THE PAST,DARK MEMORIES

Tina couldn't stop crying bitterly because of the excruciating pain she was experiencing, to her parents and siblings it wasn't something new to them since this suffering had become part of their lives.

"My dear where does it hurt" ,miss Christie asked her ailing daughter several times before she received an answer. "Mom it hurts so much that I feel like my bones are being crushed like a speeding truck " Tina replied with streams of tears trailing her already skinny face.

The other siblings watched nervously and silently prayed in their hearts towards the creator of heaven and earth to perform a miracle towards their sister's life. "Mighty father please light the way for sister ,lay your healing hand towards her soul so that she can be delivered and free from all the suffering, I pray through your only son Jesus Christ our lord amen".This was Elizabeth's prayer in her heart.

"Brina, could you go to doctor Prossy's pharmacy and request for tramador",Christie ordered her daughter. "But mom,doctor prossy still owes us money "Brina brought the issue at hand avoiding her mother's gaze.Gathering her wondering thoughts, Christie posed and wrote a small note to be delivered to doctor prossy.

Across the street of ssekabaka

Arriving at doctor prossy's pharmacy, Brina sat on the bench as she waited for the patients to decrease before talking to doctor prossy.After waiting like half an hour, doctor prossy noticed Brina who had lowered her head. Hey, Brina what's wrong,clearing her mind she respectively greeted doctor prossy who in return smiled. Mom told me to give you this note.Holding the note she opened it and it read,"good afternoon doctor prossy, I have some issues with my daughter Tina whose health hasn't improved, but I request you to help me with pain relieve tablets of tramador, the bill should be put on my tab cause I will bypass the pharmacy to clear everything. Your friend, Christie.

Holding the small note,doctor prossy called the nurse who brought a tin of tramador from the shelves. Prescribing the medicine, She handled the small envelope to Brina who thanked her in return showing her set of white teeth. Have a nice afternoon doctor. "Okay ",doctor prossy replied seeing Brina disappearing from her pharmacy.

Panting heavily, Brina wiped the beads of sweats that had formed on her forehead due to running. Knocking on the door, Christie got the tablets and a glass of warm water. Approaching a small chair ,she placed the things down and helped Tina by placing a pillow behind her back to be in a sitting position cause all her muscles were stiff due to the excruciating pain.After taking the tablets, Christie laid Tina down on the mattress so that she can rest since all of them where on their toes ever since Tina got sick.

"Mom,any news from dad,ever since he left he has never sent anything home".Elizabeth questioned her mother. Christie who was fumbling with her phone just shook her head indicating "no".

Josh gestured his sisters to follow him towards the small courtyard with a bench.sitting like the typical Bagan tribe,they discussed how a shaming it was for people who had rental houses to live a life like that of abegger. They couldn't understand how tenants had a better life compared to them landlords.

Inside the house, Christie recalled the past and couldn't help sheading tears.Opening her suitcase dark memories came back like a ghost hunting the sleeping beauty.

The flash back

Years back in 1980's,Joseph who worked with Grindlays bank Uganda limited.He was a very smart man with a sense of fashion. He could pass for being a gentleman,he got married to his wedded wife Patricia and God bestowed to them two beautiful children in the names of Joseph and Irene. Their marriage was harmonious until Anna appeared and destroyed everything leading to their divorce. Joseph met Anna during his regime at Grandlays bank,she was the kind of a woman who was willing to climb the social ladder and her goal was to target those who are loaded either married or not.Joseph was her type and cringed to him like a koala, despite Natalia's advice towards Joseph, he never paid attention to the wise words.He acted like a complete fool completely ignoring his responsibilities towards his children who were innocent in all this drama.He shifted his things and started cohabitation with Anna,after several years together they got two children, Jackie and Amos,men can completely change their love towards the illegitimate children as it was the case with Joseph. I believe in karma cause what goes around always comes around, don't you believe it also?The return of Anna's ex-husband over turned things upside down. Do you know that this Anna was once married and had a grown up kid? This woman was really something, she hid such a secret from Joseph who blindly betrayed his first wive for a broken shoe.

There's something that I admired from Natalia Joseph's mother, she was a very hardworking lady who worked on several plantations to provide a secure and better life for her children. she would always say don't ever spoil other people's children without the intention of getting married .

One day she found her son Isaac with a girl in the house saying "who are you?why are you in my son's house, get out right now cause you're spoiling my son.she never gave the opportunity to the girl to speak before she ran away.

Back to the topic, let me see where I was? Oh I have remembered, Joseph was left penniless and couldn't even afford renting a single room. He started roaming around aimlessly visiting several pubs in Nalukongo where he started drinking without seize becoming an addict.Though he had become an addict ,he never lost his sense of smartness .During that time, Christie had just escaped her marriage with William whom she had stayed with through thick and thin,but when he made it big he Started becoming a philander. He got entangled with mistresses forgetting his wife who was patient with him throughout poverty. Hanedsome men are always cheesy without money ,but when they get it ,they always become different people with a split personality. In this life am very scared of poor men who promise heaven and earth but once they the money they tend to enjoy the new life with their mistresses.

I order to support herself, Christie decided to work in a small pub where she met Joseph. Joseph became interested and started dating Christie, at first she decisively declined cause of the trauma of her first marriage with William who never once respected her as the mother of his four children. But as time flew like running water, she eventually softened her heart deciding to cohabitation together. Christie became pregnant but the news shocked Joseph who ran off pretending to look for a job.Several months passed and Christie's bulge was visible, she couldn't stop worrying cause it was a long time ever since Joseph left.

"Who will offer me a job in this situation?,I can't believe that I jumped from hell and ended up in a boiling pot,I thought he was responsible. " Wiping away her tears like broken pearls, Christie sat down on the small bed and closed her eyes.The neighbors got worried cause Christie always stayed inside without eating for several days."Bambi" you can imagine a pregnant lady not being able to supplement nutritional foods to the fetus, the consequences are unimaginable. This leads to a weak constitution of the baby and even the health .Joseph eventually returned drunk with just bans of bread. The smell on him almost made Christie who was already not okay to puke nothing but just some acidic water.

After coaxing Christie with some necessities the situation changed a little bit but this was the calm before the storm cause when Christie's due date was approaching, Joseph got an excuse and left her in the once with only one hundred shilling that couldn't even buy a passion fruit. One of the kind neighbors brought something for her to eat cause her complexion wasn't good yet she was heavily pregnant. Christie cried tears of joy leaving the kind neighbor bewildered by her reaction. She savored the taste like an hungry wolf, but amidst the night she couldn't sleep well cause of the contractions.The pain was so severe yet she didn't want to disturb the sleep of others until the next day. The contractions persisted until that evening and decided to labour her baby on her own .It was during that time that her friend mummy Dora came and offered a helping hand.After the all fiasco the cry of a baby was heart and it was so tiny almost unrecognizable. With round big eyes with a pale skin since she was starved during her stay in the womb.