Chord DESTINY POWER : Episode 11 & 12

One Friday evening, Bertha is in the sitting room watching a film, Chisala enters.
Bertha ::: Where are you coming from??Chisala :::: I went to play football.
Bertha ::: When the cat is away the mice will play as he likes. After you have been warned to stop playing football? See how wet with sweat your clothes are!! (He quickly pulls off the clothes, takes his bath and comes back to the sitting room)


Chisala :: Could you please turn the television set from Zee world to sports programme? Two Giant Elephant, Chelsea and Manchester United clubs are going to lock the horns by 4:30pm. (looking at the wallclock)
Bertha ::: Don’t disturb my peace. This film is very interesting and educative. I want to see the end of it, that pit the whole villagers into problem.
Chisala ::: It is almost time, please.
Bertha ::: Don’t distract my attention, Chisala. (shouting and demonstrating).


Chisala ::: (angrily) Then two of us won’t watch the television. I will turn it off if you disallow me to watch the match.
Bertha::: Turn it off if you are well bred.(As he walks to switch off the television, there is power outrage.).
Chisala ::: (Half joyous half angry) Continue watching it now! He hisses.
Bertha ::: Your hiss goes back to you. (As they were about to exchange blows, Mwaba enters and separates them)


Mwaba::: (Holding ertha) Don’t be annoyed, please. Whenever she behaves childishly, you as an elder should behave like one.
Chisala ::: An old crab for that matter,!!!
Bertha one is in the last::: Can you hear him again??
Mwaba takes Chisala outside, sitting him under the tree.
Mwaba ::: I don’t like the way you exchanged words with sister Bertha. It’s highly unfair, After all, you are not age mates.


Chisala :: A white hen does not know it’s value as an elder. She doesn’t deserve my respect.
Mwaba:: Your sister that takes care of you, she feeds, clothes and also plays with you when you feel lonely.
Chisala :::: She is too troublesome.
Mwaba::: What of me that doesn’t have anyone to be troublesome with??? You must tender an apology to her. It is not good to be disobedient.
Chisala ::: Okay, I will. When will you take off to Copperbelt for registration?


Mwaba ::: Anytime from now. (Silence ensures for a while) please, take care of Stella in the school on my behalf.
Chisala:::: Don’t rely on ladies, Mwaba. They are unreliable elements.
Mwaba :::: I trust her.
Chisala::: Trust no one. Ladies are very desperate. You must be careful.
Mwaba :::: Not even my mother can stop me from loving her.


Chisala :::: No wonder you leave your own life unattended to and carry the problems of lady as a burden.
Mwaba ::: Just to show that I really care and love her.
Chisala:::: Don’t show a girl that you love her. Majority of them are after a man’s money. If you love her dearly, pretend as if you don’t. They are not worthy of praise.
Mwaba:::::: Oh Chisala, don’t lead me astray. That’s your opinion not mine. I’m madly in love with this lady and she is worthy to be praised.
Chisala:::::: I am not discouraging you, but I am sharing with you my own bitter experience.


Mwaba :::: All fingers are not equal. As human beings, we have different characters.
Chisala :::: A chimpanzee is different from a gorilla, but they have the same characteristics.
Mwaba :::: I will keep on watching. Chisala. Love all, but trust few. What do you think.
Mwaba and his parents set out on their journey to the University. He sits in the front seat of a white Mercedes Benz car with the driver fastening the seat belts. Elijah and Martha occupy the back seat. Elijah suddenly notices that the speedometer increases from 100km/hr to 150km/hr.


Elijah:::: (Cautiously) You are speeding too much. Ben! Please be careful and drive with care.
Ben::: Alright, Sir. ( The speedometer decreases from 150km/hr to 120km/hr).
Mwaba ::: (Suggested) Daddy, why don’t you allow uncle Ben to increase the speed so that we can arrive there on time. You know, kopala is a far place, and besides, night driving is dangerous especially during this rainy season..
Martha :::: (Interrupted) You better keep quiet before you get me provoked. (Mwaba keeps quiet and she hisses) Don’t mind him. Ben. Heaven helps those who help themselves. please drive carefully and safely.


