MAD IN LOVE EPISODE 10 – 11

MAD IN LOVE EPISODE 10

Written By Tisa Phiri

Clara…….

I couldn’t understand why he kept on insisting on marrying me. I had initially told him I was not interested in marrying him but he insisted.

Benjamin was just a man I agreed to date because I was hurting, I just had a big fight with the man I loved months before we met.

We met at his friend’s come together party were l follwed Mercy my friend who was invited and he approached me.

” Hey I like you can I have your numher please” he had asked.

” Am sorry but am in no mood to exchange numbers” I told him sincerely.

” Well, it’s not like am asking you out or anything I just want us to be friends” he insisted

I liked his looks, I actually thought he was handsome. Giving him my number, I didn’t even expect him to call me. But to my surprise he called me that evening. He sounded calm and composed I liked his maturity.

Days later, he kept in touch and I didn’t pay attention to him. ” Do you know who that guy is?” My friend Mercy asked me one day when I told him about Ben. ” Okey I really don’t care who the guy is. Am not intrested in him. Am still in love with my Henry” I answered her.

We were talking from the salon shop where we both worked as hair dressers. Getting the hair dryer and blowing the customers hair. I shrugged unconcerned.” Who is He?”

” He’s the son to the owner of BK motor and equipment suppliers! Dummy” she shouted on top of the noise from the dryer.

” Don’t tell he is….” I turned off the dryer now paying attention.

” Yes silly!” She shouted laughing.

” he’s so heir of the famous BK companies, those people are loaded dear and if you ask me that’s your ticket to a good life” she added.

” I could use some cash!” I shouted going back to blowing my customer.

From that day, I decided to cut some cash by accepting Ben’s proposal. Definitely for his money and fame and not anything else.

I was still waiting on my Henry who had started dating another girl, but I still had hope he would come for me one day and realise how much I loved him.

I was surprised when Ben proposed to Marry me at his birthday party.

He stood in front of everyone that was present then and asked for the music to be turned down.

” I have a special announcement” he started as everyone looked at him some people holding glasses of wine, others chewing on some snacks that were served.

” I want to take this opportunity and ask the woman that my heart has chosen, she’s the reason for my smiles the past 3 months and I think I have found what I have been looking for. ” he paused and everyone shouted for him to continue with excitement. I on the other hand didn’t like where it was going. I had never even for a moment dreamed of marrying Ben. Of course I couldn’t tell him I wanted him for his money. I played a nice and sweet girlfriend he wanted me to be.

Trying to find faults in him so that I could have the reason to damp him failed. As he was always faithful and a gentle man, too gentle for my liking though.

” Clara Mwanza! Will you marry me?” He asked and I looked up realising I had wild off and didn’t hear the rest of what he said.

” What?” I popped my eyes open, not that I was surprised, but somehow like saying “are you Mad!”

” Make me a happy man by accepting to be my wife” he knelt before me and people shouted

” Say yes! Say yes!” I was caught in the web of indecision, I honestly wanted to say no but with the cheering and the look of happiness on Ben’s face I couldn’t get the courage to.

” yes I will marry you” I responded as everyone cheered.

Ben pushed a beautiful gold engagement ring on my fingers and kissed me passionately.

” I love you” he whispered holding me closer.

If it were my Henry I would have been crying with tears of joy. But no, what I felt made me mad at myself for accepting a man I didn’t have passion for to Marry me.

” I love you too” I faked a smile and l saw him beam with excitement.

Everyone was happy with me accepting to Marry Ben, especially my family who said I had made a right choice and that Ben was a good man. ” maybe he will help you continue with your CIMA courses as well since I have no money to see your through” my father had encouraged me.

I had done two levels of CIMA and I couldn’t get a job, I needed money to go further in my studies but my father’s illness which led to him losing his job made it impossible, causing me to find a stupid job at a salon getting K800 salary per month.

My wedding day was the worst, I kept on thinking about Henry and what he would do if he found out I married someone else.

” Ate you crying honey?” Ben asked at the night of the wedding.

