Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was raining terribly when Imara got out of the taxi and ran into her flat. Slamming the door angrily Imara looked round her living room, sighed and brought out a cigarette lighting it, she inhaled deeply and looked at her face in the mirror life was tough she observed. With a deep yawn like a hungry tiger Imara stretched out her long, slim shape over the puff. Lifting one of her legs high into the air, she casually surveyed the snake skin slippers balanced precariously on the end of her painted toes. Imara was a very beautiful woman in her late twenties. At first glance, you would think that her face and figure were flawless, but if you looked closely you would just be able to see a faint scar which a highly skilled surgeon in South Africa had all but erased, running down her eye to her lip. Behind her seductive look you could see a sadness hidden away from the rest of the world. Or you might see an occasional bitter twist of her painted lips. Her well furnished flat was an indication of her success, situated on a hill and overlooking the ocean, Imara painted a picture of contentment and of being in total control of her life. A slight knock and the door opened and a plump masculine shaped woman came into the room. Her strange look was so deep that it was possible to see the colours of her eyes. She was neat for her age and tidy in a deep blue dress and spotted coat with a velvet cap on her hair. And when she opened her mouth to speak, she exposed big brown set of teeth. Imara stared at her assistant through a red leaf of false eyelashes. “Klara go and close the shop”, she said “take the phone off the hook and switch off my mobile phones. I have had enough clients for today” klara’s wide mouth gaped in total astonishment. “But you have got three more important and juicy customers to see”, Klara insisted, but. Imara merely shrugged “The World’s not ending today, cannot see them today may be another day” she declared. “Please let them go away. I’m finished for the day. I have got things on my mind.” This confession seemed to please Klara tremendously she clapped her hands together and looked with expectation at Imara. “Are we going to have a chat?” She inquired

“You know we are, you sly old fox”, Imara replied with a smile. “Go and get two glasses and a bottle of my favourite drink. You and l will take a trip down memory lane” Imara replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Soon the damasked drapes were drawn across the tall windows. Imara still lay on the sofa, but now freshly brushed and dressed in a maroon gown. On the rug beside her sat Klara on a stool looking like an excited child. The remains of their meal laid on the table.

“Life’s funny, you know. I remember my wicked and irresponsible stepfather prophesying hell and brimstone on me,” Imara said “I still hear it clearly like a voice mail. Your end will be miserable,” she mimicked in a high pitched voice. “Terrible miserable end “He’d said with scorn. “But look at me and look at all this! “She swept her arm around to indicate the consciousness of the room. “This is not what you will call a terrible end. The world has no place for people who cannot take the risk,” Imara said Klara nodded her head in sympathy over her friend’s predicament. “Wicked animal,” she nodded, “I wish l could lay my hands on his useless balls and crush them to pulp,” she said and they both laughed. “But why did your step father feel this way towards you”, Klara asked. Imara was quiet while a slight frown creased her forehead. “It’s simple”, she began. “When l refused to give in to his amorous and lustful advances to have sex with him and also threatened to tell my mother if he did not stop his amorous advances the old dog became aggressive and started cursing.” Klara sighed in genuine pity her dark cheeks flushed from the effect of the bottle of pink lady they had shared. “Go on Imara,” She giggled. “I will”, Imara said. “But right now things are different because a teenage girl left the dreary surroundings of the reform centre and with determination created a future of her own” Klara giggled the more this was more from the effect of the drink. “Please go on talk about those days when we were poor teenagers at the reform centre in Kondu town”. Klara urged her.

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With her eyes closed and a slight frown on her face Imara’s thoughts drifted back to the earliest days of her childhood when she played barefooted in the army barracks under the rains in Port City. She vividly recalled running the length and breadth of the barracks shouting and singing “rain! Rain go away, come again another day little Imara want to play”. She was just ten and was preparing to commence junior secondary one at the Army Day secondary school when her father was posted to Rapid Falls for military duties. She still remembered when her father returned home from work and broke the news of his posting to the whole family. She was sad for the rest of that day. She had hid in a corner of the room weeping and praying that God would guide her father. She loved him very much, before departing her father made her promise to look after her twin siblings. She had promised. “Don’t cry, l shall return soon, “her father had consoled her. “I shall pray for you every day, “she’d said. “That’s my girl, her father said, hugging her.

