Gloria and I became best of friends when we argued a year ago over a boy. We were in form two. I became more jealous of her friendship with James. He was the most handsome and smartest boy in our class. He was dark in complexion and had a tall athletic body. His gap between his front teeth his smiles always made me blush. I wanted to confront and argue with her, so I waited for Gloria to make a mistake.  I waited and got frustrated because she was smart and intelligent. My mission was becoming one big failure. I finally figured out how to fight her with or without a reason. I walked straight to her on our way home when she was alone. I told her to stop spending time with my boyfriend. I quickly pushed her and she fell.

Mrs Lowe, our teacher, shouted from a distance when she saw what I did. I was about to take off when she ordered me to stop.

She approached and asked us to come with her. She never asked us why we were pushing and shaving. She only asked us to help her carry some of her things to her house. I never liked the idea, but I could not turn it down.  I had to pay for my wrongs.

Gloria wanted to know why she was being punished for something she didn’t do. Madam Lowe just smiled.

When we reached her house, she invited us in and offered us a cup of coffee served with delicious homemade biscuits. I could not help but ask if she was the one who made the mouthwatering biscuits.

Gloria also asked what else she could bake, and her answer was simply anything that required baking flour and powder. We were so amazed.

She then extended the invitation to both of us to visit her every Saturday for baking and after school lessons. We were so happy, and we gladly accepted.

It was getting late, and we had to leave. She packed some of the biscuits in a small white and pink food container. She gave it to us, and said, “Bring my baby back on Monday morning to school”.  She pointed at her container. We laughed and then we left. We finished all the biscuits on our way home. I asked Gloria to keep the container until the next Monday.

I was happy and could not wait to see Gloria that Monday morning and talk about our last visit to Mrs Lowe and her treats.

We became best friends and Madam Lowe was now our mentor. Madam Lowe had a beautiful four-bedroom house and had a Metallic black Nissan Juke. Her husband was a Lecture. Madam Lowe had no children.

One day she asked if we could spend a night at her house so we could help her cook and bake for her husband’s birthday. She also took the liberty of asking our parents about the sleepover and the answer was “yes”.

We had a good time baking, cooking, dancing and singing the whole night.

Mr Lowe was not home so we had the house to ourselves. The next day she took us to the city and bought us some new dresses, shoes, and handbags. She asked us to stay until the party was over.

We kept on visiting Madam Lowe but sometimes she invited Gloria alone to her house for a sleepover. Gloria started avoiding me despite my efforts to visit her.

Days would go by without talking or seeing each other. I kept on passing by her house to see why she was not coming to school sometimes.

One day. Gloria invited me and told me that she was four months pregnant. She couldn’t stop crying.  I was confused. My bet was on James, but she assured me that it wasn’t James not even close. Gloria couldn’t tell me who the man was responsible for her pregnancy. I tried to convince her to tell me but she refused.

She started skipping classes because she was afraid people will notice her situation. When her parents knew about the pregnancy they forced her to tell them who the boy was. The news around the school campus was that James impregnated Gloria. This made James very angry but he could not prove his innocence.

Gloria told her parents that it was Mr Lowe and that Madam Lowe was the one who convince her to sleep with her husband for one night only. She said Madam begged and pleaded with her. She promised to take care of her and the baby and that she will pay her for her troubles.

Gloria told her parents that they spent the better part of that night drinking wine with Mr Lowe and that was all she could remember. She later realized that something had happened to her.

Then the next morning Madam Lowe gave her an envelope and hugged her.  She told her not to speak about that night to anyone.

When Gloria finished her story. Her father was furious and angry.  He demanded that they go to the Lowe residence and confront them of about what happened. When Gloria and her parents arrived at Madam Lowe’s residence, the house was empty and the neighbors told them that they had moved to another Country where Mr Lowe had a new job offer.

 

Gloria passed out and lost her consciousness. She woke up the next day in the nearby hospital. Her mother looked at her and said welcome back mwana wanga for the trouble awaits.