Chord Limitless : Episode 9

Landing back home was so amazing I couldn't believe that I had been away for nine whole years. Nine years of not setting foot in my home land, my mother land. The land that had made me into the person that I am. The land that taught me many great lessons and I prayed that as I carried on in my life I wasn't going to forget those lessons.
I stood staring as people drove in and out of the airport. As cars pulled up I could not believe that I was home. I looked down at Lumuno who couldn't comprehend what was happening. He had been asking questions from the time that we had started off. He couldn't remember


Zambia because he had left the place when he was young and now here he was almost a 10 year old. I smiled at him as he pointed at people passing. I had told him so many stories about my childhood , about the things that I had been through but the thing that I had never told him was about how he came about being conceived and that was something that I had vowed to never reveal to him . Yes he had been conceived in the worst possible way but it was not his fault and I had no right to place such a burden on him. As my mother had said in her letter to me. He was just an innocent child. Things happen to us for a reason.
I smiled as I saw Bana mapalo walk towards us.I had called her the day that we started off from Dusseldorf. She hurried to me and before I knew it I was enveloped in her wonderful arms. She smelled like she had always smelt; home I thought to myself. I felt her cry besides me and I pulled her away and shook my head.


"Mum you do not have to cry because I have come back to see you."
"Mwana wandi (my child) these are not tears that are meant to be wiped away these are tears showing just how happy I am to have you here. I cannot believe that I have finally set my eyes on you after nine long years."
" But I have been sending you updates on my life and sending your recent pictures" I said.
"Pictures and seeing you in person are two different things."
She then turned her attention to Lumuno.
"Lulu look at how much you have grown. The last time I saw you were just a little baby."
He made a face causing me to laugh.
"Lulu this is Bana mapalo she is the woman I told you about. The woman who took care of us when we had nowhere to go and she also pumped sense into me and guided me the entire time that I was in lusaka," I said to him as I got his hand and gave him a gentle push and Bana mapalo enveloped him in her arms.


“Where are your bags?”She asked after a few minutes and I pointed at our luggage she then signalled to someone and they came.
“This is Humphrey my nephew, “she said as she pointed at him.
He looked to be about nineteen years old.
“His mother passed on about three years ago and he has been living with me all this time,”She said as Humphrey got our bags and started walking towards the car.
I noted she had brought herself a little pink Vitz.
“I bought this car from the money that you have been sending me over the years. I also extended the house in Chawama,” she said. “But on top of that I bought myself some land in makeni and I built a three bed roomed house. The money and your efforts have really helped me a great deal,” she added as she ushered us inside the car.


I was proud to know that I had been able to help out the woman who had been such positive influence in my life. I watched the landscapes a as we drove out of the airport. I couldn't believe how much Lusaka had changed from the last time that I had been here. I gazed at the new buildings, the malls and I listened as bana mapalo pointed out each and every new thing.
I was excited to see about seeing my siblings. Moses had travelled earlier but he was staying in Nyumba Yanga .He had since moved from the village and was staying in Choma and where he managed to start up an agric business for himself. He had told me that he bought and sold maize and the business had boomed such that he was now also buying livestock for sale.


And from the proceeds he was able to build and rent a house for the little ones in Nyumba yanga. The house is where the little ones were commuting from when they were going to school. One of the girls was at UNZA (University of Zambia), another one was at Evelyn hone, my immediate young brother had managed to get himself into the school of finance at the Copperbelt University. Unfortunately he had not been able to travel the day before so he would only be arriving the day after. As for the others I was excited to see them. I had wanted to stay in Nyumba Yanga but bana mapalo would not have it and I did not want to disappoint her. She told me how she had sought out my siblings as per my instructions and they were close. I was happy that she had made that effort. She told me how the girls would usually go over to her place over the weekend and she would check on the boys when they didn't have pocket money she would send. I felt happy that the family that I had still managed to look after each other.


