Messy Days Mess up Her Life
Continued
On her fateful day, Kabatesi went to live with her sisters – Mbabazi and Asoumpta at Migina in Remera, a suburb of Kigali city. The three-room house belonged to a friend of theirs called Mukantabana Julie. Kabatesi like other occupants of this house changed men like clothes. Three days shy of the liberation day, July 4th; the mood in Kigali was so high that Kabatesi never wanted to be an odd man out.
A friend of hers called Afande Ka who liberated her father in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi came to her mind. She chose to visit him with great anticipation of hanging out with him; little did she know she was to become a housewife, not a casual visitor. Afande Ka was twenty years older than Fideli; just old enough to be Kabatesi’s grandpa. She never minded it as long as he had a fat wallet.
“Afande Ka, are you still in bed this late?” Kabatesi asked.
“Why not? Around this time two decades ago or so could you think of sleeping, let alone having a bed or house?
Then, he emerged from his bedroom in a floral towel wrapped around his belly down to the knee level and smiled at her. He unblinkingly gazed at Kabatesi who was holding a teddy bear in her hands. Ka is a giant, broad-shouldered, light-skinned with bloodshot eyes. Silence descended the sitting room.
“My heart sank and I never smiled back,” Kabatesi reminisces.
After he had stretched himself several times, Ka tried to break the silence.
“When did you produce that baby darling and why wake up so early?”
“Ka, you are the father of my baby; stop asking funny questions!”
“What a wonderful gift!”
“Afande Ka, after only thirteen years, don’t tell me you have forgotten that a day after tomorrow will be liberation day in Rwanda? All roads will lead to Amahoro National Stadium. Anyway, what proggie do you have for this year’s liberation celebrations?”
“Kabatesi, last night Afande Big bought us dozens of rounds of booze – of all kinds and in all colours, and I drank as if there was no tomorrow. July 4th is a very important day to us, very important to all Rwandans, and very important to all Africans,” Ka said.
Afande Ka told Kabatesi that with rare determination and mere AK-47 rifles they managed to defeat the perpetrators and their allies including the French. Kabatesi was silent, seemingly experiencing the hard memories of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. His host said that the fact that they liberated their brothers and sisters, who courageously, helplessly, and innocently faced all sorts of violence – rape, torture, name it, is good reason for them to celebrate the liberation of Rwanda.
To be continued
Sugar Coated Dad is a story of three rich men called sugar daddies, who explicitly exploit trends of moral decadence in society to lure school children into early sexual relationships. Three of their victims, the main characters, face inexorable and regrettable consequences including death.
The author tactfully employs story-telling skills to tap into the present-day society where most ordinary parents tend to have less control over children due to many factors, changes in lifestyles included.
The novel, thus, provides lessons to school girls that haven’t yet fallen prey to sugar daddies as well as creating awareness about unlawful sexual relationships between adolescent girls and adults as a violation of children’s rights.
“Shut up your mouth, let him go and hang. Asoumpta you forget very quickly; sugar daddies ruined our lives before … never deliver any love messages to me – I had enough of sugar daddies they are just sugar-coated,” Mbabazi charged.
There was no single sign of seeing the good days again. All was déjà vu. And, beads of tears rolled down Mbabazi’s eroded face that once glittered like gold. Her smiling eyes sank desperately in wide depressions and protruding cheekbones spoke aloud about her diminishing health.
About the Author
Ssebuggwawo George William aka George Kalisa holds a BA/Educ (Makerere University-1997). He’s a former English Tutor in Rwanda’s TTCs (2009-2013) and former Correspondent of EFE Agencia (Spain) and The New Vision (Uganda) based in Kigali, Rwanda. He worked as a Society and Sunday Editor of The New Times, Rwanda’s leading English Daily (2005-2007) and he’s a seasonal analyst of The Stream/Aljazeera America. Before joining the media Ssebuggwawo taught English and Geography in Rwandan schools: Nyamata High School, Gahini SS, KDA and Kagarama SS. He’s the author of The Forbidden Question, The Woes of Umutoni, The Millennium CRE 223/1and CRE EXAMS. Currently, he’s the Chief Editor of The Light Magazine.
For more info: gkssebuggwawo@gmail.com