Never Lost

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 1

‘I am sorry I am late,’ said Rutendo as she was trying to catch a breath.

‘You are always late. What’s your story today?’

‘My mother is always my story. My mother is lazy you know, she just expects me to do everything for her.’

Nyasha laughed remembering her own mother. Whenever Nyasha wanted to help her out with the household chores, she would tell her to go and study. Living at the village for 18 years and never visited town, Nyasha wished to travel with her parents but now that they were gone she didn’t have any plan of leaving the village life.

‘Hey, are you okay?’ asked Rutendo after seeing the sad look on her friend’s face.

‘I am okay. I just miss my parents.’

‘Ncoo I am sorry,’ she said hugging her, ‘you know my mother treats you like her own and we are like sisters.’

Rutendo actually had some news for Nyasha but she didn’t know how to break the news for her. The two girls were supposed to start varsity after having passed their Advanced Level and Nyasha was the top from their class followed by Rutendo. Rutendo had been called by her uncle in UK to come and do her degree in medicine. She was happy but she could have been happier if she was leaving with Nyasha but it was hard to ask her uncle if she could tag along. They fetched their water and carried the buckets on their heads. Nyasha was staying alone since her parents died.

‘I have to tell you something,’ said Rutendo as they were walking to their huts.

‘What is it?’

‘I am leaving the village,’ she said.

‘Well that’s good, I always wished to leave but now I don’t think that I want to since I won’t have anywhere to stay. You know my Auntie hated my mother and she hates me too. She won’t welcome me with open arms. Where are you going?’

‘UK.’

Nyasha stopped in her tracks.

‘What!’ she exclaimed.

She had thought maybe Rutendo was moving to one of the cities which will be easier for her to pay her a visit once in a while. If she was going to UK then that simple means that she wasn’t going to see her, like never again.

‘That’s very far Rutendo,’ she said almost breaking.

Nyasha although she acted strong when it comes to people that she deeply love, she was too emotional. Losing Rutendo will be too hard for her. Ever since her parents died, Rutendo had been nothing but a good friend to her. She was going to miss her very much.

‘I know friend but I promise to keep in touch. You will be leaving soon Nyasha. You got a scholarship to choose any university of your choice. You can go to Bulawayo and be a res instead of going to live with your Auntie. Your parents left you plenty of cows; you can sell 2 and get money to buy yourself some clothes, stuff you might need.’

‘You are making a good point but I would have loved to go there if you were coming along. I am going to miss you Rutendo. UK is very far.’

The two separated ways just by the corner to Rutendo’s house. Nyasha hardly slept that night thinking about Rutendo. She was scared to lose her friend.

When the day finally arrived for Rutendo to leave, she was accompanied by Nyasha and her mother. Rutendo was supposed to go to Harare first to buy her plane ticket and then leave for UK the following day. She had given Nyasha her smart phone and promised her that she will be in touch. They said their goodbyes and the two best friends couldn’t stop crying, Rutendo didn’t want to leave her friend all alone but she promised her that she will come back for her. Nyasha walked back home with Rutendo’s mother just after Rutendo had board the bus.

She tried sleeping that night but she couldn’t or failed to get any eye shut, memories of her and Rutendo tormenting her resulting in insomnia disease. She actually sat on her mat and watched the videos they had taken using Rutendo’s phone. She laughed and cried at the same time. When it was finally morning and she had to go at the borehole alone, her eyes were red from the crying. She walked to the borehole all alone and just smiled. Every time she went to the borehole, she had to make sure to call Rutendo first, even looking for firewood, she went along with her. It was going to be very hard for her to finally get used to being alone. She fetched her water and went back home only to find a missed call from Rutendo. When Rutendo called her back, she had wanted to hear her voice and told her that she had safely arrived in Harare and did buy her ticket. Nyasha was happy for her friend. They talked for a while until Nyasha had to hang up when she watched a car drive in her yard. She didn’t know who it belonged to.

She placed her phone in her pocket and waited for the person in the car wearing sunglasses to come out of it. She took her masks and covered her mouth and nose with it. She hated the bad smelling at the village. It was different from that in town. Her mother had told her to go over and take Nyasha since both of her parents had deceased. When Nyasha realized that it was her Auntie Linda. She ran to her but she pushed her aside just before she could touch her. She took her sanitizer and made her clean her hands.

‘Auntie, you are welcome,’ said Nyasha as she knelt down on the ground.

‘Have you packed your clothes?’ she asked ignoring her greetings.

‘Pardon.’

Linda was little sister to Nyasha’s late mother. The two didn’t quiet get along because Bertha had chosen the rural live when she married Nyasha’s father. She could have been staying in town but chose to run away with the garden boy (Nyasha’s father) disgracing her family.

‘You are leaving with me. Your grandmother said that I should come and take you.’

Nyasha would have been happy or over excited but she was nervous about moving to a new place. This was town and the city; she had never been there before. Her mother had always wanted her to go and meet her grandmother but Nyasha’s father had refused, he didn’t know what Linda might do to their daughter. But now it was too late, she was taking her.

‘What about my cows and goats?’

Linda laughed out so loud.

‘You think they will fit in my car? Young lady, stop wasting my time. Go and pack your clothes we need to leave now.’

Nyasha knew that she couldn’t just leave. She needed to take care of the things her parents had left for her. Instead she decided to call her uncle from her father’s side who came over to the house when Nyasha was about to finish off packing. Linda was sitting in her car applying makeup. Nyasha’s uncle just walked to the door and knocked. Nyasha came out.

‘Auntie Linda came to take me with her. I am leaving.’

‘On such a short notice.’

‘Yes and I don’t know what to do with the cows and goats my parents left me.’

‘I promise to take care of everything for her,’ and he meant it.

He was actually worried that she was leaving. His brother wouldn’t be pleased to know that Linda was going to take care of Nyasha, in fact her uncle feared for her life. They all know Linda and her performance at the burial when she accused them for killing her sister. She hated Nyasha and that was a fact. Linda’s mother had gone back to South Africa where she had been staying. She only came back when she heard that Bertha had passed away. After the funeral she went back to SA and moved on with her life like nothing happened. She wasn’t hurt that much when Bertha died, which shocked everyone when she didn’t even shed a tear at her daughter’s funeral. Linda might have shed few tears but she was a drama queen at the funeral. Their father died in a car accident.

So Linda’s mother needed Nyasha to be well taken care of. She had something in mind for her. Linda didn’t know where her mother got all the money she sent her. She just received it and asked nothing. Linda was 30 years old and yet still she was not married yet and had no kid. The other thing that made Linda hate Nyasha was that she looked exactly like her mother. Bertha was more beautiful than Linda and the reason why she had grown to dislike her sister was that every boy wanted her but never for once did they ask Linda out.

Nyasha couldn’t even say goodbye to Rutendo’s mother and some of her family members. She was sitting at the back when Linda was driving the car. She wiped off the tears that had escaped from her eyes. She was going to miss the place and had no idea what awaited her in the city. She would have been happy to go and start her degree but she didn’t know if Linda was going to allow her to go to school. Linda’s mother had told her to send her to school for the meantime.

Nyasha closed her eyes and inhaled deeply while Linda had increased her volume from the music she had been playing. It was going to be a long drive and she couldn’t wait to get home and have a cold bath. She felt pissed off that she had to share her house with her late sister’s child. She only agreed to take in Nyasha because her mother had said so but if it wasn’t for her then Nyasha wouldn’t have done it. She hated Nyasha and she sure was going to make her suffer.

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Amy