The Bodyguard Episode 17
Written by Tisa Phiri
I woke up in the hospital bed, moving as I felt my head pounding like I was hit to the wall. I slowly blinked and opened my eyes, setting my eyes on the white ceiling board. The bulb light touching my eyes making my eyes blink in seconds before they could settle in.
“Hey Paula..!” I heard dad’s voice, “welcome back” he smiled coming closer to my side. He held my forehead and smiled in relief.
” I was so worried my baby, how are you feeling? ” he asked
“Where am I dad?” I asked instead.. “what happened?”
“You are in the hospital Paula, you had an accident two days ago. I was so worried, thank God you are finally awake ” he added.
“The doctor said you sustained minor injuries and a blow to your head, but you will soon be okey there is no major damage on your body.”
I right that moment remembered, the last time i saw Ackim and the accident.
“what happened to Ackim dad.. how is he?” I asked clearing my voice.
He moved closer to me and tried to say something but i could read it before he did. I knew my father and he always failed to hide things from me. I definately knew something was wrong and I feared for the worst.
“Tell me dad” I said trying to sit up.
“Calm down Paula” he told me concerned..
“No No No, please dad Dont tell me to calm down. what happened to Ackim? ”
“Am so sorry to tell you this my daughter, but Ackim didn’t make it, the vehicle was burnt to ashes. He somehow saved you before it blew. There’s no way he could have survived, the police are still looking into it to find out what happened that day and I promise to do all i can to get to the bottom of this” he added..
I didn’t hear the rest of his explaination my heart felt like it was slowly stopping. I was loosing my breath..
” it can’t be” I whispered with the little strength that I was left with.
“no he can’t die on me like that dad, he can’t. He told me he would protect me, he just cant back out when I just started living my life with him..” i cried..
My father looked at me. I could see he was also feeeling bad, but for me my Ackim wasn’t just a body guard. He was the man of my heart, the one who changed my life in minutes.
I recalled his words in the bushes.. “I will protect you with my life and would fight in the war front for you my Paula”
“no!” i shook my heard as I sat down my vision blurred from the tears.
My father tried to comfort me but that wasn’t the time.
“please leave me alone for some time dad” i told him as a river of tears rolled down my cheeks. He patted my back and slowly walked out.
“You can’t do this to me Ackim” I cried.
” you didn’t just come into my life, make me feel like a queen for a day and leave me. how dare you!” i screamed in the pillow held in my face, everything around me seemed to be falling apart.
I cried for almost 2 hours my eyes were puffed, the memory of him pushing me out of the car so vivid it blocked my breathing.
“He died trying to save my life” I thought, as I looked outside the window from the room I was at the hospital.
I looked at some couple seated on the bench outside watching their baby girl play around with some flowers.
“You could have at least given me a chance to have a family with the man I love my God” I whispered..
“what reason do you have for giving me so much love in a short time and grab it before I could even enjoy it further?”
I was devasted I crawled back to the bed and cried until my strength was gone. My tears had dried at that moment but the pain in my heart was so gigantic. I even wished I could shed more tears because they gave me some kind of relief..
*******
A few days later, I was discharged and was taken home. I hardly spoke, only when dad asked something and it was mostly one word answers.
Upon entering the house I walked to Ackim’s room, he’s bed was neatly done. The blue bed covers looking so clean and neat like he had not used them before.
I sat on his bed and remembered the days I saw him in his room.
One day I had walked in while he was just from taking his bath. He sat on the edge of the bed with a towel wrapped around his waist. I walked in without knocking..
“Hey !” He called out when he saw me turning to leave after I realised my mistake of not knocking.
“Am sorry I didnt know you are not dressed” I told him.
He had smiled showing his bare muscline chest move up and relax. I swallowed hard, just the sight of him like that made me want to jump on him.
“Oh my God how do I forget him?” I shed some tears
“it’s so hard.” I slowly walked to his closet looked at a small photo he had put on top of a file. He was smiling wearing his Zambian army combat. He was a slightly younger but as handsome as I saw him last.
I held the photo to my chest.
“I miss you my body guard, please come back home please.” I sniffed as i broke down again.
Walking out, i took my dad’s car keys before dad could notice and drove out. Straight away I went to the site of the accident.
My stomac felt empty at the site of the burnt car. One couldn’t even recognise the range rover, it was all ashes and the remains were only a frame which too was black and covered in ashes.
