Gerald stared at his wife's face, his eyes surveying hers which seemed to glimmer with unwavering joy. She still carried her curvy body well even after birthing their healthy baby boy, Tapiwa, who was at his maternal grandparent's house for the holidays.
Her beauty was out of his league, yet she had agreed to marry him - or rather stay with him - since he was too poor to afford to pay her bride price. Gerald's eyes wandered to the worn-out shoes he wore, a constant reminder of the struggles he faced. He had vowed to create a better life for himself, after his parents' demise whilst he was still young, even if it meant taking the life of his beloved wife, as per the sangoma's prescription.
"Aren't you hungry?" Mai Tapiwa asked as she observed inquisitively.
He stared blankly at his plate of sadza and mushroom soup. "Can you please get me fresh chilli peppers?"
"Okay." She replied.
Certain that she was gone, he fished out a satchet of poison from his trousers' pocket and sprinkled the right amount in Mai Tapiwa's food, rinsed his hands and returned to his seat. Mai Tapiwa came back with a handful of chilli peppers and handed them to him.
She sat down and continued enjoying her meal, oblivious to the danger lurking within.
"BaTapiwa you haven't been yourself ever since you arrived from your friend's house. I hope everything is fine."
"Everything went well and everyone is fine. In fact they send their regards, " he replied, guilt-striken, having hidden his visit to the sangoma from her, since he knew she was a fully devoted Christian and wouldn't approve of such things. He stared at her purposively, waiting for the poison to take action.
"I've finished my food before you. That's so unlike you."
"I've lost my appetite."
"I'll heat it up for you tomorrow morning before you leave for work."
He let out a forced chuckle, wiping his wet hands on his T-shirt as he watched his wife take away the used dishes, intently monitoring her movements. There, he noticed a stagger in her wife's pace, triggering the appearance of an involuntary smile on his face. A stagger, heat exhaustion, then ultimately, death, which all equaled to the lavish life that he yearned for.
Soon enough, she groaned, lying on the floor, feeling her insides engage in a life-menacing war.
But Gerald ignored her requests for help, as he stepped out to sharpen the blunt edges of the blunt kitchen knife, preparing to execute phase two of his plan- the manslaughter.
Upon his return, he went straight to his lifeless wife, removed her blouse and began slitting the region below the left side of her ribcage.
As soon as the cut was large enough, he yanked out her heart, its warmth covering his hand, thereby bringing him back to reality. He had killed his wife and that meant jail. He urgently needed to meet the sangoma and get the ritual over with, after which he planned to escape to South Africa.
Quickly, he wrapped the heart with newspapers before placing it in a lunchbox. After washing his hands, he packed his belongings in a satchel, and immediately went to the bus stop to board a bus to Machokoto village, where Sekuru Gumi, the sangoma resided.
He set foot on his homestead just as the rooster welcomed the rising of the sun. But Sekuru Gumi was already awake, humming to a song that was inaudible to many.
"You may enter," he voiced, sensing Gerald's presence.
Gerald removed his shoes and entered the hut, an arena with spiritual richness, decorated with various wild animal skins and bones, and clay pots whose contents were only known by their owner. He clapped his hands and crouched on the floor, watching the sangoma snort a bit of his snuff and grunt with his eyes fixed on him.
"You've brought me an unclean heart. The human you have slain is led by the Great One. Leave my premises, I don't want to be a part of the your misfortune!" He spoke with a laden voice, shaking his head as he fanned himself with his fly-whisk.
"Asekuru, but that was what you assigned me to bring."
Sekuru Gumi's expression turned solemn. "Are you deaf? I don't accept unclean gifts here. You disobeyed the rites you were supposed to follow!"
"I poisoned my wife and took her heart as instructed!"
"Quiet! Who told you to use poison? I instructed you to excise her heart whilst she's alive!" His voice grew stern.
"Asekuru, that wouldn't be possible, she could her made noise!"
" You failed a simple task, leave my premises!"
" What do I do with her heart?"
"Leave!" His voice dripped with ire.
Gerald stumbled out of the hut, his mind reeling with terror. All his malicious acts had been in vain. The sky darkened with grey clouds, obscuring the scorching sun and its blinding rays. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, signaling the start of the rain, which began to fall on the rapidly darkening earth. As he ran for cover, he felt the weight of his sins bearing down on him. He stumbled and fell, the lunchbox containing Mai Tapiwa's heart flying out of his hands.
" Return my heart to its rightful place."
He spun around, trying to see who was speaking, but there was no one in sight. He stumbled forward, towards the deep forest, driven by a growing sense of panic. The voice grew louder, more insistent, making him to quicken his pace.
Lashes landed all over his body as he stumbled deeper into the forest, screaming for forgiveness. However, his escape was short-lived; he tripped and was pierced through the chest by a sharp branch on a fallen log. He lay there, his mouth agape, as rainwater collected in it, his dead eyes fixed on the sky as his spirit left his impoverished body to meet his maker.
