The b©dyguard – Episode 5
By Tisa Phiri
3 hours later, we reached the town of Solwezi. I had visited the small time years back, my uncle, mom’s brother once lived there before he pas-sed on. At the time i was only 10 years old. I could still remember a few places though there was some great improvements and the small town was growing. I guess it was the coming of the investors in the mines.
Paula, told the driver of the open Van to drive us to one of the lodges she said belonged to her father. Immediately we walked to the reception the lodge workers c@m£ running to welcome and greet her. “what happened to you Madam?” One of the workers asked her.
” are you okey? Can we help you with something?” He asked her tagging behind as we walked in the long corridor heading towards the rooms.
“Yes” Paula answered..
“tell the accountant to pay the driver of the Van outside and plea-se call someone to the office right now.”
“yes mam” the guy responded turning to go back after giving me a dirty glance.
Paula led me to a wi-de office with good looking furniture and neatly decorated cream white leather chairs behind a mahogan table.
An air con direct on the left of table..
“this is where I work from sometimes when I want to take a break from my busy schedules.” she told me as she re-moved her boots.
“uuuhhhh! ” She screamed as she tried to step on the floor. I noticed the blisters were worse than I had seen earlier.
I giggle in my head, thank God I was a black person, it would take the whole week of walking for me to get such blisters on my feet.
“You nee-d to be checked by a doctor” I suggested as she sat in her chair looking really exausted.
“not Now Ackim. I nee-d to wash off this dirty on me and then make a few calls. Am not sure what’s going on with dad. So I won’t risk ex-posing myself yet until am certain this is un-der control.” She sighed tired.
I nodded in agreement..
“I think I can use a bath too” I spoke up still standing. I saw how people looked at me at the entrance, surely I was a real mess.
“Oh yeah, sorry Ackim” she sighed.
“look at me, am busy thinking of my problems forgetting you too nee-d to be taken care of, am sorry.. ” she added.
I smiled..
“it’s okey, i un-derstand. just show me the bathroom I get to it alre-ady ”
She lifted the land line in the room and dialled some number..
“Shila come over to my office ” she called on the phone. A couple of minutes later a tall and dark girl with a well shaped b©dy walked in.
“Show my friend a room which is vacant and give him whatever he will ask for, make sure he’s comfortable.” Paula added as the girl led me out of the office. she looked at me with a disgust look but I ignored her. who would blame her anyway, my b©dy had not t©uçhed any water for the past 4 days except that of rains which even made it worse. I could bet I had a stench. I even wondered how Paula had manged to stay close to me as we walked together.
Shila opened a room two doors from the office we left Paula.. “there’s water and everything you nee-d to get cleaned up” she explained, Still avoiding any contact with me.
“Thank you” i smiled and immediately regrated it, she made a face of disgust and walked away almost holding her nose.
The feel of the warm water in my skin was so wonderful. I took all the time i had scru-bbing my skin. I had to get rid of the dirty I was feeling and had felt for almost 6 years. If i didn’t escape I could have lived un-der the command of general Loko for 6 years the follwing month.
After almost two hours of being in the tab scru-bbing myself, I finally emmerged from the water and went to look at my self in a mirror. I slowly held my face.
“oh my God” I whispered, i could not believe how I looked. only an inch of my face was visible, my hair was long and tied, the moustache had grown covering three quaters of my face. I looked at my self for a few more minutes, a tear dropped from my eye as I recalled what I had been throu-gh. I however was not the cry type, so the tear disappeared as soon as it fall off my eye and it was dry again.
“Thank God am alive” I whispered.
It was the only prayer I could say over the years, either thank God for my life today or thank you God for the food. I never went beyond that. I guess I was forgetting every other prayer my mother taught me and what I learnt from church.
I was gone thinking about my life when I heard a soft knock on the door. I wra-pped a towel in my w@!st and walked towards the door. A short guy stood by the door, he smiled at me..
” I have been told to come help you with your hair” he mentioned showing me the shaving machine in his hands.
” of course, thank you” I nodded indicating him to come in.
The guy did his thing and all the while we both were quite. He finished and asked me to look in the mirror..
“great work!” I exclaimed seeing my face clear and the moustache well treamed and shaped, leaving a very thin linning which defined my chin, revea-ling my thinl-ips. My head was clean and well shaved too. I could confess I looked like a different person, the people who saw me before could not identify me at first sight of my change.
