The Maid

The Maid

By James Mbotela Syomuti

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 James Mbotela Syomuti

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CHAPTER ONE

The Maid's Ordeal

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It was still during the wee hours and day time was approaching. Soon the whole world would be thrown into a state of nakedness by the morning sun glare. The night which had acted as the cover of the world’s wickedness could no longer persist. It was fading gradually. Far away in the eastern direction near the horizon where the earth seems to kiss the sky, a mass of blood-red clouds hung reluctantly. After a few minutes it started moving southwards, leaving room for the sun-rays which had began penetrating their way through the moist and calm atmosphere. There was no doubt that another day of life would be born to those human beings who were fortunate enough to be alive.

Regina Kang’wele stood there outside the cottage looking at the blood-red clouds as their movement gained some momentum because of the sun-rays which were obviously growing hot. She could see the rays emerging behind the outline of Kavonge hills.

At the slopes of the hills it was completely dark. Actually she did not know the reason why she had got up so early. Probably it was because she had had a quarrel with her master’s brother the previous night and the reminiscence had got the best of her.

She could hear Catherine her master’s sister, breathing heavily as she enjoyed the final touches of her deep and sweet sleep. Kang’wele and Catherine were great friends and they treated each other with great concern and tenderness. They slept in one bed. Kang’wele went on staring at the disappearing cloud. She felt like smiling at it as it vanished, but another feeling came into her mind and she shook her head with dislike. She could not understand why she behaved that way. Perhaps it was because of the memory of a quarrel she had with Josphat Kineene the previous night or due to the fact that life to her had lost its meaning. She had had enough of it.

Real dawn had now dominated the entire atmosphere. She felt the cold air kissing her lips, ear lobes and her breasts, although she wore a night dress. Life was great, she thought as she rubbed her breasts with both hands to get some warmth. She did this mechanically as she shifted her gaze from the disappearing clouds to a nest on a Musewa tree whose birds had started filling the tense atmosphere with sweet music. Since she came to Peter Munyange’s home to work for him as a maid, it was customary for the birds to alert the family members with their sweet music every morning that another day had come.

Peter Munyange had always warned everybody in the family that the birds were a sign of good omen because they woke people up early every morning. Due to that reason, no disturbances should be done to them. Although he worked in Nairobi and only came home whenever he had leave, he had granted the responsibility of ensuring that the birds were not tempered with to his brother Simon Kavisi.

In the family, Kavisi was a very industrious, responsible, calm and conscientious boy. That was quite evident in the eyes of his parents and villagers. Due to his good conduct, he was appointed the school Captain at Matinyani Secondary School although he was in Form Three.

Kavisi had played an important role in ensuring that his brother’s children and the other village boys did not disturb the birds with catapults. Of course no boy had attempted to temper with the birds. They feared to be punished by him.

Regina Kang’wele went on rubbing her breasts as she stared at the singing birds. All the members of the entire family had not yet woken up. She intensified the rubbing and could feel a lively sensation surging in her nervous system as some warmth gained ground in her breasts.

She stopped the action for some time and smiled at herself. Before the warmth subsided, she repeated the action but this time she did it more vigorously and she almost screamed because of the enjoyable sensation which she derived from it.

She unbuttoned the first two buttons of her night-dress and looked at the naked breasts. She felt like hating herself for doing such a foolish and childish thing.

Eventually, she stopped doing it and went back to the cottage. Catherine was still asleep. She did not want to disturb her. She removed her night-dress and put it on the string cautiously. After that she put on another dress and paced towards the door.

Before she got near it, she remembered her waist cloth which was necessary when she was bending in the presence of other people. She picked it up, fastened it round her waist and made a knot with the ends of the cloth just above her navel to ensure that it could not fall down. Having done that, she walked out, closed the door behind her and leaned on the wall of the cottage.

Josphat Kineene who was the second person to wake up came towards her with a toothbrush in his mouth. He moved towards the latrine for a short call.

I wonder how some fools can manage to get up so early and yet they can’t wake the other people up! If this world would be full of damn fools like some people I know, life would be meaningless. said Josphat. He did not even look at her as he uttered his first words that morning. On hearing that, Regina Kang’wele felt her eyes burn with tears. Since she could not help it, she bent her head in grief and hot tears flowed drop after drop on the ground as she shook with anger.

