When Two Elephants Fight

Chapter 5

As the rate of inflation kept increasing by each passing second in 2008, things were tough at home. Even my mother's frequent visits to the court came to an abrupt end. I don't know if it was because of inflation or Mr Khosa had a hand in it. Any way we had enough to eat at home but we were short on some school needs. My mother got herself a Post Office Savings Bank credit card and she would just go and collect the maintenance fee at our local Post Office. The good news was that there was no excuse for her to go to town. Unfortunately the money couldn't do much help. By the time l was in the second term of my grade seven,the fee could only buy a pencil. At times my mother would just stop withdrawing the money and then leave it since it was of little if not no use at all.
As the economic hardships hits hard at home we couldn't get enough stationary and naturally l would be the last one to be attended. Mr Khosa was a very good man of course but in times like these it was natural of him to look out for his blood first before catering for my needs. My mother couldn't do much as she was pregnant at that time so she couldn't do any manual labour to raise money for my school needs.
As if the gods heard my prayers, l received a very unexpected present one day!
It was a letter from my dad!
I couldn't believe it at first when l was called to Mrs Shava's classroom. Mrs Shava was a grade two teacher at our school and apparently her husband was teaching at the same school with my father. I was very shocked to receive a letter from him and also curious to know what he wanted. My mother was no longer tormenting him anyway so l wondered what the letter was all about. I hesitantly opened the letter and couldn't believe my eyes. My father himself was asking about my health, how my studies were going, and how he is sorry about whatever that happened!. I thought l was dreaming. This was so unexpected but it felt pleasant in some way. I had to admit that l felt something. I was happy that he reached out to me, I was also happy that he is remorseful for what he put us through. I didnt want to play hard to get so l quickly replied the letter and gave it to Mrs Shava so that she could give it to her husband. I told my father that we were fine and everything is good. I didn't want to start talking about the financial hardships though because though l was happy that he reached out, l was still skeptical about accommodating him in my heart. He told me to tell him whatever l need and he will do it so l told him that l needed a birth certificate. I was about to register for my Grade Seven National Examinations and needed a birth certificate for that. I could have written the exams without the birth certificate but l also needed it for other co-curricular activities like sports. I couldn't participate in some sport competition because l didn't have a birth certificate and if l did, l would be using someone else's.  I was the only one without a birth certificate in my class and l didn't feel any good about it.
To my surprise the following week l received a letter from Mrs Shava again and my dad was saying he would come to process my birth certificate the following week. It felt like a dream again. I couldn't believe that things will turn out this way. I never thought he would come through for me so quickly. He told me not to let my mother know that we were talking. He said she won't be ok with it and will try to mess things up for us. I believed him because he was somewhat telling the truth. My mother hated my father's guts amd if she heard that l was communicating with him hell would break loose. I didn't want to risk losing my father whom l was starting to get attached to and l also didn't want to hurt my mother by making her feel like she is being betrayed because to her, talking to my father would be the greatest betrayal she could ever stomach.
The following week my father came to my school to process my birth certificate. I was happy that he kept his promise.  When the headmaster saw him he was ready to pounce on my father at the very least provocation but when he learnt that he came for a good cause he let him take me. I then went home with my father and my mother wasn't too pleased to see him. Infact she looked like she was ready to murder him. I denied ever knowing about his coming and he just told my mother that he came to process my birth certificate as l was about to sit for my Examinations. My mother growled at her like a dog and told him that this is the first time he has used his brains ever since he were born. We set of to the district offices for the birth certificate and along the way my parents were busy tearing each other apart with words. My dad saw Mr Khosa at school and l also went to introduce him because he said he would like to meet the man who is raising his daughter.  They had a pretty decent talk though my father was a bit sarcastic in his comments. Despite all the sarcasm, Mr Khosa remained calm and responded well to all my father's questions which were unnecessary in some instances.
"Where did you find that ugly looking guy?", I heard my father asking my mother when l was just catching up with them. I dont know why he would want to start a fight with my mother like that and why on earth would he call Mr Khosa that. My mother was one of those people who are gifted in insults and she wasnt moved at all by hearing Mr Khosa being called ugly, instead she fired back by asking my father about his wife. She responded, " he is ugly but at least he got some brains, by the way how is gogo Moyo? I mean your wife, isnt she old enough to be your mother?". I hadn't met my father's wife yet but my mother always said she was older than my dad. I realised it was true due to how my father responded. He was full of rage and looked like he could swallow my mother alive. "Next time you think of insulting my husband, l will say far much worse things", she added. She looked very happy that she succeeded in pissing him off and we completed the whole journey in silence.