STOLEN SWEETHEART❤️ SIX

'Forever' was never really an actual

timeframe until death came along

and still, my mind hopes

it has an end

There's a part of me that hopes

you will be able to come back.

I still look forward to that day

Coz, losing you forever

doesn't make sense in my mind.

LUCAS

We got home and I tried as much not to show my anger off to the kids. I played dart with them until dinner was ready, this time around it was Adele who prepared the meal; trying to impress me but little did she know I was no longer moved by those tactics.

When we went to bed she tried to get on me but my mood wasn’t on for it. Madalyn crossed my mind. I got my phone and walked to the living room. I tried calling Madalyn’s line and surprisingly it went through. She picked at the fourth ring. I was thrilled.

  Me: “How are you? are you alright? Where have you been? What happened?”

I asked too many questions, I just couldn’t wait to take the orderly, I missed her badly.

  Madalyn: “(she sighed) can’t you take it slowly and ask one question at a time?”

  Me: “Uuuuh! I am sorry. It’s just that I missed you and then your line haven’t been going through”

  Madalyn: “Okay, I understand…. I am better… I am good… and you?”

She really didn’t sound that happy. I just wish she could confide in me and maybe we could work on it together.

  Madalyn: “Are you still there?”

  Me: “Ooooh! Yes I am…. Uuuh! Just that you sound so down and was wondering what would be the problem.”

  Madalyn: “Oooh I see. But not to worry, I am doing great.”

  Me: “Okay, if you say so…. Can we have lunch tomorrow? If you don’t mind?”

  Madalyn: “(she sighed again) I wish we could but unfortunately, I am not in town. I at my aunt’s in Zomba. I plan to be back in maybe 2days.”

That really got me disappointed.

  Me: “I can actually come over if you don’t mind. Please don’t say No. I will be there before 12, just don’t switch off your phone again.”

  Madalyn: “Wow!! You are so serious about this? You want to drive from Lilongwe to Zomba just to have lunch with me?”

  Me: “Not just lunch, I also want to see that pretty face and ooh yes with the beautiful smile (I bet she was smiling then). I could have even drove from here to Malaysia if you happened to have been there.”

We chuckled. Hearing her sending down a faint laugh really made me relieved. I don’t know why I was getting into her but honestly, I was beginning to care so much about this lady. We talked for about an hour before she asked to retire for bed. I was assuranced I had made her laugh and she sounded happy and relieved just like I was.

After the call, I didn’t bother going back to bed, I spent my night on the couch; I just didn’t want to get close to Adele again and listen to her drama.

The next day, I woke up very early and got myself ready for the trip to see the lady who was after my heart then. I was polite enough to tell Adele that I was travelling for a site viewing for one of my projects in Blantyre; whether she was pretending or not I just didn’t care but she looked okay with it. I left.

MADALYN

A phone call from Lucas was really a therapy I needed. His jokes got my spirit high. He insisted on driving over to see me and have lunch. I don’t know why I couldn’t say no to his idea. He was just so irresistible.

I had a peaceful sleep after talking to him and I woke up with the thoughts of having a lunch date with him.

Again Lucas called to let me know he had started off, asking what he should get for me. If I had had my breakfast yet, how my night was and how I was that morning. Guy was just too much altogether, making me have second thoughts about my marriage to George.

Just when he hung up, Aunt Zinenani came in; her eyes were so red like she had been crying for long. The last time I checked, Aunt Zinenani was not a crying type; she was one of those women who would get you wondering if she ever had problems, my sister Wathu must have taken on from her. Her husband was a loving and caring man and that much I knew, so for him to get her crying was the last thing he would ever do.

She leaned against the wardrobe and looked at me with a sorry face. She got me curious; perhaps was it about George? Had something bad happened to him?

  Me: “Is everything okay? You don’t look fine?”

  Aunt Zinenani: “No my child… it’s all finished (she busted out crying)”

Have you ever witnessed someone older than you or so close to you crying so much and being heart broken? Have you ever come across a situation where you are so clueless of what someone is crying about and you just break down and cry along? Well, that was the situation I was in then. I cried with Aunt Zinenani without me knowing what she was crying about. We sobbed up and sat on the bed.

I was just looking at her waiting to hear what she was really crying about.

  Aunt Zinenani: “You really have to be strong mwana wanga. (she paused, held me tighter and sobbed). Wathu and Vundu were found dead in their house and..……”

I thought I didn’t hear her right, before she could even continue with her statement I had already gone insane.

How did it happen? How possible was it that they died in their house on the same day? That was just too much for me to carry.

I regretted for not talking to her all along. I should have called her, I should have spoken with her especially when George had almost killed me. What if she had enemies within? Or would it have been George responsible? But how? Obviously Wathu didn’t know I had left my house or did she knew of it without me being aware? I regretted every action I took and I blamed myself for their death.

I quietly sat by the window so lost in thoughts. I felt sorry for the twins; what would become of them? They had lost their parents at such a tender age. My heart ached. Tears couldn’t just leave my eyes. I didn’t understand it all and I was sure enough I would never get to understand it.

