na maka pa n’ganda ne cuma chonse bashilile abana babo.
Pali iyi nsh*ta ifi fyonse fyalecitika, ine nalebomba kuli ba Lonrho Pty, nga changachanga, ku ma office ya ku Kitwe. Elyo kabili naleikala ku Parklands mu n’ganda ya ba Lonrho Pty. Contract yandi, apa, ninshi yaleisa mu kupwa pa numa ya myeshi ibili iyakonkelepo. Elyo kabili balinjebele ukutila tabakampele na imbi contract pantu ba company balecefyako impendwa ya ba bomfi babo ico company yali ilepita mu mafya amakwebo ayengi yalepitamo mu calo pali ilya nsh*ta.
Eico kanshi ilyo umukashi wandi Doreen aumfwile amashiwi yalembelwe na ba yama ayakukonkanya pali will, awe wene amwene fye ukutila cali bwasuko bwa kwa Lesa ku mapepo yakwe. Alitendeke ukusakamana sana ilyo amwene twapalamina ku kuleka kwa incito kwandi ukwabula ukuti nsange incito kumbi. Naliesha sana sana ukufwaya incito ukulingana fye na pa myeshi ikumi limo na ibili (12 months) ukwabula ukusangapo nangula imo nakalya. Eico kanshi ici calimupela sana inkosho ne nsansa ico amona ukutila twakwata apakuti twashintilila nangula incito taimoneke bwangu.
Lelo ine kwena mwandini nshatemenwe nangula apanono. Nalisumine no kutemwa nalitemenwe ukusunga abafyala bandi Chimwemwe na Lucky. Ico nshalefwaya ca kutila ine nkayeingila no kwikala na kabili muli ilya n’ganda.
Ilyo twali mu nshila pa kubwelela ku Kitwe Doreen alisosele ati, “Awe cine cine Lesa abombela mu nshila ishingi na mu misango yapusana pusana.”
Nangula nalishibe umuntu aloseshe, ine nalimwishe ati, “Bushe walosha mwisa?”
“Ala ine nalisakamana sana pantu nshaishiba ifikacitika nga mwaleka incito. Nomba te papa. Pa kupelekeshako fye ubwafwilisho bwesu bwafuma fye kumbi uko tatwalecetekela no kucetekela.”
“Oh, bushe kanshi ni fyo ulelandapo mwa!”
“Taulemoneka no kumfwika uwa nsansa, mulandu nshi?”
“Awe, pantu nshilefwaya ukuyaingila muli ilya n’ganda na kabili.”
“Mulandu nshi? Bushe pali ifintu ifyalubana apa? Ine ndetontonkanya ukutila ukuyaikala muli ilya n’ganda ku Chingola e cintu cingaba bwino no kwafwilisha abaice pa kuti bakulila mu nchende babelela na kale ukucila ukubatwala ku ncende imbi iipya.”.
“Nshilefwaya ukuyaikala muli ilya n’ganda pantu nshilefwaya ikalenjibukisha ifintu fya ku numa, ifyo ine nshifwaya ukwibukisha.”
“Nomba walacita icili shani? Nikwisa tukatwala no kusungila abana ba bene twashala na bene pantu tatwakakwate kwa kwikala pa numa ya myeshi ibili?
“Ndetontonkanya ukubika ilya n’ganda pa kusonkesha. Indalama shikalafumamo e shintu na ifwe tukalabomfya ukusonkela in’ganda umuntu tukalaikala ku Kitwe.”
“Nge sukulu abana cikaba shani?”
“Nkabakusha ukufuma pa Chingola Trust School bakese mu kusambilila pa Kitwe Trust School
“Bushe kanshi fintu nshi fya citike muli ilya n’ganda?”
“Nshilefwaya ukufilandapo pali ino nsh*ta.”
Doreen alindoleshe elyo aikala tondolo. Twalyendele inshila yonse ukwabula ukusoshanya mpaka twafika na ku n’ganda. Lelo insh*ta ya cungulo bushiku, pa numa ya kulalika Rose, Doreen alimishe na kabili ilyashi. Alishile njikata ku minwe no kundolesha mu menso.
“Nkonje napapata njeba icishinka. Nalishiba walimfisa, tawanjeba fyonse ifya kucitikile ilyo waleikala na ba nokolume.”
Awe nalyumfwile icikonko canjikatapa mukoshi natendeka no kututuma. Icisheleko naishilepongomoka fye mu musowa no kulila sana kwati kana akanono. Doreen alinkumbatile na maka na wene atemdeka no kulila ico amwene ukutila nalecula ku mutima.
Caliposele akash*ta pa kuti ntalale no kuba bwino bwino na kabili. Doreen abikilepo fye ukunkumbatila ukwabula ukulandapo nangu cimo. Nalemumfwa fye na wene aletutuma ku bulanda alen’gumfwila.
Ilyo naikoseleshe, nalisosele ati, “Ifintu fyabipa sana fyalincitikile muli ilya n’ganda, Doreen.”
Doreen alikeleko panshi no kukutika ku fintu nalemweba. Awe nalimulondolwelele fyonse fye ifyacitike pa kati kandi na ba muka yama elyo na fintu ba yama na ba mayo bakene ukusumina ifyo nalebeba.
Umukashi wandi alishile nkumbatila na kabili no kusosa ati, “Oh Nkonje, naumfwa sana ububi pa mulandu wa kutila walesunga fye ifif fintu fyabipa musango uyu mu mutima obe weka.”
Awe na kabili twalitendeke ukulila bonse pa kash*ta akanono, elyo pa numa Doreen asosa ati, “Nomba naishiba umulandu taulefwaila ukuyaikalila muli ilya n’gada na kabili. Ine nalakonka fyonse ifyo walapingula. Icikulu fye ndekupapata ca kuti utontonkanye bwino sana pantu ici nacikuma abana ba bene abakaele.”

