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hort Fiction
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hort Story Short Story Short Story Short Story Short Story Short Stor
hort Story Short Story Short Story Short Story Short Story Short Stor
hort Story Short Story Short Story Short Story Short Story Short Stor
Torture
Tafadzwa Dombodzvuku
An epitome of perfection, a
wholesome nourishing beauty,
a paragon of virtue all packed
in one, where the exact words
to describe Elizabeth’s unquestionable
beauty, which had the power to light up
the world during a blackout.
Even in the midst of her never ending
troubled thoughts, the woman had a
beauty that can conquer all. The smile
across her face was gracious with a
piercing sparkle in her eyes that any
right-minded man could not miss.
Since the time she came to live in our
village, I tried the best I could to win her
heart but she always turned down my
overtures, saying, “I’m not ready to date
a man.”
The previous man in her life had
done extreme damage and had dented
her appetite for love or a relationship.
Elizabeth had a son who was in the sixth
grade. Like Siamese twins, they were
to say the least.
“If only you can give me a chance to
love you, I promise to bring you the sun;
you are a beautiful woman Eliza.
“Each time I see you passing by, I feel
beauty melts my frozen heart. It is only
natural that I would fall in love with
you,” I said in a sober toned voice.
My efforts felt like trapping an elephant
with a thin wire snare. They never came
into fruition. She would always give me
the same answer, but it did not deter
my zeal or dampen my spirits. For me
it would be a crime to give up on such a
beautiful lady.
In my elusive bag of tricks, I found
that the best way to win a woman’s heart,
especially, a woman like Elizabeth, was
through loving & making friends with her
children. So, I befriended her son,Tapiwa
and tried to be the man in his life. The
kid was a marvel to accommodate in my
tiny antiquated designed heart that I had
inherited from my deceased grandfather.
“I appreciate what you are doing for
my son, thank you for being a father
man like you,” complimented Eliza.
Her words encouraged me in my
endeavours to win her heart. Her aunt,
whom she stayed with, seemed to like me
a lot and I kept on believing that one day
I would win her over.
Elizabeth was a beautiful woman, in
her late twenties. She had come to live
in Hurungwe after what she had told me
was a “horrendous experience in Harare.”
I tried in vain to have her open up and
tell me her story but she was reluctant.
Until one day, I met her aunt at the well,
in her absence.
Her aunt tricked me into pumping
water for her so she could tell me more
about Elizabeth. She enticed me by
promising to tell me Elizabeth’s whole
history and I readily agreed with my
labour. I was very much inquisitive to
hear about the story of ‘My Love’ and to
her to despise men with so much vigour.
“It is a long story my son,” she said as
she sighed.
“I have all the time in the world to
listen tete,” I replied.
“The situation is very complicated and
I don’t blame Eliza for despising men. She
endured excruciating, heart-felt pain, a
pain she has learnt to live with. Not all
woman can live with such a heavy burden
but my niece has managed,” said tete.
I was getting curious and impatient to
hear the whole story.
Tete was a very good storyteller and
she knew how to whet the appetite of a
listener before dropping the bomb.
My patience was tested and my veins
were stretched. The food was getting cold
before we could consume the delicacy,
quoting a popular local idiom, as her aunt
toyed with my mind and my heart. She
was taking her time, telling me of the life
that Elizabeth lived
“Stop beating about the bush tete,
you know very well I love Eliza. Stop
trampling on my feelings,” I said.
“Can you grasp what I am about to tell
you?” asked tete.
“I can bear anything and everything.
alter the undying love I have for your
niece,” I replied.
The conversation persisted as I
white containers. I was sweating and tete
was looking on, hesitating, as we say, to
break and fry the egg.
Page 44 The Parade - Zimbabwe’s Most Read Lifestyle Magazine
August 2014