I had stood in front of the mirrow looking at myself. I felt I was in a wrong place. ” No Honey, they are tears of joy, I can’t believe am married to you, you are such a good and generous man” I smiled at him.

” You my love, is going to have a happy life with me cause am gonna make it my mission to make you happy” he kissed my lips.

Making love to him that night was like sleeping with an enemy. He was so excited about everything and I was beginning to get irritated he couldn’t notice how miserable I had become.

Given his kind of man, he payed for my courses and in 3 years I was done. The unfortunate happened when I got pregnant. It was a total accident. I had forgotten to take my family planning pill that night.

Well, to cut the long story short. Ben with the joy of me giving him a child. Made me the accountant of his father’s company in Lusaka after his father died.

I was not to let the opportunity to make myself some money and get liberty from the prison of marriage l was in. So I took lots of money and started building some estates for myself.

My dream came true when Henry and I made up. We started making plans together and he advised me to get more money so that we could build ourselves our own business. He promised when we had established something worth while we would start our lives together.

Things were easy especially that Ben moved to work at the Kabwe company making it easier for me.

Him discovering I was stealing and later of my relationship with Henry, made things unpleasant for me.

” We are not yet where we want to be babe” Henry told me the same night Ben caught us together. He had insisted we finished our business before I could get back home.

” But babe, now that he knows with the rumours around, I know he would want to divorce me. Not that I don’t want that but we still need his money” I told him as I lay on his broad chest.

” What do we do? We can’t afford having me thrown out at this point” I asked Henry..

He sighed and sat up smiling. “I think I know what we will do. Kill him!” He said without hesitation.

” What, oh no Henry we are not killers and..oh no please something else but murder. I don’t want any blood on my hands babe” I shook my head standing from the bed.

He came and hugged me from behind rubbing his nude body on mine. ” We have no choice, at least we know whatever he has will be yours and that your b****** son when he’s no more. Saving us all the trouble ” he whispered close to my ears.

“I said no” I shouted walking away from him.

” Okey! Fine. Tell me what we are going to do then?” He shrugged angrily.

We were both quiet for some time and then I tuned towards him.” Yes that’s it!” I shouted smiling and going to sit on him.

” What?” Henry asked looking unpleased.

” We should make him go mad” I suggested my face beaming at the idea.

” Mad?” He chuckled looking at me as his hand went round holding my back.

” Yes babe, think of it, he’s going to be all crazy taking away all his sense of reason and anything else sensible. But still alive, saving us the stains of blood on our hands” I told him cheerfully

” You are a genius babe” Henry kissed me passionately.

Well, our plan worked, after a fight with Ben, who stormed out mad at me for telling the truth to his face.

Early the following morning Henry and I went to see a man we preferred to call as herbalist, he gave me some charm and I chanted some words cursing Ben to his madness.

It was wonderful how fast it worked.

As we left the man’s place I received a call from some manager at the company in Kabwe that Ben was acting weired.

” He’s probably tired don’t worry he will be fine soon” I responded smiling as I looked at Henry besides me in the car.

” No don’t” I quickly responded when he asked if they could bring him back home. 2 weeks later his mother came with some drama of how I had caused her son to go mad.

” Well, rumor had it that your son was apparently doing some rituals for his business, so we both know that mostly doesn’t end well” I shrugged taking a bite at the Apple I was eating before she bugged into my living room.

” Am sure one day the tables will turn and just then we will see who the devil really is” she shouted.

” Leave my house and carry your grandson with you, who knows maybe that your son has already initiated him too” I responded pointing at Junior.

She looked at me from head to toe and cursed me quoting some scriptures which I didn’t even pay attention to.

My life was okey with me taking full control of the companies. I was legally the owner of the business given Benjamin’s condition.

unfortunately Henry crossed me again by cheating on me with another woman months later, which I didn’t take lightly.

I hired some gang to kill him. Even though it left me lonely I felt better about the betrayal, after everything I had done for him, he deserved it.

I was free taking on whichever man interested me, what with the money I had to myself, there was no having a dull moment to even think of either the mad Ben or the dead Henry.

