life above all episode 26&27

LIFE, ABOVE ALL

Episode 26

STELLA

I got ready for bed and closed my eyes but I couldn’t shut down my mind. I switched from one side to the other back again.
‘She is good for business.’
‘All you have to do is make sure you deliver her to me without any suspicions from anyone.’
There were so many thoughts passing through my mind. Why did her? What did she have that he badly wanted? Was he into human trafficking? Was I ready to get involved in his business? Well the money was good but could I really sell her off just like that without anyone suspecting a thing? The thoughts just kept rushing through my head like a footballer that had just been tackled.

Finally I made a mantle note to ask him more about his business before I fully got involved. I closed my eyes and decided to force myself to sleep. Thirty minutes later the door creaked open and my husband walked into the room.
‘Wifey,’ he smiled at me.
I smiled back at him, ‘Yes my husband.’
‘You look beautiful,’ he said
I was wearing a silky pair of short-like pajamas.
‘Thank you,’ I responded
‘You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen.’
‘And you are still the most handsome man I have ever seen.’
He laughed, ‘Shut up.’
‘I am serious.’
He quickly undressed and crawled into bed next to me wrapping me up in his arms.
‘How was your day?’ I asked
‘Tiring,’ he yawned, ‘How was yours?’
‘The usual.’
‘The children still giving you problems?’
I sighed, ‘Will they ever like me?’
‘Only time will tell.’
‘The other two are okay because they are more on the quiet side but Tiya is a problem.’
‘Tell me about it,’ he said
‘That girl was spoiled by her mother, she is so rebellious and you know what?’ I asked
‘What?’
‘That girl has started sleeping around, that behavior isn’t normal for a 14 year old.’
‘You think so?’
‘Yes.’
‘The day I find out she has a boyfriend is the day I will kill her with my bare hands.’
‘I will be watching her.’
‘Thank you for caring about her welfare I don’t know what I would do without you.’
‘I love you,’ I said
‘I love you too.’
A long silence settled between us and within minutes we were both fast asleep.

The next day, I snapped my eyes open to the sunlight flooding through the window, the first thing I did was turn towards the opposite wall I stared at the empty place beside me. Placing my hand on the sheets, I sighed, the place was cold. My husband must have already gotten up as usual.
I am not really a morning person so my husband always wakes up earlier than me.
Rolling out of bed, reached for my robe and made my way out of the bedroom door. Walking into the dining room, I found my husband having breakfast he looked up at me and smiled.
‘Morning my darling,’ I smiled
‘Morning,’ he said
‘Sorry, I didn’t wake up in time to prepare your breakfast again,’ I said yawning loudly
‘You don’t have to worry about anything, that’s why we hired a maid.’
‘You are such a darling I walked over to peck him on the forehead.
I sat on the other chair and watched him eat, when he was done. I cleared the table and we walked back to the bedroom.
‘I won’t be able to drive Ganizani and Thoko to school today please give them this money for transport,’ he handed me a hundred kwacha.
‘Okay.’
Then he handed me some money for relish and shopping, unlike my previous husband, this man is generous, he carters for all my needs and I don’t even have to lift a finger.
‘I have to get going,’ he lightly kissed my lips.
‘Have a nice day.’
‘You too.’
He walked out of the room and I sat on the bed then I grabbed my phone and decided to call Mr. Bwalya.
‘Hello,’ he answered when he picked up.
‘Good morning,’ I said
‘How are you? I hope you are calling because you have good news.’
‘I want us to meet.’
‘Is there a problem?’
‘No, I want to find out one or two things before I can become part of this plan.’
‘Okay.’
‘Okay?’ I asked, I didn’t think he would agree that easily considering how he didn’t want to give me full details the last time we met, this time I was actually determined to get the truth out of him.
‘Yes, you come to my house at ten,’ he said
‘Okay, I will be there.’
‘See you.’
As soon as the call ended, there was a knock at the door.
‘Yes, come in,’
The door creaked open and Ganizani walked in.
‘What do you want?’
‘I wanted to see my father,’ he said
‘He has already left for work.’
‘Did he leave you our transport and lunch money?’
‘No.’
He looked a little disappointed but didn’t say anything he turned and walked out of the room. I burst out laughing I needed to make them suffer more so they could leave this house for me and my husband.
I quickly undressed and headed for the shower, I wanted to go shopping before meeting up with Mr. Bwalya, after my shower, I wore a short green dress and a pair of high heels.
At 8 hours, I stepped out of my room and into the living room, my cousin Bessy was busy cleaning up.
‘Mwamoneka bwino,’ she said
‘Thank you.’
‘Are you going out?’
‘Yes, will be doing a little shopping, I will be back soon.’
‘Okay.’
I walked out of the house and got into my car, instantly driving off. I drove to a local café and had my breakfast there and since time wasn’t on my side I decided to postpone my shopping to later.

