Kaycee

Doris couldn’t beat the 6:30 am alarm clock no matter how often she tried. She wondered why it didn’t galvanized her as it normally would 5 years ago when she still worked as a social worker in a hospital at Manhattan. She didn’t always like the job because it required a high level of patience and tolerance which she had to feing for her patients, especially the young men who were brought in for DUI accident . She didn’t think they deserved to be heard. But she had to listen, and give out that sooting smile, but never brought herself to hold their hands like she does to other of her patients. What irked her one time was when a DUI woman still whining about the old man being too slow to move from the road.

” He couldn’t fuckin move on time. He was using the road to clamp baby steps. The man was just floundering about in the middle of the road. I don’t know why it’s my car that had to hit him, now I gotta be the one responsible for his old ass. Fuckin real. Funny thing is that, because of his old ass on my wheel screen, I bumped myself into a truck that had some metal rod sticking out, and it shoved the man before pulling into my screen and then it struck me on the temple, and now I’m here. It’s fuckin crazy. I was planning my birthday shoot this fuckin Friday at this big mall at 12 avenue, and now thankfully, his old fat ass ruined it. !” She wanted to continue but seeing Doris literally dabbing her hands furiously, making for her face, she just held still, her hands shaking furiously, but she kept it firm from going near the lady.

Now, Doris phone rang again, this time louder than ever. It was her new husband Jared. She couldn’t believe that he was around the area. She hesitated before picking on the second ring.

“Hey dear, how are you?” She asked.

” Honey, how you?” Jared responded.

” Hey dear, do you mind coming online, i wanna see your stubble.” Doris would say with so much ecstasy that it would make her mom who if she was nearby to ask whether she dropped her head against a steel with that chagrin that made her behave instantly. Mom always told her never to let a man make her feel excited. She had to guard her ego. Now, she would be laughing and giggling until she saw a female figure moving awkwardly inside her house. She feared because she thought it was her mom, her mom who she feared even in death. That sudden quake in her gut wanted to tell him to go away, but then she noticed that he was talking excitedly. She hadn’t listened to the half of it, but the other part of it where he said;

” oh Doris by the way, you stay at 200 Henry Street right?, am just making a u turn from smith, should be at your house in 30 minutes.” Jared said.

Doris couldn’t respond. She was too excited. He was coming to take her ring shopping. He always told her that he never loves to surprise people with gifts because he never buys what suits them, and he hates when people are forced to be grateful when they don’t have to be. He likes genuine excitement. And Doris was so excited about the ring. She immediately went in and dashed to the bathroom.

” The ring fits perfectly.”  The lady who sold the ring said, her hands squeezing geekly as she slid the ring perfectly into Doris fingers.

” wow that’s lovely honey, thanks” Doris laughed, kissing Jared twice on the cheek, and the affection when he closed in on her with his body, made the lady and two other guys there estatic. A lady and a guy who were holding a wedding gown, was pulled in on the laughter that belled from where Doris and Jared were, and they were startled seeing them kissing and nudging each other. They were not ashamed of it even though they were mid aged.

” you remind me of my mom and dad.” The guy called out, and the way Jared turned and gave him that stink eye that gave him a heavy willes that made him shudder.

” perfect timing!!” Jared said.

” sorry to bother!” The guy finally said after a gulp.

As they got out, Doris got a text message from her son, Harry. Her 30 year old son. He lived at fifth avenue at midtown Manhattan, near his dad. He wrote;

” Hey mom, heard you are now married with the new asshole, dad just told me. I didn’t wanna do anything stupid yet, but I’d see you tomorrow please leave the key under the carpet okay, bye.”

The way Harry said not doing anything stupid yet made her shiver. And the fact that he didn’t capitalize the yet like he did with the other message, made her bellow. But she knew Harry, at least what she knows to be true. Harry was never violent, but could be mean. Like the one time, he tied up a drunken guy who was staggering near their house. The man was so drunk and he had some ward of cash sticking out from his left pocket. Harry and his friend came at him, tied him up and left him on the walkway and ran away with the money and his wallet which was empty. They took his phone too. Soon after the drunk guy that Doris would later get to find out that his name was Kil, had reported the matter to the cops, and it didn’t take long for Harry to be dumb to withdraw 5000 dollars from his account, and later, Kils car was reportedly seen to have crashed into a liquor store near the ATM where Harry and his friend were spotted to withdraw the money and were seen in the store, buying some cigarettes and some snacks and wine bottles. And off course, Doris saw the news at work, and it happened in Broadway Street. The man was ranting on the video which she watched later about Harry cuffing him. He didn’t mention his friend name, Jae, deliberately refused to identify him even after camera caught the both boys at the ATM. And that’s when Doris knew something fishy was wrong. When Jill, her ex husband called her later that day, he said;

” I ain’t gonna let out son stay in cell, nah! I have something on that Kil guy and I’m gonna make him release our son. You know, you’re never a fan of blackmail, but Harry is my son, and even though he’s a dutch bag, I’m finna beat his ass.”

“But Jill, Harry was wrong, you can’t always let him get away with everything he does bad to others. How can he cuff a guy on the street and leave him there all night rattling in the cold, huh? ”

” Well Kil gotta leave with it!” Jill had said.

” So what about the car? The liquor store owners, too how are you planning on blackmailing them too?”

” you’ll see.. but with Kil, it’s a done deal, he’s gonna let our son free in the next 4 days.” And with that, he ended the call.

Doris wasn’t sure what he meant by that, and she remembered the way she rushed to the fridge to go grab a bottle of wine , and then she swigged it in one gulp, not raising her head until she emptied the bottle, and she was stunned that she felt nothing at all, even when her eyes tilted a little, it caught up later. She didn’t feel any cramps or nausea, nothing but her stomach just kept bloating for the whole day.

3 days later, Doris saw on the news that Kil was arrested for sexual assault on two ladies. Doris then discovered that Kil was their family doctor. The reporter was saying on the news that Dr Kil was picked up at the hospital in first avenue, wearing long shrubs with a team of doctors behind him, and they cuffed him up. A black lady was yelling that he’s a hero.

The next night while in bed, Doris had seen the text message that Kil had sent to Jill.

” I’m out bro.. got bailed this morning, nothing your silly ass can do. And worse still Harry’s still in jail, no telling what they’re gonna do to him in that cell. He‘s probably learning how to scrub toilet with a tooth brush, at least I did when I went to prison few years back. He’d pick up from there. Hope they smash his face with a metal before he leaves the cell.” And that’s when Doris would see the laughing emoji attached to the end.

Doris would see the way Jill shook his head  and smiling when he said loudly;

” bro, you shouldn’t have said that.”

And the way he slammed the phone on the bed, made Doris just push back a little. And  3 days later, she saw that Jae was shot dead in his car. A note was written on the front seat;

” You fuck my sister, I fuck your life. ”

She would later see Kil coming out to yell ;

” my kid bro is gone…. Fuckin gone. They killed him. This bastard!” Doris could see his tongue sticking out of his mouth as if trying to stop himself from mentioning the dude’s name. But he kept crying and was carried away from the scene.

Doris wasn’t sure about the sister thing because of the way he has tagged Dr on his letters. She saw many comments on social media. A woman wrote that thankfully no tax payers money gonna be wasted on that fuckin piece of trash.. Good riddance. A man had had tagged ” hero kills villain ” on his shirt.

Harry was finally released from prison. Kil was too sad to do anything about it. Later, Doris would see a lady come towards her in a bus that was heading to City Hall. The lady was covered in black, and had something protruding from underneath the dark veil. She wore dark shades, so big and colossal that it covered everything in her face. She kept trailing her legs that just wanted to just give in, but she kept storing herself on the metal clanks and people, who trailed away, letting her go on the floor, but she tried not to. She fought not to. Doris knew that it meant something to her even though she wasn’t sure. And she would never forget the shock when the lady said she was Kil’s mom. The shudder made her hive her shoulders in a panic freeze.

” Jill set my son, Jae up, just to get back at Kil. He told the gongs about what there drugs that Jae had kinda sipphoned and then made some money of them by tipping the cops about one of the guys who had raped a 12 year old girl. I don’t know how your husband found out about it, but he decided to get back at Kil. I remember seeing his last post to Kil after Kil mocked him.” And that’s when Doris noticed the click sound of the gun, and it made her jumpy that she felt like she zoomed out of her dress and that’s the same feeling she had when Harry walked in on her and Jared a week later after he had told her he wanted to see her.

Doris would never forget the way Harry looked at them when he saw them locking lips. Jared was already on top of her. He would notice the pile of ashtrays and some cigarettes on the saucer. Harry saw the way Jared lay on his mom and saw how he held her hair up, rubbing the back of her head. His dad used to tell him his mom loved when he did that, and now another man was rubbing her hair, his hands propping more gently, and that made him bristle with ire. He didn’t know when he immediately went for his pocket gun, and tossed it out, pointing it on Jared. His Mom was screaming;

” Harry stop, put the gun down, fuckin put the gun down!” She kept yelling, and this piqued Harry the more. And he was happy at how perturbed Jared was. He couldn’t hide it. He had slammed himself on the sofa. After a few minutes, Harry left the living room, but didn’t leave the house, instead he went to fetch himself some sandwich from the kitchen.

Doris noticed how Jared looked so fricked up watching Harry patrol the kitchen, wrecking the fridge, and just moving round, packing stuff. Harry soon came out with a tuna sandwich, the blade of the small knife stuck out as if to pass a message. Harry sat feet away from his mom and Jared. Doris scooped herself into Jared’s arm, and that made him smile, and Harry, as if noticing it, made his way to where his mom was and kissed her on the knuckle and on her forehead, and it made Jared furious;

” Hey why the fuck will you do that? She’s my wife for fucks sakes!.“

” She’s my mom, bro! Hashtag.” And Jared wanted to say something, but instead he decided to instead started talking;

” Hey hon, remember we’re supposed to go check out that new condo to get away for the weekend at 121st street? “

Doris knew Jared was lying but she didn’t want to seem to take sides or something, so she kept smiling.

“I mean Jill couldn’t even afford the rent in his own house. Jill lived on threatening the landlord. He was so sure he couldn’t get evicted, not until the cops had you guys arrested and bro wasting no time, broke in and sold all that you guys owned. I will never forget how you told me how Jill crashed out when he came home and found out that his favorite trophy collection was raked out, the way he squabbled on the road like a baby when he saw the new tenants inside his house with a really big dog lying by the pavement, waiting to chew him up if he wanted to dear an entry. Poor rat! “

Harry was stunned. Doris had told this new guy about Jill bad days. He was so angry, but decided not to respond, instead he looked over to his mom and said;

” Mom am getting a divorce, Megan’s taking the house. I have to move out pretty quickly, so it’s okay if I crash in with you guys right?”

Jared looked up with seething rage. He noticed the way Harry got up, went to tap him and then grabbed the remote to put on the TV, while Jared fumbled, his knee knocking against each other.

Doris had gotten a job at a grocery store. She got it just weeks after leaving her social care job. Jared said he always wanted her around. And so she quit her job at the hospital to work at the store at e Houston where she met this co worker at the cashier point, her name is Pam. Pam was the first person that showed her around the first day she started working.

” let me help you with that.!” She would say, swinging her chair to help her with the customer payment order. The other ladies didn’t like Doris because she didn’t know how to do the job. One time, a lady and a guy came in with a troller of groceries. Milik, vegetables, diaries, bacon, eggs, full cutleries set,  cream cheese and a new phone pack, and some juice. Doris forgot to screen out the  two pack of juice and the egg crates, somehow the security guard didn’t notice. The couple went out with the items, and Doris would not forget how one of the cashier near her was using her eyes to talk to another lady at the counter. Doris would never forget how the lady near her looked excitedly when she said;

” Risi you saw that.” And maybe forgetting that Doris and Risi swapped position, she turned around to touch her hair playfully. Doris turned back and she was angry;

” Hey bitch I wasn’t talking to you.” She yelled before Risi who had seen the couple started pointing and laughing at them. That’s when Doris turned to face their direction, the man had his pants inched into by the ladies hand. Her hands surged deeply into his raw ass. And it was the way she was posing while leaving the store.

2 days later when the same couple stopped by the same grocery store, some security guards had accousted them. Doris didn’t know of this until Risi and the other lady turned around at the same couple. Doris would never forget the man because of the snake tattoo he drew on his face that lined down to his neck like a coil.  They both work matching faded jean and shirt.

” fuckin what do you mean I didn’t pay. I paid for my receipt… Fuck it! Fuck!! I’m not a thief, I got cleared at the counter! Fuck ” the man yelled.

” But here’s the receipt for the pack of juice and the egg crates. You didn’t pay for those, bro.” The security guard said.

But bro wasn’t having it. He even crashed out on the girl;

Continue reading “Pissing Contest”

Nino walked briskly. She yelped at the arduous task of lifting her two year old son, bink. He kept waving to the wind. Her husband, Josiah, had insisted on carrying out the car for repairs. He likes to peruse over everything. Since the one time, 2 months after their wedding, when their car failed brake and thankfully slammed into her dad’s car. Her little boy bink in his bluish tarred suit puked at the heavy bump. Josiah reflexes was more putting, the way he grabbed bink when he was pushed forward, his face going hard towards the front screen, thankfully Josiah grabbed bink, his hands trembling as they itched on bink’s shoulder, and bink was literally prodding at Josiah’s finger, and it looked so funny and frustrating watching bink using his little finger to intrude into his dad’s own.  That’s what he is trying to do to his mom as they walked out of the hallway of the empire hotel. As they plodded through the hallway, Nino would see Karl, Josiah’s brother and Javi, his best man. She saw them trolling a wine cellar tray up the elevator, and that’s when Karl called out to bink:

“Hey Bobo .. what’s up?”

Nino always wonders how God created the minds of toddlers to be able to comprehend the actions of grownups even though they couldn’t differentiate food from dirt, yet adults should be blamed whenever they goof.

Nino loved the way bink blinked at Karl. He wasn’t blubbering like an average baby would. He was growing fast, and had recognized that he is family.

” Hey Karl, how are you doing?”  Nino asked

” Just perusing over the guest list… Thanks by the way for choosing this spot for your bachelorette party plus us the men.. it’s gonna be our last night to be scumbags…” Karl said, making a mocking bow.

Nino decided to look over at the list of people coming to their party. For one thing, her parents weren’t coming which was the main reason they decided to have it at empire hotel.. Nino had made Karl bring the conversation about it three times with her mom whenever he goes with her to help her sell off a house to a customer.

” The ladies always trip whenever Karl is with me, and just him doing his thing with the ladies always work.. He knows how to fuck with the mind of these gents that come with the ladies. He’d start making a fuss about how low budget their car or clothes are, and he’d start talking about hotels in Dubai he goes for vacation, about him driving the latest Crv hybrid, latest equinox… Off course with video evidence, and the women will start being all coosy with him, and off course the young men gets really angry, and wanna beat the crap out of Karl. They act loopy and start going for him, and the girls would enjoy the way he bedazzled them. The way he just twirl his way around them, making the guys slip… It’s always funny, and these guys, out of desperation, especially seeing their girlfriend parting look, would immediately buy the house. Not always, but it works  eighty percent of the time.” Her mom used to tell her. She would send Nino clear cutting videos of Karl in his provoking element, and it was sometimes funny and most times unnecessary, but she didn’t mind. In fact, Nino didn’t really care about Karl, not until one time her mom and her had this shouting spree about Josiah’s bachelor party. Till today, Nino doesn’t know how her mom got to their WhatsApp live video because that’s when they had that chat and she’d stay at her best friend,  Elene’s house. Elene had her come over at her house in Central Park to help her choose a spot for her mom’s you tube video. Her mom loved all these Jason Bourne action flix thing though she couldn’t even climb a ladder. Nino would never forget the hilarious moment when she came to Elene’s house one time to help collect her purse which she had forgotten during the morning rush to go to her job at a hospital in Broadway. Elene had called Nino to help her get her purse an hour before break period. She really needed to buy Tylenol.

” I had a fall while moving a patient to the third floor Dr flair.” She said in the same recording rhythm. She had so mastered it that she even forgot to detach Doctor Flair’s name when talking to Nino. And after when Nino replied;

” You say what?”

She was so nonplus that she didn’t know when she started a startled cry, and then she yelled;

” I fuckin need that drug Nino… Your brother, Eris told me that you just finished your shift at your work and you just was driving in so I thought you could just get me my purse please.”

Nino wanted to cuss out Eris. He’d been stalking out a lot too lately. How did he know she had finished her shift?, or that she was back home. Well, Nino galled moment dissipated when Elene yelled swiftly;

” just bring it you?”

And that’s how Nino went to Elene’s house. She was with Elene’s boyfriend then. He stood by the door in the kitchen while her mom decided to climb up the kitchen island to change the bulb. And there was Donyi, Elene’s boyfriend. He came by because Elene’s mom wanted him to help her start up her car. Nino always wondered why this Donyi guy had to be always available at her beck and call. Elene’s mom was roly poly. She just sat there all day for months now because of she nearly broke her arm in an accident few months back which was now bandaged, and even though she didn’t say anything, Nino knew that she hated her predicament. She still love to run around, and go on her money jogs which always made her feel insensate. She would manage to plot back home, all out of breathe, and then pass out on the floor in a loud thud. The last time it happened was just two weeks back and Elene decided to lock up her house whenever she was in and when she goes out, leaving her mom alone with her crazy thought. Everyone who wanted to see Elene had to call her by her cell, even Nino and Donyi then.

Nino didn’t know what had happened then but she just heard Elene’s mom dragging Donyi, pushing him against the kitchen door, while yelling;

” I finna do it.. y’all can’t stop me.. fuckin rats.” And then she decided to climb the island, adding a tall high chair for height, and just as Donyi was trying to yell at her to stop, Elene’s mom lost footing and crash hard, thankfully on Donyi who had jumped in but this didn’t soften Elene’s heart towards him, especially when her mom started to tell at him in the hospital days later;

” You caused it, you yelled at me, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to focus, you bastard! ”

And Days later, Nino watched Elene type a letter of breakup to Donyi while they were in her car, going to see Jax, a friend she meet at college. He lived at 59th Street. Nino would remember that night, the way Elene just texted Nino;

“I’m hanging out with my new bf tomorrow, come tag along please!”.

It was a ritual thing. They usually show each other their new found love interest. Nino then thought it was a silly joke, replied;

” you must be kidding.”

And when Elene didn’t reply her, she took it serious.. Nino wanted to ask her about Donyi. Elene didn’t say much about Donyi since the day of the accident, and Donyi knew better. She always says that she doesn’t forget. Funny part, Nino still heard them make conversation and that sort of mystified Nino. Even when she texted Donyi in the car later as they went to see Jax that she was done with him, just one line sentence, Nino still thought they were messing with her brain, even though later, Donyi had called Nino to come pack her friend’s stuff from his house which was nothing but an old feminine perfume and a small red traveling bag, it still felt like a dream and it still does.

Josiah called Nino while at the hotel. He told her that her mom wasn’t coming for the bachelor party, but that she’s happy they pitched it to her before doing anything stupid. Nino could hear the sadness in his tone, and she wasn’t ready for his antics. He should be glad. They should be cussing at her mom now, or at least he’d make the throaty laugh before sputtering. But Nino could hear the smootered laughter in his voice, and just when she wanted to tell him to stop the crap, she heard her brother’s voice, Eris voice;

” Can’t believe mom’s letting you guys throw a bachelor party, and she has me staying at home to babysit your child, Josiah.. Karl was able to talk mom into allowing you guys throw your stupid party, sometimes I wonder why mom don’t wanna fuck him already, the way she’s always ready to just oblige to anything he wants is just baffling. Karl even made mom buy waffles, and candy bars at the grocery store ,and a whooping cream chocolate Cake was something. Mom never liked those. She’s always been strict on healthy meals but she joined Karl to eat those things ”

Nino would hear Eris tell Josiah to drop him off at a point at a children donation centre. Nino knew mon had given him some stuff for the charity, and she always heap them in a big carton. She always gives out books and money. Nino always wondered why she liked to give out books to kids. She never gives clothing items.

By evening, the guest started turning up for the bachelor party. Nino loved the violin play in the room. Josiah and Nino had chosen the last floor of the hotel for the venue. And she was livid at the turn up. Javi was seen dancing with Mia with Loren staring at them. Nino didn’t know what Javi had told Loren but the lady was damn pissed. Josiah was seen drinking and blabbing loudly. He was already getting tipsy. She noticed the whiskey stain on his white apparel and suit pants. Nino didn’t know why Josiah insisted on dressing like he was going to his job. Well, Nino knew he didn’t have much casual wears, this was just what he got used to. He isn’t into fashion, but he loves cars, and even though Nino wasn’t really perturbed about his choice, even though she talked about it, she didn’t like the idea that Josiah always mask it up with all this not being obsessed with fashion. Like one time, during lunch with her friend Elene, at a restaurant in Steinway street . Elene had just started just dating Jax and he loved cool outfits and sweet rides. He also loves candy bars, and loves to fuck round ass women whose titties were not only large, but rounded on the bottom with slightly pointed front and soft nipples that could go hard and erect when she was aroused. Jax had taken Nino, Elene and her mom to this place to see his mom’s bar restaurant. Jax didn’t do what Elene’s mom wanted. She didn’t like the seemingly long drive. It was just 24 minutes but she always didn’t like anything that made her think about the fuel mileage.

“Hey we ain’t gonna go that far boy you hear me… Am not going. You can take my daughter with you for all I care but make sure not my car.. am not having nobody touch my fuckin car, you can use a cab.” Her mom said, her voice low but her eyes reddening fierce.

” Josiah!” He replied still having that outlandish feeling. He didn’t know what to do with her. He wanted to kiss her lips. He found himself starring so hard at her lipstick. He would use his hands to clean it, again and again. It won’t stick right. The reddish glam just zagged across her face. And then someone would yell from the background;

Nino saw the way Jax smile before taking her mom’s key from the table next to her mom’s favourite couch and grabbed Elene by the hand as they made their way to the car, and that’s when Elene’s mom started to swear and cuss out really bad;

” I’m gonna fuckin end you. I will fuck you up big time!”

Nino saw the way her mom scampered from the dinning where she was standing close to a cabinet, and suddenly she was pacing with a violent trot as she jumped in front of the car. Nino could see the way the car kept swaying around..

” You’re gonna hit her! Stop jolting forward!”  Nino yelled, watching Elene who didn’t seem to care. Nino watched the way Jax  pirouette the car beautifully around Elene’s mom, and while she was still hysterical and then it zoomed off and Nino could see the ladened smile stark out without the usual smirk. She was damn proud of Jax for standing up to her mom. And just when Nino wanted to breathe slowly, then the heard the rapt sound that made her gag.

” mom that side mirror cost 300 dollars” Elena would yell while taking a fearful keek with her head slumped down slowly.

Later, Josiah, too touched down at the restaurant. He came in a black slacks and a white blue navy long sleeve. Nino didn’t like the way Josiah wanted to seem like the modest guy in the room. When Jax was talking about the way he use to thump on a girl when having sex, and started making those flat moan sounds, there was this little ruffle and he kept rubbing down his hair like he was a nervous. Jax was sharing while Josiah was taking nibble bites from his cheese steak. Like he didn’t have his shrill hours with Nino just hours ago. When Jax was talking about going 120km one time while traveling to Nashville with his cousin who was to get married one weekend, and the car spun all around the way before he marched the brakes and it spun more than 6 times before the car landed on the paveway, and boy his cousin’s finance was so pissed when his cousin, Jose told her the next day that she went on the car and smashed the wheel screen later that night.  Jax told them how she made them come out that night to watch her smash the car. Everyone was laughing, even Josiah who lunged his head slowly, looking at the stoic face of the people in the bar. A particular woman was just standing, folding her arms and tapping her legs. Another officer was reeling on a table, bent downward, his eyes darted on his loosen laced shoe, his arm clutching his hip band, and Josiah could see a small gun sticking out of the holster. Josiah peeped down again as Jax kept talking about a Indiana lady that he randomly had sex with one time because he owed his twin brother a solid. His brother was helping him in school to snoop at some of the exam question, because Jax was on probation and he was gonna loose his school scholarship that would allow him to continue playing baseball.

” She’s a fat bitch, like she fat, and she likes to suck the jelly in donuts. I don’t know what my bro liked in this lady but man, she almost squashed me down. It’s like a hundred fifty pounds dropping on me. I can’t even carry her, and God she stinks, and boy I told her;

‘You’d be even hotter if you lost weight, I mean, you are hot now, but you’d be even hotter‘ I mean I tried to sound as polite as possible. I didn’t call a fat fuck like I wanted to but man the woman was pissed!”

And Nino would never forget the way a lady came over and poured a drink on jax’s face.

” what do you mean the lady should loose weight, you ugly fool! Have you looked at yourself, huh?”

And Nino watched the way the woman kept staring at him, looking for something, anything to mar him with but she couldn’t. Elena was just laughing, while Josiah was just pulling away from Jax. He didn’t want to be associated with the hate. The lady even called Elene out who was laughing;

” you better go fix your brain lady. You’ve got braces on your teeth, make sure you go get surgical implants on your brain.”

Nino watched the way Josiah kept back striding, swiftly, and people just hissed and talked gibberish while pointing fingers at them, and Nino knew that Josiah was happy that he wasn’t among, even though he smiled as he looked at Elene and muttered;

” Fat bitch! Jax is funny as hell!”

At the party, Nino watched Karl, Josiah and Javi talking when Eris walked in on them. She was mad and furious. What was he doing here? Was he here to collect bink? Had he come here with her mom? She was about to loose it when Donyi slid a drink in her hand, and she almost freaked out seeing standing there, all cozy with Elene’s cousin, Tracy. He smiled now, all ruffled up for the night;

” You might gonna fix yourself a lot of drink Nino, so you can forget a shit ton of event, aight?”  Donyi said.

Nino could see the way Tracy’s hand kept sliding all the way across his back and down to his ass and then she curved her hands with that hard grits as though to mark her territory, but it only made Donyi squeak, and then he ripped his pants. And for Nino, it was the face he made.

” Hold it together boy, hold it together!” Tracy said, but his face has turn purple and for whatever reason, the moment he exhaled a little, his belt loosen and his pants fell off, and that’s when Donyi ran outside to the bathroom.

Nino didn’t follow him downstairs, instead she turned around to face Josiah and Karl. Karl was standing in between Josiah while a white lady in a short skimpy dress that flaunted her thighs. It was the way she drew her body backward as she danced with Eris. Karl was standing in between Josiah and Eris and the lady. Eris seemed to be high on whatever because Nino had seen him pause in the dance while he snorted the Cocaine powder while the lady was still gliding on him and stroking his legs and grinding hard. Nino was so keyed up that she didn’t know when she cramped on her heels, and it failing while she watched her brother yelling at Josiah to come over and get a tap.

” It’s your last night to be a virgin.. come have your final real fuck cause you’re married to an ugly, whining, boring bitch who thinks experimenting in love making is wrong. She just likes kissing, nothing else. Her former boyfriend told me one time that she punched him in the gut one time during sex because he just thrust a little deeper than the usual. He mouthing her nipples with his mouth while having sex with her.. Boy you’re in for a load of crab.” He yelled as he smoked a little bit higher.

Nino was stunned as she watched Eris, fling his shirt leaving his pants. Eris that couldn’t even say anything without muttering it many times in his head. Eris that can’t come out of his room with only knickers, that Nino would remember how one time his cousin came over to their house for a month holiday, and the excited Eris who wanted to have a feel of a sleepover, who had nagged for the longest time at their mom, who even stopped eating because mom doesn’t like other kids around her because she couldn’t deal with their waggishness. Nino couldn’t remember one time she saw her mom for the whole day. She loved when Nino go over to Elene’s house for a sleepover. She encouraged their friendship, always asking Nino if she wasn’t gonna visit her damn friend, Elene, and the few times Nino didn’t feel like going, she would  start muttering  cuss words and start rattling things around the house which was very weird, especially the fast slow paced steps.

Nino’s Mom decided to give in to Eris to have his sleep over, even though she locked every important place in the house. She started with the fridge and the kitchen door. She didn’t lock the living room, even left the keys to the living room and front door with Eris, hoping his cousin would leave. And Nino would never forget that day that mom took the deepest breath when Eris screamed so loudly after his cousin had walked in on him in the bathroom naked. The scream of terror baffled his cousin so much that instead of giving it back to him, he scampered out of the room quickly that he slid and fell on the stairs, with water oozing out of his body. He didn’t have any towel wrapped around his body and that still makes Nino laugh till this day.

Josiah was still looking numb watching Eris dance with this lady, and he never knew that a lady could have such perfect curved fixtures as she bent over while Eris kept digging inside, totally bedazzled as she started at her behind. He grabbed her ass with two hands, and started to just thrust inside while laughing. Karl was still trying to get Josiah steady. Nino just started at him with a rubber stamped smile.

Nino saw Javi and another lady sipping wine in small tinted glasses. She noticed that his eyes were lit as he starred at Willa. Javi had begged Josiah for a plus one, and here she was. Nino had always had a soft spot for Willa back in college. Willa was a quiet girl back in high school. Nino hadn’t seen her since after she left her high school because she had been fucking their math teacher. Till today, Nino doesn’t know why she didn’t let Jim’s take the fall. Nino would remember the way the cops swarm in on her after her mom came with them into the classroom while Mr Jim’s was in class. Nino remembered the way Willa’s mom had said;

” Wow, perfect timing, fate made it very easy to nail this bastard.” Nino remembered the way she looked at Eris who kept looking down, as her eyes kept staring at him. He kept looking away, not just him but every other boy in the class. The fear of being outed as being a suspect of a rape crime caused a great pother in the room. Ever since a falsely accused guy came to their school few weeks before that event and told his story about how his ex girlfriend accused him falsely of rapping her, had even blackmailed him with the lie for weeks, and because he refused to cave in, she reported him to the police, and that’s when the cops arrested him. He was in his finals in school, and that was gone too, not even after the cas was dismissal. The man talked about the mean people who kept taunting him and writing racist in dense red color, as though to make a statement. They kept smashing the windows of his mom’s house. And to make it all worse, he was released on bail, and that’s when things became worse: he was no longer allowed anywhere, not in school, in church, or community. He was excommunicated. His mom made him stay in the basement because of the way people were throwing stuffs, and threatening to break into their house. The taunting and threats continued for weeks until the lady just got tired of the charade, and after a few months of her being diagnosed with cancer, she decided to tell the truth. Nino remembered the shiver ever since that day, and the boys in her school now always ask for permission before playing with the girls. It’s funny and kinda amusing to Nino.

That same shiver feeling pitched back again after Willa’s mom throde into the school with the cops, and darted her eyes around the school as she asked for Mr Jim. And off course everyone froze before she made the right time statement, and then the cops wanted to cuff him but Willa kept saying that Mr Jim didn’t rape her, and off course nobody wanted to listen to her, so she kept on saying it, and when her mom told her to shut it Willa told her mom that the sex with Mr Jim was consensual. She loved kissing him because he used to gossip his wife to her. It was their thing. She was the enemy that binded them together. Willa told everyone that Mr Jim didn’t make her do anything, she did it because of how awful Mr Jim’s wife made him feel. She wanted to make him happy again. Nino thought that she would drop the story, but she stuck to it even in court, and that made Mr Jim’s case worse.

Nino saw the way Willa was yelling at Javi.

” you fuckin retard, what do you mean by Joyce paid you to be my boyfriend? And why are you telling me this now, huh?” She said. Her face was red with shame.

Nino knew that the staid Willa would just say that we are gonna talk about it later, like she always does in high school, but never does. She just won’t care, but that would make any further conversation incommunicado, but tonight, that wasn’t the case. Willa was literally pissed;

” the fuck! The fuck you say? Joyce paid you to be my boyfriend?” She yelled again, sipping her wine faster, with a quick angry heave. Nino saw the fast movement of the sweat bids as it trickle around her face and coiled around it before it trickled down. Nino had noticed this before, especially when she felt appalled about a situation.

Willa shouting increased with the tempo of the music. Javi was just sitting and smiling while he held on to his drink.

” The sex with Joyce was good dear. I had to do it. I missed  having great sex so much sorry if you feel a bit disappointed, but I don’t give a damn!”

Nino watched the way Willa’s eyes quizzed Javi into rage. She was really angry so much, and her rage hyped with the music ragging in the last resort on the hotel. Javi still clutching to his drink that when Willa punched him, Nino saw the way the trickle of the wine jumped mid air, and the way Javi dashed forward, pushing Willa to grab the small mint. It was so funny.

Karl nug at the DJ to slow the beat. A guy standing with him was holding what looked like a board game with him. Nino heard the silent booing from the people, but when this other guy pulled out a two thousand dollar note from his pocket and said;

” winner takes it all.”

A guy, which Nino would later on as Trevor would bounce out, flapping his leather jacket and custom made tinted glasses as he tossed a small paper on the floor as he made it to the front. Willa would go next. Nino would see the way Javi would want to seemingly try to hold her, and she would push him away before she would sway her way to the front. Josiah wanted to go too. Nino had seen him laughing and putting a small glass cup to his face while he kept talking endlessly. Nino tried to just take a breather but seeing Josiah so relaxed got her antsy. She could overhear him tell the lady that was dancing with Eris before about not wanting this life with Nino that his mom had approved her for him, and he had to go in with it.

” Truth is, I don’t like women with small titties, like I love women who have full plumb boobs, and I think Nino has cancer in her titties.” He said.

The lady replied;

” it might not be cancer, just an ordinary swelling.”

” Nah, I think it’s cancer. I’ve noticed the weird shape of her titties and the dimpling of her skin, and the rashes clustered around it, and the bloody discharge on the bed or sometimes on her dress. I do tell her to go see a doctor, but she just don’t wanna do it.”   He said with a sigh.

” what’s your name girl ” Josiah asked.

” Tamar! ” She would reply, extending her hands while he stared at her, still having that outlandish feeling. He wouldn’t know what to do with her. He wanted to kiss her, but hearing Nino’s name being called out in the background would stink his ass hard. He knew that she was dying anyway from the cancer, and her dad was planning to give him a whooping sum of 5 million dollars and give him an apartment, probably at fifth avenue. He wouldn’t want to screw it all up because of snow blonde he met at a bachelor party. But the more he starred, the more, he got so freaky. She just curling her eyes at him. The drink was swaying in his head. His hands would reach out, wanting to grab her hair and kiss her senseless, but instead, he wiped the red lipstick on her lips. She was stunned.

” it didn’t sit right.” He would say, but Tamar was super pissed. The red glam now zagged across her face, making her look like a clown. And Nino was laughing so loud that she decided to take a picture;

” nice one ugly!”

And that’s when Tamar took a bottle and hit him hard on the head and walked out to the front where the game was about to be played.

” Girl you didn’t have to do all that before you came out. What’s that, screwing around with someone’s wife?” Some lady that was holding Javi on his collar while bending on him would say, before she’d went to completely remove his button and they would kiss, stare and laugh again, before they kiss again, this time, more times. They weren’t pressuring hard, just small lad kisses.

” Okay we have three ladies, and three guys. Let’s make it four for each gender okay, thanks.” And that’s when Javi and the lady would come out. Nino would never forget how Karl was trying to hold Eris and Josiah from coming out. He blocked these two men from coming out while they both wobbling around, probably trying to come out from Karl’s grip. Nino noticed that Eris was already dressed down to his underwear and still had a bottle of wine plopped in his mouth.

The game would begin. Nino would hear the name of the game, shot roulette. She didn’t like the game but everyone in the room would cheer on, even Donyi would nod and just stand still, his hands folded while he watched Tracy, his eyes skimming her while he lurched forward. Nino would notice the green purple pant he wore on his red sweatshirt. He would lurch forward as he stared at her.

” Boy you need to leave” the man moderating the game would say, but Donyi wouldn’t leave.

” my girl don’t look like. I want her out of there but she’s not gonna like that so I’m standing here, and if I feel any itch that she’s not doing too good, I’m literally carrying her away from here okay”

” Donyi I’m good!” Tracy would say. But Donyi wouldn’t back down.

” I give her strength. I need to be right by her.” He would say, stamping his leg to prove a point.

” oh shut it bro, you that couldn’t even protect my mom, you think you’re some hero. Tracy’s okay, just shut it okay and get the fuck out of there and stop being a control freak.”

