The Bodyguard 2 Episode 13 byNeun Phiri
Paula..
"Cecilia"! I called the maid. I had fallen asleep on the couch after the twins fell asleep and when I woke up I found I had slept over 2 hours.
I sat up and adjusted the volume on the TV in front of me.
"Ackim back?" I asked her..
I didn't see him leave, but as he left I only heard his car engine outside. I didn't want to bother him with a lot of calls. When I tried it and his phone was off, I decided to wait for his return. I had thought he was just around somewhere and would come back.
"Where could he be ?" I asked looking at my phone when the maid told me he wasn't back.
"I don't know, ma'am," the maid replied, although I didn't really need her answer.
"Okay, thanks, go ahead," I hinted.
I tried calling him but his line was still dead. I shrugged and walked over to Paul, who was now crying in her room.
"Hey sonny! up yet?” I smiled at him as he cried and kicked his skinny legs. As soon as I picked him up, Kim woke up too. I held them both and walked back into the living room.
I even missed Ackim's sister back then. She was good at taking care of the kids, but the day before, before Ackim showed me the house he had built, she had told me that she was going to visit her mother.
We had her enrolled at CBU where she was studying, she always came back when they closed. I grew to love Ackim's family, they didn't have much money like my family, but they had this special respect for family. They don't really stay together, but every time their mother called them out for something, they all worked together and trained as a family.
I remembered the time when Acchim's two brothers came to the wedding.
His younger brother, who had also married, came with his wife to the introductory meeting their mother organized before we got married. He was the most talkative and often made me laugh whenever we had a chance to chat.
"Hey kid" Ackim had joined us as we sat down on a mat on the farm in front of her mother's house.
"Be careful and don't let my wife fall for your charms," he teased, hugging me from behind.
"Well, it's not my fault I'm not as boring as you are," he replied, making us both laugh.
He called me Mlamu and explained what in-laws called me. We spent a lot of time talking to him and the woman. I really felt at home the 2 days we spent there. The meeting was scheduled over a weekend and my dad also came with my uncle who was dad's only brother to attend the meeting.
Dad only had one brother and both parents were late. According to him, his parents died in a traffic accident when I was a baby and since dad moved to Australia with his family when dad was only 20. He never knew many other extended family members, so far the only person I met other than his brother was a woman my father had introduced me to as his cousin, but she stayed in Lusaka and we never really visited.
I loved how Ackim's mother brought other relatives to our traditional gathering to introduce themselves. Even though I couldn't remember all of them, they told me that the family was big and that in Zambia family was valued.
I smiled as I recalled such events. I really learned a lot and it's all thanks to Ackim who stayed with me and helped me cope with everything. I knew that family always came first for him and that he would undoubtedly do anything for us.
I was still thinking about the old days when I heard a car engine outside. I let the boys play with their toys and rushed out.
He approached me with a smile.
"Hey my wife!" He called me. I smiled, liking the way he emphasized the words "my wife".
"Hey babe.. where have you been? I missed you," I said, opening my hands to hug him.
"Mmmmmh went on an errand dear. Don't worry though everything is done and the job was perfect,” he said kissing my forehead.
"How are you all?" he asked, holding my shoulders and pushing my hair to one side.
"Fine," I said, looking at him doubtfully.
"Ackim, tell me where you went. How come I have a bad feeling about your mysterious disappearance?" I asked him..
"Relax my love, everything is fine. I've never felt better.” He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets and I knew it was serious.
This habit only happened when he was nervous or because he'd done something he knew I wouldn't agree with.
"Babe, come here," I said, following him inside.
"What now ?" He laughed.
"Is my sister back?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Cecilia check on the kids!" I called, pulling Ackim into our bedroom.
I sat down and patted the bed next to me.
"Baby, please tell me what's going on. I know you, does it have anything to do with Sarah and Jay?” I asked, scared of what he could have done to them.
"What have you done, dear? Please come on, you're worrying me. Serah was supposed to come get her stuff and she didn't show up, tell me what you did,” I insisted.
He sighed and walked to the couch instead of sitting down and resting his head against the wall.
"Well if you're worried that I killed her the answer is no, that would be too easy for punishment," he smiled, crossing his arms around himself.
"But ?" I asked, getting more and more concerned now, if he didn't say something it was because it wasn't good and I felt my skin tingle.
"Come here," he smiled and held out his hands.
"I want you to relax and calm down, my love, everything is fine," he said, pulling me towards him.
I shook my head, really touching his calm. Not really that I cared about them that much, but knowing Ackim. I was afraid for them, I just wanted them to leave the country and leave us alone.
"Baby, just promise me you won't push the limits in anything you do. I don't want you to go to jail.” I sighed and gave up asking questions that didn't get answers.
"We're having dinner out," he replied instead, avoiding the subject.
