Dysfunctional Family - Season 1 - Episode 24

4 years ago

Dysfunctional Family - Season 1 - Episode 24

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FOUR YEARS LATER.

..LUBESHA..
As the plane touched down at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, Zambia, I took a deep breath and felt ecstatic. I was home. Home sweet home. After four years of working hard to earn my bachelor’s degree in Journalism in Sydney, Australia, I was finally back home. Now I know I had no relatives to go to but as they say, there’s no place like home.
I got off the plane and booked a taxi to a cheap motel where I’d spend a few days and then look for employment. Then I’d start my life anew. But how did I end up here when my only sponsor no longer wanted to have anything to do with me? Sit back and relax while I tell my tale.

☆☆☆
That fateful night on New Year’s Eve, that stranger’s words really touched my soul. His words were so wise that I was left feeling like the worst sinner when he left me alone in the chapel.

I was left asking myself a myriad questions concerning the unappreciative front I’d just staged in God’s house thus I knelt down on my spot and begged God to forgive me.
“Father, I promise never to slander your name in anyway..I promise to thank you for everything I go through, whether bad or good. Let your will be done, Father Lord..” I poured my heart out to God that evening that by the time I walked out of the chapel with my bags, the sky exploded with colour. People were lighting firecrackers and were celebrating being alive, they had every right to.

“Happy New Year,” I mumbled, joining a gravel road which I had no idea led where. This was the beginning of something great in my life, at least that was my wish.
Safely, I ended up at a motel where I spent the night. Where would I get money to pay the bill, you might wonder? Well luckily I had an MTN mobile money account and had quite a good sum of money saved in it. You see back in school, I’d been saving as much money as possible. Even home when uncle Donald gave us money to buy stuff for ourselves, I always managed to spare some for saving. Now that money had come in handy.
As I sat in the shabby room the following morning, I realised the money I’d saved was quite little to sustain me for long so I decided it was high time I went job hunting. That’s exactly what I did.
The first day turned out futile as I went back to the motel later, unemployed. I had my supper and knelt beside my bed, asking God for guidance.

It was almost after a week that I found myself a job as an assistant in an Indian wholesale. Now everybody familiar with such wholesales knows how much workers are overworked and underpaid but I had no business complaining or being lazy, it was survival of the fittest henceforth.

On my first day off, I went looking for an affordable apartment and was lucky enough to find a one-roomed house which at least had electricity supply. I was going to survive, one way or the other.

I was at work one day when a workmate of mine said, “Judging from how well you speak English, I assume you’ve been to school and even your dresscode screams sophisticated, how did you end up here?” he spared our mean employer an ugly glare. “Working for that nightmare?”
“It’s life, man,” was all I could say.
On my first pay day, I heard on the radio that the results for the grade 12 final exams were out. I instantly began perspiring out of nervousness.

I was offloading three 25 KGs of mealie meal from the truck at a go and so were the other employees, some even more, when my workmate Mark who seemed to feel pity for me for some reason asked, “You’ve been nervous ever since it was announced on the news that the grade 12 final exam results are out. Are you awaiting yours?”

“Yeah.”
“I wish you all the best then, man.”
“Thanks.”

Our boss Mr. Kunal Gupta came to where we were stacking the bags and pointed a shrewd finger at Mark and I.
“You idiots,” he scolded in his deep Indian accent. “I don’t pay you to chit chat! Come on, get to work!” “I swear I’ll break that b-----d’s jaw one of these days,” fumed Mark as we made it back to the truck.
Almost everybody wanted to beat Mr. Gupta for something so I was used to people saying so. After getting my wage, I took myself for a treat and bought myself a decent meal.
Once home, I made a meticulous budget and it was only after I was done that I decided to check my results via phone. Sweating like a pig as the results loaded, I prayed to God to not fail me.

Time stopped when I saw them results and the next thing I knew, I was jumping for joy.
“I’ve passed! I’ve passed! I’ve passed!” I’d scored six points, had cleared all my subjects with a first distinction.