I sat down besides the road and mourned my lovely Ackim for hours. I couldn’t even say good bye.
“I am not ready to let you go yet my love” I whispered as I touched the ashes..
“am still waiting, just in case you decide to come back to me…”
I later decided to drive back to the city. I couldn’t get myself to go home yet so I thought of driving around.
At some drinking place I saw a group of guys and one of them looked familiar. Slowly, I drove by observing them it was him, the guy who had kidnapped me
‘Kakoma’
I looked at him for another minute, being sure it was trully him. Remembering what Ackim had explained about him, I knew for sure he had something to do with what happened..
I increased the speed as I passed the place. Driving back home, ireached home in minutes, walked inside like a mad woman and went straight to get a gun from my dad’s office.
I saw him in his study and tip toed outside, the gun hidden in my hand bag.
“It is time to stand and fight back Paula” I whispered to myself as I placed the key in the ignition.
“For Ackim and for all this pain, I will fight back!..”
The Bodyguard – Episode 18
By Tisa Phiri
I had been watching the group of guys drinking and chatting loudly. It was almost an hour since I drove back to the bar. I had parked besides the road and ducked in my car so the people I was watching wouldn’t see me.
I finally heard Kakoma’s voice, he was saying his good byes.
” good you b******, get moving” I whispered to myself..
” today you will pay for all my troubles..”
I watched him walk to his finished car which screeched as he opened the door. slowly I drove behind him keeping a reasonable distance.
I imagined Ackim seated next to me in the car.
” go back home Paula” he told me.
“this is too risky.”
” no way my love” i whispered
“am not letting this go by, that man is dying today just like he took you away from me.”
“please go back, let it go…. please” he begged me.
I shook my head realising I was talking to myself, tears rolled down my face as I increased speed by the corner when I saw Kakoma’s car turn onto a small gravel road.
I increased speed further and bashed his junk car from behind. My car was intact, that was the goodness of dad’s car it was big and the impact on it was not even so much. I saw the man in the car stagger and push the door out. it was dark and the only light was the one from my headlights.
I quickly moved out the gun in my hand. Glad Ackim taught me how to fire a gun, I remember when he told me with the danger around it might come handy one day.
I walked towards Kakoma, looking around, there was no one coming or going in our direction. The advantage of living in a small town, there were little activities especially by 21 hours.
He held his head as he noticed I was standing in front of him my gun pointed straight at him.
” you!” He shouted not knowing whether he was surprised or shocked.
“Yes me” I answered rudely…
“you idiot, your day has come” I told him sternly
“you better start talking now before I kill you.”
He sat down defeated a string of blood flowing from his forehead where he had hit his head.
“What do you want? ” He asked casually..
“Are you sitting here pretending you don’t know what I want to know? tell me you b****** why you kidnapped me and has been wanting me dead for months . Start talking now!” I screamed..
“tell me why you killed Ackim.”
He let a laugh…
“oh I see lady, so all this is for that tough homeless body guard.” he spat.
“Am glad he’s dead that fool almost ruined my life and he was so close to discovering the truth.” he added calmly.
I knew he wasn’t taking me serious and I was too pissed to play jokes with him. I cocked the gun and shot one bullet in his left foot.
“Damn! You b****!” He screamed moaning as blood immediately rushed out his foot.
I moved closer to his smelling body.
“talk now you fool, the next one will land in your empty brains. you killed the man I ever loved and you dare call him homeless. That man was more than you and your stupid 20 friends put together. speak or I shoot” I shouted pressing my boot on his wound..
I watched him scream powerlessly and lifted my foot when he shouted
” okey stop! I will tell you what you want to know…”
I stood straight as I listened in.
“it’s your brother who sent us to kill you.”
“Wait what brother?” I asked shocked.
He let a laugh..
“oh poor thing” he sighed
“your dadddy never told you he had a son before you here in Zambia? ..”
“Yes ” he continued .
“Your brother sent me. if you think am lying ask your daddy..” he added stressing the word Dadddy like a child would say it.
“Go on” I ignored his sarcism.
“Yes he wants all your father’s wealthy and since your father had refused to take him as he deserves, he decided to eliminate you and get all your inheritance. he’s plan is to kill you and later on your father then take all the wealthy. He’s not satisfied with the peanuts your father has been giving him…”
kakoma told me all the details of how my newly discoverd brother staged my kidnap and wanted money from my father. He explained that Ackim was almost discovering the truth and he become a threat, so they decided to kill us both.