Nino noticed the silent shock wave that sauntered around the room. Everyone gasped for a bit. Nino looked at Donyi, expecting him to cave like he always does, but Donyi just held on, stood still, refusing to look in her direction. He was standing up to her for the first time in his life. He held on, his face beaming in a writing fear while fighting for his life. Nino knew that if Elene says it again, he would cave but she didn’t. She just left the scene, and instead came to where Nino stood.

The game started. The man rolled the ball and the arrows twirled around the numbers and it ended up in 24. Trevor’s shot cup number was 24- 28 and the arrow landed on the black patch of the board game so Trevor had to drink a half shot, so the bartender poured in a half glass and he drank it. There was a little murmur from the crowd. Nino could hear the chants;

” Drink! Drink!!”

The bartender diced the ball again, and Nino could tell that her eyes spun in the same direction with the bull, this time, the arrow landed between the numbers 1-4, it was Tamar’s number, it landed on the red line, which means she had to take a full shot. Just one shot and Nino could see Trevor’s eyes on her in veneration and suddenly Tamar’s started holding her stomach as she jerked unsteadily. She was holding her stomach as she garbled her way slowly facing opposite where Josiah, and without much thought to it, she threw up on him, her mouth dripping like a leaking tap. It was so funny to Nino. At least she knew that Josiah wouldn’t find her attractive anymore. She will not be his favorite option anymore. 

Nino saw the way Karl took him out to go and change. Javi was so having the time of his life. He was still having his Rapturous moment with the lady who drunkenly lashed out on Tamar.  He would hear Javi call her name Kaylee in the sting of pleasure as he snug her lips when he held out a gleeful mewl.

Tamar was out of the game because of how she reacted to the alcohol intake so it was now 7 people. Nino didn’t know most of the guys there apart from Trevor but there were other guys there she knew because of Elene, no rapprochement, just hearing about them from her, and seeing them few times. Unlike Donyi that she had personally introduced to her then, even Jax. And as soon as she thought of him, she is noticed that he, too was among the guys playing the roulette game. He had on a big ugly hoodie and a big dark shade. He rapped himself in the hoodie. Nino remembered how Elene used to say to her that she always liked her man to dress ugly in parties and stay aloof so no girl would notice him. She didn’t like her man being noticed because girls would swoop him in. He couldn’t flirt with any of the girls, couldn’t bring any A game in the party. Nino know that Elene would tell Jax not to win the game, and even though she would tell him that she didn’t want him to be too drunk, it was because she didn’t want him to be a competition.

” Hey Jax got the next round.” Josiah would say behind her reeling against the wall.

The number was 16-20. It was on the black spot. Jax had to drink a half shot. Just a little hint of laughter when he made that gulp sound. Nino never knew how guttural a belch noise is, even know she never liked the puking odor that followed afterwards.

The dice rolled again, and this time it landed on a double zero number on a red spot and everyone dived quickly for a full gulp, and there was this writhing from a guy wearing Blue Hawaii Shirt. He tried to still himself a bit after that last gulp, and the man who was moderating the game had to ask;

“Buddy, sure you’re aight?”

Nino saw the way his eyes were pulping up in terror like he was ready to pounce;

” really need this money like…..” And the rest of the words were coined in a slimy retch and Nino couldn’t help for Cody, the moderator of the game. Cody had stopped close to the man to check on him the moment he started to squirm, and that earned him a shell stank of vomit. And even Nino was reeked by the fowl smell that voozed in the atmosphere, taking a rift sloppy glide, and that made the stench a little bit more dense at some point, and completely obliterated at some other point.  Nino watched the way the man got up slowly, eye contact on Cody and begging him with a pleading eye, and Nino could see the startled look he gave when Cody told him;

“time to run Buddy, off you go!”

The man literally held on to Cody with the smeared spill of the vomit dripping on his fingers, and that’s when Cody pushed him away and nodded at the two bouncers that were standing by the front door to go pick him up. And it was the way the man startled himself up and went for Cody, but the two muscular men just jacked him up and he was on the knees while Cody was in front of him, just still. The man was vibrating hard. Nino could see him literally shaking even though he was still.

Nino saw the way everyone was staring quietly as Cody moved back quietly, turned around and saw a pocket knife. Immediately, Nino saw it, she was staring confused. She had seen this scene in movies before where an evil man would nudge at his prey quietly while his two guards held his prey down, and then he would have his little fun before stabbing or shooting his victim, and just take something to clean up the blob of the remains of his victim with that evil smirk gleaning on his face, and Cody looked like he was gonna do same, but he just got past him, and the bouncers literally dragged him on the floor because he refused to get up. Nino wondered why just one bouncer wasn’t able to just lift the tiny man up. But it was because the man had too much fight in him. Nino watched Cody ran out the door to the bathroom.

Nino was looking at Josiah as he was laughing and rubbing a lady’s face and they were kissing each other excitedly. Nino went closer and coughed a bit, and Josiah turned around saw Nino, and it was the way he didn’t bulge, couldn’t his it that he was having the time of his life with another. He didn’t back off from her, even when she pushed in between them. She wasn’t paying attention to the game anymore, instead she just walked slowly, trying to hear what Josiah was telling the other lady but their susurration combined made her efforts look dumb. Nino wondered if the lady noticed her, or even cared enough about her.

” I remember few nights back when we snagged together in my father’s bedroom, plunging the chill AC and his favorite chicken wing that my mom used to keep for him and his favorite champagne. I even made you wear his favorite UK flag long robe that he used to go for a swim. That day was something, fucking a guy when my dad was not even cold in the ground yet.” And then she let out a gale of laughter, and then she slid into a silent chuckle, as though she was beguiled by a higher force.

” few nights ago… We fucked so hard that I felt so light, so Virgo, so virle, so gallant. It was my first real fuck, nothing I’ve ever had with Nino. I loved you, still love you and I want to fuck you.” Josiah said.

Nino was stunned. She was literally livid, her eyes scanning around, while she started at the lady. She knows her, or knew her. It was Marie, Javi’s cousin. She looked desperately for Javi. She always knew Marie always looked at Josiah with that girlie eyes and she loved it when’s he tried to dismiss her curtiousness. One time Marie had spilled wine on the floor when during dinner. Javi had invited them to the house while his sister made dinner. Nino hadn’t noticed the starring then, even though Marie stuttered when she opens the door and her eyes peered on in a shocking glance, as though she hadn’t seen a man before. Nino saw the way Josiah brushed past her, telling her that she didn’t have to look on like that, and then smiled slightly when she told him that he was beautiful. He just told her;

“you’re having your girl’s moment, love that for you but I got my finance  here, and I want you to respect that okay. ” And with that he turned around to tell Javi about rapp music. Nino would remember the way Josiah kept edging backward slowly as he talked when Marie was moving around to serve the lasagna and meatballs and drinks. As though he was looking for a connection, and Marie always smiled as he moved pass him and her fingers would just twitch slowly on the back of his head, and she would tighten her face in a coy. Now it all made sense, the way she started wrapping up her nostrils as she passed by him, the way she always sprain her ankle or fall off twice around him, or start a small chit chat with Javi close to him, her fingers nibbling close to his arm, her body pushing slowly pass him. Nino would remember that night later when Josiah would bring up about the shy love struck Marie.

And Nino was laughing that night when she told him;

” she’s a real fan, it was funny the way she kept rubbing her wine stained hands on your shirt before she realized herself and went for a wiper to clean the stain from the floor.. it looked deliberate.”

” she’s love struck. See the way she swiped her hands on the wine three while moving back and front around me just to make sure the wine falls down, that was so funny. ” Josiah said, and they laughed.

Nino would laugh about the way Marie refused to serve her food and drink and the way she frowned when Josiah had told her that Nino was his lady, and she should respect her.

” she refused to move to where I was even though it was more easier to pass the snacks to my direction. Your statement sparked a form of vendetta in her head against me.. she looks like a woman being scorned, like Melinda in acrimony movie” and they laughed about it. Now she watched Marie and Josiah, plopping wine bottles into each other’s mouth, and even rubbing some of the blob of alcohol on each other lips and chapping them.

Nino was pissed when Marie said that she was ugly and looked like a frog.

” I know you showed me the lump on her breast and bro all I can say is that your Nino girl is a fuckin disease. God had to give her a mass that looks like her ugly face.. The mass is another way of telling her that she’s a disease and she shouldn’t be around normal people.”

Nino was stunned. Josiah had shown Marie her breast lump, and they mocked her. She was so fumming, ready to beat the shit out of him when she saw her mom carrying her baby bink moving across the hallway downstairs. She wanted to follow them. Her Mom had been right about Josiah being a dick.

Just then, about to leave, she saw Aiden, her friend, Cassie’s husband. He was with a lady but she knew from her hair cornrow that she wasn’t Cassie. It was another woman. Another woman wearing Cassie’s favorite vanilla perfume, and her favorite grizzly red gown that is cut at the knee. The gown exposes her knee, and Nino always wondered if she did surgery on her body because of her white ash color of her Oblique limbs, even her behind looked too fitting to be real. But she loved that red shinning gown and the red shimmer lipstick, and now this other lady was putting it on. Aiden kept kissing her, as of trying to make it point blank that he likes her, and she seemed to fester on the side eye of the ladies who kept prodding at their men, clutching them closer, while the men just whirling over, probably from the alcohol, not paying attention.

Jax was now out of the game. Nino wouldn’t have noticed it if not for the boos from the crowd. Elene smiled so pleasingly.

” Jax you did that on purpose, you can’t just quit the game bro, that’s cheating. Don’t take the easy route. Stay there and finish the game.” A guy roared in the ear then pounced forward and stood still where Jax was standing. Everyone suddenly started a hushed stir. Nino saw the way the man stood still, huge rotund man. The man just stood still. His bulky chest puffing like  fine mud. His shirt was ripped on his body in a fine format like it was done on purpose. The tears were linical.

” Get out of my way” Jax yelled.

” Fuck you bro, move it.. you wanna harass my man.” Elene yelped. Nino loved the way she said ‘ my man’ like he was her needed trophy.

” shut it puta! ” He yelled back, and that’s when Elene hit him twice in the face, aiming for the third one, only for him to grab her by the hand and fling her far on the floor, and Nino saw the way Jax throw his hands mid air, and that’s when she noticed the metal ring on his finger and that sent him to blood pudding fall and he was knocked out. Jax looked around, marched on the plumping man, almost being thrown on the floor but he kept being intentional with the stomping even stomping the man’s face twice, then went on two powerful kicks to the eyes and mouth.

The laughter from the crowd immediately recoiled the moment a bullet was shot mid air and narrowly missed Josiah who had flown on the floor near Eris who was totally passed out and lay face down. Nino loved the puking fear in his eyes, and she wished the bullet hit him, and she would not forget how she was billed up with despondency when he would get up and steady himself with vigour after the cops leave with no scratch.

Now, the he bullet rang again but this time it was mid air. Nino knew the man. He was Cassie brother, Jack. And God he was really damn pissed. His eyes fletched in a setting rage as he stared at Aiden.

“you fuckin bastard!” And he  lurched at him but the lady cop with him was holding him back, but there was this look of glower as she itched her hands off his shoulder and he wanted to pang out on him but she held him weakly and Aiden was so scared that his eyes literally pushed back inside and his face was red while his foot lured around without going backward or forward. His knees were just shaking and Nino wondered how he held still.

” you fuckin bastard! ” Jack spat out again, this time, throwing his jacket on the floor as if to prove a point.

” you left Jasmine in the car to fuck a bimbo! You fuckin left a 6 years old girl in the car for 12 hours to go fuck a whore! Huh! The girl almost passed out in the car, and it took a dick guy who broke into the car and had almost raped her. Thank your stars he didn’t bro, I would have killed you on the spot but still…” Nino could hear the deep sigh in the room. And then the loud bam from the gun, and Nino watched Aiden fall on the floor, and she heard him whelping but not in fear but in anger;

,” you fuckin shot me in the balls, ahh” He yelled.

” That’s to make sure you’d be a half man after Cassie leaves you for good. You can fuck all the ladies you want, but you’re not responsible enough to have a kid, and thankfully Cassie’s gonna take Jasmine away, while you can spend the rest of your life being an irresponsible swine.. A great deal. Everyone wins at the end.” Jack said, before kicking him on the noise, and Nino would hear the nose squash in a splint. And minutes after,Nino saw her dad come inside with his best friend who is a lawyer.

Nino saw the way he looked on at Josiah, just after he got back from the fall. He was playing a video of Josiah kissing Marie, and Nino standing there sad. And Nino smiled when he saw that his father didn’t take off his glasses when he saw Josiah like he did with her before putting them back on. His mouth zagged together as he clenched his face in a tight grin, his lips still mismatch perfectly. And then he looked on at Josiah who was literally petrified as he tore the earlier will that gave him a 5 million fortune from Nino’s dad and then the tensed face gave way to a sudden remorse, and then he said;

” just like that you throw it all away for a fitful pleasure.”

I love the sound of my voice,

The coined rhythm of the prostrate version,

The impassionate carriage that drives the flow.

It is loud but edible,

The words rolling out without friction.

The grilling feeling as the words spur out through my teeth.

Till today, I still want to know how my brain and mouth sync together before I’m able to even think about what am gonna say.

I’d say I put my whole brain through a whole lot of spasms.

I love the sound of my voice, the impeccable ramps that flows,

The flute mellow rasp,

The tingle eerie,

The flas timbre,

The jagged surface,

The velvety.

I love the sound of my voice;

The crispiness,

The teeter fleak of abornamility,

It’s winding edginess,

It’s concavity from loud squawk to a sibilant baritone without hitching a glitch.

I hear myself singing through you,

Wondering if it’s real.

You’ve always joked about stealing my voice,

I see myself Vacillating,

Trying to go headlong with you,

As you etch in your vocal stride,

Dishing out your prowess,

I try to tag along,

Muscling all my facial joints,

Trying to hike along,

But I fissured miserably.

I heard the silent jab;

” Thought you said she stole your voice?, well if it’s yours, prove it?”

And I see myself  reeling hard,

With that gut feeling that I was making a fool of myself,

And thankfully I don’t fail to disappoint my gut…

Today morning started off with me cooling off in my red blue sweat shirt. I cruised around my bed, plopping in the middle of the sheet. The chilling cold from the ac blurred me into another snooze faints. I propped the pillow forward, reeling in the cold as I snuggled myself in it, wrapped in the sheets. The alarm on my phone rang. It was 8am. I set it because it was on a Saturday. I could overhear my mom on the phone. Dad was yelling my name;

” Sophia! Fuckin Sophia!”

” Don’t cuss honey, ” Mom interjected but I could hear the titter sound when dad started playing his guitar and singing for her. I don’t know the name of the song, sometimes I think dad just knows how to squirt out a lyric and note and after a few famzing, it becomes mellifluous.

” Honey come help out with the pancakes”  Mom called out.

” Maybe I should go wake her sleepy butt” my brother Desmond says and that makes me immediately play fake sleep. It’s this prank we do to get people to wake up.  My brother mostly likes to tickle me to get up unlike my dad who could go all out to in his pranks.

Once, my dad threw a green toy snake on me. I would never forget how she squawked when dad yelled;

“kiddo there’s a snake rolling by your bed”

I literally fell off the bed and plopping hard thankfully on the rug area, thankfully my head didn’t land on the edge of the table. It was funny when I watched it later on tick tock with the caption;

” Daddy pranks daughter #Prankwars

I watched the way I screamed when I saw the toy snake crawl into my mouth. I was literally on a melt down.

Desmond’s fingers twitched my skin as he tickled my armpit, and then went for my navel. I had even betrayed my stillness the moment I smelt his cologne. I started to smile. I don’t know why I laugh at this, maybe because of how he got the perfume.

I still remember that day at the mall at cowlick road. Dad had taken us shopping spree after church and Mom had just finished paying for all the stuff that we bought. I didn’t like the way her friend was going all high and mighty about things being so expensive.

” I don’t think Sophia needs those new braids. Her hair is fine, natural. She don’t need those wigs either, it’s looking grisly “

And off course, her friend started to scream when Mom told her that the wig cost a thousand pounds.

” I hope she can work her ass off to pay for it. Don’t go all out for this kids!”

I was just stewing there while searching out the best wigs. I took the brown one, shoved pass a man who was sipping a drink and it poured on mom’s friend, and that gave me plenty of time to escape.

Dad was about to leave the mall when my little brother Dimy made that pouting face because dad forgot to buy him a gift on his birthday.

” Okay guys can you guys just hang on a second. Kid deserves all the showers of gifts. ” Dad said but mom’s friend started this her high and mighty sermon;

” why does he want the latest play station. Get him any damn game, and let’s get the hell out of here. You guys damn too spoil this kids nowadays. The other day, I was watching Desmond just talk to you  like you’re equals. How dear he tell you that you’re dressing like a stripper?”

I watched Mom trying to explain when her friend, opening her mouth to speak, only for nuts to fly inside her mouth, and she started to cough it out.

Dad had just come out, paying for the items when another couple ran with a galloped speed, like literally pacing their legs at a far distance just to glide and just then the machine started ringing. I knew it was trouble. Couple had stolen some expensive jeweleries. And that’s when during their hustle with the security men, I saw the can of cologne fall near Desmond, and he caught one of the security guard who gave him a stern look and then fiddled smirk, and I guess it was his permission to let Desmond’s have it because I saw him just kick the can mid air and grab it. I loved the scent when Desmond would spray it on my face.

Desmond made me come downstairs. I would have come anyways. Mom was wearing her blue jean stripe dress and pants. She never liked to cook in her pajamas.

” I don’t want to spread germs so I makes sure I clean up before I head to the kitchen. I even cover my hair because my husband who likes to be too suspicious, had refused to eat because he saw hair strands in his food”  I overheard her talking about it on one of her live ticktock videos. I overheard other women giving their two scents. One lady said that she could not allow a man make her cook twice. ” Who the fuck is he anyways? I promise you he ain’t gonna eat my food for 3 weeks. I did it once to my boyfriend?”  A lady wanted.

Mom made pancakes ,and meatballs with chocolate sauce and juice. Desmond went first to seat. I wanted to go sit but there was only one plate of pancakes pepped with the meatballs and chocolate sauce. Mom wants us to play a game of ‘ rock paper scissors ‘ I was in no mood for no game, but I knew Mom was gonna be a little bit hurt, plus I could always go grab a bite at the green bar later so I decided to play in.

I could hear dad in the living room, yelling in a silent quirk. He wasn’t throwing the pillows away from the couch, neither was he yelling and shouting; “fuck! Fuck!!” Like he would normally do. He didn’t laugh so loud. He didn’t pull Desmond to a shouting spree about his Chelsea team being better than Man United team, all because Mom was watching. I would never forget last weekend during a ucl match, dad was so caught up that he flunged the TV remote against the wall in a quell anger after Liverpool team scored against Chelsea;

” fuckin stupid! Just stupid! You people are running as though you’re kangaroos! Fuckin retards” and then Desmond was fueling it more;

” See konate he dribbling. He wants to pass the ball to Salah.. he’s going, he’s going” and dad was so perplexed that I could hear his lips recoil back and the shudder of his breath as the Liverpool guy kept going, joggling the ball. Desmond was laughing and yelling;

” it’s a goal” and I can’t tell but I saw my dad’s eye shut up in a quick sag but thankfully he blurted back after a few minutes when Mom had slapped him back to consciousness, and dad literally asked;

” Did they score Liverpool?” Desmond who suddenly was tripped, wanted to say something but the look my mom gave him made him recoil back and later that night, I heard my mom tell dad that she wasn’t ready to be a widow over his stupidity;

” you almost died because of football, huh? You literally blacked out just because of a  useless match? What are you, 6 years old? Am worrying about Desmond and Dimy, still gonna worry about you too? Why do you wanna do something to hurt us, huh? “

” Darling we were just having fun! What could go wrong please try relax a little stop being all paranoid…. A little fun, can you do that?”

And that’s when I heard Mom blasting him real hard, saying she wouldn’t die because of his stupidity. I knew she wanted dad to get the point she was making. I did too but I ‘d think she was making a huge fuss out of it. Next day I saw her apologizing and he promising to do better.

Desmond was playing the rock paper scissors thing with me. I made my hands in a 5 while he crossed his in a two, meaning he had won. Five was paper while two was scissors. Scissors would cut a paper so I was out. I watched him munch a pancake slice and a meatball. The game was still on. I noticed that the camera was still on, and later I would beg my mom not to post it online because I didn’t want my friends seeing my mom playing rock, paper scissors. It’s kinda cringey. Dimy was next in the game. Desmond beat him. I went next. I would never forget the way I laughed when he made that blurred sound as he scooped in the glass of wine.  We started the game of rock paper scissors. I don’t know why it was easy to raise my hands in five and he made a zero hand move meaning stone. Stone would crush paper so I was out. He ate another meatball and then went for the wine. Mom was next. Desmond had this slick smile when it was mom’s turn and I heard him tell her in his boyish tone;

“ can you just go next.. I don’t want to beat my mom, it would be cheating” and Mom was like;

” you really think so.. tell me you’re a scary cat son” and they both started laughed. I watched them play, his stare in a maxed glint, while Mom was just laughing and then they played. He did two while Mom carved her hand in a zero and she won him and I was laughing so hard but my stomach was growling, and thankfully that’s when I noticed the pizza guy and a note with it. It was from Tpain, a dude that was kinda creepy. He liked me a lot. Desmond used to laugh at me whenever we are reading his text together. I couldn’t believe that Desmond would encourage this Tpain guy but I didn’t care much. After all , Tpain and my brother were in the same Nottingham College. Both just entering last year.

Tpain’s text was more direct this time;

” I love you Sophia… I really do. I would kill to just have you inside me. I want us to have oral sex.. I want to flung in deep… I want to kiss you so bad that I have been spending all my money on porn so I don’t disappoint the day you will open the door to me.. I wanna fuck you so hard.. Desmond knows how much I feel about you and he’s been the best friend I’ve ever seen.  He’s been so supportive. So by the way, I would love for you and Desmond to come swimming today.. I know it’s still 11am. Desmond knows about our plan. I would love for you to come too, maybe we can get to know each other okay?”

I laughed so hard at the letter. Desmond told me that the place was at cowlick county park. I looked at Desmond, his face was farcial but he told me that we should go.

“it will be fun!” He said..

And then I asked him how we were gonna run it by Mom because she would never allow us to by the lake but then his eyes puttering he said;

” grow up kid..” but with his playful punch.

I heard Mom yelling Dimy’s name from upstairs. She didn’t seem too desperate at first. She called him once and then again, and then her tone became more abrasive but her eyes were edgy as she skimmed the room in a perfect sim. I wondered how Mom did that, starting at everything all at once. I noticed the way she pursed her mouth as she looked on at the half eaten pizza slices and the coke bottle. She wanted to yell at me or Desmond, I wasn’t sure but Dimy’s name just floated her thoughts and mouth and I wished Dimy wouldn’t just stop this whole charade and just come out. I thought he was pranking mom like we did the last time. I wasn’t literally a part of it, but I just hid upstairs while Dimy was hiding behind the stairs. I watched how Mom panicked when Desmond pranked her into believing that Dimy had been taken by social care workers to ransom park because he was alone at home as Dimy is 4 yrs old. Mom was so tensed that she couldn’t keep still at all. She was jumpy, just moving from back and front with her hilarious panicked expression;

” what the fuckin hell? What do you mean these people got my kid”

” I told you not to leave this fuckin house and you’re spilling this out of your mouth! Huh! What am I gonna do? No tell me”

And her eyes darting around like she wanted to slap Desmond but she didn’t. Desmond kept saying it wasn’t his fault, he just wanted to go help his friend set up his game pad.

” it was a quick one mom I didn’t stay long Mom. I just stayed an hour there”

And Mom was just shocked;

” Am hour? An hour!” And she continued packing, pacing up and down. She was trying to run outside but Desmond wasn’t letting her, telling her to wait for dad to come home so they could figure it out. But Mom pushed past him and ran outside and that’s when he started yelling;

” it’s a prank! It’s a prank!!’ before he pulled her back inside and then Dimy came out from the pillars near the stairs. I ran downstairs and I was expecting Mom to go nigga on Desmond but it was just relieve and laughter that flooded her face.

Dimy’s mellifluous slow voice just creeped into my head and I saw the way Mom literally ran to the direction of the voice. It was coming from Desmond’s room. Dimy was in there on the bed singing along to a beat of a song while on Desmond headset. It was the relief on mom’s face and the dashing playful grunt on Desmond’s face when he said;

“you my bro are a creep” before going to collect it and unplugging it and it was the confused sadness on Dimy’s face that ebbed the pacing of my movement.

I would remember the time Mom and I went for a burna boy concert and it was my first time staying out late. I had been all nauseous that Mom had to steady me after the show. I had just ebbed out. I didn’t know why maybe it was the light in the room, or the way I was startled by the screaming in the hall. I hadn’t heard someone scream like that before but it was so loud that I thought my ears were gonna shut out. I couldn’t tell what was wrong but I was just hearing burns boy’s voice in my head and the popping sound of the theatrics.

Later that afternoon, Desmond came to my room;

” I’ve settled it with Mom. I told Mom that we’re heading to go to upper mall okay. I told her I wanted to bring you as a sovernier for my friend’s outing and she loved the idea. She loved the idea that you’re bonding more ” then he made the quote sign and then there was this faded wink on his face and it’s then I would notice that his face was getting all puffy and his shoulders zapped backward. His afro hair more fuller than I remembered and his body just grew so taller. I didn’t know why my brother’s features were being poignant now.

” Okay cool bro.”  I said. I looked at my Desmond, remembering how we planned to tour Europe together and then I said;

” Hope you’re not gonna ditch me on the plane when we begin to tour Europe together” I said.

” why do you say so ?” He asked in a chuckle.

” Because you’re fine bro.. you got all the girls always tripping even the funking ones.. I can just picture you telling me ‘ run along Sophie..  I want to have fun today ‘ and for me it’s how coarse you are with your words and thought. You don’t know how to mask how you feel “

” And that’s a bad thing? ” Desmond asked and I said no. ‘ Girls love that ‘

He added sensible girls and I couldn’t but agree more. I remember one time Mom had pranked him, wearing short skimpy dress and a short jean and leggings that she wanted to go out. Desmond took the keys and told her she wasn’t gonna go out looking like that, plus the dress had this torn edge downwards like it was the style of the dress and Desmond refused. He told Mom that she was dressing like a stripper and off course some people on the comment session weren’t having it. They said he was being very disrespectful and rude to his mom, others agreed with Desmond but I knew Desmond always had good intentions whenever he did something, though he was kinda overbearing about it. And off course Mom always treated us like equals at home. I hardly saw Mom raise her voice at us.

I saw a bangle on his wrist. It had a  shining glistening  ‘G’ flagged in the middle. I knew immediately that it wasn’t his and so I asked him;

” whose the charmer?” And I expected him to giggle like we always do at each other joke but he turned his lips in an angry flint. He tried to mask it with the light chuckle but I could just see it and so I asked him about her, and he laughed and said;

” She was sweet, was the first girl that offered me a seat, and didn’t look at me like I was some misunderstood math equation like the rest of my mates in school. She didn’t ask me why my skin did have dried burnt patches like I was coming from a third world country.  She was nice to me but then I loved fame, and I didn’t like to be embarrassed so one time we were just chatting and all of a sudden I saw her just move a little corner, stare closely and started chanting something. It was so embarrassing, and everyone was just passing, starring at both of us and I was confused like hell. When I asked her why she did that, she told me she was a Muslim and that they had particular moments when they pray. And I was so annoyed by it but didn’t say anything. Few days later, I wanted to hang out again but she told me she had her Muslim prayers that she wanted to attend to and she told me to come and God I being me, said ‘ I don’t do religion.. your Muslim religious chanting looks like a good old kelvin hartt comedy ‘ and immediately I saw her face popped in a shaky anger. She told me to take it back but I laughed about it, telling her that her chanting was just stupid and she began to cry. I wanted to hold her but she pushed me with so much force that I barricade my head against the locker and that’s how she parted ways. She hasn’t since spoke to me she doesn’t block me but when I call, it just rings, no answer or text. I still carry the bracelet but she hasn’t ever asked for it back! It’s sad, I hate seeing people sad.” Desmond said pinged with so much sadness that I held him for a hug.

Later that day Tpain dropped by with two ladies just minutes after my mom and dad went out to visit an old friend of his at their house at edwalton field.  They had just returned home from the hospital with their bouncing baby boy. I could remember the way mum danced and shook her body back and front like a  spinning top . It’s always cool to see my mom happy because she liked to go all out to express it. She made a video on tick tock dancing. The caption of the post is

‘ what God cannot do does not exist ‘

I saw Desmond shudder underneath his blue leather jacket and I wondered how  cold could impale the crease of the jacket. I could remember one time I wore it when Desmond passed the night at a friend’s house and the weather was so chilling that I literally was brewing freeze breaths and it reminded me of all those alien cartoon monsters that used to steam fire breath. The UK has always been freezing cold like so cold that everything liquid just turns ice.  My mom always says ‘ the temperature drops’ and that never seems to mask the cold chills. And even that jacket wasn’t a life saver that night. Imagine an over huge thick tight jacket couldn’t make me feel warm and that’s how Desmond shivered now and that was weird because it was sunny and the weather was kinda hot, like literally hot. I even noticed that Desmond was sweating in the sweatshirt.

” bro you got a fever or what?” Tpain asked

” I’m going brv just was scared of going past that door and having to lie to Mom. I was scared of what I was gonna say to her, like literally she’s has this thing about her that breaks me and I’m usually the hard guy.” Desmond said. I didn’t know why but I started laughing, the kind of jibbling chuckle that made me feel tickled.

I laughed because Desmond wasn’t really the big tough guy that he claimed. He never liked seeing people cry. I could remember the one time Mom did a fake fall prank and Desmond was just all over the place. He kept massaging her waist, held her while he kept asking her if she felt good. Mom was literally laughing and saying it was a prank but Desmond wasn’t having it. He didn’t let Mom leave the house, refused her from making lunch that day. He made the lunch. He skipping his football practice that day and kept running errands for Mom. I didn’t know why he got freaked out like that over a fall. But he was freaked out, and later that day when Dad came home, he insisted Mom goes to the hospital and have herself checked, and that’s when Mom told dad that it was a prank but Desmond still scared out of his wits and so Mom decided to take me, and instead of going to the hospital, we went to this store and I watched as Mom hassled with the lady there about the price of earrings and one of these fine sleeves dresses that had this fine design curves on it. I didn’t know why Mom was buying a crop top and a pair of fishnet tights and a pair of lingerie and thongs. I didn’t know Mom used to wear them. I wondered what her friend would say if she saw Mom showing me what she bought. She would go on high and mighty about she being too gregarious.

” You need to draw the line between you and these kids otherwise they grow up and take a good piss on you.”

But I was shocked at what she bought and later she would tell me that she bought them for dad. I didn’t understand what she meant but I knew dad wasn’t gonna wear them, but my brain just chummed back envisioning dad wearing thongs and lingerie. I wondered if the lingerie would cup well on him. It made more sense dad wearing it than Mom wearing it. After we bought that, Mom stopped to get her manicure done. I did mine next and by the time we came home, Desmond was already in bed, and finally less freaked out by the next morning.

So, I, Tpain and the two ladies whom I got to know their names as Ella and Ivy. I didn’t like the way Ella squinted her hands through me. She barely rested her palms on mine when we shook hands before she took them away. Ivy was more outgoing and she laughed when I told her that I and Desmond were sneaking out because we didn’t want Mom to find out that we were heading to the lake. Ella didn’t find it funny.

” so you what, have your mom order you around? What are you 5? ” She said, and I would not focus on how she glunched at me, instead I would focus on the way she chewed her gum, and how she kept nail filing her fingers while she looked away. I didn’t say anything, instead Ivy said;

” I’ve packed out some of the swimming things. My dad made me carry it. He was being too paranoid about me wanting to go swimming in the river without it even though I won the swimming competition at school.. it’s just weird tough ” and then Ivy made us take some selfies before we headed outside.

Tpain took us to this restaurant at weekday cross. It was a really hot day and I was glad that we were chilling in the air conditioner, something I wouldn’t have thought of on some days.  The twins were celebrating their birthday. Ella and Ivy looked nothing like each other, which was weird for a twin.  Ella is brown skinned while Ivy is white skinned. Also, Ella and Ivy made same afro style of hair, but unlike Ella, Ivy had hers doused in pink. Also while Ella wore a blue jumpsuit and pants, Ivy wore the same fitting  but the red color of it. It seemed intentional to me, like they really want to do things together, but their difference needs to stand out.

I noticed that their heels looked alike, if not that Ella’s own was green while Ivy own was blue, I wouldn’t have known the difference. Later when I would ask them why they had to dress same, and still want to look different, Ella said;

” Sophia!” And then she started laughing and at that moment, I felt embarrassed but then I chucked it in while she started at me for a moment, as if assessing me to find out if I deserve an answer and then she started fidgetting when she spoke;

” It’s started when we were fifteen. I would never forget how freaked out Mom was when she told us this story” and for some reason, I turned my face away. And then there was silence, save the winning noise that came from Desmond’s phone. I could see the fear in his eyes. He mouthed to me that Mom was calling but I looked away, and then he decided to leave the area to pick the call. I would not notice this until I looked up and noticed the bit of tetchiness in his eyes. It was a mix of irritation and guilt. He always tells me that Mom wouldn’t let us grow up.

” One time Mom took us to school and one girl, Misha, not waiting for us to come down plunged on Ivy. The way she just jumped on her like a crazy animal was insane. She choked her on the floor and slammed her head on the floor and I was just stunned. It took security to come separate them. Ivy and Misha are best friends, and I being nosy had for whatever reason, had decided to play a prank on her by lying to her boyfriend that she was having an affair with another gu. I swear, I didn’t mean any harm. It was a harmless joke, but I decided to dress in the same dress that Ivy wore to her party a month back and I went to one of the boy’s house and I spelled the beans. It was supposed to be a prank, but I didn’t think he would take it so seriously, like girl I was so daft for a fifteen year old. And Cody, her boyfriend was so pissed that he decided to get his revenge on her by telling everyone at school about her drug issue. Apparently, she used to hide drugs in the school lavatory and some stolen money. He sent the pictures and other stuff to the school board, and she got herself kicked out of the school. And it was that day that she saw Ivy and decided to beat the shit out of her. Ivy was stunned, but then later when Cody shared the video of me coming to his house, Mom was stunned. It wasn’t Ivy, it was me and that’s when Mom decided that even if we had to look like each other, we must have a way of telling each other apart and Mom made sure I looked dark while Ivy looked white. She made me have coloured wigs while Ivy wore the same wig as hers. Everything Ivy wore matched hers. I always believed that it was her way of showing her resentment towards me…”

“okay guys over here let’s take a picture.” Ella said, and I noticed how she tilted the camera, leaning towards Tpain who popped a bottle of champagne and was laughing when it squirt on Ivy’s arm. I could still sense a tart of distrust from her towards Ella.

It was time to eat and that’s when one of the Chinese American waiter brought in the big sugar pudding cake and a bottle of champagne. The twins immediately darted to the middle area of the table, but I noticed the way Ella was pushing back and still stirring front, but it didn’t really space them out. I watched Desmond coming back with his phone ready to take some shot. He looked relieved and I was happy he was finally being all smiling and bluffing again. 

” say cheese!” Tpain would say before taking another photo shot. I watched, seeing them laughing and posting at the photo shot.

” wow Ivy why do like to throw your hair whenever you’re taking a photo is it the only posing position you know?” Tpain asked and everyone started laughing.

I would watch as Ivy and Ella laughed and responded to some stuff on Instagram.

” They say my stomach is sticking out that I looked like I have a potbelly… That I look like all those fat guys from white chicks who was sucking a donut jell.” Ivy would say and I wanted to tell her sorry or something but it only made her laugh a little more..

” God Misha is so funny… That girl is crazy.” And I saw the looming smile spread like jam on a bread and I couldn’t help but feel happy for her.

” Wow Misha, hope you guys can be cool now, it’s been 7 years now.”. Tpain would say, and I would notice the way their eyes roamed around briskly before they laughed again.