In an hour I was done cleaning myself and I put on the new clothes another worker handed me. I wonder how Paula managed to give them accurate sizes to my clothes and shoes. I wore a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved b©dy t©p which defined my bulged muscles. If not for the small vest I put inside the t©p could have expo-sed my pointed small n!ppl!s.
what I did everyday of my life was a drill and I nee-ded no gym to get a perfect b©dy shape.
Paula come by later and she stood by the door quite for a few minutes checking me out.
” wow! ” She exclaimed.
“you look um..mm good” she murmered. I let a smile..
“it’s almost like you can’t believe am the same person you saw an hour before” I added standing from the be-d I had l@yback on.
“Sure I can confess you look different” she chuckled.
“let’s have some real food” she suggested leading the way out. she looked great in her small dress and high Heels, even though she didn’t have a well outlined Zambian woman shape, she looked perfect in her dress which revealed her round h!ps.
we sat in the corner of the restraunt at the lodge as the waiters served some h0t dishes of food.
Later that evening she suggested we rest and see the way forward the next day. Laying on my back I immediately fall asleep, the comfort of the be-d ma-king it easy to relax. After 5 years and some months of being in the bush it really felt more than great.
The b©dyguard – Episode 6
By Tisa Phiri
……Paula….
I took a bath after I s£nt my rescuer to another room to clean up. He was a totally messed up, but I respected his br@veness. If it were not his good deed of coming to my rescue. I had no idea what those idiots were going to do to me.
Recalling the moment Ackim c@m£ in the room I was tied up, all my hopes where gone. All I knew that any moment I would die at the hands of those thvgs. My hands had gone numb from being tied up. The many hours they kept me seemed like forever.
Then, I saw him..Ackim, he stood behind the guy who was almost going to hit me again so I shut up. His face was covered in a long and bushy moustache. However, I could see how honesty eyes were. He charged forward and slit my captor’s throat and I frooze. I had never seen a dead b©dy so close to me. As Ackim walked behind to untie me I was so scared my voice wouldn’t come out right when I asked who he waa. later on as we ran in the dark night, my running abilities charged in and I ran like I was in a race on the running track. I was always a good runner but at that moment fear added to my speed. I had to ran like my life depended on it.
Though I was at first not comfortable being with a total stranger, there was something about his voice, he sounded to be an honesty and good man. I mean, who would risk his life for someone he didn’t know. He’s combat told me he was in some kind of army, but definately not Zambian army uniform. Everything about him showed he was Zambian even his accent.
I fall asleep on his shoulder covered in his Jacket. un-der normal circu-mtances I wouldn’t l@ybesides a stranger and use a jacket with a strong scent of dirty. but I nee-ded to keep warm before I could worry about the scent, it just felt safe being close to that stranger.
With each step I took walking with Ackim I realised he trully had a big heart, though he thought he was more of an animal because of What he was subjected to in Congo. I still thought he’s humanity was still intact.
When I finished taking a bath, I sat down in my office and called my father. I had to let him know I was alive. I nee-ded to be a bit relaxed when talking to him no wonder I cleaned myself up first.
“Helo!” Dad answered at the third ring of his telephone. I had guesed well, that he was in his office that afternoon.
” yes dad it’s Paula” I answered back..
“Paula? My baby where are you? I have been so worried. I s£nt people to look for you all over. what happened to you?” he asked further without giving me a chance to respond.
“Dad calm down” I said softly.
” am fine now.. some people had me kidnapped but am safe. am at the lodge I thought it wise I stay here today not knowing what is really going on.”
I heard my dad sigh.
“I thank Jesus you are alive Paula I was loosing my mind and my enemies almost succeed in getting what they wanted from me. I think it’s a good idea you stay over there in a couple of days until we put in place the people who did this to you. so I will come over tomorrow. I don’t want to act fast. By coming there i might risk ex-posing you. Am suspecting someone from the inside my company or friends is working against me.” Dad explained.
“Sure dad, I will fill you in on the details of how i was rescued by a stranger later then”
” take care my baby” dad added before hanging up.
Whatever it is my father’s enemies had planned against him was serious and I intended to ask him now that I was alive and well.
