KAWEME

Kaweme hadn’t walked through the garden in a long time.

She didn’t enjoy it anymore, not since her parents died. This used to be their Sunday ritual: her father sitting on the stone bench, her mother beside him, both of them laughing softly between catch-ups and banter. Now, walking here felt like stepping into grief.

But Japheth was in the guest room, and she needed air. Space. A chance to reset her thoughts and resist the tug to curl up beside him under the duvet. She wanted nothing more than to be in the same room with him, to breathe the same air, to be held. But they had made their decision: no physical intimacy before marriage.

Their bodies would honor God.

They had forever to enjoy each other. But for now, restraint was a form of worship. And honestly, Japheth was the stronger one. He was the one who had refused to enter her room. The one who wouldn’t let them stay alone too long. He felt the pull too, but he was guarding both of them.

She stepped onto the grass and began to pray.

“Found you,” Malaika said from behind her. “I’ve been looking everywhere. I didn’t even think to check here… you never come to the garden anymore.”

Kaweme gave her a small, sad smile. “Yeah… I haven’t wanted to.”

Malaika softened. “Are you okay? Your fiancé’s in the house.”

Kaweme nodded. “Shem insisted he stay here. Said it’s the safest place for now. Japheth can’t be alone. Especially now that Luyando’s moved out.”

“Wow. So Vasai’s already setting up Japheth’s place for your arrival?”

“Yes, I want the interior decoration done my way.”

“You should just move back into this house. Who owns it now?”

“I do,” Kaweme said quietly. “But I can’t live in a place where my parents’ ghosts are everywhere. I want… I want a new beginning.”

Malaika frowned. “But that two-bedroom apartment… is it really enough for you?”

“It’s just the two of us. It’s big enough. We’ll start small and grow from there. Besides, I want to do this Japheth’s way.”

“You’re so lucky,” Malaika murmured. “And it’s not just about Japheth. You have always attracted the most intelligent men. You’re smart, beautiful, and talented. You have something to offer the world.”

Kaweme turned to her. “Malaika, don’t talk like that. I hope you’re not putting yourself down.”

Malaika gave a half-shrug. “I don’t know. I just… I feel like a leech sometimes. Like I’m always around you, but I don’t bring anything. I don’t have a job. I don’t have direction.”

“Where is this coming from?”

“Shem said something earlier that just stuck with me. Not directly. But it made me feel small. Like I’m just floating.”

“You’re trying to figure yourself out. That’s not a crime. And if being around Shem makes you feel like this, maybe stop trying to be his friend.”

“I like him,” Malaika admitted. “I really do. But yeah, maybe I shouldn’t spend time with him. Clearly, he doesn’t prioritize me.”

Kaweme raised a brow. “You like him that much?”

“There’s just something about him,” Malaika said softly. “Even though he barely says a word, except I prompt him. I’m drawn to him.”

“You’re falling,” Kaweme teased gently.

Malaika looked away, embarrassed.

“Come here,” Kaweme said, pulling her into a hug. “You’re one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. And being your friend makes my life richer.”

Malaika’s eyes watered. “Let’s pray. That’s what you were doing, right? Let me join you. Let’s just pray that this whole darkness ends. That we can all breathe again.”

So they prayed. Hands clasped, hearts bare, voices rising in soft praise and silent pleading.

After a long while, Kaweme gasped.

“Oh no. I was supposed to pick Kalo up from the airport tomorrow.”

“Can’t you still go?”

“No. Shem said Japheth and I should stay put. This house is like a fortress now. Honestly, if not for the event planners, this wedding would’ve collapsed.”

“I’ll go,” Malaika said. “I’ll pick him up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. I’ll call Muzo. He’ll come with his driver.”

“Muzo?”

“We’re not dating,” Malaika said quickly. “But we’ve been texting. He wants me back. I told him no, but still, it’s safer this way. Muzo always moves with security. I know Shem is busy with something bigger.”

Kaweme exhaled. “Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.”