As the years went by Imara immersed herself with the house chores and assisting her mother in her trading Imara worked hard and she also never played with her school work where she was doing excellently well. And during the holidays she took her younger brothers to the amusement park and at times to a nearby beach. She never forgot to take a moment to pray for her father’s safe return from war ravaged Rapid Falls. Imara also recalled the fight with other children in the barracks while protecting her younger ones. She was like a vicious crocodile protecting her young babies. She remembered vividly the bigger boys who swore every day with obscene words, told filthy jokes picked from the net and exposed themselves behind the bushes at school and beckoning to the girls to come and have a look at them. She remembered all that very well, but most of all she could remember that particular day, which came back to her now like a bad dream when on returning home from school, she saw some Military Officers in their flat holding her mother and at the same time pouring water on her. Young Imara watched the scene in bewilderment and knew an accident must have happened. Due to the commotion and the crowds milling about and most of all her mother screaming hysterically, no one paid Imara any attention nor was anyone bothered with explaining to the little girl what had happened, but she quietly tending to her little brothers in the kitchen knew it was something bad. The following day her mother had collapsed again on the bare floor, gasping and weeping profusely, “Oh Imara your father is gone and we shall never see him again.” This statement had brought a chill to her spine and the tears began to flow freely.”Oh my poor father so l will never see you again” she wailed, “What happened she asked her mother. “He was shot on his way to a village and died immediately.” Her mother replied amidst tears. “Oh God, why should this happen to us – who will look after us now? “Imara asked no one in particular. Two days later together with other bereaved families, they all assembled on the parade ground to pay their last respect to their departed ones. Life would never be the same again after her father’s death. Things took a new dimension when her mother remarried thus forcing them to quit the barracks. Her stepfather was nothing to write about, Imara was at a loss why her gentle mother consented to marry this wicked and useless drunk. While her father was a gentleman, her stepfather was brutish, rough and dubious. She remembered returning home from school one day to meet her mother in a pool of her own blood, wailing and whining ‘Imara’ she had called out to her – immediately she rushed over to her hugging her tightly “what happened mother?” She’d asked. “It’s of no importance,” her mother began. “What l want you to know is that l love you all very much and that is why l’m going through all this to ensure your future – Imara my child promise me that you will be of good behaviour and face your studies to become somebody in life”. “I promise”, Imara had replied. “It is that drunk of a stepfather that did this to you, isn’t it – where is he?” She raged. “Let me teach him a lesson too, “Imara shouted, running into the house “Imara, Imara”. “Her mother called out to her as she disappeared into the house.“Thank God the beast is not at home,” she sighed. Coming back to attend to her mother “Don’t worry, mummy everything will be alright”, she consoled. Imara cleaned the blood from her mother’s body and assisted her into the bedroom.

Three weeks later, on a fine Sunday afternoon, Imara and her siblings had returned from the church, while having lunch her stepfather ran into the house and hid in one of the rooms. “Where is he? “A voice barked as two mobile policemen barged into the house “what is it, officer, what did my husband do that you are all after him? Her mother had asked, moving towards the rampaging policemen. “Out of our way woman”, the policemen said as they roughly shoved her away, causing her to crash on the floor and hitting her pregnant belly on the floor..” No-oo,” Imara shouted moving towards her mother “stupid man do you want to kill her? “The madman you’re pursuing is still alive while you have almost killed my innocent mother,” she screamed. The policemen ignored her and continued their search for his stepfather. “Here he is” one of the policemen said as he fired at him. While the commotion was going on Imara’s mother screamed, “get me the birth attendant down the street”, her mother cried out clutching her stomach while blood ran down her legs. “No mother – hold on,” Imara screamed dashing out of the house. “This woman is bleeding “one of the policemen said. “Please help her” her husband said. “shut-up you thief, “one of the policemen said, slapping him in the process. “Get us a taxi, “the other policeman ordered at the crowd. A taxicab was hailed and while the commotion lasted Imara’s mother and stepfather were taken away by the two policemen and a neighbor who followed them insisting on knowing where they were being taken to.