She drove us to her new home in makeni. It was beautiful and well kept. She the lawn was well kept and she had flowers everywhere. I laughed when I told her of that I didn’t have any green fingers and how hopeless I was when it came to plants. She insisted that she was going to teach me the few weeks that I was going to be in Zambia. She helped me settle in the room that she had given Lumuno and I to share. Luckily the neighbours had a boy the age of Lumuno so it did not take him long to make friends and he disappeared on me. I was just happy that I was home and was not going to make an issue about it and for bana mapalo to allow Lumuno to go to the neighbours meant they were good people. I was jet lagged so I took a quick shower, then slept for a while before the guys came through. We had arranged that we were going to have dinner at bana mapalo's place later in the evenings andI was excited.


By the time I woke up it was 18:00hours andI was shocked to see that I had slept that long.However I felt rejuvenated. I put one a white short, a black vest and put one some sandles and decided to take a walk. As I walked outside I noticed that they were mangoes trees; trees that I hadn't noticed and I couldn't believe that they were fresh mangoes on the trees. I couldn’t wait to have mangoes straight from the source; not that to say that Germany had no mangoes it did but nothing beats getting them straight from the tree. I reached out and started picking the mangoes and as I did I heard someone laughing. I turned and saw bana mapalo.
"You are going to get yourself dirty "she said.
I shook my head.


“I really don’t care because nothing beats mangoes at this time and am so glad that I have come home when the best crops are coming out. Fresh maize and Masuku,”I said and she laughed.
“I made you chikanda,” she said.
“Yay! I can’t wait.”
“I have asked Humphrey to bring out the table its folded at the back I want us to have our meal from outside cause we whole won't fit in the dining room.”
“What can I help with?”
“Just setting up,” she said and I gladly obliged.
Everyone arrived around 19hrs and Oh my God it was such a happy reunion. Moses looked different and he had gaine some weight and his complexion was brighter. He introduced me to his wife and she seemed scared of me but I kept assuring her that she had nothing to worry about.


 For someone to welcome my siblings into her home and life spoke volumes about her character. I met their three children and they hit it off with Lumuno.
Chilala my sister who was at Evelyn hone came forward and she resembled mum so much I pulled her into her a hug. I could feel the tears in my eyes but I told myself I was not going to cry. Eliza my other sister who was at UNZA came as well and I hugged her, then Chimuka my brother. We sat and chatted for a while before food was served and it was the best meal I had had in ages. We told stories and before we knew it the time was midnight I felt so sad that everyone to go but we hoped that we were going to link up the following day. Throughout our reunion I hadn't asked about Harmony I felt sad that was not part of the reunion and no one brought him up. Harmony was the eldest, he should have been the one to keep us glued together.


The following day I woke up around 9hours and helped bana mapalo with whatever household chores needed to be done ,she later told me that she was going to her little shop hin kamwala where she sold fruit and vegetables. I told her would go with her into town then I would go and get Moses’ car as had promised. I wanted to use it for running around. What I didn't tell him was that I was planning on going to see Harmony. Despite everything that had happened I still thought about my brother despite everything that the wife had done to me.I still loved my brother and to me we were still family.
When I got the car i went to see Eliza we chatted for a while before I asked her for harmony's number. She gave me an inquisitive look and I smiled.


“I want to see him,”
She looked at me in shock. “Why? After everything he has done.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that he is my brother and I know wherever mum is she would not want for us to give up on each other. One day he will come to his senses and he will need our help and we should be there for him,” I said.
She silently gave me the number which I punched into in my phone and then called it. It rang for some time without anyone picking the call. I gave up then I looked at her and asked if she knew where he stayed.
“It should be the same place,” she said.
“The same place I left him all those years ago? Really?”
“Yes although I have to confess that I had gonet there some time last year but as usual


Make Wezi was just a pain so I left,”
After Lunch with Eliza and Lumuno I took Lumuno back home and called Bana Mapalo. I informed her that I was going to see some friends then drove to Linda. I didn’t want anyone lecturing me about Harmony. I knew what I was doing. Moses had once said to me at one point during discussions that if Harmony didn’t want us then there was no point in us reaching out to him.
I drove around the familiar road as I thought about what had happened in my life and what had gotten me to this point. Zambia had really changed and there was a lot of development. I looked at the malls, the roads that had been built. I was happy that things were looking up for everyone in the country the only thing that everyone was complaining about was the economy.