They hugged again. And for a moment, just a moment, everything felt okay.

 SHEM

Sleeplessness was nothing new to Shem. But this current stretch, back-to-back nights with no rest, was beginning to take a toll on him. The meeting with General Mwape had stretched into the early hours, and while it gave him hope, it also came with weight.

At least now, there was momentum.

The Colonel and the General both wanted to bring this down, perhaps even more than Shem himself. The operation had been greenlit for deeper surveillance. A new tactical team was on standby. All they needed was concrete evidence or to catch the men red-handed, because if you were going to bring down giants, you’d better come with more than whispers.

It was just past 7 a.m. when Shem finally pulled into Kaweme’s compound. His eyes stung with exhaustion, but his instincts were still sharp, sharp enough to notice Malaika walking toward a man leaning against a sleek black SUV.

There was something about the man that made Shem pause.

Malaika approached with a light, familiar smile, like someone greeting a cousin or an old school friend. But the man’s posture… the gleam in his eye… There was nothing familial about it. He was looking at her like prey. Like possession. Like he owned her.

He laughed too loudly. Leaned too close.

Then, casually, he reached out, grabbed her hand, his other hand grazing her waist as he opened the door for her. Malaika flinched and brushed him off, like she didn’t want to be touched, not like that.

Something twisted in Shem’s chest.

By the time he fully parked, the car was already pulling away, but then, just as quickly, it stopped again. Malaika hopped out, jogging back toward the house like she’d forgotten something.

Shem stepped out of his vehicle.

The man got down too.

They looked at each other across the gravel.

Shem offered a curt nod. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” the man replied with a grin that never quite reached his eyes.

There was an awkward pause.

“Sorry,” the guy added, rubbing the back of his neck. “We almost hit you. My babe can be kinda forgetful. She forgot something inside.”

Shem’s eyes narrowed. “Your babe?”

“Well… technically babe. Hopefully babe. Still babe. Forever babe. You know how it is.” He laughed, like that explained everything.

Shem said nothing.

Before the moment could stretch any further, Malaika returned, slowing as she saw the two men facing each other.

“Oh,” she said, a little breathless. “Muzo, meet Shem.”

“Muzo,” Shem repeated flatly.

Muzo extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. She says you’re family. Kaweme’s soon-to-be brother-in-law, yeah?”

Shem shook his hand without enthusiasm.

“Maybe one of these days we’ll all hang out,” Muzo said with a wink, then went back to sit in the car. “Some time soon, yeah?” 

Malaika cut in quickly. “We’re heading to the airport to pick up Kalo.”

Shem’s expression tightened. “Kalo?”

“Kaweme’s younger brother.”

Shem’s voice was calm but clipped. “I could’ve taken you.”

“You just got in,” Malaika said gently. “Didn’t even know if you’d be available.”

Shem turned to her fully. “You didn’t think to call me first?”

Malaika looked down. “I didn’t want to bother anyone. And with everything going on… I didn’t want to trust a random driver. Muzo just kept checking in, so I figured… why not?”

“Your boyfriend?”

“No,” she said firmly. “Ex, but he offered, and I didn’t have anyone else.”

Shem stared at her, then at Muzo, who was already sliding into the driver’s seat.

“You should’ve called me,” he repeated.

“You’re running a whole national operation, Shem,” she replied, a little tired. “I figured you’d be busy with something more… Important.”

He gave a short nod. “Right. All the best, then.”

Malaika hesitated. “Thank you.”

But he was already walking away.

She got into Muzo’s car, and it rolled out of the compound. Shem didn’t look back, but his whole body was humming with a strange, aching energy.

He’d told himself she was just a friend. Just someone he was helping out.

But the way he felt watching her ride off with someone else, it told a different story.

And this morning, even with the weight of a country on his back, that was the thing that hurt most. He cared about her, but there was no time to focus on building friendship. Lives literally depended on his concentration.

JAPHETH AND KAWEME

Kaweme and Japheth watched the little drama unfolding below.

