Jessica didn’t understand what had happened to Bright. She asked her mother-in-law to look after Benny and she went to visit a Nyanga (witch doctor). She had to do something to save her marriage.

She entered the hut of the witch doctor who had feathers in his hands. He was a grey-haired man, but not old though. He was humming, they say he spoke to the ancestors. She looked around and her heart wanted to leave.

“What can I do for you?” he clapped hands.

“I want my husband not to cheat and have sex with me only.” She answered. She watched the scary snake skins beside the man. There were also skulls and horns and she didn’t know which animal they belonged to.

“As matter of fact, you want him to love you only,” he said and started to clap hands. She nodded and he hummed again, clapping hands.

The witch doctor gave her something to put in his food and also what she should apply on her face when her husband was around. She got back excited. She found her mother-in-law making milk for the baby. Benny was asleep. She held him while feeding him. Melody, her mother-in-law left with some vegetables which she planted.

“You are a great farmer,” she would say.

She liked being praised. Tomorrow she was going to leave so that she could make the muti work or lose her husband. The next day, she grabbed a bus to Harare, carrying Benny on her back.

Benny could sense he wasn’t at home, he cried a lot. Jessica was happy when she dropped in town. She went to the public toilets and applied the oil to her face. She walked to Bright’s office. The moment Bright saw her, he ran and grabbed his wife in his arms. The muti was working.

“Oh my wife, when did you arrive? I could have picked you up,” he said calmly and smiled.

“Aaa baba, you can work. I will be fine,” she answered and held the baby.

“Benny, oh Benny,” he giggled and the baby smiled.

Jessica walked out and Bright stared at his wife. Jessica went to his flat and she had to prepare a meal so that his love remained strong. He knew somehow her husband liked women and didn’t mind sleeping with them.

She made tripe again. Bright came home very early as if he couldn’t live without his wife. He smelt the aroma of his wife’s cooking.

“You are the best cook in the world,” he said gently, holding his wife’s waist.

“I know. Sit. Let me dish up,” she said. Bright took Benny in his arms, who smiled while he made funny faces. He put him on the bed facing him. Jessica took the paper that had muti and sprinkle it on Bright’s food.

She made sure he wouldn’t see. He ate quietly. The baby fell asleep.

Bright then pulled his wife and became intimate with her. Jessica knew the muti worked, she had to keep on sprinkling his food once a week. The muti works if added to the food once a week, but the face oil had to be applied daily. She was keeping a big secret but she didn’t care, she had gotten her family back for good.

***

Tell us: Would you ever use muti to keep a lover?