When I got to his house, I parked in front of his gate and jumped out of the car then I walked towards the house. I knocked at the door and a woman opened it, she looked at me in a rather strange way.
‘Hello,’ I smiled, ‘I would like to see Mr. Bwalya,’ I said
‘Mrs. Stella Phiri?’ she asked
‘Yes.’
She opened the door wider and stepped aside, I entered the house and she shut the door. She led me through the living room to the study, I must stay I was amazed at how flawless the wood floors looked. When I walked into the study, Mr. Bwalya stood up and smiled.
‘Good morning,’ he said
‘Good morning,’ I replied
‘Welcome to my small house,’ he said
I laughed, this house wasn’t small at all, it was huge whatever business he was into did bring in a lot of money for him.
‘Please take a seat.’
I pulled back a chair which was across from him and sat down.
‘Can I get you a drink?’ he asked
‘No.’
‘You are sure?’
‘I am sure.’
He sat down too and poured himself some whiskey the he took a large sip.
‘So,’ we said at the same time.
‘You go first,’ he said
I cleared my throat, ‘I thought about what you asked me to do.’
‘And?’
‘I can only go ahead with this if I know the kind of business you are involved in.’
He kept quiet.
‘I want to know what I am getting myself into who knows maybe I will be interested and become a partner.
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ he said
He tapped his fingers on the table, ‘What you are asking me is quiet tricky.’
‘How?’
‘You can only know the ins and outs of my business if you accept to be a member.’
‘I am in.’
He gave me a quizzical look.
‘If this business gives you a lot of money then I am in.’
‘You are sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay.’
I smiled nervously.
‘Let me make a phone call then I will get back to you.’
‘Sure.’
He walked out of the room and I waited.
When he walked back in, he was wearing a white robe and a red hat he no longer had shoes on his feet.
‘Come.’
I hesitated a bit but he extended his hand towards me and I had no choice but to stand up. He asked me to remove my shoes and gave me a white robe to wrap around my waist.
We went upstairs and walked down the long passage to a room at the far end and he knocked twice.
‘Whatever you see in there please do not scream,’ he warned
The door opened wide and a magnetic force pushed us in before it closed behind our backs.
***

Episode 27

***
“But the wicked are like troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God to the wicked.” Isaiah 57:20, 48:22, 5:20-25.
*****

