# ~~Truths_of_the_heart~ ❤️
32~
Peter opened his eyes slowly. He turned his head, trying to gauge where he was. On his left was a be-d with a boy in it. The boy had tubes around him whose sight frightened Peter. Trying to sit up, a sharp pain sh0t from his shoulder, as well as che-st.
“Ahh!” He cried out.
“Hey, don’t try to sit up.” A woman c@m£ up next to him, soothing him. “Let me get the nurse.”
The woman disappeared, returning with the nurse a few minutes later.
“Hey sleepy head.” The nurse smiled at him. “How are you feeling?”
“I have a headache, and feeling quite dizzy.” Peter responded trying to sit up again. The pain c@m£ throu-gh as this second attempt. “Ahh.”
“You fractured your clavicle and one of your ribs.” The nurse explained. “So plea-se refrain from trying to sit up for now. Can you tell me your name?”
“Peter.” He said holding his head. “What happened?”
“You were involved in a car accident two days ago. You have unconscious since you arrived.”
“What accident?” Peter asked, fear rising within him.
“The bus you were traveling in from chirundu lost control and hit into a tree while trying to avoid an oncoming truck.” The nurse explained.
Peter gave her a blank stare.
“What can you remember? ”
Peter sat quietly, pushing his mind for any information but nothing c@m£ throu-gh. “I…I can’t remember anything.”
“Do you have parents? Family?”
“I think so. I have a father.”
“Where?”
Peter shook his head. “I dont know” tears started to fall from his eyes.
“Hey, dont worry. We’ll help you figure it out.” The nurse reas-sured him. She conducted a few tests then left to inform the doctor of his current state.
“Hi Peter. My Name is Dr Mwaka.”
“Hi.” He smiled at her.
“So sister Mervis tells me you’re have a bit of trouble remembering what happened. That’s ok and nothing to worry about ok.” Dr Mwaka pu-ll-ed a chair, to sit next to his be-d. “I’m sure sister explained that you were involved in an accident right? When the bus lost control, it rolled over a few times before it hit into a big tree. So, that rolling over caused everyone on the bus to be thrown around since no one was wearing a seat belt. You hit your h0t in the process causing your br@in to swell up in a small area. The impact also broke your rib and shoulder blade. Do you un-derstand what I’m telling you?”
Peter nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. You’re a clever boy. So dont f0rç£ yourself to remember anything ok. It will come back on it’s on. I want you to get some rest for now. I’ll be back in the evening to check on you.”
“Ok.”
****************
Naomi sat un-der a tree in the yard staring at the sky. She had cried so much, that the tears had eventually st©pped coming out. She could believe the nightmare that she was stuck in. Never had she thought the possibility of Los Peter would affect her this much. Nor the possibility of losing Mwamba.
Naomi heard the gate open. She looked up and saw Mwamba enter. He closed the gate behind him and walked to the back of the house, ignoring her completely. Naomi followed him. She was taking her mother’s advice and trying to be a good wife to him.
“Welcome home.” Naomi rushed to get his backpack.
“Uhmm.” He murmured in response.
“Daddy!” Milda rushed into the kitchen. Mwamba’s face immediately brightened up.
“My princess.” He lifted her up in the air. “How was your day?” Mwamba went with Milda to the living room where he fell into one of the chairs.
Milda chatted on, excited to have Mwamba back. After a while, her facial changed, as she frowned. “Daddy, is Peter going to come back?”
“Yes baby girl. He’s coming back.”
“But why is mummy crying? And why are you upset?”
Mwamba felt a pung listening to his daughter’s questions. “We are just missing Peter and trying to get him home that’s all.”
“Did he run away from us?”
“No baby. He didn’t run away. He went for holiday but it’s far from us. So we are doing everything we can to make sure he gets back safely ok.”
Milda smiled once again. “Ok. Because I want my brother.”
“So that you can trouble him for sweets.” Mwamba tickled Milda causing her to fall into a fit of laughter.
“Your food is re-ady.” Naomi announced, kneeling down next to Mwamba.
“I’m not hungry.” He said stand up to leave the living room.
“Milda plea-se get your daddy you go and eat.” Naomi said quic-kly. She knew Mwamba would not say no to Milda.
“Yes daddy. Let’s go eat together. plea-se!”
