Life above all episode 18-19

LIFE, ABOVE ALL

Episode 18

TIYA

The car drive back home was silent it was just me and Ivy’s father. Ivy had refused to come with us.
Even though I was seating in front next to him, I was quiet uncomfortable, the thought of what I witnessed in that house gave me goose bumps. What sort relationship did Ivy have with her father?
A thousand thoughts ran through my mind but none of the reasons I thought of made sense.

Once we reached my house, I quickly got out of the car.
‘Why are you leaving so quickly without even saying bye?’ he asked behind me.
Still walking, I said, ‘I am tired, I need to rest I have school tomorrow.’

I felt him grab my hand I was shocked at how quick he was.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked
‘Yes,’ I responded
He gave me an emotionless expression,’ did you and my daughter fight?’ he asked
‘No.’
‘Are you sure?’
I nodded my head, ‘Yes.’
‘Okay.’
‘Can I go in now?’ I asked
‘Wait,’ he said before he went back to his car and came back with some money which he handed to me.
‘What is this for?’ I enquired
‘For your upkeep,’ he said smilingly
‘I am sorry, I cannot accept this,’ I said
He took my hand and placed the money in it, ‘I mean no harm, you are like a daughter to me and I want you to have this.’
‘Okay.’
‘But..,’
‘No buts,’ he cut me short
‘Cool,’ I stuffed the money in my pocket, ‘I better get going,’ I said
‘Okay.’
‘Good night.’
‘Night.’
I walked to the gate and pushed it open, I turned round to close it and found him staring, I gave him a quick wave and goodbye before finally shutting the gate.
I found Celine and Auntie Stella in the kitchen cooking.
’See what the cat drugged in,’ Auntie Stella said
I rolled my eyes and clicked my tongue before I walked past them to my room.
‘Tiya!’ Thoko excitedly called out, she stopped what she was doing and ran to me. I dropped my bag down then I lifted her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
‘I missed you,’ she said
‘And I missed you even more.’
‘What did you get me?’
‘I didn’t get you anything I didn’t have enough time to go to the mall.’
She frowned, ’I will take you out for ice cream tomorrow after school.’
‘You promise?’
‘I cross my heart and hope to die.’
She giggled
I put her down and kicked my shoes off my feet then I removed my phone and sat on the bed. The door swung open a minute later and Ganizani walked in.
‘You have a phone?’ that was the first question he asked.
‘Don’t you knock?’ I asked placing the phone under my pillow
‘Give that phone to me,’ he said
‘Why?’
‘Just give it to me.’
‘No.’
‘Does father know you have a phone?’ he asked, he had a serious look on his face.
‘You wouldn’t dare.’
‘Hand over the phone to me.’
‘No.’
‘Tiya!’ he screamed, his voice was louder and higher.
‘Just leave me alone.’
‘Where did you even get that phone?’
‘Ivy got it for me.’
‘You must return it, you are only 13.’
‘I will be 14 soon.’
‘You should return that phone Tiya, my word is final.’
I stood up angrily, ‘You are not my father, you have no right to order me around,’ I yelled
‘Whatever you have been smoking is not good for you.’
My heart started beating so fast when he said something about smoking did he know I had smoked at the party?I felt like he could see through me.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked "you look so disturbed.’
‘I am fine.’
‘You are too young to have a phone Tiya I want you to give it back to Ivy tomorrow.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘You will leave me with no choice but to report you to your father.’
‘Do your worst,’ I hissed
‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ he said before marching out of the room.

I felt bad for arguing with my brother but I wasn’t going to allow him to treat me like a baby, he was just a child like me so why was he fucking giving me orders?

I turned my head and found Thoko staring at me, I had even forgotten she was in the room, I didn’t Intend for her to witness this argument.
I opened my arms wide, ‘Come here,’ I said
She shook her head and walked out without saying anything to me.
‘Could my day get any worse?’
I stayed locked up in my room for the rest of the evening, Auntie Stella came to call me out for supper around 20 hours.
‘I am not hungry,’ I said
‘Suit yourself,’ she walked out and slammed the door behind her back.
‘Mtchew,’ I clicked my tongue, I doubt I will ever get used to being around this woman.
*****

