Matters of the Heart 💕💔💗 Cactus 1

It all went in a flash..

I was sitting in the third roll of the class of about fifty students, as the teacher walked in the noise went down so quick you could hear the drop of a pin. I raised my head up from the novel I was reading I knew there must be a teacher in the room for that noise to stop suddenly. It was Mrs Amisi Nefertiti she was a lady with so much poise. She walked with authority and her diction was high-class. She was the wife of the School Principal who was from Egypt. Everyone respected her even the teachers no one dare tamper with her authority. I loved her so much, she was one of my role model at that age of seventeen back in my secondary school. She came in inspecting everyone's sitting and asking them what they were doing prior to her coming to the class. Some of my classmates got into trouble that day, she never smacks but when you get in trouble with her she handles you in a very modernized way. You will have to report to her office in the morning and later before you go home. Your uniform must not be crispy or rough. Also you get two massive books to read within two days then come back to narrate the story to her. I bet her head must be an encyclopedia because if you made any mistake in the narration she will ask you about what you omitted. 

Mrs. Nefertiti had a list with her and some names on it, she said we should come out if we hear our name. I was praying deep in my heart not to hear my name although I knew I didn't do anything wrong but I still prayed. To my surprise my name was first on the list I was shaking, my hands were sweating, oh Lord! what have I done, she went through the list and I was the only one from my class, I could see some people smirking under their breath and some watching in surprise I had a very mixed feeling. We went to five other classes and two other students joined me, at that point I felt so much peace. As we got to her office she ask us to sit and offered us drinks. She was so nice, her countenance was different from when she picked us from our individual class. She looked at us and said congratulations, the three of you have been chosen among over two thousand students in this nation that sat for the University scholarship exam in January. I am so happy for you for this good news and I know your parents will be happy. You have been given admission to one of the prestigious universities in the world, you have got admission into different universities but it's such a good news and it will boost the records of this school standard, she turned round with so much pride and happiness.

On getting home that afternoon my mother was not back but my dad was in, he had a shop in front of our house where he sells medicine and assist people with non life threatening illness. My father was a disciplinarian but I loved him because I was the only daughter and child for him and my mother. I had older sisters but they were from my father's previous marriage and when the first wife died  he married my mother. As i approached my father I was beaming with so much joy, he was smiling even though he didn't know my news yet. I gave my father the scholarship letter he read it and for the first time I saw my father dancing as he sang in our dialect. He stopped and said "Dafina Gulamali" I knew from the moment I held you in my arms that you will bring joy to me. I was mocked for having just daughters but I knew you were different. You brought joy to me even at this stage of my life. My mother came in whilst we were talking. He told my mum the news she dropped her bag on the floor as picked me up like i was just a baby she was spinning and dancing with joy.

At exactly two months after I got the scholarship letter, I traveled to Glasgow in Scotland to start my studies at the University of Strathclyde to study Political & International Relations & Psychology. I really miss my family, when I arrived in Glasgow, it was so cold cause it was the beginning of winter. My First year at University I didn't have much friends most of my course mates were whites, only three of us were from different ethnicity. I would write letter home consistently and ask my mother to write back. I had problems adapting to the food and weather. It was not long before I finished my studies and I started working. Things were going very well for me until one day while I was on a trip to Mexico I was raped by a drunk driver in the cab hired to take me back to my hotel. I felt so ashamed and cheap. I couldn't disclose to any one even though at this time I had a phone in the house to call my mother unlike when I arrived in Scotland initially. My family were doing so well at home but I was alone nobody to talk to not even my friend Jenny was so close to me. I felt all my dreams had been shattered, I cried for a month and couldn't go to work. After a month I decided to let the past be in the past and move on with my life.

Six months after the rape I was out with Jenny and some other friends when I suddenly collapsed, I was rushed in the ambulance to the hospital with Jenny by my side. I was told when I woke up after two days by Jenny that I scared the day light out of her because she didn't know much about my medical condition or if i had any. So when they were questioning her in the ambulance she couldn't answer much. The doctor came in not long after that and asked to see me alone as the report is confidential. When Jenny left, the doctor told me I was pregnant, I didn't even know how the voice escaped from my mouth when I heard the worst news of my life. Jenny came in quickly the shock on the doctor's face was so much, Jenny asked him what the problem was but he told her to ask me. As I sobbed in the ocean of my misfortune I told Jenny, she was really shocked. A week later I was discharged from hospital.

Jenny stood by me all the way and encouraged me to open up to my parents, my father was so disappointed, not in the fact that I got pregnant but because I didn't tell them on time about the whole situation. My parents stood by me till I had the baby boy. and afterwards they never judged me. With the help of Jenny I was able to bring my parents to Glasgow, They stayed until Denis was 1 year old. About a month to the end of my parents stay in the country I told them to take Denis along as I will not be able to cope in bringing him up. They understood and agreed to take him. Jenny moved to America to marry her childhood friend and we lost contact. It's been 10 years since my parents left with Dennis, I visited my home country 5 years after they left but I have not been able to go for the past five years due to my career commitments. 

I met Ross Sutherland, a very lovely man that I fell in love with, I told him about my son Denis and how he was conceived, he was very supportive and always sent things to Denis. My parents liked Ross even though they never met him. One afternoon I and Ross were in the lounge when my phone rang it was my step sister she was wailing on the phone "mama na baba alikuwa na ajali" meaning mum and dad had an accident. I dropped the phone as I screamed Ross picked it to find out what the problem was. My Sister told him they lost their life but Denis survived. 

It has been three months since I lost my parents, I couldn't go home because I ended up in hospital that same night, I discovered I was pregnant with twins but due to the shock I lost one of the babies and I had to be operated on so doctors advised me to be on bed rest. It was the worst time of my entire life, losing both parents on the same day and nearly losing my son. I cried, I blamed God, I refused to eat but Ross was just there as my pillar. Four months later I had a baby Girl. Ross and I arranged for Denis to come and join us in Glasgow. By the time Denis came back to Glasgow He was 13 years. It was good to have both my children with me, but I strongly missed my parents so much. At 18 years Denis moved to Australia to study at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. He was such a brilliant boy and I was beginning to feel like a mother to him and glad I didn't know I was pregnant when I got raped because my decision would have been to get rid of him but God had plans.

Rosa was 6 years when  Denis went to Australia I had another child which we named Eloise. It's been 20 years since Denis moved to Australia, Rosa is now an adult and Eloise was rounding up her course in University. Denis had stop calling or getting in touch, myself and Ross have tried endlessly we went to  Australia with the last address of him we had but we were told he relocated five years before our visit, we returned to Glasgow with so much sadness. I still hope he will look back one day and return back home or get in touch. Rosa moved to London due to her work and she loved the city, she made sure she gets in touch often because of what Denis did she knew how much I would panic if she didn't call at least twice a week

. A letter came through the post one afternoon and it was from Rosa........