WHOSE FAULT?

Chapter 7:Am sorry.

Melissa felt bad for her friend,she still couldn't believe that she had created an illusion to make everyone believe that she was living a blissful life.

Maverick tried to keep his cool and give Lydia a chance to explain the reason as to why she reacted rudely yet he was concerned about her health.

He kept looking at the door to see if Lydia was coming in but was disappointed, decided to freshen up and sleep when she comes back.

Tina and Aubrey have been going to school as usual but we're worried about the reminder

given to them by the bursar to pay the remaining balance. Tina was the most worried in all this fiasco, their mom had just paid of the school fees and yet again the school wanted nil balance on their receipts.

She couldn't bring herself to be the bearer of the bad news that would escalate her blood pressure. The most scary thing,she would burst like an erupting volcano blaming the school for being impatient when the economy is already unstable.

She needed to stall time until the bursar came to their classes and chase the school defaulters maybe that's when she could tell their mom . The blue uniforms they were wearing had a lot of patches making their teachers to wonder if the parents couldn't afford buying new ones.

But it was only them who knew their family situation,the struggle their mom goes through to even pay the school fees,if they can't even manage to afford a scrumptious meal then how can they buy new uniforms when even eating a nice meal is like a celebratory party.

By passing kenron supermarket, they got excited when they saw a soap airing on tv and decided to watch it before going home. The bypassers gave them weird gazes as to why school children would rather watch tv on the road than right away go home.

Christie had just came back from her sister-in-law's shamba where she works in exchange for food. It's disheartening because cissy gives her the small tiny sweet potatoes that are very difficult to peel and remain with the big ones. Since she doesn't have an option,she humbles herself inorder to bring food at the table.

Joseph who was working on a construction site deeply thought on what his sister said few days back when she came looking for him. He was criticized for marrying Christie when she said

"Where did you get that wife of yours?,it looks like you picked her from trash,you can't even take care of your first children and then these ones,I sometimes wonder what goes in that head of yours."

He snapped out of his thoughts when his colleagues called out for him to carry cement. They were  always amazed by his desire to work hard when he's already he's in late fifties yet other men of his age would be enjoying their retirement pensions  . That's why he's teased that he gave birth to children who are supposed to call him grandpa .

Joseph has a medium height, chocolate skinned and always smartly dressed. Though he nolonger works in a corporate world where he was laid off,when it comes to smartness,he takes the award for it since it's engraved in his soul even when he gets drunk.

The sun was already setting, Christie did all the house chores in hopes of her daughters to help her with peeling the potatoes. She started panicking when she saw it was already darkening yet they were no where to be seen.

Tina and Aubrey arrived taking slow steps clutching their bags tightly. Seeing their mother's expression ,their hearts drummed wildly in their ears when she picked up a long stick to punish them for arriving late .

Tina wailed loudly like a slaughtered lamb,she was terrified to be beaten. She cried bitterly saying " mom !, am sorry please forgive me,I won't do it again."

She pleaded but to no vail, Christie didn't spare anyone, how could they play on the way yet they had to help her with chores. She wasn't a maid for them. Aubrey laid down receiving her strokes but didn't cry like Tina.

It was kinda of a shaming for an elder sister to wail like a baby yet Aubrey was the one supposed to do that. Taking slow steps, Tina felt like she couldn't even sit properly,her butt was in so much pain and probably had to use a hot towel to ease the pain or else she might not attend school the next day.

Removing their uniforms, Aubrey sultry whispered " I guess mom is angry,the way she gazes at us is like she's gonna skin as alive."  Tina nodded her head in agreement.

Christie finished peeling the potatoes and placed them in the saucepan covering it with banana leaves.
She told Tina to oversee the food since she was using firewood.

Havana has been spending her holidays at her uncle's place in kajjansi as she waits for the release of her Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education she sat this year. Previously her father has been shifting her to different places whenever she complains that she's not comfortable.

This too much pampering has made her siblings to envy her as she gets to enjoy everything yet for them they spend their holidays with their evil stepmother Anna. Emma the second born felt like it was time to tell their dad so that he rents a house for them to stay in as they continue with school.

He notified Mark to wake up early the next day to visit their mom who would get a solution to their problem. Sadness always engulfed his entire being whenever they were chased from school yet their father had the ability to pay off school fees.

The next day, Mark and Emma wore their uniforms embarking on their journey towards where their mom lived. Fortunately they found her cleaning her hoe preparing to go to the shamba. Her appearance was rugged,she was always stressed about what they would eat,fetched water before dawn at the well which was one kilometer away from where they lived.

Christie would wear clothes that she picks on the way when she goes to fetch water. Her life was so miserable because she couldn't even afford buying herself a beautiful dress. She holds a grudge towards her mom who abandoned her, left them with wicked stepmother and escaped to hustle for herself.

Genuinely,she has never experienced what it means to be happy in this lifetime, sometimes she thinks whether she did something worse in her previous life to deserve all this tribulation.
She wishes if she were dead since dead people don't tell tales but holds on because she has children.

Snapping out of her sad thoughts,she heard two voices and turning around,she saw mark and Emma dressed in their school uniforms. They had grown tall fully blooming into responsible men. Overwhelmed by excitement, Christie cried tears of joy.

She dropped the hoe she was cleaning and embraced them into a tight hug, after calming down,she brought a dusty bench which she cleaned with a rug for them to seat. Mark gazed at his mother who had become thin like a skeleton.

He felt complicating emotions in his heart asking the creator if he forgot about their family moreover he couldn't do much to help as he was still in school. His eyes flashed with determination to look for a part-time job and give a helping hand to his mother.

She asked them worriedly " how have you been?, I hope Anna isn't mistreating you."   Sighing, Emma denied it to lessen their mom's burden,he couldn't tell the truth, since he was the second born he had to bear the responsibility of his younger siblings.

" Mom, please! ,talk to dad so that he rents a house for us and move out from the mansion but it seems like Irene wants to stay with Anna."  Mark broke the silence between them. When Christie heard about this,she felt saddened by the news making it difficult for her to utter a single word .

" it's all my fault, being raised by Ann has made Irene to take after her character,I blame myself for not being a good mother."  Tears streamed down her rugged face.

" But mom it's not your fault, it's aunt who convinced dad to take our custody."  Emma tried explaining but to no vail. Christie was already financially hand cupped and couldn't single-handedly raise the children. Mark gave Christie his handkerchief to wipe away the tears.

Agreeing on what should be done, they said goodbye rushing to school since they had lessons to attend. It's kinda of embarrassing to be seen waking up every morning exclaiming that you're going to work but at the end of the day show nothing.
This was definitely what was happening to Marvin.

However much he struggles,things don't change especially the anxiety that threatens over financial matters.