Mwamba sh0t Naomi a disapproving look. She knew him well. And one of his weaknesses was his children.
“plea-se daddy.” Milda begged.
“Ok. Let me change first ok pumpkin. ”
#Truths_of_the_heart 💜
33
*
Morning could not come sooner as Mwamba l@yawake, anxious to see Peter. The court had ordered that they be allowed to see him at a designated location. Peter would still be in Lwipa’s custody until Monday when he was scheduled for an interview with the judge.
“Are you awake?” Naomi asked from the be-d.
Mwamba mumbled a response after a short pause.
“plea-se come sleep on the be-d. Its unfair that you should sleep on the floor.”
“Dont start!” He replied.
Naomi shuddered in sadness. He had allowed her back into their be-droom but decided to sleep on a small thin mattress of which, it seemed was as good as having no mattress at all. “Don’t punish yourself like this.”
“I’m punishing myself? Naomi do we really have to keep going throu-gh this conversation? Because honestly I’m tired of it! All I want to focus on is getting my son back!” He turned to the side facing away from the be-d, covering his head.
“Oh, just so you know, after all this I’m legally changing Peter’s name to mine. And you’ll have very little control over him.” Mwamba covered his head again. Within minutes, he was snoring lightly.
Naomi hvgged a pillow as she cried into it. She was trying to be the best wife to him like her mother had advised. But it seemed she would nee-d to do more to get his attention.
Just then, Mwamba phone flashed from his side of the be-d where he had plugged it into the charger. Curious at who could be calling him at that hour, she stretched out to reach for it, glancing at where Mwamba was slee-ping to avoid being caught.
‘Don’t forget our d@t£ sunday evening.’
Naomi’s heart skipped a beat. The number was not saved on the phone. It could only be Tamara. She was the only woman she knew going after her husband. Naomi’s che-st felt heavy as fresh tears started to fall. She quic-kly copied the number then deleted the message, mentally planning on how to deal with her foe once and for all.
9am the following morning Mwamba and Naomi sat parked at the mall waiting for their lawyer. Having ~set up a meeting at 10 with Lwipa’s lawyer, meeting earlier would give them chance to go throu-gh what would be expected from both p@rties during the visit.
~
“Can we go out this evening? So we can have a quiet dinner and just talk?” Naomi asked, breaking the silence.
“I have plans.”
“Oh, with who?” Naomi’s heart sank.
Mwamba impatiently glanced at his watch.
“Finally!” He said as Amos walked towards the car.
“Hi Mwamba. Naomi.”
“Amos, what’s wrong?”
Amos watched as Mwamba c@m£ out of the car leaning on the door after closing it. “I dont know how to say this.”
“Say what?” Naomi asked.
“I have failed to get hold of Nyembezi. His phone is not reachable. Neither is Lwipa’s number.”
“Come on. You must be kidding right?”
Amos shook his head.
“Why do I have a feeling there is more?” Mwamba looked sternly at him.
“Ok, I’m not sure if this is actually true, but I’ve heard from one of his friends that they have lost him.”
“Lost who?” Naomi was now out of the car.
“Peter! Lwipa doesn’t have him.”
“What?” Mwamba got back into the car. “Let’s go?”
“Where? Naomi asked rushing back as well.
“Lwipa’s house. I’m going to get my son. Amos are you coming or not?”
Amos got into the back. He had ba-rely closed the door when Mwamba sped off. It wasn’t long before he was hooting at the gate.
Wezi appeared startled as she walked out the gate to see them. “Hi.”
“I’m here for Peter. Bring him out.”
“I’m sorry I cant help you. plea-se call Lwipa.”
“Where’s my son?” Naomi asked Wezi.
“I dont know. Lwipa has not told me anything.”
“Isnt he your husband?” Naomi asked, sarcastically.
“Did you tell your husband you were bringing him in the first place?” Wezi countered in an equally sarcastic tone. “Anyway, I honestly do not know where he is. If he were here you would have seen him.”
“How dare you!” Naomi tried to get out of the car and lunge at Wezi but Mwamba pu-ll-ed her back.
“Behave yourself. ” he scolded her, then turned to Wezi. “We’re not leaving until I get my son.”
“You are free to wait here for him.” Wezi said and walked back Into the yard.
Tbc