THIRTEEN: I have more rights to be here than that woman

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One Sunday morning, a month after Karen-Irene Chomba’s birth, a royal blue Chrysler 300C pulled up outside the Chomba residence just as Kangwa was stepping out to buy tomatoes from the shop around the corner.

She readied herself the moment the engine died.

She watched the driver’s window. A second later it rolled down, and there was her brother. She had not seen him in a long while. The last time he had visited, she had been away.

‘Kangwa, hi,’ he greeted her cheerfully, unbothered by her expression.

‘Joseph’s dad. What are you doing here?’

‘Kangwa, good to see you too. Why are you still in Lusaka? I thought you were visiting the Copperbelt this weekend?’

Gershom got out and went around to open the back door. He reached in and straightened up with his daughter in his arms.

Kangwa shook her head. Since the transfer, she had been travelling back and forth between Lusaka and the Copperbelt most weekends. ‘Next week. You have not answered my question. Why are you here?’

He smiled and brushed his lips against the baby’s forehead. ‘Are Ma and Pa home?’

‘At this hour? They are at church. What do you want?’

‘I came to introduce my daughter to her grandparents.’ He turned the baby slightly towards her. ‘Baby Karen, say hi to your Aunt Kangwa. Would you like to hold her?’

Kangwa looked at him. A slow, scornful smile lifted the corners of her mouth. ‘Is that a joke?’

‘No, Kangwa. What is wrong with wanting my daughter to meet her aunt?’

She could only shake her head. How could he stand there cuddling this month-old baby with such warmth when, to this day, he had never once held Bertha? Had never acknowledged her properly as his child? Her heart ached for the three children who had to beg for a fraction of what this infant received without asking.

From behind him, Yolanda stepped out of the car, finishing a call. The twenty-two-year-old was dressed in an attractive ankle-length cold-shoulder chitenge dress. ‘Sister-in-law. It has been a while.’

Kangwa did not look at her. She turned back to her brother. ‘You should not have brought her here.’

‘How long are you going to keep this up? We are getting married next week,’ Gershom said, his voice carrying a note of reproach.

‘You should leave before Feggy and the children get back.’

He threw her a look, then turned to Yolanda. ‘Come on. It is not good for the baby to be out here too long.’

He slung the nappy bag over his shoulder, reached for Yolanda’s hand, and walked towards the door.

When he tried to pass Kangwa, she stepped in front of him. ‘Joseph’s dad, do not do this. Your being here will only cause unnecessary tension. Please leave before Feggy returns with the children.’

He chuckled. ‘In case it has slipped your mind, this is my home. I have more right to be here than that woman does. If my presence in my own parents’ house bothers her so much, she is the one who should leave. Now step aside.’

He walked past her with Yolanda and the baby.

Kangwa stood where she was, pressing a hand against her chest, the other fanning her face slowly. She bit down on the words fighting to come out of her mouth. Despite everything, he was still her elder brother. She had no right to confront and disrespect him no matter how much he deserved it.

She was about to turn and walk out when Yolanda’s voice came from behind her.

‘By the way, sister-in-law.’

Kangwa turned.

Yolanda stood at the edge of the veranda, the smug look on her face so complete that Kangwa’s fists tightened at her sides.

‘It is Karen’s dad. Or Irene’s dad. Nothing else. I am not comfortable with you addressing him by the names of those other children. Our daughter’s name is Karen-Irene Chomba and that is how you address him.’

She turned to go back inside.

‘Hey.’

Yolanda stopped and looked back.

‘You listen to me,’ Kangwa said, her voice very steady. ‘I do not care what you have named that child. Karen or whatever. My brother will always be Joseph’s dad. Sandra’s dad. Bertha’s dad. If hearing those names makes you uncomfortable, you should have thought about that before you went to such lengths to go after a married man.’

She picked up her bag, walked out, and let the gate bang shut behind her.

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‘Feggy?’

Mrs. Irene Chomba’s voice was soft as they stood in front of the freezers in Lupasha Supermarket. Feggy had just placed a pack of bream back and was reaching for another.

‘Yes, Ma? What is on your mind?’

‘Have you thought about getting remarried?’

Feggy turned sharply. ‘Remarriage? Ma, where is that coming from?’

Mrs. Irene chuckled at the look on her face. ‘I see I shocked you.’

Feggy placed the fish in the trolley and looked at her. ‘It is just very sudden. What made you ask that, Ma? Are you already tired of having me around?’

Mrs. Chomba pushed the trolley as Feggy fell into step beside her. ‘Give it some serious thought. You are still young and beautiful. You have your whole life ahead of you. Do not let one bad experience with love ruin your view of it entirely.’

Her greatest wish had been to see Feggy grow old by her son’s side. She had watched this girl grow from a carefree teenager into a responsible and quietly strong woman. Even though that wish would never come true, she still held hope that Feggy would find her happy ending, even if the man to give it to her was not her son.

‘Honestly, Ma, the thought has not crossed my mind.’

Mrs. Chomba stopped in front of the dairy freezer, her face creasing with quiet concern. ‘This morning before church, I came across Gershom’s wedding invitation. It made me think about how unfair all of this has been on you. The rug was pulled from under you when you least expected it. I know it is too soon. You were still in love with my son when he decided he no longer wanted to be with you. But if a time ever comes when you feel ready to move on and love again, I want you to take that chance. Do not let him take that from you too.’

‘I will keep that in mind, Ma.’ Feggy smiled gently. ‘But to be honest with you, right now my only focus is the children and the business. I want to succeed. I want to give them the best. If love finds me along the way, then good. But it is the last thing on my mind at the moment.’

Mrs. Irene smiled at her and reached for the containers of sour milk.

As they headed out after paying, Theo met them at the exit with Bertha on her back. She helped load the groceries into the boot, then called Mr. Chomba who had been with the older two children in the mall’s play park. When he joined them shortly after with Joseph and Sandra in tow, Theo announced she was treating them all to lunch. They piled into the car and drove to a child-friendly restaurant nearby.

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© Ponda