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Sekuru and Mbuya's routine had changed very little since their wedding on April Fools Day in 1961. Their Diamond Jubilee celebration had snuck upon them. The whole family had kept the secret. So when the couple were told to dress in their Sunday best for a ride that afternoon, they envisaged a few drinks, perhaps a dinner at a nearby restaurant and then back home. They didn't expect to be going to a five-star hotel on the outskirts of town.
They knew something was up when they were greeted in the hotel reception area by very excited grandchildren; all dressed up. One had a large bouquet of roses which she presented to Mbuya. The concierge was all smiles and escorted the couple with their grandchildren up a spiral staircase with lush maroon carpets and chandeliers. Soft music was seeping through from the other side of an imposing large pair of oak doors. The mass of giggling grandchildren surrounded the couple and escorted them into a loud blast of music.
The couple looked at each other and with broad smiles, and shouted in unison, "Our favourite tune played by the African Jazz Pioneers!" The two fell into step and swayed to the music as they entered the large ballroom. The volume went up. There was ululating and clapping. Everyone got up from their dinner tables set for a four-course meal, as Mbuya and Sekuru entered to an overwhelming welcome. Sekuru was grinning relentlessly while looking at his speechless wife holding her handkerchief over her mouth.
"Mum, Dad, come and sit at the top table. You genuinely look as if you were not expecting this surprise!" said Mwadiwa, their eldest son; laughing and hugging his young wife, affectionately. Mwadiwa had recently re-married with a little one on the way.
"Come, come we were waiting for you as the guests of honour and Mum you look like a blushing bride! I am the master of ceremony, and everything is going like clockwork so far."
They wove through the room while Mbuya and Sekuru greeted guests as the music mellowed. The crowd slowly returned to their seats in anticipation of the announcements. Hunger was getting the better of them, especially among the relatives from the rural areas. They had spent hours in uncomfortable long-distance buses which arrived in the city late in the afternoon. Since the funeral of a nephew who had passed away after being critically injured in a drunken brawl over home-brewed shake-shake beer, some had not seen each other and were sharing news in loud excitable voices.
Mwadiwa went to the podium with a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends!" The crowd burst into laughter. One person shouted above the dim," Who are the comrades you are referring to? We are relatives and friends here!"
Mwadiwa laughed and took a more serious tone.
"You all know why we are here! To celebrate our parents' 60th wedding anniversary! The couple are your grandparents, uncle and aunt, everything to everyone! It's time for speeches. I will ask only one speaker to break the ice. Uncle Desmond, please be brief. We know how you can preach!"
Uncle Desmond, a distinguished-looking elderly man who had come from a border town for his sister's anniversary party, walked to the podium with an exaggerated step which fitted the celebratory occasion. He straightened his tartan bow-tie and grey suit jacket which he wore on such important events and proceeded to welcome everyone. Uncle Desmond talked about first meeting Sekuru in Form One at their local missionary secondary school. Their family was so proud that his sister, Mbuya, and her husband had managed to arrive at 60 years in marriage, which was no mean feat. He mentioned about when Sekuru first came courting. Everyone knew Sekuru was a bright scholar, but no one was impressed with his skinny, impoverished stature. Sekuru could not even put together enough lobola ( bride-wealth) to marry when it came to the crunch. But Mbuya pleaded with her parents not charge too much. Look where they were now!
Uncle Desmond declared that the anniversary couple had made a success of life through hard work, perseverance, love and respect for each other. As successful entrepreneurs, they owned a fleet of luxury buses that travelled cross-border to South Africa and as a sideline, carried freight in the subregion. Unlike some of Sekuru's contemporaries, wealth had not got to his head; where the more money they accrued, the more pseudo-wives and concubines they accumulated. Mbuya and Sekuru were still together with two unspoilt children who had studied abroad and returned to give to their motherland. Uncle Desmond explained that although the couple were now grey-haired and nearing retirement, they had invested in a large residential property in the northern suburbs. What a success story to emulate! The uncle thanked his two nephews, Mwadiwa and his sibling, for arranging such a wonderful feast in a five-star hotel, where some guests would have died before entering such lush surroundings.
