COLOUR OF FATE
Sour Honey
Prologue
~1994~
Jeanette's
tears kept flowing, wondering what she had done wrong, how did this happen?
She
watched as blood gushed out through her wrist. She knew she was dying, &
she couldn't have it any other way. It was for the best. Her daughter would
have to understand.
A
few hours ago, she, & her friend were delivering two woman in the same
ward, both of them as professional nurses had taken it upon themselves to deliver
the babies since she was a mid-wife & her friend just a nurse but knew the
job well as she had been a nurse for over a decade & already knew the
procedure.
The
woman her friend was helping deliver bore twins, identical girls; but hers gave
birth to only one. All of the babies were girls. As they walked to the babies
ward to dress the babies she realized hers wasn't making sounds anymore,
getting to the baby's ward Jeanette realized the baby wasn't breathing anymore.
Her:
"Leticia the baby is not moving" she said to her friend already
panicking, Leticia immediately placed the twins down & walked to her friend
who was already crying.
"Jeanette calm down!" She
said softly trying to calm her friend down as she took the dead baby from Jeanette's
hands. She soon realized the baby indeed was dead.
"The
baby is dead." She said to Jeanette, herself already shaking. Jeanette had
swiftly sat down at the corner of the room crying, a few babies in the ward
were already crying like they could sense it all.
"Jeanette this happens, let's just...
I don’t know take care of it"
“Take care of it? How? Leticia the baby
is dead."
“I have a plan." Leticia
responded to her frightened friend.
A
few minutes later Leticia & Jeanette had wrapped the dead baby in a black
plastic, took one of the twins & registered her in place of the dead baby. They
quickly took the black plastic with the dead baby at the back yard of the
hospital, dug a hole & buried the baby then quickly went back to the baby's
ward. Jeanette took the twin they had given to the woman whose child had died
while Leticia took the other twin then off they went back & gave the two
women their babies.
The
woman whose other twin baby had been stolen was the first to talk, thrilled to
see her baby.
"Oh thank you Jesus, she's so
cute, the way my tummy was so huge I thought I was going to deliver twins."
She said holding her baby. Jeanette uncomfortably smiled holding her tears
looking at the woman they had stolen one of her children from.
The
woman with the dead child just held the stolen baby as hers smiling, obviously
happy. “Very beautiful, she’s my
treasure." She said with tears cascading her cheeks. Jeanette could no
longer hold hers so she walked out leaving Leticia attending the two women. She
went straight home without looking back & arriving home she just sat down on
the floor crying.
How
did it happen? What had she done?
The
next day Leticia didn't spot Jeanette anywhere, unlike Jeanette, Leticia didn't
have any guilt conscience up in her sleeves, and she refused to feel guilt as all
she did was help her friend. She had even moved on.
Later
that day at work it was announced Jeanette was found dead by her neighbor, she
cut her wrist; Leticia knew Guilt had killed her drastically, leaving her 1
year old baby girl.
23YEARS LATER
SCARLET
My
reflection on the mirror was adequate enough to make me restrain from the
mirror & take my bag. Michelle kept her eyes on me all this while, with a perplexed
face as always.
“Are you a lesbian?”
I
turned to her, completely stunned. That was a first, she never asks if either
I'm Lesbian or not but then I get that from a lot of people.
“My friends say you dress like a
tomboy, so you are a Lesbian.”
Me:
How old are you again?
Her: 11
Me: Good. Now do you see any of your age mates around
here?
She shook her head no, probably wondering where I'm
going with this.
Me: Now Ms. Smart Mouth... be quick, turn & look at
the door & match your eleven years old ass out.
Her mouth dropped open.
Me: Out!
I
said one last time, & quickly she stood up & left. After a while Twanda
walked in.
Him:
you working the whole night?
Me:
yeah.
Him:
saving for?
Me:
college.
Him:
I wish we were like other families.
Me:
well we are not Twanda, so wishing we were the President's kids won't get you
anywhere.
Him:
Right.
Me:
let me roll.
I
walked out leaving him in my room. I went to the kitchen, Mom was dishing up.
