Pronunciations of Names in this Chapter

Anganile Kyara- Anger-Nee-Lay Keee-yer-rah

Kyangonde name meaning God loves us.

Ama-Amer – short for amama which means mother.

Chikondano- Chee-ko-nder-no

Chewa name meaning love existing between more than one person.

Kambudzi- this is an orange chilli. Its size ranges the size of a pea to the size of a small grape.  It used to season chips, stewed beans and other foods.

Ngumbi- flying ants that are fried. They are crunchy and savoury. I have a photo of these delicious little things on my Instagram page for any curious readers.

Mandasi- mer-nder-see fried snack made from flour, eggs and sugar

Chapter 6

Salifya

The raid was simple. Xo managed to access their files but could not ascertain whether Ipyana was at this HMC facility. I managed to get to Chilufya, D.S. Jali’s daughter, in time. Dealing with the guards was simple. It took me twenty minutes in and out. The escape however was the problem. Me taking Chilufya out of her cell had triggered an alarm. Xo could not reset it. He lost control of most of the doors. So he failed to seal off the exit door we used to leave the building, as he had done with the other doors. We were pursued by many guards.

We were almost at the pod when the guards made it outside. They were firing beams from a rifle blaster while closing the distance between us. I pushed Chilufya down shielding her with my body. I felt something burning inside my leg. A beam had hit my left leg a few inches above my knee. My blade thrower was out of blades so I fired a few beams from my blaster and shouted Chilufya to get in. Xo fired a few shots too, while telling Chilufya to pull me in. She pulled me in slowly. I propelled myself with my unharmed foot. I got in missing another beam by inches. Xo set the pod on auto-pilot and helped me lay down on the long seat at the back of the pod.

“Xo check in my bag for a tampon.” I told him.

“I don’t know what those are.” He said.

Chilufya took the bag which was lying in front of the seat she was in. “I know what they are.”

“In the left pocket.” I said breathlessly. It had been sometime since I was shot with a blaster of that calibre. I had forgotten how painful it was. The metal burned into my skin. I tried to think of cool air outside.

“I found it.” She was holding it out. She moved from her seat, to the back to the pod beside my seat.

“Place it in my wound.” I instructed her. She unwrapped it, and placed it in my wound.

I looked at the moon. The pod gave us an illusion that were so close to it.

“What are tampons used for?” Xo asked.

“For situations like this,” Chilufya said cheekily.

“We have to think about finding a black market doctor Xo,” I said. My breathing was still abnormal. “Search Dr Watanja Banda.”

Xo typed away on his laptop. It took him several minutes to confirm she was still active.

We stopped at Dr Banda’s. Chilufya and Xo helped me into her clinic. No questions asked, was the policy here. The nurse took me to the surgery room. There was this look of angst on Xo’s face as they pushed my stretcher away.

“Take her home.” I instructed him.

I saw him nod his head and leave the waiting area with Chilufya.

The white light dazzled my eyes when I opened them. I shut them tight. I slowly opened them and glanced at my leg, already the beam hole was all stitched up. I turned to my right and there was Xo looking at holographic design of a building similar to the HMC one projected by his phone.

“What’s that?” I asked pulling my body up. I grunted at the ache in my leg as I did so.

“You should be taking it easy.” Xo said.

“Did she get home safe?”

“Yes, her parents were very happy to see her. They cried. And hugged me.”

“Oh.”

“They invited us for dinner this Saturday, a thank you dinner.”

“What about Ipy? Did you go through the files? Is she at that place?”

“I went through all of them. She isn’t there.” My heart dropped. “D.S Jali paid us. I deposited half into your account.” I starred at the white hospital dress covering my body. Where was Ipy? “We got another job. The husband of this woman had a tracker on her. I have been able to pin point her location.”

“Why did he have a tracker on his wife?”

“I guess he was scared something like this would happen.” He made the schematics expand so I could see them clearly. “It’s a smaller facility than the Likangawa one. Your sister might be there.”

I breathed in and out. I tried Xo infectious optimism sweep over me but my mind would not let me. She hadn’t been at this facility. What were the chances she would be at this new place? They were low. Why did I leave her? Why am I so selfish?

“Earth to Sali?” I heard Xo say. His voice sounded several miles away.

“Yes.”

“You dazed off there.”

“I did. Were you saying something?”