After the restaurant, we headed to the lake.  Desmond smile tripped on and later when I moved closer to him, he would tell me that he and Mom were having a conversation back in the restaurant. He loved how Mom was so happy for him when he told her he was having the best time of his life at the restaurant, and the way she laughed and twirled in a dance when he told her that it was the birthday celebration of  twins. Mom had insisted on him sending pictures to her, and when she saw them, she laughed and danced so lightly.

” but Mom was so happy when I told her that she was the best cook ever, that I would make sure I marry her reincarnate so I don’t starve to death.”

And she told me I love food so much. I noticed how that conversation made him so happy. I and Desmond were making a straight turn when I heard Ivy call out;

“Sophie this way!” And then we both turned right and started heading into the woods of the West lake. Everything about the park creeped me out. It was lonely, and I feared that some creatures would creep in our direction to attack us. I watched as Ella called Tpain on the phone, and the way she paused, and her face mused in a deep frown, I wanted to be relieved for a second that Tpain had told her an annoying news that would make us go back. Tpain didn’t follow us to the lake. He told us just as we were leaving the restaurant that he had to handle a quick one but he said that Ella and Ivy should enjoy themselves, and they should send him photos while in the lake before he gave them a peek and they moved on towards the left direction.

” it’s okay…. God, am gonna so kill my cousin today when I get back!! Just get him out of my room and lock the door okay…. Thanks!!”  She said, made a few phone clicks and we moved until we got closer to the lake.

I sudden became qualmish as we crossed the little gate. Everyone was laughing. I watched Ella and Ivy undress and Desmond undress too. I’ve never seen any lady in a thong before but when I saw Ella and Ivy take off their clothes off and just bask in the beauty of their bodies, I just gave a jealous chortle. I watched Desmond go further into the sea while he swam slowly, taking not so deep dives in the sea. I felt this nashing feeling like I could use a snug. And that’s when I just decided to take a peek at my phone to look at some videos on ticktock and I saw that my mom had uploaded a video of herself dancing, another video of a girl doing a photo dump while driving. She had just gotten a bran new car and she was smiling and making that flicker sound with her teeth. Her teeth was so white that I would think that she used to use teeth whitening chemical on her teeth, not sure what it means but it looked artificial. I didn’t like that she made a bun on her hair or the fact that she didn’t really take any good shots. It looked like she was trying to take the perfect shots on time because her eyes always darted away from the camera, her body just resigned a little as though she had already taking the photo already. It was so annoying that she looked gorgeous but never made the right camera moment. And just when I wanted to scroll again, I heard Ella yell;

” Help somebody help, he’s drowning!”

I didn’t want to look further because I thought it was some stupid prank but then I heard Ivy brush past me yelling;

” Help Help!!!”

I would look over but I would not see Desmond and it was then that everything would begin to click…

” please call the cops!! Our friend is stuck in the lake, call the cops please” Ivy would yell.

I was stunned. I felt transfixed because no matter the number of people who pushed pass me to duck into the lake, I didn’t fall. I wouldn’t fall. People jumped into the water, flicking around,  bodies sprawled around the lake in search for my brother but no luck. I would see a guy duck out of the sea, brown skinned, afro like with blue eyes and leaned muscles like my brother. He even had on the blue turban that my brother used to wear sometimes. I would think it’s him, even hear myself yelling out;

” Desmond just come out will ya.” But the tall guy wouldn’t look anything like Desmond, and I would feel a pure hate for the stranger.

Later emergency team would arrive. Cops would arrive.. I would watch some people duck into the river and start squirting in search. I knew my brother was gone but something kept creeping around me. I would feel the punch on my skin and I wanted to say;

” Desmond, I’m gonna tell Mom ” like I would normally do. I would cup the air as though he was there but he wasn’t. I wanted to hang on, to hold on.. Desmond would come for me, for Mom. He wouldn’t do us dirty, wouldn’t do Mom dirty. I would not call my parents, especially Mom. I didn’t want to scare her… Desmond was good at pranking my mom.. I hope it was one of those prank when he would say to Mom;

“it’s a prank!!”

Even when later they found his body, I would still think it was one of his jittery prank, that I would find him alive when I reach home so I hurried home with the cops. And then I saw my mom, bland, in her pajamas. I thought I saw her normal angry stare because she was just looking kinda angry. But then everything changed when the one of the cops said;

” ma’am we found your son, Desmond dead by the lake in cowlick Park.”

I would hear the loud shriek but I know I would not look at her face.

Drix was standing, watching the Television numbing the noise from the neighbors as everyone else had fun outside playing. He couldn’t believe no one was helping him like  before. He was alone. God, he was gonna kill Kathy. So she snuck out, how dare she. He saw her note in the center table:

‘ Sorry got to leave… I left you some snacks on the plate, it’s covered. Fetch yourself something.. I don’t have to babysit you always you know… I’m having the best night at Link’s place.. See you in the morning bro and try not to be useless for once ‘

Drix was so stunned. So Kathy now had the balls and she was fucking the guy that left him this way, the guy that beat the crab out of him with an iron rod till he passed out while she watched. And he didn’t beat him in self defense. Kathy must have lied to the cops and even to Mom. God what a dick! The room was dark, he couldn’t see a thing and he was starving. He wants to tell on her really bad. He couldn’t believe that for once Kathy was in a better position than him, and she didn’t get sacred for it? She had merely watched while Link hit him on the leg many times with a baseball and crushed his knee. He certainly now has a hiatus in his career.  He was the center back of his basketball team. Now, he’d watch the match of his school team. Kathy had been so callous to leave the live feed of the school basketball event telecasting on the television. The dense light from across the room didn’t help him read the room. It looked like a complete bleak darkness. And when he tried to move, he could feel the huge hitch and hear the metal clank that fastened him tightly. The room was  freezing. He could see the door hover back and front slowly as the cold snowy wind pushed inside the room. He would be an ice cube by the time anyone comes home, and God he badly needed his insulin injection and he was damn hungry and he wanted to really cuss her out, that’s when he noticed the whooping creamed chocolate pie, lots of soda, burgers and fries. He couldn’t believe that his sister would do this? Why had she left it there but had written in her note that he should fetch himself something to eat. He’d figure that she poisoned the food but then he remembered one time he stole some jeweleries that her friend delivered to her for safekeeping. It was her friend’s sister wedding gift and she wanted to surprise her. Also, was the diamond wedding ring. Drix had broken into her bedroom after he had an argument 2 days prior with her. She had finally hit him and called him names when he called her an old prostitute after he stole her phone and had used her information on it to create a fake profile and had gotten himself a car. The company started calling her months after drix made that loan transaction and that’s when she found out what had happened. And boy was she pissed and God she cussed him out that evening after Mom came home with some of the workers from the car dealership. Kathy told Mom right there to fuckin lock him up, but Mom told the people that came;

“We can fix it! Drix where’s the car?”

And it was the way Drix was so non chalant in his response;

” Mom I don’t fuckin know. I gave it to my girlfriend, simpi. I couldn’t go there empty, it won’t be good for my reputable build… Sure thing you understand Mom. But you know that I don’t have any money like you and Kathy so just figure it out okay”

And it was the way their Mom smiled, an acknowledging smile, like he did something nice. Kathy knew it was because Drix didn’t walk out like he normally did and he had told the truth. Mom would later tell Kathy that evening;

” You gotta give your brother some credit. At least he owned it and he didn’t rudely fiddle out like he would. That’s something, that’s improvement.”

It was that smile that made Kathy hit him hard twice on the nose and it was a red mix of blood. Drix looked at her and snapped his fingers while Mom had yelled;

” why you gotta hit him so hard! Look at him he’s fucking bleeding” and the way she shoved her back made Kathy roam made. She twirled around, jettisoned the rage out as she tagged the hitched drunk stagger.

Later that night, he did the real damage. He broke into her room. Kathy still can’t wrap her head how he’d figure out how to break into her locked room and then munch her safe where she keeps her valuables. Drix would never forget the itchy bulge he felt when three days later while completely oblivious to the twitch sound of the door movement, or the loud crank movement of the glass mug as it bashed with a loud implode, She just moved slowly towards him and it was when the sharp edge of the knife she wedged on her clipped the head seat so hard that it zapped through it and passed out. Luckily, Drix had just twitched forward as he played his game and not until his soda poured on the game pad and it started acting out before he looked backwards to his fazed out sister who looked like she just had a face drooling. Her feature just kept melting away as he looked at her and she looked like she drenched out from a bleach wash.  The way she kept dragging out the knife from his seat in that seething hate made Drix just stare in fear and then she said;

” Get me my stuff or else” before she walked out of the room.

Later that night, Kathy prepared dinner. Drix knew his mom had planned this out. She wanted to see him scared and it truly worked out. The way Drix shook as Kathy placed the rice and turkey sauce in his plate made him stale. God, he couldn’t believe that he dreaded his favorite meal now. He wasn’t gonna eat that and Mom being Mom, had locked the fridge so no dinner. He couldn’t buy a stake out because someone had hidden his wallet and his phone battery had mysteriously died out so he was totally screwed. He looked on as his mom and Kathy sat still and chatted while he rushed in that lethal dread that flamed him. And boy were his mom and Kathy laughing and chatting while swopping on the rice and chunking out a piece of the turkey meat. He looked over, starring at them, motivated to take a knife cut off his turkey meat, but his hands always crawled back. Kathy smirked at Drix as they talked about her school. She mentioned about her friend’s brother, the lady that Drix stole her ornament.

” I told him Drix stole it. He was shocked at first, thinking it was some phony joke but then when I gave him that face, he immediately became furious. Then I added spice, telling him that my mom told me to drop it that Drix had learnt his lesson, and for a second he lost it..”

Drix saw the aberration on his mom’s face. She was angry and Drix was so glad that Kathy was having it.

“you did what? Huh! Are you fuckin stupid” and then she slammed the table hard and it was the way Kathy face shrugged.

“but Mom I was only joking!” She said but Mom just stood up and left. Drix smiled so hard that he didn’t know when he took a bite out of his rice, then another spoon.

Later when he went to the kitchen, he overheard them laughing so hard. And he rushed into the kitchen on them, wanting them to hide and pretend or just startled. But they laughed the more when he entered. And that’s when Kathy yelled;

” oh my, mom he ate the food! “

And it was the way their Mom laughed so hard so hard.

” I poisoned it bro, you’re gonna die”

And Drix would never forget the shatter he  heard inside. And throughout that night, Drix was so devastated. He didn’t drag for TV, didn’t start playing his music so loud and most of all, he didn’t start a fight like he would usually do. He was so crippled that he had snuck some of his mother sleeping pills, a whole bunch of it and just drowned it and passed out the night before waking up the next morning still railing in fear.  He later returned the jeweleries later that night. He just piled the stuff at the front of her door. It took him a month to finally figure out that it was a prank. Kathy was talking about it with some of her friends, and one of Drix’s friend, Tomi, overheard it and told Drix but he never confronted them about it.

Now, he really needed to use the bathroom. He jagged the chain so hard but it didn’t buckle off. He steamed there while his bladder was full. He then thought about 2 month back when he threw a rock at his mom’s car because she unplugged his game after his principal came to tell her that Drix was skipping school. The shock on her face when the alarm began to ring was so satisfying that he rocked himself before his bladder gave away and the urine drew out like it was from a fulsome tap. The piss was warm but the stench was strong, not pouting but acidic, and he didn’t know why but the stench gave him a serious headache. Then his knee suddenly started to buckle, he didn’t want to sit on his piss, wouldn’t surrender, but the more his legs became dipshit. He could normally stand for hours but he was really tired and all flustered. He couldn’t decide which fate he would have preferred, the piss stench or the growling of his stomach or the fact that he needed his insulin. He was feeling dehydrated and cold faints. And each time he squints, he would hear a click sound, again and again, it would roll in his ears and Drix would hear himself begging for whosoever to just shoot him in the head, and just call it a day. A simple flint, that he would later pray that he hadn’t uttered so loud. He couldn’t just wimp over easily. That his mainly ego was worth protecting at all cost.

It’s funny how just one contrary record can blight one’s main show. The world is not a forgiving place, very cruel and unthankful. The switch in the thick skull of man becomes an adaptive one when it revels you so high and you don’t climb down when you fail, you crash. And he couldn’t crash, not before Kathy or Link or any other person that was probably watching him now, wanting to pry on his fall. And that sort of infused his last reservoir which he wanted to lavish out in display but he feared he was at his end with. And that’s when he noticed the door push, and the rubbed his eyes to adjust to the darkness because he’d see a figure slump it and then he saw a slim belt flagged in his direction. He recognized the  sharp iron head and he could remember the belt, the same belt he had used to flog Kathy moments ago before he was hurdled down by Link, puny Link. He couldn’t even throw a punch. Drix was having a go at him while still kicking his sister. He took turns kicking them, and then maybe to add salt to injury, he spat at Link, told him to watch while he flogged Kathy, and the scene was so gore, as he strapped the belt, curl it before it landed on her. And he did it, looking at the squirming Link who was pleading at him to stop, and that moment made Drix high on viciousness. And then he felt a pang on his leg, and noticed that Kathy had pushed an iron on his leg, and that made him more ferocious. And he unplug the iron and was going for her, only for the next thing, he got smashed in the head and he drooled down, and saw Link come at him with a golf stick and he kept pounding louder and louder and then he went for his legs, rounds and rounds before the final blow sent Drix to light out.

Now the figure starred at him, pretty masked up, roused up from the cigarette it held on to. He knew it was Kathy, he couldn’t miss the spoor of her perfume but for him he couldn’t help himself from laughing at the mask she used to cover herself and the fake deep voice computer shit gig thing when she said;

” Funny huh,well you’re gonna submit, I’m gonna make you submit. By the time I’m done you will be begging me”

Drix knew how weak he was. He really needed that damn insulin, and couldn’t believe that Kathy would go this far to prove a point. He wasn’t gonna back down. She’s gonna be so frustrated that she would release him by herself, and after which he’s gonna beat her shitty. He told her this, and God the damn snag on her face as she swirled a curled wire midair before she said;

“Wow boy check this out” and then she thrust the wire on his skin, first blow and Drix couldn’t hold the implode pain that burst around his arm and neck when the wire landed on his skin. He coo feel the bruises on his skin and it was blemished with her guffaw.

“you ain’t see nothing bro, by the time I’m done with you, you’d be begging me”

And Drix responded to that with a trifling comment;

” Hope I didn’t beat you up so bad that you can’t have kids, you know you women are just a whole bunch of Wash up, hope I did you justice with that soccer kick on your stomach last week because you seem slender now, I kicked out all the crab you’ve been eating with that Link guy you should be thanking me “

And it was the way Kathy smiled when he said that;

“ Oh dear brother, thank you so much” and off course with 4 rounds of wire tarps and Drix was screaming so hard and the next thing was a bucket tripped in his position and boiling water seething before it dented on his body and God Drix screamed so hard. Kathy saw Drix was literally almost gone before she injected him with the insulin. She shoved him many times, whispering his name but he didn’t move, and she used the wire to bash him again and Drix jumped up.

“ Wow, just one tap and you’re up. So you’d rewire your brain to only be joked by wire.. it’s crazy!* And she started laughing before flogging him, another one, then she left him hanging there as he shuddered in the pain.

” Say am sorry and I will release you” and the echo of the fake deep voice cemented into his head. He knew he meant business. He couldn’t cowardice, though he noticed he was already down in his pile of piss. Drix wouldn’t imagine the obscenity that could make Kathy stand up to the stench of piss. He would see Link from afar off, making a mocking face at him. He stood by the door, not letting anyone in.

Drix could hear someone at the door. He wasn’t sure who it was but Link wasn’t letting him in.

” I wanna come collect my money , y’all said I should drop by this evening.. where’s Mrs Dailey.?”

” she’s not in , come tomorrow” Link said

But the guy wasn’t having it. He went raving about how Mrs Dailey wasn’t picking his calls after he helped pay for her gas two days back. Now, she’s sending people to swoosh him away? And then he impelled harder, cussing out, trying to get open the door but he couldn’t.

Drix was trying to yell out but Kathy had stocking in his mouth. She thrust it much force that Drix feared it’d rip into his throat.

Kathy noticed that the door pounding stopped and that’s when she unleashed another round of lashing and Drix screamed away feeling the slit in his upper lips which held a sign. And when the door jammed again, Drix would watch the timorousness with which she threw the wire and Drix would start screaming again, hoping that the guy would call the cops or something but then he heard the guy yell back;

“Girl will you shut up with the fake tears! What you think you’re trying to do? Huh? You owe me and you’re gonna pay, don’t get it twisted girl am gonna be here all night until you show up with my money. You don’t scare me easily”

And it was the way Kathy smiled when he said that and he knew that those words would shoot through her. She was gonna be in here all night long. Drix had no choice but to yell;

” I quit! I quit”

And then he heard her ask if Link caught that which was responded with a click sound. And Drix knew that his ego had been bruised live on the Internet and that made him to drool in a cringed tears.

Karim was driving ferociously as his wife, Liz was rolling back and front at the back seat of the car. His neighbor, Mr Watts was at the front seat, directing and yelling. There was no one on the street.. Shops were closed. Few people were on the street. People were huddled in buildings like criminals. No movement.. nothing this scary had ever happened before.

Liz was chocking…

” We need to do something, she’s dying! ” Mr. Watts was saying..

Karim kept on driving, screaming and yelling. His wife couldn’t die from this covid disease.. No! He couldn’t but cry. He would stop at various places only for the wife’s screams to begin again. It was as though someone was injecting him with cocaine. He kept driving. Mr Watts noticed that Liz was finding it hard to breathe, removed his nose mask and pushed to the back to start performing CPR on her. Karim was stunned. Mr Watts was an eighty year lonner that he never liked. He dreaded the man because he would always yell and call the cops on them should he hear any noise. Everytime, the cops were showing up at his room or the other two rooms before them. He stayed on the 2nd floor while Mr Watts stayed on the last floor. He would never forget the stare he gave Mr Watts after seeing him at their door. He wanted to shut the door in his face but Mr Watts just pushed him aside and grabbed Liz. Karim tried to keep his distance away, isolating himself but Mr Watts had grabbed her after covering himself with a blanket and hand gloves. He carried her to the back seat. Karim and Liz friend didn’t come out when they called. Instead, they told him to call the emergency unit who weren’t even attending to people anymore because of the thousands of people who were being rushed in the hospitals. Cases of covid kept surging..

• 

Karim reached the hospital at grand avenue and stormed out. Mr Watts was already chocking and coughing and was shouting about a severe pains that jolted at his side and head.

A security guard covered with a nose mask and huge strapped dress like he was in syria approached Karim and was asking them why they were here. Liz scream could be heard and it drove Karim nuts again. The guard quickly alerted the doctors inside and a team of nurses all geared up and masked, came out and carried liz and Mr Watts who was already becoming so sick because of the virus.

Karim watched both of them stretched in before he passed out.

Karim never felt how real death was until he saw himself strapped with a ventilator machine. He could see team of masked doctors yelling;

” Try again! Hold still!!.”

Karim was fighting, even though he found it diffcult to breathe. He could hear screams and shouting. People gathering all over people.

“ Lights Out! No! You can’t die! No please don’t die! See your babies are here!! No, don’t leave, oh God please fuckin do something!”

The voices continued playing in Karin’s head as he was placed on a ventilator. His breath kept sizing. He was struggling pretty hard to breathe. The lights became fuzzy. He kept drawing deep breaths. The lights were going out and coming in.

Deep breaths! Deep breaths!!

Karim’s eye grew dimmer. He suddenly heard his mom’s voice yelling, his dad’s choked echo rang through him. He could feel hands running through his body and it made his body ashen. Wails and cries rose up in a cordinated rythm in the hospital.

Karim was dazed but he could see his buddies, Sam and Ralph come to see him. Ralph hated hospitals and wearing face mask. Amie, Liz’s best friend came too. Seeing Karim in this state made her cry the more but even worse was the fact that Liz had died. Cody, who always had a secret crush on liz and blushed easily whenever he saw her, wasn’t there to watch her take her final breath. She’d go into Coma for three days and had died. Seeing Mr Jid, her dad there and her mom, was just so devasting. Liz lay there in her pink lips and blue eyes. Cody always joke about never seeing anything so pretty. He’d never have any conversation with her without stuttering. He found it diffcult to look into her eyes, wondering what would happen.

Karim lay there. He’d hear a broadcaster on the news talk about how people die every 4 minute in hospitals. He had see people jerking, the machines wirling really fast, doctors rushing in. The doctors and nurses stay, rushing and checking patients. He would watch them wrap up patients and then remove them from the bed. Dead. Karim could hear patients cry and wail insanely and alone. Karim’s parents only came once with his buddies and the only reason was because of Liz’s death, so they took the opportunity to see him.

Karim watched an old man cry and yell before he died. Another man died too, his family was crying. The little girl was struggling to go and jerk him back. The doctor had to hold her. She was fighting and crying. They had to take her way. It was sad that he was dead but even sadder that she couldn’t touch him.

Karim started getting better within a month. The headaches were still there, but not as raging as before. He couldn’t still sleep easily. He mostly slept for mostly three hours, same thing for other patient. It was wailing. The covid cases kept piling up, more cases, more deaths, more agruments about the virus. It was so sad watching the stats. People were wheeled in every minute into the hospital. Just hopeless.

After Karim got released from the hospital, his parents and his sister drove him to his dad’s house in Echo park. They were all masked up. Mom turned on the radio to listen to the news. There was no laughter or much talking, all his dad just said was;

” Just sick and pathetic, so the damn goverment knew about the virus damn well before now and they kept us in the dark? And that trump guy is just fucking nuts, he had the nerves to say that the virus has been controlled.. Wow!”

Nobody said anything. Karim could see lots of cars on the streets, people piling up to collect food. The calibar of people waiting in line was one thing.. Seeing his dad here, a company manager waiting in line to collect bag of rice, beans. No shit his dad was out of job. As Karim starred outside, he noticed a lot of people waving to his parents. He wouldn’t recognize them. But deep down he knew he must have known them before now. They all shake their heads in sympathy as they told each other their own situations, someone was clinging to life in the hospital, no money, no food, how they wish the covid situation will just end and the kids.

“Hey Karim!!” A lady driving a hilux screamed by the side mirror. She was horning and smiling. He didn’t know her. She kept pointing and making gestures with her hands with her mouth open.

” Hey Tricia, how are you? ” Karmi’s dad said.

” How’s liz?” She said, steering the car in a teethering position..

” Liz is dead….

” Fine.. Great!” His mom echoed out and pinched his dad on the shoulder. Karim was starring helplessly. He knew liz is his wife, and she worked as a researcher, and also she was down with covid. He remembered how they stayed together in the apartment and they will always stay and play games with their friends who lived in the same loft. He remembered how she would stay up all night on her computer doing a research about finding cure for cancer and how always she wanted to follow the covid rules.

” The pandemic is only for a few days or, perphaps just one month.. They would’ve found a cure.. ” She was always disciplined, never left the house and when she did, she covered herself as though it was winter with the nose mask. Karim was always the nosy one, always sneaking out in the night to have some air at the bar. He hated staying in one place.. It was three weeks then. He even went to go party with Cody at a Frat house near their loft. Cody was celebrating his 30th birthday. It was his tradition of celebrating. There was only 10 invites. Karim was given an invite, Amie was given an invite with her two sisters and her friend, Trisa also brought her sister. Two DJ’s also came too. But something soon changed though. It was a midnight party, and Karim could never forget that clingy look in Liz’s eyes as she grasped what she thought was his arm; it was his pillow.

He snuck out through the escape route, snuck out the back, heard a whisper and looked up as she turned, raised her hands up, made a grunt and went back to bed.

The party was fun, girls and guys in equal pair. Karim had Trisa for the night, they just sat down though, the music was turned very low. He and Trisa were just catching up. Trisa was a college droup out who ran away from home. She lives with her mom in Connecticut and she came down here to stay with her cousin, Josh. She laughed whenever Karim said something, at first, she looked derisive, but the laughter was geniue.

The party continued when suddenly people started coming in. Partying became like a real deal.. There was no need for invite.. Everyone was tired. People were shouting, bringing a loudspeaker and shooting fireworks. It was huge. There was no face mask, no social distancing, everyone was hugging and jumping and the next thing, the cops showed up.. Karim could overhear a lady telling the cops about she seeing Ralph’s videos on Instagram, and that’s what made her come. Cody was arrested.

Liz was very angry about it. Karim, even as he stared at Tricia in his father’s car could see the despair in Liz’s eyes. Karim and Trisa with Ralph managed to run away. No one told the cops about them. The rest of them were taken to the station where they were tested and the result came out positive. They were quarantined.

Karim was able to sneak back in bed. He climbed through the trees and came through the emergency escape. He opened the back and snuck inside and lay by the bed, Liz not budging.

Even as Karim stared at Tricia, until his dad drove forward to where there was a truck loaded with food stuffs, everyone coming down except him, he could remember how angry she was;

“People are just stupid.. Even if you don’t love yourself that much, why can’t you just think about others that could die because of your stupidity? Am sure not everyone was caught.” Karim thumped at that.

After they loaded their Car, they drove away to his dad’s house.

Jane, his seventeen year old sister didn’t seem so excited at seeing him. She was texting, made a silly face whenever she looked at him.

Karim was wowed at when he got to his dad’s house in echo street. There was nothing special about the house but seeing the number of people inside was just weird. A large number of his extended family, people his mom and dad would yell at on the phone.

” Family are so unbelievable, good thing we aren’t staying together, cause God knows I would rellish every moment just stabbing them.. I would just wanna gut them like a fish, especially my mom..” Karim’s mom would always say..

” Men, my dad is an old sick bastard, plus my stupid brother in that his fancy pants, everytime, always trying to show his better than me with his new house, cars, deals he made for dad in his company, showing off his grades.. It’s just so crazy. Sometimes, I just wanna boil them in hot oil.. My dad’s liver looks tasty.” His dad always said.

Seeing them together, Uncle jeff, his dad’s brother, his wife and his grandfather, standing together, Karim couldn’t but help starring. He only saw them in family albums, now, they’re starring at them in the flesh.

Karim was handed a hand sanitizer by his mom. Jane, was seriously trying to stay away from him. She wouldn’t even try to do a fist bump with him. She hand sanitized herself thrice before moving inside.

There was a disinfectant machine that one had to go in through before entering inside the house. The house was very fine. It had this white gleam blush about it. Karim was moving slowly, the house seemed small for 21 people. He was never gonna get used to it. People everywhere, clothes everywhere. No place to breathe. His uncle Jeff liked to smoke, Jane liked playing music on her speaker, and was always on the phone. He could hear her from the room he shared with Tao, his mom’s brother and Maddy, an old neighbor of his.

Everyday was the same, people screaming, laughing, watching TV. His mom was so concerned whenever she watched the news. Karim could still feel the headaches, dizziness and pains on his body. He just stayed up in bed, hearing laughter and people catching up in words….

” Who you up against bro.?”

” Big time, am just gonna break every bone in your body.”

He could smell bacon and egg and cumberry pie. He never thought he would ever smell those again. He tried to gather and listen to people but it was as though the words were playing catch ball in his brain. He couldn’t bring his mind to focus. He really wanted to make sense of what they were saying and laugh with them but he couldn’t, not with the dizziness or headaches. He was moving slowly down the stairs when Tao yelled;

” Heads up Karim.”

Before Karim could make sense of anything, a ball was shot in his face and he dropped to the ground, passing out. He could hear running, laughter, then fear. He never saw people running, yelling, screaming in doubles. Everyone was blurred and echoing in his ear. Panic in the air and the next he knew, he was at the hospital. He paniced but the doctor was telling his tearing eyed mother that her son was going through post covid condition. The covid was gone but he needed rehabitation. He saw a lot of old men and women there and lots of middle aged people there too. People just stay and start crying for no reason. Karim was guided everyday on how to walk, use the bathroom, eat, shower. He had to have someone do that for him. The headaches and dizziness were starting to fade but then returned when he saw Ralph in the rehabitation centre. He remembered him and he wished he didn’t once he relayed to him of Liz’s death, Mr Watts death, his own parents too are dead. His brother is in ICU, not sure he’s gonna make it. His cousin is dead too. He hates himself for going for Cody’s birthday party that night and running home where his family was. He remembered the way his parents hugged him and had snuck him inside the house that early morning that the cops were looking for them. He never knew he had covid until his mom and dad got sick and he had to be tested..

Karim couldn’t just help himself but cry. He too destroyed Liz’s life with his selfish decision.. How could he ever live with himself? Especially now that his perfect memory was back and it would forever capture the last moment he held Lisa.

My twin brother and I are always together;

Moving in the same direction,

Always so close and yet so far.

Who we are part of,

Takes us far and close.

I always get to see you,

And you always get to see me.

I used to wonder why the only thing that was used to tell us apart,

Was how we are positioned;

Not how taller, or how prettier, or how handy, but the positioning.

It had always scared me, our exactness;

You and I are reflection of each other.

Whenever our master takes us out, I would marvel whenever I saw our kind, in pairs, stuck together,

But others didn’t look like us.

It doesn’t matter,

We are all slaves.

Our Masters have taken us.

They love us, but use us.

We are stuck to them for life.

I can’t wait to get out.

But I like the part that we control our Master’s feeling;

He feels what we feel.

That way he’s forced to be careful,

And always to take care of us.

We may not get the kingly treatment,

But it doesn’t mean that we aren’t Important.

We give Master support, us slipping could send Master Crashing.

But I hate the fact that I and my brother, always have to be on the move with Master,

And I’m guessing same goes for his other servants.

It’s only when Master’s asleep that we sleep.

Today, I heard my fellow Servant complaining of touching his feaces,

Am complaining of being thumped on the ground daily with my brother in different sensation,

The only that keeps me going is knowing that Master will die one day, and I get my long awaited freedom with him.

Style and Julia moved incohrently into the resturant. They were drunk and covered in blood. They gasped and were slowly slipping into a state of asphyxia. Style looked around as everyone starred at them. A young guy in mid twenties and his girlfriend were sitting 2 feet from there. The boy was so jilted in his starring, while his gf kept trying to no avail to get him not to look at them. But he didn’t just look at them, he had caught them on Camera. The Camera light had flashed, the moment Style made his way to where they sat. Even though the boy said that he didn’t get any shot, that it was a slip of his fingers.

• 

Style didn’t say a word to them. Instead, he sat on the chair, reeled himself a little and then sat up, pointing a gun at them.

” You’ve got a ride and a cash.”

” Nah, we don’t!.” The boy said.

Style could see a car key dangling in the boy’s waist, and he saw the way his front right pocket was elevated, so there was cash.

“What’s that?” Style, said, using the gun to poke at the pocket..

” No, it’s my…..” The boy used his pepper spray and sprayed into his eyes. But Style was able to dodge most of the lethal spray. The boy grabbed his girlfriend, wanting to make a run for the door when Juila stood by the door, with her gun raised up and pop the bullet up the ceiling. Everyone in the resturant shrieked in horror.

” Next one, am gonna put a bullet in your damn face.. You get me.. Make another run.”

Style looked out the window. He could see movements and flashlights.

” We gotta move Juila. They’re coming.”

” Whose coming.” A white male asked.

” You really don’t wanna know.. And now that you’ve mentioned it, who runs this place?.”

A black guy emerged from one of the doors, wiping his hands, wearing a white coat. He was numbed when he saw Style and Juila holding a gun.

” He’s the kid of the real owner.” A man with a thick asain accent said.

Style saw the little sparkle in Julia eyes and also in the eyes of the girl he earlier saw, whom he would later know as Heler and her bf John. Her bf too was relied by jealousy

Juila looked at the stunned black guy.

” Take a seat handsome..” She said, pointing at an empty seat.

The door was bandged on and style in a streak of fear, shot at the door, repeadetly, yelling. Thud of bodies dropping was heard. The shooting continued until the bullet finished.

Style sent John to check outside. John was so freaked out that he yelled;

” You wanna get us all killed?”

Style pointed the gun at him, reloading it.

John was freaked out. He kept bending slowly, more like a tiptoe, as though trying to evade Kyle from seeing him.

” Man, get the fuck up, I ain’t got no time for any stupid jokes. You hear me.”

John went out and checked. He looked at the bodies, looked at a smiling old man, he must have been the pizza delivery guy, cause he could see the ruined pizza pieced all over him. Then, he heard a slight thumping of a twige, and then he saw the saddistic look in the eyes of the gunman, that flinch as he took the shot, and by force, Juila pulled him inside. He could see the bullet as it flew above him, and took an aim at the old man who was holding hands with his wife. The old lady had screamed upon hearing the shot, and had turned to look at the old guy only to see that he was headless. The shock and yeiling, only for the second shot to stick her in the forehead, and to a great deal it was a peaceful euthanasia. She dropped dead on the table.

Juila had shut the door. Everyone was shivering from the cold breeze and fear.

A white jewish doctor had gone under the table to hide.

” WTF Juila, thought I told you to shut the door, but no you just had to be the hero, now two people are dead, great Job.” Style said.

” Who the hell are those guys, and why’re they trying to shoot us?” The white Jewish doctor asked.

” Good question, ” A voice outside yelled..

” Tell them Style, that you’ve woken up the lion and it’s gonna devour.. Handover the phone now, and pray to God that you didn’t send that video to anyone. Cark, your brother told you to drop it.. He was the innocent person. We had deal. He tell the cops that he was the one who shot at them durning the raid, and killed those two cops. He did that and I promised I’d take care of his family, and I’ve to an great deal kept my part. Boy, Cark just wanted your mom to stop thinking of him, to stop wanting to go through with cleaning all those white kids. It disgusts him having her work as a cleaner in all those crazy white neighborhood and after spend it on his chemotherapy, and he has a lot of love for you, Style… You piece of shit.. You should have gone lost your scholarship award to Standford. You had drugs on you when you went to play for your school here in New york.. I made it all go away. And what about the theft at that department store where you stole two pairs of shoes and those trousers, I still made the evidence go away, and in my debt, he was supposed to just take the fall for me… I had to end my psycho father. He was beating up my mom, and making her take drugs, just because he wanted to get rid of her, and spend time with his white skinny bimbo… I found pills just trailed around her. Her doctor was my Uncle Deir. He was in the house when I saw my unconscious mom. He told me she was sleeping, but I could see the ruffled way he stroked his hair, never looking at me. I thought it odd, seeing him in the living room. I told him I was gonna grab some food, which I did, before checking my mom in her room and I knew. I just grabbed my dad’s small gun and ran madly to the doctor. He was already colouring away, melting away.. I could see him shaking. He told me what had happened, everything. And then I shot him and I went after my dad. I could track his gps. Off course, he was in harlem. He was his police car. The yellow street light shone in the night darkness and I saw him when he rolled down the window and then I took the shot.. 6 times. I heard another cop was killed… Boy!”

Style and Juila docked down. They looked at each other. The lights outside was a mixture of the yellow street light and the light that came from the car headlight.

The white Jewish doctor’s name is Sam. He could hear the buzz of his phone while he hid under the bed. His wife’s name, Jai appeared as the caller. Typical Jail. He smiled.

The phone buzzed again and this time she left a message;

” Honey, are you okay, am watching the news! What’s going on? I miss you.”

Sam didn’t know why but he looked out the window and he heard ‘ no put your head down’ he couldn’t tell what swiped him off his feet but whatever it was, it was a life saver. He hadn’t landed on the floor when bullets were shot in through the window.

Style ran through the backdoor. Everyone followed him. A man holding a gun approached them and then Sam pressed his car keys and the car drove and flung the man into a thrash can.

” Wow, nice.” Malvin, the son of the owner of the resturant said ( the black kid)

They ran into the car, bending down as bullets were fired up in their faces.

Malvin took the wheels. Everyone sheriked as the bullet rammed the back screen of the car.

” Drive South.” Style yelled.

Malvin jammed the brakes, spun the car round as the bullets kept jamming the car and then jammed the car into an incoming bike that jumped from buildings, riding hard on parked cars, while flying over others, flew and rode in their direction like it was a super bike, only for it to go under in a few minutes.

The parked cars alarm could be heard, plus the shooting.

The drive was a rather slow one. Malvin turned on the radio. The shooting was live broadcasted.

“We bring you this headline of this evening. Manhunt for 6 locals in a cross fire with the police….”

” wait, what? The police? Style what the fuck is going on.?” Sam yelled.

