Got Away

My eyes are sore, I have been on the PC the entire night sending job application letters to each and every place I have seen with a vacancy. At this point I no longer care if they are asking for qualifications I don’t have, I am just sending and I keep imagining how they must be laughing reading my emails.

There is noise that comes from the front door, I look at the time and it’s just 2 in the morning. It’s a bit weird for Chanda to come this early after a night out so I get into my robe and walk to the living room. People always get confused that I have a Lozi name whilst she has a Bemba name, we don’t even go about explaining how we are from the East. Our parents sure had a field day picking these names because it doesn’t add up.

‘You are still up?’ She asks throwing her clutch and shoes on the chair.

I walk over to the door and lock up then carry her things to the bedroom, I know the routine - she comes home drunk, I pick after her and give her food and wait for her to sleep before I can return to bed.

I am not complaining, I just wish she could return the favor sometimes but I guess paying the bills and me living under her roof does cancel out everything else.

When I return to the living room she is staring at her phone.

‘Are you okay?’

‘I am, except Gilbert has just messed up.

‘Okay.’

I don’t like getting into her relationship issues, she and Gilbert look like any healthy couple with healthy traits but a part of me feels like I want more than what they have. If ever there is.

‘In the middle of a night out he decides to tell me that he sent his baby mama a K10, 000.00.’

I don’t know what my reaction is supposed to be, these two are always talking about money I can’t even imagine having.

‘Can you believe she is still demanding for more?’

Gilbert met his baby mama whilst they were still in UNI, he was going to marry her but she cheated on him shamelessly. She returned months later with a child that looked exactly like him, he couldn’t take her back but she knew he still had a soft spot for her and when Chanda met him she thought she could change that but it’s been one story to the next.

‘You know I can’t leave him, I have invested way too much in this relationship to just walk away.’

‘I thought you told me that his family wants him to raise the child with the mother.’

‘They are still saying that, I have noticed he is falling for the idea too but I am not living without putting up a fight.’

Knowing my sister she means whatever she is saying and Gilbert will live to regret ever crossing paths with her.

‘Nawakwi in this life you have to be smart, people are going to use you if you continue being miss goodie goodie. Of course there is nothing wrong with being a good person, but you can’t allow people to do to you what you can’t stand and they walk away scout free. In this life they are villains and victims and trust me I would rather be the latter.’

With that she stands and walks to her room.

I go to mine after switching off all the lights, I didn’t even realise how tired I was until I touch the bed. I sleep almost immediately only to be woken up by loud music coming from my sister’s room hours later.

I rub my eyes, the sleep is still there but being a Saturday as long as Chanda is still home I won’t be able to get any sleep.

I check my phone and find that it’s just a little after 8, on a normal day I would have been done with house chores and looking at job ads but on a day like this one I wish I could sleep some more.

I lazily get out of bed and I am shocked to find that she has swept the house.

‘And you?’

‘Good morning to you too.’ She says

She sounds grumpy so I know we will be walking on egg shells today.

‘I forgot to mention, my work mate was telling me that her friend’s boyfriend has just opened a company and he is looking for a secretary.’

‘New company?’

‘You are not allowed to pick the type of employment, you are jobless.’ She says before rolling her eyes.

I walk past her and go to the kitchen.

‘Go into my room and check through my bag, there is a business card in there.’

‘Okay.’

I go there and check through the card, Olu trust is the name of the courier company. I go to my bedroom and try to google it but nothing comes up, it’s not even on Facebook or Instagram. A bit worrying because everyone is on social media these days.

I go back to the living room and tell Chanda I have found the card, she tells me to call the number there and introduce myself. I manage to get through to someone and they tell me to to go to Arcades in the next hour for an interview and as much as I am excited something in me is not sitting well about this job.

..

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏾‍♀️