Whatever It Takes

Episode 3

I felt her piercing gaze through my skin. In that instance I likened myself to a mote in a grand
dead-air space. The air was still and the silence was so deafening you could hear a pin drop. It
was moments like that someone would wish for the earth to open up and swallow them or for the
wind to just blow them away. I stood a few metres away from her my head bowed down in shame
and regret. after what seemed like a long while she cleared her throat to speak and I looked at her
meeting her eyes and I dropped my face again only to stare at my ghostly image. I say ghostly
because my skin appeared so white and scaly due to the fact that I hadn’t applied any lotion. We
had run out of Tajili and even the dambo soap that was always a back-up on such instances was
not available. Not to talk of saladi ( cooking oil) which I didn’t even recall the last time our
household was graced with such pleasures. I then covered the little hole that was exposing my
skin on my tattered dress by gripping to it hoping that she hadn’t noticed.

” Take a seat” she offered her voice almost breaking.

I slowly slumped to the floor in the kneeling position sitting on my heels like I always did. I stared at her. She was light in complexion with neatly trimmed dark hair and wore some spectacles.

She moved with agility that matched her slender stature.

” Not there! sit on the chair.” She ordered in a soft tone I hesitantly stood up and gingerly sat on the edge of the sofa. It was so soft I had never sat on such a soft chair. Back home we only had two very old bamboo chairs for father and mother plus a roughly made wooden folding chair for father to use in the outdoors. The rest were small goat skin stools which were also reserved for visitors who rarely showed up. Who would visit such a poor house anyway. At most they only visited when they heard of some illnesses in my family “Mmm .” Startled , I answered not sure what the question was. I had drifted away in my thoughts
that I didn’t even hear her question .

” I asked you for your name.” She responded sublimely

” Ka–ka– Kasuba ” I stammered “Kasuba Mwenya.” I finally answered and swallowed heavily my
saliva making a sharp hollow sound. My throat was terribly dry and I was so nervous. I kept
studying the office and steadying myself. I wondered why she was stalling the punishment.
” Just whip me already .” I mused
I heard her stand up and bustle about the room and I closed my eyes ready to take the blow. I had
heard about how she had a thick rope in her office that she used mercilessly on trouble makers.

She walked towards me and I cringed.

” Drink ” she gestured. I squinched wondering what it was that she wanted me to drink. When I
realised it was water, I carefully accepted the cup and took a sip. It was water so cold my teeth
numbed for a second but my gullet enjoyed the cooling s£nsat!on that came with it. I then drank it
all in gulps and returned her cup

” How old are you?” She asked me this time joining me on the sofa.

” Nine years old .”

” Have you ever entered a classroom?”
I just shook my head in disagreement
” Do you want to start school?”
” Yes.” I answered enthusiastically

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I poured more water on the Jo saka ( a container wrapped with a sisal bag sewn together with a
thread or wires for cooling water) trying to get the temperature of the water equivalent to what I
had tasted at the head teacher’s office. I had narrated the events to my family and delivered the message they had asked me to deliver.

” Kasuba uli wabufi pantu iyi Jo saka nangu ilale panse amenshi tayatalala po ifyo ulelanda (
Kasuba you are a liar even if we leave the Jo sack outside it has never produced such cold water
as you say.) ” Mweshi accused me nonchalantly
” Ah lobe kanshi nga ulefwaya wisumina ( that’s your problem if you don’t want to believe me)” I
responded defensively
Just then I heard some noise coming towards our house. It was a woman who was annoyed we
figured from a distance. she kept on screaming expletives at our direction and as she drew closer
we all couldn’t believe our eyes
” Oh No!” We all chorused and ran to the backyard to hide…..