Me Mariana

CHAPTER 2

My eyes flutter open, I look around to get my bearings. My head is aching badly. This is a new place. What place is this? I can not make out where I am. I sit up. I rub my forehead just to decrease the headache but it does no good. I struggle and sit up. Where the hell is this place? My whole body aches. I have joint pains too. I stand up. What happened...... How did I get here. Then it rushes to me. My mother! The woman sold me off. She sold me out for marriage. No no I should get out of here. First of all I need to know where I am because I am so sure that this is not Akesi. Akesi does not have these kinds of houses with these...... What do they call them, the many hanging bulbs on the ceiling.... The chande..... Whatever they call them. This is a civilised home. Is this my in -law's? No no am not married I have refused to believe it. I am probably dreaming. Someone should wake me up from this dream. I look out the window. It is night time. Panic grips me. This is not Akesi. This is somewhere else. I can feel my heart beat a hundred times per minute. I am in a new place . UNKNOWN PLACE. I should get out of here. I should find a way to get out of here. I look around the place. I walk hurriedly towards the door. It opens before I can even get there. A woman walks in. I step back. She looks to be in her fifties. She is of a medium height and round. She is a replica of wealth. Who is she? She gives me a bright smile. I frown in confusion. I deserve to know where I am

" Who are you?" I finally ask tired of the looming silence.

" You are awake!" She says with a bright smile

" Ofcourse I am. I am talking to you right? It means I am awake woman where....... that voice" I say. I recognize it. It's her. The woman my mother was speaking to

" Yes I am the one." She answers.

" Did you kidnap me? You did... my mother's accomplice. You are my mother's accomplice. Where am I? Where did you bring me? I .......

" Calm down." she interrupts me. " You are not kidnapped. This is your new home." She adds as she walks towards me. I step away from her.

" I don't know you and vice versa so don't step any closer. " I warn her.

" Do I look dangerous to you?" She asks with smile which makes me wonder whether she's born smiling. She finally succeeds and comes towards me. " I am your new mother. I am here for you." She adds with a soothing smile that makes me believe she's not the real danger.

" Where am I?" I ask more calmly. " I need to know where I am. I have to go back." I say.

" You are in Kampala." She says without a care in the world. I stare blankly at her as if I have not heard anything.

" What?" I whisper the word.

" You are in Kam....

" I know." I cut her off. " I have heard you." I continue. I am confused now. I am married. I am in Kampala, the city. I....

" I am Rose Murungi, your mother in law. I am sorry for the way I got you here but you should know that I am here to take care of you. You see your mother and I were best of friends during our school days until she had to change school. We were one soul you see......

I bang the door closed on her words. I run down the flight of stairs. I look around my surroundings. This is the epitome of civilisation. The house is glittering. It feels like heaven. I shake it off my mind. I rush out of the house. It's not just a house. It's not even a bungalow but a mansion. I stare at it. This is huge. It is beautifully covered with lights. I stare in awe. This is beautiful. A large compound and... Mariana stop it. I walk to the gates. It's locked. A tall brown man comes out of a small house by the gate. I guess it is the watch man. He looks at me like I am possesed.

" Can you open the gates?" I ask.

" You can not run away from here." says Mrs. Murungi. " As I have said this is your new home now. I know you are hungry and I made you meal that......

" I am not hungry." I cut in. She sighs.

" Atleast come inside. It's cold out here. It's mid year and it rains quite often here you see. It is cloudy too." She explains.

" Ohhh that's great I do not remember asking for a weather forecast okay." I shoot at her. She laughs.

" You are funny." She laughs. I roll my eyes at her.

She was right. It is raining. I had no choice but to enter inside. It is raining quite heavily. I sigh. I must get out of here somehow. I won't let my mother get away with this. Ohhh I will not let that woman enjoy whatever dowry she got out of my abduction. Before she starts to enjoy that dowry I will be infront of her. I will just have to find a way and get out of here.......

I am so hungry right now. I did not know how hungry I was until I smelled the aroma coming from the food that Mrs. Murungi prepared. I look over to her.

" Food is ready. It is better you have it while hot." She says as she puts a glass of juice beside the large plate.

" I rather die than eat anything from you." I swear. The woman looks at me and shakes her head as if to say suit yourself.

I really hate the way I betray myself sometimes. I mean I can not even trust myself really! I just swore some minutes ago that I wouldn't even smell Mrs. Murungi's food and here I am munching down the second plate of food. She is sitting across the table narrating her relationship with my mother. I couldn't care less about that. I can almost swear that I did not hear a single word that she was saying. My concentration is drawn to the delicious food infront of my eyes. Chicken and rice. This is enough to draw my attention. I mean in the village, chicken is preserved for occasions like Christmas so it's not really normal for me to be eating chicken like this. It is this food that actually changed my mind about Mrs. Murungi. She is kind. Perhaps I can get along with her. For now Mariana just for now. Mrs. Murungi excuses herself to get a drink for herself.

I have just cleared the second plate and now busy crushing the bones when the door yanks open. A tall man walks in. He seems to be in his mid or late twenties. He is the most handsome man I have ever seen. He is tall and well built. His cold stare at me suddenly turned every spark in me into hatred. He stares at me in disgust. I stare back at him with the piece of chicken bone in my mouth. I can see anger in his eyes. I do not care anyway. He is wearing a black long sleeved shirt, a fitting checked trousers and white sneakers. He walks and sits in Mrs. Murungi's previous place. I continue with whatever I was doing. I have never tasted chicken so properly cooked. He constantly glares at me.

" I am sure you know that what you are eating are meant for dogs" he says harshly in a deep voice. I stare at him. He scoffs. " Sorry how can I forget that I am talking to the dog." He adds.

" I am sure you have also heard this saying that an angry man is a hungry man." I say with a smile. " You are more than welcome to join me" I add. I see his hands clench into a fist.

" You have the nerves huh you will know what I am capable of and... "

" I see you have already met each other." Mrs. Murungi cuts in.

" Mum from what corner of the dark world did you bring her from. She has no respect for her seniors. You can do better than this mum. This maid...."

" Ohhh hello you. Whoever you call yourself. I am not a maid neither am I someone you can look down on okay." I cut in

" Ofcourse ofcourse the attitude. As if she has the best manners among all. Who eats bones and seriously who leaves the plate on the table after eating?" the rude man blurts.

" Why don't you pick it up if it irritates you so much?" I say. He angrily stands up slamming his fist on the table.

" Do not push me" he growls.

" You are a dog yourself and you call me one, what irony! " I smirk.

" Hey.." he shouts.

" Joshua " Mrs. Murungi calls out putting her hand in the man's shoulder. So this rude man's name is Joshua! What a mismatch of name and personality. " This is not how we welcome visitors......"

" Visitors mum? This maid?" He says. I give him a sharp glare.

" She's not a maid. She's your wife." Says Mrs. Murungi. I laugh. The rude man has gotten a wife. The thunder rumbles and it sinks in. Did she just say that I am the rude man's wife.

" What?" We both sound in chorus.

"Wh... What are you saying mum?" Joshua asks. I can hear the weight of what his mother said sink down on him.

" He's supposed to be my husband?" I ask. This is suicide.

" Joshua this is Mariana your wife and.....

The rude man, Joshua walks away halfway his mother's sentence. The woman calls after her son in vain. She then sits down again on her chair. I continue on my chicken bones.