DANCING WITH POOR MAN'S DAUGHTER

DANCING WITH POOR MAN'S DAUGHTER

"Donnie! Donnie!" His voices echoed as David was calling me to hurry up for his uncle's party."Just a minute" I replied. David's uncle, Trevor had a house just a kilometer from a small farming town we were staying. He was rarely inviting his cousin whenever he dropped the party, maybe because David's mother wasn't his blood sister.

To his amazement, he was invited this time around. "You need to escort David tomorrow, I want you to keep an eye on him as you know David's characters so vividly" David's mother started when I once visited them.

David and I have been friends since our childhood infact, we had been accomplices in so many occasions. It had been, Lilly, David's mother who was hero whenever we were in trouble. No wonder, this time she trusted me with this new role, a guardian angel.

Being David's guardian angel wasn't a difficult task at all, but I needed someone to convince my Aunt that I would be not available for fews hours. Leaving her house without her consent had been landing me in unimaginable plights being whipped or being locked outside of the house included.

I recalled one day when we had a school trip which didn't end well. The school bus broked several times in our way home. I asked our tour teacher to phone my aunt, notifying her about how stressful the journey was. Unfortunately, the call wouldn't went through. "Don't worry Donnie, I'll personally escort you home once we arrive" The teacher reassured me.

It was already too late when we reached home as there was total darkness inside our house which showed that my aunt had already been asleep several hours ago. "Are you sure that I should leave you like here" The teacher asked me. "Sure" That was a short reply I have the teacher.

I spent the entire night outside of the house.

"If you're serious that I should accompany your son to the party please, can you do a woman to woman talk to my aunt about this?" I replied to her in askance. "Certainly" she shot straightaway. Up to now, I don't know what spell did David's mother casted on my aunt as she didn't even gave a second thought to the idea of escorting David, in that case the night party to someone she didn't even know.

"Donnie! Where are you?" She called. "I'm cleaning! in the garden aunt" I replied. Whenever she called me on top of her voice like that, I knew for sure that there was something worth discussing or I have fallen on the wrong side of her daily rules which were so boring and hard to remember.

"Aren't escorting your accomplice today?" She started. "Aunt, why do you have such pessimistic minds towards me?" I replied nervously. "No like that, the problem is that whenever I give you much opportunity to go out with friends, troubles seems not to leave you alone, I mean, you always steps out of the line" She stressed her concerns. "But aunt, the last time that happened it was because of the school bus, I had no any hand on it" I replied.

"Donnie, I don't know what people thinks of me as far as raising you is concerned but you are the only family I have since the death of your uncle" She continued. "People might think I socially abuses you in one way or the other but I know what's best for you infact, there wasn't there when you were accused of stealing one hundred thousand Malawi kwacha from a supermarket". "It was me who toiled with legal battles so that you could be set free, now that you are free, I don't want such things to happen again" She finished.

For once in my life, I saw tears on cheeks of my aunt. I realised how caring she was. I had been misunderstanding her love and care in all of the past years. Without giving second thought on what to do when I realised that I had been wrongly accusing her of the attitudes she had been showing to me, I ran, swung my gands around her and hugged her rightly. "I'm really sorry, aunt, at first, I failed to realise how caring you are until now" I cried loudly. "Shhhh!" She shushed me. "Isn't it David who's calling you" she echoed. "Yes it's him" I replied.

"Go up and clean up yourself, I'll drop youw off, I just want want make sure that you have reached the intended place on time, hurry up" She finished.

When she was saying these words, I felt much love from the auntie. She was the only woman I had known in my life as a mother because they adopted me when I was just eight months old. Both of my parents died in a car accident on their way home as they were knocking off from work. That's the brief history as told by my aunt.

David had been rooted on the bathroom entrance the entire minutes when I was taking a shower. "Hurry up! my mother said that there will be high political officials from different departments of the government" He started. "What does your uncle do for high government officials to attend his party?" I asked him. "Boy, don't you know that he is a big government contractor in fact, he have been completing so many projects without even being paid initial contract repayments" David continued. "No wonder, he is a prominent man in this city and I also heard that he is the man who funds the activities of the ruling party that is why vice president is in attendance as well" He finished.

We reached the party house around 20:37 pm. "I will pick up at 22:00 sharp. "Just be sure to be out of the party prior to my arrival" She finished as the engine of the old Peugeot revived. "Certainly queen" I joked. She laughed and drove off.

Just as David had said, the car park was full with trendy and latest vehicles. I could see a certain vehicle with two national flag, which was an indication that the vice president had been there for some hours or minutes. I felt nervous. "Chill up Donnie" David said. He must had seen how stressful I was once I saw the vehicles. "Follow me" One of the guards ordered us.