I was caught by surprise seeing him walk back to the house with a flashy looking woman. I couldn’t act happy cause I wasn’t feeling it. In fact I thought for a moment Ben came to fish me out and I hated the fact that his madness was gone.

I realised he had somehow forgotten what happened and tried to fake a good wife the day he arrived. I couldn’t take it any more especially when he told me the story of how that crazy woman picked him up from some funeral and took him for some prayers.

” Well now that he recalled what happened a day after, I just had to stand my ground and let him know who was in charge.

The days with him around were so frustrating I felt like pouring a pot of hot water on him.

I threw insults at him and even came with one of my lovers home but the idiot was too broke to leave. He had no idea were his mother and son were and I couldn’t give him the pleasure of what l did to make them loose the famous family mansion. It was all in my name now and I put someone to rent it.

” Oh here we go again” I sighed seeing the so-called saviour coming home again. I almost burst out laughing at her. I mean, who picks mad men anyway, she was surely nuts I pitted her.

She looked young and so full of life, she was beautiful too I thought she could have done better. ” as long as you don’t cross me lady, then we are good. You can have that mad man for all I care” I spoke to myself as I watched them get in the car.

” Good lucky crazies! ” I spat and walked back to the dressing mirrow loving the way the black silky dress was perfectly fitting my body.

I had a meeting with some share holders that afternoon and it just excited me to learn that loaded drug dealers were willing to use my company trucks to smuggle drugs and cash across borders at good cash payments.

” lt’s a good day…!!!!” I screamed on top of my voice as I walked down the stairs. Feeling like a queen I was.

