Tanya tries to hide the shock on her face, considering how sensitive Annie is. She is genuinely at a loss however.At her age and with her experience with the church, she knows people are not always what they want you to believe, she still finds it hard to picture Tinashe as physically abusive.The first question that pops in her head is ‘Are you sure?’. She , checks herself, disappointed that her first response is to question the legitimacy of the victim.
‘Oh my, I didn’t know this.’ She finally says, thinking of bubbly Tapiwa, always with a story to tell. Tapiwa who is always the last person to leave at church, making sure everything has been done. Tapiwa; tongue spitting prayer warrior.
‘I don’t know what to do. I know sometimes it’s my fault but I don’t like being hit.’ Annie’s voice is shaky but her eyes are dry and clear.
‘It is never your fault! How many times does he disappoint you? Do you think of beating him up? You’re not the problem here.’
Tanya says the last statement more to herself than to Annie, she is thinking of how Tapiwa must have manipulated Annie to take the blame for the violence, typical. Under her breath, she asks the Holy Spirit to help her.
‘What was that?’ Annie asks.
‘Oh sorry, I’m speaking to myself’, to which Annie furrows her brows again. ‘Not to myself, the Holy Spirit, but I thought it would sound strange that I talk out loud to the Holy Spirit’.
To quickly move away from the awkwardness, Tanya asks, ‘What has he beaten you up for?’
‘Well,’ Annie looks down at her trembling hands before tucking them into her jacket, ‘one time he slapped me and dragged me by my hair because I had made him wait for a few minutes. The other time he got angry because I had dropped the new phone he got me. He was really mad, really mad.’ She pauses, thinking of the day.
‘This only started after we’d made family introductions . I thought of leaving him but what would have my and his family thought? I thought he would stop, that these were just isolated incidences but it’s 4 times now, each time he gets angrier. I am getting scared.’
‘He is getting his way about everything concerning the wedding, I am scared to disagree with him, he seems very short tempered these days, must the stress. But I watch him planning a wedding that I wouldn’t even want to sit through as a guest. This is supposed to be my day, I want somethings done my way!’
Tanya finds an opportunity to sneak in a question, ‘Does anyone know this? That he has been physical with you?’
‘Yes, elder Mrs Rakashai knows, I approached her first, as my cell leader. She keeps telling me to continue praying but I am tired, it is not getting better.’
‘I see’, Tanya says, ‘Definitely we need to pray but….’
Just then Annie’s phone rings and she holds up a hand to silent Tanya, her hand is shaking.
‘Yes babe?’
‘No babe,…’
‘I’m sorry, okay. I will go right away’
‘Excuse me Mai Tembo, I have to go meet with the florist. Thank you, I will call you.’
Annie gathers her bag quickly, Tanya is too slow getting out of her couch to escort her out, she is out the door without another word.
Tanya looks at the door she has just walked out through, a lot going on in her head. She feels she could have said more meaningful, Godly advise.
‘I told you I can’t do this Lord’, she whispers. One of the twins wakes then and starts crying. Tanya rushes off to attend to him.