Ben:::: No problem, MA.(After they have covered many kilometers, the sun is shining and the reflection of the sun gives Mwaba no respite. He blocks the reflection with the sun shade)
Mwaba::::: Uncle Ben, if you look at the road from a far distance, it seems as if water flooded the road.
Ben:::: Yes, it is due to the hot weather.
Mwaba :::: (Nodding in remembrance) You are right, uncle Ben. They call it mirage’ in physics. It can cause accidents.


Martha :::: (cutting in) You can see that traveling is a part of education. When you travel, you come across many things you have been taught. You also have knowledge of many strange things you have not been taught. Traveling is part of learning. At exactly three o’clock in the afternoon, they halt at BP feeling Station to refuel their vehicle. They relax for some minutes while they ate cream pies accompanied by soft drinks to cool their thirst. Mwaba strolls and looks at the geographical terrain of the plateau, surprisingly).
Mwaba :::: Dad, this town is supposed to be named Fort Jameson because it’s surrounded by hills.


Martha::::: (pointing to the direction of the hill)Pilgrimage is made to it on the second Saturday of every February.
Mwaba :::: I heard about the Holy pilgrimage from our Geography teacher. At this juncture, they started their journey. A few meters away from the petrol station, something disheartening happens at the tail end of Kabwe, very close to Kapiri. There is a head-on collision which involves Elijah's Mercedes Benz and a trailer at a sharp bend on the road.


The Mercedes Benz car runs under the trailer while the trailer somersaults into the bush. Sympathizers swiftly run to the scenes to rescue the victims. In a twinkle of an eye, Mwaba is rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment. The corpses are packed by the Red Cross officials and moved to a mortuary)
Mapalo:::: Life is nothing out of nothing. Had it been life is reversible, it would have been so good.


Joke::: But life is irreversible. The only privilege we have is to serve God while alive. Those corpses could not, but we the living souls can.
Mapalo:::: It is only a fool who says there is no God. Imagine somebody surviving this fatal accident without sustaining much injury!!!
Cleo:::: Six people lost their lives at the same time, three souls last week and two the previous week. This is too much. May God save our souls from this bloody road.


All :::: Amen.
Mapalo looking at the stream of blood flowing from the scene of the accident and said When the road is thirsty for blood we won’t be its victims in Jesus name.
All::::::: Amen
Joke:::: It is only God that can save lives on this bloody road.
Tasha :::: (cutting in) God cannot descend from Heaven to save people. Unless we make a sacrifice to the gods and all the lost souls then accidents will reduce.


Mapalo:::::: (laughing hysterically at her and clapping her two palms) Can’t you hear? She said they should sacrifice something to the gods in order to escape accidents.
Joke:::: Perhaps he is hungry for meat.
Mapalo::::::: I wonder! Even the great scientists who attempted to conquer death realized that there’s no armour against death. The fact is that death is Indomitable and inevitable. It will come when it will come. It is only God that has power over death.(They deride him with their laughter)


Joke::::: Don’t. blame her. She believes in idol worship.
Mapalo ::::: No wonder her clothes are so dirty and muddy like pigs.( They cackle with amusement)
Cleo:::::: (angrily) The snail is looking for trouble, it wanted to lay eggs. It is your father at home you are mocking. I would have shown you the real me, but for your parents and elderly passion I have for you girls. You are toying with fire.


Mwape::: God will save us from these little children. Don’t mind them, Cleo They are kidding. When a child falls, he looks forward; but when an adult falls, he looks backwards to check the point of his downfall. We all know the source of these problems. In those days when rituals were made to the gods you said, accident were not as rampant as this. Our children of these days are ignorant of many things. Please. (Kneeling and begging) don’t take offense but pardon them please!.


Cleo::::: Rise up on your feet.. I have heard you…
Mama Mwape:::: Thank you… You will live long than your forefathers.
Cleo:::: Zikomo
Madam Mwape:::::( pointing at joke and Mapalo) you these little rats should learn how to talk to elders. You lack home training. Charity, they say, begins at home. You must be careful and watch your wagging tongues. Please, don’t pull a tiger by the tail.

Written by Mr Vincent Kslanda

WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 13