She could not understand the reason why Josphat was so rude and offensive to her. She wondered whether she had come to that home to work or to be mistreated by a single member of the family. It was definitely through her own will that she had chosen to come and work for Peter Munyange. Why then did some other person tend to feel that she was desperate and that was the only place she could work?

All those questions kept on flashing in her mind as she sobbed and shook with grief. She moved towards her master’s house with her head bowed. Regina wiped her tears away with the edge of her waist cloth and cleared her throat. She felt very much dejected and reduced to a state of nothingness. She knocked at the door. There was no response. She knocked at it again three times. She could hear Peter Munyange and his wife stirring from their enjoyable morning sleep.

Regina, called Peter as if he was definitely sure she was the one knocking.

Yes, she responded broken-heartedly. Her voice was shaky and quite unconvincing. Peter was sure that something was wrong with her. More so, she had got up very early, which was unusual for her. However, there was no need of hurry.

He would solve her problem, if any, caused by the members of his family. He never liked to see anybody mistreating her in any way. He liked her and regarded her as a responsible and understanding girl. He knew very well that sometimes she was harassed by his brother, Josphat Kineene. If not his brother, the only other person who could be a bother to her was his wife.

His parents never troubled her except the fear they had that she could ruin Catherine, their daughter. They regarded Regina as a girl who had two characteristics. One characteristic consisted of her good behavior which was of course commendable and evident to them. The effort she put into her work and the respect she had for other people, could also not go unnoticed. The other characteristic she had was that of properly covered wickedness. They had seen traces of her hypocrisy here and there, but the degree to which this occurred was negligible.

What do you want? asked Peter as he got up leaving his wife who was half-asleep in bed.

I would like to take the thermos flask and some sugar please, she said.

Okay, wait a minute. I will open for you.

He stepped onto the cold cemented floor and felt a rush of cold affect every part of his body. He put on his blue long trousers and moved towards the table. He placed a Kikamba language music disc record entitled MKAMBA’S DAY, on the turntable of his record player, which he admired very much. He then switched on the record player. Soon the house was filled with an atmosphere of sweet and sensational music. The ash tray which was placed near the socket entry vibrated as the rapid beat progressed. Peter could not help nodding his head gently in unison with the beat.

He moved towards the door, pulled the bolt back and stood aside just near the door. Regina hesitated for a second or two.

Come in please and take whatever you want. This is your house. Don’t be afraid to enter, he said welcoming her with a broad grin. She entered and went straight to the table. It was evident that she was not happy. She picked the green thermos flask, a tin which contained some sugar, a spoon and a loaf of premium bread. Having taken those items, she started to walk out to go and prepare the breakfast.

Regina, called Peter who had been observing her carefully for those few seconds since she had entered.

Yes, Sir, she responded in a polite manner.

Stop there, he said before she had closed the door. She obeyed but cast her eyes on the floor in a disheartened manner as she held the items she had collected. She rested her left cheek on her shoulder as she went on staring at the floor, waiting for what her master would say. She felt quite uneasy and disturbed. A few drops of tears fell on the clean floor from her eyes.

Regina, he called her again. Her tears had also made him feel uneasy and he felt like crying to sympathize with her although he did not know the cause of her sorrow. Is anything the matter? You seem to be quite unusual this morning. Who has offended you?

She did not respond.

Who has wronged you? Tell me and I will solve this problem once and for all, he said. Still, she could not respond. The lump of anger in her throat had betrayed her. She only looked up at him with her welling eyes and then down again. She did not say a word. She bit her lower lip and shook her head.

"Okay, you can go. I cannot blame you. I will follow up this matter some other time. But please wipe your tears and stop crying.

It is an odd thing for a mature girl like you. Take your heart and play it cool. I will settle everything," he said. She wiped her tears as she closed the door cautiously behind her. She walked straight and quickly towards the kitchen. Peter Munyange could see her through a hole in his door as she quickened her paces.