As Uncle Desmond took a sip, Mwadiwa interrupted him since it was now clear the alcohol was speaking. Uncle Desmond was enjoying his speech more than the audience, which was beginning to fidget after eating dessert. Some had gone for repeats and were now lounging in their chairs like beached whales. Bored grandchildren started chasing each other among the tables, a recipe for disaster. Mwadiwa thanked his uncle and called on his father to make a speech before the vote of thanks. Mwadiwa then escorted his mother onto the stage and adjusted the microphone for his father before giving last-minute instructions and reverting to his seat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, relatives and friends. I am not sure where to start." Sekuru, who was reacting to the floodlight in his face, squinted as he wiped his brow and loosened his tie. He continued, "You won't mind if I sit down. I'm not as young as I used to be. Mwadiwa, my son, help me with this microphone."
There was a low murmur as people watched the proceedings before Sekuru resumed in an emotion-filled voice.
"When Mwadiwa came to fetch us this afternoon, we thought we were going to his house and lo and behold here we are. We are both very pleased that this evening's celebration is ending in your company. It's like our wedding all over again, except we would never have been able to afford all this splendour. I know you all want to hear how we survived 60 years of marriage. I met Mbuya at secondary school, as Uncle Desmond mentioned. I think I began noticing her when she came to watch football matches against rival schools in our league. Both Uncle Desmond were fast forwards in our heydays when we were quick and agile. I noticed her, a pretty girl among her friends, cheering on the side-lines. Desmond encouraged our courtship because I was initially afraid to date the sister of my best friend. Funny I had never really noticed her before!" A burst of laughter erupted in the room as Mbuya tried to hide her embarrassment.
Sekuru continued, "In those days, there were no cellphones, and we could not use phones willy nilly. We also didn't have the pocket money for visits, when Mbuya went to college. So our relationship was on a slow burner for years. We stole chances to be together during the holidays. I would visit Mbuya under the guise of spending time with Desmond. I am sure initially he was not convinced I had honourable intentions. One thing led to another, and as Desmond told you, I decided to marry the love of my life. I knew I didn't have enough money for the dowry Our family were poor, and my father worked as a petrol attendant, which paid very little in those days, certainly not enough to support a family of my five siblings. So I made sure I paid enough dowry for a first instalment and promised to work and pay off the rest. In our culture, you all know that the son in law does not pay the dowry all at once. It's a lifetime hire purchase! I can now share this story because there are no consequences at my age. Our secret was that Mbuya helped me pay off the instalments through the years as we had our two boys and built up our business. By the time her parents passed away, we could even afford to take them on holiday to various resorts abroad. God rest their souls."
"Back to our story. We had a simple wedding, and I believe when we said our vows to each other, we meant it, 'Till death do us part.' We meant it. My wife and I have come a long way and don't think it was a leisurely ride! I'm sure you remember that Mbuya and I lost a child when we were still newly married. That was devastating. Then we lost my parents, who never enjoyed the fruits of our businesses. I regret not seeing the pride in my father's eyes.
There were times when we also had disagreements, Mbuya and I. But we never spent more than a day before we made up. Mbuya has always been the steady hand both in the home and in the business. She worked as the accountant and whatever profits we made; we planned our spending together. Not like the youngsters these days who have separate bank accounts and talk about 'my money.' It was always our money. We planned things together, didn't we, Mbuya? We were careful not to allow people to get between us, not even the children. That's how marriages fall apart.
Sometimes grief comes not from our friends, but our vices. Well, what I can call evils such as spending one's life in mists of alcohol and drugs. I am not saying that I had no vices myself, but, everything should be done in moderation. In conclusion, the family, especially my wife, will always come first. Thank you all for coming to celebrate this special day."
Mwadiwa started approaching the rostrum while trying to catch his father's eye, as Sekuru became energised, "I can spend all evening talking about Mbuya and how she has been the woman behind the man, the mother to our children."
Sekuru wiped his brow with his handkerchief as the room became silent. Trying to control his raw emotions, he continued, "This woman beside me, has been my best friend since I first met her. She has put up with a lot. Every family occasion, whether births, weddings or funerals, she has been the number one daughter in law; organised, efficient and loving all in one. I could not have made a better choice of a lifelong companion."
