The Mystery Of 'Uncle' John & Letter 'J'

Susan has mixed feelings about her mum's relationship with John. The two have been love birds even long before Susan's father died of gun shots in what was later dismissed as an attempted robbery attack. The sad incident had happened one night when Marvin, Susan's father, was accosted by two men shortly upon alighting from a taxi on the way home, after spending some time in his favorite joint in town. Just a few meters from his rented flat, they shot at him in cold blood, then fled without taking anything. Susan remembers that she was the only one at home then. Her two siblings had traveled upcountry to visit grandma, with schools having been vacated for holiday break.

Earlier the same day, Susan, then aged 17 had overheard a joyous phone conversation between her mum and the person whom she came to be introduced to later as 'uncle' John. 

'' As usual, don't you worry..... hahaha..... mmmmh yah......hahahaha...... I just love letter J'', she had faintly heard her mother say with short bouts of heavy laughter. It was not the first time Susan had heard her mother express her love for letter 'J'. She had heard it in many of her phone conversations, thus wasn't surprised.

''Will be right there in a few, take care,'' her mother had said before hurriedly preparing and disappearing in a taxi. 

That evening, Susan was restless and uncomfortable with the fact that her mother had taken so long to come back home. Being a Saturday, she was expecting her father anytime from 9 pm drunk as usual. Her main worry was that a fight was looming. She had seen her parents fight often especially when her mother would come late. Sometimes more drunk than her dad. She hated that, and wished she was in school. Two more weeks were to go for the schools to reopen. She was longing for her third term session to complete her secondary education at Queen Elizabeth Girls Boarding School.

Suddenly, at around 10 pm, she heard a loud scream, followed by three heavy gunshots. Tremor rocked through her. She wished that it had nothing to do with hers parents. Sadly, her wishes never happened.  She found a multitude of curious people milling around the lifeless body of her dad. Mr. Marvin was no more.

Susan remembers that her mother's phone was not going through. It was the most horrible moment in her life. 

''The police just took the body and I was there crying. I couldn't sleep. Mum came back drunk in the morning and didn't seem to care about anything,'' remembers Susan with a lot of bitterness. 

A few days after the burial of her dad, Susan's mother came home with an unusual guest. A youthful man, dark, tall and masculine. He had a black Toyota Land cruiser parked outside and appeared heavily moneyed.

'' Meet Uncle John,'' he was introduced to Susan. 

Susan greeted him shyly. What amazed her was how the said Uncle appeared romantically attached with her mother. The 'Uncle' idea never got accommodated in Susan's mind. But he had bought some gift for her, a new iPhone.

'Uncle' John's visits intensified, and so did Susan's mother overnight disappearances, often resurfacing in the morning, hand in hand with him. 

Susan is now in college and wondering how the death of her father marked the entry of a new uncle in their family. She observes that since then, there have been no phone conversations that ends up expressing love to the letter 'J' . She finally successfully connects the dots! 

'' Mum, what used to make you love letter 'J'?'' She asks her mother in one of the lavish outings sponsored by uncle John.

'Uncle' John and Susan's mother looks at each other, breaking into a hearty laughter. Deep inside, Susan still mourns her father.

Written by: Daniel K. Maina (QwariaMedia Writer/Editor)

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