I was stuttered with my phone’s vibration and when I checked I realized it was Lucas calling. Gosh!! I had a date with this man.

Why was I even just seated there? I needed to have been on the road back to Lilongwe to attend my sister’s burial.

   Lucas: “Hey angel, is everything alright? I have been calling you for an hour but you didn’t pick up.”

I felt so bad about it, but did I had a choice? I was wondering in my thoughts and I lost track of it. I was so heart broken and I just didn’t care what was going on outside of me or within me.

  Me: “Aaaah! Aaaah! I am so sorry. (I paused and he said nothing either)… we can’t do this anymore. Not today (my heart ached again, I tried to hold myself from crying but flashbacks of my last meeting with Wathu came into mind and I broke down)”

  Lucas: “What’s wrong with you? come on don’t do this to me. Okay tell me your address and I will drive over; please.”

I was just there crying myself out. He insisted he wasn’t going to hang up the call and he pleaded with me not to hang up either. He waited till I sobbed up and I sent him the address.

LUCAS

I thought I was going to have a great day with Madalyn, but with her not picking up and then later on crying herself out on me over the phone I knew there was something wrong with her. Hearing so devastating as she sounded made me so unease, was her husband at it on her again? I just cared about her. Did I love that woman? Or was I just being emotional for my own situations? 

Adele had been making calls since I started off but I kept ignoring them. I don’t know what she had to say and I didn’t care about it. my whole mind was set on Madalyn, I badly wanted to see her and I wasn’t ready to go back without setting my eyes on her.

She sent me the location to her Aunt’s place, it was just a 25minutes away drive from town. I used goggle maps and with my 2017 Ford Explorer XLT I drove within the minutes. I hooted at the gate and the security man let me drive in. I parked and I saw Madalyn walking towards where I was. My heart skipped, I was excited and relieved at the same time. but seeing how red her eyes were and how pale her face was, sadden me. What happened to the gorgeous Madalyn I knew?

I walked towards her too and we met halfway. I didn’t know if it was right but my mind pushed me to tightly hugging her and it led to a kiss that only lasted few seconds.

MADALYN

Lucas drove in a few minutes after I had sent him the address, I told aunt Zinenani that a friend of mine was coming through to see me before we took off on our trip.

Seeing Lucas brought some relief that helped me and gave me a reason to breathe well again. I don’t know if I was falling for that married man. yes I was married too but I would put it as in a complicated marriage. The situationship between me and George; who never cared to look for me or report to the police was really too sour.

I walked towards Lucas, I could see a smile of relief on his beautiful face. I wonder how his wife stays all day with such kind of smiles; a smile enough to get your undies wet and willingly giving yourself to him to do whatever he wanted at the moment.

I threw my hands at him, rocking us in a tight hug and before I knew it, his soft lips were already on mine. It got blur and my face got hot, I had goose bumps all over; this man had his own way of turning me on, even in my mourning period. The kiss only took a few seconds, I broke it, I didn’t want to be accused of things I didn’t know whilst in my mourning days.

  Me: “Thanks for coming through; I hope you didn’t find difficulties getting here?”

  Lucas: “Not really, all thanks to Google maps. It was easier than I thought.”

We walked to the summer hat that was just across the car park.

  Lucas: “Looks like you have been crying yourself out too much; are we okay? (he asked whilst holding my hands)”

   Me: “(I sighed) … everything is not okay… I lost my sister and her husband (my eyes were filled with tears, I began sobbing)”

Lucas looked puzzled. His facial expression literally changed.

  Lucas: “When? What happened? is that why you left Lilongwe?”

  Me: “I don’t know, we are yet to find out. But they were discovered this morning. I guess it happened last night.”

  Lucas: “So when are you leaving for Lilongwe?”

  Me: “We ought to have been leaving; but I didn’t want to disappoint you since you were already here.”

He consoled me and gave me so many words and reasons not to let the whole thing break me down. I was really finding some strength with him being there and comforting me.

He pleaded to drive me to Lilongwe and drop me at Wathu’s place, honestly I was so reluctant but he insisted and Aunt Zinenani agreed to the idea too.

I just didn’t like the thoughts of being seeing with him with the fact that I hadn’t been at my place for long. Wouldn’t people think I was busy with a man elsewhere? What was with Aunt Zinenani anyways? She seem to have liked and got along with Lucas at the very first sight, her husband, Uncle Masautso was even in support.

AUNT ZINENANI

I agreed to Madalyn and Lucas driving together cause I saw how they were smiling to each other and I knew how much Madalyn needed such company. It would bring no harm for them to take the trip together as long as they drove carefully.

Masa and I drove in our 2017 Ford Fusion SE whilst Madalyn was with Lucas.

Wathu’s death really tore me apart and with the fact that it was a staged murder, I really was so devastated. The police were on the case and Masa; being the retired army official vowed to make sure that everyone involved was found and put to trial.

