Dysfunctional Family - Season 1 - Episode 16

Episode 4 years ago

Dysfunctional Family - Season 1 - Episode 16

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~JULIET~

Principal Zimba was a class A annoying pain in the a-s, a thorn in the flesh. Why couldn’t she just have accepted my bribe and fulfilled her end of the bargain without causing drama? And how would exposing me benefit her?

Where I was seated, I began to perspire and my pimples started itching. I was on the verge of scratching my cheeks I tell you. I wonder why them pimples couldn’t just leave me the hell alone. It was almost as if someone had jinxed me or something.

Enough of me complaining about my irritating pimples…There was a pressing matter at hand, Donald and his reaction. If he’d flogged Amos the previous day just because he had disrespected some teacher whom Donald even barely knew, I wondered what he’d do to me.

“Cat caught your tongue, Juliet?”
I had to do something, fast. “I’m dumbfounded, Donald. Not because I am guilty but because it baffles me why someone I barely know would try to frame me. Principal Zimba,” I tuned my voice to an emotional one. “Why are you doing this?”
She chuckled. “I thought as much..” she then grabbed her phone, keyed in her password and typed for a few seconds. She later handed it to Donald with a triumphant grin smeared all over her face. God, I so hated the old hag!

Donald got the phone as she was saying, “Those, Mr. Musongo, are some of the texts your wife sent me yesterday. I regret deleting the others though.”
Now my pimples were on fire, I was busted!
“But why, Juliet?” was all Donald could utter once he handed the phone back to Agnes.

“She loathes her nephew..of this I know you’re aware,” Agnes replied instead. “Her hate is beyond me, if you ask me. This woman here needs Devine intervention as I think demons are using her. Poor Lubesha, heaven knows he’s one of the sweetest kids ever.”


“Thank you, Principal Zimba,” Donald heaved out a deep sigh. “Not many can do what you’ve just done.”
“I’m honoured, Mr. Musongo.”

The walk from the office to where our taxi was waiting was characterized with silence. I knew Donald was fuming but was mature enough not to cause a scene.

We were approaching the taxi when he said, “I’ll find you at the guest house. Let me say hi to Lubesha, I’ve missed him.”
“Ok.”

As the taxi driver drove me to the guest house, I contemplated going to catch a plane or bus back to Lusaka. And then what? Donald would still make it home and I’d have to confront him. The only solace I found was blaming Agnes Zimba for everything and cursing her inside. She was going to suffer for making me panic like I was.

I arrived at the guest house and headed straight to the room Donald and I had booked earlier that day. I paced the spacious room back and forth, awaiting Donald’s outburst.
After an hour or so, he finally showed up.
“You hate Lubesha this much? As much as being capable of sabotaging his education? Why?” he was scaring me with his calm so I watched him sit on the bed while I stood by the door.

Finding my voice, I courageously said, “We’ve been through this already.”
“Don’t you f-----g tell me the reason you hate Lubesha is because of your late sister Janet cause that’s f-----g bullshit!” now he was yelling.
I was shaking. “Am afraid that is the truth, Donald.”

He bolted to his feet and angrily approached me. “Then what the hell did Janet do to make you despise her as much as you do?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Oh you’ll talk about it today, you hear me? You’ll talk!” he aimed a punch at my face and I ducked so that he hit the wall.
My heart was pumping so fast that I feared I was going to have a heart attack. “You want to hit me, Donald?”

“I’ll freaking break your jaw if you don’t tell me why you hate Janet and her son so much!”

He was enraged and not wanting to get the beating of my life like Amos had gotten only yesterday, I looked him straight in the eye and decided the time had come. No more secrets.


…FLASHBACK..
I woke up feeling really drowsy and sick that day. I brushed my teeth and bathed and even ironed my school uniform but still failed to muster the energy to go to school.
“You’re not going to school?” asked Janet whom I shared the room with, much to my displeasure.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Again?”
“I’m not feeling well, Janet. And since when did you become so concerned about me anyway?”

“Since forever. It’s you who pushes me away, remember?”
“Not again,” I rolled my eyes.
“Get well soon anyway,” she said before grabbing her school bag and heading out.
“Am off to school, Tata (Father),” I heard her tell Dad.

“Alright, sweetheart. See you.”
“See you.”

In spite of my drowsiness, I got out of the bedroom in a bid to clean the house.
Dad who was a mechanic and had ended up fixing bicycles in the market was heading out for work when he asked, “Why haven’t you gone to school?”

I put the broom aside and sat on the armrest. “Am not feeling too well, Tata.”
“It’s probably malaria,” he put a few notes on the table. “Buy a book and go to the clinic. Use the rest of the money to buy food for today.”
“Okay.”