The following day as I was off work, I made an effort to pay uncle Donald a visit.
His car was home when I arrived so I took a breath of relief as that indicated he too was home.

It was Alice who opened the door after I knocked.

“Lubesha,” she uttered, obviously not pleased to see me. “What are you doing here?”

“You afraid I’ll expose your lies, cuz? Don’t worry, I just wanna see uncle and speak with him. Is he in?”
Her response was hesitant.”Yes.. Why do you want to see him?”
“Just know it has nothing to do with you framing me..”
In the end, she allowed me in. I sat in the living room as she went to fetch him from his bedroom. Wasn’t it ironic how I’d become a mere visitor in what I’d once called home? Anyway, life can be full of irony at times.
Uncle showed up and sat without greeting me, I greeted him though and he begrudgingly replied saying he was doing fine.
“What brings you here?”
“This..” I handed him my phone which had my results on the screen.
“You passed,” he said with simplicity. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” I got the phone back after he handed it to me.

Uncle crossed his legs and intently stared at me. “What now?”
This was awkward. Somehow I thought him seeing how good my results were would soften his heart but clearly that wasn’t the case.
I heard myself say, “Do you believe I did it? Sleep with Alice?”
“Does it matter what I believe? Why are you even bringing this up, Lubesha? I don’t see any reason why Alice would make up such a grave lie. Alice who’s sided with you in almost everything ever since you arrived from Kampala almost five years ago.”
He was right. I’d have also believed my daughter over my nephew if I were in his shoes.

He was saying, “I hold no grudge against you so am wishing you all the best in life, don’t let your hard work go in vain..” he paused. “You have to leave, lest Juliet shows up and stages a scene. God knows I won’t be able to stop her.”
“It was nice seeing you,” I stood and began walking out when he opted to remain silent.
Alice who had been obviously eavesdropping on my conversation with uncle Donald showed up at my side and walked me outside.
I said to her as soon as we were out of earshot, “I just pray you won’t have to pay a hefty price for what you’re putting me through.”

She sighed. “You don’t have to make me feel any more guilty than I am already,” and slammed the door in my face.

During a lunch break at work one day, Mark said to me. “I’m guessing you aced your exams.”

“Yeah..6 points.”
“Congrats!” he gave me a brotherly punch on the shoulder. “What plans have you for the future?”
I looked at the bread roll I was having for lunch and shrugged. “I’m not certain, I have no sponsor.”
“My cousin had no sponsor too but he’s in China studying medicine as I speak to you right now.”

“How?”
“Ever heard of bursary? I’m sure you have.. There’s this place in town where they offer 100% bursary to people who do as extremely well as you did. All you have to do is give them a sob story and you’ll have your full scholarship.”
“Sob story?” I was immensely interested. “Any ideas?”
“Tell them you’re an orphan or something.”

“I am an orphan,” I quietly told him.
“Oh..” he looked sorry. “I didn’t know.. I apologise for being insensitive, man.”
“It’s fine.”

It was almost a month later when I gathered enough bus fare to cater for my trip to Livingstone, to and fro.
“You’ve come alone,” said Principal Zimba after I was seated. “Hope all is well.”
“All is well..I’m just old enough to come here alone, I guess.” I hated lying to her.
Principal Zimba was all smiles as she handed me my statement of result. “I’m so happy for you. I always knew you’d make it, my boy. In the end, hard work always pays off!” she then showered me with blessings which I wholeheartedly accepted.

Back in Lusaka and with Mark’s help, I went to the agency and applied for a bursary.
To cut a long story short, I got the bursary and was sent to Australia to study a course of my choice. As you all are aware by now, I always aspired to become a reporter of some sort one day so I chose Journalism.

☆☆☆

Now back in Zambia, my next step was to apply for a job.

I developed a habit of going through newspapers for job ads and when I finally found what I was looking for, wrote an application letter and attached all necessary documents.

The company I applied to was among the most successful newspaper companies in the country.

I received feedback a few days later…