THE SHAMBA BOY SAGA: TEN

“That was so stupid of you!” My husband told the little boy.

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The following morning we woke up and planned to go to work and return a bit early to relax together as my husband wanted us to discuss some business proposal he had gotten.

But at around 5 pm, my husband called.

“Oh! Dear, I will be home late. I have got caught up in some meeting and might not make it on time.” He told me. I headed straight home where I met Mercy preparing some supper. I offered to assist her but she told me she wanted to make it and I could gauge if she had made the supper to our taste. So instead I went to check on what Ken was doing. I found him feeding some calves but noticed his hand had some Elastoplast.

“What happened to you?” I asked pointing at his left hand.

“I slipped while cleaning up the sheds but as I was falling I held onto the wall and got hurt, nothing serious I will be all right.” He said with a smile.

“All right, how was your day?” I asked him.

“My day was fine.” He answered me.

As we were talking, suddenly my children came running. They were from playing with the neighbor’s children.

“Oh! Good evening my little ones.” I greeted them as they hugged me.

“Hi mum, hi uncle.” They greeted Ken. They used to call him uncle.

“Didn’t I tell you not to be jumping over that wheelbarrow like that? You will get hurt!” Ken told Jade my son.

“I told you I shall be stronger than you, this is why I can jump like that!” Jade teased Ken but Ken just laughed at the little boy.

“I can now even lift up my sister with ease.” Jade said and suddenly wanted to lift his sister up before he got restrained by Ken.

“No, you cannot list Josephine, she is heavier than you.” Ken told Jade.

“Go and play elsewhere, didn’t I tell you that you should not play where adults are talking?” I told them and they both went away playing and trying to push each other.

“Naughty kids.” I said.

“Active kids are the best, they bring life in a compound. I also will get married and get children possibly in 5 years’ time.” Ken said.

“Do you have someone in mind?” I asked him jokingly. He laughed.

“No, but I can as well marry Mercy the girl from Coast.” He said jokingly. For whatever reason, that made my heart race a little.

“Do you admire her?” I asked Ken jokingly.

Ken avoided the question and tried to change the topic.

“Did Baba boy beat up Jade? I did not want him to beat the boy. The boy is young.” Ken said.

“No, I pleaded with him not to.” I told Ken.

Ken suddenly lifted up some hay bales to arrange them properly in the store and I could not fail to see how veiny his hands were. That ignited some desire for him and I wished we were alone.

“Let me assist you.” I told him and tried to lift up the hay but it was heavy. Ken came over and assisted me to lift it but as I was overstepping some other items in the store, I slipped and fell backwards. I landed on top of some other hay stacks but at the same time, Ken slipped and almost fell on top of me. I felt a sudden heat rush seeing him hovering on me and I just wished he would simply let go his hand and land on me. I felt like hugging him. But as I was thinking he extended his hand to help me stand up. He whisked me with his hand and within no time I was up on my feet.

“Be careful, you might get hurt inside here.” Ken told me.

“I told you to be arranging these things properly.” I told him.

“I know my way inside here since I am the one who works here often.” He was defensive.

“You shall get strong children.” I told him.

“May be, may be not.” He said without going into further details.

“Do you wish to get any more children?” Ken asked me.

“Oh! No! 2 are enough. With this economy it is not easy having a big family.” I told him.

“But you are rich…not like us who earn nearly nothing.” Ken said.

I could not argue with that since I also knew if my husband earned the much Ken earned we would miss a lot of basis needs. In fact, I felt like Ken would need a better job if he is to ever get a family.

I continued to help him arrange the store as we talked. It was dark outside but inside the store there was a light bulb.

“Thank you, madam, I need to lock the store.” Ken told me after I finished doing what I was doing. I did not feel like going out without hugging him or holding him.

I suddenly held him.

“Ken, kiss me.” I told him.

“What? I told you I don’t like kissing and besides this is dangerous your children might see us and report you to master.” Ken said.

“They are in the house.” I told him. I looked straight into his eyes. He however bent to look outside as if to confirm that there was no one close by.

“All right.” He said and without wasting time, he bent and planted an awkward kiss on my lips.

“No, kiss me better.” I told him.

“How?” He asked.

“Let me show you.” I told him.

I pulled his head towards me as I readied my lips to give him a kiss.

Just as I was about to plant a kiss on him, I suddenly heard my son’s voice say, “I have seen you, I will come and report you to daddy.”

My heart sank and I felt like I would get torn into two due to sudden fear.

“You see, you see what I am telling you?! You will get me into serious trouble.” Ken told me and suddenly released me and headed for the door. As he rushed to the door, I saw Jade rush away laughing.

“My God! Has he seen us?” I found myself asking.

“Obvious! Why else would he say he has seen?” Ken said sounding angry.

I walked outside and headed towards my house with my heart beating so fast I could hear it. I sat in the coach for a while and called my son.

“Jade, come here.” I called him.

He meekly came and sat close to me. I knew I had to try and bribe him not to tell his daddy anything.

“I will buy for you a small bicycle that you have been asking about. Remember it?” I asked him.

“Oh! Yes, I still remember it. Please buy for me tomorrow please.” Jade urged.

“Don’t buy for him alone, buy mine too!” His sister suddenly said.

“I will buy for you both, you are nice children.” I told them.

I however could not find the right words to ask him what he saw and I just hopped he would be overexcited over getting a new bike as to forget it.

As I was about to ask him, my husband came in and both children rushed to welcome him.

They both sat close to their daddy I could not even get them to come to where I sat. I however just concentrated on the TV hoping that he will forget.

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Mercy served us food and as we sat at the dinning table eating, the children concentrated on how Mercy was eating.

“Auntie, why do you eat with your hands? Why not use a spoon?” Jade asked. Jade was very talkative little boy.

“We on coast are used to eating with our hands.” Mercy told him.

“But it is dirty.” Josephine said.

“No, you wash your hands and use them to eat. You can try.” Mercy said smiling. The little girl looked at me.

“Mummy, can I wash my hands and eat with them?” She asked me.

“Yes, try.” I told her. I was still hoping that Jade will forget.

Josephine got eating with her hands and she giggled all through while making a lot of droppings all over the table such that Jade began to laugh at her.

“Stop eating like a dog!” Jade told Josephine who was now sipping some soap from the plate.

Ken knocked and came in.

“Good evening Master.” He greeted my husband.

“Oh! Good evening, please join us for supper.” My husband told him and he sat down with us.

When Mercy went to serve Ken, suddenly Jade looked at Ken and smiled before looking at his daddy. I felt sudden fear engulf me. I silently held my breath. I wanted to call him and start sweet talking him when he suddenly told his father. “Daddy, can I tell you something…”

>>To be continued>>

Narrated by Anthony Kerry.

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