Finding sunshine in the rain (fiction)

Stacey had just been evicted from her comfortable little flat and she was devastated, she had the difficult choice of going back home or going to live with one of her sisters who all lived in states miles away from her job, she would have to quit her job. The thought of going home with her tail between her legs was one so daunting and unfair for her. How did she get to this she was doing so well being on her own and holding down her new job, but it was just too much too soon. She hadn’t yet mastered the concept of saving nor had she curbed her desire for impulse buying either, she was quickly overwhelmed with the ability to buy and lead a life she had only dreamed of.

It took three months for the cracks of her new life style to show, she had maxed out her credit cards her rent bill lay unpaid for two solid months. She was outraged with herself, what was she thinking, being so unresponsibile? Where were her priorities how could she neglect so much, looking back it was as though she was on some high nothing mattered at all in the moment. Now she felt as though life has just slapped her across the face. What was she to do even if she went home the bills would still need to be paid and she would be unemployed she found herself in a catch 22 situation. Stacey fell to the ground closed her eyes and said “Lord I know I have been to busy for you and I have been neglectful to my responsibilities, I know I am unworthy of your mercy but I humbly ask for your forgiveness and if you could assist me I will change my ways Amen”.

Stacey rose up and set off for the city she felt she couldn’t just wait around she needed to be proactive in seeking a solution to her situation, she bought a news paper and looked for ladies communes that would be way cheaper than an apartment. She went to about fifteen and found nothing at all she was beginning to lose hope, her search continued for 2 weeks she would go to work and surf the net and most nights she would go to each commune in hope of finding space, for 2 solid weeks she slept on the train. Fortunately the apartment caretaker let her store her stuff in the garage and she often changed for work in his bathroom. Stacey was deranged with despair how could this be her life, she didn’t harm anyone, she was honest and hard working how could this be her fate?

After work, Wednesday evening  she had planned to pass through an orphanage home to drop off some of her belongings she no longer used she figured it would  make her load light for the journey back home. When she handed over her parcel she was invited for dinner to which happily accepted, she wolfed up dinner like a raging animal all the sisters looked on in horror and disbelief! Immediately Sister Anne took the young lady into the kitchen and quizzed her until it all came pouring out with a flood of tears. Thereafter Stacey was offered a position as an assistant matron she could keep her job and get free accommodation and food until she paid her bills and got on her feet again. She immediately fell to her knees and cried thank you Lord over and over.

The Birth ( fictional)

Jeffrey’s beloved wife Emeldha called to inform him she was on her way to the hospital, as she was in labour. Immediately Jeff’s face lit up! it was time. For nine months he had felt so useless, watching his beautiful wife carry their child, through the morning sickness, sleepless nights and midnight cravings. He had watched his wife endure it all. He had received a fair share of tantrums, and had enjoyed the laughter with her.

Often he wished he could be a part of what he thought was the most amazing experience ever which was pregnancy, but now was his turn to step in to the role he dreamt of for so long. He usually imagined what it would be like for him to carry this burden for her. He dreamt and craved for the day he would get to hold his sweet, beautiful angel of a daughter, in his hands. He dreamt of her growing up into a beautiful, successful and intelligent woman. He even thought of the day she would get to exchange vows, with that bright young man, with a future oozing with success!!

He hopped, skipped and jumped to his car. He was filled with excitement and joy like never before. He felt like crying and started laughing at the same time. He had never before experienced such ecstasy. His stomach grew butterflies which quickly turned melodious and gave him a serene and unruffled feeling.

As he arrived in the labour ward, his elation and euphoria was quickly drained. His joy and exhilaration quickly turned sour. He went into despair. Emeldha sat on the delivery bed, tomato red in the face with sweat. Her eyes were swollen; they told a story filled with hurt. Her lips were dry and chapped. Her hair was literally heaved off her scalp. This was not the woman he knew, she was different. Never in their life together had Jeffrey witnessed Emeldha in such a state, never had he seen his woman looking like this. He did not want to ask, he immediately rushed to her side and grabbed her hand and said “ your doing amazing love you are so brave and strong, I’m so proud of you” , Emeldha got so much joy and strength from those words of encouragement that she managed a great big push and their baby girl crowned.