After she had entered the kitchen he shook his head and anger gripped his heart. Who had offended this good and understanding girl? He hated to see her in a state of melancholy. Who might have been the cause of her unhappiness? He asked himself these questions as he stood there staring at the vision of Regina Kang’wele his maid.

The music record disc on the turntable was turning round and round without producing any music since it had ended. Peter Munyange moved nearer to the record player, still deep in thoughts about this girl. He moved towards the bed where his wife Josephine Katheke was rolling, enjoying the warmth of the heavy blanket. He sat near the pillow and pulled his shirt off the string hanging across the room. It was very cold.

His wife Josephine Katheke, was not actually an active woman. She lacked the important qualities of a good wife. She usually overslept. She never liked sweeping houses. That was one of the reasons why she had talked her husband into employing a maid for her. She detested touching the excreta of her children. She had three sons and three daughters. The last born was a baby girl who had actually made her experience great pain in the course of childbirth.

Unlike the other children whom she bore at home without much difficulty, this one had resorted to her being admitted in a labor ward, in Kitui General Hospital, which was an experience she had hated since her girlhood. She had studied up to Form Five but unfortunately her husband put her in the family way and so she was expelled from school. That was unfortunate.

It was a bitter experience and a constant reminder that she was once a Form Five student but if it were not for her husband’s impatience, she could have gone to Form Six and probably reach University level. But that was all an illusion. It was only a dream. Regrets never come singly. If she had had the audacity to reject her husband’s proposal to satisfy his lust, she could have done so.

However, that was history now and it was of no use to her. Remembering those bygone days succeeded only in making her life more miserable. After all, she had a husband who earned a good salary. Therefore, what were the worries and feelings of regrets for?

Josephine never liked the idea of toiling on the farm, neither did she like touching the soil especially during the rainy season. Whenever she went to the farm to cultivate, she complained of backache even before she had cultivated for more than an hour. One would only see her on the farm on rare occasions.

She mostly went to do more surveying of the way the crops were growing than cultivating. She was beautiful but proud. People saw more of her pride than the beauty. Her beauty which was actually remarkable had dissolved into her proud nature and this gave her an image of disgust in people’s eyes.

Do you have to switch it on to full blast to alert people that you have gotten up? She said to her husband as she looked at her AVIA seventeen jewels wrist watch. The time was a quarter past seven in the morning.

Yes, provided nobody feels disturbed by the music, retorted her husband who was now filling the house with smoke produced by the sportsman cigarette he was smoking. He was still pondering over Regina’s reason for crying.

What do you think has happened to Regina? he asked.

Why? What is wrong with her? she asked in a surprised manner as she put on her dress.

I have noticed that something is amiss with her as she entered here. Moreover, she shed some tears when I asked her about her problem. She didn’t want to speak to me.

Well, it might be connected with her last night’s squabble nightmare, she said.

You mean she had an incident with someone last night?

"Yes.

And where was I?

Are you forgetting that you came back at about one o’clock at night, from the bar?

Why then didn’t you inform me about it? he demanded as anger got the best of him.

How did you expect me to tell you about a simple incident when you were so drunk? she asked looking at him straight in his eyes, with her lips protruding downwards in a contemptuous manner.

What was the incident all about and who caused it?

She quarreled with Josphat. Ask both of them. I suppose they will be in a better position to disclose the origin of their dispute better. You will only be bothering me by asking about issues which I don’t know where or how they began. I am less concerned please my dear, she said and walked towards the door. She opened it and went to the kitchen.

Her children who slept in their grandparents’ house had already gotten up before her and they were in the kitchen waiting for their breakfast which Regina was preparing. Peter Munyange stood up and moved towards the table with half a cigarette in his mouth. He pulled up a chair which was leaning against the wall, and sat near the table.

He was still thinking about Regina and his brother’s quarrel. He could not understand what had caused it.

He knew very well that his brother was a great nuisance and a pain in the eye and making trouble was not unusual to him. Anyway, Peter was fully determined to settle the matter squarely. He knew how to deal with people of different calibers. That was not a problem to him. As an Assistant Personnel Manager of Car and General Company in Nairobi, he had dealt with disputes of all types presented to him by his juniors.

Therefore, a simple family problem was not going to be anything to him. He removed the music record disc from the turn