I finally got into the road that led to Harmony's house and my heart couldn’t help but pound. I wish Harmony knew just how much I loved him and how much I wanted the best for him.
I packed the car in front of the little house nothing much had changed apart from the fact that it looked like it had been repainted .I got out of the car and just as I was about to knock on the door it flung open and there he was. He looked at me as if he had just seen a ghost.
“Rose?” he said. His voice didn’t sound right he coughed into the white hanky that he was holding.
My brother had lost some weight he was no longer the Harmony that I knew. He was a shadow of his former self.
“Harmony?” I said in a whisper but he bowed his head but not before I could see the sadness in his eyes.
“Rose is it really you?”


“Yes,” I said walking towards him.
He looked sick. He gave me a slight smile.
“Life in German must really be good cause you look amazing,” he said before he coughed into his hanky again.
I didn’t have to be a genius to guess that he was really sick and I knew none of my siblings knew this.
“Are you ok?” I asked. I knew it was a stupid question but I wanted him to be open with me.
“Please do come into the house,” he said as he started moving aside whilst avoiding my question.
I walked into the house and noted that very few things had changed but everything still looked the same. I sat on the couch and h esat opposite me.
“When did you arrive?” He asked
“Yesterday.”


“I am sure the others must be happy to see you,” he said.
“Yes. we had dinner together yesterday and it was so nice unfortunately it wasn't as nice because our eldest brother was not there,”I said looking him directly in the eyes .
He shook his head.
“Oh Rose you are the one who has always tried to keep us together, the one who had always reached out. I failed as the eldest brother. I was the one was supposed to look after everyone you are the third born in our family and you took up the mantle that I was supposed to hold,” he said shaking his head. “I failed mother. I made stupid decisions. I allowed my wife to control me. I became a woman,”he said.
I felt my heart go out to him and he looked down before I realized it he was sobbing.
“Rose I am very sick. I have been trying to find a way to reach out to everyone but I am so ashamed, “he said through sobs.


I stood up and I went to sit next to him.
“There is nothing for you to be ashamed of. No one is better than you. We all err but it is just right that we reach out and help you because we are blood.”
“Rose, I am not as strong as you.Look at everything that life has thrown at you but you have managed to still push all the unfortunate things aside and you have reached the sky.” He coughed before he spoke again.”Eliza has kept me updated on your progress of coursee she didn’t tell Moses because Moses doesn’t want to hear anything about me. We had our falling out thanks to my wife who chased him out of here like a dog.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“I don’t know. She is probably gone out on her escapades. These days she drinks like a mad woman. I have to go and get her from bars. She is running around like a single woman and she is so loose. On several occasions I have found her having sex with men in the bar toilets.”


“Why not you leave her?” I asked.
“Sometimes you get so accustomed to living with someone or a situation that you start to think that is all there is in life. And beside I have nowhere else to go. I made my bed so I have to lie in it.” He sighed then looked up. “When I lost my job I became worthless in her eyes. I have been insulted left, right and centre and been called worthless so many times that I am starting to believe it,” he said with a sad smile.
“You deserve better no matter what you did. You don’t deserve the treatment that your wife is giving you. Where are the children?”
He laughed bitterly. “She took them to her mother. She says they don’t need to be around a worthless man; a man who can’t do anything for her and one who can’t even satisfy because the medication has deemed me useless in bed.”
“Get up,” I said not wanting to hear anymore.
He looked at me in wonder.
“I am taking you out of here and I am not taking no for an answer so get you stuff and let us go,” I said.


“Rose?”
I shook my head. “No Harmony. You are leaving with me. My mother wouldn’t want us to give up on you. Look at her; she stayed put with a man who ill treated her for years but treated everyone around her with kindness. She instilled that in me. You are my blood brother and I will not allow you to suffer whilst I am alive. Mother will not allow that. She is probably turning in her grave knowing that everyone has left you to suffer.”
He looked at me for a moment before standing reluctantly. I watched him as he walked away. He was in pain. I brushed away the tears that threatened to fall. I needed to get him medical help firstly I thought. He seemed to have TB but I was certain there was more. I looked up.
“God, don’t let him leave us. We still have a lot to work on. Give him his health and strength and soften the hearts of my siblings.”
He came out dressed in a shirt that was too big and loose slacks. I smiled.
“I am my mother’s daughter and I will ensure that everyone I love is cared for,” I said putting my arm into his.