No answer.

” Shit! Style what are we gonna do?” Juila asked

” You shouldn’t be here, with me. I told you to go back and stay with your mom but no, you decided to hide in the trunk of my mini van when I went to harlem to see my brother.”

Heler was heard whispering outside, trying to signal a police car that was parked opposite a mall. The car turned slowly. Heler could see the police light, but no blarring horn, or police voice talking. It was as though the car was on a highway in the middle of a go slow, the only problem here was that here was not a highway, the street was empty and it was midnight.

Malvin turned into a gas station at the west on Styles’ instruction. He stopped at one of the pumping machine. He didn’t get down. Malvin could see the man getting out from the front seat of the car, slowly. 2 other cars had closed in on them, blocking Sam’s car. Heler was freaked out. Style told Malvin to feing confussion and blow the horn and kept yelling;

“Out of the way asshole.”

Malvin could see both men. They looked ahead at a sepreate building. The driver was pointing at something with his ciggarates.

The police officer sneacked his way, heading towards the driver’s door. Malvin could see him, the way he held his gun, turning back and front. He approached the window.

” Hey officer, what can I do for you.?” Malvin asked.

” show me your drivers’ licences.”

Malvin’s eyes propped down to the change gear and before his eyes could jack up, bullets rammed out. He had heard the officer clutching his gun and had heard the round fired at the glass that wasn’t completly turned down.

But when he looked back, the officer was dead and Style had a gun pointed at the door. Before Malvin could react, Style pressed his legs which was on the throttle and the car rammed the other car. Malvin could see the stun on their faces as the car cut right through theirs. Malvin could see the big gash that his car caused by that collision but it didn’t create a hole in the building. And then the camera blinked on him in a red shot. He stood still. The shot came again 2 more times but he didn’t die. And then Helen yelled;

” We need to get moving people… Now!”

Sam quivered yells could be heard as he heard fast footsteps. It came in a incoherent manner with ramblings and he could see a twisted shadow errupting from the back of the building and Malvin melancholy drove right through the little gate and only when he made a left turn, did he see the homless old man in a very dirty, tattered, wrinkled solider uniform. The uniform looked like a burnt toast.

None of them could laugh or heave a sigh of relief. In fact they became more edgy when juila phone rang. It was her mom. She didn’t pick but juila noticed something odd, her mom never sends her a text imnediately if she didn’t pick her calls. She gave it 30 minutes and she never writes to Juila that she was in an emergency. Juila often used to wonder if it was her mom’s gigantic ego or just a mom’s ‘ don’t wanna get her worried.’ Look

But something didn’t sit well with her and she did call her mom but it went straight to voicemail, not odd. She was flabagasted by the way people towed the street of new york. She had been told by her dad that the people in new york never sleep. When she was younger, it sounded absured. She’d never been to new york before but her dad did a lot of traveling as a research scientist. But after her dad passed on, her mom moved over to new york, near her favourite plaza hotel. Today would make it a year since her mom moved in.

John nudgged sleppy Heler but Heler didn’t wake up, wouldn’t care about waking up. Her whole system had shut down. John wondered how someone can sleep so peacefully when death was knocking at the door, not the peaceful kind of death like sleeping and nnot waking up but by being blown to bits. Yes, it was a quick death, after just one shot to the head, whatever happens next was like being in a dream

(To be continued)

” Soft hands.” Mintell, the FBI guy said. Some corrupt motherfucker, she thought.

” Jack!” She heard herself calling his name..

” Just a minute Ashley.” He yelled over the shower.

The weather was really cold and the chill of the AC pricked her skin. She hugged herself, using the pillow as cover.

” Ash, what the hell? Lace the drink will ya… ” Mintell’s voice lashed out in her ears. It was a just a little quirkly chide but it rung in her ear like a loud drumbeat.

Ashley looked around. The shower tripped down a little.. She could hear him coming over. She panicked, and quickly released the powder mid air.

Jack was coming out to the bathroom when his phone rang.. It was in the bathroom.

” Oh shit.”

She could hear his ringing laughter and the lady he was on the phone with.

” Baby, I love you dear, you are very beautiful… “

He could hear her blushing and laughing.

” Tell the kids that I love them and am gonna be at home this saturday okay? Stay safe honey.”

Ashley could hear him laughing. She was telling him about her day.. And she was his wife… She knew.

His wife had a loud voice, hysteral, Mintell would say.. And for the first time, the reality of what she had to do starred in her face. She had to kill someone, some guy she fucked at a bar in spring street, Manhattan and her husband was in the police force. He never showed any anger at her.. Never would have brought it up if she hadn’t seen a text he sent to Mintell and it read;

” My bitch wife screwed me over with that dude.”

She wondered how he saw the leaked video, until she went on youtube and discovered that the son of a bitch Jack, had put their damn sex on the internent… Bitch! She thought and that was when she heard the cough sound, turn around to find her husband, Tim starring at her, cross armed, legs crossed, leaning on the door in his gray suit. He had this flushness about him.

” Hey Tim!” She said slowly.

He didn’t say anything. He just took his phone, his fingers flitched in between her fingers easily and the phone gut out like a fish.. He kissed her on her cheek..

” If you want us to talk then you gotta take me out on a date.” He said, turning to leave.

She would never forget how vague her mind was. There was fear running through her mind, jolting like a sharp pain and then her phone and there was Jack.. He told her to come over at his place, and then he made their sucking sound that made her laugh.. Jack, oh boy Jack..

She would go back to her work at a bakery store.. That would take another 45 minutes. But when she got there, she saw the cops and a whole bunch of people at the store. Her boss, Jason was wearing that his stripped navy blue Jack and he was just talking with a despisal look in his eyes.. He looked at me withat look the moment I walked in. He heaved a sigh.

The cop turned around and looked at her;

” Good morning ma’am… Would you like to come to the police station with us?.”

” Am I under arrest or something?” Ashley asked..

” No, we just….”

” Then I will just take my leave then.”

She didn’t say anything before she moved towards the counter when her boss blocked her..

” Didn’t you hear the cops, go on to the station with them, get on here.” Her boss said.

” What the hell?” She yelled..

” Drugs, that’s what the hell… You use drugs, and now you know what, a lady is suing us okay because of you.. Remember the chocolate Cake that you baked for her for her daughter’s graduation, well they were driving home from her school when she started loosing consciousness. They had to rush her to willam street and they found traces of Valium in her body. Also, we’ve had over 15 medical reports from parents concerning their kids who went to the party.. 3 of those medical reports were from affected parents. There was an accident scene involving two parents who blackoutt durning their ride home and crashed into a departmenent store. Gps was used to track them to the party.. Now, get the hell out of my store and follow this gentlemen.”

Ashley looked back at the cops. They just led her inside the car.. They drove her to the police station. Then it’d hit her, her husband was a cop.

Timothy was her husband’s name. He is a sergeant. He doesn’t look at her when they bring her to his office. He just sips his coffe, everytime till a call comes and he leaves.

An officer takes her downstairs where she is kept in the waiting room. Lots of people come in, everyone with an angry stare when they look at her.

” Just start praying little girl, pray hard because by the time am done with you, you’ll never see the light of the day.” She squints everytime she looks at her.

Ashley looks at the women then turns around and watches the TV. Reporters were filing in, taking turns to ask the reporters questions… Her boss, Chester was having time, stretching his suit more often as he talked.. He often would snag at a spot in his suit to clean off nothing.

One of the reporters, asked him if he knew Ashley was using drugs.. He repiled with a no..

” I never suspected a thing.. To be honest, I enjoyed working with her, you know she’s pretty.”

Ashley saw how angry the reporter was, and so was everyone in the police building;

” Wow, so dumb… I use to think my 5 year old son was a dumbass, Well this old wennie just proved me wrong… ‘ Did he just say she has a great body?’ ” An old lady in a caftian hat said, while making a bursting sound with the gum.

The reporter was interviewing everyone at the bakery store. One of the old ladies at the store called her a boner and told the reporter that if she were a judge, she’d make sure that Ashley have full overdose of the valium and then her ass is hurled naked on the news. Ashley could see that crooked smile on her face at her own reviere. But that didn’t seat too well with her.

Seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Timothy never strolled in to see his wife even though he passed by her cell a few more times than usual, talking to a cop and half smiling.. She was shackled and locked in a cell.

Few days later, her lawyer friend, Mrs Cooper came to the police station to bail her out.. Bonds was 300, 000 dollars and as her friend held unto her like she was arresting herself.

Boy, Ashley could see the look on the caftini woman with a dread hair. She was the mother of Lily the girl that did her graduation party, that got drugged. She didn’t want Ashley out and watching her walk out only made her choleric.

People were protesting around the police station..

” She’s gotta be in jail.. ”

” You drug our kids and now you’re out on bail.. America is fuckin shit.” A black said throwing his soda drink on her..

“My baby almost died because of you!” An Asain lady said.

Mrs Cooper helped her in the front seat while she took the driver’s seat….

A black used his baseball bat to break the windscreen. She had to pull the car back, almost hitting some protesters behind the car..

The Car started moving.. Ashley looked inside Mrs Cooper’s car and noticed how neat it was. She just wanted to inhale something good. Few days of staying in a cell right beside a small toilet had just made her Coil.

Mrs Cooper was driving and then made a stop at a gas station.

Ashley looked on as she stepped out to buy the gas.. She saw a man come out of a fancy store that was inside the gas station through the mirror and he was putting on his dark shades. She saw him walking towards the direction of the car, he made a little wave at Mrs Cooper and before she could tell, she heard;

” Hey beautiful!”

She turned around and saw the bald man, holding a big nylon bag and Ashley saw all the contents fall out through the bag and she stared at the ripped end of the bag and the rage in his eyes. Fortunately, Mrs Cooper dashed inside the car, flung a bag of groceries at the back.. There was this radiant smileon her face and she kept spluttering.

” Hey, girl you look so happy..” Ashley said.

Mrs Cooper gave an embrassed smile.

” Ummm. Thanks for bailing me out okay.. I don’t know how to pay you.”

” You can start by staying away from all that shit.”

There was nothing funny about that but she started laughing.

Ashley noticed her hands were on the radio and she was turning the radio up. Aretha Franklin music was playing on the radio.. Funny though was how she could hear it because the radio volume was in the bearest minimum, like she didn’t even notice that it was there.

Mrs Cooper dropped Ashely at her home in Memphis.. She told Ashley that she needed to catch up with her law firm but that they should grab a beer later that evening.

” Sounds fun” Ashley said.

Ashley starred at her brick walled house. The house was quiet but she knew Tim was around. He didn’t want to see her. She waited for few more seconds before she made a squeak sound with her feet and Tim came out and opened the door.

” Hey dear, dear.. What a surprise.” He said with a bored look before turning around and entering. Ashley could see tons of people in the living room. Ashley noticed a young white guy. He never once looked at her but he was talking to an Asain lady who had a pretty weird manicured fingers.. The nails shapped in different sprouts. She could see cheese and half eaten nachos in different plates. She knew everyone there worked at the police force and while they played Chess, she strolled into her room. Tim never looked once in her direction.

As she was bathing, she overheard them talking;

” Real pain in the ass isn’t she?” A lady asked..

” No my daughter and me ain’t close like that.. Her mother convinced her that her father is a killer and people have been looking for my ass and even shot her once because of me.. But she’s just doing that because she hates me being in the police force.. She calls a selfish son of a bitch who would want his daughter to be without a father just so he could pursue his stupid career… You know I would have understood that but she’d be the one rattling my ass out after I lost my career in pro bowl . After a seventeen year old who was trying to blackmail me, told the cops that I had tried to rape her the night before at a homecoming party the night before.”

” Wow, lols… She’d beat your ass right? ” Ashley heard a grunt before the voice continued; ” I mean your wife? ” The voice said, after few seconds.

” Yeah, but not physically. She paid guys to do it.. She even set my car on fire. I went grocrey shopping at a mall in greenish street and when I came out , I saw a fire downtown. My car wasn’t there and it never occured to me that it was mine until I saw the news on TV about a white beared guy taking a car from a mall and crashing it on an electric pole. I noticed the car and I became frantic.. I called the cops but they had no dna and the picture of the guy was blurred.

Next thing I know, in my buffled state, I didn’t know when I came out of the mall under the rain and then this cab kicks into the curb. I could see thousand of people walking around me, and then I was knocked out and the next thing I know, I was blindfolded, kicks and punches on me at the same time, I could feel the pain but I couldn’t pass out no matter how hard I tried. I could feel it, taste it, smell it.. Next thing I knew I was at my apartment and my phone beeped and it read;

” Bastard, I sent those men, and now you’re marred.. Thanks baby.” I knew the text was from my wife… She’s crazy.” The Black cop finally said. The Asain lady was laughing.

Ashley came out only for Tim to come in. He wore his American football jersey. He didn’t say a word to her before grabbing a book on the table. His art works. He drew a lot. He wanted to show it to them. She could feel the tension hardnening in her gut. She wanted to say something, to go out there and beg him to forgive her for cheating on him but the words wouldn’t form. Then Jack texted her. He wanted her to meet with him at a basketball event in Harlem. It all felt too sunday. She just got out, even though not technically out of prison. She had her bail hearing tomorrow but fuck it, she had to go.

” Great.. What time.?” She asked..

” 6pm.”

” Sure great!”

Ashley dropped the phone with such viciousness that the phone bounced up in the air before coming face down on the floor. She heard the laughter from the living;

” Wow this is neat!”

” Gerogous… Really neat… You should go into animation making.. You’re really good!”

Tim’s Co workers left by 4pm, after countless hours of shouting and laughing. A black guy among them made me nervous. He kept asking for rounds of drinks.. While laughing and jumping in an inebriated manner. I didn’t like the way he kept talking about the way he kept talking the number of ladies that he had slept with and their pussies. It was berating, the way he made refrence to it and then he would compare them to his exwife who, according to him had a very tiny pussy and didn’t have fine ass like them. He kept berating his exwife, showing them pics of her and then his hot model. Ashely didn’t like the South African lady who kept wholping like a guy. She was cussing his exwife, laughing at her gigantic nose and her oversized stomach and her fat face.. More laughs and then she went inside.

Tim came inside the room and had this staleness on him. He jerked and fell on Ashley. He was laughing pretty hard. It was clear that he was drunk.

Jack came by 6. Tim was still slepping. He didn’t stir when Ashley plunged him on his stomach when she was trying to get up from the bed, nor when her elbow jabbed his face. She could hear his voice and each time she tried to move a little bit, she bumped into something. She kicked the electric lamp, shattering the bulb, then knocked her feet on the metal door. She could feel the clamping pain as she put on her loose cover shoe. She didn’t want to go on her pink tight heels because it would increase the pain.

Jack was outside her door, holding a pen knife, almost striking it when he stopped himself.

Ashley was too stunned to speak. She watched him take some deep breaths before tugging it at his back pocket.

“Sorry about, thought it was your husband.. You know ever since you told me that he was a cop, I’ve been having this feeling that he’d find out about us, and shoot me in the head, and maybe shoot u.” He said, wiping the sweat on his forehead

Ashley heard a groan and jumped into Jack’s car. Jack, open the driver seat, counted a few seconds before driving off.

“He’d find out about us.”

Jack clutched the brakes.

“What?” He gasped

” He was telling his friend about it… Nothing serious.”

Ashley could see the tension in his eyes but he kept driving. He didn’t go to any basketball event, instead he drove to Chinos hotel. The hotel was grand, and so was the price. The stiltness of the building took my legs away. The yellow lights that plunged the room and the chandiler and the waterfront colour that was used on the walls reminded me of a museum I saw on TV in paris. They took our Usual room, top floor, room 39. It was weird that they were only spending a night here. They would normally go over the weekend before.

Ashley plopped myself on the bed while Jack took off his shirt and was clad in his boxers, his favourite, he once told her

The basketball had gun a little far by the time we turned on. Jack cursed under his breathe. The players for the two teams were wearing black strips and yellow strips. Each running, and stretching out in a bend. Ashley just saw the ball bouncing in the direction of the two sides.

Once, a team member from the black stripped team made a throw and the ball flew at a very long distance, players jumping up to bounce back the ball but it slipped throw their fingers. Each time Ashley saw this men, the way there broad shoulders and legs zapped midair, their chest chimming together, she would stare. The match play filmed slowly in her mind. The ball missed the net by a far distance,  and Jack yelled;

“Air ball! Yes!”

Ashley didn’t know what Airball meant but She didn’t want to stop Jack who was so excited. He had poured a drink for the two of them. She watched as the game score kept increasing, in one points, two points three points and 4 points. She didn’t understand why the players splayed one on one, or why some players were awarded free throws when they were fouled. Scoreline ended 99 98. Win to the yellow stripped team. Jack wasn’t happy but he just laughed.

Jack and Ashley had sex after the game. It was a well deserved sex after a semmingly long day, long week for Ashley.

They laid there, giving slient moans and touching each other. They could hear the loud moans from the room next door, the thumping and the shattering of a broken whatever. Guy was screaming; ” Baby give it to me.” Girl was going ; ” Baby I love you, I wanna fuck you real good.” Then there was laughter and screams.

Mintell was at the police station, preparing to go out for some coffe, when his phone rang, it was a lady screaming;

“ Niggas gonna kill me, come get his ass out of here!” She said, then he heard her ranting to the man;

“I’ve called the cops, Come get your stuff out of here!” Then he heard a bang.

Mintell got into his car when he saw Josh coming into the building. He is a state trooper. He had this blurred look and looked more unsteady;

“ Hey boss!” He said, going over to shake his hands.

Josh didn’t shake his, instead he pushed him backward and shrugged. Mintell started smiling when he saw that little smirck on Josh’s face and then yelled;

“Old barf!” It was a nickname that came as a result of watching his pregenant wife give birth. She bled when she was giving birth, and that stern look the doctor gave him after he threw up. It was funny whenever Josh told the story, not because he said it but the pictures that flooded Mintell’s mind, of Josh, seeing his wife naked and seeing the baby coming out from underneath her legs and those pang cries. Whenever he described the way the scream goes straight in his head, and how he nearly fell on the bed where they were delivering his child and the way he just walked out, and the disapointing stare the doctor gave, It was so funny yet so soul crushing.

Now, nothing funny. Mintell is still funny and then called his nose a penguin nose and then slaps him playfully on the cheek and that was when Josh punch him on the nose and he fell down, the pain exploding on his face. Mintell touched his nose. It was broken and Josh stood still, still strickened by whatever was going on in his head but Mintell didn’t care anymore. He launched himself like a missle, sending Josh crashing on his car. He punched him again, twice then he saw a female officer coming. She was stunned, and when she heaved her shoulders, her sweatshirt seemed not to align with her curved great body.

Josh’s phone beeped. It was a voicemail that read; ”

” My Good God, Josh…. Tracy was rushed in and so was Amy.” At the mention of Tracy and Amy’s name, Mintell heart skipped a beat. His wife and daughter.

” Call Mintell, being trying the son of a bitch number, am sure he’s at maggrat’s, grabbing a cold beer and being stupid.” Few clicks and the line dead.

Mintell dropped the phone and joe groaned slowly as he rolled on his stomach. He couldn’t get up. He was a fat guy, but it never was a problem. He was so agile but now, no way.

Mintell went to where he was, took him by the throat and started slapping him back to conscious. Joe was swaying as he starred at him. Everything was glommy and dark. He could see figures poking at him. The image was scary. He wanted to close his eyes, to stop hearing the ringing voices.

” Get up! Get Up!!” Mintell was screaming as he kept hitting and punching Joe. He started knocking his head on the floor so hard and he didn’t want to stop, not when he heard the yellling and screams. He keot knocking joe’s head hard on the floor and was yelling ” bro, you gotta wake up, tell me where my family is.” He didn’t stop when Joe’s wife jumped on him. He pushed her away with a single fling. Joe wasn’t answering. Blood was oozing out, floating in different angle. It tool the intervention of Robert, a serg to pull him away. He fell off like a bad rip from a wax. He got up to fight Robert screaming; ” He knows where she is.” But Robert wasn’t old fat Joe. He punched him so hard that he fell with hard on the ground.

Mintell stared at Robert like a wounded animal. His damn nose was broken. An ambulance came to the scene. Joe’s wife was culding her husband. The doctors came out to pick joe up. Joe’s wife was screaming: ” Arrest that bastard! Arrest him, he tried to kill him.” Her face was beaming with tears and rage at the same time.

2 old guys came out of the police station, holding 2 cups of capaccino. They were white beard caucasians. Edgar and paddy. Edgar was an older blonde guy while paddy was the skinny bald guy. They looked pissed today, Robert noticed.

Edgar came forward, slipping and laughing out loudly. He was drunk. Mintell, noticing that everyone was staring at Edgar, wanted to make a run for the ambulance that was carrying joe when Robert gripped him hard by the arm.

Edgar was acting strange in a slur manner. He moved inchorently and was laughing. He was covered up in wine and the booze was smelt heavily. He was just laughing. Paddy was stunned by his friend. Few minutes ago, they were just talking and laughing and now, he was acting crazy. But what got it intense was when he started talking crazy stuff;

” Robs, do you know that your woman snores like a cow? Paddy, my good friend was telling me here just hours ago. He snuck into your basement to watch that Chucky movie.. He told me that he snuck around your house, entering your kids room, even saw your daughter, naked as she was having her bath. He saw your son masturbating, watching a pornsite. Then he entered your room and you weredoing it with your wife. He was under your bed, watching you both fucking and then he hears her snores and then tells me about the burrito and your baby’s breast milk he drank…”

” Robert wasn’ t listening anymore. Edgar was just blabbing. He could remember Jane, his wife, telling him about seeing a shadow following her. She was damn scared and didn’t sleep well at all last night. In between her sleep, she would yell. Then the thought of his daughter and then he snaped. He grabbed Edgar by the throat and threw him on the floor, then he grabbed paddy by the throat, raised him up, sending him crashing through the windshield of Mintell’s police car. Paddy was turned inside out on the driver’s seat with a shred of glass closing in on him.

Mintell’s phone chimed ” Just snitched on my best friend just to get you where you need to be right now, at Decker’s hospital with your family, hope it wasworth it.” Mintell saw the quick smirk on edgar’s face as he tried pulling Robert away and Robert pushing him away. He got away from the scene of the fight, got close to Mintell and bugged him. Mintell could see a Key, a phone and a wallet and he knew it was Roberts. He quickly entered Robert’s Car that was parked a few meters from where they were, Ignited it and Zoomed with the speed of hof life. The car crashed into 2 Cars that was parked opposite each other. He didn’t give a fuck whose cars it was.. He was ready for some bashing and paperwork.

Tracy and Amy were in Decker’s hospital in East Harlem. Mintell got there by 2am. His phone has been ringing, he knew it was the Clamor, the chief inspector but he didn’t pick. He wanted to throw Robert’s phone out but he wanted to hold on to it and maybe there was no reason to.

A group of police officers were outside the hospital. He saw them in their cars . He knew two of the officees AJ and Kyle. They were radioing each other. He could hear them from the car’s radio signal; ” Anyone seen Mintell yet?” A voice asked. It was Kyle, he had that scowl on his face. ” Nah… Just arrest the dude, book him up for something, Car theft, drunk driving, anything or overspeeding.. We need to keep him from finding out what happened to Amy… I pray she’s alive, I mean the level of Cocaine in her body is too much.. We’re with Tracy now in the hospital.. We made her promise not to contact Mintell if she was to be in the room with her daughter… Man, she’s crazy.” Another cop said. Aj tilted his head outside a little before looking back.. ” Hey guys, I’m seeing a cop car parked by the hospital. The lights are on. I think it’s Robert’s Car, I’m seeing that Amy drawing on it in light blue.. I think Mintell’s here..”

” Okay, don’t do anything stupid… because right now he’s really so fucked up right now.. What he needs now is a friend, someone who would tell…” Kyle wasn’t listening anymore. Mintell just got out of the car and started moving towards the hospital, hoisted a gun midair. He was coming.. Kyle came out, pointing a gun, shakingly and yelled; ” Nypd.. Hands in the air.” But Mintell didn’t stop. He kept moving, hoisting a gun midair. He looked crazed. Mintell shot the gun and it missed Kyle by the hairs. Kyle was stretching out the phone, his hands sweaty, he could feel the warm urine trickled in the middle of his shorts. He was failing badly, failing to keep his shit together. And then he shot Mintell in the thigh. Mintell squirmed and lay low. He wasn’t moving. He was cussing. Kyle had him point blank, but Mintell didn’t Care. He saw Mintell clutching to his side and he wanted to shot when he heard a gunshot, it was Aj screaming; ” Drop the gun.” Kyle heard bang and he could feel the blood cluster running in his head, the adernaline coming sharp. He turned around, pointing the gun at AJ whose bullets finished. He pointed the gun at him. Aj was pressing the gun, nothing, and each sound trigged that rage in his head. Mintell shot him on the leg and he fell down, passed out.

Mintell jerked back, got up. He was hopping on one leg. AJ got up. Someone was yelling on his walkie talkie; ” is everything alright. Aj are you there?” Aj wanted to talk but Mintell held up the device and spoke; ” Yeah we are okay but you gotta open the door.. I got shot in the leg.” Whoever was on the line didn’t bother asking for Kyle, instead he gave a signal and the door was open. Kyle got up, groaning. Mintell didn’t give him the chance to stir before knocking him out with his gun. Aj sighed in relief.

Aj went in and Mintell followed him behind, pointing a gun behind him and bending so low that he was almost crawling. There were few murmurs; ” Where’s Kyle?” A male voice asked ” How would I know? The fucker tried to shoot me and I knocked him out, he’s lying on the lawn, maybe, I don’t care.” The way Mintell clenched the gun more forcefully on his back sent him into panic mode. He started shaking. Aj was starring at his name tag on his uniform ” Chase” written in bronze letters. The man was still talking when he noticed the pool of blood forming under Aj’s. Aj didn’t know when he started pancing when chase asked him if it was his blood. He never reliazed that it was there. But now seeing it, it scared the shit out of him. The thought of him being shot and taken in for surgrey and then worse of all, that he was dying made him freak out. He just saw himself being flung into the secretary’s desk.

Mintell was holding Chase by the neck. He looked at the terrified way everyone in the waiting area was starring at him. He saw an old man on a wheel chair with a ‘ get well soon card’ and another little girl holding a ballon and a mint candy and for a moment he was distracted, and the next thing he knew was hearing thumping sounds, the cops were coming. He heard someone screa talking from a megaphone ‘ Suspect is in the building with a gun and has one of our men at gunpoint, two are knocked out and he’s scared and angry.. Don’t try to shoot unless you have to.” The police surrounded the entrance of the building within seconds. Each guy was wearing his uniform, fixed in the same position, holding their gun in the same position which was pointed at him. Mintell looked at himself in the camera and judt smiled, that evil freak smile. Then he looked at the men. He knew them, most of them were just new recurits. He is a sergent. He looked at his left side and could envision his sergent stripe . He looked at himself in the Camera and couldn’t help but camera at his crazy damn self. He’d age in 24 hours. He unloaded his gun. ” Dont evebn think about it Mintell you don’t have a choice but to turn yourself in.” A fellow sergent was talking. He knew the guy. They were partners, and they used to grab pizza together burt now, this guy, lui was just performing his staged act for the cop.. Mintell didn’t give a damn. He just unloaded his gun and telked ” Yo, guys, I don’t think we have much time, I set the bomb timer at a minute and few seconds immediately I heard you guys coming and now, 30 seconds. ” he said laughing, pointing at the bomb timer on his chest. ” Are you crazy, your wife and kid are gonna die too!” Lui yelled. ” You guys should get out of my fuckin way, I wanna see my family.” The timer went from 30 to 16 seconds. He could see the parlaysed fear on the officers faces. He could hear Chase coughing, reeling from his chokehold. ” Let him go man, you’re killing him” Lui said quietly, transfixed. He was damn scared and so was everyone else. People were running and screaming. He loved the chaos. The timer was in 10 seconds countdown. Just then Tracy ran in between the cops to Mintell. Lui was mouthing no but no words came out. He couldn’t move his body. As soon as Mintell saw her, all his prowes were hurdled down. He broke out in a hug and a sweat. The timer was going in 5, 4, 3, 2… Lui could see his life flashing before his eyes. Something so heavy was flung at him so that he fell down. The timer rang 6 times like a car alarm and it ended. Tracy broke out from the hug. Mintell stared at her. God was she beautiful. She was tear eyed and her face was swollen in tears but damn, her colour didn’t drain her. They looked around and smiled. The cops had passed out.. The entrance door was broken down. Car alarm could be heard outside. Everywhere was so quiet. Mintell looked at the cops. Even tough old Lui was on the floor. He kept kicking them and stomping on them as he walked with Tracy in a hug embrace. The hospital building was so quiet only the whirling and beeping of machine could be heard. They saw a doctor and a nurse curdled together as they lay unconscious on the floor. They could hear the shattering of a glass outside. Patients who were bed ridden were thrown downstairs, Coffe mugs were broken on the floor. Water was on the floor. People were tumbled on each other in their unconscious. A fat guy farted on two women and a man as he laid on them. ” Damn” Mintell said laughing. They could see blood trickles in small prints to where the elevator was. It even stained the elevator door. The machine was stuck. There were lots of people in there and in their panic, they were pressing it up and down and it got stuck and they had passed out. Hurlded together, there were about 40 people in there.

Mintell walked into his daughter wardroom. Doors were flunged open. Amy was lying there, passed out. She had a bruised eye and a bloodied mouth. There were so many stiches on her. Her heart beat was normal, Mintell could tell. The machine was reading normal. A doctor was was passed out on the floor. ” That’s Dr Angelo, he’s been taking care of Amy and he’s been keeping me updated since we came here.” Tracy said. Mintell didn’t care who he was. He grabbed his by the collar and smacked him twice… The man was writing in pain.. ” What happened to Amy? Is she gonna be okay?” The doctor’s eyes were blurred, and he couldn’t make out what was going on… ” what the hell happened to my daughter?” But the doctor’s eyes gave out. ” You’re chocking him! The doctor said that she’s gonna be fine” Tracy said, holding Mintell’s arm. ” The power inthe buiding went out and came back on, and then the police came into the wardroom. and then the police came into the wardroom. Lui made a loud whistle, took a deep breathe before speaking; ” Your daughter was found stabbed and raped by a hiker yesterday at 11:30am. He saw a black van strode into the mountain area, threw her out and turned right and continued. He didn’t see the licence plate number and he couldn’t identify anybody in the van. They threw her through the window.  Amy lost a lot of blood but she survived. A little boy was rushed in few minutes later with his mom but he was already dying and the doctor’s knew he wasn’t gonna make it so they begged his mother to do a blood tranfusion and she agreed,  bless her heart. And boy was I petrified when we figured out that it was your kid.. I called Tracy but I didn’t want to let you know,  and now we have a match from the semen that was found in her body. It belongs to a guy named Jack.”  Mintell starred at the police.

S

”

”

Juila Shrieked immediately Malvin drove up north to her house. The multi colour party held in the hotel was a bomb. It looked less noisy on the outside but man, the flash of lights, plus the stripers who were dancing on a pole. One of them even came out to dance with the old guard. He was black and damn, Malvin knew he hatted sitting out there all alone. He wanted to join in the fun. He didn’t let the lady finish kissing him, before picking her up and carrying her inside. Malvin noticed the way her hands moved towards his hip and swiped the keys there and everyone kept saying ” damn! The girl got the moves.” Except Juila who had got out of the mini van. Style, realizing it went after her.

• 

John realizing it, told Malvin to turn the car around which he did. He made a slow move towards them.

” Hey Juila, any luck with your mom?”

” She texted me.” She repiled, kept on with the pace. This made Malvin ask;

” Are you sure it’s her, I mean she’s not asking if anyone’s with you or something?”

Juila got so angry that she threw her phone at Malvin but he dodgged it and it just slid inside the car.

” Now that’s expensive.”

Style followed Juila. He didn’t follow her head on but kept his pace. It was so dark, he could hear the sound of a Car crash and the alarm blarring. He could hear people loud thrashing themselves.

Juila got to the front of her house. It was a stale of numbness. She could see the glass window still broken, her mom never fixed that. Juila would never forget that night it happened, the false fire alarm. She had heard it trigger, or so she claimed and had jumped out the window. Her mom had heard the car alarm squeak the moment her feet touched the car and she had jumped out in her nighties with a rifle. She would have taken a shot hadn’t it been for Juila’s scream.

Now Johnwatched as Heler quietly whispered her mom’s name as they approached the house. The tv was still on and the lights were turned off.

Juila took a step foward and noticed the flicker of lights around her. She wanted to take another step and then a shot with full speed, richocheted in the air, Style jumped in and they were thrown into her mom’s lawn. Juila, in a force of habit jumped out of the lawn.. Her mom never liked anyone on her lawn.

The shot had hit the mini van Malvin and the other guys were in and Sam’s scream shot like a shelling and Malvin ducked out.

Style took Juila by the hand and they ran into the van with 3 round of bullet jabbing in their direction. Style had thrown her into the van as they approached it and he made a jump for it.

3 guys in night goggles sprung out from the bushes and ran after them, shooting at them. Bullets broke the back lights and the back screen. Everyone ducked. Malvin looked through the outside Mirror and saw 3 cars chasing them. In each of the cars, the back windows were turned down and hands were outside with riffles in their hands shooting at them.

Malvin turned the car back and front. The shot were fired at the outside mirror, where Malvin was and he screamed. Style was jamming his gun and he fired it outside, aiming at the tyre of the car at the front chase, and it crashed up and exploded.

A shred of glass fell on sleepy Juila and a stomp on the head by a shoe almost sent her on a infuriating rage. She got up to drag Sam by the leg when he crashed on her after series of shooting.

The 2 cars chased them. One of the cars drove to front, went on a shoving edge with Sam’s car. Sam yelled, thinking there was an earthquake, as the ground seemed to spilt because of the way Malvin made a drag with the Wheels as he tried keeping it steady because of the forceful by the shooting car.

John was at the backseat hiding, pulling his knees over in a shrug hug. He closed his eyes, warm tears blurred his vision, then he saw his mom and little brother and his girlfriend, Heler and his best buddy, Ted. His grand parents in their wood house in Nebraska. He had so much to leave for. He couldn’t think about not being there for thanksgiving and having to try his grand mom’s cookie, or not having to ride his Uncle Ben’s Car, or not play prank wars with his brother. He saw them vanishing in his immagination, slowly they all disappered in sparkles. He tried holding on to them but a thud on the head knocked him back,  accompained by gun shot that broke the glass by the side door. Malvin gave the chair a big bump, sending it flying in the air, flung up before crashing on the floor. Heler looked appalled and then pulling her injuried arm, She saw John. She just saved his butt. She had knocked him off the chair with her shoes, he’s in for a major headache. But it was better than death and she thought he has dead when she saw him sprawled on the floor and what seemed like a blood pool formed around his head which turned out to be the wine that Sam had kept in the car for the wedding anniversary of his wife. It was the next day and now it was broken, shattered. The broken glasses was a dead give away. John gave Heler the middle finger and they both started laughing.

Malvin had kept driving hard. The bullets kept rainning on the car. He looked through the rear mirror and saw the car behind, just one more car. He kept speeding, looking at it before Sam yelled at him and turned the Car which was in a headlong with a black cannon truck. It missed him by a spilt second, and just when he was able to dodge that, he crashed in the hotel that they had seen earlier close to Juila mom’s house.

” Everyone out.” Style yelled.

Everyone was still, trying to hold their breath, when bullets broke through the window and a grenade was tossed into the car. John yelled and threw it out and the blasting sent everyone in a frenized state of madness. Sam was clutching the door handle that seemed stuck. Heler broke the window with her elbow and didn’t feel a thing. The Cannon truck hit the Car with a full force that threw John out the window as he tried climbing out.

Malvin was hiding behind the tyres, holding his gun. Sweat was dripping from his brows. He could see people coming out from the car, speaking in a disoriented manner that was smeared with ‘ Fuck’ .

Malvin didn’t know when a hand pulled him under the car after he sound of guns. He looked back at Styles and nodded. And styles responded with a shot on the legs on the shooter.

Heler hid under the seat and wrapped herself with a blanket. Since she was very slim and short, her body could fit the ground, or one would think.

