Love is tragedy

NEW TROUBLE

*Year 5. Month 3. 2 Weeks After Moving In.*

The house was still new. The paint still smelled fresh.

And trouble... found them again.

*Day 1. The "Partnership"*

Tuesday. 11am. Bukoto Office.

3 men in black suits walked in. No helmets.

Leader: Big, gold chain, scar on cheek.

"I'm Musa. I run _City Express Riders_."

Jimmy stood up. "How can we help?"

Musa smiled. Didn’t reach his eyes.

"We help each other. You have 7 bodas. We have 200.

Join us. We take 20% of your profit. We protect you."

"Protect us from what?" Alex asked.

"From people like us," Musa said. "Smart choice."

He left a card. "Call me by Friday. Or we’ll talk again."

*Day 3. The Warning*

Thursday. 6pm. Ntinda Salon Branch.

Two riders came in. Not customers.

Bought nothing. Just sat. Watched.

One whispered to Jessica’s manager: "Tell your boss. City Express said hi."

When Jimmy came to pick her up, the riders were gone.

But the chairs were moved. The mirror had a crack.

*Day 4. The Research*

Night. Mukono House.

Jimmy couldn’t sleep.

He searched.

_City Express Riders_ - 200 bodas.

Known for: Forcing small stages to "join".

If you refuse: tires slashed. Riders beaten. Customers threatened.

Hassan called. "I heard. They came to me 2 years ago.

I said no. They burned one of my bodas."

Sula: "They’re loan sharks with helmets."

*Day 5. Friday. The Deadline*

7pm. Bukoto Office.

Musa came back. With 4 men this time.

"Decision?"

Jimmy looked at Alex. Alex looked at Jessica.

Jessica was 6 months pregnant. She stepped forward.

"We’re not joining," Jimmy said. "We built this clean.

We pay taxes. We follow the law.

If you want business, compete. Don’t threaten."

Musa laughed. "Cute. You think police will help?

We ARE the police on the road."

He dropped the card on the floor. "Last chance."

They left.

*Day 7. Sunday. First Hit*

Morning. Stage in Bukoto.

2 of their bodas had flat tires.

Cut. Not punctured.

Note on the seat: "Told you."

The riders were scared. "Boss, should we quit?"

Jimmy paid them for the week anyway. "No one quits.

We fix. We move. We don’t bow. No more fear and running away from trouble. Trouble has only made us stronger."

*Day 10. The Meeting*

They called everyone.

Sula. Hassan. Officer Damian. The 12 riders. The salon girls.

Officer Damian: "File a report. I’ll push it."

Hassan: "We fight back with what we have. Numbers."

Sula: "And with what we are. People who don’t run."

They made a plan.

*The Plan: Fight Clean*

1. *Cameras* - 4 CCTV at office + stage. 800k.

2. *Association* - Register _Jimmy & Alex Riders_ with KCCA. Legal.

3. *Unity* - Meet other small stages. 5 stages joined them. 60 riders total.

4. *No fear* - Riders told to ride in pairs at night. Report everything.

Jessica: "We survived Mr. Kato. We’ll survive Musa."

*Day 18. The Test*

Saturday. 9pm. Rider David was coming from last trip.

3 men on 2 bodas blocked him.

"City Express," they said. "Park the bike."

David called the group chat.

In 4 minutes, 10 riders from 2 stages arrived.

With phones recording.

The men left.

The video went to Officer Damian.

*Day 25. The Crackdown*

Police raid.

City Express office closed for 3 days.

Musa arrested. "Extortion and intimidation."

He got bail. But the message was clear.

We’re watching.

*Month 4. Aftermath*

City Express stopped coming to their stage.

Went after easier targets.

Their riders doubled.

"People want to ride where it’s safe," Alex said.

Profit went up. 600k/week → 900k/week.

Jessica gave birth early. Stress.

*Baby Hope. 3.2kg. Healthy.*

Born in Mukono hospital. Debt-free.

*Night. Month 4. Mukono House.*

Jimmy held Hope.

Jessica slept. Alex was in the kitchen making tea.

Jimmy looked at the scar on the office wall.

At the CCTV footage. At the group chat with 60 riders.

"Day 1: 200k loan," he whispered to Hope.

"Day 32: 5:01pm."

"Day 1825: Our house."

"Day 1850: New trouble."

"Day 1860: We won again."

He kissed Hope’s head.

"Love is tragedy.

But tragedy taught us how to fight."

Outside, the mango tree moved in the wind.

No one was hiding.

No one was running.

The problem came.

And they built through it. Problems only made them stronger now not fearful and powerless. They learnt to fight through with energy and there was no more losing.