Sister-in-Campus 13
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etro’s happiness seeing Joyce back was
slowly turning into something else. She didn't come to the front when Pastor
called her but instead choose to stand up where she was sited and wave before
siting down. After the service was over she didn't feel like staying behind
like she used to. She only walked to the road and boarded one of the
motorcycles waiting there.
“She is now a campus girl and no longer
your type!” someone said that behind Petro as he walked on towards the road. He
turned to find Debra walking a few paces behind him.
“Mama Namasaka am okay with her leaving
I am just surprised we agreed to meet after church but she has left without a
word” Petro lamented.
“I think she has something she needs to
attend to if she is not tired” Debra commented.
“She has changed greatly and for once
she leaves most of us who relied on her for a number of chores confused” Petro
continued to lament.
“When do you plan to come and fix a few
things in my compound like the leaking roof, you promised me remember”, Debra
asked.
Petro had for a long refused to keep his
own promise to come and fix the leaking roof of the late Daudi’s house. He just
didn't know why he couldn't get enough strength to either refuse or go there.
Now that Joyce was back he was becoming more restless with doing his normal
duties. He just wanted to get a one on one meeting with Joyce at least to know
they were still on the same page or not.
“I will make time to come there and fix
all of your problems!” Petro said absent mindedly. Debra laughed till tears
started to trickle out her eyes.
“We that is funny of you Pet, you can't
fix all of my problems, you know I am a widow.” She explained to him why he had
laughed. “Anyway I will pay at least five hundred bob for the repair work I
need done around my home.”
As people began coming out of the church
compound Petro excused himself to go back to the church as Debra bordered a
boda boda. Just then Petro’s phone rung and he saw it was Joyce calling.
-----------------
Petro: Hello My sister.
Joyce: Hello Petro.
Petro: You left early today
Joyce: I had an issue I needed to sort
out.
Petro: So are you done with it?
Joyce: No am not. In fact I need to talk
to you about it.
Petro: That would be great, as I have
been wondering how we can have a face to face talk.
Joyce: But first a little favour
Petro: Which one?
Joyce: Can you get me some 500 bob for
me I will refund you soonest.
Petro: Emmmh… I will try to see if I can
get it for you by Wednesday
Joyce: Thanks in advance
Petro: But then I think we will have to
meet so I can hand it you.
Joyce: But you are forgetting Maisha in
Mpesa Tu…
----------------
The call ended before she could finish
saying what she intended to say. Petro was now left in wonderment on what was
happening to Joyce that she now even wanted money. And the money was in fact to
be sent over mpesa and not by hand delivery as they were all in the same
village.
Monday mid-morning Petro made up his
mind to wake up and head for Debra’s homestead because he was very broke. He
had not been his dues of the past three months at his school yet again there
were no holiday tuition to make quick money. He could not go to work at the
construction site near the Gambogi junction. He badly wished he was not a
teacher so that he wouldn't worry about his reputation. His mother had already
gone to the farm.
“Finally you are here Petro!” Debra said
after welcoming him. She then served him
some porridge and chapatis which he hungrily consumed.
“Were you expecting someone else?” He
asked when he was done.
“Yeah but he changes his mind the last
minute” she replied. “Why did you ask that?”
“I just wondered how you ended up
preparing chapatis early in the morning. By the way where are the kids?”
“I sent them to their grandma a week
ago”
Debra who sat opposite to where Petro
sat was giving Petro a hard time. Every time their eyes met he looked away like
he was avoiding something. She knew young men like Petro were always shy when
in the presence of married women or rather widows like herself. All she wanted
from him was his manpower in repairing the leaking roof of the bedroom. A new
ladder stood by the granary. He lifted it himself, placed it on the wall where
he could climb to the very spot where she had shown him.
“You must be very strong Petro” she said
as he worked on the roof.
“Why do you say so?” he asked her.
“You just lifted a ladder which took two
men to carry the other day when it was made by the men I hired to redo my
roof.” she answered. “But they must have made a miscalculation somewhere
leaving a hole right where my bed is meant to be!”
“Was wondering how come your new roof is
leaking” Petro said as he finished his work. Just as he was about to come down
he thought he saw someone watching him from the foot path. But as he turned to
look properly the person turned to go. He could not see clearly who she was.
“These men took my money in excess and
left a lot of unfinished work!” Debra lamented.
“What else is remaining?” he asked when
he had climbed down and returned the ladder to its initial position.
“The gate and the chicken house need a
lot of fixes” she explained as she led him around the compound. Petro was so
determined to get the money he had been promised till he didn't notice Debra
was watching him from time to time.
“If we had such hard working men like
you in this village we would be very far, in fact I will give you a double
portion” she said finally when he was done with the repairs.
“Thank you so much I was so broke we
haven't been paid for a long time.” He could not help hide his joy as he
received his 1000 bob.
“If you stayed longer I could prepare
you some lunch” she added.
“No I should leave immediately” Petro
tried to would firm.
“It's okay you can always come another
day to help me with more of my problems”
“Like which one?”
“My zuku needs to be fixed, need to move
my bed so I can rearrange my bedroom, painting the house and others”
“Okay I will fix another day to come do
that for you God willing.”
“When can that be Petro?”
“Can't say when but I hope it be soon am
not sure about it”.
“You better be.”
As petro left the compound he looked
behind himself and got surprised to find her watching him as he went. She waved
at him and he too reciprocated. He could not understand her but decided not let
that bother him so much. Later on he called Joyce to ask her if she had gotten
the money.
------------
Joyce: Thank you for the money.
Petro: How about our meeting?
Joyce: It won't be possible
Petro: But why? What happened?
Joyce: I changed my mind about it Petro.
Petro: What made you change your mind?
Joyce: Petro una maswali mengi na we si
polisi.
*
* * * *
“My
dear I think something is wrong with our daughter” Pastor said a few days later
to his wife at the kitchen.
“Why do you say so?” she asked curiously
though she happened to know his mind. She always knew where he questions were
directed as soon as he asked. She behaved like she had a mind reader in her
system to discern his thoughts.
“She seems to be hiding and avoiding
publicity instead of doing her normal things she used to before she joined the
university like Sunday school, choir, youth ministry. Here at home is like she
wants to stay in her room most of the time.” Pastor gave a summary of Joyce's
behaviors.
“What do you expect her to do after
being raped?” she asked.
“You as her mother should help her to
gain her normal self back” pastor said.
“What? You can't say that as if you have
no role to play?”
“So how do I deal with a pregnant
daughter for instance?”
“What did you just say? How can you say
that?”
“I can say it with confidence after I
was told by Madam Gladys two weeks ago”
“What sort of a husband are you to keep
such secrets from me? Am a woman I should know and if I don’t I will surely
know!” Joyce’s mother was going crazy with every statement her husband uttered.
It was like he was keeping a lot of things to himself like a bomb waiting to
explode. Their silence was soon interrupted by the entrance of Joyce. She had
heard everything that was being said about her.
“Mum and dad I can't have you two
arguing about me like this” Joyce announced.
“Before you get far with that tone we
will have you abort that thing growing inside you” her father cut her short
leaving her and her mother shocked.
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