Pains of the abandoned.

Chapter 1

Lynn

'Lynn, wake up, you need to go and buy the morning paper. 'Ndainzwa kunge ndiri kurota gogo vachitaura neni. Vakaramba vachiedza kundimutsa kusvika vatoita zvekundidira mvura. Thats when l came back from dreamland. It hit me suddenly that today was the day when the names of those who had been accepted at the University of Zimbabwe would be published. Hana yangu yairova. The previous night i had had that dream again. Somehow l knew nzvimbo ndanga ndisina kuiwana. Whenever i had that dream bad news would follow. Ndakamborota hope idzodzo sekuru vachibva vashaya. The next time l had an accident. The third time ndakarwara zviri serious zvekuti vemadziro committee vakatoti ndabvisa mimba. But l knew better, and l couldn't tell anyone about it.
Ndakanotenga newspaper ndichifamba zvinyoro nyoro. We were staying ku Waterfalls, Harare tiri three. Sekuru vangu hanzvadzi ya mom vanga vachangobva mukuroora so gogo vaida wekuswera naye. I was loved ndikuudzei, and spoiled too. Pese pavari ndaivapowo. You remember ndichinetseka ndiri mu exam room paya? I had stayed at home for a year ndichishaya kuti ndoitasei but mom vakazotsvaka tsvaka mari yefees ikawanikwa. Sekuru vakati ndizogara navo ku Harare saka zvanga zvarongeka. My Pa? He just called when he heard that form six results were out vakangoti makorokoto Tete and that was that.
I checked the newspaper and for sure my name was not listed. Misodzi yangu yakatanga  kuerera. Panga pava nenguva l could not apply anywhere else. Ndakadzokera kumba gogo vakanditambira nemufaro but pavakangoona misodzi vakabva vandimbundira. I could hear sekuru vachiti, 'Zvinoita mzaya, kwawakabva kure, you will make it.'Ndakachema kusvika ndabatirwa nehope. Pandakazopepuka anga atova  masikati. Sekuru Tapiwa vakabva vandisheedza vachiti vane nyaya yavaida kutaura neni. Ndakananaira ndichienda kwavari. Nyaya yavo yakanga yakamira sekudai:Sekuru vakange vane madhiri avo avaida kutsikisa outside Harare but aida mari urgently. Since ndaive ne $600 mumaoko yefees vakakumbira kuti ndifane kuvapa ndakamirira kuona zvekuita. I agreed nekuti ndaitotyawo kudya mari yacho.
Takasara tiri vaviri na gogo tichizvifarira. The first two days sekuru taitovafonera tichinzwa kuti kuri sei. On the third day however, foni yavo yakatanga kuramba. Takangoti pamwe i network but pakakwana mazuva matatu takatanga kunetseka. Apa zvinhu zvacho zvine manyawi, UZ yakabva yabuditsa mamwe mazita evakange vawana nzvimbo. Ndisati ndatombotenga bepa sahwira wangu akabva afona.
'Lyn saka uri kupinda mutown nguvai? ' akadaro Masy but ndaitoshaya kuti ari kutaura pamusoro pei.
' Handina kumboti ndouya mutown wani? 'l replied. She was quiet for a second ndobva andibvunza mubvunzo wandakashya kuti aitii.
' Wamboona Sunday Mail here? 'l answered no and she told me kuti zita rangu rakanga ririmo. I was tongue tied. Masy akatozokata fon aona kuti angapererwa nemari ini ndakanyarara.
Ndakazonotenga newspaper riya ndokuona kuti ishuwa. Ndakafara ndichimhanya kunoudza gogo. The following morning my ma called me wishing me the best pandaizonoregister. Ndopandakazotarisa munewspaper ndokuona kuti we had been given three days dzekuti tizoregister. It was Monday so the due date was Wednesday. Thats when it hit me that l did not have my school fees apa fon yasekuru yaingoramba. Ndipo pandakaona kuti kune mweya yemadzinza pasi pezuva. Ndakataura nagogo vakati tirambe tichiedza fon iya. Apa ndifunge kuti mom ndaivatii.
Tuesday hatina kurara tichiti pamwe foni ichaita usiku. Wednesday makuseni ndakamuka ndisingadi kana kutaura. Kana kugeza chaiko handina. Gogo vaingotarisa. Around one fon yangu yakarira but ndakaignore. Gogo ndovakatozodaira.
'Mati apinde mu town izvezvi? Manje haarasike here? 'Ndigogo vaidaro.
