I woke up in the middle of the night, suddenly remembering some stories from my childhood. They were about my crush, Tadala—the girl I shared everything with.
It started in 2007 when we first got to know each other. We were both born and raised in the dusty heat of Lilongwe, where our parents worked back then. Our shared memories and stories created an unbreakable bond.
Tadala and I had so much in common: our height, skin tone, and even our personalities. People often called us brother and sister because we looked and acted so alike. In my mind, though, she was a queen and a princess in my little kingdom. She was one of a kind, always making sure I was okay and happy.
But then, all of a sudden, things changed. When Tadala turned 14, her mindset shifted. She started receiving compliments about her body—her curves and hips—and at first, it felt embarrassing and shameful to hear those words.
Out of pride or curiosity, she began to find the attention impressive and attractive. That was until the day I caught her off guard, kissing Mr. Mbewe. He was our school bus driver. I had always noticed how he stared at her and spoke to her so nicely and patiently. He used to buy us snacks and juices, and that's how Tadala fell into his trap.
She ended up in a sexual relationship with Mr. Mbewe. I was silenced by the coins they gave me. It went on longer than I ever imagined. While I got some cash out of it, Tadala was the one getting hurt and violated.
After a few months of being involved with Mr. Mbewe, Tadala got pregnant and dropped out of school immediately.
Tears slid down my cheeks in the dead of night as I clutched the old photo of us posing together, arms around each other, smiling like nothing could ever break us.
Is this the real price of the silence I kept all those years? The question burned through my mind while I scrolled to her name, heart pounding, only to see her number had been unreachable for ages.
I typed the message anyway, fingers shaking:
"Hey Tada, it's me. I'm sorry for everything I never said back then. Forgive me. Can we hook up this weekend at Chinamwali? I just want to see you... please."