Imara on returning with the nurse met only her two brothers at home. “Where is mama? She asked. “They take her away, “one of the boys replied childishly. To where? “She asked. “We don’t know but neighbor followed them, “they replied. Imara was confused, “if only l had been here l would have known what to do,” she lamented. Holding on to her brothers Imara wept while the nurse did her best to console them before taking her leave. Imara and her brothers managed to go to bed that night and slept till the following morning without any hint that it was another day. The banging on the door by their neighbor woke her up from sleep. Imara opened the door for their neighbor. “Good morning sir how is my mother” Imara asked without delay. “Take it easy and let’s sit down first, he said “please sir is my mother alright? “She asked again. Their neighbor hesitated for a while, “my dear I’m sorry but your mother died yesterday night – “Imara did not let him finish before letting out a piercing scream which woke her younger brothers from sleep. “Mama is dead, “she told them. “What is dead? “One of the twins asked. Imara amidst tears explained to them the implication of it all. “What of her body? Imara managed to ask. “You don’t worry about it, the authorities at the hospital will bury her but all of you get ready to leave this house soon. “Their neighbor said. “Why? What will become of us then? Oh God if not for this bastard who had killed my mother we’d not be in this mess,” Imara said weeping profusely. “Don’t worry, “the neighbor consoled. “I will make arrangement with the authorities of the Save our Soul Orphanage Home in Rock City. This is the promise l made to your mother they will take good care of you.” He promised. “Your mother was a good woman”. “No, No, we’re not going to any motherless home”, Imara said stubbornly. “I shall take good care of myself and my brothers.” “How do you intend to do that”, their neighbor asked completely astonished. “It is simple, l shall get a job”, Imara replied. Their neighbor smiled sadly, “listen and listen well my dear child you can’t do it – the Orphanage is the best solution for yourself. The so-called job you’re talking about how much do you think you will make – 200, 400 naira. You don’t stand a chance of even taking care of yourself so my dear child be reasonable” their neighbor said. “You don’t worry l shall be visiting you all from time to time and ensure that you are okay”. Three days later staff of the Orphanage home came to collect them Imara wept profusely as she entered the car with her brothers. “Don’t cry my dear child,” the neighbor consoled. “I wish l could do better,” he said. As the car drove off, looking back in sadness so then it was goodbye to the old gummy place they had come to know as their home. For some hours afterwards, the neighbors stood about gossiping, some even wept at this kind of calamity that had befallen Imara and her brothers. As the car drove on, Imara’s heart ached for that small room, where she used to sit up in bed at night surrounded by her twin brothers sharing a sticky piece of corn biscuit while she told them fairy tales. But it was no more, the back street home was replaced by a hard white bed painted walls and three substantial meals a day with a prayer before and after. Fourteen years old, with her short dark hair Imara had stared insolently at the matron of the Orphanage, and carefully sized up the situation. Her cheeks had been so well scrubbed that they tingled, and rebellion was burning like fire in her young breast. Let them come she thought angrily; she was ready for them. They had taken the twins away from her earlier, without even letting her see them. Tears welled up in her eyes but she forced them back. She was not going to cry, she would not let them see how much pain they have caused her. She hated these busy bodies and they were not going to keep her in this rotten home especially after her education. “She’s quite intelligent,” Miss Bella explained to the matron. Miss Bella was the Welfare Officer in the orphanage. “It’s a pity she came from such a bad home, with her father in jail and her mother dead.” “Well, we get all kinds of children here,” the matron replied placidly. “She’ll soon settle down.” Imara spent three years at the orphanage, she ran away twice and was brought back by the police on both occasion. How she hated the place! It never changed. Every day was dreary and monotonous. “They did the same things at the same time but only in different places. They ate the same food, read the same old story books and played with the same old jig saw puzzles. The only interesting thing being the schooling, foolish people she sighed. Imara grew big and very tall and her dark eyes became angry and brooding. It was not that any one was unkind to her; it was just that she was starved of affection when her young heart was crying out to be loved and to give love. Nearly fifteen and her figure had begun to fill out. She had long perfectly formed legs, and her small breasts were like spring buds as they pushed shape into the adire gown she had to wear. Her dresses always had the same designs. Sometimes her dresses were a bit long, sometimes they were too short but always they were too tight around the bust for her. But she had seldom seen herself in a full – length mirror, and was quite unconcerned about her shape. When she walked, she leaned forward slightly and took long boyish strides. And her face always had a sad expression. “Imara has settled nicely,” Miss Bella remarked on one of her irregular visits. “Yes”, the matron replied. The staff all agrees that she has changed considerably since l came.” Miss Bella sipped her drink in an absent – minded manner “I’m pleased to get a good report of her. She was a big problem here at first”, Miss Bella said. “She likes to see you”, Matron added. “No one else has ever visited her.”

“I’m afraid that this is my last visit,” Miss Bella announced. “I’m leaving the service and going to Irak on relief work. Something l’ve always fancied love to help the Irakis rebuild”. She said and concluded with a nod.