Sekuru paused and began a slow return to his wife who was dutifully still on the stage; took her hands and then folded her in a bear hug to the acclaim of the crowd which began to shout, whistle and make a dim in celebration. Some of Sekuru's age mates came to him and shook his hand and embraced him. They respectfully shook Mbuya's hand as their wives came to join them. There was an overwhelming pouring of sentiment as the couple returned to their table.
Mwadiwa, now back in control at the podium, turned to his mother, "Mum, are you not going also to make a speech? It's your day! A few words? I take it the shaking of the head means No? OK. Everyone, now that your champaign glasses are filled, let's toast to the wonderful couple. To my parents, your Sekuru and Mbuya, thank you so much for sharing your love story of 60 years! We wish that many of us could last that long in marriage."
The room exploded in celebration as the music returned. People were engrossed in exchanging anecdotal stories about how youngsters these days are getting married and divorcing, even within a year! Some said, "What we heard about today is true love."
Mwadiwa called the room to order and added a few words to close the speeches, "My brother and I are witnesses to our parents' love and a result of this happy couple. We've never heard our parents quarrel, well not in front of us and they always remind us about the need to love one another and do good! Congratulations once again and if we could, we would not have chosen better parents!"
The evening wore on as the DJ played rhumba and a myriad of local artists for the younger crowd. People continued making requests for their favourite songs of yesteryear. The anniversary couple took to the dance floor for one or two of their favourite numbers. They continued mingling among their guests, celebrating their life together, in anticipation of a few more decades till death parted them.
All she could do was look at her phone, with tears clouding her eyes she knew her world had been shattered. Just one text mesaage had changed it all, ' how could he, after all that we have been through', four years meant nothing to him. A simple text message was like a hot slap across the face. Deep down she had felt it, for weeks she knew something was up but couldnt put a finger on it. She had tried making him open up on what was wrong and all he had said was i cant talk about. Man and their emotions, who ever said talking about your troubles is a sign of weakness needs to see a shrink.
They were the it couple of the town, the ultimate couple goals, according to the kids of today. Anna and Bradley could have been mistaken for a married couple. Bradley had spotted Anna whilst she was on one of her many human rights demonstrations with her friends, he always kept reminding her of how his heart had stopped beating when he saw her holding her placard, dancing to the song that the rest of the group had been singing. For him it was the passion and carefree attitude that made him forget what he had been up to that monday morning. For her, after feeling a painful nudge on her arm, before her friend could point her to the tall dark handsome man that was staring at her from across the lawn of the city council building, she saw him and knew he was the one. To be honest trying to stay calm in such a situation was one interesting dilemma, to think Anna was the very out going one only to be tamed by one simple look was something her friends took pleasure in laughing at her for.
She knew she had to play hard to get for a little bit regardless of the fact that this fine young man was going to drive insane. It literally took him six months to get her attention, yes six good months, mind you that was after getting her number though a couple of friends who were willing to help. First date was like a storyline from a disney book, well when prince charming finally got his princess. Bradley was a romantic man at heart and he made sure she knew it. All dressed up and ready to go, bradley did what every gentleman would do and dazzled her with chivalry from the 1800s. He took her to one of the most expensive restuarants in Harare, St Elmos and my oh my, they enjoyed themselves. After the glorious evening, the love story of Anna and Bradley deserved to be included in the books of love. They did everything together like twins, where one would go the other would follow.
All that was gone, the flood gates finally opened and she let it all out, only heaven knows how many hours she sat there crying like a widow who had lost everything she cared about, for her two years it had taken to fully accept that he was never coming back and he had moved on, she had made him a part of her, her world, her air to breath and all that had been shattered by one simple text??
I knew what i was doing was wrong, i should have been a man about it, but i didnt want to see or even look at her for she wasnt the only one who was going to be heartbroken. She had asked me a number of times but i had lied to her. I knew she knew it was like she had a gift, she could tell when something was wrong but i couldnt tell her it was too much. She deserved a better explanation than a simple text message but it had to be done. It had been two weeks since i had seen her but am sure she will be able to move on. 'Text message sent' just one simple line with six words minus a goodbye and it was all over.
