"Officers, how may I help you."To say I was shaken would be an understatement. I have never seen the police in my house in my life. Worse, I was renting, so I was wondering how my landlord was going to feel about that. What did they want?"Are you Mayamiko Nyirenda?""Yes, officer, that is me."The other officers looked at me with so much hate, I was wondering what was going on I was shaking in my boots."Madam Nyirenda, you are under arrest for the assault of Miss Alfredo who laid the charges. I would like to take you to the police station so that we get your statement you have the right to remain silent......."I didn't hear the rest it was like I was in the movie. I had seen that happening in movies I didn't think that it was going to happen to me worse in Africa. I thought in Africa they just take you and throw you into jail they didn't read your rights for you. What have I done to this girl for her to hate me so much she's the one who wanted to poison me and then she went ahead

"Come on, you just scared me to death what type of brother are you how did you get inside my house, anyway?"My brother just laughed at me, dangling the keys in my face."I knew you were going to follow in your father and mother's footsteps of leaving the keys under the pot flower. These old habits never die, they are passed from generation to generation. I already have a clue that your kids are going to be leaving the keys under the mat as well. Even your grandkids are going to do that and are going to pass it on to their grandkids, come on it's an old habit that is in our family it will never die. So what's up?"My brother spoke too casually as if he didn't just scared me to death I was shaking I even almost peed on my pants.I was so angry that I even hit him playfully on his head."Please do not do that you know Samantha is in the hospital and you almost sent me to the same hospital by your scare tactics.""Sorry I wasn't trying to scare you, I wanted to talk to you and you

Once he was done talking I could relax my shoulders and my facial expressions changed I was relieved that it was not going to be something hectic. I was shaking I even cursed Alfredo for putting me in such a position in my life I had never been caught off guard or caught on the wrong side of the law. I always respected my parents, I always respected the law and I always lived by the Bible so she was making me a murderer from where I was standing I was thinking bad thoughts about her. I was even thinking that if she can be hit by a truck or if she can fall into a ditch somewhere."Okay, you are right I was very scared. I am scared of going to jail I do not know why this lady is doing this to me but I will be as honest as one can be under the circumstances. I will tell you everything I will never leave anything behind. I want this case to go away so that I can live my life."He just smiled nervously and sat down, we discussed the case in detail. He coached me on how to say some things a

What did these pests want from me? I couldn’t say they were people as people were reasonable but these people around me needed pesticides to be eradicated. If it was not Alfredo, then it was my ex-husband who claimed I was his wife. “What is going on Maya?”Chisomo asked me with begging eyes I just shrugged as I didn’t know what to say. What was I going to say when I was as clueless as anyone else. I went to where Joseph was standing and looked at him. He seemed to have aged in those few months I had left. He had even lost weight, the cheeks seemed to go deep down as if they were looking for balance.“Joseph, what is going on?”I was as surprised to see him but he looked as if I knew why he was there.“You are telling me you do not know why I am here? Our daughter ran away from home and left a note saying she wants to come and live with you, as I do not give her what she wants.”People were looking at us. Chisomo just looked hurt and left for his office. I wanted to follow him but As

I was smiling on my way to my aunt’s place. I didn't even want to stay longer, but it was my duty to check up on her. I knew my family would not do so until later but I worried more about her.“What brings you here Mayamiko? I told you I was going to be fine?”“Look you are all alone.”I said, going inside the house and picking up things on my way. My aunt was not an untidy person, so it worried me.“Bankhazi, basibweni balingu? (Where is my uncle?)”“You know him and beer.”We both laughed. If it’s something that my aunt failed to separate from my uncle it was his beer. He would go to any beer hall and drink. Even some homemade beer legally or illegally brewed he knew the venues.“If you are to re-marry stay away from men who love beer.”I was thinking about my predicaments as I didn’t know Chisomo that well. What if he was a drunkard, as I only saw him sober at work? What if she loved beer and women?“So, you have a man now?”She was looking at me with a curious face I just laughed