Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining - By Annie Changwe Nkandu

Written By: Annie Changwe Nkandu

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Introducing Annie Changwe Nkandu, a talented writer who brings us "Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining," a compelling short story. Featured in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar, this narrative takes us into the heart of a challenging workplace, tackling themes of perseverance and integrity amid adversity.

About the Work

"Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining" is a gripping tale that navigates the intricacies of office dynamics and personal trials. With a focus on the protagonist Pauline's journey, the story delves into themes of resilience and justice. Nkandu's sharp portrayal of character interactions and the vivid depiction of workplace challenges make this a thought-provoking read.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining

Original Submission by Annie Changwe Nkandu

Nkandu-Dark Cloud-

2,634 words

Every dark cloud has a silver lining.

“You are powerful,” said Mr. Zulu. She walked majestically, a stack of files in her arms. “There are too many files, Pauline,” said Mr. Zulu. “It’s not safe for you to carry so many in your condition.” Mr. Zulu asked, “Can I help you?” “Sure, sir,” Pauline replied.

She rolled her eyes and ground her teeth as she walked beside him, saying, “Thank you for your kindness, sir.” “You are welcome,” Mr. Zulu replied.

As they were two minutes from Pauline’s office, Mr. Zulu asked the office orderly to carry the files. “You can now walk safely to your office, Pauline. The office orderly will put the files on your table,” Mr. Zulu said. “Thank you, Sir, for your help.” “You are welcome,” he replied.

With a rumbling stomach, Pauline felt the urge to clear all the files from her table. Along with third-trimester symptoms, she craved ice cubes, her favourite snack, because they boosted her metabolism.

“Oops!” Mr. Zulu shouted as he entered Pauline’s office. Esther, her office mate, greeted him with her infectious smile. “Good morning, sir.” He smiled back at her, looked at Pauline, and asked, "Are you all right?” Pauline shivered after eating ice cubes. It was the rainy season. The weather was chilly, but she craved ice cubes more often. Mr. Zulu looked at Pauline’s cup of ice cubes and shook his head. She wrapped herself in a scarf, placed her plump, clasped hands on the table, looked out the window, and remembered her mother’s phrase: “There are no genuine friendships at work.” She looked at Esther, who didn't seem to care about her well-being. “I must exercise caution in the course of duty,” Pauline thought.

When Mr. Zulu returned to his office, he shouted, “Esther! Come to my office immediately!” Esther rushed in and stayed for an hour. Pauline was left alone, wondering what they had discussed. Pauline was left out many times, and this was slowly affecting her mental well-being. As always, she brushed it off and continued working normally. She cleared the files from her table as she waited for Mr. Zulu to assign her more files.

“I’m back,” said Esther. “Wonderful,” Pauline replied. “What was the meeting all about?” asked Pauline. “Nothing,” replied Esther as she bent to pick something up from the floor. Pauline had no idea what Esther had picked up. As usual, Esther was quiet, as if she had not picked anything up.

At lunchtime, Pauline carried her handbag and left the office for her usual brisk walk, as her doctor advised. The walk stimulated blood flow. As she approached the gate, she met a woman selling bananas.

When she opened her handbag to look for her purse, she couldn’t find it. “Oh, my God!” Pauline shouted, panicking as she chewed a banana. The woman said, “Calm down! In your condition, you should not panic. Relax, go back to your office, and check for your purse.” “If I don't find my purse, how will I pay for the banana?” Pauline asked, sad. “You will pay for the banana when you find your purse,” replied the woman. “Thank you, madam,” said Pauline uneasily. Her heart was beating faster than usual as she wondered where she might have dropped her purse.

Pauline went back to the office to look for her purse. “You look worried,” said Esther. “Yes, I am. I have lost my purse,” responded Pauline. “I think you left it at home,” said Esther.

With uncontrollable panic, Pauline dashed out of the office and headed home to look for her purse. “This is unbearable,” Pauline thought. “The purse contains the disk with records of my previous performance appraisal and this year’s achieved targets. I hope I will find it,” she said aloud. Sweat began to drip down her face. She could not find her purse, which made the situation even worse.

As the hammering rain poured down, Pauline took a moment to sit and strategize her next steps. “How will I be appraised without my disk?” she exclaimed.

It was that time of year when appraisals were due. “You are all required to submit your disks, which contain your previous appraisal records, when you come for your appraisal next Monday,” said Mr. Zulu.

Ethel, the Development and Training Officer, looked excited because she had everything in place. Esther was calm as she glanced at Pauline. “What's the matter?” asked Pauline. “I'm excited about this year's performance appraisal. I think I have achieved all my targets, and I look forward to a positive appraisal,” replied Esther. Pauline said nothing, having no idea where her disk was. “What a Friday!” said Pauline, curtly.