“I was saying I brought Kambuzi flavoured ngumbi .” He stood up and passed me brown bag.

“Thank you. These are only found in Zorozoro.”

“I had a lot of time with you being in surgery.”

I smiled at him; opened the bag and threw a few ngumbi in my mouth.

“I let you down. I am sorry I wasn’t able to override the alarm. You are wounded because of my failure.” Xo said.

“There is no need to apologise. I know you did your best and that’s enough.”

“I should have anticipated the alarm though. I knew they had one.”

“There is next time.” My head was pressed against the pillow behind me.

“You are right.”

I threw some more ngumbi into my mouth.

“There is something I need to ask you.” He said closing the schematics and putting his phone in his pocket. “I need you to be honest with me.” His tone was serious which scared me. “I saw how agile and efficient you were at that HM facility. I know your aim has always been good. You took out five guards in sixty seconds. Nobody gets that good without training. Are you a kasassassin?” He lowered his voice when he asked the question.

I looked at his long dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail. I hated that word it’s what outsiders called us. It represented that which we were no longer. “Yes.” I replied. “You can’t tell anyone.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “When did they recruit you?”

“After secondary school someone approached me and told me that I was talented and that they wanted me to join Kaulimi Underground Army.”

“When?”

“Eight years ago.”

“Somehow I always knew you would end up doing something like this.” He said cracking his knuckles. “What are you doing here? Are you on a mission?”

“So a few months ago, my supervisor sent me on this mission to deliver the file I sent you to decrypt.”

“That was your from your boss?”

I nodded my head.

“Why was she giving security details to some man?”

“I think she is betraying Kaulimi.” I said. “I was angry. I did something stupid. I confronted her without telling our superior. She told me she didn’t know anything about the file and that she had been set up. I believed her. Then my mom showed me a warrant for my arrest. It hadn’t been issued but everything was drawn out. She had set me up. Showed that I had sent the files to you an outsider. They branded me a traitor. So I told Ipy that I was free at work and I would take her to look for our parents. While we were here, bounty hunters attacked us and then some H.M.C goons attacked us.” I starred at the green walls encasing the room we were in. “I just thought she was bringing unnecessary attention to me. That’s why I left her there. I didn’t know something like would happen. I thought she would safely return to Kaulimi.” The morphine was making me emotional. I fought back tears by exhaling. It worked.

“We will find her.” Xo said.

I had been avoiding Ama’s calls all week. I had lied to Xo she was in Utawaleza. I knew she would ask where Ipy was. I hoped Xo and I would be able to find her before I had to call her. But we had failed, so I had to call her. I thought vibing with her would be the best way to break such bad news. Her face was still as I told her what had happened.

“I know Salifya. I was waiting for you to tell me. Your sister was found. She came to Anganile Kyara’s house yesterday.”

“That’s good news.” I croaked awkwardly. A deep sense of guilt choked me. The next words came out strained. “I will come up this afternoon. See you then.”

Her image vanished from Dingani’s room. I threw myself on the bed. My mind replayed the image of the last time I saw Ipyana. There were tears in her eyes when I abandoned her. I tried to avoid them for this reason and looked at the long twists hanging from her shoulders. My heart was racing. I inhaled and exhaled. I was not looking forward to facing my mistake.

Xo reclining on the couch, with his feet resting on his table, watching TV. I sat down next to him and told him Ipy had been found.

“That’s great.”

“I am heading to Chinteche after lunch.”

“Don’t strain yourself okay?”

“I abandoned her Xo. My leg is the least of my worries.” I got up.

“That is not what I meant. I was simply asking you to be careful.”

“I’m sorry.” I said. “I am angry with myself for abandoning her and I am taking it out on you.”

“I know.” He smiled. It was a sad smile. I turned around and went to my room.

My heart was pounding. I looked at my hands they were trembling. I breathed in and out. Was I supposed to knock? I could hear Anganile Kyara, Chikondano and Ama speaking. I slowly approached the door and it opened. I breathed out hard. Chikondano was sitting facing me. He stared at me. Ama and Anganile turned around. They stared at me. I walked slowly towards the couch in front of me. I sat down slowly on the couch adjacent to there one Chikondano was on. I felt their eyes on me.

“How are you Ama?” I asked in Kyangonde awkwardly.

She responded curtly. I then greeted Anganile Kyara and her husband. There was an awkward silence.

“How is she?” I finally ventured.

