Perpetual

We are finally discharged from the hospital and we go back home. Sasha doesn’t look like she is suffering from the loss except she has been quiet.

‘I will be in the bedroom.’ She says to no one in particular.

Her aunt has come home with us. I am grateful to this woman because she has been there in the most difficult situations.

‘Thank you so much for coming home with us.’

‘You don’t have to thank me, Sasha is like a child to me.’

I just smile at her. I feel tired. After spending one night in the bar, I went straight to spending the next at the hospital with Sasha: I could really use some sleep.

‘I have been meaning to talk to you.’ She says just as I am about to stand up. I sit back in the chair.

‘The night before Pearl died.’ She begins and that spikes my attention.

‘The night that Pearl died she told me something.’

‘Okay.’

‘Everything that she owned, she invested in the business. She didn’t ever want to get to a point where she felt like she was doing okay because of people’s money.’

‘I am not following.’

She removes a bank card.

‘She told me you would know the pin. All the money that you ever gave her, she reinvested it. All the jewelry that you bought her and she didn’t need, she auctioned and saved the money in that account.’

‘How much money are we talking about?’

‘I don’t know but she did mention that it would come in handy on a rainy day. I guess this is the rainy day.’

I swallow hard.

‘Pearl was in the emergency room before she died, so how did she give you this information?’

‘She woke up and I thought she would make it. But I guess it’s true about the surge of energy that comes just before death. She came back just to save you.’

Silence

‘Leo I am not sure what you and Sasha are going through, but I have watched you the years that you have been married to her and I have seen that you are not the same man that I have always known. In the few months that you have been married to her you have aged rapidly. I hope what happened yesterday can finally open your eyes.’

‘Yesterday?’

‘Both you and I know that was no accident.’

I sigh deeply. I put the pieces together already, I just didn’t think that another person had done that too.

‘I don’t know what you will do with that information, but I hope you can come out of this alive and healthy.’

She stands up.

‘I won’t be staying, I guess I am not needed here.’

‘Your work is done Aunty.’ I say leading her out of the house. I offer to drive her home and she agrees. The drive is quiet, both of us lost in our thoughts. This has been the first time since Pearl died that we have spoken about her. I am glad I have someone that I can still talk to about her, obviously I can never with Sasha and her friends.

When I drop her, I go to a phone store and buy myself a phone. I am not excited about the bank card because I just have so much to wrap my head around. I find something affordable and then proceed to replace my device card. I will go to the bank tomorrow to have my cards blocked and replaced as well. I have just put the device card in the phone when it starts to ring, the number is strange and I haven’t yet installed true caller so I just pick up.

‘Hello.’

‘Hai Leo, it’s Musonda.’

‘Musonda?’

‘Gabriel’s friend.’

‘Oh yes. Celina’s boyfriend yes?’

‘Yes.’

‘Zac and I are linking up later for drinks, would you like to join us?’

I think about it for a second, Sasha needs me but then again she doesn’t.

‘Alright send me the location and I will come through.’

‘Alright I will. Oh and it’s right now.’

‘I thought you said later?’

‘That was then.’

I find myself laughing.

‘Okay location sent.’

‘I have received it.’ I say looking at the text message.

‘Alright see you soon.’

‘Sure.’

I enter the location on google maps, I study it for a minute before starting to drive in that direction. It takes me close to an hour to get there. It’s at a secluded farm house in a part of town that I have never been to.

‘You made it.’ Musonda says coming to meet me at the car. He hands me a bottle of beer, I take a huge sip after opening it.

‘Refreshing right?’

‘Very refreshing.’

Zac comes out of the house, he too has a bottle of beer in hand.

‘I was so sure that you were not going to make it.’

‘Why are the two of you thinking like that?’

‘Well you are mourning aren’t you?’

‘Am I?’

‘That’s dark.’ They say before laughing.

‘Okay guys stop it, I am mourning.’ I say.

They look like good people but they are still Sasha’s people so I am not giving them a piece of me yet.

We get to the house, I learn that it’s Musonda’s and the they usually come here when they want to get away. I want to ask them why Gabriel is not with them but I figure it’s not in my place after all.

‘How are you doing Leo? We care about you.’ Musonda says. We are braiing the meat and Zac is in the house making the salads.

‘We?’

‘You skipped the first part.’ He says pointing at me with a tong.

‘I am fine Musonda. I really am. Better than I thought I would be.’

‘I am glad you are taking this well.’

‘It was a natural cause wasn’t it? How else am I supposed to take it?’

He eyes me.

‘Gabriel is my friend, but there are things about him that don’t sit well with me.’

‘I am tired of going back and forth about all this. Can we just hang out as guys and not worry about anything else? I don’t want to think about anything that will drain me.’

He smiles.

‘If you ever need anything Leo, anything. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.’

‘Great. Thank you for letting me know.’

‘I know the way we met doesn’t seem ideal and you have so much going on but remember that my job is not to judge you, it’s to understand you and the way you are.’

‘Thank you Musonda. Thank you.’

…

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏾‍♀️