The first week of Mweemba's stay at the Sikalima Farm passed peacefully.
Mr. Sikalima kept his promise.
After listening carefully to Mubita explain his brother's situation, he agreed to give Mweemba a chance.
"I am not giving you this work because you are Mubita's brother," Mr. Sikalima said firmly.
"I'm giving you this opportunity because every person deserves a chance to rebuild their life."
Mweemba nodded respectfully.
"I won't disappoint you, sir."
"I hope not."
The farmer looked him in the eye.
"On this farm, we value honesty above everything else."
"I understand."
"You will begin as a general farm worker."
"If you prove yourself, greater responsibilities may come."
"Thank you."
Mweemba smiled sincerely.
"I won't waste this opportunity."
---
For the first few days, everything seemed promising.
Mweemba worked alongside the other labourers repairing fences, clearing bush around the eastern pasture, and maintaining the water troughs.
He was friendly.
Respectful.
Hardworking.
Even Hamusonde nodded with approval.
"He reminds me of Mubita when he first arrived."
Mubita smiled proudly.
"I told you he'd do well."
"I hope he continues."
---
One afternoon, during lunch beneath a large acacia tree, several workers gathered together.
Jacob wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Your brother works hard."
Mubita smiled.
"He always has."
Brian added,
"He's also a fast learner."
Just then, Mweemba approached carrying his lunch.
The workers welcomed him warmly.
For a while, everyone laughed and shared stories.
Then Jacob looked toward Mubita.
"Supervisor, the new cattle handling system has made our work much easier."
"It was your idea, wasn't it?"
Mubita nodded modestly.
"We all improved it together."
Brian shook his head.
"No."
"You deserve the credit."
Mweemba smiled politely.
But inside...
Something shifted.
For the first time, he noticed how everyone respected his older brother.
Workers listened whenever Mubita spoke.
Mr. Sikalima often sought his opinion.
Even the villagers greeted him with admiration.
A small voice whispered inside Mweemba's heart.
"He has everything."
He quickly pushed the thought away.
---
That evening, Chipo prepared supper while Mutinta slept peacefully in her cradle.
Luyando sat doing homework at the dining table.
Mweemba entered carrying firewood.
"I'll stack this outside."
"Thank you," Chipo replied.
As he worked, he noticed the comfortable home.
The neatly arranged furniture.
The family photographs on the wall.
One picture caught his attention.
It showed Mubita standing beside Mr. Sikalima during the opening of the new cattle facility.
Another showed Chipo receiving an award from the District Agricultural Office for Outstanding Poultry Production.
Mweemba stared at the photographs.
"You've built a beautiful life."
Mubita smiled.
"God has been kind to us."
Mweemba nodded.
"Yes..."
His smile faded almost immediately.
---
Later that night, sleep refused to come.
Mweemba lay awake staring at the ceiling.
His thoughts wandered back to the village where he had grown up.
Their parents had struggled to feed the family.
Many nights they had slept hungry.
He remembered wearing torn clothes to school.
He remembered watching Mubita leave home years ago after family disagreements.
Back then, neither of them had owned anything.
Now...
His older brother managed one of the most successful farms in the district.
He owned land.
He had a respected position.
A happy family.
People admired him.
Mweemba whispered into the darkness,
"Why him?"
Almost immediately he felt ashamed.
He loved his brother.
Yet envy had quietly entered his heart.
---
The following weekend, workers gathered beneath the mango tree after finishing their duties.
Someone suggested a friendly football match.
Laughter filled the air.
Mr. Sikalima even joined briefly before pretending his knees were too old to continue.
"I retired before anyone could embarrass me," he joked.
Everyone laughed.
During the game, Mubita scored the winning goal.
The workers lifted him onto their shoulders.
"Supervisor! Supervisor!"
Mweemba clapped with everyone else.
He smiled.
But the smile never reached his eyes.
He quietly walked away before the celebration ended.
Old Hamusonde noticed.
He watched silently until the younger man disappeared behind the equipment shed.
---
That evening, Hamusonde found Mweemba sitting alone.
"You missed the celebration."
"I wasn't feeling well."
The old man sat beside him.
"You know..."
"I've lived many years."
"I've learned something."
Mweemba listened quietly.
> "Jealousy is like a termite inside a wooden post."
"It eats from within."
"From the outside..."
"The post still looks strong."
"But one day..."
"It suddenly collapses."
Mweemba looked surprised.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Hamusonde smiled gently.
"Because sometimes we don't notice termites until the damage has already begun."
The old man stood and slowly walked away.
Leaving Mweemba alone with his thoughts.
---
A few days later, a shiny black pickup truck stopped outside the veterinary shop.
A well-dressed man stepped out.
He wore polished boots, expensive sunglasses, and a neatly pressed shirt.
He smiled confidently.
"Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon," Chipo replied.
"I'm looking for Mr. Mubita."
"He's in the eastern grazing fields."
"I see."
The stranger smiled politely.
"My name is Kelvin."
"I'm interested in doing business with this farm."
Before leaving, his eyes briefly met Mweemba's.
The stranger gave him a slight nod.
It was so quick that no one else noticed.
Mweemba frowned.
He was certain he had never met the man before.
Yet something about that brief glance made him uneasy.
As the black pickup drove away, Mr. Sikalima watched it disappear from the farmhouse veranda.
He turned to Mubita, who had just returned from the fields.
"Do you know that man?"
Mubita shook his head.
"No, sir."
Mr. Sikalima's expression grew thoughtful.
"I have a feeling..."
He paused.
"...this won't be the last time we see him."
Far beyond the farm, Kelvin slowed his vehicle and smiled to himself.
He had not come to buy cattle.
He had come to study the people who protected them.
And he believed he had already found the weakest link.