“You have no right to ask that!” spat out Anganile. “How could you abandon her?!”

My hands were still trembling. “I…am…sorry.”

“Do you even care about her wellbeing? Taking her from home only to abandon her in the city.” I stopped listening to Anganile’s tirade. I heard words but assigned no meaning to them. I heard Ama ask Anga to stop talking after sometime.

“Salifya. What sort of person are you? Ipyana is your only blood relation.” Ama’s words felt like a thousand beams hitting my chest. My heart writhed in agony. Ama got up and left the room. Anganile Kyara followed. Chikondano stared at the carpet covering the floor.

“How is she?” I asked.

“She is alive.” He said, then left the room.

I left shortly after. During the flight to Mzuzu I kept replaying Ama’s words, remembering her tight expression, her indignant eyes. She spoke calmly but fire raged within her words.

I hoped Xo was not home I was in no mood to speak to anyone. In the sitting room was Xo and his friend Kuleza playing virtual games. I said a quick hello then went to my room.

“Can I come in?” I heard Xo said.

I opened the door.

“What are you doing here?”

I sat up on my bed. “Nobody wants me there. They are angry with me.” I bite my lower lip.

He lowered himself onto my bed. “Give me them time. There will forgive you.”

“I don’t know Xo.” I turned and faced the wall so Xo wouldn’t see the shame my face wore. “I deserve this.”

“There will forgive you.”

“I did not even get to see Ipy,” I was trying hard to steady my voice. “I don’t know if I want to see her. I don’t know if I can look at her again after what I did to her.”

Xo put his hand on my shoulder. “Your place is there Salifya.”

I turned around and faced him. “What do you mean?”

“If you have any hopes of having a relationship with your sister. Your place is there.” He left my room.

He was right. Maybe Ipy would never forgive me. But I didn’t want to lose her.

“Can I see her?” I asked timidly.

I could feel Anganile’s cold glare on me. I starred at the couch she was sitting on.

“She is not awake yet. She has been sleeping a lot only gets up to eat and bath.” Ama said.

I placed my bag on the floor. “Could I spend the night here?”

“Of course,” Chikondano said. I knew from Anganile’s scoffing that they would have a fight about this later. I hoped that she would give me the room that Ipyana was in but she gave me a room alone.

I heard Ama talking with someone in her room. It sounded like Ipyana. I knocked, breathed in then entered.

“Hi Ipy.” I said awkwardly. I was standing a few inches from the door. My voice was already cracking. Ama went and sat on the bed Ipyana was sitting on. She put her hand on Ipyana’s shoulder. “I am sorry about abandoning you in Mzuzu. It was selfish of me.”

Ipyana looked skinnier and fatigued. “Okay.” Her voice was cold and distant. I felt its iciness slice me inside. But what had I hoped for? That she would say it was okay and that all was well. I deserved this. I stood there lost in thought for sometime.

“What’s that you have there?” Ama asked.

“It’s mandasi . I got it from your favourite place Ipy,” I said placing the brown bag on the table near the wall. I scurried out of the room. I wanted to ran away to go Xo’s house. I felt unwanted here. Over the next few days many relatives and family friends came to see Ipyana. I would hide in my room but I could still hear what they said about me. I deserved it all but it hurt me hearing them call me selfish and callous. One of my aunties said I had always been this way.

When I heard this, I placed earphones in my ears and played some music.

“Hello” Xo texted me. “How is it going?”

Me: Not so good.

Xo: How come?

Me: Nobody wants me here.

Xo: Did you apologise to her?

Me: Of course.

Xo: Did you tell her why you did it?

Me: No.

Xo: I think you should. Knowing why you did it will help her move on from it.

I did not respond.

The next day Xo sent me a simulation of the HM facility we were about to hit.

Creator’s Note:

Happy new Month!

Hello my readers, Thank you for reading this far. Seeing my number of reads go up really makes my day. Did you enjoy this chapter? If so, give me some love through likes, shout outs or sharing my story.

Discussion:

What do you think of Sali’s reason for abandoning her little sister is it good enough?

First impressions of Anganile and Ama?

Do you think Ipyana will forgive Sali?

Do you think Sali is truly contrite?

Should Ipyana forgive her?

What did you think of Xo so far?

The next chapter will be written in a POV we have not had yet, any guesses?

Will post chapter 7 tomorrow:)