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AIM: Chapter 17
Epilogue:
"RUN!!!!!!! RUN!!!!!! PUSH FORWARD!!!! PUSH THROUGH!" (Mutale screamed at the top of his lungs as he pushed himself to run as fast as he could, despite bearing the pain of his nearly broken foot.)
"PUSHHHHH THROUGH!" (Makhaza screamed aggressively.)
"GOOOOO!!!!!!!" (Screamed the rest of the soldiers behind him.)
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" (Screamed Mutale.)
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Chapter 17: Injuries of Now, Then, and Our Past: Part 1
(Lusaka City Central Defence Force Station: a large spherical building that stands on the outskirts of Lusaka City.)
Tap, tap, tap, tap were the slow and calculated steps of Robert Chifita, whose footsteps continuously echoed throughout the hall of the entire building.
The atmosphere outside was calm, quiet, and gentle, with the sun casting its warm glow upon the surface of each tree's green leaf, tweeting birds, a distant breeze, and moving engines further away.
Tap, tap, tap were the continuous steps of Robert, whose expression was plain and calm, with a subtle clench in his fists and toes.
"To believe I told the boy to run away in case anything were to get intense," he said to himself, looking back at his conversation with Mutale a few months back.
"That boy... a heart of gold he has," he said as he took a halt and gazed outside the glass windows, taking in the gentle drizzle of the leaves on each tree.
"Alive... he likely will be..." he said as he noticed an ant walking past him in the large hall alone. He then drew his attention forward and began to walk once more.
"But will he be the same regardless... that I clearly do not know. Nothing good truly ever comes out of war," he said to himself.
"I know one man who hated this more than anyone I knew in this lifetime of mine," he said as he continuously made his way until the doors of the elevator to his left opened, and he walked in.
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Meanwhile: In Lusaka City
Mumba stood there, looking at Megan's body lying flat on the ground. The air was cold and silent, her expression neutral but her eyes red.
In her mind, distant memories of the party flooded her head, with flashbacks of a woman who looked exactly like Megan, of Banda, of Mailo, and of the woman once more.
"Regardless... he chose her... he always has. Even in death, he always will," Mumba muttered.
"Maybe I'm the problem... the fact that I'm failing to let go..." she said to herself as she raised her head toward the ceiling.
"The air is cold... except you probably don't feel cold... you probably don't feel pain at all," she said, drawing her attention back to Megan.
"You don't have a soul." Her lip began to tremble.
"You can't feel pain." She clenched her teeth and fists altogether.
"I can't even clearly call you life altogether... you're simply programmed to behave in a manner pleasing to him," she said as she began to walk toward her desk, opened the drawer, pulled out a lighter and cigarette, and lit up.
"Since you don't feel pain..." she said to herself as the entire room turned red.
"I don't think he'll mind if I..." she said as she lit her lighter closer to Megan's face.
"You don't feel pain... so definitely... you're not going to burn," Mumba said with an extended smile and a tear on her face.
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Meanwhile:
Banda made his way toward the school's hall. The students were all busy and occupied with lessons. The only sound that could be heard throughout the hall was the sound of his footsteps.
Along the way, he bumped into a cleaner, who was completely startled by his sudden appearance.
"AHHHHHHH!" the cleaner screamed as she quickly threw her mop to his face.
"How exactly did that even reach?" said two random students who happened to be watching from a distance.
"Yeah, that man is clearly a skyscraper as it is," said one boy with long braids.
"The fact that you two are here and not in class is even more concerning," whispered Professor Mailo as he placed his palms on their shoulders.
"AHHHHHHH!" screamed the two students as they both quickly ran away.
"There's no way that smile is real!!!!!" one of them screamed as they ran.
"I am so sorry, sir!!!" said the cleaner lady as she tried to wipe Banda's face but unfortunately couldn't reach.
"It's fine," Banda said as he reached out for her handkerchief to clean himself.
"Man... he's so tall and..." As she took in his messy-haired appearance, "HOTTTTTTTT!" she screamed to herself as she fell to the ground.
"Allow me," Mailo said as he suddenly showed up, grabbing the handkerchief from Banda's hand and trying to clean his wet face. The only unfortunate part for him was he could only reach his chin.
"Stop it, Mailo! You're not helping!!!" Banda screamed aggressively, grabbing the handkerchief from Mailo.
"Hahahaha," Mailo forcefully laughed, his posture straight.
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Later, Banda and Mailo made their way through the hall and toward Megan's classroom.
"So you brought lunch for your daughter, how caring," Mailo said sarcastically.
"I will beat you, Mailo," Banda said as they both stopped at the entrance of Megan's class.
"Don't forget to bend upon entry," Mailo teased, as Banda aggressively kicked him away.
"I SAID I WAS GONNA BEAT YOU!" Banda yelled.
"Ohhh, ouch," Mailo said, touching his back, his face laid flat on the floor.
"That's no way to treat a principal of the school, my gosh," Mailo said as he stood and walked toward Banda.
"You tempted me to do so," Banda said.
"I was simply looking out for you," Mailo said as he opened the classroom door and walked in.
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Quiiii... the door opened as both Banda and Mailo walked in, grabbing the attention of every student in class and startling the teacher.
"Professor Mailo!!!!" the teacher panicked. "What brings you here? Or err... pleasure to have you here," the teacher stammered.
"No need to panic, bune, we just came here to address a small issue honestly... nothing more," Mailo said in an elegant tone.
"I see, and what issue could that be?" the teacher asked.
"My friend here forgot his daughter's lunch..." Mailo said, gesturing toward Banda, as the teacher was startled upon seeing his towering frame.
"He's a giant!!!!" the teacher said to himself.
"These reactions I get every single time I step into a room... it pisses me off," (Banda's inner monologue).
"Ohh right... who could your daughter be?" the teacher asked, turning his head to face the students.
"She's not here," Banda said in a hush tone.
"She... she's not?" the teacher stammered.
"Yeah, Megan Banda. Where is she???" Mailo asked in a straight but calm tone.
"I'm... I'm not sure honestly," said the teacher in a slightly anxious tone.
"Ohh right," said a girl sitting in the third row at the front. "Her and Chichi actually went to Madam Mumba's office before this period began," she said.
"Before this period began???" Mailo asked, concerned, as he turned his head to face Banda, only to find Banda clenching his teeth in absolute embarrassment and frustration.
"What's with that expression?" (Mailo's inner monologue). "Err, alright, thanks," Mailo said to the teacher.
"Banda," he said, turning to face Banda again, only to find him not there. "Huh? Where is he?"
"He ran off," said the students. "Talk about losing a tall man right under your nose," said the entire class as a whole.
"Banda!!!" Mailo screamed as he ran after him. "Heyyy, Banda! Where is he?!"
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Meanwhile: In Mumba's Office
Mumba knelt down as she began to draw the lighter closer and closer to Megan's face, her mind looming with memories of Mama, whose face and frame were completely identical to Megan.
The heat drew closer and closer to Megan's face. Mumba's expression was calm, yet her eyes and tears were in absolute turmoil.
"He wouldn't..."
BAM!!!!!! was the sound of Banda banging his head at the entrance of Mumba's office door.
"What was that???" Mumba was startled as she began to look around.
"AHHHHHH!!!" she screamed upon seeing Banda's angry face and red forehead.
Banda saw Megan unconscious on the floor, the lighter in Mumba's hand, and the distance between the lighter and Megan's face.
(Flashback: A burning room, woman's screams.)
"..."
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To be continued...
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