I never imagined in all my years on earth that i would meet the love of my life at school, let alone the last two years of my university life. There i was on my way to the library, across the lawn close to the city council offices, there she was, it was likr the earth had stopped moving and she was the only one i could see. Romeo and Juilet eventually started making sense after that day, i tried everything to get her attention but she wouldnt budge, like she some how enjoyed the tom and jerry kind of game. Yes i know those two have always been like that but its different in real life! Shakespeare must have heard me from wherever he was and she turned and looked at me..never had i set my eyes on such a beautiful creation, my own brain stopped functioning for a bit, i still think it malfunctioned for a bit.
It took me six long months, something i have never done before, to finally take her out and i made sure i would take her out to one of the best restuarants in town, north of Samora has always been my go to when it comes to charming the ladies and this one was no exception. The day i took out still remains branded in my mind, Anna has always been beautiful but on this particular day even the duchess would have turned green with envy, she blow my body, mind and soul away, everytime i closed my eyes after that date i would see her walking from her doir to the car looking like a beauty queen about to accept her crown. We created our own version of bonnie and clyde on campus, where i would go she would follow except for lectures as that would have been very awkward.
As fate had it exactly ten years down the line, i bumped into her again, my Anna. He looked different but he still had that aura that made me fall in love with him that very day during the demonstration. She looked like she had stepped out of a time machine, perfectly matured like a bottle of fine wine, she just stood there shocked beyond words and still trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Oh my gosh, is that?.no it cant be, after all these years, could he be really back. Words failed me, i coudnt even string two words together, there i was standing there like a deer that had been caught in the headlights on a moonless night, just open your mouth and say hi just say hi. Hearing her voice again made me want to just and hug and tell how much i had missed her and loved her, how i was so sorry about the text and that she meant the world to me. So i moved in and hug him like my life depended on it and gave him a kiss, right there in the middle of the shop without a care in the world, i eventually found out he had been in hiding from security forces that had killed his entire family back in Congo.
!*Trigger warning - violence* The frosty drizzles from the gloomy clouds has deprived the night of it's warm, cozy mood and the rain friendly insects have gathered in large numbers in the air. It's inadvisable to move at night especially if one is to take the highways. Nik should have waited till tomorrow, but he has missed his dad so much he loaded his luggage moments after he completed his exams. They ordered him to sit on a spongy grass beside a composed Grandma and he wonders what causes the composure; acceptance of faith or incognizance. Sometimes, the senses and the brain?s efficiency reduced at old age and he felt pity for her. He is relaxed, but only because he is a tough young man. Feyer?s rage amplified when the wimpy kid was dragged harshly from the bus. What money could they possibly get from him. He looks so fragile and scared. Comparable to Andy, the little guy opposite her house. He comes every Saturday morning to listen to her Dagger girls? experiences, but he?d scurried off when she gets to the sordid part, battle part. She shouldn?t have boarded the bus, since it only contains the driver and a man at the passenger seat, she thought. Temerity has been her second half since she could remember. ?Grandma, how are you so relaxed in this cruelty of a situation?? Nik asked as his hands conceal his upper lip for cover. She grinned and widened her lips all the way to the sides which creeped Nik out but he continues, ?do you even understand our crisis? Are your ears working perfectly well?? Oh, my. She didn't know she's that old to have brain disorders and deteriorating senses. Feyer wanted to shut him up with her upper sign fist, the one where she?d focused all her inner vigor on her right fist metacarpals. Nik dropped the questions when he didn't get a reply and focused on his surroundings. A few seconds later, a bus from the corner of the road came to a screeching halt few meters away. Five big men with big guns came down, displacing the chilly air with their heftiness as they stomped up to them. The situation has not dawned on Nik until this moment. He had thought they were just armed robbers trying to instill distress in their minds with the stalling. Are they going to kill them all? Nik lost himself in his tensed mind, he didn?t realize