STELLA

I was in a room with red lights and candles. There was a girl sitting in a fetal position near the corner against the wall opposite the door. She had a black pot in her hands. Her eyes were fixed in a daze, her body seemed glued to the stool.
I looked at her intently wondering if she was still alive or maybe she was dead but what was she doing in this place?
In the center of the room was a huge bed, a chair in the corner and an upright fridge on the other side.
Mr. Bwalya got down on his knees and started chanting strange things he was swaying, bending forward and backward while turning his head from right to left.
Suddenly out of nowhere, an old man with a long beard appeared, he was wearing a white robe with a black cross designed on it. On his feet was a pair of black slippers.
Bwalya got back on his knees bowed in front of the strange man then he clapped his hands together and said some strange words. After a few minutes he stood up and walked to me.
‘You have to undress,’ he said in a deep and dark voice that sent chills down my spine.
I hesitated but then I remembered why I was here, I had brought myself here and there was no going back. I undressed slowly and when I was naked, he tied my hands and put me down on some flat surface. The strange man then approached me he kicked off his slippers and removed his robe.
As he stood naked before me, fear kicked in, I wondered what he was about to do to me.
‘You don’t scream and you don’t talk,’ Mr. Bwalya warned
The man got on top of me, spread my legs and in one thrust entered me. I wanted to scream but I couldn’t, maybe I was afraid of what would happen to me if I did. I had watched too many horror movies and I knew what could happen if you disobeyed instructions in such cases.
His thrusts were very fast and ruthless he was going into me like a wild animal. He was going so fast I didn’t have time to catch my breath.
A moment later, he started wriggling around on top of me and I noticed his body fast changing into a snake. Before I could process anything, a big black snake lay on top of me in place of that old man.
I was overwhelmed by fear I could feel my heart beating so fast against my chest. Mr. Bwalya who seemed to be amused by what was happening picked a small cloth on the floor and dipped it into the pot that the small girl was carrying then he walked to me and squeezed the liquid on my breasts.
As he was busy squeezing that liquid on me, I felt something slither between my legs, purposely touching my opening. I gazed downwards to find a snake rubbing itself against me.
I opened my mouth to scream & that’s when I felt an excruciating pain inside and throughout my body. Just then the snake shoved its head hard and sank into the deepest part of my womanhood.
I felt no pleasure only shame, anger and pain.
At last I felt my body losing control, I felt so weak and out of breath, my eyes finally became blurry and darkness narrowed my vision.

I awakened to a loud hissing sound around the room I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in a room that wasn’t mine. When I tried to stand up from the bed, I realized I couldn’t because my legs and hands were still tied. I looked on the side of the bed and almost screamed when I saw five snakes.
I think they must have known I was awake because they quickly wrapped themselves around my arms and legs. Fear began to rise in me as I tried to struggle of the snakes grasps.
I opened my mouth to scream but my voice was barely audible. The door creaked open a minute later and Mr. Bwalya walked in.
‘What is going on here?’ I asked , surprised that my voice was now audible.
‘You wanted to know what business I am in, well I am taking you through the process, at this stage you have reached there is no going back.’
I kept quiet.
He clicked his fingers and the snakes slowly started moving away from me. Then he untied me and gave me my clothes back. I could feel his gaze on my naked body as I got dressed.
‘You have a nice body,’ he said
I chose not to respond as i swept my gaze across the room and noticed the same little girl on the corner.
‘Don’t mind her,’ he said
‘You have successfully passed stage one of the initiation process stage two will be in a week’s time.’
‘Okay.’
‘What you have seen in here you cannot tell a single soul or you die.’
I scratched my head, this business sure had many rules, with my big mouth I hope I will be able to abide by them all.
‘After the next stage you will finally be a full member and everything you wish for will be at your disposal- Money, wealth, power- you name it.’
I smiled, I have always wanted to have a lot of money, I have always wanted to live large maybe everything I had done was gonna be worth it when the money began to pour in.
‘And one last thing,’ he began
I turned to look at him.
‘You should not have sex with your husband until you pass through the next stage of the initiation.’
‘How is that even possible?’
‘You will know what to do but please don’t have sex with your husband,’
‘Okay.’
He walked me out of the room locking it behind his back, I got my bag from his study and he walked me out of the house. He had apparently locked the door and asked his maid to wait outside, we found her sitting on the verandah, she gave me a look that didn’t sit well with me but I just ignored it.
I got to my car and he opened the door for me, ‘It was nice doing business with you,’ he smiled
‘Likewise.’
He leaned in and kissed my forehead, ‘Take care of your sweet self darling.’
‘You too.’
He shut the door for me and I started the car, driving out of the compound immediately.
****

To be continued