I looked at him bleeding terribly.
“Please don’t kill me” he begged. I could see the bash from the car and the shot in his foot left him powerles.
“Tell me where he is” I ordered.
“just maybe I will let you go..” i firmly held the gun direct at his forehed.
“He… he’s in Chingola..” he stammered.
“does dad know he’s been doing this?” I asked again..
“I don’t think so” Kakoma answered.
“he knows about his son but thinks lowly of him. I don’t think he suspects a thing.. ”
“Give me his address then..” Kakoma mention some address and I noted it down in my head. what he told me left me shaken and weak. I walked back to the car and left him in the middle of the road.
As I drove home my mind went wild. No wonder Ackim mentioned the issue to be personal. He was almost getting to the truth, he always insisted the wanting me dead wasn’t a political move.
I shed some tears as I slowly drove back to my home, my father had some explaining to do.
Parking in the garage, i walked to the house the gun still held in my hands. I was in a state of confusion and devastation.
I found dad standing by the door.
He ran to me seeing me walk slowly to the house holding a gun.
“Paula..what happened? where are you coming from this time of the day with a gun? Drop it right now!” he shouted.
“I was worried sick you dispeared, for God’s sake can you try forget that body guard and start living a normal life again.”
I looked at him..
“that’s how you call him after all he did for you dad? Just a body guard? How dare you dad” i started as I went in and sat on the dinning chair.
“Ackim kept me alive, he died trying to protect me and you address him like he was nothing. I want you to know that he made me happy. I loved him with all my heart and he wasn’t just a bodyguard to me.”
My father looked at me shocked.
“what? How could you go out with him Paula? he was….”
“Stop dad!” i cut him before he could say more.
“I dont care how you refer him to be. I loved him and still do and if he was alive I could have been with him whether you liked it or not..”
Dad looked at me with a frown.
“Paula why are you talking to me like that? It’s unsual of you, tell me what happened out their” he asked seriously.
“Well dad..I think it’s you to do the talking now. Tell me about my supposedly brother” I told him sitting up and looking at him.
“What?” He sighed running his hand on the forehead.
“yeah him, dad i know i have a brother here and I want to know the truth tonight.”
I saw him deafeated he slowly sat on the chair next to me.
“Am sorry my dear, I didn’t want you to know about that derranged son I have. I had an affair way back before i moved to Asia and met your mom.
The woman I was going out with got pregnant but she discovered after I already left. I never promised her any marriage so I forgot about her when I was that side. I met your mother and fall in love with her, you know the rest” he told me sighing.
“But 8 years ago when I came back. That woman approached me with a young man she claimed to be my son. I didnt believe her story so I took a DNA test and for sure he was my son.
I told them i had a family and the best I could do was help him establish himself.
I couldn’t let you guys meet because the boy is useless he’s a serious drunkard and couldn’t even get himself to complet secondary school. All he does is ask for more money every day, he’s just so wasted I even told him I did more than enough for him. He has squandered a lot of money in the past years and I couldn’t take it any more.
You are my only sensible child I have Paula and I didnt want to bother you with this nonsense.” He added holding my hand..
“Well dad, your secret almost cost my life that son of yours almost killed me and he succeeded in killing Ackim”
Dad looked at me his eyes wide open.
“don’t tell me he’s the one after you all this time” he asked afraid of the answer.
“Yeah, I got it from his right hand man dad no wonder they decided to kill Ackim too because he was almost uncovering the truth. He wants all your money and wont stop until am dead and then later he’s coming after you.”
I saw dad bow his head in shock.. “how dare he?” He shouted,
“after all i did for that idiot? gave him some flats and millions to establish himself and now he dares to plan this?”
I saw my father sweat and I was scared his Bp had risen.
“Calm down dad” i held him..
“No, that fool will get my worst” he shivered
“how dare he? I was lossing my head thinking I had political enemies after me but all this was planed by that derranged idiot.!”
I managed to walk dad to his room and gave him his medication to calm him down we both needed a break before we could discuss the issue further.
I went to sleep and thought of Ackim that night
“i wil not rest until I put the people who killed you in prison” I said to myself before falling asleep.
To be continued