Ndakatoshaya kuti ndiani airehwa ndokutobuda panze. Gogo vakazonditevera ndokuti ndigeze nekukasira nditore mapepa angu ndipinde mutown sekuru vaive vakandimirira. Ndakamboti ndiri kurota ndokuzoona kuti idi. Ko ndakambogeza here? Zviya zvekuti ndaitya kupinda mutown yaiva imwe nyaya. Ndakazoti ndava mukombi ndokutanga kufunga kuti handaizorasika here?
I called sekuru ndobva vati ndiuye kuNasa. Makombi eku waterfalls aigumira pana Ok Albion apa kuti ndichaziva  kune Nssa kwacho. Ndakazofonera Masy akandidirecter ndikawana sekuru varipo asi vairatidza kuneta. Vakati ivo fon yavo yaisaita nekuda kwenetwork. News paper vakatorionawo zuro manheru  pavaitotarisa kwaitengeswa mota. Pavakaona list ndokuona zita rangu vakabva vatogadzirira kuti vauye. Takabva tamirira munhu aiuya nemari iya. Akatozosvika na3.Panga pasara hour. Kubva mutown kuenda ku UZ  i fifteen minutes kana makombi asingatizi mapurisa. Zvemusi uyu zvaitova nechaidaro. Kombi yakazozara na 3:20pm.Driver akatanga kutiza mapurisa. Mudumbu mangu makanga morwadza nekutya kuti nguva dzikakwana ndaizodii. Takazozvika kwasara 10min.Ndakamhanya ndakananga pa reception. Ndakasvika ndichifemereka ndokuwana pane mamai maviri aitoratidza kurongedzera kuenda kumba. Ndakavaudza zvandanga ndavinga vakabva vatarisana ndokudzungudza musoro.
Ndakapera simba. Umwe wavo ndiye akazoti, 'Where do you come from?'
I replied with a low voice, 'Shurugwi'. They stared at me pitifully. One of them started explaining to me that l coul not register because the process was so long l could never finish it within 5 minutes. Ndakangoti maita basa ndokubuda. Zvakange zvaramba.Umwe moyo waipa sekuru mhosva asi deep down l knew it was becoz of that dream.
'Iwe shurugwi, shurugwi '. I heard a voice calling. Ndakaramba ndichifamba hangu. Ndaitoshaya kuti ane zita rakadaro ndiani. Ndakazonzwa ndabatwa ruoko ndikati pangu papera. Harare iya yakanga yoda kundizadzisira mbiri yayo yekubirwa kwevanhu. Ndakaramba ndakatarisa pasi hana ichiita junk jive. Ndakabva ndatanga kuzungunuswa. Ndopandakazosumudza musoro. Ndakaona ari umwe wevakadzi vaya. Padivi pake paiva nemurume airatidza kuti ndiguard.Chiso chaguard ivavo chaisavaraidza kutarisa.Raiva rino zirume zidema. Ndakabvunda ndoshaya kuti chava chii.
'Ndiye iyeyu', vakadaro mai vaya vachindinongedzera. Guard vakagutsirira musoro ndokunditi ndifambe ndichidzokera mu office muya. Kuti nditi ndaifamba ndinganyepa. Ndaiita kuya kunonzi kuzvikweva. Ndini uya aizivikanirwa munyama.
'Fambisa chisikana'akadaro guard uya. Mai vaya ndakacheuka ndikasavaona. Ndakaramba ndichifamba ndokusvika pamusuwo we office uya ndokuona ahi, mutori neumwe guard futi. Nevamwe mai pane vaviri vaya. Chiso chairatidza kusuruvara. Ndakamira pamberi paya ivo ndokusimudza musoro voti,
'Ndine urombo musikana. Ndapotsa ndavhiringa upenyu hwako. Registrar vatumira tsamba yekuti vese vasati varegister vazodzoka Monday holiday yapera. Guard ava ndivo vazondiyeuchidza'. Handina kuzomboda kuteerera zvimwe zvese. I had been saved . My life was back in track. Had l known what was to happen in my four years at the University l would have celebrated the time l was told i couldn't register. However, l had faith this was the way to change my life for the better. Boy was l so wrong.
I went home. When l got there l called Masy and told her what had transpired. She was happy for me. I had met her when l went to submit my application form and we clicked during that short period. Now we had a chance to develop our friendship. I hate washing the dishes but that day ndaiita kuimbirira ndichisuka ndiro zvekuti gogo vangu vakatopererwa. I called my boyfriend letting him know that i was going to stay in Harare after all. His name was Sherpy. He had just finished his Mining Engineering degree @the University of Zimbabwe. I liked him. A lot. Scratch that, l loved the man.