Whatever It Takes - Season 1 - Episode 32

4 years ago

Whatever It Takes - Season 1 - Episode 32

I saw her enter her house first before I followed her. Her door was ajar when I finally got to it so I
lightly tapped it and waited. Thankfully, she quickly came to check on it.

” Suba you!” She exclaimed with shock plastered across her face

” Yes Sally , me or did you think I would give up searching for you and you will keep escaping me?”

” It’s just that…” her voice trailed off
” That what Sally? Friends should never abandon each other.” I saw her face relax a bit with that
said ” well aren’t you gonna let me in?” I asked as she was just standing blocking the doorway like I was some kind of stranger.

” Oh sorry..please come in”

I slowly followed her in to her house. I noticed it was one big room which she had partitioned into two with a big curtain.

” I barely have any visitors so I don’t have any chairs to offer you.”
” Well where do you sit yourself?”
” I sit on those bricks in that corner while I cook if not I’m mostly lying down on the mattress. ” It’s alright I will take one and you take one”

” What?”
” You heard me.” I said chuckling as I grabbed the bricks and placed them near the only window in the room. She rushed to the other side and quickly came with a chitenge for me. I got it and thanked her

” I’m glad I found you my Sally I really missed you.” I said after settling down
” I missed you too. I heard you were back a few weeks ago” She said embarrassingly
” But you couldn’t bother coming to see me.”

” I’m sorry that area isn’t my favourite place anymore.”

“Consider yourself forgiven …anyway I saw you with a baby strapped onto your back while
following you….” I didn’t even finish the sentence when the baby cried.
” Sorry let me get her.”
She came back to the room baby in hand.
” Can I hold her?”

” Sure?” She answered passing the baby to me “her name is Patience” she added
” Beautiful name for a beautiful baby.” I said as I held the baby and played with her little tiny
fingers. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen

” Thanks.”

“And the father?” I asked but it was like I had pried into some very sensitive topic ” sorry it’s alright
if you don’t wanna talk about it” I quickly added hoping for some damage control. I sensed a huge
wall between us and I prayed she would talk it out.

There was awful silence in the room for a while and I silently played with her baby as a result

” I have made so many mistakes Suba.” She began with a cracking voice ” It’s alright my friend. Everyone makes mistakes.” I re-assured her
” Just not quite like I have. I thought I was just naive but someone younger nowadays is more
sensible than I was. You recall I was accepted to go to the university of Zambia. Well , in the first
year I was so focused and cleared with stellar results. In the second year, I started losing focus as
questions began clouding my thoughts most times. Can you imagine no man ever looked at me in
that way not even my fellow students?” She chortled ” so I started isolating myself. I started
feeling ugly in my own skin. I figured I wasn’t appealing to anyone. But one day, My
communications lecturer noticed me that was almost towards the end of the academic year and walked to me. He comforted me and made me see myself in a new light. The following year, we
started going out and I was never careful because I didn’t want to chase away the only man that
ever liked me. To cut the short story I fell pregnant for him and when I informed him…” she now
broke into heavy sobs and I got up and walked to her. I held her shoulder and consoled her.

” You don’t understand Suba, the man literally mopped me up with all the expletives he hurled at
me. He said I was too ugly for him and he was only using me to relieve himself. Unfortunately,
someone was listening in on our conversation and reported us. Can you believe I took the fall? I
was expelled from the university and that lecturer blamed me in his defense. While Ilost my golden
opportunity, the most the lecturer got was a warning letter. Anyway you know how bad news
travel fast it had already reached my parent’s ears by the time I was returning. Automatically
making me the black sheep of my family and consequently I was disowned by my father. And every plea from mother fell on deaf ears. That’s how I found myself here.”

” That’s so sad to hear my friend but the lecturer was the foolish one by not valuing you and guiding you like an adult he is. So how do you survive?”

” I go out in search of odd jobs so that I could atleast have a roof over my baby’s head and mine .I
will try getting a more stable job when I’m able to pay someone to look after her.”
We reminisced more after that and Sally seemed to cheer up. By the time I was checking my
watch I couldn’t believe how long I had spent chatting with Sally. I got worried about the car that I
had left parked at kasasa market. So I felt the need to get back to it.

” Ok dear I will be going now but I will come to see you tomorrow if it’s alright.”
” There is no problem boi. I’m sorry I hid from you. I thought you would judge me just like everyone
else.”

” You know I can’t ever do that .”
” Yeah I do. You are a great friend Suba. One who doesn’t ever look down on anyone no matter further in life.”

” Okay enough with the sentimental talk you will make me cry or is that your plan?”
We both burst into laughter and for the first time since I had been at her place I felt her bubbly
personality come out.

” There..now that’s my Sally!” I handed the baby back to her. Baby Patience had began crying
again and she straight away put her on the b----t.

We briefly embraced then I hurried to get to the car while hoping Harry hadn’t grown impatient……