I believe I’ve set the scene. Mum was long dead so it was only Dad, Janet and I. Dad didn’t like me very much, he never had. That didn’t bother me though. All I wanted was to complete school and do something with my life. At least I was good when it comes to academic performance so I was going to do my best and finish school, that’s what I thought.

After cleaning the house, I locked up and went to the local clinic where I stood in line for several minutes. Somebody beside me was chowing a type of wild fruit known as Impundu and I really hate those fruits so I felt bile rise up my throat and I threw up right there and then.

An elderly woman rubbed my back. “Am so sorry child, are you expecting?”
I almost laughed in her face. “I think I’ve got malaria.”

“Tell me about it,” chorused another woman. “Ala naisa malaria (malaria is in trend).”

“Ala,” I conquered with her.
When it was my turn, I registered my name and a malaria test was conducted. When it came out negative, the nurse quietly conducted another test.
I received the results over an hour later. They were positive. Tears immediately began streaming down my cheeks and while I walked back home, I wondered what would become of me now that I was pregnant.
I was only 17 years old and in grade 9 for crying out loud!

Don’t roll your eyes please. Age ain’t nothing but a number and back then people never quite finished school early.


☆☆☆

“I am pregnant, Chris. And the baby is yours.”

“Really? I don’t know what to say.”
Christopher Shamabanse was a science teacher at Mtshede Primary School back in Mukobeko Township, Kabwe. Hell, he was my science teacher! How I’d gotten involved with my teacher is quite a long story but all I can say is I think I liked him while he claimed to love me.

“I don’t know about you,” I said to him under the mango tree where we were discussing my pregnancy issue from. “But I think I’ll abort.”

He hurriedly covered my mouth as if willing I take back my words. “Don’t you ever say such a thing, Julie! I told you I love you, right? I believe now’s the time I prove my love to you. Here’s the deal, you’ll keep the pregnancy and I’ll take full responsibility.”
“Easy for you to say,” I said in a hushed tone and then sheepishly greeted my neighbour who was passing by. “Mulishani mukwai? (How are you?)”

“Bwino. Ulishani, Juliet? (Fine. How are you, Juliet?)”

“Ndifye bwino. (Am fine).”
I waited for her to be out of earshot before I could say, “You see that old pig? Am scared of people like her. Gossip mongers, Chris! I don’t want to be the talk of Mukobeko Township, please. Let me just abort the baby and move on with school and life…please.” Chris vigorously shook his head. “You aren’t murdering my baby while am alive, no way! I’ve told you to keep the pregnancy and so that’s exactly what you’ll do.”
I got emotional for no reason and began to weep. “You’re wicked, Chris. You’re wicked!”

“Shhhh,” he shushed me and forcefully pulled me into a hug. “I’ve got you.”
Screw Chris, I thought a few days later. I was holding an abortion concoction in my hand and was about to drink it when the door flew open. D--n, why did I always leave the door unlocked?

“What’s that?”
I had tried to hide the concoction but the nosey Janet ended up seeing it anyway.
“Mind your own business,” I snapped.
“Is that what I think it is, Juliet? Why on earth would you try to drink- oh my God,” she gasped and snapped her fingers in excitement. “This explains your morning sickness, you’re pregnant! But why are you trying to abort?”

“You’re delusional,” I shook my head, getting up from my seat. “This is just some medicine for my fever..that’s all.”
“Drink it and lets see if nothing happens then.”

“You aren’t my mother, Janet.”
Once outside, I rushed to the toilet and dumped the meds in a pit latrine.
‘What was I thinking?!’

And just like that I changed my mind, I no longer wanted to abort my baby.
We were huddled in the living room having dinner when Janet said, “Ala Tata you won’t believe what I just found out today.”
“What?”

I shut my eyes and prayed it wasn’t what I was thinking.
Sadly, it was.


“Juliet’s pregnant and she tried to abort.”
I admit she was only 15 years old and only in grade 7 but that didn’t give her the right to act all childish. Heaven knows she was no child. How the hell did she even know what an abortion concoction looks like? No wonder I hated everything about that pretender! Dad quietly washed his hands before eyeing me. “Is it true?”
“Am afraid so.”
“Who impregnated you?”


That was a difficult question to answer so I played mute while bowing my head.
“Answer me, dammit!”
“It’s Christopher Shamabanse,” I blurted out. Nobody liked Dad when he was yelling.
“The science teacher?” gasped Janet in awe. Ashamed, I merely nodded my head.
Silence.


When Dad spoke, I didn’t like what he said one bit.

“I’ve done everything in my power to provide for your sister and you and this is how you choose repay me, huh Juliet? I know am lagging behind in some areas but am only human. How could you disgrace me and the memory of your mother in such a manner?” he paused to catch his breath. “From today onwards, I disown you. I give you half an hour to pack all your belongings and leave my house. For good.”