Her:
Carl I have served you.
Me:
mom. I'm ok, I have to go to work.
Her:
I hate it when you work at night.
Me:
I don’t understand because I always work at night.
Her:
Yesterday I was talking to Mulenga, she said there's a job unoccupied at some
jewelry shop in town.
Me:
Mom you know Mulenga likes people's things; obviously she was trying to fish
out a story from you so she can fill the whole streets on what's going on in
your life.
Her:
there's really a job vacancy Scarlet, I called them.
Me:
it’s Carl! & I don’t want the job… Mom please! You know Mulenga is the same
one who always spread lies about you... about us!
Her:
they are expecting you on Monday for an interview
Me:
I can't believe you, look I'm going...it’s getting busy..
Her:
ok, I love you
Me:
yeah me too..
And
from there I walked out frustrated.
That
was my family… Michelle, my younger sister & Twanda, small brother who's 18
then mom. We were not just 4 at first but we were 6, I had a brother & a
father but they both passed away a few years ago. My father was from Uganda, no
wonder my weird surname, Akpan.
They
were involved in a car accident. That was the most painful moment of my life,
but then its life, we move on. I walked out of the gate, it was dark but the
darkness never really scares me. I work as a bartender at a nearby bar. It was
just a few streets away. When my father passed away, everything just spiraled
out of control. We had no money so mom had to look for a job, that she still
has till today.
She's
a receptionist at some large Pharmacy company. She gets paid well but it’s only
a matter of time till they stop her because of old age & look for more fresh
people, with qualifications.
Her
wage including mine helps around the house & keeps us going each day. Yes
at first, it was about saving for school because I really did well on my high
school results but unfortunately I didn't get any sponsorship even though I had
applied for one. As time went on, I realized mom's salary wasn't really
covering up much so I decided to help. We have a car, dad's old Mercedes Benz, which
has a lot of problems but that’s the only mode of transport we have. Well as Michelle
had already said, I do dress like a tomboy & not that I'm a Lesbian, just
that I always feel more comfortable when I dress like a tomboy. And then there’s
Mulenga, who happens to be my neighbor. That woman loves Gossip, you would
swear she's the Goddess of gossip. There's nothing she doesn't know. I walked
to work listening to my favorite song.
Said,
"Lil bitch, you can't fuck with me if you wanted to"
These
expensive, these is red bottoms, these is bloody shoes
Hit
the store, I can get 'em both, I don't wanna choose
&
I'm quick, cut a nigga off, so don't get comfortable, look
I
don't dance now, I make money moves
Say
I don't gotta dance, I make money move
If
I see you & I don't speak, that means I don't fuck with you
I'm
a boss, you a worker, bitch, I make bloody moves
Roughly
30 minutes later, I had arrived at bar where I work. It is really big & is
making a success. I started working here when I was 22 so I know my way around.
I got in, and then went behind the counter where Katongo was, but I call him
Kat.
Me:
dude.
Him:
dawg... you early today.
Me:
aiii I had a mosquito buzzing non stop
He
laughed.
Him:
next time you should be like..."bitch be humble, sit down."
I
laughed
Me:
next time... let's get the night started!
Him:
yeah..
TITANIA
"Turn
left.. Yeah a bit right... good... give me a smile... A devious smile... Good...
yeah... a sexy smile... throw it in baby... yeah... that’s it... beautiful...
We gonna take 5" Dave said as he put the camera down. I walked away from
the pool as one of the interns gave me a towel to wrap around my half naked
body.
Dave:
you were amazing Tits.
Me:
thank you.
Dave:
yeah... I think the shots we just took are perfect.
Me:
that’s great
Dave:
yeah... have you thought about it.
Me:
Dave you don’t understand. Kakula will hunt us down.
Dave:
he's going to kill you. Does he even know you are here?
Me:
no.
Dave:
your dad is super rich but here you are busy getting beaten up... you have a
sister. Who is-
Me:
you know dad doesn't want me... he disowned me for marrying Kakula... &
either way Miyo is the golden egg.
