Chapter Three. Ten years later

Ten years, that's how long it has been. Ten years since Zawadi separated from her parents, ten years since she met Ahana and Eugene and ten years since she found a new home. And today, today she turns eighteen. It's her eighteenth birthday, but she is not happy.

How can she be when she lost her family on her birthday? She had decided not to celebrate her birthdays anymore till she finds her parents, but. Shana had insisted that they celebrate this one saying it was special.

She had to agree, after all Eugene travelled all the way from the United States of America where here had been studying just for her birthday . She just hoped that nothing would go wrong.

They had decided to visit a nearby park to celebrate there, Just like Zawadi did as a child. So they had. gone, and celebrated and made merry .She reminded herself of her past and her parents, and with the memories rekindled her promise to find them.

Still she had a feeling that something wrong was going to happen. It was a feeling she couldn't shake off, so she decided that they should go back home.

"Mum, Eugene? Can we go back home? I'm a bit tired. " She lied, but how could she tell them that she had a feeling that something wrong would happen? They wouldn't even believe her. So she decided against it.

Zawadi was singing along to the song in radio. It was her favorite. It had been when she was a child and her mother had taken her time to teach her the lyrics . It was called ' Listen my child'

Soon everyone in the car was singing along. It was truly a beautiful moment.

But the moment did not last as their car collide head on with a truck. It all happened so suddenly, sending them across the car.

When Zawadi opened her eyes, she couldn't believe the sight before her, it was horrifying to say the least. Before her lied both Eugene and Ahana, lifeless. She could see people rush to help them but she couldn't quite comprehend what was happening.

She woke up hours later in a hospital bed.

"No this must just be a dream, a nightmare. Yes, a nightmare. I'm still dreaming. It's not true. It's not true" She kept chanting the words in her head like a mantra.

Maybe if she said it enough times then it would become true. She stood up on shaky legs and ripped the syringes from her arm before proceeding out the room. She was dizzy, Her head was spinning, she was bleeding, but she didn't care. She had to find them, to ensure that they were safe.

Upon seeing her the doctors rushed to her to get her back to bed.

"Miss you have to go back to bed. You are bleeding you will die at this rate. Please miss, go to your room. We need to redo the stitches. It seems they have come off"

"I will go. I just have to see my brother and mother. Where are they? They are okay aren't they? Please show me where they are so that I can go see them. Then I'll go back to bed I promise. Please "she begged, already in tears. They were the only family she had.

They had to be alright. They just had to.

"Miss you can see them later. Right now..... "

She interrupted the doctor, "No I have to see them now. Please I beg you. Let me see them once. That's all"

The doctor just lowered his head.

"They are okay aren't they?"

"Miss Mwamba listen... "

"AREN'T THEY" she shouted desperately.

The doctor still said nothing.

"Tell me ,please, tell me they are okay" she pleaded.

"I'm sorry... "

"No they are fine. I.... I know it. They are FINE. They would never leave me. They are fine right doctor?" she continued to cry clutching onto the doctors collar.

"I'm sorry but they are no more. They were pronounced dead on arrival. Im really sorry.

Each word from his mouth was like a knife twist on her heart. It was painful, way more than her stitches that had come undone.

Her vision became hazy and she started seeing black dots.

Take her to her room now. We can't loose her. Bring a new batch of pain relievers, strongest available and stitches "

That is the last thing she heard before darkness consumed her.

******************

Zawadi woke up hours later. Twenty hours later to be exact. She was exhausted. Her head was heavy, Her nerves numb. She looked around the room and found it empty.

At first she couldn't remember how she ended up back in bed but then everything came back to her. She remembered everything.

They were gone. They had left her all alone. That too on her birthday . She had a feeling that something wrong would happen, she just didn't know what.

If only she had decided not to celebrate her birthday. If only she had refused to listen to them regarding the park.

If only...

It was too late now. They were never coming back. She would never hear Ahana scolding her for not eating enough or Eugene lecture her on how to stand up for herself.

How could she let it happen? How could she loose the only people inherited life that actually loved her?

She continued to blame herself.

She cried the whole evening until she had no more tears left to cry.

Life had to go on and she knew it. She had to continue living. For herself and for Ahana and Eugene.

She continued to stay at the hospital for a week, after which she had to start from zero. Ahana owned a brothel, but all the girls who worked there did so willingly and after her death, they all went their separate ways since Zawadi refused to inherit it.

Ahana had kept both Zawadi and Eugene's lives separate from her work since she didn't want them to be judged based on her identity.

Now all she had was some money she had saved up over the years and her talent , which was dancing.

And with that she was ready to take on the world.