2 men climbed into the car. One of them poked his gun at a dead human being. Heler couldn’t see the faces of anybody but she heard one of them say

” Leave the dead mirck, we’ve got bigger fish to fry.. ” Then she heard a clank at the side of the car, and both men looked out the window, shouting something in chinese before shooting at the glass. She could hear the glass shreds as it fell. More Chinese and just then I heard ” Jump” And then gunshot and I didn‘t know when she flew out the window. One of the gunmen looked at me, point blank, pulled the trigger, wanting to fire when his face was thrown back in a twig and he just started falling but she fell out the window, just after missing a shot from the second shooter.

Heler couldn’t move after she hit the ground. The second shooter came out and looked at her, aiming for her but started shooting at Malvin who had distracted him by shooting at the window. He shot back, bullets scattered around her, people dropping to the floor. Then a gun knocked her out.

Sam was hiding behind the counter in the lounge, holding a bottle in case someone attacked. Shots were scattered around him. An old guy had come out into the area through a door holding a glass of wine with two glass cup, nodding to a dj beat that was playing on his headphone. He was drunk , sam could tell. Sam heard him yell;

” Whose ready to party?”

Watched him raise his hands up in the air, only for two rounds to clip him.

Sam could see the way his mouth was turned in shocked, holding his hands and then the third round sent him crashing face down. Sam was stunned. He’d never see anybody being shot at. He needed to get the fuck out of here.

The moment everyone was waiting for came. I wasn’t expecting it. There was laughter, music and more music. Nick was back in his suit and tie and for a second, I forgot about watching him fuck 3 ladies and I actually smiled at him. He did return the smile by blowing a kiss in my direction, and I saw a lady yell;

” Wow, so she’s calling us nuts? We’re getty our asses bursted cause Nick’s cheating on her, only for her to make out with him before us… It’s really nice, like my dad used to say, to mind your own damn business.”

The lady beside her yelled traitor. The whispers grew louder, like a running stream. I couldn’t make out really what they said, but I knew people were peeved. The low talks were like coming at me and wanting to strangle me. I was literally pushing myself backward, and using my hands to block the invisble blows. It would make a good headline, I thought and Immediately, the camera light blew in my face.

But the dramma was far from over. Nick came on stage to pick his 3 ladies. Off course his first 3 were the ladies he fucked with on the bed, and then the other three where the ones he did the truth or dare game with. The ladies coming in the order of how they were called on stage. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t loose it as I watched. There were only 6 ladies, one more spot to go. Then, I saw the lady who was earlier on, having the mortgage small talk with her husband run out on stage. Her name was Mary, I heard her husband calling her as she ran up there.

” Looks like we have our final 7 .” Nick said.

Then I heard a shout from the back…

” No…. No… ” The voice yelled, plunging it’s way to the ground. People kept pushing back, as if she was literally throwing them away. She marched forward. It wasn’t Gina, it was Janet. I haven’t seen her in like forever. She looked someone whom was jamed by a car and had it climb over him. Everyone was too stunned. She looked like a druggie, there was the way her eyes were, I could see it in there.

She went over to where the ladies were standing, and Nick, when he saw her, climbed down the podium.

” Janet… Longest time.” He said.

I saw Nick turn off his mic. I just saw him talking slowly to Janet, Janet smiling, the other ladies infuriated, then Nick stretched out his hands, for her to climb the little stairs and then the ladies yanked her down.

Janet is very plumpy with an olive skin. Mary was the one that had the go at her with a black lady and a white lady. I could hear ” bitch.” ” oversized animal.!” ” Whore.!” And more insults. It was thrown on each other like a bomb, yet it was us, the audience, that felt the impact. We could hear every word spoken cause they had mics on them. People who were videotaping were laughing and mortified at the same time.. The police had to get involved. The mayor was shivering.

“Mary, what the fuck, wow you know you’ve really fucked up. You were shortlisted as a nominee for the supreme court, wait till this scene gets out in the press, am personally gonna testify against you.” The mayor said.

I saw her look at the Mayor, then at the cameras. The lights gave out and suddenly I watched her fall down. It was so dramatic, like they do in films. The way she stood before dropping down like a cartoon was hilarous…

Someone was screaming medic. The mayor came to her, his seeminly anger fading away. The press circled around her. Cameras rolling. I could hear;

” Oh my God.”

I saw them shake her, yell out her name. Nick, stood watching. Janet was so scared. I could someone yelling at her;

” Hope you’re happy now bitch!.”

Janet ran off .

Her husband rushed up to the podium. He was screaming her name, pressing himself to her, kissing her. Nothing!

” She’s dead, she’s dead because of u.” I saw him lurch at the mayor but security guards held him.

Then I heard screams. I was at the front row so I could see everything. Mary opened her eyes.

” Wow, she’s awake! OMG.” A lady yelled.

Cameras were at it again. The husband held unto his wife but I knew it was all an act… I could see the evil smile on her face, though it reverted quickly whenever she looked at the camera.

Mary got up and moved over to the group of the ladies. The seven whores, I call them.

I was still standing and watching, when someone bumped into me. It was an old black guy, old grins, white hair. He wanted me to take him photos with his 2 grand kids. They stood by the docks. Old man loved them very much, it was touching.

After the shots, a young lady in glasses and a shevon gown and matching came forward. She did smile when she saw me. It was weird. I had only seen her in this party, she was the one telling the other two guys that she would never date nick, that she’d kill him if she were me.

” Hello Grace.” She said, stretching her shriveled arm. She had the arm of an eighty year old. She still looked so beautiful and young on her face.

” Am Cyndy.. You don’t know me but I know you.. My sister kidnapped you once in trying to get back at Nick. She even called me once about seeing you in the same cell as her. She told me how terrifed you were when you saw her… “

I was numbed. She’s Sam’s sister.. WTF. It was as though the bridge we were on would collapse and then the river would drown us all.

I looked back at the old man and I could see hate and anger on his face when he looked at me. And I didn’t know why until I heard Nick’s voice again..

” Grace, just wondering if you would like to take a ride with me on the speed boat.”

There was no warmth in his eyes when he looked at me. I could see pain in his eyes.. And then I saw him kiss one of the ladies and stroke her ass. I knew he was using me to cloud chase. He wanted me to be the bad one.

Cyndy mouthed a no.

The cameras were on me, everyone turning in my direction. I heard a low tune..

” Well, this Nick guy is really nice, seriously how can you want to go on a ride with your crazy ass wife who tried to blow you?”

” Beats me! Hmmm.” Another voice replied.

Drinks, my head was hurting. The old guy wanted me to join forces with him to hurt Nick. I saw the way he looked at Nick again. I took one, ran up to the podium and smiled and kissed him.

“Just so we clear, am doing this for the cameras.. Am gonna fuck you big time on that ride.. You just walked into a hell of a trap.. Fucking bitch.” He said, as we kissed.

And then I heard the shocking gasp from the crowd.. He didn’t turn his mic off.. It was echoing loudly.

I could hear people screaming;

“Did you get that? WTF? Boy, is she dead? Nick’s a fucking sly! The jonas brothers are back! ”

Then more camera clicks.

And then I smiled and said;

” Thought you’d never ask.”

”

I would never forget how snappy the female officers wanted me out of prison. I had expected this day, but I really was surprised. The cops didn’t want me having a chat with any of the women prisoners. They kept guard at the door while I showered, and I had on me my release pants which was wrapped. I starred at them. I couldn’t believe I was finally leaving this cell, a life I had hated but could do no damn thing about it. Everyone starred at me.

I was bumping into people more often than I was counting my toes.

Then, there was the mean eyes of cops, clutching guns. I held onto the female officers who was excurting me. Then I saw them fill up some paperwork, and then the buzzer to clear me out.

There was something about that day. The summer heat blew in my face, and I’d laugh as though I have never seen the sun in ages.. I mean, maybe I wasn’t allowed outside of the confines of the metal gate, but I played basketball and did work my ass outside.. I had made 300 dollars since my stay in jail, well it was something.

• 

Tez drove in front of me. He didn’t come out and help me pack, I had to do that myself but I didn’t mind.

But when I opened the door of the backseat, I heard him say;

” Front seat.*

I wanted to say something but my tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth and so, I just entered the front seat… I saw the mean streak on his face, and I knew that I wouldn’t like what was coming.

He kept humming to songs played on the radio as we rode on the main street in sanderson. My eyes started darting around, capturing images of people; the old guy who was walking his dog, the sleeved white girl in tight mini top and mini skirt with a guy who was gyming with her. The wind blew in her face. She hadn’t seen a watch or a clock in over two years, nothing to tell the time, and no one wanting to know.

Tez would call at every interval to Nick;

” yeah sir, picked her up.. Now we’re heading to the airport… Hope u and rosaline are getting kinky.”

And almost immediately, I heard;

” Fuck off my phone.”

Line went dead.

I thought he would call back but he didn’t.. It was rude the way he spoke to Nick and any other guy in his right mind would twinge at the thought of being sacked but Tez didn’t and then it alarmed me. I wanted to ask him about Nick but I couldn’t.

We got on a plane and it felt like I was being expatriated. It was only the two of us that flew the plane. I still remember how shocked I was when I saw Max after we drove into an old crappy yard that was packed with lots of mechanical stuffs and dismembered plane parts and junks. I last saw him in Nevada. He was holding a bottle of soda and was covered in dirts. I couldn’t believe that Max fixed planes.

” Hey! Oh dear, Grace you’re out, thank God.” He said.

” Nick wants a quick plane… Anyone ready yet… We need to fly now, and Nick told me to bring her because he had moved out of the old house and he’s now in Amber street… So he sent me out here to bring her in.” Tez replied.

” But Man, I’ve been streaming live the pool party he’s having over there, you know with lots of crazy women… I mean with all the weird stuff.”

Tez looked at Max dissmisvely and so Max and Tez went over to look at the planes. I followed too. Lots of wrecked planes with their parts lying around. Seeing this broken pieces, I began wondering how many souls must have been sitting in these planes before it shattered.. Because, in my head, these planes were recovered from air crash scences. Suddenly, I didn’t want to fly on any of those planes. I wanted out. But I didn’t move.

The only thing I heard was;

“ Great, we will take it.”

I saw Tez bringing out much cash bundles and I couldn’t help myself from starring. Yeah, it was too much… 2 years in jail did mess up my brain.

Tez and I got on the plane hours later with some guy. Tez was the one flying the plane while the guy was reading the map for him, while I watched.

The plane was going really up and go really down. I had plane phobia, but there was nothing, at least no one to grab when the plane zoomed downwards.

I would hear the pilot yell;

” We are landing at 6000 feet.”

The jerking of the plane spooked me real hard, and I couldn’t heave out the thought of the plane crashing… I could hear shatterings and screams but nothing was real.

I was at the front seat of the car in a sun glasses wearing a hat. The seat belt was on while Tez was driving. I couldn’t tell how long was I out but damn, I didn’t like Tez attitude.

” Where are we?.” I finally asked.

No reply..

He clicked on his phone and made a quick call…

” Good day sir, Hope the deliveries are ready sir? It’s a surprise okay, don’t ruin it already… I can’t wait to see the speedboat… Thanks.”

He drove on, leaving me in the dark.

The house was a big house and nothing surprised me about the hugeness of the house, or it’s beauty.. Nick had a very good taste when it came to stuffs like this.

I could hear music and screams loudly as I entered the compound, and then I walked towards the compound. I could hear some ladies high pitched voices as they jumped into the pool.. Lots of guys and girls were in the pool, with a whole bunch of people around, holding cameras and smiling. People taking dives into the pool.

I just stood still, watching Nick go climax in the pool as he was been held by two ladies.

” Madam, your things.” Tez says, holding my bags. I was just starring, and then he addes;

” Need to take the car on a test run.”

He had on a pinned mic on him when he said that and this made everyone to look at me.

Nick looked at me in his sunglasses and yellow boxer, had two girls, rubbing and touching him. I didn’t freeze, didn’t look away. Instead, I said;

” Wow, the house is fine.. No surprises there though… I had one hell of a crazy day…..”

Then I heard the loud cheer. Biggie came over to where Nick was and showed him the video of the yatch Tez was in, accompained by 3 guys holding a video recorder and they were shouting;

” Happy birthday Nick, we love you.”

Nick’s name was written in red shimmer with drawings of guitar around it…

Then I heard the yatch engine glid off.

” Did you get their location?” Nick asked.

” No, but Tez told me that they were going to Hannibal, Missouri… He told us to meet him there…”

Immediately, I saw people running, screaming and laughing. All the cameras were removed, and I could feel the fast rush as people raced in diffeeent direction. A lady’s phone fell on the floor, a guy’s wallet fell. Then I saw a small folded scriped paper floating around people’s leg but no one kicked it. I wanted to go and pick it up but Biggie’s voice echoed in my head.

” Hey, you still here? You can’t stay here unguided.. Please enter the car, the party’s this way.”

He moved over to the driver seat while I wanted to enter the back door, only to see him pin the lock.

” Front seat, you’re not the boss of me.” And with that, he turned the engine on. I was too stunned to do anything, didn’t even know when I got into the car.

The laughter I heard at the riverside did the unwinding for me.. Lots of crowd by the docks… The mayor even came with his wife and he was the most excited. I saw a standpoint between the podium and the crowd and I saw someone going over, carrying the very huge check that was on the table with a very gigantic key and handing over to the mayor who presented it to Nick as an award. It was done so slowly. 2 ladies where by his side in hot mini crops. The way they rested their heads on him as the pictures were taken made me feel ansty.

Then the biggest award came. The yatch. And I watched Tez cruising it. The screams and laughter as the yatch came in buffuled me. The yatch, courtesy of his fans.

I overheard a guy telling a woman;

” We’re down to our last mortgage and you made me buy into your Idea to contribute money to buy a boat for this damn popstar. You didn’t even mind taking money from our son’s college trust savings.”

” Don’t paint me as a bad mom.. We could always replace it, and besides, you’re too uptight… It’s good to share once in a while. “The woman said.

” Don’t go cute on me honey… You’re giving because of your obession about him, and the funny thing is that he doesn’t know you exist.”

” Trust me, he will.”

And true to her words, Nick told the mayor to select women who would cruise on his yatch with him. 7 women..

The mayor obligied and then he yelled;

” Hey, everyone can I have your attention.. ” he said through a megaphone and I noticed the calmness. Everyone around me just staid still. A lady had her body backward, while her face was tilting forward, a guy who was behind me was on one knee, while he used his hand to carry his folder.. He hadn’t fully carried it and he stayed in that position as the mayor spoke.

The mayor’s wife had her wig blown off her head as she stood still.

” So ladies, am gonna count to 10 and only the first seven ladies that will go on his cruise.” The mayor said.

I could hear that small stir from the crowd.

But it didn’t happen next, instead a live music band dressed in old school was called on stage. They had straps on their dress, and an old fashioned wig. The band are made up of 5 men.

The guy who played the guitar looked like a motorbike mob. I didn’t like him.. But the guy on the old fashion suit that had white stripes on it turned me on. It reminded me of a black and white movie I watched and he had the moves. Everyone was screaming, the way he could twist his body like wet drenched towel. The way he jumped into the crowd, even took the mayor’s wife and did a little spin with her.

Then the truth or dare game was played. Nick was the only guy and then ladies came on him, one after the other. He kissed the first lady. The second lady had big hips and I watched her sway her waist on him.

He was told to grab the ass of the third lady when a guy behind me walked to the podium. He had on a baseball cap and wore a white shirt and white shorts. He moved closer to the podium, and I could hear him saying;

“Gina, you lied to me.. You told me you’re going to see the doctor… About our situation.”

” Yes, hon… I lied.. So what? You know for years, I’ve been thinking that I’m t the reason we don’t have kids, but now I wanna try with this guy over here.. “

She turned around and faced Nick. The guy took the mic and said;

” Please Gina, don’t walk away please.. I’m sorry if I haven’t been the best boyfriend you’ve ever wanted.. Tommorow is our wedding day and to be honest, even if you fuck this guy in my face, trust me I will still love you no matter what.”

I watched him go on one knee and bring out a wedding ring. Gina was stunned. She was mouthing something I couldn’t hear because of the noise.. Everyone was booing her. But she didn’t mind. She kissed Nick and then I heard her mouthing to her husband;

“Well played, mister.”

And then I knew the guy was lying.. They were already married, I could tell.

In the next truth or dare, a bed was carried by 3 guys to the podium. He was laughing, everyone kept rubbing their hands. I just stared, watched, hearing nothing but seeing everything. The next thing I knew, I saw 3 girls on his bed, he taking off his shirt and the ladies screaming as he showed his musclar body.

” Damn this dude is fine!” I could hear it. At first I thought it was coming from my mind but when I looked around, I could see some dudes with a glass of champangee, a lady was standing in the middle, and one of the guys said;

” I think you should date him.”

And then she looked over at the podium, made a face and said;

“Nah, don’t think so… I don’t like the way he treats his wife… I’d kill him if I were her.”

Boy, did I smile after she said that. The two men just spoke in low tunes, and she shrugged her shoulders, folded her hands, and spun her hair.

Nick was in his underwear by the time my eyes turned front. The scene was for obscene. He was in the middle of three ladies. The hungry wolves, I call them. They didn’t wait to be told to begin before moving to sex town. I mean it was depraving to watch. The projectors made me see the whole stuff, them kissing him, going on his stomach at the same time, him moaning and squirming like he’d been teasered. The ladies were the one doing the work. They rubbed his balls, kissed every part of his body. The caressing. They had on pinned mics so I could hear the erotic scream of pleasure. I never knew Nick had enough for 3 ladies. He never’d plunge like that with me when she had sex.

The crowd was muffled in shock and pleasure. They cherred, hushed, and was saying glibberish nonsense. But then, when I looked up at the projector, I saw myself. The camera caught me, as if asking what am gonna do about what I just saw, and guess what, I said fuck you with the middke finger raised up.

I was stunned by the way the cops looked at me. They looked around. Tez looked at me like crazy. I couldn’t place the emotions in his eyes but it was obviously there.

I watched Nick sleep peacefully. He didn’t make a stir. He was too drunk to know what was going on. I could imagine the look on his face when the cops tell him that his pyscho wife tried shooting him.

I spent two years in jail. I couldn’t believe that the jury could be so merciful. I mean with the evidence that the cops and prosecutor brought; the bullet holes in the doors and the shattered glasses, and the broken furnitures. The receptionist who called the cops when I started thrashing the room even showed the video recording me smashing the champagne bottle and using a chair to break the glass. The endless round of shooting by me at the door was used too as evidence.

The other people at the hallway also came to court. I wasn’t a serial killer that people were afraid of so the cops didn’t need much convincing.

• 

I was in prison in Orlando. Nick didn’t look at me for once during the court session. I wondered what he felt when he was told that his wife wanted to kill him. I didn’t say a word during the court session. The prosecutor always called me names, like when he called a police officer who was at the scene of the incident, and started by saying;

” Sir, you were there when this crazy lady opened fire on you and your men right.”

Time after Time, the judge would warm him off but I knew she felt the same way as the judge.

I didn’t want any legal backing. I was my own lawyer and a goddam shitty one. All eyes were on me.. I never objected to anything the prosecutor said. I was terrified. It only took 3 hours and I was on my way to jail.

Nick only starred at me, no guilt in his eyes.

I would never forget how weird it felt as I rode on the bus to prison. No one said a thing to me. The bumpy ride didn’t make me crouch like I would have normally. Instead, the chains just jingled.

As we approached the gate, something in me just acceded.

I was in prison for two years and boy it wasn’t pretty. The older women didn’t like us and they had grown more Haggard with veins and muscles. I was pushed into a cell with an older broad, in her sixties I guess. She was all pushy. She wanted to know what the outside world felt like. She had been in jail for 20 years, and trust me, that was the last thing I wanted to talk about.

The male cops just stayed out, holding guns while the female cops where the one who did the searching of our bodies.

It felt gauche having a lady’s hand on my body. They would search my whole body, have me turn around until they reach my behind.

The Inmates had something they disliked. One lady, she was called tigress didn’t like a pussy. She’d beat up men, my sixty year old cellmate would gist me. There wasn’t a thing that wasn’t drawn on her body, from piercings to tattos.

Another lady, they call her pigty, didn’t like someone coming to touch her food, or talk to her while she was eating.

One time, Pigty and Mona, two best friends got into a fight. It was durning lunch hour. I was sitting across from them, slient as usual. Mona had come over pigty and put her hands to take her steak and had run off. Pigsty jumped up and ran after her. I was so distracted, staring at the oil that was dripping from her food pack when I heard a thud. It was like a fat person falling from a roof. The next thing I knew, the cops and the women were gathered around a corner. The two fighting women were held firmly. I could hear them cuss each other out.

But, nothing stunned me than seeing sam sitting and starring. She didn’t talk to anyone. I only started noticing her after spending a month in jail. It was durning lunch hours.

I was so scared. Her eyes were in my direction but she didn’t catch seem to catch my stare. She just sat looking and sayed nothing. But the TV was on durning those moment and Nick’s interview or concert was shown live on the show.

I never got to watch his testimony against conor and his goons. But the lady who interviewed him talked about it.

” Hey Nick, nice show you put out here in Orlando Florida, I mean wow… Last night was amazing.” She said.

” Thanks Amy and thank you fans for the love… You guys are the best… I can feel the love. ” he said, blowing a kiss. I wanted to smile as I saw him do that.

” So I wanna ask, why did you testify against Connor?”

” Well, I had to… Connor had trust Issues.. He had people who knew him well to be executed… What his men did to me would have been probably done to others. For example, Kolin’s car was found torched in Missouri, no sign of him inside.. He’s probably dead.”

“Well, according to resources, a man was seen driving the car to the gas station at 9am yesterday and the camera at the gas station had a malfunction yesterday so no video of the guy.

Witness say that the guy just drives into the station, parked by the gasoline pump and then leaves the nozzle in the tank, goes away and in few minutes, the car explodes.. A bullet was found at the spot where the car was torched and fuel was seen zipping on the floor, meaning he wasn’t planning on filling the tank, he wanted the car to be burnt up.” The reporter said.

” Shit! But still no sign of Kolin.. His girlfriend reported him missing about two days ago, watched it on the news. He didn’t show up at his job for two days in a row and no one can reach him.” Nick said

Sam was watching with high intensity. But she wasn’t following the news, no. I could see her starring at his lips and the lady’s red lips. She was white.

I didn’t care the least about Nick or Kolin, instead, I watched a prisoner, Mary sip her drink quietly. There was fear in her eyes. She would bulg them over like she was watching a horror movie then she passes out. Nora, my cellmate, the sixty year old lady used to tell me that Mary never told anyone what was wrong. This incident happens like three times in a day. Mary was accused of stabbing her husband to death repeatedly. I didn’t believe that. But then it was a possibility Was she afraid of the monster in her?

I wanted to go and pry but there was a face she made at me that put me off my track.

I did miss the outside world where there whre lots of choices out there from where to do things to when to do things to who to do things with.. But here we were used to one kind of life, one kind of smell, we talked about one thing, prison and our past lives… But there were pictures and phone calls off course and visits from family members. I was the exception…No one came.

Rhonda, my sixty year old cellmate had a daughter and two sons. She would paste there pictures on the wall and sometimes she would just stare at them and cry. Sometimes, alone in the room, she would be making conversations with herself.. She would be 5 people at the same time. She would be lucy, Edgar, Kris Juddy and herself.

Lucy was the rebel of the house, Edgar was a lawyer, Juddy is the cheating wife of her husband… Rhonda is the eldest among them.

Seeing her act this scences, the way she cried, yelled, laughed, the conversations she made with her imagined characters were so severe.

Each time she started acting, I would just stare and watch. She would explain.

“Lucy is sneaking out of the house.” She would say and then start acting. She would act lucy, putting pillows at her bedside and covering it with pillow case and then sneak out through the window of the house. She would pace slowly, trying not to wake their mom up and at the same time, trying not to wake their dog.

Lucy would look up at me, smiling. She said;

” Kris yelling at their mom and stealing her keys letter at night.”

She started acting the scene. It was the evening of the next day. Lucy hadn’t still come back home and no one was worried. She was the big girl of the house. Yeah, their mom was tried of shouting and grounding. Lucy did pot, stayed out late and got drunk. But their mom didn’t do a damn thing about it. It was Lucy who provided for the house. She paid the bills, took their mom out to parties.

It was so theratical watching Rhonda perform without a studio or a crowd. There was nothing there yet it was gripping. I was so pulled watching.

Then the scene moved to sweet juddy. Juddy was the second born of the house, Rhonda explained to me.

But Juddy was never happy in her marriage. She always coming to the house with different bruises. Rhonda, acting the two roles, the crying sister and the angry sister. Juddy never told anyone what made her injure. She would cry and yell. The doctors couldn’t place what was wrong with her. Her mom would call her husband Judas. Judas and her lived in blatimore. He was a doctor. They didn’t have kids.

Rhonda’s family didn’t mind but what pissed them off was that they had a feeling that he was beating her even though they never said a word to him about it. But Juddy’s visit became more often especially when she had a misccarriage. She would cry and say nothing.

Rhonda became sick of the whole thing. I watched choke the air as though chocking a real person. She yelled and crused. And I couldn’t just take it anymore, I had to get out of the room.. And she stopped performing and that was how we became two roomates that don’t talk to each other.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. No one came to see me in prison. I don’t think Nick would have ever wanted to see me. But the media were asking question. A black woman in Miami where he did his last tour asked him about me and his answer to the lady was;

” I got my own damn problems to fix and she got hers. Let me deal with mine and let her deal with hers.”

I wonder what that meant. It didn’t strike to show his emotions. Sam smiled as she watched it. She looked at me and then at the TV and I wonder what sinister plot was she thinking. She could kill me anytime she wanted. If in the real world, she was able to do what she did, then how about a dugeon where there were no law or police.

Sam was kinda powerful here. She loved checking out the news. Nobody stopped her. She would watch Jake tapper on cnn and this time, it was about some of the juries of the Connor’s case where poisoned with anti freeze. 2 had died the other 10 were in hospital just hours when the court were finally ready to deliver their ruling. I was stunned. There was no proof of forced entry in any of their houses. No DNA.

The two juries who had died, Hoya and Frie both had a smash on the back of their neck after the fall. Their wives, midaged didn’t look too perturbed at all. The way they held it together durning the interview but Hoya’s wife kept dabbing her face with a hankerchief, saying little as possible.

But Frie’s wife was angry and she kept saying ” gonna get those motherfuckers” in every line of her speech. She was unabrased in her language. She couldn’t just stop the anger and boy was she doing a good job compared to me.

Hoya and Frie were doing the same things before they died. Both were watching NBA sports on TV after having a hearty phone call with each other before they both went to have their bath. Both of them died in their kitching, wearing their long night robe.

The next news was about my release from jail. The news reporter even did an interview with Nick and Nick didn’t care. He just said;

” Well, finally she’s out! Now she’s gonna be a spoil sport… Lol, just kidding, wishing her a happy Christmas and a good year ahead.”

I could hear a little female voice from the background saying;

” Baby, hurry up so we can get back to doing our thing.”

And Nick repiled;

” Right! Hold on dear.. Could we wrap up this interview please? ” Nick asked.

” Yes, just one more thing, you reported a spooking mail you got on your doorstep.. The one that had the funny looking face which was crossed in an X.. ”

” Yeah the police are actually looking into that. The police have been on a stakeout at my concert and you know it’s good having people to watch your back.

The mailman said that he can’t tell who brought the mail and the cop informed me that no DNA was found on the paper and also that the drawing was an art work. “

” Wow… Speaking of Concert, When is your next Tour.. I’m really a huge fan and man it was nice. ”

” Well, a sneak pick into May.” Nick said, laughing.

2 weeks and I was home free and yeah, they were the toughest time of my life.. I had to be all goody goody.. I had to smile at those alwful wardens… I hated the two female wardens, one called herself Mrs E and the other lady was Mrs Jackie. They weren’t pretty, just looking like meatloafs. They don’t do nothing than to just chit chat with those male whores. I would watch them with disgust at the way they teased us.

Rhonda was the oldest of the ladies so none of the male warden approached her but she was the most teased. She was called a dry stalk.

The black male warden by the name Jo was the meanst person I’ve ever meant. He’d have a mean streak. He was the one that used to call Rhonda a dried stalk. He was a pot bellied man with lines as though he fought in the Afghanistan war. He didn’t like us women.

Once, he came in to check on us in the evening and he saw Mary, quiet Mary sitting alone and he was holding his bathon, looking at us, holding a flashlight to our faces even though there was power in the building. Then he got to Mary and I didn’t know why but he used the baton on her. Again and Again . I had never seen such savage blows. The next I know, I was splattered with her blood and pigty couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up and flung her plate on him and beat him, stabbed him twice with her fork and then tigress, whom he used to spit on and call her fat and ugly and a barbaric fool, join pigty. She plung her long nails into his eyes and dart them on his body while pigty broke plates on him.

Mary was taken to the hospital after that and he returned just after 3 weeks. Pigty and Tigress were taken to court. Her friend Mona spoke on her defence. Mona told the court about how different times, Jo had squashed her hand while she scrubbed the floor. She showed the court marks on her body because of the kicks he gave her with his boot.

Mary’s lawyer was a woman. I watched her in her suit, the way she came at Joe and his beat face lawyer. We watched it on TV.

” Your Honor, here with me is the medical result of my client, Mary and Dr Jack is here too. He’s the one who is treating Mary at the hospital.”

Dr Jack was a black huge old man. He didn’t like Jo the moment he looked at him. That hate in his eyes, it was the same hate in Mary’s eyes when she looked at him.

Mary’s lawyer did a fine job in court. The way she moved and made a fist with her hands when she spoke was so hilarious.

Jo’s lawyer seeing the damage, told the court that Dr Jack was Mary’s dad. I watched Jo and his lawyer speak, while Mary’s lawyer was asking Dr Jack question.. I saw the quick smile on their faces and then when Mary was done and it was Jo’s lawyer turn, it was the first thing he brought and boy I could see the angry stare at Dr Jack’s face. But I knew he wasn’t angry at the question, instead he kept looking over at Jo. To the point that he wasn’t answering the questions no more.

” Dr Jack, you’re not focusing… Did you get the question. ? ” The judge asked.

I saw Mary’s lawyer raising her hand and the judge looked in her direction a the camera showed Jo pointing the ring and laughing as he looked at Dr Jack. I saw him mouth ” Your Fucking bitch will die.” Then he held up a wedding photo and squeezed it and didn’t know when he threw it in Dr Jack’s face and was laughing uncontrablly.

I would never forget that echoed laughter and the slience as he was arrested for contempt of court.. Jo’s lawyer knew that no matter what he did, Jo was going to jail and so he stopped the question and soon the jury returned with a verdict… Jo was given a maximum of 29 years. The way everyone in prison started jumping and hugging. Pigty and Mona screamed and was jumping on tables..

And the best of news finally came, the day I was buzzed out of the prison.

” Hello, Hello,”

I hear your sweet voice,

Calling my name.

It makes me feel far away,

But I’m sitting next to you.

My body goes on fire,

The minute I hear your voice.

It starts as a jolt,

And now,

It’s a ragging fire.

I can kill for it.

I love how I feel

Around you.

No one will understand.

To the world,

I’m a cheating husband,

And you’re a cheating wife.

The betrayal.

Well, I got my own defence;

Your Husband and I are brothers,

What’s his is mine.

I can have it.

We’ve shared everything,

So why can’t I have his wife?

Starring at your lips,

I smile,

It’s flattering,

It’s beautiful.

It’s like we’ve never done it before.

But you don’t seem that excited,

At first I thought it’s fear,

But then I see the bored look.

It freaks me out,

Knowing that

I don’t make you happy.

You try to hide it,

But I couldn’t see that big smile

That makes your face so red.

But it didn’t matter anyway,

Cause we are doing it.

I watch you get up and bring the wine,

While my phone rings,

For perphaps the seventh time.

Now you’re asking me if am not answering my phone,

Something you never do.

You sway your waist,

Moving towards my direction,

You clasp your body,

Our bodies entangled,

The lust creeping,

Your hips moving,

Then your touch,

Then the kiss.

Hungry and Naked,

I lay on the floor.

I didn’t want to feel nothing.

Moment passed,

Laughter and cravings,

I could hear it in my head.

Then like a dream,

I heard laughter,

Yes laughter.

But it wasn’t ours,

At least not mine.

It was so dark.

But I could tell that I was in a bathroom.

The doors were shut.

Then I heard the laughter,

The same laughter I heard in my head.

You were calling him names you only call me.

He was drinking our faviourite wine,

Sitting on my faviourite couch,

Doing what I do best,

Which is making you happy.

You play our faviourite song for him,

Taking him to places you never take me.

I know he’s not your husband.

Just a random stranger,

I could tell by his voice.

Then I heard you scream,

Calling for me.

You were fighting real hard,

Pushing, shoving, screaming.

I tried pushing the door,

But it was shut,

And so was the sound of your voice.

There was this sturdy air that pushed back in the room after the cops said what he said. Everyone tried talking but the best we did was to make a stutter. We pushed, shoved, people like me clutched whatever was near them but still nothing was said.

Nick just told me to get ready that Biggie was coming to pick us up.

” I don’t think so.” The doctor said finally, picking up his pen from his breast pocket and putting it back.

” Why, what happened?” Tez asked.

” l just found out that she may be pregnant.”

There was never a more OMG moment in my life. I was stunned. I was having kids. I was too shocked that my mouth was wide open and it did take me tasting a little dust and sweat before I closed it.

” I wanna have that checked out. “

Nick didn’t hide his horror look. I know he thought it was Tez. He didn’t wanna look at Tez. For the life of me, the Image of Tez kissing me played in my head but I didn’t get the aphrodisiac feeling. Every hair on my body pinched. I knew I wasn’t to blame for whatever would happen.

And then it became obvious that Nick wasn’t scared that Tez was sleeping with me. He didn’t want kids. Off course. I remember that he always wanted me to wear condom before we had sex. He never made it obvious but still he made sure I did that.

The doctor told them to leave and he began checking me out. He asked me if I felt any pain, headaches and off course I told him no.

When he came near me with a Thermometer, I wanted to scream and leave the room. The room was quiet and I could feel the Icy metal plus the smell of his gloves, and each time he snapped his gloves, something in me would shred. He carried out the pregnancy test for me but refused showing me the results. He just bagged it in an envelope. And after checking my eyes, he told me I was good to go.

I went to the lobby, took the hallway, turned right moved a little bit, Knocking on doors and asking if it was the bathroom, women looking at me with that ” who the hell are you” look. Some even took out their phones to call security. And I just kept pushed away until I bumped into a guy in a tuxedo. He was blond and he looked Asian and smiled. Boy the crush was so obvious and the women didn’t try to hide their deplore. I heard a lady whisper;

“She’s Nick’s wife what do you expect.”

But I didn’t give a thought to that. Instead, I focused on the lipstick on his mouth and I didn’t know why but I wiped it off with my finger. And boy the next thing I saw was his wife and little daughter. She was probably waiting for him in the car or something. There was this resign look on her face. It wasn’t anger but she just didn’t care less and I just starred. I just remembered Nick and how I felt like when I saw that text from Judith and when Sam kidnapped me. We switched roles, she was me and I was the goofy bimbo with whom he was cheating on. I didn’t know when I turned back and went outside. Nick and Tez were outside while Biggie was parking the car well. Nick looked at me and I thought he’d snap and tell me to change and look nice but he didn’t. He looked at my body but didn’t want to look at my face. Tez opened the front door and he quickly jumped to the front seat while I took the back with Tez. Biggie was driving. The news was turned on the radio. I was still not being used to being in the news. The news reporter said;

” Nick and his wife are doing fine and they were discharged from the hospital this morning. The firearm used in the shootout was a nine millimeter which was recovered by the police. Also bombs were planted at undisciplined areas of the hospital with more than 150 people inside.”

I was stunned. I pressed my stomach and I couldn’t believe that I was pregnant. There was no baby bump but I was just conferred pregnant. I didn’t need the test but I knew Nick would look at it.

My phone made a noise. It was a text from Mrs Esther and it read;

“ Grace, hope you’re having a good recovery.. heard what happened on the news and everything is just so sad.. Sorry your parents had to go like that and sorry I couldn’t come for the funeral and I know what it feels like loosing a loved one…

Olivia was my world and now she’s gone.. I still haven’t come to terms with it. It’s like am in a bad dream. Well I hope you stay strong. You’re gonna be have a lot of tough days but you are stronger than you think. Love you, now and always.”