They had come to the window because a horn had sounded at the gate. Assuming it was Reverend Charles arriving for their counseling session, they’d hurried to check. But it wasn’t the Reverend’s car. It was Shem, just returning to the compound, and he’d walked straight into an unexpected reunion between Malaika and a man Japheth didn’t recognize, till Kaweme filled him in.

What followed was… entertaining.

The exchange was visible even from upstairs, the stiff body language, the awkward tension, and the way Shem’s eyes seemed to burn a hole through the man beside Malaika. When the man reached for her waist, both Kaweme and Japheth winced.

“Oh no,” Japheth muttered, shaking his head with a grin. “My brother is gone. I saw it yesterday already. He’s distracted.”

Kaweme laughed. “Shem? Distracted? That’s how you know it’s real. That guy is like a moving rock, set in his ways.”

“Exactly!” Japheth said, still chuckling. “His name fits him. Shem. Steady. Solid. Focused. But that girl? Malaika? She’s not small energy oh. It’s not by body size.”

“She’s a whole vibe,” Kaweme agreed. “And to be honest, they’d make a good match.”

Japheth gave her a side-eye. “You think so? I always pictured Shem with a more serious woman. Malaika is…”

“Free-spirited,” Kaweme offered.

“Exactly. Like oil and water.”

“Opposites attract, babe.”

Japheth looked at her with a raised brow. “So what’s the opposite about us?”

Kaweme smiled. “Let’s not even start. This is not about us. This is about your brother and my best friend.”

“Fair enough. But how do you feel? My brother ‘liking’ your bestie?”

Kaweme exhaled, watching the scene still unfolding below. “I honestly don’t mind. I think it would be beautiful if it works. But I also don’t think it will.”

“Why?”

“He’s already making her feel small,” Kaweme said quietly. “Criticizing her, saying things that makes her question herself. Malaika is sensitive. She might pretend to brush things off, but words cut deep with her, and Shem doesn’t mince words.”

Japheth frowned. “But what if he’s telling her the truth? Something she needs to hear! Does that make him bad for her?”

Kaweme turned to face him. “So you also think she needs fixing?”

“No, no!” Japheth raised his hands. “I’m just saying, maybe you shouldn’t write Shem off so quickly. Advising someone doesn’t mean you don’t like them. It could mean you care.”

“Maybe,” Kaweme murmured. “But it’s not bringing them closer. It’s pushing her away. I thought they were going to become something serious, that something will come out of all their drama.”

Japheth shrugged. “Or maybe nothing will come out of it. Sometimes it’s male-female attraction and nothing more. It simply becomes friendship. But… I like seeing her around Shem. She softens him. And that man has needed softening for a long time.”

Kaweme chuckled. “So we’re just watching a live show, yeah?”

“Front-row seats,” Japheth said, miming popcorn.

They both laughed.

“Honestly though,” Kaweme added, “your brother is incredible, loyal, focused, and so good at his job. You never talk about him like that.”

“That’s because we fell out,” Japheth said softly. “You already know the story.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “But I admire him. He could be using his leave to rest, but instead he’s risking everything. This is dangerous.”

“That’s why we have to keep praying,” Japheth said soberly. “No casualties. No losses.”

“Amen,” Kaweme whispered. “I can’t take any more pain. I just want peace.”

“We’ll have it,” Japheth said, holding her hand. “By the special grace of God. Remember, we must keep speaking the word. When we speak God’s word, we activate it.”

Kaweme smiled, her voice steady. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil… for Thou art with me.”

“Great,” Japheth said, squeezing her hand. “Who is ‘Thou’?”

“God,” she said softly.

“Exactly. He’s with us. We walk in that confidence. We speak boldly. And He’ll make everything beautiful in His time.”

A second horn sounded at the gate.

“Yay! That must be Reverend Charles!” Kaweme said, springing to her feet. “Wedding counseling, here we come. I am excited.”

Japheth smiled. “I’m excited too.”

They headed downstairs, hearts light, even if just for a moment.