MAD IN LOVE EPISODE 11

Benjamin…
3 months went by without any lucky of finding my son and mother. The priest offered to help us find them by sending a note to the Parish in Chainda to make an announcement in case anyone knew who and where they could be.
” Take heart and continue praying” was his words the last time we went to see them.
Staying with Jennifer was so peaceful, most of the times she made me forget my troubles. She treated me so good and respectful, l wondered how I had never thought of the possibility that they were better women in this world. My wife had always been so noisy and most of the times it took me to chill in order for us to solve our issues.
My mother had warned me of marrying her, citing the fact that she loved money and was not in love with me. I had seen some signs she was acting up but I had been too much in love with her to let her go. I always hoped she would come around.
Now it was clear, getting her to love me was impossible. I couldn’t get over the fact that she had a hand in making me go crazy.
I had one day, when Jennifer was out for work, gone to check on my company, disguised myself as a customer who wanted to hire a truck. I wore black shades on my face and a round hat.
” Am sorry sir, all the trucks were hired last week. There are some big consignments coming in from South Africa and we will have them back in 5 days time” the sales lady informed me.
” Oh I guess I will have to wait” l sighed sadly.
” I love your effectiveness, so I would like to use one of your trucks” l added sounding like a business man.
” Tell me who is in charge here?” I asked the woman as she saw me out the building.
” lt’s Clara Mwanza, she is the wife to the late, Benjamin the son of the owner and founder of this company.
” Late huh?” I asked sounding hurt by the news Clara had spread. It was like l was alive but not existing at all. Everything I had to my name was taken including my family.
I frequently went to the company and one day I was lucky to meet Mulenga the assistant accountant who used to inform me about Clara’ s mismanagement of funds.
” So tell me how things are?” I asked him after telling him my whole story when he agreed to meet me at some eating place.
” Well sir, to say things are bad, is an understatement. Your wife has turned the company into a drug trafficking business and we are risking loosing the business with our good old companies that valued our services. Most of them are hearing the rumours of drug trafficking and its hard to convince them to hire us.” He complained.
” So tell me Mulenga, any idea where my mother and sisters are? I have been looking for them since I recovered but there’s no sign of them?” I asked him.
He shook his head sadly. ” The last time I saw your mother was 2 years ago when she came here to asked for your wife. She was angry and I think they had a fight with her I don’t know over what. Since then I have not set my eyes on her and your wife never says anything about you nor your family. It’s like you are all dead to her” he sighed looking at me.
” I have to find a way yo get my family and companies back Mulenga. Can you help me? I am really desperate I don’t know what to do, to think that Clara forged my death certificates to claim everything is so heartbreaking. I wonder how she can be so evil “
Mulenga, who I talked to over an hour told me something that could help me get my companies back.
” Looking at the illegal way she’s done a lot of things there can be something done especially in the court of law” he expalined. Of course he had a point but how was I to get lawyers when l had nothing.
” Hey Benjamin! ” came Jennifer’s voice snapping me out of my silence. ” Hey! Welcome back!” I responded reducing the volume on the TV.
” I walked in a few seconds ago and I noticed you couldn’t even hear me walk in” she smiled sitting next to me as she placed her hand bag on the table.
” Yeah, I can’t stop thinking about the conversation I had with Mulenga. Where on earth am l going to get money to hire some lawyers?” I scoffed.
” Oh I know things are so hard Ben but we have to continue fighting hard together. Am your friend and will support you through all this. It’s just that you won’t let me help..”
” No I won’t ” I cut her.
” You have done enough for me and am not going to let you waste any more money on me. Besides, lawyers need a lot of money, which I know you can’t afford to have now. Forget it Jen, will find another way” I insisted .
She sighed leaning back on the couch..” You know I was thinking, it’s not like you have nothing at all. You have some papers which not even your wife can take away from you.
You are a trained Mechanical engineer Ben, it’s high time you started looking for a job. You were sick and not dead. You can’t just shun the world like that” she spoke seriously.
” You know you are right. All I need to do is go back to my house and get my papers, Clara’s nephew told me she has put all my things in the basement, all l need to do is go and find them and then see if I can drop a few applications” I nodded my head.
” See, two are better than one!” She shouted laughing and I couldn’t help look at her. She was always cheerful and she made me realise how important she was to me. Even when she had told me to take her as a friend to avoid conflicts of any sort, I started discovering over the weeks that I was developing some strong feelings for her.
Who wouldn’t, she was everything a man would wish for. ” I love you!” I ended up shouting back at her unconsciously.
” What?” She stopped smiling looking at my eyes.
I leaned forward and kissed her gently feeling her lips open to allow me in. The taste of her purple lipstick touched my tongue and I felt I could go on enjoy the pleasure that her soft lips and hands sliding my neck was giving me but before I could get more comfortable she pulled back.
” Am sorry Ben” she whispered her eyes close to mine.
” I know you are still trying to find yourself and this is not the right time to do this. Besides you are still married to Clara so…” She shrugged pulling away. I felt hurt by the distance she was creating between us but she was right.
What if I was just having a moment with her. I was still in the confusion of things and rushing things might end up hurting her.
” Am sorry, I know you told me but I can’t just ignore this attraction l have towards you. It’s like l have known you for years and you are hard to resist” I honestly told her.
” lt’s okey. So when are we going to get the papers?” She changed the subject.