I was just stunned. Olivia laying 6 feet. Nick was making a phone call and we were just heading to a hotel at oak ridge. And it was the first time of seeing the hotel. It was beautiful. There was the big swimming pool at the back of the building with a small building and a chair with an umbrella hung on it. It reminded me of a beach but this looked beautiful but I didn’t want to stay there.

Biggie parked the car in the parking lot and we all came down and camera’s jammed the whole place without seconds. Everyone came not too close though. Biggie scared them and boy was I happy.

We checked in. Nick was doing all the talking while Tez carried our luggage while I looked at the place. The high walls, the many rooms, people walking around in numbers as if it were a club. The girl who we saw at the counter was midaged, not less than eighteen, blonde. She was licking her lips as she looked at Nick. I just saw her hands squeezing each other. She clicked something on the computer after scanning something on Nick’s ATM and she said;

” Room is third floor, straight up, last room by the left and there your are.. These gentlemen will show you to your room.. Do have a lovely evening.”

The two men wanted to take the bags but Biggie told them that he was good. But they escorted us to our room and we took the elevator.

Biggie and Tez took a room opposite ours.

The rooms were big but I loved the white rug. I could tug my legs in them.

Later on, Nick went to take a shower while I looked through his phone. I didn’t trust him but it didn’t matter. I could do nothing now. He should know that I have found out about his cheating spree, but something tells me that he never thought of hiding nothing from me. I was that inconsequential.

Nick came out and wiped himself clean. He was so virle in his underwear and white robe. I rarely had an alone moment with Nick before and now all I wanted was to get naked but Nick was scared, yes scared. And it made me run into the bathroom.

The door opened for the 5th time that evening and the lady who checked us in was coming again. I wonder how she knew when I went to the bathroom. Off course she never made a sound. Things will jam each other. Bottles or whatever. But she was damn fast because each time I came out, she vanished and Nick would be on the bed, in the same position, reading a book. I could see her through the bathroom door and she always brought in wine whenever she came. She was young and dumb.

Nick would sip the wine in his glass cup and smile and say that the wine tasted good. Did he really think I was that dumb?.

I would look at myself in the mirror and look at him. He was already loathing me, I could tell. He didn’t start any fight, hadn’t said a word to me since we left the hospital.

I was so mad at it. I just ran back into the bathroom and turned on the shower and started crying. I could hear the door open and voices..

” Housekeeping.” The voice would ring out. Or it was the mailman or the laundry man. Women too came in. They giggled but didn’t stay. Everyone wanted to be around Nick. He was the Star and I was just a shadow. Each time the door closed, I felt more angry. And it made me cry.

Finally the noise tensed down. I didn’t hear ” sssshhh… Tone it down.. ” There were no whispers. It was so quiet and I just came out to meet the romance Nick. Flowers on the floor. He was holding a guitar in an open shirt collar. Standing there, I felt like a girl and he was a boy and we were just running around, playing.

In my head, I knew the whole thing was wrong. He couldn’t just treat me like thrash and just dump an act in my face. But this was what I wanted, someone to put on a show; take me on a date, call me, dance with me, send me flowers and heart shaped love. He knew that though, but I was still caught up in the moment.

Ingres, the housekeeper knocked on the door. He came in with a table which had a tray filled with a bottle of wine and two glass cups and two uncovered plate of food.

” here you go sir.” He said fiddling his hand.

The next thing I heard was a tell by a man in a night robe.

” What the fuck? I told you to come with the ring and now you ruined my special night. You knew she was special and now she left. I was gonna propose.”

But Ingres paid him no attention. At first I thought maybe because Nick was famous and stuff but then I saw the binded cash as a tip on the table.

” Well you gotta pay before services, ain’t nothing free in this world. Look here’s your ring back.” He gave the handkerchief wrapped ring and in return, he got a knock out punch for it.

I starred at the housekeeper. He was an old guy. The way he lay still gave me spaghetti legs. It took the shut of the door to get me back to myself and I kept hitting the door before Nick opened it.

We had a heck of a night. I didn’t know why he was so happy with me. He was careless. He didn’t tell me to wear condoms. We drank and talked and laughed. It’s funny, the way we both undressed ourselves as though we are one hungry pack of wolves, but on the bed, the only thing we did was just to kiss, touch and talk. His body felt wet. His back felt like an iron rod. The heat his body made was excessive. I was beginning to think that he had a fever. It was as hot as heat on a body.

When he grabbed another Brandy from the pack of ice and hurriedly poured it in a glass cup for me, he drank it and corked it back and put it by the bed side. I couldn’t tell how drunk I am, cause I was always having Nick refill my glass at every moment.

But Nick was so drunk and happy and so he started talking. He laughed and talked at the same time. He was calling me Judith and I didn’t reply, instead I just stroke his stomach, the way he would love it and he started talking;

” Man Judith, boy you rock my world. I’m so happy to have you in it… But you can’t get pregnant.. Nah, that’s not my thing… We fuck but no baby… You know I love your pussy and I like you more than that all those women especially that self seeking attention Sam… From blackmailing me into believing that she’s 17 to kidnapping my wife, I mean.. I couldn’t risk being blown to bits by TNT.. so I had to send Tez.. Used the trick I used on Grace.. body swapping, they call it… I did that at some point to every woman I fucked but not with you.. no you are my first and my kidney… I have always been honest with you… And truth be told, I’m scared shitless… I’m going to speak at Connor’s trial… Boy he tried to blow my head the other day and man it was crazy.. But do you know what’s more crazy, is that Grace isn’t pregnant too.. and now I have to stay with her skinny ass. I don’t know why I’m happy about it but the bitch Impressed me. I know you don’t like talking about her but I love talking to you… I’m more than happy to leave her and dump her… Truth is and I don’t know why but she loves me and there’s nothing more crazier than that.”

I didn’t cry like I normally would, instead I kissed him on the arm. I needed him to spill out his very last gut.. I didn’t want him to sleep, no not yet.

He kept talking, about his next tour. He wanted 6 ladies as his backup singers, how he would love to go on dreads now, how he sometimes wish he was unmarried and wanted to smoke pot and weed all day.

” You remember Judith our line, more weed, more energy… Lols… The way we cover it up. I enjoy every moment we spend together just smoking, you know just getting the stress out. No talking, just the music on… Gotta give it to Aaron, he gets the best weeds.. Love the effect.”

I was stunned… Drugs! Nick does drugs? What else didn’t I know about Nick. He snuffs the drugs in his drum set…

” But the best sex I’ve had with you is when we were teens…. Remember? When we had sex in my foster dad’s club? I could remember it like yesterday even though I was only 18 and you were 17…. Big shot. I could never forget how slutty you looked the first time I saw you in that red tight crop mini Jean shirt and how ravaged I felt as I pulled the button off your shirt.“

” Fuck!” I yelled over and over again and I took the bottles of champagne and smashed it on the floor. I had never been that angry in my life… And Nick was just moaning on the bed. The fucker I thought. I could just end him now. I thought and I looked for anything in the room. I was breaking stuff in the room, I smashed, I threw. I’ve had enough.

And then his gun was in his bag. Perfect, I thought. I just took it and went over him. He was asleep, heavily drunk. I could smell the booze. I strokked his hair, ran my hand on his bag. I wanted to feel him on last time. I put my knee on his face and took the gun and I didn’t know but I panicked… Okay.. I’d know why. I heard a noise. It came closer, like a dead end. I heard foot stumps, clicking of guns, muffled noise and the door knob turning open. But it didn’t. It was bolted from inside. Then the door was slammed open. Each time the door shook from the kick, something in me shook. The door was kicked again and this time I had it. I started shooting. Boy was I terrified. The bullets made holes in the door and I could hear;

” back off, call the Swat team… We need backup! “

And soon, I heard the clicking of guns outside. A door was swung open and I could hear shouting. I heard Tez voice;

“Nick never asked the cops to protect him… Yeah, he will come and testify in court on Tuesday, but trust me, running away is the last thing on his mind.. But thanks anyway, we could use some extra muscle.”

I took a deep breath. The voices quickly dissolved. And the door was kicked again and I tried shooting but to no avail. I just stood there, aiming the gun at the cops, watching them fear and then I pressed the click… Nothing. The cops didn’t take it too kindly. The next thing I knew, I saw guns shoved in my face. I put on my defiant face and wanted to press the empty barrel again and I heard a cop say to me;

“ Press that gun again… I dear you, I double dear you.”

2 weeks later was the most dreaded day of my life. I had gone for the first burial, my mom, now I was going for the second burial and this time I was alone, yeah alone. No Aunt Esther or Uncle Frank. I could remember how stunned and freaked out my dad was. He just sat on his seat and starred at the coffin as though he was watching a horror movie, as though he was living in another reality. It was the only the day my dad agreed to come out of the house. The day before he died. I was at the house when I saw him come out. He was doing the button of his dark suit. It was the suit. It was the suit that he used in marrying my mom. I could never forget the look in his eyes anytime he talked about my mom. They were in Florida when they himeet. They were at the same University in Orlando. She was the hottest girl then while he, a pauper was a nobody. He even had to be on scholarship to be in school and had taken loans from the school and was unable to pay. Mum didn’t like it when he tried belittling himself whenever he spoke about her, yet dad wanted her to be Impressed. And mom tried to. She would chip in on how her mom used to admire him whenever he came to her house, how she always say that he’s well behaved, that was why she begged her father to pay off his loan. I could tell she was lying.

Continue reading “Crazy Family Secret – Grace Tales part XII”

I was stunned. I almost yelled but I threw in my last breath and was able to calm down. I could remember the female scent that puffed in after Tez drove me back even though I never asked. A pair of high heels were kept by the bedside at the back of the cabinet which was drawn over by a curtain.

I could remember the fresh smell in the house but I’d notice the lipstick shimmer in the glass cup when Mrs Deba, the house keeper scheduled for yesterday came to give me water to drink. Also, I saw a white bra drapped between the Foam and the wooden shaft of the bed.

• 

I tried to stay calm but my body won’t get a grisp so I decided to read the chats. And far back as I could remember, Judith and Nick had a long history. Their history dated back to 3 years. I could remember the drama Nick acted with Judith, pushing her off and calling her a whore and saying;

“ Grace’s with me.”

The face she made at me and the text she sent to him later. I knew they might have had a catch up after that night… Did he mock me ? He would have called me a naive bitch and they would have laughed.

I typed her name on Instagram and Facebook and it popped open. Most of the pictures were with Nick, others taken in nude fashion. She liked black men. Nick was the only guy that wasn’t dark. She didn’t take nude pictures with Nick like she did with other guys but that didn’t mean shit to me. It irked me seeing photos of them together. She was at every concert he performed. But it really got me mad picturing them moaning and kissing on the bed.

I scrolled up on the Whatsapp and saw the previous messages. They never talked about me. It was she writing;

” Hello dear, how was your night? I heard you’re gonna be performing today. Thanks for making me your plus 1. Ticket was easy. You know I got the perfect reservation for us to make a toast in the evening.. And am getting kinky already.. “

And Nick would reply with a laughing emoji or a bow heart emjoi. They talked a lot about everything. She told him about her favorite music, movies, where she loved being touched during love making, her abusive stalking ex boyfriend, her experiences in buses, one that caught my attention was she telling the story of how she purged on the bus on her way to house and how she blamed it on the black boy who sat next to her and what ‘a poor boy‘ she wrote. No one believes him. White lady in blue cafashan mocked and said that he had a rottened lineage while a white male in his suit and tie Sayed that he must have swallowed a life turkey. It was funny, she wrote, you know, blaming him. Each time she farted, the sounds so subtle, the boy was insulted, his family was insulted, his mom was said to have given him toilet water as breast milk, a white haired old lady in a blue gown and hat said that his fellow black race actually are pigs and so she wasn’t surprised. The boy was crying and for some reason I didn’t know why I laughed. She wrote.

I was numbed. Judith and Nick sharing secrets, meeting in secret to avoid the media, he even took her shopping and she was clad in my clothes and high heels. She’d be me. I couldn’t believe that all this while the press didn’t figure it out. She was in every city that Nick went to. Even in Nevada? Was it the reason when Nick couches that ” I gotta go ” note.

I turned on the computer to check the videos from Nick‘s tour. He was in New York now in city park. Large crowds jeering and lights buzzing out in different colour shades. Fire works Jamming in a bang pop woosh. Music, shouting and screaming. Women were trying to drag themselves on stage and the security men surrounding the podium would carry them off stage. One lady was so zonked that one of the guards had to carry her over his shoulders and going into the crowd.

Nick was still singing when a woman tried to climb the stage. Nick gave her a hand and she was up. She wore a black stripper that cut in the middle and showing her nipples and her hips. She had big hips and wore a big lumirous red lipstick. It was so reddy that it left some prints on her face. She was smiling and smacking her lips. Nick strokked her behind, smacked her ass after giving her a gentle turn. I was numbed.

The crowd was laughing. Camera flash lit the place. And then the next I knew was a man pushing his way in the crowd. The video was foggy. All I could hear was the noise, the screaming. People were pushed away by the male figure. The music was still playing and the next thing, the man was fighting the security that was stationed at the podium. He was screaming how he would rip Nick’s head off for kissing his daughter. I couldn’t hear him but boy was he mad. He was shouting while the lady on the podium unclasped Nick’s hand from around her waist. She was shocked. I could see it in her eyes.

I closed the computer and looked at the window. I smiled and cried at the same time. I wondered if Judith was the only one but I knew she wasn’t.

I was in my room that evening when 2 other men carried me hand and foot. These men were masked. I was confused. The men pushed me inside the car and drove off. I wanted to say something, to do something but my mind just went into a lockdown mode. I was too stunned by the Swift movement. The car zoomed off and I turned left and right. Then my head hit a metal thing that was built on the back of the driver seat and then I passed out.

Dog drools, disgusting.. Go figure. A dog licked me back to consciousness. There was nothing more terrifying than having a dog starring at me. I was tied on a chair. Or should I say chained.. Yes I was chained. I could hear the sound of a little key lock when I tried shaking up a bit.

The room was dim lit. The walls were blotchy like the rough work of an artist. Lines creased in different colors. The ground was wet. The fan spun slowly. I could hear the faint sound of music. Then the door opened and a lady and two guys walked in. The two guys had on dark shades like they were her body guard or something but the lady was pretty mad I could tell. She didn’t say anything. She just put the phone on call mode and the line rang. I saw Nick on the dialer and God my heart flipped.

The line went two rings without answering and each time her face grew scrouching red but on the third time he picked.

” Hey baby wanna come over to my room.. I could use a blow job now you know.. God, that guy is such a pig…”

She put the phone in my face and I screamed.

” Grace! Grace!! Hello.”

I was warmed by his voice. He knew my voice.. he loved me.

“Hey Nick, this Sam!! You remember, the hot girl that you fucked in Colorado 4 years back. You bastard! You think you could just destroy my life and get away with it, huh.”

” Wait, who is this? Is this some sick joke.. I’ve fucked many girls before and 3 of the girls were named Sam and none of them lived in Colorado.. .”

” You get your butt over here mister if you ever wanna see your wife again.” And the click sent me jotting.

She paced around the room, hopping and jumping and taking a big gulp from the bottle. The two men slacked themselves on the couch, smoking, blowing it in my face. The blue light of the smoke reminded me of the dense light puff smoke that I saw in Nick’s tour on stage.

She turned on the TV and the news was about Connor’s case. He was arrested and the case had gone to trial. Leiond was testifying against him in court. Conor’s Sons were behind their dad. Aleander had his arm clasped together, pushing backwards and forward. Adrick sat still, arms folded and legs crossed. Alexander would move forward towards the lawyer and back to his seat.

I wanted to hear what they were saying but Sam didn’t let me hear anything with that her frantic scream..

” Scum bags aren’t they.. Pitching two devils against each other.. They’re probably gonna walk aren’t they?”

” Can’t believe Nick didn’t go in for trial.. Am sure half the population in America are his fans, so no, the people won’t love to see their Idol do time in jail, ain’t that right… It ain’t gonna be good for business.” She threw the bottle in my direction but it didn’t hit my face.

Sam grew impatient. She called Nick, shouting, raving, ranting. She would point the gun in my face and scream how she means business and when she calls me a bitch on phone, my heart would skip. The two men became angry with her.

‘Stop it… The cops could track us now.” The first guy would say.. And he would try to take the phone from him but she wouldn’t let it. She fought. I then knew she was insane and that scared the shit out of me.

She would laugh and point the gun in my direction and shoot but it went over my head and hit the wall. Each time she did that, she would laugh. I used to remember how thrilled I was whenever I watched this kind of action scene in movies but right now, I was beyond freaked out.

She did that Russian roulette thing, taking out the bullets and putting a single bullet and she started singing that Rihanna’s song version. Each time she sang the chorus, she would click the gun but no bullet came out and this vague chill spread over me. Then I heard the clutter and the sound of the door and a man walking inside.

” Wow, so nice of you to join us.” Sam said.

I could recognize Nick’s black tukedo from anywhere. He wore a cab. The two men with Sam searched his body for weapons.

” Hey darling, I’ve missed you” Sam said, kissing his face.

“You know that I had to cancel my tour just to come over and end whatever it is you think we had. ” Nick said.

At this, She slapped him.

” You son of a bitch! You still don’t realize that I have the gun here and a detenator stuck under Grace’s seat. I have it right here.” She said, pointing at the click of her phone.

And she moved a little bit further from him and I noticed a white crossed X shape. Nick was standing on it. And I heard another click

” And now you too are standing on one too. And tell whoever you got outside to back off or I pull the plug.. “

I saw the red stare Nick gave after she said that. ‘Fear‘ I could smell it.

I watched her take a whip and came to where he stood. She unbottened his shirt while she did hers. She smiled and looked at me;

” Just relax and watch. I brought you here to see what a slouthy whore your husband is.”

Well truth is, I had more than enough evidence.

She took his shirt off and unzipped his pants. Nick’s stomach didn’t look ripped like it always used to. It looked bulky like he had so much wine. I could use that to laugh at him. Nothing would make him mad than hearing he wasn’t virle anymore. His hair was still the same though even though I could see ageing lines on his forehead and his hair looked a little bit scruffy. His eyebrows were uneven and not shaven. There was zits on his forehead. Not too noticeable anyway. I couldn’t believe it. God was finally punishing the bastard. I was gonna tell the ladies. Yes they need to know.

“Bitch look up.”Sam yelled and a slap on my face by one of the men brought me back. She stood in her bra and pant while he stood in his underwear. She curled the whip around his chest. She didn’t take the dark shade he wore off.

A video Camera was set up in the middle of the room.

” Hey remember the first night we had sex in my parents room after they went out on a date? I was eighteen. Yes eighteen.. You loved it didn’t you? “

No answer.

” Answer me you bitch”

Nick starred in fear.

“You came to my favorite bar in Colorado and somehow our faces met. I was a waitress there and was making enough savings for my college funds…. 350,000 dollars, that was my savings and I didn’t mind making a reservation for us at a hotel, you know just the two of us at Nevada Ave, Colorado spring. You didn’t mind me booking reservations. I really thought you cared about me cause I could live the free life with you.. We had sex and then…” She paused and took a pen knife, dangling it on his chest and smiling.

” You like that?” She asked hysterically.

Nick swallowed hard.

” Now you’re gonna fuck me, fuck me like a bitch… Make me love it or am gonna fucking blow out your fucking brains. Look here” She held the detonator up in the air and smiled.

Then I saw her hip moving against his. and then she kept kissing him. She nuzzled his neck and moved down to his waist and then the next thing I knew, Nick grabbed her on the marked X spot and held a gun to the side of her head.

” Now I got you, you turn off that detenator or I blow your fucking brains.” He said.

” Yes do it, do it you bastard..” her hands pressed it and I could feel the way her hand pressed his.

I wanted to say something, to do something. The two men had their guns pointing at Nick and Nick’s eyes peering in the room. Then I heard the click. Nothing happened. Sam pressed it again and still nothing happened.

One of the men came out with a disconnected fuse.

“ Sam, enough! Let’s get out from here! You don’t have to waste your life for him. He ain’t worth it. You can have your life back.. You got us.”

” John, u son of a bitch, put back the bomb! ” Sam said.

” No! ” John said.

“Ok, that means this is where I kill u.” She pressed the gun and nothing was in it.

Sam clicked over and over again helplessly. Both John and the other guy were too stunned to do anything. Sam was really ready to kill him. I watched Nick move like flash and before I knew it, she was on the floor and the place was ransacked with cops and Sam and her guys were cuffed.

A female cop unchained me and put a blanket around me. Nick was talking to t cops,or the guy I thought was Nick, cause I saw him take off the wig off and the moustache and his coat and Tenz appeared.

Tenz,I looked very clearly to see if my vision was blurred but Tenz was standing there. I couldn’t believe that Tenz could pass for Nick.. Had he be cloning for him all this while… Was he Good Nick or bad Nick? I wanted to know if he ever slept with any of the girls. And then I looked at my toes, I was wringling them. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t done that in like forever. No one saw my excitement. Everyone was talking and I didn’t know why or when but for some reason, I just walked up to Tenz. It felt so normal and I almost didn’t catch the surprise until I heard a loud shattering. A female paramedic who was attending to Tenz started screaming and pointing at me and stammering was saying;

” She’s…. She’s walking. ” And her eyes were bulged in shock. Then all eyes were on me and for a moment, I was numbed as ever. I could hear the words from the crowd;

” it’s a miracle”

” God is real.”

Cameras shots were taken and boy was I glad. People came from all over and they took shots. I never believed I would ever walk again but boy was I glad. Little things like walking and bending and jumping made news headline. I watched it on Tenz phone as he drove me. It was posted on social media and I kept getting likes and comments. One guy wrote;”

” what God cannot do does not exist.”

Another wrote, a white woman wrote;”

” she’s beautiful… So sad she has a son of a bitch as a husband.”

A black woman wrote;

” Thank God for healing” and stuck a praying emoji at the end..

An old black male wrote;

“she’s gotta go to a church and thank God and give her life to Christ.”

Messages kept flooding and likes increased at every minute. It was on CNN,on BBC and sky news. The broadcasters were very thrilled, especially the blonde lady in a red suit.

She kept saying ‘ My good Lord’ Darby called me after I reached St Louis, reaching Nick’s house.

Darby texted before calling. The text was short written. It read,

” Grace, you’re lame… Wait what happened to you? What did Nick do to you? ”

Sounding like my mother, I heard myself say.. Always Nick did this or that like I’m one helpless puppy. But when he called, I did hide the sacarcism.

” Hello Grace, wow am stunned as I’m watching the news.. So what happened, your knee gave out.. I watched the news about it but I didn’t believe it.. I know I should have called but it kinda didn’t me and now it’s been 5 months since we last saw each other and I am very sorry, I need some ass whooping.”

I laughed at that but then the thought of Tenz being the one in bed with me instead of the real Nick choked me.. It was neasuting and took me to the place of spiraling out of control. Well, I wanted to know. I knew asking questions would make them spill out the crazy bean theory so I knew I needed proof and I needed it fast.

”

Nick was smiling as he sang aloud and for a moment I stared at my handsome husband. He lush up and I wanted to go and kiss him. I didn’t know when I moved to where he sat and held on to his thigh and then he turned around, stared at me, removed the headphone from his ear and off the Bluetooth and the Deep soft music waft easily in the air..

Darby coughs, chokes and snarls clouded up in my head like a thick smoke.. He wanted Nick to leave.. I could see it in his eyes but Nick didn’t seem to notice anything or anyone.. He looked right through me and smiled and I laughed.. Even Aunt Kila scolding face didn’t wipe the smile.

The song ended and so did the eerie feeling.. I felt light headed and Nick became a complete stranger. I got up slowly, while he stared. I moved back inside the house.

Darby had my bags packed and kept them trailing at the wall and for whatsoever reason, I ran upstairs and opened Aunt Kila’s room and the smell of antiseptic greased my nose.. It was shocking, so was the way she lined her bra and underwear like someone who had spent the whole night having sex. I knew the way to the bathroom downstairs, the one I used in the night, the dirty, cob web, paper strewn bathroom. It took all self discipline not to look inside the toilet. And I could remember the cold fear I had when I fell off the bathtub.

I scanned the room before hearing bubble sounds in the bathroom and I came to the bubble bath. I smiled before dipping myself inside the bathtub. I smiled.. The Euphoric feeling zapped my senses and before I knew it I was laughing . The clink clink sound of movement churned my brain.. The fear.. Aunt Kila had her robes removed, and she was stark naked and she yelled when she saw me in there. The reverie in my face was drawn from her sabotaged fear.

She quickly buzzed out, tying her robes. I did hear the door open and a voice shouting like crazy but as I deep myself, the bubbles spurting, everything disappeared.

I climbed out of the bathtub, and grabbed Aunt Kila’s towel and wrapped it around. I know she would know that I used her sponge and towel.. I wonder if she would take out everything and give the bathroom a good scrubbing. I smiled at the Malevolence in her face. I went to her Mirror and looked at myself. I reached out to touch something, I wasn’t sure what it was but I saw myself rubbing the Mirror. Then I saw Darby starring at me from the door. I turned around and saw his gaze. It had no reaction. In his hands where my clothes and he didn’t look at me when he said;

” I thought I should bring this for you.. Nick’s been here for an hour now…” I saw the deep sadness stretched on his lips.. He didn’t want me to leave.. He wanted me to make him tell Nick off.. But instead, I grabbed the clothes and bumped pass him into Aunt Kila’s room.

The dashing cold greeted me when I stepped out of the bathroom. Darby had walked out of the room and shut the door.. The moist on my body dried up and I shivered. I quickly put on my clothes. I could see the ceiling cassette up in the ceiling. There were about 4, and each blew with a fierce cold. My lips were chapping. I just ran Mrs Kila’s comb on my head before stepping out.

A dry Mist blew in my face with the hearth smell that sent every sensation in me on a lock mode. I started slipping. I could hear the thrutch of objects. I kept moving, trying to steady myself but there was nothing to hold unto and the lights blew out in my face.

I was slung in the back seat of the cab and Nick’s voice woke me up.. I looked around at the road. The unfamiliarity of the road kicked something in my guts. I could remember how small the view would be from an airplane.. The road was endless in an untidied form.. Cars at every corner.. The Roads were very small. The cab kept making turns at every checkpoints. The roads were too small to contain all the heavy buildings situated at every corner.

But the most fitful thing about this city was the way the roads were crowded with cars and some places we entered had lots of people strolling around. The cab driver kept blaring the horn to ease the way.. But what jerked me was the surprise scream…

” OMG… Nick’s in the city.”

Crowd jabbed at the cab. The cab driver wanted to turn up the glass but Nick refused.. Girls swam into the vehicle.. Some at the back, others at the front. They kept pushing me.. Fury in theirmakeup.

” Nick! Take me picture. ” A lady yelled.. She wore a touch of red on everything she wore even her makeup. Her hands digged into her purse. The other girls jammed each other in the car, pushing and shoving to get in the picture.. The girls at the front were plopping their heads.. One of them nod the phone on the floor.. And the other girls gave her high jibes and she shot back at them. They fought, pulled at each other hair just to be in the picture.. As the camera light glowed, so did my fear.. It kept swelling inside me as I watched the ladies slip their hands on his body, their hands moved in his clothes.. He was enjoying every moment of it.. I could feel the euphoria, the mimicked laughter, the jealous eyes that stared at me and looked at Nick.. One of the girls looked at Nick and used her tongue to tingle his ears.. He smiled and laughed and just when I was becoming mad with anger, she looked at me and mouthed;

“Selfish Bitch.”

The ladies moved out of the car as we were approaching Sullivan Lane. The cab driver kept looking at my face through the rear mirror and one of the ladies who saw him yelled;

” Better look next time you bastard.”

The drive in Sullivan Lane was a bumpy one.. I wanted to ask Nick why we were driving along a quiet neighbouring road and we weren’t hitting the main roads but I couldn’t bear to look at his face.. Those ladies jacked up my memory. He didn’t seem to mind.. I don’t think he saw anything wrong with it.. The cab driver drove into a big field and a helicopter was there. It was already turned on.. The blades were whirling and so where the crowd and reporters waiting for us. I froze when I saw them. I couldn’t move, couldn’t wave, could do nothing. I was paralyzed. But my senses were strong.. I could feel, see, move and smell. The wind blew so much in my face as Nick took me by the hands and I didn’t go further without crashing on the floor.. The way I feel on the floor brought gaps from the Crowd.. Everyone held their hands on their mouth. A girl was coming closer towards me as though she had a clairvoyant powers. I heard a woman screaming her name and she moved through the crowd and took her.

Paramedics came and lifted me on the Stretcher bed into the chopper.. Nick was signing an autograph on a lady.. I couldn’t see the angle where he signed it, until he moved away and I saw her moving her pant a little lower and I saw the writing on her waist region.. He moved inside the chopper and Immediately, and the plane hovered into the sky.

Paramedics circled around me, saying things I couldn’t understand.. Nick looked at me and quickly reverted his gaze back to his phone. The plane zoomed up higher and then went down slowly and then it flew back up with so much speed.. It felt as though everything was spinning. The plane began spinning around in circles and I screamed and jacked up.

The doctor held my chest and gently I lay back on the bed. Nick too came by my side, clutching my legs and kissing it.. I didn’t hear what he said but he was crying.. I didn’t know if it was just for Media bliss or he was sincere.. Actually I didn’t care.. I finally caught his attention.

“ How much further! ” asked Tenz, one of our protective detail asked.

“Let’s say give or take 24 freaking hours!” The pilot said. He had an ashen look about him. He looked as though he was whiten with dust. My legs still gave out.. I desperately wanted to reach out and touch his face.

Nick came in my face and my hand stretched out, dabbing but it didn’t reach his face. He stooped down and smiled and for a moment, I forgot about the flirt, all I wanted was a touch; his or mine.

“What is the first thing you’re gonna do when we get to Missouri.” I asked instead.

“Mmmmm… I don’t know.. Let’s see..” He pulled his face slowly, and stopped the moment it brushed my feet and then he arched his chin forward and back. It greased my legs and it felt as though a cold sweet Ice cream was poured in my parched throat.

Biggie, our second protective detail was scrolling up on his iPod and then his face went Pale. His eyes widening and clutching shut. There was a thug at his eyebrow which pulled up. A little chuckle and a smile didn’t mar his shocked look.

“Nick, you’ve gotta see this.. Someone posted a video of you on YouTube flirting with a lady and giving her a tat on her waist.. With the Inscription;

“ Nick flirting with a lady while his wife is sick…. Big balls you got.”

” Already 30000 views and 900 comments.” He said with a smug.

” That ain’t gonna be good for show biz.” Said the Doctor, while lifting my arm and feet gently. He put the stethoscope on my chest and made a sigh and shook his head, and for a second, I thought my heart wasn’t beating. I thought I was gonna die.. Nothing in me failed. My legs were still immobile but I could breathe, could see and was breathing.. Yet it seemed like I was moribund. I would die. The plane would crash, I would be thrown down, Tez would fire a round in my brain. I kept prognosticating ways I would die.. But when each prediction played out in my head, it made be scream.. Even the scene of dying in my scene.

I didn’t know how long I stayed in terror but when I opened my eyes, everyone starred at me. Not a word was said. The three paramedics stared the most. The pilot scammed out in front of me and I couldn’t help but shriek in trepidation..

“We’re all gonna die!” I yelled.

Pilot laughed and said;

” No the plane is on auto pilot mode.”

Everyone broke free from the stare. It was as though those words unfroze everyone.

The plane soared again and I didn’t think about it, instead I was watching Nick do a live feed.

” Hello World! It’s me! Coming to you with an exciting news. I will be in California this summer on a world class tour. Tickets are available so go online and grab your tickets. Venues for the concerts will be communicated on this page alongside the date.

Tour beings on the 17th of August. Flyers for the tour are also available on our PISG band page.. Hurry now, tickets are gonna be sold out more quickly than last year.. And it’s gonna be moon beep world tour.. Bye for now!” He clicked send. I heard the phone chime and Nick yelled;

” IG Baby!”

Nick and I didn’t see much after the plane descended. He was busy. He didn’t even take me home after we landed in Missouri. Tez took me in a black jeep while he entered a red Porsche. I didn’t see anything. Everything was upside down. I was carried on a stretcher into the black jeep. Nick wanted me to stay at home and Tez sat at the front with the driver. I tried to say something but the words only came out as stutters and chokes. I tried moving my legs but instead, I ended up rolling to the floor. The words again flew in my head;

” Help me! I can’t move! I’m stuck! Please!! I wanna sit up right! My back aches.”

Tez looked back and saw me on the floor and I heard the car halt and he came out and laid me back on the chair. His eyes were mean. He looked at the driver and he grabbed by my arm while Tez held me by the legs and I was hurled up and thrown on the back seat with such force that the thud could be heard but I felt no pain. The driving continued and I didn’t know when I fell asleep.

The bed in Nick’s room was so big and cold. Mrs Barba, the house maid, a seventy year old woman came inside after I woke up. She never smiled.. I was nervous when she walked in the room with a tray of rice and soup and cheeseburgers and burritos and an iced tea. The woman in her black gown and white apron with her withered crack face gave me the creeps. I didn’t want to eat the food but I couldn’t walk. One way or the other, I was screwed.

“Grace, now you finish that up, I’m not ready to stand here staring at your face.. You know, no one pulled my weights for my grandson Tom who was born lame.. Hell, I remember my daughter, Stacy.. She’s not dead, if that’s what you’re thinking.. But she couldn’t just stand her son being marred. After all, she was the member of the mom’s club at her daughter’s school and her husband, Charles, is a basketball player and he is featured on model magazines for fitness so their little kid couldn’t be a spoil sport. I still wonder why she couldn’t just give up the boy for adoption..” She tapped her fingers on the headboard and then sighed;

“I almost forgot, she was a media freak. To the world, she was the perfect mom, always doing kids TV at her daughter’s school. Her daughter, Dia is a beauty queen at school, as well the girl with the best brains. Stacy never let her have a normal childhood. She started going for make up auditions in LA at 7. Stacy didn’t have to make Dia behave. She had rubbed off her supercilious nature on Dia. My sweet grand daughter is almost unrecognizable. Whenever I watch her on TV, my heart bleeds. And I know Charles, too is an arrogant prick like my daughter.

I wonder why parents give birth to children and then not love them. Tom stays at my house… I’m the least patient with him. But I send him to a special needs school here in Missouri in Franklin County…” She exhales for a minute, then I watched her brush at her white apron and then she continued;

“But Tom is a working wonder, he bathes himself, feed himself and is very good with his wheel chair.. I try showing him photos of Stacy, Charles and Dia to remind him of his family.

Stacy uses him to make money. Like Dia. Like when she bought him his wheel chair when she came for a Charity fundraising at his school. Off course Money poured in. Media went Face up in the air. She was the hero. No one knew Tommy was her son save me, Charles, Dr K and his team of nurses and off course Mr Thomas and Mrs Thomas. Their son posed as Stacy dead son. The news was that Tommy had slept and never woken up. Stacy had slipped Nytol in his mouth with the help of a syringe and I took him away to France a week later. Charles made the arrangement. Fake ID’s, passport, make up transformation in an underground bar. Hell, I could remember being tucked inside a trunk for 2 hours. Charles drove us by himself while his private pilot took me and little Tommy to Paris where we stayed in a house in Lyon bought in my fake name for 4 years before I decided to move back to Missouri. I missed the USA and I was tired of having to work out my ass to pay for the really lavish apartment.. Yes, my daughter didn’t contact me at all after staying a year in Paris. Not that I cared anyway but I needed upkeep for myself and Tommy. I did petty jobs, working in restaurants, cleaning offices and man did I get lots of help in the look out for Tommy. Mrs. Bella, God bless her soul, watched Tommy in the evenings while I worked.