"Let me take a bath while you get ready and tell the maid to watch the boys," he added, leaving me on the couch.
I shook my head, grabbed my cell phone and tried to call Serah when I heard the shower running, the line was off.
"Oh god, what's going on?" I held my head and pushed back my loose hair.
I knew Ackim was still in pain and if I refused to date him at that moment, there would be trouble.
I quickly removed my top and wrap and went to the bathroom to join him.
We went to the car after about 40 minutes. I was wearing a short peach dress and black heels, my hair in a bun, my face lightly made up.
He held my waist as we walked.
"You look so hot, I'm not sure I'll last an hour on this side," he teased.
He wore brown soft jeans and a black short sleeve shirt that revealed a small white t-shirt he had tucked in and the black mocussin leather shoe that matched his shirt gave him a killer look as always.
How could he even think that he wasn't man enough for me when I lost control of myself every time he was near me. If only he knew how much I loved him and was so vulnerable in his presence. I watched him in silence as he started the car.
"What is my wife?" He asked me.
"Oh, now you have eyes on your sides, uh?" I asked with a laugh after realizing he saw me watching him.
"Just amazed at how great you look baby I'm proud of your husband," I added.
He smiled widely and took my hand and planted a kiss on the back of my hand.
"I'm proud of you too, so I never let myself be taken for a fool." He smiled.
"Babe please not again" I told him.
Dinner was great and Ackim took me to a nightclub where I danced to loud Zambian music. We were back home at 10pm and found everyone asleep.
I went to bed exhausted and fell asleep immediately.
The Bodyguard 2 Episode 14 ofNeun Phiri
Achim….
I looked at her, fast asleep. I smiled at the thought of her pacing up and down the nightclub, I had taken her to dinner and later to some club. I heard Mark 2 performed that night.
I had practically made her dance while I watched. I didn't know anything about dancing so I stayed back and watched her, her color and looks got her some looks and I was proud to be the only one she was paying attention to.
I shrugged and went into the bathroom to make a phone call. I couldn't let Paula overhear my conversation.
"Hey everything alright?" I asked the guy I left watching Jay and Serah.
"Everything's fine man, they did what you asked after punishing them for a few minutes."
I sighed and relaxed as I sat down on the toilet seat. "Good, that's good, now keep this information safe, I'll get it tomorrow," I told him before hanging up.
"Oops!" I whispered while getting up, stood in front of the mirror and watched myself for a while.
I'm replaying the time after I got Jay and Serah out of the hotel.
I had taken him outside after he got dressed. He was booked while I waited for him, at one point he almost wanted to alert the security guard, but I acted quickly, holding and squeezing his palm so hard he winced in pain. Later he packed his bags and my guy carried them outside to the vehicle. Jay, Serah and I later went out and I made sure they were acting normal and threatened to shoot them if they did anything stupid.
"What do you want from us?" Jay asked as I tied his hands in the back seat.
"Mmmmmh, I'll see my love in due course," I'd replied with a smile. Serah was silent and looked really scared. I had previously given her the scariest thing of her life when I told her how I and the other boys were operating in the Congo jungle under the command of General Loko. I told them a story while we were still at the hotel.
"You know what ?" I had started, “I'm a changed person and I swear to God Paula is a big part of that change. I don't know why you both insisted on breaking up. You Sarah, you've been friends with her for a long time, but you're too bitter with your own life that you can't bear to see her achieve and have what she has.
And you," I said, pointing to Jay, "you can have any woman you want, including this Serah here. I'm just wondering why you swore to separate me and Paula and I can assure you at the end of this day. Both of you will tell me your true intentions," I added earnestly...
"Now let me tell you what kind of person you messed with, in case the stories you've heard about me have left some important details.
Under the command of this ruthless Loko, I was forced to do the most inhumane things. He started by putting us through the harshest punishment there was, torturing us for two months and making sure we got to the point where we barked like dogs at his commands. He made sure our sense of humanity and goodness was closed. What he planted in us was the mind of wild dogs that would just obey and do as they are told.
A day after what he called our initiation, it was almost over. Do you know what he did?” I paused and looked at Jay and Serah, who were listening, though they were pretending not to care.
"Well, I'll tell you anyway.
This man took us to a certain village, he wanted us to slaughter the whole palace and murder the chief's family just because he opposed the one who sent our commander Loko.
He had us pull the entire palace outside and pull everyone out while the women and children howled and made noise in the dark, still nights of that time.
I was personally advised to first cut off the head of the first prince of the kingdom, a beautiful looking woman. I had to do it, if I refused to do what was told, the entire crew of Zambian soldiers would die.
See I was so scared, the look on that girl's face haunts me to this day. I chose the life of my friends and myself over that innocent girl. I felt the deepest pain I had ever felt before, it was the first time I had to kill someone.