Jeff had tears in his eyes he smiled at her. “one more push love, she is here our precious little bundle is here! His hand turned blue from Emeldha’s grip but her final push and a baby girl came out screaming and Jeff stared at his wife with joy and appreciation. She could not help but feel like she had just saved the world, she looked down and smiled all the pain long forgotten. They were both mesmerized by the beauty their little bundle had, they went silent for a moment, each feeling a joy never felt before.
Emeldha was handed the baby, she smiled with tears rolling down her chicks, shivering a bit, but at the same time happy and serene. Jeff looked on, his joy was indescribable..he just smiled endlessly..

"The loss of a mother" (fiction)

Torn from her dream by the sound of her phone ringing, Catherine sits up and realises it’s the call she has been dreading for the past two weeks, she took a deep sigh that almost made her pass out, she gritted her teeth and answered the phone. “Is this Catherine, I’m very sorry to inform you that your mum has lost her battle with cancer and passed away this morning at 3.45am” That’s all she heard before the numbness set in. Catherine knew this was coming but knowing doesn’t make it any easier at first she felt a burning sensation in her heart and then stabbing  pain, ice cold tears rolled down her chicks and she had no idea what to do she just felt so overwhelmed. She grew weary, her psyche went void, she reflected on all the sweet tender memories they’d shared. Her heart died and her soul shrivelled.

Catherine finally rose from her bed headed down stairs and jumped into her car and drove, at first she did not know her destination then she decided she needed to be near water, Lake Chivero it is she decided, she drove as fast as her little Mazda 323 could take her, Thankfully there was hardly any traffic at 4.30 in the morning. She arrived and it was a ghost town she jumped out the car, and over the fence she leapt into Admirals Cabin she ran down to the lake side and sat on a rock in the dark, coldness of the early morning. As she stared at the unending water, all she could think of was how she would manage this life without her mum; who was her mentor, councillor and best friend.

She also felt that her mum deserved a break for she had suffered for so long trying to fight breast cancer, she had become so frail and tired. Catherine felt so selfish and inhumane for wanting her alive, even though it was clear that the pain and suffering was unbearable for her mother. She decided it was good that her dear mother had gone to rest, but the challenge of facing everyone and coordinating the funeral made her exhausted. Her heart still ached for her mother so many cherished memories they shared together she really couldn’t comprehend that no new ones were to be made. She tried to comprehend the profound loss. Somehow, she had a sense of peace, a sense which came from the memories of love she and her mom had shared. She had a sense of pride, for she knew that her mom had accomplished so much!

 Why is death so difficult to deal with she wondered, why is it so hard when everyone has to die, why do fight this inevitable part of life she thought.  After watching the most breath taking sunrise ever she felt a stab of agony that her mother would never see another as beautiful, reluctantly yet courageously, she walked to her car to drive to back to the city to deal with burial of her mother.

"In the moment" (fictional)

It was the 4^th of July celebrations and in the mist of the fireworks and festivities an explosive meeting occurred, it was on the roof top of the empire state building and Luke was headed to the balcony to get a better view of the firework display when in his peripheral view, he caught sight of the most breath taking woman he had ever imagined. Instantaneously his direction switched, when he laid eyes on her he lost his breath was he dreaming? His heart didn’t skip one beat. Did such beauty exist her skin was a silk caramel, her dark brown eyes spoke volumes and her smile lit up the room.

Andrea was about ready to die of boredom when she looked up to a happy surprise of the definition of attractive, he was hardly handsome but he had a presence that excited her, the broad shoulders, beefed up chest and strong arms, wow she thought and his heading my direction. She looked directly at him and put on her million dollar smile that brightened up rooms. Hi there she whispered to him, he reached out for her arm and placed a gentle warm kiss on her wrist, gazed in to her eyes and said to her “such beauty often leaves a man dumbfound, Luke’s the name”.

Immediately Andrea perked up, “I am Andrea but everyone calls me Andy”. Luke whizzed her off to the balcony and they watched the fireworks and mostly each other with great big grins across their faces. In the moment she was so elated to be in the company of someone she found attractive for a change, her stomach had totally disappeared from nerves maybe at last she had found someone she could shower with love and he seemed just as excited as she was. She closed her eyes and prayed that this was the man she was longing to meet and that….. loneliness would no longer be her companion.