IVY

I was lying in bed, responding to some messages when he walked into the room. He had just come back from dropping Tiya home. I put my phone down, ‘You are back?’ I asked
‘Yes.’
He unzipped his trousers and took it off, tossing it onto the floor before he climbed onto the bed and lay back on the sheets beside me.
He looked tense, ‘Can I get you a glass of whiskey?’ I asked
He didn’t immediately answer, instead he yawned as he sunk into the bed’s softness. ‘Did you and Tiya argue?’ he asked
‘No,’ I shook my head, ‘Why?’ I sat up and leaned on my elbow facing him, my eyes raised
‘She was moody.’
‘Maybe she woke up on the wrong side of the bed.’
‘You are sure she doesn’t suspect anything?’ he asked
‘She is naïve, she doesn’t suspect a thing. I think the whole jail thing got to her head.’
‘She needs time,’ he said
‘But do we have the time?’
‘Yes, we have time.’
‘Okay.’
We settled into an uncomfortable silence, he was lying on his back, he had his right arm around me and I had my head lying on his shoulder.
A knock at the door later woke us from our trance, I am sure it is that stupid maid.
‘Yes Alice,’ dad answered
‘Dinner is served,’ she said
‘Thank you.
‘Okay.’
I stood up, got dressed and walked out of the room.
Alice eyed me suspiciously when I walked into the living room.
‘What?’ I asked
‘Nothing,’ she said and faced the other side.
‘Alice ma setting sinifuna ai,’ I said
‘Nanga?’
‘If not for my father you would be out of this house,’ I said
‘Father indeed,’ she clicked her tongue
I was about to lash out at her when dad walked into the room.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked
‘Nothing,’ I lied
We sat at the table and Alice dished up for us. Then we started eating while making plans for my upcoming 17th birthday. I wasn’t just excited about being a year older I was excited about what this new age represented.
****

TIYA

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock the next day, I prepared Thoko and myself for school then joined my brother for breakfast.
‘Morning,’ I greeted when I walked into the kitchen but he didn’t respond.
I rolled my eyes and poured myself a cup of coffee, I wasn’t going to plead for him, if he wanted to be quiet all week then so be it, he would come around when he saw it fit.
After breakfast, we walked down the road to the bus station then we got on a bus that dropped us in front of the school.
I stepped out and went straight to my class since neither Thoko nor Ganizani wanted to talk to me. I wasn’t ready to speak to Ivy so instead of sitting with her, I swapped desks with someone else.
She walked into the classroom and her eyes instantly found mine when she noticed what I had done, she didn’t say anything but quietly walked to the back of the room and sat down.
She sent me a text on my phone a minute later, ‘We need to talk.’
I gave her the blue ticks.
‘What’s going on?’ she sent another text I still gave her the blue ticks.
‘Tiya.’
‘Leave me alone,’ I finally responded
‘Can we talk?’
‘I am busy.’
‘After class.’
‘Will see.’
‘Okay.’
The teacher walked in afterwards and I immediately put my phone into my bag. The rest of the day went by so fast by the time we were knocking off, I was drained.
I quickly packed my books and left the classroom before Ivy noticed. I seriously wasn’t ready to talk to her, I was afraid I would confront her about her father and I would end up finding out things that i wasn't ready to take in.
****

Episode 19

“Life teaches you a lot of lessons some people learn from it, some people don’t.”

TIYA

It was a Monday afternoon & classes were about to be dismissed, there were only ten minutes remaining before the bell rang. The teacher was returning our test papers- we wrote an S.D.S test last Friday. She was calling us to the front one by one to give us the papers.

‘Tiyamike Phiri,’ she finally called. I stood up and walked to her desk.
‘You should see me tomorrow,’ she said as I reached out to take my test paper.
‘Okay,’ I nodded
I took a quick glance at it before quickly returning to my seat. I had terribly failed the test- (15 out of 60), I had gotten 55 in the previous test so this was one big disappointment.

She continued calling out the names till the bell rang and suddenly everyone anxiously jumped to their feet.
‘Can you sit down,’ the teacher shouted, ‘You are not dismissed until I say so.’
Murmurs erupted all around the classroom.
‘I said can you all sit down,’ she screamed again before she grabbed a hosepipe from the table. Everyone instantly sat down and kept quiet.
‘I’m very disappointed with the way these marks are looking a lot of you have a lot of studying to do. You have your final exams in less than three months I must see an improvement in this week’s test.’
There was silence in the room as she continued talking, ‘You are dismissed,’ she said a few minutes later.
‘Aw!” the class sighed.

I quickly packed my books and fled out of the classroom before Ivy could catch up with me, I have managed to successfully avoid her for the past three weeks.

