Dysfunctional Family - Season 1 - Episode 20

4 years ago

Dysfunctional Family - Season 1 - Episode 20

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Seeing all those pupils line up before her for assembly gave her heart nothing more than delight. The pupils meant more than pupils to her, they were family. And what she was about to do to some of those pupils only moments from now hurt her feelings but some situations are just out of one’s control thus they have to do what is required of them.
Principal Agnes Zimba stood in front of the pupils, addressing them on how to sustain good behaviour and the likes.
“Doesn’t she get tired of repeating the same speech year after year?” audibly chorused a female senior pupil.
Murmurs of agreement erupted and they only died down when Principal Zimba sternly ordered for silence.

“You’ve been staring at Tracy for minutes..it’s almost as if this is the first time you’re setting eyes on her. What’s up?”
Lubesha drew in a deep breath and worriedly told Sylvester, “It seems she’s ignoring me. She didn’t say a word to me last night in the dinning hall and right now her gaze is everywhere but at me.”

Sylvester took a minute to study Tracy who only seemed to be paying utmost attention to Principal Zimba’s speech.

“I say you’re just being paranoid..she’s definitely just paying attention to the repetitive speech Principal Zimba is giving.”
Wanting to believe his friend, Lubesha nodded and diverted his gaze else where. “You’re probably right.”

“Tracy!”
She stopped in her tracks and gave Lubesha an impatient stare. “What?”

Assembly had been dismissed and they were now headed to class.

Laura who was with Tracy paused too only for Tracy to say to her, “You can go ahead, Laura. I’ll find you in class.”

Laura rolled her eyes at Lubesha instead and then angrily walked towards her class.
“Don’t you have class to attend?”
“Hello to you too, Tracy. Why are you ignoring me?”

“I’m not ignoring you, Lubesha. The problem is you think the world revolves around you..well it doesn’t!” A stunned Lubesha said in a sad tone, “Are you mad at me for something?”

“You know what, you’re just wasting my time. Have a nice day!” she turned and left him standing there, his jaw hanging low.
“What just happened?” he muttered to himself.

Twenty minutes into the first lesson, there came a knock at the door and the teacher went to see who was knocking.
“Principal Zimba..Good morning.”
“Good morning, Mr. Chola. I’m looking for Lubesha Pondamali.”
Hearing Principal Zimba was personally looking for him struck Lubesha as odd and he had a strong feeling of dread. Could it be he had done something wrong? Usually Principal Zimba only summoned him to her office during break or lunch hour.
This morning he deciphered from her facial expression that something was definitely amiss.
The only words she said to him were, “To my office.” In the office, Lubesha was awestruck to find Donald seated on a chair opposite Principal Zimba’s. Agnes took her seat and offered Lubesha one and he unpleasantly took it.
“What’s this meeting all about?” Donald impatiently asked, he had a plane to catch.
Agnes sighed and leaned back in her seat. “It hurts me to do this but I have to do what’s required of me as this school’s headmistress. Now before I get to the point of this meeting,” she focused all her attention on Lubesha. “I have to admit I didn’t expect such behaviour from you, Lubesha Pondamali. Now I received some disturbing news a few minutes after schools officially closed last term and since the parties involved were gone, I decided to exercise some patience and wait for schools to reopen.”

The weather was cool and yet Lubesha found himself sweating.

Agnes went on, “I received word you and Tracy Fulilwa were having sexual relations right here in school and I believe both of you know the implication of two pupils getting intimate like you did. So, were the rumours true?”

He wasn’t the type to lie and wasn’t going to start now. “I’m afraid so.”
“I’m glad both Tracy and you are being honest and so it is for that reason that am only suspending the both of you..You two will only come back to sit for your final exams.”
“Principal,” Donald piped up in desperation. “Isn’t that too harsh a punishment? I mean, this is just the beginning of term 1 and you expect them to go home and only come back to write their exams?”
Agnes gave Donald a long questioning look which made him hurriedly add, “Come on, these are teenagers and I believe Lubesha and that girl- whats her name again?”
“Tracy,” said Lubesha in a whisper.
“Yes..Tracy. I believe they aren’t the first and won’t be the last students to get sexually involved in this school and other schools out there. This happens everyday and everywhere. It’s just sex!”
“It’s just sex, you say? Need I remind you this same sex spawns upon implications such as teenage pregnancy, STDs and all? What are you teaching this boy, Mr. Musongo?”
“Am not teaching him anything and I ain’t happy to hear what am hearing but he’s a boy who’s going through adolescence! And speaking of STDs and teenage pregnancy, does this Tracy girl happen to have either of them?”

“Thank God she doesn’t! But these two will definitely be an example to all the promiscous pupils in this school,” said Agnes nonchalantly. Do you realize am supposed to expel and not suspend them? Mr. Musongo, it breaks my heart to do such to these pupils but I have to do it, as I said earlier. Plus I won’t let these two tarnish the name of this school.”

“If you ask me, you’re overreacting.”
And she knew she was but what could she do when her job was at stake?

