Pastor Bwalya was known to be a man of integrity. He was a fiery preacher, who had perfected the art of sermon delivery from the pulpit. Regarded by many as one of the most influential people in the country, he was to be found on those major committees which government has the habit of setting up in order to appear to be doing something. Reports and recommendations are given but no one ever pays attention to them, particularly government itself.

Anyway, pastor Bwalya was on the committee set up to look into the troubles affecting the two universities in the country and he was recently appointed chairman of the Human Rights Commission.

He appeared not to be able to do any wrong. He had worked hard, built his own ministry, had a comfortable house in Sunningdale - the prime residential area in Lusaka, and drove a Lexus LX. He was a very strict man living by a strict code. He was once divorced but he re-married. He had never had any children with his first wife. They had only been married for about two years before they eventually realised that they were not meant for each other. On reflection, Bwalya realised that they had married out of peer and parental pressure. Luckily they had discovered their incompatibility before they had had a family, which would have made it that much more complicated to go their separate ways.

Not long after all that, his wife died. He did not shed any tears, but he had grieved for her silently. He was not able to attend her funeral because that was the time he was taking his crucial exams at Bible College in Memphis, Tennessee.

When he came back, he had gotten on with his life. When he met Mercy, his current wife, she already had a child. His name was Jason. This was seventeen years ago and the boy was four at the time. He had treated the boy as though he were his own. He had got on very well with the boy right from the start. On reflection, he couldn't help but think that he probably had more affection for the young man than he did for the boy's mother.

A year later Precious had come along. He hadn't really warmed up to her. He always felt awkward about her. Three years later Natasha had come along. She had become instantly daddy's girl. He absolutely dotted over her. She was his number one.

Where Precious was plain and rather withdrawn, Natasha was very pretty and very boisterous. Her behaviour was not in any way malicious and that was part of her charm. Everyone who met her instantly fell in love with her. She grew up receiving and expecting affection, which she gave right back. This all served to make her doubly adorable.