We followed him until the heart of well packed chairs in the deepest part of the party.

When settled, we were served with several dishes .Some of them were strange meals to me and David was the one who was helping me how to eat them as some required specific skills to shove them into the mouth.

Seldomly, I could see David's uncle waving him cheerfully.

After everyone was filled to the brim, people begun dancing music from the local musician Patience Namadingo who was performing live. I wasn't interested in music nor dancing not because the musician wasn't good, but because I wasn't a good dancer.Contrary to me, David was exceptional when it comes to dancing. Infact, he had been participating in so many dancing competitions so dancing was not an issue to him.

It was 21:20 now when Dancing reached it's peak because everyone was in motion including the VIPs except a certain girl who looked to have sneaked into the party from the looks of her clothes. She waved me to go where she was. "I'm Annita, the daughter Donsa"She started. "How have you managed to this party?" I asked her. "I sneaked on the back door, I have to find a little food for my father" She continued. "Where is your father and why you have to take left overs as a dinner to him?" I questioned her curiously. "My father is a sick poor blind man, whenever I knocks off from classes, I don't different chores for money to make ends meet" She Continued. "So today is my lucky day, I will collect enough meal which will sustain for a week or so, can you help me and I will teach you how to dance once done?" She asked me. "Absolutely".

We collected enough food which would last for weeks according to her.

I escorted her to her home which was just behind the marque tent in which the party was happening.

When we reached her home, I nearly broke into tears . They were living in a shabby house which it's roof was being supported by a sigle pole.When her father heard our entry into the house, he woke up. "Give me something to chew please" He demanded. He must had been waiting for the arrival of the daughter with a meal at least. "I don't what would have happened had it been that she did not bring any meal?" I talked to myself.

When she had finished giving her father the meal, we hurried to the party.

Soon after we entered into the marque tent, the vice president grabbed the microphone. "Today is the birthday of my wife, I want any pair or individuals who can dance nicely to come on front". "If you pleases her a lot, you will have anything you can desire today". He finished.

Annita dragged me out of the tent. "Okay" She started. "I know you're not a good dancer, but let's sacrifice whatever we can so that we can win whatever the Vice president will offer. "If you cannot do it for yourself, please do it to my father,,please!" She begged me.

"I'm not sure if we can win this but I will definitely give my best help your father" I assured her.

When we entered into the party again, Seventeen individuals and six couples had already been trying their lucky but couldn't satisfy the vice president wishes.

"Anyone please?" Echoed the voice of the master of the ceremony.

David raised his hand but his uncle signaled him not to participate. Up to now, I don't know why? May be their reputation was on line. "Anyone please?" Sounded master of ceremony.

Annita raised her hand and dragged me on the dancing floor. When David saw me, he bursted into the laughter. Yes, his expressions were straightforward, I won't make it.

When the song begun playing, I felt much energy flowing in my legs, Mphwayi ndi tsoka song by Joseph Mkasa echoed in my eardrums. I touched on Annita's weist. Whilst my left hand was in her shoulders, I swung her gently following the rhythm of the song. I pushed my right leg in between of her legs and bend her upper body outwards rhythmically. In no any time, everyone was applauding with the tempo of the song. When I looked on the far end of the crowd, I saw my aunt clapping her hand with her hads in air. This motivated me. I shifted to an extra gear. I closed my eyes with Annita in my arms.

When the music stopped, I felt a strong scent of fragrance. When we looked on our left side, we saw the wife of the Vice president.

"That's impressive, so impressive" She started. "Before you voice whatever you wishes, I'm giving you a full funded scholarships to both of you from primary up to university" She continued.

"Ladies first, young girl, what's your name?" She asked. "I'm Annita".

"What can I do for you lady?" She continued in askance. "A house medical care to my blind father that's all mum" She replied whilst crying.

"Consider it done and he will be under my total care once your are perusing your studies" She finished.

Annita was now in tears of joy.

"Yes, boy, what's your name?" She asked. "I'm Donnie" I replied. I replied.

"What do you want boy" She continued. "I want a house, new car and enough money to cater for daily needs of my aunt" I replied straightaway. "Consider it done and she will be my personal secretary from now onwards"

None was expecting us to find these favours that day as all the promises were fulfilled exceedingly.

Now my aunt has retired from her job as a secretary in the office of the wife of vice president and is enjoying her peaceful time in our house together with Annita's father, yes my father in-law. It's been six years since I married doctor Annita, we have two kids now, a boy and a girl. I'm a trusted estate agent now.