Extract from Distorted View- copyright 2015

{Extract from Distorted View- copyright 2015 Constance Mutale page 169-173}

It was Valentine’s Day and she wondered what Ishimana had planned for the day? She on the other hand had got what she wanted from her husband.

Basil was reminiscing. He recalled a call he had received a day after the interview in the Boardroom. He picked up the phone and a song played in his ears.

‘His eye’s on the sparrow and I know he watches over me.’

“Who is this? Hello?” He’d tried to say before the line got cut.

‘Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come? When Jesus is my portion

Is constant love is here. I sing because I am happy, I sing because I am free, his eyes is on the sparrow I know he watched over me…’

He now lay back in his bed as he remembered the melody and wondered if it had any meaning for him anymore.

Ishimana had received a lot of messages for valentines on the other hand, not that she was interested. She still needed a little bit more time to herself. She turned down all the possible dates. She needed to re-set her goals. The greatest joy was realising that her family had never gotten wind of her involvement with Basil or Dr. James as he was known by most. It was a miscalculated affair, which she had never flaunted to them. Perhaps somehow at the back of her mind, she’d known that he was not the one.

It was a good feeling to put Valentine’s Day behind as life returned back to normal the next day. Flowers had been sent across the world, chocolates and wine had moved from shelf, to till, to stomach. Romantic dinner arrangements had been made and fulfilled and finally the love in the air had died down.

Ishimana opened her email and right before her eyes was a message from Dr. James, Basil. He broke the silence that had been created for weeks.

He addressed her formally, requesting to settle some bills for the cultural ceremony her ‘uncle’ Dika had spoken about. He went on to state how shocking her ‘emotional message’ to him had been a couple of weeks ago.

She tried to read between the lines, what would be shocking about a message? Messages were exchanged in the weeks that followed discussing her culture and if he indeed needed to dispatch anything, money for the bills and the like. Ishimana finally requested for peace of mind.

“You should have thought of my peace of mind first.” He responded angrily.

It was most obvious that he felt life revolved around him as he faithfully stated when he was dating her.

“Oh life is paradise for me. Everything is just in my favour.” He’d flaunted.

Ishimana wondered how his life could be a paradise when in actual fact he lived away from his family and land. What paradise? Was it because he travelled the worlds that he felt the world belonged to him?

‘If you were winter I would love to be summer then we would blend as the seasons of the world.’

‘If you were Christmas I would love to be New Year, they are both times to celebrate.’

‘If you were a pair of shoes, I’d love to be the feet that wore them’

‘If you were a gift I’d love to be the hands that un wrapped it.’

‘If you were a smile, I’d love to be the face that wore it.

‘If it were possible I’d love to be your conscience and guide you through life…”

“Lovely, that is beautiful.” Spoke Lavema Ishimana’s friend.

“You haven’t been great company lately. Anything you want to talk about?” She continued after a short pause as they walked out of the theatre.

“No. No.” She replied with a thin smile. The less people knew about her hiccup the better.

“I see.” She replied as the begun to window shop.

“I wish it was Christmas again. I am looking forward to a lovely holiday.”

“Hey girlfriend, Christmas just ended.” She replied with a laugh.

“Well, I wish it could be Christmas again. I wish I could sit with friends and family and unwrap our gifts as we normally do. Wearing a smile and really meaning it.” She replied with a modest look on her face. “But I have a lot of work to do. Promoting the software program and there is this hurdle, the more I move away from it the closer it moves to me.”

“Heartbreak?” Lavema tried again.

“No. No.” She replied with a laugh. “Am above that, what do you take me for?”

She laughed with her.

“I have to go. I have to go home and see my man.” Lavema spoke after a moment, looking at her watch. “I am sure he is waiting. We can go to the theatre again. I enjoyed being with you.”

“Bye.” She said facing her. My man she thought in the blink of a moment. That good for nothing who lets you wear the pants of the house while you work the whole year as he claims there are no jobs?

 “Take care.” Lavema spoke as they hugged.

“Will do, thank you.” She replied focusing her attention on the future. The past is a lesson, nothing to dwell on, the present is a live broadcast and every second counts. There are no rehearsals just live casts as they say.