SHEM Shem hadn’t planned to be awake this long. After breakfast at the staff quarters and a quick shower, he’d tried to lie down to catch a nap, but his mind wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d seen. Malaika. That guy. The ease in their body language. The hands. The way […]

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 […]

The generators hummed outside. Flickering blue light from surveillance monitors glowed against concrete walls. This was one of their old monitoring base, a nondescript house on the edge of town, used during covert missions. Tonight, it was active again, for something more personal. Shem walked in, wiping his hands with a handkerchief. His face had […]

 KAWEME It had been the kind of day Kaweme wanted to freeze in time, the kind you reach out and try to hold like mist, knowing it will slip through your fingers. Japheth had cleared his schedule just for her. After a full week of lockdown, a full week of cabin fever and pacing the […]

 SHEM It had been a full week since Shem declared the lockdown, a necessary measure, or so he told himself. It was the only way he knew to keep Kaweme safe. She had summoned him earlier to likely put an end to the arrangement, clearly not seeing the need for it, yet he knew he […]

 JAPHETH Japheth leaned back after parking the car, smiled, and looked at Kaweme. “You know,” he said, “if I’d known that being in a relationship was this sweet, I would’ve jumped in a long time ago.” Kaweme smirked, unbuckling her seatbelt. “Duh. It’s sweet because it’s me. Try someone else and let’s see if it’ll […]

  KAWEME  Kaweme jolted awake. The sunlight was already slicing through the curtains. She reached for her phone and gasped, “7:30 a.m?! Oh my God.” She flew out of bed just as Malaika opened the door, already dressed and sipping tea like she had all the time in the world. “I was wondering when you’d wake […]

 JAPHETH As Japheth and Kaweme walked hand-in-hand towards the car, the night air seemed to soften around them. The garden lights glowed in amber circles, the laughter from distant tables fading behind them. Kaweme leaned in closer, her fingers wrapped tightly around Japheth’s. They had made plans to party after dinner, but she had a […]

                                                    SHEM Zambian Army Barracks, Arakan, Lusaka. Sixteen Years Later. The sun was barely out, but the barracks were already alive with motion. Arakan was never truly quiet, boots always pounded the earth, drills echoed from open fields, and sharp commands sliced through the air like whistles. It was a place where discipline and routine ruled, […]

Lusaka, Zambia – Fifteen Years Ago                                                 SHEM Shem Mwansa had been fighting for as long as he could remember. Fists were easier than feelings. They didn’t ask questions, and didn’t expect apologies. They just landed where they were aimed and helped him breathe a little easier. People said he was angry. They weren’t wrong. But […]