I walked to Ackim’s room an hour later, stood by his door shocked. The perfect guy that stood before me didn’t look like the one I spent hours with. Ge was so h0t, my heart skipped a bit. His bulged muscles and broad shoulders were like that of an American basket ball pla-yer. I tried to compose myself when I noticed he saw me drolling over him. I stammered as I told him he looked different, his well shaved face and head showed off his handsome face. His weak and soft eyes looking at me, made my throat move up and down swiftly. I was embarras-sed and I quic-kly walked out leading the way to the eating table.
All the time i was marvelled by his speech, he smiled most of the times especially when he talked about his home. I had to control my drolling owing to the fact that, the man I was admiring was a stranger who would probably leave the following day never to return again.
I had not gotten involved in any serious relationsh!psince I broke up with my b©yfri£ndback in Australia. I had gotten myself a couple of men but non of then caught my attention to the extent of me wanting more from them than some one time hook ups.
After our dinner, Ackim patted my back and told me to rest well. For some reason he didn’t pay much attention to me as I did him, so I guesed i wasn’t his type of girl after all.
Early in the morning I woke up and took a quic-k shower, pu-ll-ed a pair of brown skin jeans and a white sleeveless blouse then I put an orange throw on. Satisfied with my casual looks I let loose my hair, the curls from the previous day were still visible.
I heard a soft knock on my door.. “come in!” I called out.
I peeped from the bathroom door and i saw Ackim standing his hands in his pockets.
“good morning !” I called out.. “morning!” he answered in his gentle voice.
” did I disturb you?” He asked as he looked around my room.
“Um, no you have not” i chuckled coming out of the bathroom. I suggested we sit by the eating table. So we discuss the way forward.
” My father will join us soon” I looked up at him..
“Alright.” he smiled putting his hands in his blue jeans again. I smiled inwardly..
My designer instincts were perfect. just looking at him I had known the exact size of his clothes and shoes and the good p@rt is that the the person I s£nt, bought the exact things I told him.
My father joined us and I explained about Ackim. He was so grateful for his actions and immediately wrote a cheque to compesate him, but Ackim turned down the cheque.
“Sorry sir, we just told you I have been away for some time. so I don’t even have my valid papers and an account. I would rather you give me cash if you don’t mind and then I will head my way.” he added.
“Sure I un-derstand young man” my father told him.
” but it means you will have wait up until tomorrow so that my bank can issue the cash.”
“thank you again.” Dad told him.. “it’s unfortunate you want to leave otherwise I wanted to propose you stay here and work for me as my daughter’s b©dyguard am afraid her life is still in danger and I don’t trust my own men. my instincts tell me to trust you more than them Ackim..” he continued.
“Am glad you regard me like that Sir” Ackim smiled at dad.
“but I have to go home and try locating my family, besides, am still indented to my unit as a commando. I nee-d to report back and probably help rescue the other guys who remained behind…” he explained..
I knew it was ha-rd to convince him to stay. I too felt safe around him but it wasnt fair of me to ask him sacrifice his life further more..
“it’s okey dad.” spoke up.
” let him go and sort his life and if he would decide otherwise he might as well come back and work for us” I said looking at Ackim. He smiled and nodded his head to agree with me.
Dad left us after we chatted and he filled me in on what was going on with his political issues and how the enemies wanted to get him to surrender a big sum of money for my re-lease. He had almost given up the money but the bank delayed the process and luckily I should up before he handed them the cash.
Later that afternoon, I asked Ackim to drive me to town to get a few clothings for both of us. I couldnt risk going home to get my clothes and the clothes i had put in the room at the lodge were not enough to take me for more days.
I noticed Ackim look around as we headed to the shops. He walked a step back from me and I wondered what was going on. I was still wondering when Ackim shouted.. “get down.!.”
confused, I l@ydown and watched in fear as he stood up after a gun sh0t missed us. He pu-ll-ed me back to the car and ran after some guy. Holding his gun
“don’t come out!” he told me before going. Trembling with i got my phone and dialled dad’s line.
“Dad !” I shouted.
“someone just attacked us in town, you have to s£nd someone here. Ackim is gone after the shooter he might be in danger.” I told him crying.
” am coming Paula” dad’s panicking voice responded as i hang up.
To be continued