‘Tiya!” I heard her calling my name but I ignored her, walking quickly and pushing through the gate of the school, heading straight for the bus station.
I stood at the bus station for a long time, most of the buses coming from town where already full.
‘Ugh, I hate waiting for the bus, I wish I can get my own car,’ I thought to myself.
As I stood there waiting for a bus, I felt someone tap my shoulder from behind, startled I turned around only to find it was Ivy, she is so persistent.
‘What?’ I said
‘May I have a moment with you?’ she asked
‘I am tired & I wanna go home and rest,’ I replied
‘This will just take a few minutes.’
‘It’s really been a rough day, maybe another time.’
‘Please,’ she pleaded
‘Fine,’ I responded, she wasn’t gonna give up so maybe I could give her a few minutes to explain herself.
‘Thank you.’
‘You have five minutes,’ I frowned
‘We can’t talk from here, anywhere but not here.’
‘Whatever.’
I followed her and we got to where her driver had parked the car, she held the door open for me and I got in then she got in and closed the door. As the car drove off none of us said a word to each other.
The car stopped at a little restaurant and Ivy got some food then we went to the park. Finding a quiet spot, we spread out on the grass and she started eating her fries.
‘Why have you brought me here?’ I asked
‘Do you want something to eat?’
‘No, just get straight to the point so I can leave, it’s getting dark as you can see.’
‘Why have you been ignoring me?’ she asked
‘You have been ignoring me Tiya let’s not even bit around the bush, what’s going on?’
‘Nothing,’ I shrugged
‘Is it because of the cell issue? Don’t you want us to be friends anymore?’
‘Nothing is wrong, I just need space.’
She threw her hands up in frustration, ‘Space for what? What did I do that made you stay away from me?’
I clenched my fist at my side, ‘You really want to know why I have been avoiding you?’ I asked
‘Yes.’
‘Fine.’
‘I am all ears.’
Stung to anger, the words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them, ‘I saw you and your father kissing passionately.’
Astonished, she quickly rose to her feet standing her ground glaring up at me.
‘Have you been sleeping with your father Ivy? Is that the reason why he allows you to do as you please?’ The words tumbled out of my mouth. I couldn’t stop them.
‘Don’t just look at me,’ I spoke again before she could get any words out of her mouth. ‘Say something.’
Silence
‘Say something,’ I raised my voice
‘Fine,’ she snapped, ‘So I kissed him and then what?’
‘Why did you fucking kiss him? That is so sick he is your father and incest disgusting.’
She rolled her eyes, ‘He is not mu biological father,’ she said.
‘How?’
‘It’s a long story.’
‘I have the time.’
‘Fine, let’s eat then I will tell you about it, but just promise you won’t judge me.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Cool.’
She handed me some fries and a bottle of coke, we ate quietly.’
*****

IVY

‘I am all ears,’ Tiya said when we finished eating. I cleared my throat as I got ready to tell her the whole truth I figured if she was going to be a part of us, she needed to know the truth.
‘My Bwalya is my step father,’ I said
‘You have already said that.’
My father died when I was seven years old and a few years down the line, she met Mr. I was twelve when they met, he was one of the big business men in Lusaka, her friend actually set them up.
They began a whirlwind romance and before long he asked mum to marry him.

Mr. Bwalya is a charmer, he gave me gifts and had conversations with me something my mother rarely did so i loved and adored him. Besides that Mr. Bwalya changed our lives- when mum was married to my father, she was just a house wife so when she died, life was pretty hard for the both of us, some days we even went to bed hungry- she really hit the jackpot with my step father.

When I was 14, my mother left.
I still remember the day she left as though it were yesterday, I had woken up in the morning as usual and dad had dropped me off at school.
When I got back home that evening, mum was gone. She had packed all her belongings and left.
‘My child, I have to leave but I will be back for you someday,’ that’s all she left behind
I was devastated when she left and I thought dad would kick me out but he didn’t. He was actually a good support system, he helped me get over my mother’s betrayal and soon I forgot about her- well not completely.

“That man has been there for me, he has given me everything I have ever asked for, to the world I am his child but behind closed doors, it’s another story. We are more like business partners and if you are interested then you can be a part of our business.”
‘Have you ever had sex with him?’ Tiya asked
I looked at her and smiled,’ Yes.’

Tiya opened her mouth but stopped.
‘Say it, I am a disgrace right? I had to survive baby, I just had to.’
‘I have no words.’
‘It’s understandable.’
‘Make me understand why.’
I took a deep breath before I started narrating the next part of the story.
****

To be continued