Pauline seemed disorganized. Mr. Zulu walked to her office again and repeated, with emphasis, “You are all due for appraisal next Monday. You have to submit your disks when you come for appraisal, as the assessment will be recorded on them, which contain previous appraisal records.” Pauline felt uncomfortable at work that day as peers prepared for appraisals. “I can't find my purse, and my disk is lost,” said Pauline. Esther listened to Pauline but did not show concern.

Esther stood up, swept her feet in jubilation, and waved her hands in the air. Whistling tunelessly, she sang the popular Zambian anthem "Iye Chipolopolo" in celebration, eagerly anticipating a positive appraisal.

Pauline decided to leave early because she needed time to look for her purse at home. “I can't miss such an important appraisal,” said Pauline as she rushed to Mr. Zulu's office. “Good afternoon, Sir! Due to the recent increase in load-shedding hours, I am requesting permission to leave at 12:00 p.m. to go home and look for my purse before it gets dark. The purse is very important to me, and it contains some of my valuable documents.” “Permission granted, and I hope you will find your purse," said Mr. Zulu. “Sure, sir,” replied Pauline.

Pauline left Mr. Zulu’s office, hoping to find her purse. When she reached home, she checked all her handbags but still could not find it. Pauline knelt and said a short prayer, “God, please help me find my purse. I need that disk, as it has an impact on my career.”

The following Monday morning, Pauline was the first to arrive at the office. She entered, sat in her chair, and looked out the window as she packed her laptop bag into the cabinet. She felt she had stepped on something. When she checked, it was her red disk, stuck under her shoe with something that looked like bubble gum. “Oops!” exclaimed Pauline in delight. She picked it up, but it felt unusual. Pauline asked herself, “How did this disk get stuck on my shoe? And why didn’t I discover this last week? I wore these shoes all last week.” She walked out of the office to call Lillian, the cleaner. “Lillian!” shouted Pauline. "Madam," replied Lillian. “Did you find this red disk on the floor as you were sweeping this morning?” “No, Madam, I didn’t find it,” said Lillian. “Thank you for your confirmation, Lillian,” Pauline said. “You are welcome, Madam,” replied Lillian as she walked away.

“I need to carry out an investigation. Something is not right,” said Pauline. Controlling a rising panic, Pauline walked back to her chair and sat. “Some situations!” she thought.

Esther arrived 30 minutes later, with her usual tuneless whistling. “This is an office, Esther! You don't need to be reminded that whistling isn’t allowed here.” “Thank you, Pauline,” Esther replied, then sat quietly. “We’ll all be appraised today. Did you find your purse?” asked Esther. “No, I didn’t! Surprisingly, I found my disk stuck under my shoe in the office when I arrived this morning.” replied Pauline. “Good to hear,” replied Esther.

Mr. Zulu arrived at the office an hour later and said, “Good morning! Please get ready for your appraisal. May I have your disks?” Esther handed over her disk, and Pauline stayed silent, hoping her appraisal would go well. “Esther, you will be the first to be appraised,” Mr. Zulu said.

Esther was Mr. Zulu’s favourite employee in the department. She had access to all information and was trusted with passwords on all desktops.

Pauline sat quietly, thinking about her upcoming appraisal. “I largely met all my targets last year,” Pauline thought. Ethel came in and asked, “What time is the appraisal?” “It’s taking place now, and Esther is being appraised,” replied Pauline.

Forty minutes later, Esther came out of Mr. Zulu’s office, looking very excited. Mr. Zulu followed and asked Ethel to go to his office. “Ethel, it's your turn to be appraised; please hand in your disk.”

When it was Pauline’s turn, she froze as Mr. Zulu opened the disk on his computer. He said, “There are no previous appraisal records on your disk, and you have two unachieved targets.” As he spoke, goosebumps rose on Pauline’s skin, and she felt herself tensing. “This is unbelievable and difficult to comprehend,” she cried, disappointed. “I think this is a mistake; I need to get to the bottom of this,” Pauline said in disbelief.

Mr. Zulu rated her as if he believed her. He was the only one who could open the disk, so he ensured the records reflected her performance. He didn’t suspect that Esther would commit such an evil act.

Pauline looked at Mr. Zulu as he rated her poorly, and he added a follow-up action that she be regraded as an Administrative Officer, a position given to underperforming staff in the department.

Mr. Zulu asked Pauline to append her soft copy signature and said, “I will keep the disk, and all appraisal records will be secure until the next appraisal.” Listening, Pauline felt her knees buckling. Awful thoughts flashed through her mind.

Pauline walked back to her office, feeling demoralized, as if her world had been turned upside down. She walked quietly, eyes brimming. “What's the matter?” asked Ethel. Pauline forced a smile, though her face remained sorrowful. Ethel offered her a bottle of water. With a trembling hand, Pauline took the bottle and drained it in one quick gulp. She shuddered and let Ethel take it from her. As always, Esther showed no concern. Pauline couldn’t touch a file or clear any assignments on her desk.

