In 2023, my mother-in-law was admitted to BAH hospital in Bangwe, and since I live nearby, I was responsible for visiting her daily and taking her food and other essentials. To avoid the usual Limbe traffic during peak hours, I often used the Bangwe bypass near the Zomba Road.
One evening, while driving along that route, a young boy pushed a drum into the road, signalling me to stop. As I slowed down, I suddenly noticed several boys surrounding my car, demanding money and the food basket I had with me. While I was trying to negotiate with them, a woman among them instructed the boys to rough me up and take everything, even escalating the situation with harsh and abusive language.
At that point, I was still inside the car. I opened my purse and found I had MK18,000 in new MK2,000 notes. The boys said it was enough and told me to hand it over. The woman, however, insisted there was more and pushed for further demands, even suggesting I should be forced out of the vehicle.
As I was unfastening my seatbelt under pressure, one of the boys mentioned taking me to an Airtel location to withdraw more money. Before I could respond, he got into my car and insisted we go. The woman briefly warned that I might report them to the police, but the boy then threatened me with a knife, making it clear I would be harmed if I resisted.
Terrified, I drove off with him. After some distance, near the first houses before Mpigwe Mosque, he asked me to stop. When I finally looked at him, I realised it was Yami—a young man I knew from Limbe market, where he used to sell plastic bags and occasionally help me carry goods. He recognised me as well and called me “Aunt,” apologising and saying he only stepped in to prevent me from being harmed.
He explained that his intention was to rescue me from the situation and that he would handle the others who were involved.
What happened next with Yami is a story for another day.
As for the woman involved in the incident, I still struggle to feel any sympathy. It’s a difficult memory, and even now, it leaves me with mixed emotions about what took place that day.
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