When I decided to move back to the USA, Tommy was already 4yrs and was lame. I mean it didn’t mean anything when he was a baby but watching him grow up and not being able to walk around like other kids was sickening. I told Mrs Bella about Stacy and boy was she mad.. Her French words zapped out alongside her English. Her husband, Earl paid for my flight with Tommy. Tommy didn’t want to leave. He liked Paris, liked going to Eiffel Tower with Alison’s family. Alison was a friend of his at his school. He loved going on tours in Louvre Museum with his school and loved scouting around in his wheel chair and he had a big smile. The smile was so huge and comfy. I would always love that smile. Especially at School. He was only 4 but he felt older. Alison is 5 and she rarely speaks English and I know that I will miss the snow in Paris and the bridges and the food, and the romantic places like Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and the wall of “I love you” in 250 languages.

The first time Mrs Bella took us to Eiffel Tower, I watched a lady who her eyes gagged, her hands Spread out in the open as though she was blind and looking for anything to hold into. She looked like an Egyptian mummy and Tommy was freaked out. He wanted to jump out of his wheelchair but he couldn’t. Alison was pointing at the tower. She kept bending over trying to see how high the tower was. She kept bending her head outside. Mrs Bella had to yank her back inside. My eyes darted back to the gagged lady. A guy was slipping a ring into her finger and she was jumping and hopping at the same time. I didn’t know why Effiel tower had such magical effect on people. Couples holding hands and running like little kids, people sitting on grasses and laughing. No one ever climbed the tower. Tommy wanted to climb the tower though. He kept saying;

” Mummy I want to go up.” and his fingers would point at the tower and each time he said that, my heart would melt. How could he grow up knowing he was lame?

At the plane, I tried to get Tommy to sleep but the little boy kept thumping his toy cars together. Part of me was scared for Stacy, people finding out that her supposed dead son ain’t dead son. People started whenever Tommy yelled and laughed about something. A woman at my right was holding her chest and I thought she did that in shock but she said to me;

” You got a great kid dear.”

Tommy would throw his toy at different directions and whenever he would go to get the toy, an old lady or an older guy would pick it up and they would have a little chit chat in low times. His gaze prying in my direction and turning back. I wonder how they could hold up a 4 year old in a conversation like he was an adult. I wanted to go and grab him but my feet gave out. The conversation would go on and then he will come back to me. I would search his eyes but he would just go back to playing smash with his toys, his eyes looking backwards at the eyes of one of the older ladies in a flit smile.

Stacy was at a bookclub with a whole bunch of women at Lindenwood University when I saw her after I arrived in USA. Earl had booked a hotel for us. I didn’t plan on going but seeing Charles and her at a fundraising charity event poked something sinister in me. It even freaked Tommy out who was being so excited about the room. I didn’t even know when the house keeper walked in that evening. She was a very young pretty lady with a short blonde hair. She was black.

I was so upset. I wanted to smash the TV but I just stood starring but my facial expression was altered from that of a sweet mom to a hardnen drug addict and the fact that I scared Tommy made me to freak out. The young lady in the room just starred at me, her body moving slowly as though reaching for a weapon. Tommy was shaking in his wheelchair. I didn’t know why but when I moved towards her, she just ran away. I thought she was gonna bring in security but she didn’t.

The bookclub meeting had a few number of women inside, midaged mostly. It looked more like a therapy session or a grief group cause the women were mostly older women who dabbed their faces on most occasion.

Stacy was talking when I walked in, but I knew they weren’t talking about a book because I saw the way the lady beside her took her into her embrace as emotions railed the air. I kept hearing side murmurs;

” God he’s an ass.”

” If I were her, I would just rip out that nut sack in between his legs.”

Stacy saw me and their was this nervousness on her face. She scammed the room for Tommy, her eyes pleading. But when I came forward, she told me to leave that I had to register to be here. But the other women didn’t want me to leave. They could bond easily. The lady who talked about riping his nut sack, a black lady told me to say my story, to get it all out and that was when I snapped. I marched to the podium where Stacy was sitting with a lady. I didn’t look at her, just starred straight into the eyes of the women. I came up with Tommy

” Good evening everyone, am Mrs Babra, I wanna say it’s good being here and for everyone who doesn’t know, Stacy is my daughter and she got a kid, a little boy….” I was pushed off the podium. I could hear the little whispers. Stacy looked at me. Everyone saw her push me. I heard Tommy’s scream and I saw him being hurdle down from his wheelchair. He fell on the floor and hearing his moaning jerked something in me and I jumped up from the floor, pulled all the men who were checking on me and ran straight to Stacy and grabbed her by her dress and threw her off stage. She was so light. It felt as though I was throwing an empty can of soda. She flew into the women and then I yelled;

” Mother of the year! You bitch! Hope camera caught her throwing her son off stage.. Yes People! This is her dead son! I’ve covered your ass long enough. Tried to be your damn friend instead of spelling out the rules to you and look where’s it got me..”

I watched Mrs Barba choke in tears. Her uniform edge felt dusty on my nose. She kept screaming my name, calling ” Grace! Grace!!” Then she pressed her face on my body but I edged off and she was on the bed sobbing. She looked at me and I saw her face swollen in tears. She dropped the vacum cleaner and the dusting brush by the side of the bed and went out. Just immediately, Tez walked in;

” You okay?.”he asked

” Sure!”

Then he smiled. I didn’t know he ever smiled.

” Can I help you with anything?”he asked.

” Yes, the laptop.”

I hated asking anyone to bring things for me but I don’t have a choice. My legs refused to kick back. I had started the laptop and I didn’t know when Tez walked out. But a chiming message sent me over the edge. It was from Judith and it read;

“Nick you gotta come see me or else am telling your wife… Am pregnant for you and am not gonna let you walk out on me.. Am not Jane.”

Darby ordered an Uber that took us to Spark city. There was a sense of the Old about here.. It wasn’t as spontaneous as L.A. and it looked drained of colour. And some places here were empty unlike L.A. where peopmemory. seen in every direction.

Darby took his phone and made a call. I could hear the voice at the other end.. It sounded mid aged and cheerful.

” How’s my favourite Aunt. Kila.”

I didn’t hear what she said. She was just laughing. Then when Darby told her that he was bringing a girl to his place, I wanted to throttle him.

A long ride and black clouds were formed in the sky.

” There’s gonna be a storm tonight. ” he said.

The road was free and the wind blew into my face. The car moved quickly and so did the views. From a colourless tarred road to colourful trees and buildings. It was as though I was using a black and white TV and then life just surged in with colours.

Aunt Kila was a very robust woman. She had the shape of a doughnut. She was watering the flowers, wearing a hat and an oversized button brown shirt. She had on a boot and kept swerving her head left and right, like she was listening to a beat.

Darby’s voice stunned her.

“Bonjour!” His voice quivered in delight.

She laughed and turned around. They ran towards each other embrace. She held his head firmly and hugged him again. The house was nothing fancy. It was a small house in the middle of trees and flowers..

” Nice flowers.” I said

” Thanks dear!” She replied.

A mower was seen leaning on the wall.

We entered inside the front passage and I watched her slump on her seat like a sack of wheat. Darby had to keep her steady.

” I’m okay son.. I’ve always been one hell of a fighter you know. Husband gone, kid working.. You know how America is.. You work the whole day.. But we video chat every night.. But Eric, is doing fine.. He’s a doctor in Florida and he’s married and has a kid.. The last time I visited him, 3 months back, I was scared for him.. He was now acting like a white guy.. He acted bored when he saw me, I mean, we hugged but he left me at home and didn’t take a day off from work.. He let me stay home by myself and then we had pizza for dinner.. I joked about it but I didn’t like it.. His son, Tim behaves like a white boy.. I mean the boy is rude.. He didn’t even know me.. He kept saying ‘ hey old lady, back off! I don’t do blacks..’ When I told him am his grandmother.. He didn’t even allow me in.. He even called the cops on me, shouting that an old black lady negro was threatening him at the door and the police arrested me in the usual fashion and I had to call Eric and he verified who I was and that was how they let me go..

Can you believe that Eric didn’t tell me that he had a wife and a son. That boy, Tim doesn’t behave like a black guy.. He doesn’t know his history at all. I was so shamed when he told me that blacks were the morphed chimpanzees who undergo surgeries and learning to become a half human being. He told me that blacks made up the story of racism just to get sympathy from the world and that blacks were just looking displace the white man in his own land and since the whites outnumbered the blacks and they had the firearms, the black man decided to go against the laws and if punished, they tell the world that they were treated unfairly because of their race. Blacks tortured whites, stealing from them, raping their girls, killing them and that’s how the hatred between blacks and whites began in America history.. Eric kept laughing as Tim said it.”

Darby told her to calm down and checked her body..

” She‘s got a fever, Body’s hot..” He said..

” Well, looks like we came right on time then.” I said.

Aunt Kila didn’t like being told to seat at a spot.. She kept pushing back like a bull dog as the towel was wrapped around her while her feet were placed in ice..

Darby made Chicken soup for her while I dabbed her body with a wet thick cloth.. She kept fighting, trying to sway away but she didn’t say a word to me..

The house itself was weird. The walls were made of fine brown bricks, floor made of tiles and bricks with a fine layout. The house looked endless.. But it was a short passage.

Aunt Kila shivered so much that her teeth kept clattering. Her feet and body shivered in the same motion as her teeth. Yet when Darby came with the soup, she knocked it over with her face and I was thrilled by the speed of the splash and the far distance spread.

Aunt Kila glared at the soup mess, turning her head methodically in a 360 degrees angle so slowly like a machine.. The head tilted round as though a bolt was being snapped away from it.

” You better clean that up.” She said finally.. I thought she would thump Darby but she only said that.

Darby turned on the TV. It was on CNN. The news was about Connors Arrest. There was a picture of Connor on an orange jumpsuit while Kloin was talking to a reporter on TV.

” We’ve got 20 women to come out to confess.. This Connor guy was really a monster…” The reporter said..

” Some of this women found it really hard coming over.. I mean they could hardly remember what when down that day… One of the women, Olivia bradin had committed suicide 2 weeks back.. Her husband, Landy came forward this morning.. He said that he never knew that she was raped by Connor.. He just came back from work and found her dead.. “

I was startled when I heard Olivia’s name… The only Olivia I knew was back in high school.. Aunt Esther and Uncle Frank’s daughter.. I hadn’t spoken to her since the day I caught her in bed with Nick.. Something in me told me she was the one..

” what? ” Kolin yelled..

” Yeah.. Good grips and he’s here now.”

I saw a guy grabbing a seat and hurriedly seating on it.. He covered his face with his hands and I could hear his whimper.. He sniffed a little more before looking up.. Landy had changed a lot.. He was taller, had the Arabian look, now wore afro and now wore that professor look, but he had the build of a basketball player..

” You know I saw her before I went to work that morning and she was bright eyed, and as usual edged out when I came to kiss her and freaked out when I tried to hug her and just ran outside.. I was so mad at her and I promised myself that I won’t budge about it and I kept to that word.. She didn’t call me and I didn’t call her.. I took my kids to her mum’s place before heading out to work and around 7am, my phone rang and it was the police and I was told straight up that a woman was found dead in my house.. And right then I knew She did it.. I was so glad the kids weren’t in the house when that happened.. Mrs Esther scammed the place on hearing the news.. I would never forget that fog look in her eyes as she grabbed me by the collar, as though trying to shake her off me.. My little boy, Spiff, kept out to his momma.. I mean he saw her smeared in her own blood.. The cops didn’t cover her face with the blanket that was used on her body.. My daughter, Christa cried in my arms when she saw her lying on the floor.. She is only two years but she knew.”

I was stunned.. Olivia is dead.. It had to be another Olivia.. Lancy didn’t look one bit like his former self.. He was sobbing.. It crushed me watching it but I couldn’t remove my eyes.. Memories of my hate for her after I caught her in bed with Nick brushed through my head.. All those hideous text I sent her days later jabbed my brain.. Suddenly, I wanted to text Mrs Esther but then the sarcastic voice in my head spooked in..

“Duh you’re late.. She already knows.”

I dialed Nick’s number and was about calling it when I saw Aunt Kila raised a highly steamed cup into her mouth. I could see the hot vapour steaming out of the coffee and I didn’t stop starring till Nick’s voice lashed out..

” Call me later.. Busy with…” I could hear moaning and giggles and the line went dead..

“Girl, your man is hooking up with a bimbo.” Aunt Kila said..

I saw what looked like an onion tear running down her face as she chuckled.. Her face beaming with steam..

Uncle Frank did change. His eyes bulged so much as he spoke on TV.. He looked drunk and had a swollen stomach as though he had been drinking steadily.. He didn’t shave.. And he looked Cracked..

“I should have known that something was wrong.. Few days before she passed, she called me.. I haven’t heard from her in ages.. I have been grieving the loss friend phil and his wife, Judie.. They were our first neighbours and Family.. Even after they left California for Kirkwood, we still contacted each other.. Phil was the best doctor I ever knew.. He was exceptional..

Olivia wanted us to meet at a bus Station in Alameda and I told her it was a go.. She was already seated when I came. We sat together and she just stared. I wanted to ask her what’s wrong but she already gone blank.. She kept her gaze on the number of people entering the bus, and immediately the bus moved, she snapped back.

” Dad, do you remember the birthday prank you pulled on mum on my tenth birthday.. She really thought that there was a ghost in the house. Her freaking out was obscene.. You remember the way she kept throwing plates and cutleries at the darkness and screaming especially when she heard the toys we bought from the gift store whirl to life mechanically and the vacuum cleaner covered in a white linen dress plunge towards her.. She was terrified and even used her favourite vase to throw at it.. She never did pranking after that. Prank Kings!! I and my daughter would yell whenever mom was around.. It was an old family joke.”

Dr Frank raised his fingers and kept looking at it as if he was making a research and then looked up at the camera tearfully..

” She cried on my hands after we talked about the joke.. I held her.. I didn’t understand it.. I kept saying, ‘ it’s okay! Whatever it is we can talk about it’ but I didn’t want to.. That was the last time I saw Olivia alive.. I didn’t even call her to know how she felt later that day.”

Later that evening, Nick sent me a text..

” I’m coming to pick you by 10.. Put on something Nice.. We may drop in on some people.”

I didn’t reply. Instead, I deleted the message..

Darby went in to Tuck Aunt Kila in her bed while I remained downstairs.. I didn’t go into the bathroom to change cause the house looked haunted.. Every inch of the wall had this small had this small red dot smirk glossed on the walls.. It marred the perfection of the walls.. It looked like blood and it spooked me.

Darby marched downstairs with a heavy sigh.. I could see the sweats all over his body and he was unsteady. I had to lean by him for support.

” Are you okay? What happened in there.. Boy, you could really use a bath and lots of sleep. “I said

“I don’t know what Aunt Kila sniffs in but whatever it is, it’s crazy.. You could literally get high and crazy just by the smell of it.. It doesn’t have the narcotic effect as Marijuana, but the smell is so powerful, it’s like pouring acid here.. And the worst of it all is that she doesn’t give heads up before doing that.. You can be talking with her and the next minute, you’re passed out on the floor and she just go past u like you’re some pile of garbage.” I smiled at that.

” Well let me go and have a long nice bath, and maybe after that we can sit down and watch movie.. I have some great Chinese Movies and American movies.. What do you say Grace? “

” Maybe. ” I replied

” You need have a bath yourself and put on your night dress.” He said..

I froze at that statement.. I was scared on going in there and I was afraid of telling Darby. I was numb.. I closed my eyes, staring at the haunted images in my head.. The images of a person being shot in the head by a gun with the blood gush on impact. In my mind, the blood stain on the wall was actually bigger than the red dots on the brick walls Aunt Kila’s house.

Darby was gone by the time I opened my eyes. And I heard his voice singing in the shower.. That gave me plenty of time to gloat around.. I’d never seen anything like this house.. It was big, yet it felt so small.. The kitchen was very small. Cupboards were erected at the left side of the wall while picture frames were hung on the wall. The kitchen was neat.. There was no dirt or stains around. It looked new. The cupboards gleamed.

I moved from there back to the living room and Darby was sitting down, a bowl of pop corn on the center table and the TV was turned on.. I saw the flash drive that was stuck on the back of the TV and the flash of his smile.. I loved the bubble bath smell on him.. It was piquant. I moved closer and wanted to seat on the couch when he placed the bowl on the chair and said;

“You might wanna take a bath!”

” You can’t be serious, right.” I asked but he reverted back to the TV.. I stood still.. I wanted to sit down, wanted to see what he would do but, those words, coupled with the way he glanced away at the TV spooked me.. And yet, all I wanted was to rub off some of the scent on him.

I scurried away to the bathroom.. There so many doors but in the very small hallway but it took me just opening the last door by the left and there it was, the dreaded bathroom.. Like I thought, it was creepy.. Empty bottles, littered papers, Smeared Walls, dirty toilets with cob webs on the walls and a dirty rag was folded in the bath tub and an insect crawled on it. I hardly ran the water on my body while closing my eyes. I took my sponge and kept rubbing my body in response to the itching I felt.. The more I scrubbed, the more my body itched.. I didn’t know when I fell off the bathtub.. I got up and poured water on myself and jumped out of the bathroom. I had my silk night robe on the door and I made my way to the living room.

Darby was legged cross on the couch and was throwing a handful of pop corn into his mouth when I walked in. He looked in my direction almost immediately when I came in and he paused the TV and said;

” Wow.. Nice Wear!” He said, pushing a little bit to the left and patted the seat..

” Come Join me.. You’re gonna love the movie.. But the movie’s gone a bit far so maybe I should put another one.. So you don’t ask me questions.”

It was a quick flip with the remote and a new movie began. It was a comedy movie. Darby watched movies with so much Concentration, nodded his head at every scene, a brief laugh and huddling back, his pupils dart back and front. His body kept rocking back and front on the couch.. Every scene on the movie made him crouch.. I wasn’t following the movie cause I didn’t like horror movies. I wasn’t terrified by watching Chucky. But Darby was clutching was shivering and holding me by the shoulder by the end of the movie.. He was all out of breath.

” Hey are you okay?.” I asked..

” Yeah.. Pheew.. So glad it’s over.. Hadn’t watched anything that scary in a long time.” He said, squeezing my shoulders.

” Lol.” I said, relaxing my shoulder on the couch..

That night was the longest and the most creepy night ever. It was lured with Darby’s screams. I didn’t sleep well. Darby made us go to his room upstairs after the movie. He told me that Mrs Kila didn’t like anyone sleeping on her couch.

His Cousin’s room was stalked with ancient figures on the wall. It was clean but it looked like his mom cleaned him out alongside the dirt.

That night was stormy. Lightening flashed in the sky in it’s dark blue colour.. The thunder roared whenever Darby screamed.. I could hear the clattering of the window and a branch of a tree poked out in the outside shadows.. The wind blew into my face.. It was gonna be fun until ;

“aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh” Darby’s voice shrieked and accompanied by it was a lightening bolt and thunder.. It was creepy.. The blue light made his face shimmer a dark gait and I didn’t know when I Jumped out of the bed..

” Grace! Grace!!” He yelled.. I didn’t answer.. The wind was blowing heavily and so did the rain.. He scamped the room in darkness and the blue light cast in the room again and shadows were cast on the walls and I heard him scream and the thunder jolting only came louder, more fierce..

” Chucky!! Chuky!! Help! Help!!”

And then I heard a bang and the lights were turned on and I peeked from behind the bed and Aunt Kila stood by the door with a frying Pan in her hand, a pot worn on her head like a hat and her big gun on the other hand and She was damn furious…

” What the hell! Can’t you guys keep it down.. Almost 2am and you screaming as if you’re in a fuckin party… “

Darby was moaning on the floor. He curled around in circles, and then launched himself upright slowly before getting up straight.. He made it look for pain tasking, so cynical. Aunt Kila was having a hard time steadying herself.. She would go down and brace up.. I wonder if she was high on Meth. Her eyes wandered off from Darby, to the bed, to the scattered room, took a little to focus on the mattresses and pillow on the floor and then it vent the Ceiling.. Her eyes moved like a camera and blinked often whenever it spotted an image.. It was as though it was taking shots like Cameras.. I wonder if there was a camera retina in her brain..

Her eyes finally settles on me and she frowns but don’t say a word.

“Did you get the home Invader ?” Darby asked.. Aunt Kila’s mouth went from anger to horror.. Her eyes shone like the eyes of a heavily drunk man.. I saw her skin ashen and then Darby’s smile crept in and he burst into laughter. She didn’t waste time knocking him out with the frying pan. And then she walked out of the room.

Watching Aunt Kila wearing a cooking pot on her head and holding a frying pan and a tray as shield with a gun strapped across her shoulders and two peeper spray lodged in her waist pockets, I couldn’t help myself from laughing.. I may have laughed so loudly because the next thing I heard was a gunshot.. The bullet was fired at the door and I heard her say;

“Make one more sound.. I dear you.”

And with that, her gun was reloaded.

Darby’s moaning woke me up.. He was still at the very spot where he was knocked out.. He held his head and groan.. I checked my phone.. It was 3am and a text from Nick..

“ You got my text? “

And for a moment, I thought he was texting someone else and by mistake, he had texted me until the hint of the previous text jarred my memory and then the resentment came jogging back.

The beam of sunlight rays travelled through my face and in my head. I could feel the light, the heat and the brightness and I could feel the sharp thug on my legs and I jumped up.. And Darby stared at me like I was a stranger.

” Nick just walked in..” He said, yanking the bed cover under my leg.

I was a little bizarre by the news. It felt as though I wasn’t awake. I had a routine way of waking up.. It’s like booting a computer system up. I had to yawn, stretch, belch and finally do a little spin before I get up. I crashed back to the bed but the light rays fried my brain and he watched me boot myself and then my face was lit up and all the memories began pushing in and yet I didn’t feel the slight headaches I would normally feel.

I put on my robes and went downstairs but I didn’t see Nick in the living room. Aunt Kila was doing her Morning exercise. She had on black shorts and a mini top. I watched her part her legs. Her legs went wider and it seemed like it was about to snap and break but she sat on the floor with her parting legs flapping like wings. I didn’t know what I did next but she spotted me and said;

” Your boyfriend is outside waiting for you.” Her eyes darting as if daring me to question her why she didn’t allow Nick in.

Nick was sitting on the wide comfy wooden chair that swung back and front and was checking his watch and tapping his feet. He had on his headset

We didn’t land at the airport. We landed at a barn. The owners weren’t at home.. The plane had ran of gas.. Max was able to detect it before it became too late.. I was very scared when he told me but he held on to me and was able to land the plane..

We came down, marching the wheats planted on the farm.. No animals on site.. We moved around the farm. A Texas kind of farming overall was hung on a wooden pole with a cow boy hat on the cloth. A working boot was laid by the side.. And before we knew it, rain started falling. It was heavy.. We were running. I couldn’t see clearly as the rain drenched my sight. Max took me by the hand and we got to a pickup truck. He tucked me in and moved over to the driver seat. I open my phone and showed him … And then I slept off..

I didn’t think about nothing till we got to the hospital.. No horrible nightmare.. The rain was still pouring in when Max approached the hospital.. I jumped up immediately we got to the hospital.. Max’s face was sad.

“I didn’t know your mom was dead..I’m just looking at your live feed.. Your dad’s not taking it to well.. He had taken off his shirt and was handcuffed to a rail.. I still remember the interview I watched of him.. And your mom and he were very close.. Been married for 35 years, I get it. I would never forget how beamed his face was when he talked about your mom. This was 3 weeks back and now she’s quiet ”

A new fresh sadness dawned on me.. I remember racing in the rain and entering the hospital.. It was quiet and everyone was tear eyed. No one said or did anything. A man and his little son moved towards me.. Son was on a stroller while father pushed pass it.. He had on a rosary and a medaling. He kept reciting bible quotes and the lord prayers.

” Am making reposes for her soul.. He didn’t call the priest for his wife before she died, so I just wanna make sure she is forgiven by God before she is judged.. By the way, her room is 145B.. First turn on the left.. Second floor. ”

He moved out from my face with the boy while I took an elevator up.

Dad was sitting by her beside.. A cloth was used to cover her up. He was crying.. I knew so many people had been here.. Max’s video proved it and the foot prints left on the floor.. Wallets and small wads of dollars were on the floor too.. I stood still gazing.. The machine beeped so slowly.. I wanted to go and hug my dad but I was stiffened. A nurse passed by me and pushed a stroller table inside which had on it lots of surgical equipment. She wore gloves and a face mask.. She kept nodding her head as she moved towards a door at the end of the room.. She opened it and moved in before shutting it. Then Dad turned around and saw me and from that moment, I knew his heart was ripped out from him.. He wouldn’t hang on again… I wonder if mom loved him so hard. But I couldn’t think.

Dad moved quickly and hugged me.. And then the offense smell came.. Even my grief couldn’t hold the disgust.. He pulled away from me and went to the bedside.. I moved closer but didn’t touch the blanket and dad didn’t uncover it too.. But then we knew who was in there.. And it was creepy. My phone beeped.. It was a text from Nick.. It read;

“Where the hell are you? Footage of you running out of the hotel with a pyjamas like a freaking maniac.. What the fuck?”

I didn’t reply.. I just hung limp.. Next day, I woke up.. Dad face was discoloured.. He looked like something I couldn’t recognize. Had that same look on few months later at the funeral.. He didn’t want nobody by his side.. Not even me.. I could never forget the hateful stare he gave Nick when he came to the hospital the next day. I wanted to be by his side but he told me to get gone.. The same words he used on strangers.. That sadistic look in his eyes.. I’ve never been afraid of dad before up until that moment.

” He will come around. ” I whispered. Nick put his hands around my shoulder, squeezed it a little in a shudder and said;

” He ain’t coming back from nothin'”

I did say nothing.. I stayed at Chancer hotel, a few blocks from my dad’s house.. I called, left text messages, even came by to see him many times but he never responded.. His next door neighbor, Mrs Jackson was really worried.. She told me that she heard groaning sounds and shattering in his house at night but didn’t hear a thing in the morning.. I knew my father loved going out so much, so I told her not to worry that he needed time.. And she too replied;

“More time Indeed.”

Dad wasn’t seen anywhere.. The silence at day time and the weak groaning at night told me that he was at home.. Days I came there, threatening not to leave until he opened the door and stayed all night outside didn’t make him open the door, yet I could see his face from behind the door.

It didn’t take long in a sense.. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and my dad still didn’t come out from the house.. I remember a video chat I had with Nick and when I told him I was worried for my dad, he replied in implicit terms;

“It’s already a done deal.”

I didn’t know what it meant.. I was so engrossed with helping my dad that I didn’t take out time to notice anything. Not even the grey hairs that was sprouting out underneath my hair, or the zits on my forehead.. I just sat around the hotel, looking at my father’s house from outside the diner section. Then the day finally came.. I didn’t wake up early enough but it didn’t stop the cops from knocking at the door.. I woke up and checked my clock, it was 9:30am.. The knock came again and this time, I rolled out of my bed and answered the door.. It was the cops.. I was so startled that I knocked my knee against the door.. The pain shot through my body in a stunned way.. I arranged myself and told them good morning..

” Lady, bad news..” I knew what was coming next but It gripped me in the chest..

” Your father is dead.. Neighbour called the cops for him after hearing a bullet.. His short gun was beside him and he was dead.”

I bumped my way to the floor.. An old lady threw flowers in my direction as she passed by.. The cops didn’t try to get me up. I got up by myself and moved downstairs.. I could feel something breathing on me but I couldn’t say.. My body dangled and swayed as I climbed down.

I saw myself standing at my dad’s house.. A police tape was rolled at the entrance.. My dad was carried on a stretcher into an ambulance.. I didn’t remove the white linen that was used to cover him. Cameras rolled everywhere but no one asked me a damn question.

Nick picked me up that evening. He was with two guys behind.. They had dark shades on.. The two guys nodded at the back..

“ So remember to get the deal done today.. I want Connor to sign me up quickly. ” Nick said..

” Will do.” One of the dark shade guy said.

They dropped at a bar and Nick drove off. On the way, Nick looked in my direction and smiled..

“ How are you doing?” He asked

” You know how am doing. “

” Well, sorry for the loss babe.. But your dad was already dead the moment she died.. The two couldn’t live without the other.. Am just glad that he’d been put out of his misery.” Nick said..

At that moment, I wanted to hit him but yes, he had a point..

“You remember Connor, the Russian guy with his Partner, Leoind.. The two old men who came to our party? Well Connor said he saw you at your dad’s house this morning after he was confirmed dead.. He kept using the word terrible.. He said you should meet with him… He’s offering you a free ride on his jet.. He said you should call this number.” Nick slipped a piece of paper in my hand, rubbing his hands together as though unraveling a surprise package..

” what is that?” I asked.

” A once in a life time opportunity.”

****

Was I interested? The answer was yes.. Didn’t know why… I did know that this Connor guy could try to force me to bed with him.. Did I have any alternative measures if that should happen? I thought of this as two men in suit picked me up in a Porsche, the 2020 cayenne.

” Hey Aleandra and Adrick? Hope your dad’s good? “

” Yeah.. And he’s owning up to his promise, I should say.” The taller dark shaded guy retorted..

I looked at my handbag and remembered Nick putting condoms in there..

” Just in case anything happens… Do your thing, baby.” He said..

Adrick took the wheel while I sat in the backseat.. Aleandra was in the front..

” Hope we make it in time for our double dates tonight.” Adrick said..

” Can’t wait to see Kilm.. And can’t wait to get rid of this bitch.” I saw the swift angry grin on his face. I knew it was directed at me..

The drive to the airport was an hour drive.. Soft music was played.. Calls were taken in Russian language with a mixture of laughter.. Few turns and we made it to the airport..

A plane was already on set. The door of the plane slid open as Adrick moved closer and in between the Fuselage and moved into an uncompleted building. The place where the plane was was empty.. It was a long road.

Mr Connor was holding a stick and wore his Summer cap and dress.. It was too secular for a rich mogul.. He smiled when he saw me. His body glistered in the sun rays. His teeth was cocky and brownish dark.. He wore his sun glasses before holding me by the hand and together we got into the plane.

A bottle of Scotch was placed on the table in the middle of I and Connor..

” Ma’am, wine.” Adrick looked on me with disgust as he placed my cup on the table..

“No, not wine.. Get me a bottle of water.” I said..

” All my ladies drink wine.. I know it took a lot of convincing from Nick for you to be here with me but let me be honest, Nick’s fame and fortune depends on whatever happens right here.. Understand? So do whatever I ask from you..” He reclined on his chair.. The air in my lungs gave room for only a stutter.

The plane zoomed into the sky after a swift glide and I fell back on my chair. For a long time, Connor’s eyes scanned my body.. His two sons were beyond disgusted watching the both of us. They took turns using the bathrooms. The plane jerked and with it came a jittering of my heartbeat.. One of the pilot came to where we were and sat an arm length from me.

” How far are we?” Connor asked.

” 30 minutes to landing. ” replied the pilot..

” Yeah, can’t wait to get off this fuckin plane.” Adrick said calmly..

” By the way, have Doi fix me and my lady the best reservation tonight and call Mr Koin tomorrow.. Just have him fired.. The guy‘s a dick and is very good at embarrassing people.. He would make a good show out of it if I fire him myself and being that he’s my P.A., he has my schedule and being the real son of a bitch that he it can track me down so just fire him and tell him that the board was on it and well pay him off.. Here is your official letter of appointment as the head of the finical secretary of my business. “

” Wow you must really want to do away with this guy.. Cause you never wanted me or Aleandra anywhere the company, now you wanna give me a job in the company. How long before you fire me? ” Adrick asked..

” I just did all that so you both would man up.. I don’t want two sons who would be sucking my balls at death but now I see you’ve got skill.. I mean Adrick goes around selling business ideas while Aleandra is a pilot.. Nothing more can a man ask for than his children are doing good. ” Connor said, handing a note to Adrick and said;

” Here’s the number. “

Nothing was said again. The plane flew down and we came out, two police men approached us. I was behind Connor. I knew we were in Nevada, but still I asked the pilot.

” Hello officers.. How may I help you?” Connor asked

“ Am Serbia and this is my partner, Macko.. I hate to tell you this but your company building has gone up in flames. A man named Kloin went live today accusing you of lancery, fraud and bribing men to sleep with their wives. He has a recorded conversation of you and Nick and has a picture of you and Grace.”

I froze at the mention of my name.

” He also posts some of your email chats with the women.. At least 340 of your email chats have gone viral.. Chats with Emily Davison, Piper Arc, Melisa cunt, Judith Ved, Helena Cusana.. Chats when you try to get them in bed.. An email chat with Leoind, was also leaked too.. You asking him for Rohypnol. You both have a dealer, Mr Fin.. He deals to Leoind, and Leoind gives it to you.. You both gave a strong evidence of your sedating women with that drug. You paid guys to track this women down and drug them, posing as guys who wanted to take them out on a date or for a lunch break and then they drug them.. It was easy though, you said, since all women are.. What’s the word you described them as?…”

” Bunch of Condoms.. Just use them and throw them in the trash.. Ain’t that right?” Macko jumped in, cutting Serbia.

” And then these guys bring the women to your house and you rape them.. Yeah.. Same way you killed your wife, Theresa.. Kloin has your recorded videotape. You hired someone to do it.. The burglary was a set up.. He wasn’t planning to get caught but you turned on him and called the police. He gets caught on the scene and we put him in Jail. He’s killed lots of people before so the police are happy to get him off the street. You get him a lawyer that turns his case to shit and then you pay the police wards to kill him. You didn’t have to convince them. They had all the motivation in the world to end him. They drug him and then places a gun beside him. And then his cellmate tells him to pop himself with the gun, and he does it and wala, he’s dead. Nobody looks into it cause he was a sociopath. But you had a lot to gain. 750, 000 dollars for her life insurance and you had the right to her 500 million dollars left to her by her father with the mansion. Kolin pulled out all the finical records. And you blew. Bought yourself a helicopter, yacht, set up a billion dollar company that sells Illegal arm deals with China and Russia and Kolin took a picture of the safe underground where huge lump of money is buried. Trillions, I must say. You steal from bank reserves in America and China and now you’re caught. Leoind is in jail right now with some of your men. They’re making a deal with the cops right now and filling up the holes in Kolin’s story. And now the whole blame’s on you. Leoind told the police that the whole bank fraud was your idea. He tells the police that he gave you the drugs without knowing that you were gonna use it to rape women. He tells the police that he found out after you told him on the phone. The cops are not buying it though so you can come with us and maybe we can work some deal out.”

Connor stood still. He didn’t flinch when Macko chained him and took him away. I stared. I knew this wasn’t gonna end well.

Adrick and his brother quickly entered a jeep and moved down the same road as the cop. I stood still, long enough for the pilot to come out of the plane. He was of a sturdy look. I didn’t notice how flint he looked. He was lean but not muscular. He had the build of an acrobatic dancer. Then I noticed the scar on his right arm. It looked like a tat but I discovered that his hand was closed together and a bandage was wrapped around it.

” Wow, does that hurt?” I asked. He was startled and made a face. But then I pointed at the bandaged left arm.

” Wow, 20 years and finally someone had the balls to ask.” He smiled.

” Am Darby by the way. Nevada is a very fine place by the way. You’re gonna love it here trust me . “

” I’ve been here before with Nick, on a business trip.”

” Yeah! You’re the lady that was caught running out of a hotel with a pj on.” He beamed.

“Well, I lost my mom and dad in a short spree.. So yeah.” I spurted.

The smile quickly vanished and he was very sad.

” Yeah.. My dad took me swimming on a lake. I was 10. I didn’t know what happened next but I saw people running away from the water. Then I saw blood on the water and then sharks. My dad was torn into pieces by the shark after he was able to get me on a speed boat driven by a man. He thrust me in with the help of the men that was in there and just immediately, sharks ate him there. I watched it happen. I didn’t know when the boat zoomed off. Mom was waiting at the shore and she cried on me and then she gasped when she looked at my bloodied hand and I too looked at it and noticed that of my fingers were gone. I was patched up but something in me died. Same thing happened to mom too. She started doing drugs too and I was taken away from her and given to my aunt who lives here. I’m heading there now by the way. Don’t worry, it’s not my permanent place of abode. I got a house in Washington DC. And I get free accommodations in other countries where I fly to and Good old Connor paid for a hotel so we go jack that place after visiting my aunt.” His face beamed again and I was perplexed by the mood swing.

” But first I need your phone. You got a load? ” I cut in. ” I’m Grace by the way.” I stretched out my hands and he took it.