All I was trained to do was serve human life, but this lunatic made me go against the principle I was taught to defend and protect life. I stood there like a stone, holding this girl's head in my hands, crying like a baby.
I could hear the mother cursing and calling me names, but my ears had gone deaf. All I could hear was the last heartbeat of the woman lying on my foot.
From that day on, I decided to stop feeling. I turned off my humanity because it was the only way I could survive what followed. Killing, beating and burning innocent people. I thought God had neglected all of us, the people we had to kill and our poor souls.
I was dead inside and that was the lesson Loko taught me to shut down my human nature so I don't feel pain or heartache. I managed to break free from this cruel life and surely heaven made me find Paula.
I'm falling in love with her but it took me a long time to move, do you know why?” I asked, stopping when I saw Serah Now shaking with fear at what I was telling them. Jay's head was turned to the floor.
Because I was afraid. I didn't trust that I was capable of loving someone so special, so pure. My instinct was to protect her at all costs and I did it to cover up the love I felt for her. She made my life sane and easy. She shed some light on my dark past and my heart started beating again.
Now tell me if you're in my shoes and someone's trying to mess with you after all. Don't you want to do the worst to that someone?” I asked with a grin.
"Let me get this straight, anything that hurts me forces me to turn off my human self, that's how I've learned to protect myself from pain, that should tell you I'm mad at you both right now and I'm really hurting was what you both did. As it is, I'm capable of anything and have absolutely no regrets. Now coming to the present, do as I tell you and you will see your country once more,” I warned, standing up.
"I won't let you take away the only thing that keeps me alive and sane," I added, opening the door for them to walk after me. Without hesitation, they both stood and studied my now stern gaze, which gave them the impression that I wasn't playing around.
Later that day I took her to a hut in a shanty compound in Maiteneke. I saw Serah's face go pale and Jay look older than he did as I gestured for them to go to the one-bedroom.
Sighing, I pulled up a stool and sat across from them as they sat on the small bed in the corner.
"Your problem is simple from now on," I told them.
"You two will share your stories about how you plotted to ruin Paula's life. You can't tell Jay that false story that you love her, that's not true, and you snake hearted girl will tell you why you hate Paula so much that you want to see her suffer and probably enjoy what she has. So guys now" I smiled slightly,
"This nice man here will first show you how serious this is, especially if you are not working together, and he will record your confessions."
I got up to leave and stayed at the door.
"Oh, before I forget, just tell the truth. If you lie.. Mmmmmh.” I frowned and put my hands in my pockets.
"I bet you'll leave me no choice but to make you a part of the people I've helped see their Master earlier than they wanted to," I added, looking at their faces and grinning, before i left
"Give them both some discipline and be careful not to hurt them too much. All I want is for them to understand that I'm dead serious and I'll have those confessions tomorrow before I put them on their flight back to their country,” I told him as I opened the door to the car. "Now get ready to record," I added as I backed up to the main road
I called a few friends and found someone who could get me two plane tickets to Australia via South Africa.
I have no regrets spending money. All I wanted was to close Serah and Jay's chapter in our lives. From what I can tell, their interest wasn't about winning Paula's heart back for Jay. I was beginning to understand that they were both looking for something bigger, probably richer.
I was almost driving into the farm that evening when Paula's father called me to say he had been nominated as MP for the Solwezi constituency. I sincerely congratulated him.
"Don't tell Paula just yet, son, I'll tell her later myself. I called you because the opposition has their own conspiracies against my upcoming campaign. I want you to help me enforce tight security, you know what I mean? He had asked.
"Yes, I understand, don't worry, consider it done sir."
"By the way, how did your assignment in Lusaka go?" He asked.
"Someone else went in my place, sir. I had some things to clear up but will be joining the crew in a few days. ' I replied, rubbing my forehead.
Mr. Benson was more politically involved than I ever imagined, being one of the main financiers of the ruling party and having a strong relationship with the President. He knew about my reassignment to the force and most of the targeting missions we were supposed to do.
I looked at the apartment door and saw Paula running to me and she suspected something was wrong with me. I had a lot on my mind, but I had to stay calm.
The new job I was supposed to do in Lusaka was not only dangerous but also life threatening, the people sent ahead were sent to prepare the way for the main job we were supposed to pull off.
I shook my head when I saw my eyes looking sad and tired in the mirror in front of me. I stood there lost in thought for almost an hour.
I vowed that the trip would be my last. I decided to fight against being fired. I now had a family to take care of and I'd bet by the time I was 34 I'd seen a lot and been through enough tough conditions.
"I will let go of my past and my old military life to enjoy my life with the woman in my hands," I said to myself, holding her as she shook a little, grabbing my hands and wrapping them around her body knocked.
I smiled and closed my eyes as I felt her heart pounding off her back as sleep clouded my head.
The bodyguard 2 episode 13
#OpraDre
Be continued..
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