Lubesha was given time to pack all his stuff while Donald waited for him in a taxi.

Tracy on the other hand was on her way back to Lusaka. She still couldn’t fathom what had just happened.

As he packed, Lubesha fought the tears that were threatening to run down his cheeks but in the end they did fall. He was so shocked at how life can change in a flash. Suspension? This was as good as expulsion!

Uncle Donald must be feeling awful, he silently told himself. This can’t be happening…Principal Zimba can’t do this to Tracy and I. To me. She adores me!

☆☆☆
It had been over a day since their arrival in Lusaka and Donald was giving Lubesha a cold shoulder. “What can I do to get him to talk to me?” Lubesha asked Alice.
They were on their way to the market to grab some groceries.

“I mean, I screwed up but people bang each other all the time in schools, Alice.”
“I know right? It’s either you have the worst luck ever or you’re simply cursed. No offense.”

“None taken,” he sighed and glanced at the heavens. “I guess am just cursed then.”
Alice said, “And Dad, he’ll come around soon. That aside, I have some grade twelve text books and since am only in grade 11, I can lend them to you.” She knew they wouldn’t be of much help though. “Away from the books, how’s the same girl that got you in all this trouble in the first place?”
“Tracy? She doesn’t have a phone as her Dad apparently happens to be very strict. All I know is she stays here in Lusaka..somewhere in New Kasama. I intend to go looking for her one of these days.”

“With her control freak of a Dad, judging from what you told me, good luck.”
“Thanks.”

Alice changed the topic and succeeded in putting a smile on Lubesha’s face.

☆☆☆

The Toyota Corolla pulled up right in front of the house.

“You sure you wanna go in like that? You’re freaking wasted, man!”
“I’m turning 18 soon so yeah, I freaking wanna go in! And my mum has no say over my actions as she’s the reason I’ve turned up like this anyway.”
“Don’t you go blaming your mama for getting yourself senseless drunk,” scolded the guy who was driving the car and was the least drunk among Amos’ crew of three. “She didn’t force the booze down your throat, did she now?”
“Just shut the hell up, mama’s boy!” Amos shouted before getting out of the car, bottles of beer in both hands.

His less drunk friend shook his head and began reversing. “He’s wasted!”
“Getting wasted is fun,” replied the other guy who was as drunk as Amos was.
Amos staggered to the porch, put the beer bottles down and b@nged on the door. Juliet was preparing supper in the kitchen when she heard the startling bang on the door.
“Who the hell dares to knock on my door as if this is their father’s house?!” she yelled as she approached the door.
“Here’s irony for you,” Amos yelled back. “This is my father’s house!”
Even as she opened the door, she had already figured from his slurred speech that Amos was drunk.

The stench of cheap liquor hit her nostrils as soon as she opened the door and one look at Amos got her infuriated that she just felt like flogging him with her shoe but she kept calm.
Juliet crossed her arms and stood in the doorway blocking Amos. “Is this the extent your disobedience has reached? So you bringing girls in my house and sleeping with them isn’t enough that you now have to come home drunk? Is this why you quit school, to sleep with cheap wh0r£s, smoke weed and drink beer?”

“Am not drunk.”
“Oh please, that’s every drunk person’s favourite line!”
“Fine, am drunk!” he was staggering from side to side. “Am drunk because my life is f-----g messed up! You yourself found solace in alcohol when Dad left so please keep your lectures to yourself and let me in, I wanna lie down.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to you, Amos. Can’t you take a good look at Alice? She’s doing well in school and will probably do something useful with her life. If you continue behaving like this, am afraid even Lubesha will do better in life than you!”
“I doubt Lubesha will do any better than me..Dad thinks he’s a saint and yet I wonder what sort of saint bangs slay queens in school and ends up getting suspended or expelled or whatever s--t.”

“What are you talking about?”
“I went to visit Alice and Dad today and found Lubesha home..I already told you why he’s there,” Amos paused to burp and gain composure from his staggers. He then pointed a finger at Juliet. “Now don’t you go comparing me to Alice and Lubesha cause am like this only because of you! I am who I am because of you, Juliet Musongo. Had you been a bit stern with me like you had been with Alice and Lubesha, maybe I’d-”
She cut him short by slapping him. She’d heard enough. “You ungrateful filth!” she spat in her son’s face before slamming the door in it.
Amos continued banging on the door while using obscene language and threatening his mother to open the door lest he breaks it.
He was still banging on the door while hurling insults at Juliet when he felt his stomach rumble, his intestines where churning and very soon his stomach protested. A few minutes later, Amos passed out in his own vomit.

Meanwhile Juliet was huddled on a sofa crying. She was processing all that Amos had just told her and couldn’t believe he was blaming her for turning out the way he had. Could it be Amos was right? Was she to blame for everything?

Her heart was bleeding and so she just let the tears fall. She hugged her knees tight and literally weeped. She was so torn apart that she didn’t realise the food was burning back in the kitchen…
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