” Papers?” I asked lost in a moment.
‘ Oh yeah my papers” I nodded my head.
” Not we, I will go alone Jen, I don’t want you near that woman. We don’t know what She’s capable of but I will go when She’s out of the house. I can’t afford another confrontation with her for now. I want her to be caught in her own web of evil and by the time l face her again. I want her to know I have a bigger God by my side” I smiled
” That’s what am talking about!” She exclaimed
” Tell me did we ever make love? ” I asked her when we had a silent time after the discussion.
The question caught her by surprise.
” Am hmmmm um.. Ben why would you ask that you know you were not..”
” I know, but there’s something I feel sometimes, like I have known you intimately at some point, please tell me if that’s true I just want to know” I rubbed her hand.
” Oh my this is so embarrassing” she frowned covering her face.
” You were sleeping then I joined you in bed, I don’t know you would feel me in that way but….” She paused looking at me.
” Please Ben let’s forget about that already” she shook her head shly.
” And we made love?” I completed her sentence.
” Yep!” She sighed leaning back.
” How was it?” I asked making her stand in shame.
” Please just tell me. I know you love me Jen, you didn’t just rescue me from my madness because of pity, it was more than that and I feel you every time you are close. You are fighting the feelings you have and I don’t even want to start asking why cause I know a bunch of reasons” I told her standing and holding her from the back.
She slowly turned and we came face to face with each other. She looked at my eyes and I into hers. A strip of water lay inside her eyes .
” ls it that I was more interesting as a mad man than I am now?” I teased her and saw her smile.
” Oh what? No. Believe me you are more interesting now but I just don’t want to rush…”
Her words were cut short as I placed my lips on hers and she tried to resist, but her resistance went only for a second.
” She held on to me tight like l was going to escape. We were tangled as we kissed passionately and our breaths increased in minutes.
” I have to go and get those papers.” I smiled pulling away leaving her looking at me with so much desire.
I loved how she was reacting. I wanted her to realise she wouldn’t resist me even if she didn’t say it, I knew she wanted more but I had to purnish her for a minute so that when l was away, she would wish she never resisted me.
I smiled at her as she threw her car keys at me shaking her head without saying a word.
” See you!” I shouted as I left the room.
Getting to my house, I looked at the watch and it was a few minutes passed 17 pm. I had called Mulenga on the small phone I asked Jen to get me. I needed no smart phone or anything fancy. I just wanted a phone to keep in touch with her and Mulenga who I was now contacting to get a briefing of what was going on at the company both in Lusaka and Kabwe.
He told me Clara was still in some meeting with one of the drug trafficking leaders who he was suspecting was having some affair with her.
I saw the maid leaving the gate and I waited for her to disappear before I packed two blocks away from my house.
” Don’t tell your aunty I was here. I just need to get something and I will be gone” I told her nephew who l found watching TV.
” I won’t uncle , don’t worry I know what you did for me and even if things turned out bad for you I know you are a good man” he smiled.
” Thank you my boy and you will be fine okey” I comforted him and went down to the basement.
I searched through boxes where my things were packed in the basement for almost 30 minutes but I couldn’t find my papers.
” Where is this witch hiding my papers?” I sighed standing up high.
I recalled seeing some other boxes in the room which was previously my gym. Running up the stairs out of the basement I went to the gym and started unpacking and searching .
I was getting to the last box when I heard the car hooting outside.
” Oh no!” I screamed in a whisper.
Recalling how the priest told me to avoid her as she seemed to have bathed herself in some kind of charm to control men. ” We have to make sure I anoint you with oil and you are prayerful for you to face her direct” he warned and so it scared me to know she could find me.
I didn’t want to be turned into some kind of Zombie and be controlled by her as she was doing with other men. That explained why l was always feeling terrified when ever she was near me.
Quickly I emptied the last box but again I wasn’t lucky as I only found some old clothes but no sign of my papers.
I was almost running to the back door to avoid her seeing me as I heard the door opening, when it clicked.
I recalled l had a hidden safe down the basement. The house I had built before l married Clara and my father had advised me to have a secret safe for me to keep some valuable things even from my wife if need be.
I sneaked back into the basement and close the door slowly as I heard her nephew talking.
” aAm alone aunty, the maid has left already” he spoke his voice high I smiled at how intelligent he was. He wanted me to hear she was in so I be careful.
As presumed the safe was untouched. I quickly pressed the unlock pin remembering it clearly as it was my father and mother’s anniversary year and date and it opened.
I almost jumped with joy finding the original copies of my academic and professional papers intact.
Two bunches of cash too and some bank account details. ” my God you are faithful” I whispered kissing the papers as I held the money which I could estimate to be almost K50 000 in cash.
I grabbed a plastic bag and put the certificates and all the money. Though l left the bank account details which showed I had some fixed accounts to mature after 5 years, counting from the year I opened it on 2011 there was still a year to go before it could mature.
I made a sign of the cross as l emerged from the basement praying Clara was in her bedroom.I was almost startled with her nephew who stood there waiting for me.
” She’s upstairs hurry!” He whispered and I sneaked out through the back door to avoid her seeing me since her bedroom window was direct towards the main gate.
I used the old small gate which her nephew opened for me and I took off to Jen’s car.
” Thank you Jesus!” I whispered when I was safe away from the street and now joining the great east road to town.

To be continued…
©Tisa Phiri
All Rights Reserved.

Drop Your Comment