Dave:
if he knows what's going on then he will take you in, no parent would leave
their child to die... he beats you for getting out of the house only... for all
the silly things.
Me:
And for sleeping with you. I think we should get back to work.
I
walked to my makeup stylist, blinking away my tears... & that’s my life.
I
met Kakula when I was 21, everything was ok, he loved me... did everything for
me... he was that boyfriend who was just perfect. A few months later he
proposed, convinced me into marriage. Dad didn't agree but he had no choice. We
got married a month later, & then I realized I was pregnant. Being a model &
being pregnant is like water & oil. I aborted the baby without Kakula
knowing & that’s how the abuse started. I can't even tell my parents about
it because they will tell me I started it... so I should just lie on my bed. He
forced me to try for another child... & well I lost that one naturally. The
abuse got even worse.
Just
a few weeks ago I slept with Dave. Well that didn't go well because Kakula beat
me up until eventually I woke up with a big face. He blamed me, & I knew he
was right. If I didn't abort the baby all of this wouldn't be happening. If I
didn't cheat on him then he wouldn't have beat me up. We do go for couple
counseling but then nothing works.
After
a while we were back at the shoot. After we were done, quickly I packed my
things & drove to the penthouse. I had to get there before He comes back
because I'm not allowed to go out from the house. I got inside the yard &
his car wasn't in the garage indicating he wasn't home yet. I took a deep
breath of relief as I took the lift. When I got inside the house, I went to the
kitchen to drink water.
"So we are back" he
said making me drop the glass I was holding & turn to him... my heart was
beating fast… he was going to kill me today.
Him:
we don't talk now?
MIYOBA
I
fixed my skirt as I walked inside my office. I placed my laptop down as my PA
followed behind me.
Her:
Ms. Hichilema welcome
Me:
Betty!
Her:
here's your coffee
Me:
on the table
Her:
you have a meeting with the people from the law firm
Me:
ok what time again?
Her:
10:00hrs
Me:
ok... my mom is coming in right now... Please go get her from the reception.
Her:
yes Ma’am.
Me:
And yeah, whilst you are at it... please tell security to never let Anthony in
again.
Anthony
is my current ex-boyfriend or ex douchbag rather. We broke up 2 weeks ago due
to... well I lost interest. Just then my phone started ringing. It was Rhione, my
best friend.
Me:
Nunuza
Him:
CR7.
Me:
what's up?
Him:
Anthony called me.
Me:
eish! I'm fed up
Him:
what did he do?
Me:
I don’t know... I got bored?
Him:
Miyo... you got to stop all this shit
Me:
what did you want me to do?
I
said sitting down..
Him:
try make things work?
Me:
I didn't feel it anymore
Him:
whatever... Still on for the drinks tonight?
Me:
yeah why not?
Him:
maybe you might... you know catch a hottie?
I
laughed but swallowed my laugh as my mother walked in. Me & her, don’t
really get along because of my father. Me & my father we like... Water &
oil. We don’t get along at all but I'm their only child so they have to
tolerate it.
Mom:
Yoyo!
Me:
mother!
I
stood up & hugged her.
Mom:
how's office life?
Me:
ok... how are you? The check up?
Mom:
sweetheart you know how doctors are.
Me:
you have blood pressure you need to listen to them
Mom:
I know but... I was hoping we go out for breakfast.
Me:
ok... I bought a new car
I
said standing up.
Mom:
that’s great... only the best for you baby
We
walked out to my new Audi 8.
Mom:
when am I meeting your boyfriend?
Me:
when I find one?
Mom:
Yoyo... you are growing up..
Me:
I'm only 24. There’s no hurry & it’s... gosh Mother! I hate that name... Jesus
me!
Mom:
I’m sorry... your dad... he’s losing his patience with you
Me:
what does he want?
Mom:
he’s going to wed you
Me:
yeah... Tell him that will never happen... What about the company?
Mom:
the son in law-
Me:
that’s not happening! Dymin fashions is mine! & mine alone!
Mom:
calm down.
Me:
I own 52% of the company! It’s mine nobody can vote me out. As for dad, tell
him to fuck himself!