I wondered who had done the whole terrible thing and why. Perhaps did they wrong someone big? But who?

We drove whilst making phone calls to different people all over; The police, family and friends and colleagues, everyone was just curious of how the death of the young couple came about.

AKANTE

I woke up with a slight headache and I decided to roll over my bed. I had a tiresome yesternoon with a lot or workload. Madalyn’s absence left a gap in the office and I just had to make sure to be filling in for her. She was my close friend, she understood me better and almost the only one who accepted my craziness. I knew as much that if it were me passing through such moments she would have been up and down completing my tasks.

I planned to stay indoors and in bed specifically, there was no way I would get my ass to the office; the previous day’s meetings were just too much for me.

I got my phone and decided to browse, I had about 7voicemails from Wathu. She must have been trying to reach me but hey! I had my phone directed to voicemail, I didn’t want to be disturbed with calls and messages that would deprive me of my sleep.

Listening to her voicemails really drained me. She had explained about her visit to George’s place and how she found the whole place messy and walked to the bedrooms only to find George having sex with his sister Kaira. Wow!! What a world. 

She narrated everything in between sobs, she sounded broken. I run out of words; she said she had confided in me cause she didn’t trust anyone else to talk to and she was sure that I wouldn’t tell the world about it. she wanted me to keep an eye on Madalyn and be sure George didn’t mess with her. I wondered why she sounded like her world was getting to an end already.

I then called Madalyn’s line but it wasn’t going through. That was what I had been getting for the past days. I tried reaching Wathu too and her lines were off. I was contemplating on what to do next. Either to drive to Wathu's place ans hear the whole story direct from her or drive to Zomba to check on my friend.

I decided to then surf on the internet and I was welcomed with the most heart-breaking news. With the caption “The brutal murder of a young couple in Area 51 leaves everyone heart-broken” and the picture there was that of Wathu and her husband Vundu. I was shivering.

I scrolled down the comments; everyone kept talking of how brutally they were murdered and cursing the one responsible. My heart was shattered. 

I went back to the voicemails and checked the time they were sent and it was from the previous night around 9pm and it was just so sad that the murder took place around 11pm. Did Wathu knew she was going to die? Was George the one responsible for their death? I just didn’t know how I was going to go about it all. Was I supposed to tell Madalyn everything? Or did I had to go and report to the police about it? my mind was in dilemma, I didn’t know what to do next. I had chills all over me and was afraid.

ADELE

I had been trying to reach Lucas throughout, I wanted to be sure if he was coming back home or not; I had plans. I needed to go out. He had starved me a lot and I just had to go and get satisfied elsewhere.

I knew Lucas finding out about what I was doing behind his back would cause havoc in my marriage; the paternity issue was already something I didn’t want to face; I knew the chaos it was to bring. And then if he would ever find out about the boys I was making out with, with the help of Amanda; I surely would be a dead woman, so I just had to be extra careful in all my moves then that he seemed to be off on everything.

I sent him a text, I had to lie to him that I was going to Mchinji to see my cousin and would be back the next day. I had already set a sleep over with Bob9 and I didn’t want to miss it.

I didn’t bother to know what Lucas’ reaction would be. As long as I had sent a message of me not sleeping at home across; that was okay.

LUCAS

Driving with Madelyn beside me was one of those greatest feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time. it just reminded me how it was with Adele when we had just started off doing better; I wish there was a chance where one would see through their partner’s heart. maybe I would have had a glimpse of what Adele’s plots and thoughts were long before our marriage.

I drove all the way with Madelyn’s hand in mine; I was a Pro in driving so I wasn’t scared of anything. The Kwenda’s were driving in front of us. I just appreciated them for letting me drive with Madelyn, its like they knew how much I needed this. I got to at least know a few things about her, I had promised myself to take it slowly with her.

When we got at the junction to her late sister’s house, she opted that she drop off and ride with her aunt instead. I understood and accepted her decision. She didn’t want to create stories just when she was going through tough times already. We bid farewell and I drove off as they too drove to the funeral house. I had promised to attend the ceremony the next day.

MADELYN

My heart bled; I didn’t expect Wathu to leave at such an earliest time. I regretted not conversing with her for the past days; or, maybe it was all in God’s plan that I had to learn not to rely everything on her? I just didn’t know what to think of.

When we got to their house, a lot of friends and family had already gathered there. The burial was to take place the next day- that’s how Vundu’s family planned and wanted it. I had no problem with everything, all I wanted was for my sister’s and her husband’s culprits to be caught and punished. The person behind their death must have been ruthless, didn’t they had pity on those little kids? The more I thought about the kids, the more I got hurt.

Akante came through later in the day; her presence was comforting, she made me see reasons on why I needed to be strong especially then that Wathu’s kids would be my responsibility since I was the only sister Wathu had. We were four in our family, the other two were boys. The first born Lester and the last born Ndatha. They were both married and had kids so it wouldn’t have been great to impose the twins on either of them.....