Photo for illustration only – credit to iStock

ABUSED (FROM UNDER THE SUN SERIES)
For the last three months I have been sharing short stories from my Under The Sun Manuscript to my readers for free and it will go on up to early next year. I hope you will enjoy this one too. Please feel free to share with friends who may also enjoy reading them. Also please don’t forget to like my page.
PART 2
They say time is a healer. For me it took quite a bit of time to start feeling fine again, especially in the presence of my uncle Kombe. For months I had refused to eat with him at the same table. I opted to eat earlier by myself, hiding in the preparations for my grade seven examinations.
For three and half years, everything went back to normal. I tried all I could to stay clear of my aunt. I gradually gained confidence and was able to spend more time with uncle Kombe. I stopped entering my uncle’s bedroom and spent most of the time at school, studying or playing with friends.
Aunt Kutemba gave birth to a baby boy and they named him Chimwemwe to express their joy at having a baby at long last. The arrival of the baby helped a lot. It took my aunt’s attention from me. She spent hours on end playing and admiring her baby like a little girl does with her dolls.
My uncle was the happiest man in town. His smile ran from one end of his mouth to the other every single day. He threw a huge party at baby Chimwemwe’s christening where he invited a hundred guests to celebrate with him
My nightmare started again when I was in grade ten. My aunt began coming at me again. My uncle had gone out to Malaysia. I was playing with my two-year old cousin Chimwemwe in his room when she came in only wearing her underwear. I sprinted for the door and locked myself in my room for the rest of that day. She, however, managed to r**e me twice that same week.
On her fifth assault, I stood up to her. I pushed her off me and ordered her to leave my room and promised her I would tell my uncle this time around.
When my uncle came back, I didn’t waste time and told him everything that my aunt did to me from three years back. I was very emotional but managed to spell out everything to him. I really felt relieved and very free thereafter.
The next two weeks turned out the most difficult in my life. I had expected my uncle to believe me and act on his wife’s infidelity. Instead, he accused me of lying about her and being disrespectful.
“Now, Nkonje, I know your aunt can get on someone’s nerves some times. But for you to claim she can do such a thing is completely out of line,” he told me. “I don’t ever want to hear you say such things again.”
“But uncle, I am not lying. She r**ed me just as I said.”
“Shut up!” he screamed at me with a terribly angry face.
I jumped up terrified. I trembled from toe to the crown of my head.
“I told you never to say such things because nothing happened.”
I started crying and ran into my room and stayed there the whole weekend. I was completely devastated. I just couldn’t understand how he could play dumb that way.
As for aunt Kutemba, she pretended like nothing ever happened between her and me. One evening, after supper, she wrapped her arms around me from behind the chair and whispered in my ear, “Please stop fighting me, I am only helping you become a man,”
My uncle was sitting adjacent me. He saw and heard what his wife said. I was expecting him to react but he never did. He just continued eating and laughing.
It was at this point I snapped at him and said, “What is wrong with you, uncle Kombe? Can’t you see that your wife is a loose woman?”
My uncle slapped me so hard I could hear birds singing in my ears.
“You never ever say such things about my wife, do you hear me?” he said angrily.
“No uncle, you listen from me. I am not lying to you. I am telling you the truth.”
My uncle was startled and looked at me with wide opened eyes.
“Your wife has been ra**ng me,” I cried.
My uncle stood up and went into his bedroom.
A month passed without talking with my uncle. He was avoiding me.
Uncle Kombe, in his attempts to stop me saying the truth, had threatened to report me to mum. But I kept insisting that I was telling him the truth.
At the end of November, mum came over. My uncle had sent for her over my claims When the meeting was set, my uncle and aunt twisted up what had happened and accused me of disrespect towards them. My mum bought their story and was very upset and disappointed with me.
“I never ever thought you could turn up this way, my son,” she said.
“Mum I am telling the truth,” I affirmed to her.
From that time on, my uncle’s heart was turned against me. He told my mother he could not continue staying with me. My uncle agreed with my mother that I should go to a boarding school where he was going to continue supporting me until I completed my grade twelve.
Since we had already closed schools that December, I opted to go to the village with my mother for holiday. I could tell my mother was very disappointed in me. She had wanted me to stay with my uncle rather than going into boarding school.
For the sake of her peace of mind, I never raised the issue ever again to her. I just kept quiet. I blamed my uncle for everything and hoped one day I would be exonerated.
When I went back to Chingola, I could tell that my aunt was pregnant again. Both my aunt and uncle were very happy indeed. The week I spent with them went without any incident and I was taken to Chiwala Secondary School by uncle Kombe at the start of the first term of the following year.
The two years I spent at Chiwala Secondary school past on without much events. I just concentrated on my studies and tried hard to push what happened at my uncle’s house deep into my subconscious.
My uncle tried to keep contact with me for a while. He came to see me twice or thrice at the very beginning of my time at Chiwala secondary school. I started avoiding seeing him when he started trying to convince me I was wrong and was just imagining things I said about his wife or that I was taking what had happened way out of proportion.
I did not go back to his house for holidays and opted to go to see my mother at the village. Twice I tried to convince my mother I was telling the truth about what happened at my uncle’s house but she sided with her brother. She told me to stop it and rather concentrate at my schooling.
I felt both betrayed and isolated because I didn’t understand why no one believed me. Sometimes I doubted myself and began to think I could be wrong. But I knew what happened. I was abused and r**ed by aunt Kutemba and my uncle let me down.

Photo for illustration only – credit to iStock