Pedigree

I must have slept so hard because when I wake up it’s to the smell of coffee, VK has placed breakfast on my side of the bed. He looks tired, his shoulders are slumped and he has bugs under his eyes.

‘I didn’t want to wake you up, you looked peaceful.’ He says

It’s only after I have fully opened my eyes that I feel them hurt, the crying from last night have done a number on me.

‘What time did you get home?’

‘After 2AM I think, my plane landed around midnight then I went to the hospital to check on Ernest. He refused to go home and there was nothing Samara could do about it.’

‘I am sorry for your loss.’ I say looking down, I didn’t even realise how much this must affect him. I remember him telling me how Moudy was more of a daughter to him than Vaughn is.

‘Thank you, I will just shower and go to the funeral house.’

‘I will come with you.’

He doesn’t respond so I stand up to go to the bathroom.

‘That is not a good idea.’ He says just before I can enter the bathroom

‘Why not?’

He shakes his head

‘VK why is it not a good idea for me to visit the funeral house.’

Silence

‘VK you either tell me why it’s not a good idea for me to go to the funeral house or I might as well come with you.’

‘It’s nothing personal babe, but we want to mourn as a family.’

I chuckle

‘Family huh.’

‘Babe I didn’t mean it like that, honestly I want you there with me. I want you to be with me through it all but right now I can’t find the right words to explain this.’

I look at him

‘What nonsense VK, I am your woman!’

He moves close to where I am and tries to hold me but I don’t let him.

‘There are certain things that I can’t overlook, certain things that I need to respect no matter what you and I have.’

I feel tears stream down my face, they come slow but they hurt as much.

‘Don’t be like this.’

‘VK Moudy was my friend, we were building something and she was the only lady I ever got along with in a very long time. I was with her last night, we had a good time and do you have an idea how I am feeling knowing that she is gone just like that?’

‘Kasweka I won’t talk about this anymore.’

I have so much to say to him but then choose to keep quiet, I am about to walk back to the bathroom when my phone starts to ring. It’s dad.

‘Hello.’

‘Come home now.’

‘Why?’

‘You haven’t seen what’s happening have you?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I am sending you something on WhatsApp.’

The line drops and I go to my WhatsApp after switching on my data, there is a video trending. It’s a video of Moudy being hit and in the footage is my car that hits her.

I lock my phone and look at VK.

‘You think I killed Moudy?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘So you just saw a footage of her being hit and my car being used and your conclusion was that I am the one that hit her?’

‘Babe.’

‘I had faith in you VK, I thought you trusted me. I thought you had a little faith in me, I thought by virtue of us sharing what we have then you would have at least been honest with me but what do you do? Judge me and doubt me and treat me like trash even before I can face the world.’

‘That’s unfair Kasweka and you know it.’

‘Unfair? I might be getting arrested for a crime I didn’t commit and you are going to stand in my presence and talk to me about unfairness?’

I pause angrily wiping my tears

‘VK you might not have directed called me your woman, but we have been sleeping together for months. And by virtue of that immediately you heard or saw the footage you should have confronted me. But you came here and slept next to me, even made coffee in the morning looking me in the eyes like everything is fine!’

‘Everything is not fine Kasweka! Everything is not!’ He roars and that sends goosebumps all over my body

‘Moudy was like a daughter to me married to my useless son, she should have been out there living her life but she stuck around in a loveless marriage and I should have advised her to leave but a part of him thought Ernest would change. I didn’t want them ending up the way Samara and I did but that girl lived her life short and didn’t enjoy it at all.’

He pauses, this is the first time I am seeing VK this angry.

‘And now seeing the footage of the person that killed her is the woman I have been sleeping with.’

‘So I am just a woman you have been sleeping with huh?’

‘Kasweka out of everything I said that is the only thing you heard?’

‘I am sorry that Moudy is gone, we am sorry that someone killed her but that person isn’t me! I am not a killer and I would never be.’

‘I am leaving for the family house, my family needs me now more than ever.’

I look down, everything dawning on me

‘It’s nothing personal Kasweka, this is about blood. About pedigree.’ He says and walks out of the room

I feel a lump on my throat but tears can’t come out any more, I can’t swallow any saliva either. How can one person be this unlucky? How is it even possible that things keep falling apart and I am on the receiving end of the bad luck. I don’t feel like bathing any more so I pack my things in my bag. I come out of the room when the Ulendo driver calls to tell me that he is outside, VK is in the living room checking his phone.

‘Thank you for everything VK and my condolences once again.’ I say

I am hurt, I am in pain but then again this is the kind of pain that one brings upon themselves. I should have known better than falling for a man whose roots are deeply grounded in his ancestry and as long as I am just a woman he is just sleeping with.

..

Your Friend and Author

Winnie

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