All she could hear was the music, no not any kind of music, but a sweet reverting melody that quintessentially made her feel like she wanted to cry and smile, at the same time. This was her curtain call, she knew she had to make it work or a chance like this would never again present itself to her. Luke, on the other hand, knew not of any feeling that compared to this. He had never felt this way. He thought to himself, “I’m even ready to face death”. Never had he imagined that such a feeling would exist in his life time. She had a smile that made him week at the knees; she had eyes to die for. She was “innocent”, untamed and made him feel like it was the end of the world. He grew desperate, the fireworks were just but a distraction to him, his eyes were locked on hers...he felt like he wanted her embrace, he knew it was too early, and so all he could do for now was smile.
In his head, was a voice “Luke, Luke, Luke”!! And oh!! He thought; please don’t distract me from this moment. Just then did the voice grow louder, followed by a slap in the face, and a cold splash of water! Only then did Luke realize this was just but a dream.

"The Village Murder" (fictional)

The myriad of people just stood there, in shock, bewildered and distraught. The mothers were contemplating, whether they should mourn or hit themselves onto the ground. I just stood there, with an ill-spirited and divorced look. One of the elders cried out, “Daughter!! What have you done?” I just looked back at her, not a word came out of me. Matombo ran into the house, the commotion and ire, and the ogre in me, grew even stronger. I waited, waited not just for anything but for the furore to come to pass. An eye for an eye, I had been taught. Live by the sword and die by its end, I had learnt!

No one can heartlessly take the lives of those I love and expect me to remain silent they chant and shout that I am a murderer when I am just doing what I know to be right. How could you!! They screamed? How could I not, she was so disrespectful and malicious I had to save the village from this vindictive, seductress of a monster. The definition of evil in flesh and blood, they all feared her for her ways, they shivered when she passed and went silent at her streams of abuse. The village was her playground she ruled the people through fear she had taken the lives of so many I didn’t mind my fate. Justice had been served; my soul could gladly go & meet its ancestors. I was now a hero for I had defended her injustice.

I grew up not knowing anything but the fear she imparted through her ways, she was but the villain I dreamt of whenever I closed my eyes every night. She flaunted the iniquity of the village; she served our love with her devotion to her rogue and acerbic nature. This was my Aunt Mandibaya. Yeah she was my aunt, barbed in nature. I grew up under the same roof were she lay. My Father, then a good servant of the Lord, took her in, after she had been dumped by her Late Husband Chakora. She deceived her way into my Father’s house. We welcomed and embraced her like a daughter of the soil. My Father said he knew her from his Late Mother’s village!! And so we welcomed her. What we didn’t know was that we had welcomed a fiend, a brute who knew not of the values of the land and family.

She consumed my family and half the village, slowly yet consistently she would seduce the village fathers and cause chaos in their homes she wrecked most of the marriages first and shortly after that the estranged wives began to disappear the distraught husbands began to kill for her affections. My father was murdered at her hands she lured him to protect her knowing she had hired an assassin, she thought she had won this village she was celebrating her victory when I came in with my machete in hand. I intended just to hurt her, to remove her limbs and paralyse her, so she would be unable to hurt another innocent soul. In the moment overcome with rage and with justice in mind I became a merciless murderer and she was left no more than carved flesh in a pool of blood. I know I was wrong but I also know I have saved many a lifetime of injustice, I know I will hang in a few days but I will gladly hang for my village and for the vengeance of my father.

And so we just stood there, no one knew what to do. Matombo, the Crawl Head was distraught, “Never in my lifetime has this happened, even in the lifetime of my Fathers” he bleated. The elders grew weary of crying; they lamented yet assured that the village was safe. They knew the devil in their midst was but history. They reminisced about the fearful days they’d seen, “at their age”. But what was going to happen now, they dreaded having to put me to death after this great deed I had done! Yet they had to be loyal to custom murder in such brutality could not go unpunished as I had slain this monster I had to face a fate so similar. My heart froze at the thought of the unfairness of this world in anger and fear I become numb, I had to die too I had vivid flash backs of what I had just done speeding before me and then blackness…………….