A few minutes later, Pauline felt sharp pains in her lower abdomen. She shouted for help, and Ethel came to her aid. Ethel held her by the arm and called the driver. "Let’s rush her to the hospital! She may be in labour.” Esther sat relaxed in her chair, chewing gum as if no emergency had occurred. She didn’t care, as usual.

When they got into the vehicle, Ethel sat beside Pauline in the back seat. At the hospital, the midwives put Pauline on a trolley and wheeled her to the examination room. The pain was intense, and she could not breathe well.

“She’s six centimetres dilated!” the doctor shouted. Three hours later, Pauline delivered a bouncing baby girl weighing 3.8 kilograms. Ethel came in, ululating and shouting, “Congratulations! I can safely return to the office and inform Mr. Zulu and Esther that you have delivered.” “Thank you, Ethel,” said Pauline. “I know I can always count on you.” After that, Ethel waved to her and walked away.

Pauline was left alone with the baby while she waited to be discharged. She called Mr. Zulu to tell him about her newborn. “I delivered a bouncing baby girl, sir.” “Well done! Well done!” Mr. Zulu shouted.

After being discharged, Pauline and her baby went home. As always, her job was demanding, and she kept getting calls asking her to work on certain documents.

When Pauline’s baby was a month old, Mr. Zulu called and said, “Pauline, we need your help at the office. Esther is out of the country, and you are the only one with expertise in speech writing. You may have to use Esther’s computer because yours was taken for repair and has not been returned.” “I will be there within an hour, sir,” replied Pauline. “I need to investigate something on Esther’s computer,” she thought.

When Pauline arrived at the office, she logged in to the computer using the password Mr. Zulu had provided. After typing the speech as instructed, she used her advanced Information Technology skills to retrieve all the information from Esther’s computer. She found a file saved under Esther’s name and opened it to access Esther’s appraisal records. Esther’s computer also contained Pauline’s previous appraisal records and her achieved targets. “This is unbelievable! Mr. Zulu should know about this,” she exclaimed.

Pauline left the file open and called Mr. Zulu to come to the office immediately. “I would appreciate it if you could come to the office, Sir. There is an important file you need to look at and verify,” said Pauline. “I will be there within 30 minutes,” Mr. Zulu replied.

Mr. Zulu confirmed the file and was disheartened to learn that Esther had tampered with Pauline's original appraisal records. “I trusted her with everything in this department. Is this how she should repay me?” exclaimed Mr. Zulu.

After verification, it was found that Esther had deleted the file with the intent that the information would never be recovered. “All this while, Esther pretended not to know about my disk, yet she was responsible for altering information on it,” said Pauline.

Pauline sat quietly, remembering the day Esther bent down to pick something. “Esther picked up my purse and pretended she had picked nothing,” Pauline thought. “I need to contact Esther to report to my office immediately upon her return to the country,” said Mr. Zulu. “You are free to go home, Pauline.” “Thank you for the wonderful speech,” said Mr. Zulu. “I promise to call Esther and inform you of any action that may be taken once it is confirmed that she is responsible for altering the appraisal records on your disk,” Mr. Zulu added. “Thank you, Sir,” replied Pauline.

A week later, Esther returned to Zambia from the United States, where she had attended a leadership meeting. When she reported for work, she received a formal invitation to a meeting and, alongside Pauline, was required to attend and provide oral submissions regarding the disk.

On 9 May 2026, the meeting was held, with Mr. Zulu chairing and Ethel serving as the secretary. At the start of the meeting, the chairperson shared key logistical details and briefed the committee on the agenda.

Esther was asked to explain what had happened and how Pauline's appraisal records were found on her computer. Esther cried while giving her submission and said, “I’m very sorry that I altered the appraisal file on Pauline’s disk. I want to confirm that I picked up the purse containing her disk and her personal documents. Please forgive me.”“What was the reason for committing such an undesirable act?” asked Mr. Zulu. “I was jealous that Pauline would receive a promotion,” Esther responded sorrowfully.

The committee paused, and the chairperson asked Esther and Pauline to leave while members deliberated on their next steps. Pauline left the meeting feeling hurt and unappreciated. "I helped Esther with most of her work; even though she was Mr. Zulu’s favourite, I was always there for her,” Pauline thought, tears welling.

Two weeks later, Pauline received a letter offering her the position of Chief Training and Development Officer. She could not believe it. She waited until her maternity leave ended. When she resumed her duties, management threw her a welcome party.

The following day, none other than Esther escorted Pauline to her new office. Pauline had since been demoted to administrative assistant, responsible for coordinating office space.

Esther kept her eyes down as she led Pauline to her new office. Pauline looked at her and gave a sneering little grin.

THE END

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates diverse voices in literature. This esteemed event invites participants from around the world to showcase their storytelling prowess across various genres, offering a platform for both seasoned and emerging writers to shine.

We extend our gratitude to Annie Changwe Nkandu for sharing her short story "Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining" with us. Your participation in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 is greatly appreciated, and we wish you continued success in your literary endeavors.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.