I paced around my sitting room, I couldn’t sit down. I just came up with a stupid idea and the very
thought of it scared me, I could feel my heart pumping fast.
I patted my thighs direct on my skin as I had worn a very short tight indoor black shirt. ” Come on!”
I shook my head trying to get the idea out of my mind.
It had been a month after l travelled to Kabwe but I never stopped thinking about Benjamin. How
ironic, I even stopped referring to him as a mad man in my thoughts. I had created this fantasy of
him being a normal man like any other hot guy I had seen before. Only that I felt so much drived by the thoughts of Benjamin.
I had called my aunty the previous day and she told me as we chatted that her neighbour and
friend passed on.
Imagine I felt excited at the news. I knew going to the funeral for a person I didn’t even know in the
name of my aunty was absurd. But then l recalled the voice of aunty.” He goes round settling
wherever thére’s a funeral”
An idea had popped up my head and I was so scared at it that I couldn’t calm down. Knowing what
I wanted to do was going to be considered madness and probably other people would think I
wanted to start rituals or something out of this world.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I walked to the bed room and grabbed my hand bag. I was
going to travel to Kabwe and there was no stopping myself.
The entire month had been hectic making me lose control of what I was supposed to do at work. ”
Well it’s better to act than live with the torment of these thoughts” I comforted myself as I pulled my
Allion from the yard.
” Aunty, am on my way but will leave tonight. I just want to bring the money for Carol (my cousin)
she has been pestering me but I couldn’t send it over. I have missed you too” I told my aunty on
the phone as I pushed my fingers in my kink hair. I was supposed to have it braided but the
sudden trip disturbed all my programs.
” You will find us Jen. Am just surprised you are visiting so soon. The way I know you, I was
thinking of another 6 months before you showed up here” she went on.
” Well, guess I have heard all the cancel from elders huh ” I teased and pushed my leg to
acceralate the car.
By the time I was getting to Kabwe it was past 14 hours in the afternoon. I passed through shoprite
and picked some groceries for them. Luck them then, I was loaded, I just got my salary the
previous day, with the bonus I got , well, I could spare something on family.
The welcome was great as usual and after a lot of chatting and catching up I asked my aunty if we
could go and visit the funeral house. Definitely my inner intentions were to go and check on
Benjamin, but I dared not to mention him.
With the way I acted up, trying to talk about him again would cause people to think otherwise of
me. So I pretended I didn’t recall anything about the man.
We got to funeral house and I almost jumped with joy upon seeing Ba Benjamin seated on a stool
in the corner. He was as always, quiet and covered in his load of clothes.
I felt myself panick inside when the reason for my travel rushed through my mind. I looked around
the place , a few people seated around. All the time as we sat in the funeral house all I could think
of was my plan.
At exactly 18 hours I said my good byes giving an excuse I had to go back to Lusaka. I drove
away and reached town parking my car by Shoprite in Kabwe town.
I asked the taxi driver I had booked to take me to the funeral house. ” What’s your name ?” I asked
him breaking the silence in the car as he drove me.
” Mwiche” he answered obviously surprised I was asking his name.
” Listen I have something important I need you to do for me then I will pay you handsomely. ” l told him with a calm face.
He turned to look at me, ” what do you want me to do?” He asked, evidently intrested in making
some extra cash.
” I am not going to the funeral per say, I am going to get my brother who Is not well. Now am
ashamed of reaching there cause I don’t even know the person who died. Am asking if you can
help me get a man who is not mentally okey from that place for a reward of K200 I made my offer
and now the man looked more puzzled.
” What?” He spoke loudly.
” A mad man?” He asked
” Hmmhm!” I murmered nodding my head.
” All I want is for you to go and find a way of getting him out of that place to this car then you will
drive us back to town” I went on explaining.
” Well, I don’t know mam. Mad men are not easy to convince. How do I even get him to come with
me?” He shrugged.
” K500!” I increased the offer and I saw his face light up.
” Seriously? ” He asked.
” Get me my brother and K500 plus whatever I owe you for booking will be all yours” I shook my
shoulders smiling widely.
I went through the details of what he was to say and do as we got closer.
” Don’t say anything about me, l can’t have people thinking of me as a sister to a mad man, you
know how it is ” I shrugged again.
” Don’t worry sister, I got this” the taxi driver smiled as he got out of the car.
I had him park a few meters away from the funeral house. I sat up anxiously as he walked away.
After 10 minutes I was almost giving up on him succeeding. ” Oh my God let this work!” I said a
little prayer running my hands in my Kink hair which was my habit whenever I was nervous or
feeling stupid. Right at the moment I had no idea which of the two caused the habit to come out.
I was lost in my struggle when I heard the taxi drivers voice.
He was walking ahead, as Benjamin walked slowly behind him. Now I could see his full height. He
had a good height I noticed and stayed down as the driver opened the back door for him.
He closed it back and walked up front.
” Well, thank you” I looked at him.
” lt was really hard getting him out of there. You have no idea what I had to do” he responded
” Spare me the details,” l smiled at him as he put the keys in the ignition.
I looked back at Benjamin and he was so quiet it scared me. ” Hey Benjamin!” I tried to smile at
him but he raised his white round eyes at me then back at his finger nails.
” Am taking you to a nice place where you will get help” I told him not sure he even heard me.
Upon reaching town. I had the driver help me take him to my car and after paying him off, I turned
back at Benjamin who was now murmuring something and by the second he was getting louder.
Well thanks to Google I got a seductive before I went to Kabwe. I knew it wouldn’t be easy
carrying a mad man in the back of the car.
Well, after giving him a dose of an injection I saw him calm down and I slowly helped him lay down in the back seat. Satisfied he looked comfortable I pulled out his chitenge covers and left him with
a loose T-shirt inside.
Wondering if I didn’t feel the scent from his clothes? Well, lets just say nothing else mattered at the
moment but to take him with me.
I threw the covers in the trunk and drove out of town. I didn’t know what I was really going to do
with him yet, but I had a good feeling in my bones. Call me a mad woman or crazy, I felt I was
doing just right..
To be continued…