Feyer draws out four pins from her pink crochet jacket. Two of the extra men guide them with guns at their backs to a room in an uncompleted building and left them unsupervised to the next room. An escape plan formed in her mind so she turned to the boy and whispers to him, ?Hey boy, you probably won?t trust me but from the look of things, we?re as good as dead either ways so take up this chance.? The boy squinted his face, a feeling of ?i knew it, the old lady is not ordinary? washed over him. ?I was one dagger girl?s movement leaders in the 1960s before it gained much popularity so you won't recognize me. As they claim, a cocky attitude is a danger to the crusade, but now is no time for history. Do you get me?? She rushed. Of course, she is a super-intelligent heroine. One of his dad idol is beside him, whispering. She is so full of herself, Nik confirms. What if your plan didn?t work, he itched to ask but decide against it. He shouldn't pull down his only hope. Feyer passed two crotchet pins to Nik, two in her hands as well. ?We?re taking them down with crotchet pins?, she said grinning, excited at the newfound adventure. Nik believed his dad, his history teachers, and the papers then. No one except a cocky brat will want to take out a dozen armed, bulky men with crotchet pins. ?Granny, this is not a dagger, it?s a crochet,? he begged. ?Do you want to get out of here?? ?Good,? she says when he nodded. ?We are going to be rich,? one guy in the next room says, amazement dipping from each word he says. ?No, we are rich already,? the other one asserts. ?Two million Naira for human meat. Are we that flavorful?? Granny walked into the next room with feigned illness as she asked for a bowl to vomit inside. She moved closer to the one that offered her help and drives the two pin into his right armpit over and over until he dropped to the floor. The other guy advanced to hit her, but she's quick as she bent. One hit from Nik alone would weaken her, so she avoided to get hit. The two pins find their ways into his neck over and over until he gave out from the rapid loss of blood. Damage to the axillary artery at the armpit means lots of blood loss that would eventually lead to death. Same with the carotid artery at the neck, she just has to do damages to them. Body trembling, Nik picked up a gun on the floor and forwards it to Feyer. ?Will you need this?? ?Drop it.? She tiptoed to the front entrance and counted seven men. With her heart in her throat, she moved to the back and counted five men. She's filled with trepidation but won't show it. She clasped Nik's both arms by his sides and talks in a soothe voice, ?The next phase might be a little tough. We are escaping through the back, but I can?t take them all with just two pins. I need you.? ?I?ve never been in a fight before. This might be easier if you use this gun, though.? ?I don?t know how to use a gun.? she groaned. ?I don't know the fight ways either.? Feyer sighs. The kid is nothing but pain. She snatches one of her pins from his hand and kept it in her thin blonde hair, in case she needs an extra weapon. ?Stay here.? She staggers outside as if she's one minute away from dying and gasped saying ?I need water? repeatedly. ?How did she get here without Tony and Jerry stopping her,? one asked the others suspiciously. ?no one was inside.? she slurred. ?Sandy, go check the building for them,? He orders, pointing a gun at her head. Feyer hoped he would find Nik relaxing quietly in the room. She didn't think this out well. Nik hides at the left exit of the room the dead carcasses lie, ready to knit his veins together with the pin. When the guy enters, he stabs the guy?s back neck with the pin over and over till he plunged to the ground. He picked up the gun on the floor and walked with resolution to the back and without thinking he shots three of them in the heads. Feyer pried the gun from the last man?s hand and jabs his back knee with the pins. The notion is to cause rapid loss of blood from the popliteal artery. ?What was that?,? she screamed, impressed. She grabbed Nik's hand, and they sprinted into the marshy forest, splashing water as they ran. They fell into holes and pick themselves up, but didn't stop. At sunrise, they ventured out into the highways, stopped a commercial bus which is almost filled-they didn?t want to repeat a cruel mistake?and dropped at the nearest police station. * ?Feyer, I still don?t know why you refused to go back to the Dagger girls. You would have made monumental history together,? said Nik?s father, Carlos. After the unforgettable experience, Feyer and Nik?s Family become one. In the living room, Carlos sat on the armchair and sips from his warm tea, Nik and Feyer play ps5 on the tv. ?I regretted not going back. They were the only families I had,? She finally says. ?You are now our family, Grandma Feyer,? Nik announces. His dad confirms it, and they all had a wonderful evening.?>
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