He gave me his phone and I dialed Nick’s number and it went straight to voicemail. I wanted to tell him to pick up the phone and get me the hell out of here but Darby’s voice rolled out in my head

” I’m guessing you’re calling Nick, well to be honest with you, that guy doesn’t care about you.. I watched the news and I was sore disappointed in finding out that he can send his wife to sleep with another guy just to get some favour from him.”

I didn’t say anything before handing back the phone to him.

The wedding had a massive turnout.. I could hear the lots of noise from the ground floor that was used for the wedding event.. Someone was making a speech. I could hear muffled laughter and clinking of cups and a still music. I stared at myself in the mirror and smiled.. I didn’t know what I was smiling about but I did.. My face did feel lumpy. I looked weird in the make up I rubbed on my face.. I rarely used it but my mom told me I must wear one on my wedding day.. I could remember the countless of hours Of make up session.. Especially when the woman was drawing my brows and my lower lashes, and the fake long lashes that was glued on my eyes.. It was big and felt like a big zit.. I nagged, time after time, to know if she was done and she kept saying a minute but 30 minutes later, she was still in the same spot.. Then I will yell again and she will tell me that she is a professional and that how I looked affected her Career in a big way.. The other two girls didn’t say anything, only brought things that she wanted. She yelled their names; Fatisha and Helina.. They both were African Americans.. And best, these girls always knew what their madam wanted.

“Fatisha.” She would call and the girl will go out and come in with bottled water and I will be stunned.. I never believed in mind reading power.After hours of painting, and cleaning and fixing, she was done. I looked at myself in the mirror and freaked out at the stranger I saw there.. She smiled as her hands coiled down my hair..” I did a pretty job didn’t I ?” Her eyes darted at Fatisha and Helina..” Yes.. Heather.” They both replied..“Heather?” I asked..” Yeah.. That’s my name.. I come from around here… So do you like the make up?” She asked..” Yeah…. Sure…. It’s fine..” I stuttered.. I didn’t tell her how sun burned my face felt..I reclined from my thought and looked at the clock that hung above the stacked clothes that was hung and folded in the open closet..Then I heard voices down the hallway.. It came out in different tone.. One was yelling and angry, the other was pleading.” Stop it mother! Why are you here? You didn’t get an invite from me, all my guests get personal invites from me, so you need to leave.”” Am sorry Nick please, sorry for letting you go the way I did.. I thought It was because your dad was dead and I was grieving, but it was because I couldn’t get over being held and kissed and being cuddled, and yeah, I had no reason to give you up to child protective services but I did and am sorry… Please don’t ask me to leave.. I just came here because… “” Am all rich and famous.. ” An voice intruded“No…. My life had been a mess since I gave you up.. I’m no better than your father.. At least he lived his life serving America in the army while I soiled his memory by screwing every guy I saw at the gym and just getting drunk at a club.. It’s been hard Nick… Since he left… I didn’t think I had what it took to raise you, I mean I was a junkie, even before your father died… He knew who I was and was insulted by it….”” whatever mom, you gotta go.. Leave and don’t ever come back.” The pacing footsteps accompanied the voices and then silence..The silence sucked the life out of me. I was damn petrified of going down the aisle.. I sighed when the door opened and a lady walked in and said; ” it’s time.” Dad too entered inside.. He smiled in his white suit.. He was radiating in the room.. The white suit radiated with his glowing brown skin colour and he emitted the brightness of a lamp… He kissed me on the forehead when he saw me and told me he was proud of me before walking me downstairs into the wedding hall.Everyone turned to stare at me immediately dad opened the door.. The breeze blew into my face and for a moment, it was as though I was flying.. The flower girl spread flowers on the floor and my dad and I walked together, arm clasped to the podium where the priest and Nick stood.. They were no brides maid or groom… I closed my eyes and opened them and looked at my mom who blew a kiss in my direction.. Everyone held still in their seating position as we read our vows and exchanged the rings.. Then immediately the priest yelled ; ‘ I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride. ‘ Everyone jerked on their feet at the same time and clapped.. Cameras rolled around us.. Girls scammed their eyes at me jealously.. A girl mouthed bitch to me.. Camera flash flipped on my face and disappeared.. I never saw it coming, just like it didn’t see what was coming next.

****

That evening I was unsettled in bed as I laid next to Nick.. It’s been 9 hours since I got married and I got tired of the endless calls and trooping into the house.. People came in with cameras and little mics.. I didn’t rest until in the night.. Nick threw a house party… I did never felt sick to my stomach.. The party was held outside on the porch.. The noise, the shouting and the drinking was so trivializing.. I was taking pictures.. Nick would wave;” Grace, over here.” In the middle of a black lady and few white guys on suit.. The lady’s eyes were on me as Nick talked to the men.. “ Cool though, you’re now a married man.. Hope she’s the one?” One of the men asked and everyone looked around as though in a new realization.. The air was stiff.. I froze when Nick looked at me angrily after I moved away from them.. Death stares I called them.. Then the red haired lady who was staring at me before, brushed Nick with her behind and took a sip from her drink while looking at me.. A couple was holding hands and dancing behind me.. The man was caressing her eyes while his hands dropped slowly towards her behind to her left pocket and slicked her hands in there and I watched the phone move upward.. I wanted to yell, to say something but all I did was stare.. After they parted, he left and I watched her smile.. In her hands was a watch, a wallet, and a phone.. All I did was smile after I saw that cause I knew they were all his…The party lasted for hours and I was worn out… Nick and I took pictures after which I slid out.. He told me in my ears after he called me back the second time to take shots with him with a bunch of old men…” We are going to meet some powerful rich old men.. The two of them run business in Russia and am gotta be in their good graces tonight if you just look hot okay? Smile seductively, kiss them if you have to.. They have a weak spot for ladies and am gonna exploit it big time.”And true to his words, the two old men really had weak spots for women.. They held my hand slowly as they starred in my face… I wanted to freeze into their dark soul.. One of the men let go of my hand and said;” You don’t smile very often dear.. It’s your wedding night and everyone is here for you..” A bad sign.. I thought…” She hasn’t slept all day.. Darling go inside and catch a shut eye will you?.” Nick cut in.. His look alone scared me off.. And I beat it..I scammed off, running into people, especially those that served the drinks.. I didn’t bother to checkup on them. I picked up the race as I entered Nick’s house, only to pulled back by a man.. It was one of the security detail that was assigned to Nick.. His name is Jet.. I didn’t know when I hit him in the face twice yet his nose didn’t bled.. If anything, my hands pained me.. I held my wrist as I looked at his face.. He had this evil villain grin that made me fear.. I saw the smirk on his face and I wanted to throw another punch in his face only for him to catch my hand.. He smiled and I kicked him on the gut and this time, a punch in the face by him sent me to a deep sleep..Weeks and months passed into our marriage and nothing out of the ordinary happened.. We didn’t fight.. He took me around to his concerts in California, Tennessee, Philadelphia, and Texas.. Across America, we moved around to London, Italy, Dubai and Paris.. It was fun.. Dad and Nick didn’t get along so well so he stayed out of my life.. Not completely.. He still dropped by, still sent me text messages, even bro out with Nick too but it was clear that he didn’t like him.. He never asked of Nick in his letters but mom did.. She was the one who made Print T- shirts for Nick’s tour.. Unfortunately, she died in her sleep.. I will never forget that day.. I was in Nevada for a meeting with those 2 Russian Old men.. He called me his good luck Charm.. The morning before the meeting, Nick went out in the morning.. I didn’t see him leave.. He just left a note that read;” Gotta go.. Be back in 2 hours.. Remember to look hot for our meeting… Remember , am counting on you.P.s. I had the housekeeper bring us breakfast in bed.. You needed to see the way she made her face when she saw the condoms on the floor with your bra.. Lol.. So, Smell you around. ” The letter ended with a love heart drawn on a new paragraph..I almost knocked off the tray from the bedside when I saw the note but I held my hands.My phone rang. I moved the pillow and took the phone.. It was my father.. I took it but the call ended.. I checked my call log and discovered that he left me 26 missed calls and a voicemail… I played the voicemail and it was silence and heavy breathing.. I could hear his heart beat at full speed.. He kept stuttering like a broken line… But I got the words;” My wife has died.. Hurry!”I was stunned.. Dad never called me.. He only writes to me.. I thought someone was using his phone but then my heart gave out when Mrs Esther sent me a message, telling me to run home to my dad before he does something harmful to himself.I ran out immediately in my Pyjamas.. I didn’t use the elevator. I kept bumping into different people. The hallway was wide, so was the stairs.. I didn’t stop.. I kept yelling.. I ran out of the hotel clad in my tight.. Car honks boozed my senses.. Traffic all over. I was running, when I bumped into a Taxi driver that was moving towards the driver seat.. He was beat when he saw me. I brushed past him, attempting to cross the road, only to be pulled back by the driver.. A big truck pulled away in a near lash.. I didn’t feel the minor cut on my arm when he pulled me away. I was still fighting him.. I was punching him but it took a punch to send me to dreamland.The loud music in his car woke me up.. I was placed at the front seat.. Traffic was moving slowly.. I wanted to throw him out of the car but I had no strength in me.. But I had that hysterical look in my eyes..” Are you okay ma’am?” He asked.. ” Take me to the airport.” I said..” You know whatever it is, it’s not worth being knocked over by a truck.. Just take a deep breath.” I wanted to relax but then my father called again and I was ignited in a furious rage.. I jumped at the steering wheel and pushed the car forward.. It threw a man mid air and he jumped on the bonnet and fell down.. I was so crazed that I didn’t see the tumult.. I saw a gun in the compartment of the taxi. I jumped down and shot it in the air.. I pointed the gun at the cab man and shouted at him to get me to the airport… The man stood still till bullets started flying in the air and someone yelled;” The cops are here.” A voice said.. I entered the car and the driver too jumped in and turned on the engine slowly.. A cop looked at us closely just as we dashed past him. He slowed down after we hit the road and then I pointed the gun in his head for him to speed up.. He went at a high speed and then slowed down on seeing a traffic light. The light turned red just as we were making a left turn..” Move!” I yelled” And hit those people crossing over?. ” he asked..” I don’t give a fuck..” I pointed the gun on his head..” Girl, you’re gonna have to Kill me cause I’d be dead if I make a run for those guys over there.”I didn’t reply.. My eyes caught a woman with a baby on a stroller and saw the way she smiled when she looked in my direction.. Before I knew it, traffic was eased and the cars started moving again.I turned back and noticed that the gun wasn’t in my hand.. A twitch smile was formed in his face.. I just made a furs..” By the way I’m Ben.. African American.. Lived Canada.. My mom is from Canada while my dad is from South Africa.. I came over to America for college and work but it’s been hard getting a job, you know, as a black guy.”I didn’t reply.. I just looked out of the window gazing at the sun.. And soon I slept off.“We are here.” Ben’s voice jumped inside my head like an electric surge and soon I jumped up.. I looked around, staring in confusion.. My brain couldn’t process anything for a short while but the more I looked, the more it dawned on me that we were at an airport….“Mccarran international Airport.” I heard Ben saying it on his phone.He ended the call and looked in my direction.” I called a friend who flies his own Jet… His coming over here.. Maybe you can fly with him cause I know that whatever must have made you run out with your pyjama on must be a damn emergency and you don’t have much time to spare so I thought I could help..”I didn’t know whether to kiss him or hug him.. I leaned towards him but he brushed me aside and said;” You can save the kiss for your dad or boyfriend, my priority is to get you on your way.. And don’t worry about paying any cash to my friend. “I smiled and laughed and then I told him I was Grace and my boyfriend name was Nick.. Neither rang a bell to him.. He didn’t know Nick.. And that was weird..His friend was even weirder even though he knew who Nick was.. The way he smiled and gritted his teeth together as if he was making a scowl face.. His lips zagged as he smiled.. He held onto my hand in a full grip, extending to my elbow as though I was his guy..” I’m a huge fan of Nick.. My friend over here didn’t tell me that I was helping Nick’s girlfriend.. I would have put on a show for you.. By the way, am Max. “I didn’t reply.. My eyes looked at Ben and then he told Max that I was in some kind of emergency and he needed to take me to Kirkwood.. Max wasn’t listening. He was looking at a lady who passed by.. She was bringing out her phone from her purse.” Hey that’s my ride. ” Max said, with a click of his tongue.” That my friend is a retard.” Ben said, swooping in their direction.. The conversation was a short one but I kept melting in my head as I watched them.. The girl had a very hefty laughter. The way she put her hands on her chest and laughed till I thought she was gonna choke, made me gag. She wore braces on her mouth and contact on her eyelids.. Her lips was a glamorous red.” Hey boyfriend..” She would yell from the onset before making any statement. Max was doing the talking and Just when I was about to drag the two bozos by the shoulders, they finished their discussion with the girl and was heading back in my direction.. I didn’t give Max anymore time with Ben.. I pulled him by the hand to his car.. Ben sat in the back while I sat in the front with Max.. Ben took a call while Max moved to an empty building.. It looked like a garage, only that there were no cars.. It was Just a big damn plane.. Ben ended his call and bellowed on the realization of where we were..”How far from the airport?”Max looked at his GPS and said” A hundred kilometre.”The plane was covered.Max uncovered it just as he said;“This plane belongs to my dad.. He’s a pilot.. Travels a lot actually.. He’s in Dubai right now.. Makes good money.. Maybe I could show you pictures on the plane if you’re interested.. “ he smiled at me..” Are you flirting with her?.. Wait a minute, you like her!”Ben said” So what.. I could use her help in the future.. Why do you think am out here? Am not a saint.. You know I would have gone away with that girl if not that Grace is a celebrity.” Max said. I climbed into the Jet and didn’t waste time before yelling at Max.Max didn’t turn in my direction. He was still talking and laughing in the same pose.. I wanted to climb down and drag him by the collar, and just when I was about to execute my plan, he said; ” Thanks bro.. Gotta go.. Smell you around.” They hugged each other and Max came into the plane. It took minutes before the plane flew into the sky.. I would never forger Ben’s excitement as the plane moved out from the building.. I was afraid that the plane will break the building down but it didn’t.. It just went backward like a car on a reverse gear and started gliding before it zoomed into the sky.

Janet sounded playful on the phone. She laughed when I told her I was gonna tell the cops on her.. She just kept yelling ;

” Nick’s so cute!!”

The second time this happened, I and Nick were at his house watching movies. He got up to take a leak.. I was still watching when my phone blinked.. I saw the photo.. I and Nick were sitting over a pop corn, Pizza and coke..

The first picture showed me putting a piece of the pizza into my mouth while Nick was uncorking a bottle of coke.

In the second picture, I and Nick were playing couple feeding game.. I cut a piece of the pizza and stuffed it in his mouth and he was pretending to choke.

I was scared out of my wits. Especially on hearing a sound outside. Someone had jumped on the shrubs.. I saw Nick come out with his muscle all stacked up but I was the least interested.. I showed him the images and he called the police and the phone number was tracked and Janet was caught.. Nick decided to drop the charges.. I was scared.. She had repeated at the station that she was just kidding me but I screamed out to her to go fuck herself and she got angry and called me a bitch and told me that she was gonna come for me.. Those statements scared the shit out of me and for months after she got out of prison, I kept checking the alarm at my house, always looking out the window at every minute wherever I went to.. Nick told me to drop the fear bullshit but I couldn’t.. Someone was after me, not him.. I didn’t sleep well at night.. My mind was tuned up at the slightest noise.. Once, Nick and I were in bed when I jerked up after I heard a faint noise outside and my heart kept beating.. Nick had turned around to spoon me when his eyes caught mine and he yelled and shook me violently and I shook.. He had to call the cops.. Police checked me out and I was fine.. They told me I was suffering from Illness and anxiety disorder and I was sedated before I was taken into an ambulance..

Dad rushed into the hospital the next day with mom.. The doctor came in few moments later.

” She’s fine..” The doctor said, trying to placate my already tensed up mom who was already burning up.

” Calm down… Hope you’re good now?.” Doctor asked me..

” I think!.”

” What happened? Nick told me that your eyes gave out.. Where you on drugs? Did he drug you?.” Mom’s eyes popped out.. I had never seen my mom look this way before.. She was really traumatised.. Her eyes very vacant..

“Mom, am okay! It’s not Nick, it’s a girl from my class, Janet! She’s been stalking me and she threatened to come after me and she was just released from prison after Nick called the cops.”

I didn’t add that Nick dropped the charges.. My parents would be scandalised..

” I don’t get it.. The cops let her go after she threatened you.. Did you tell the cops that she threatened you?.” Dad asked.

” She made the threats in their presence but the cops called it an empty threat.” I replied..

“ Fuck the police.. Bastards! Sons of bitches! Until my daughter dies before they lock that psycho bitch up.”

The doctor told me to rest and he and my parents walked out.. Nick too followed attack. Protection detail was assigned to Nick few weeks later after an attack in Boston few weeks later..

I didn’t go.. I stayed at my parent’s house after some weeks and Nick had gone on his music tour the previous day before my discharge from the hospital.. He kissed me on my forehead and told me about the upcoming tour.. I didn’t know what to say so I smiled.. He left a card and a bunch of flowers. The card read;

“ get well soon baby.”

With colourful drawings..

I would never forget the bombshell smell that filled my noise after I rolled out of my ward room.. Especially seeing them stroll in really bloodied people inside with family members moving behind until the person, doctor and nurse moved into the hallway.. I could smell wounds, blood, syringe, sweat, fear, and purifying matter.

Mom bought pizza for me on our way back.. The doctor booked an appointment for me with a psychologist and I was to begin my session on Monday..

Aunt Esther came on Saturday to the house.. She wore a crop pink top and a jean pant.. Mom was making pancakes and I was starring the mixture for the new set of pancakes.. Dad was in the living room watching the news and then the knock on the door came.. Mom went to open it while I came out of the kitchen and went to the living room and read the headline

” 7 shots fired in Massachusetts at an all night music festival.. 3 injured.. No casualties..”

Then there was a picture of Nick ducking down after being carried out of the stage by the police.. The reporter was saying that a maniac had shot him on the shoulder and opened fire mid air which caught a guy and two ladies on the back.. The video of the stampede were shown on screen.. The police where called in time to save Nick from the gunman who wanted to take the kill shot but he was shot on the arm.. The gunman was one of the back stage singer.. When he shot Nick, and started shooting in the air, everyone ran off from the stage leaving Nick on the floor to fate.. It was Detective Chan that brought the gunman down who was right in front of Nick, stalking his prey.

I was numbed when I saw the news..

” Grace! ” A faint voice called out but I couldn’t tell who it was.. The only thing I remembered was my slow dropping to the floor.

By the time I got up, I was placed on one of the sofas. An Ice pack was handed to me by Aunt Esther after I opened my eyes. My mom’s breathing came quickly and retired slowly.. She looked at me sadly..

“Nice pancakes!” Mrs Esther said slowly as one who had something hot in her mouth.. Mom merely nodded..

I sat up and watched as everyone bowed their heads as though mourning a dead person.

” So maybe now’s not a good time but am retiring officially from the lecturing job.. Turned in my letter to the board.. They didn’t care.. The head of the university, Tim, just put it on the table and continued drinking his coffee.. It was one of the easiest decision I ever made.. Tim is a goddam racist and a misogynist… God, that dude is so controlling. He’s always going in a headlong with me and maybe I guess that’s why he can wait for me to leave. ” Mrs Esther said.

Dad just chuckled and said nothing…

“Is Nick gonna be Okay?.” I asked.

” Sure.. He was being taken to a hospital moments ago.. I’m sure his fine. It’s you am worried about.. The seizure, you freaked us all out.. For a moment I thought you were dead.” Mrs Esther said, getting up and moving towards the door and then jerked back to where I sat. She touched my neck and I yelled;

” Am fine!”

Aunt Esther wiped her mouth with a napkin after eating the pancakes and smiled… She looked stuffed.. She coughed and belched and said;

“I was thinking about taking us three; you, me and Grace for a spa treatment this Saturday, that’s if you both are okay with it.. I’ve got plenty of time in the world if Saturday ain’t convenient for you both.”

Mum looked around the house as if she was gonna get answers staring around, finally her eyes landed on a pair of hand gloves that was placed on the dinning table and said;

“ Yeah.. Saturday will be great.”

” Your turn now.” Her eyes were focused on me now.. I looked into Aunt Esther’s eyes and I said;

” So say I.”

But mom later called to Cancel later that evening after she left.

2 days later, I went down to Boston to see Nick.. I had a feeling that he won‘t let me come to the hospital if I asked so I didn’t call him..

The hospital he was admitted into was located in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was a 2 hour fly over from Kirkwood. There was an uneasy gut in my head and it felt like bile in my stomach.. People were scattered around the airport by the time the plane descended and no one even took notice of me.. A cab picked me up.. The driver was a Muslim from Syria.. I knew cause I heard his accent. I was scared, watching him enter the car. I wanted to come out from the car but the car was already full before my lazy butt could kick in.

He wasn’t the only Arabian in the car, the man at the front too was from Syria.. They spoke English with a heavy Arabian accent.

“I was just speaking with my mom and she told me that my dad just died.. He was killed by an airstrike.. Our Country, Syria is so loving this war.. Assad doesn’t want to step down, neither does our people want to give in.. We’ve been fighting this war for 7 years now and we don’t want to stop.. My dad was part of the rebel group who loved our land.. He fought in honour..” The cab driver said..

” Yusuf! Honour? He died in a fucking war! A war that he didn’t create neither could he stop… Thousands of our people are dying everyday like ants yet we love spurred by Russia, Iran and America who would provide us with ammunitions to destroy each other.. The government had a good economy before the war started.. Hell, I remember those days before Assad came into power! Everything was great when his father was in power and then his devil son took in his stead.. I lost all my family to the war.. My sister Alya, I can still remember seeing her dead.. She was raped and killed by soldiers… She was young and beautiful.. My parents were killed by armies when they went to join the protest.. I would never forget the bullets that flew from a jet.. I was hurled down after a man fell down and brought me down with him.. He was dead and so was everyone who fell.. I couldn’t find my parents until a few days after the air raid and that was when I decided to leave Syria.. Fortunately, My Uncle, Amir was already a citizen in America.. I would never forget how he kept begging my dad to leave the fight but he kept saying that the war would soon end.. My Uncle even opted to take me, my mom and sister with him but my dad kept saying that he can’t have his family leave their home because of some evil men in power.. Then , I thought my dad patriotic, now I wish to hell that I can break his neck..”

I was the first to drop immediately the other guy finished speaking and I was damned glad.. I didn’t want to feel the tensed atmosphere..

I entered the hospital. Immediately the secretary saw me, she moved out from the counter and asked another lady to cover up for her..

” You must be Grace.. Nick’s girlfriend.. I saw him propose to you at the bar. Can’t still believe that I saw him live in person.. I could never forget the bumps I felt when he proposed to you.”

” sure” I said, smiling…

He hesitated and turned around to sign on a paper.. The guy who held the paper didn’t look at me. I did think he was the security guy till a black slim lady walked up to him, holding a black baby boy in her right arm and a handbag on the left.. I could see tattoo drawings spurting out from underneath her sleeve.

“ Doctor said to bring Josh in on Thursday for checkup.. Got the drugs.”

” Yeah” he said, holding a small plastic bag…

I could see her grief.. Tears marred the perfect mack up on her face..

“I can’t believe that my son has UTI.. I mean he grew up so normal. How can my 4 month old baby have to experience so much gruesome pain. Why will God allow an innocent baby to suffer? I mean I know we humans are evil but my boy is so innocent.”

As if the little boy heard his mother, he began to cry.. I could see the pain and tiredness in his eyes..

“ Wow the chills and Fever are back again.” The man said.

I didn’t know why but I took the baby from the mother.. He felt so feverish and was crying so loudly and threw up on me.. It came all out in one I gush..

The mother took the baby from me and gave him that wounded look.. She didn’t look in my direction when she said;

” If you’re looking for an apology from me, trust me it ain’t gonna happen.. I didn’t give you my baby, you took him on your own and I sure didn’t threw up on you, the baby did so just go into the bathroom down the lobby and get yourself cleaned up.”

Without Pausing, she looked over at the man and said;

“Idaro, we better get going! You know we are going to see the marriage counselor in another 3 hours.”

I watched them file out while I ran into the bathroom to clean up myself.

I came out to the lobby and headed back to the reception and then I told the secretary that I needed to see Nick but she was just smiling and talking to two old guys and when I repeated my demand, the two really old men gave me this creepy look and turned back to talk to her.

After they left, she told me the room number.

“ Room 434. Third floor” She said smiling and then added;

” Would love to get an autograph from your super boyfriend.” An Old woman who came to the counter gaged at her statement.

I took the elevator and Just as I was about to close it, a man with a coffee stained shirt eased his shoulders through the elevator doors. He nodded at me and I gave him a wave.. He was a doctor, that I knew.. The white coat and the Inner white collared shirt and stethoscope on his neck was a dead give away. I did ask him what room he was heading to and he told me Room 434.. And the elevator dinged and we came out..

There was a small crowd by the door.. It was the media.. They rushed to me with the mic, demanding to know what the situation was.. The doctor gave me that high pitched look and gave me that sneer look when we entered inside..

” Hey baby girl.” Nick’s voice leaped and then his face turned sour when he saw me but he quickly reverted.

Lots of girls were by his side. Judith too was sitting on his bed. At first the ladies smiled at me and one of the ladies even said to Nick;

” When is your girlfriend coming to check up on you? I mean she would be here if she cares about you that much”

“She’s probably fucking another guy.” They laughed and then Nick said;

“That’s no way to talk to my girlfriend… She’s special.. She made me survive.. I thought of her when I was shot and I knew I had someone worth being alive for.. So hold your horses and here she is.”

Everyone turned and stared at me , following his gaze.. The girls hissed and got up as I came and gave him a peck on the cheek.

By the time I pulled my face from him, the girls were gone and the doctor I saw at the elevator was coming inside. He frowned when he saw me.

” Hey Miss time to go.. Your friends were spotted downstairs.. He will be all yours in two days.. Just two days and please relay the message to your other female friends not to drop by till Friday.. New Chicks keep dropping in here on daily occasions, guess you guys are many.”

“She stays!” Nick said and the doctor stayed silent and made his observations. He kept saying ‘Nice’ and after checking his side, the doctor exclaimed;

“Healed so quickly… Nice.”

” It’s what happens when you have that special person by your side and you realize that you’ve got a reason to fight.. Cause someone’s waiting for you.. That special lady.” He said smiling at me and we kissed.

” That’s what they all say.” Doctor’s voice held so much disgust as he walked out

***

Our Wedding took place two weeks after Nick was discharged. It was at a grand hotel in saint Louis. I was numb at so many things. I couldn’t believe it was finally happening. Nick and I didn’t have bachelors party or bachelorette party like other couples. Neither of us could risk anything going wrong.

I stayed at my family house while he stayed at his house. The darkness of the night was more sinister than ever. The chilling wind blew out the cold and I was shaking and could feel the cold air coming out of my breath. That night Rain fell. I went downstairs to make coffee. Mom was sitting down at the white gleam iron table in the kitchen helping herself to a cup of coffee too. Her face beamed when she saw me.

” Hey.” She said.

” Mum! ” I replied, going over to the coffee machine while she watched. I added cream and sugar and sat down next to her . She had the scent of a pillow. Tears stood in her eyes as she looked at me.

” I’m so proud of you.” She said. She paused then ran her hands through my hair and brought them back to the table..

“You know I was just going through the old family album and I’ve had a good laugh.. The day you were born was the day I knew that I was not as irresponsible as everyone thought. Your dad didn’t want me to have a baby cause I was a damn alcoholic.. Truth be told everything about our marriage was a mistake. Today makes it 25 years since I made my first major mistake.”

I watched her hands rub mine as she starred at the cabinet that was above the freezer and then she took a sip from her coffee.

“ Back then Grace, when I was your age I was a very obnoxious human being. I couldn’t stand my mom because she didn’t break like my dad.. I was hell stubborn, always sneaking out at night and going for parties, stealing my parents money and using it to gamble or buy cocaine.. My mom and I kept bickering. She couldn’t break. Dad had stopped talking to me ever since I took a mortgage out of the house. He took me to Prison when he found out that I did it. I would never forget that look in his eyes when he came home that night with cops to arrest me. That look of hurt and anger.. I was in prison for a week before mom came to pick me up. I never expected her to come to my rescue. She was my no one enemy in my mind, always nagging at everything I ever did, yet she came to my aid. Dad wasn’t pleased to see me. I became an unrecognizable stranger at home. Dad stopped picking me up from school, stopped caring about me, changed the locks of his room. I was deterred from his life.. He told everyone he met that I wasn’t his daughter, that my mom had me before their wedding. He didn’t wait for me to turn 17 before kicking me out of the house the day my mom passed. She died of heart attack. I killed her. I told her and dad that I was pregnant. She looked sullen and stoned. Dad kept eating dinner like he didn’t hear me. Then I watched the spoon fall off my mom’s hand and I watched her collapse. It was so surreal. The next thing I knew was the sudden rush of my dad as he jumped on my mom to give her CPR. He kept taking deep breaths as he blew in air in her mouth and kept rocking her. At first he smiled in Positivity until he heard me say ‘ Dad , she’s gone.’ Before he reclined in finality and went to call the cops.. When he came back and looked at me, I could see the loathing in his eyes. He became depraved. A doctor walked in with the police and he didn’t waste them in declaring her dad.. Dad knew that but the way he lurched out at me in a stoned rage shook me off.. He started screaming’ that bitch took her away.’ And then he pounced on me and started hitting me.. The police dragged him away.. He ran madly into the kitchen and brought out a gun and before I knew it, a police officer told me to duck and the first two shots went in the air and hit the officer in the arm, while the other shot shattered a glass cup.. Dad moved towards me pointing the gun at me, hitting the trigger, only to be gunned down by the policemen who stormed in.. When he landed on the floor, blood sputtering, he muttered ” bitch.” That was the last thing he ever said to me.” She paused to turn of the washing machine that had just finished. When she passed me, it was as though a ghost passed me. It was as if she literally passed through me. I watched her walk back slowly but frightened as though she had seen something in the basement. Maybe a ghost? She sat down and continued;

“ Grace, where were we?.. Ah yes!” She snapped her finger.

“Did you know your mama had a twin?”

” She’s dead? ” I asked ..

” No, but am dead to her.. Remember the lady that brought your cousin John and his sister the day you brought Nick for dinner to this house, the surprise dinner that we ruined?”

” Oh please mom don’t remind me!” I barked

But my mom was having non of the jokes..

” Her name’s Emily.. She never forgave me ever since our parents died.. She was in college when it happened. She had often told mom to stop putting up with me and send me out of the house. She told mom to stop with all the protecting child call of duty but mom would laugh it off and tell her that if anything happened to her or my father, I was to blame.. There is something about words.. But even after hearing mom say that, I couldn’t just try and prove them all wrong.. I destroyed my family.. I had no place to go after my parents died.. Luckily Your dad’s parents called me after an old couple who lived nearby took me in for the night.. The next day, a taxi cab was sent to my location.. And after a few chit chat and phone calls, I moved over to his parents house.. At first I hatted your dad but after seeing how supportive his mom was, and how much he took responsibility for the baby, my heart soften towards him.. And so that’s how you were born.. I went back to school after I gave birth to you and the rest is history.”

She yawned so tiredly and stretched her hands backward..

” I could use a shut eye and am guessing same for you if you know what I mean.” She said and walked upstairs while I took a big gulp of my coffee

At the bar, we both sat still and listened as a lady and a man sang ” ain’t no mountain high” by Marvin Gaye.. Everyone raised their glasses and cups high as the song played.. Phones and Cameras were raised to record the singers.. Everyone was going live on the internet. Clapping, humming, tapping of feet, knocking of utensils and tables and even the musical drum beats made by people’s mouth was gay.

They finished and as they came down.. A man and a woman sitting down at the first row walked up to them.. The man gave the lady singer a peck on the cheek while the woman kissed the man..

A man was talking on the microphone;

” Everyone give it up for Justin and Jael… Nice! They killed the song.. That was lovely!.. So hope everyone’s having a good time?.”

” Yeah!” The crowd responded..

“So far we’ve had three groups presented, and I forgot to mention, Justin and Jael are celebrating their 2 year anniversary and their little kid just turned a year old today.. All celebration today.”

I watched the way Jael got up excitedly, took the mic from the man and told everyone that the next day was her birthday and she was making partner at her firm… She flustered when the man yelled great accomplishment by a woman…

” Yeah.. That’s right… Little piece of advice to all women.. The word accomplishment is not a bad word… Independence is not a bad thing.. Aspiration is not a bad Ideology.. Don’t let your spouse or family limit you… Anyone who loves you will seek your interest… Any man who doesn’t want you to have a good career will put you in his pocket…. The best marriage is the one where both parties are so successful that they won’t need to depend solely on the other person, nor would there be any need to out do the other… And get lots of knowledge.. Be a reader… And maybe know how to have sex.. “

Everyone laughed.. Well not me.

” Hope my daughter turns out like you.. My name is Kitz, and I would love to take a photo with you.. If that’s okay with you?” The man on the mic said

” off course!”

I watched her get up, bend over her husband and kiss him, before going over to take a picture with Kitz. I could see the way his eyes popped with the camera flash.

Nick got up and moved over to Kitz after the picture taking.. It was a short whisper and he returned to his seat.

I did want to tell how much I disliked Jael’s feeling of self importance, how she looked like a cat and a clown in her make up but Kitz had decided to bring on 3 couples for a dance competition.. Italian songs were played and the couples rocked each other body.. There was spinning.. The first couple, Caucasians, from their faces I knew they were in their mid thirties, threw me off guard.. The way the guy held her, the way she spined around, the way he threw her up and cut her mid air was so cool.. The way she moved on his shoulders before taking a leap while he held her hands was cool.. At the end of the day they were the winners..

The second couple, old couples, mid sixties were laughing and hugging themselves.. The guy yelled;

” My wife loves me again.. She’s given our marriage another chance.. We aren’t divorcing again…” He yelled…

” I love you honey…” The man said, kissing her

Then, I saw Nick come out from nowhere with a mic.. He took of his glasses and everyone was yelling.. Phones and cameras were out again.. He sang Bruno Mars’ the way you are.. People were screaming.. Couples leaned on each other romantically… He called me up stage and sang.. Girls were smiling and shouting.. A lady frowned, her hands folded other in each other, didn’t join the girls who stood near the podium to get autographs…

After singing, he brought out a ring, went on and one knee and proposed.. The only words I heard was;

” I will love to date you .. Me and and you make a hellva team.”

I watched him slid the ring to my finger, and I hugged him and he lifted me up in the air and kissed me.

Media went all frenzy about that night.. Pictures of when he went on a knee to slid the ring into my fingers was on all social media.. Sore comments were there.. A lady wrote;

” His new pimp.🤒”

Another wrote;

“ why will ladies fall for this load of crap? God, he a spell on ladies.”

Another just wrote;

” watch your back bitch! Doom awaits you!”

But the one that got me the most was a card which was slipped in my pocket.. It read ” Doom!” In blood streaked colour.. I found it on the morning after the party in my dorm..

My dad was even followed by paparazzi at work.. He was asked by the media, about what he thought about us and he immediately replied;

“ I don’t lazy my ass around TV.. I’m a doctor! I spend my time trying to save lives.. It’s a noble profession!! “

“Yeah whatever, but what do you think about the guy who proposed to your daughter?” A reporter asked..

” I don’t know him at all, only met him once at a family dinner and I wasn’t all that impressed but well, it’s her life, not mine and I will give her my full support on whatever choices she makes, so if you would excuse me, I have business to take care of..” And with that he walked out of the office..

But it didn’t end for the media.. No, they followed us everywhere. The first time he invited me to his house in Harrison avenue, I would always remember the chill I got as Nick’s car brushed pass me.. He sat at the back with his driver at the front seat.

It was a black suv jeep. He and the driver wore dark shades.. He rolled down the glass at a female reporter who came to collect an autograph.. Before I knew it, a small crowd gathered around the car but I saw the way he looked at her flirtatiously. He went on to sign on people’s faces and books.. Before that, I saw her bring out her pen from her breast pocket, slowly licking her lips.. It was deliberate and she unstrapped her jacket, smacking her behind before she turned around to face me and blew a mock kiss. As she turned around, Nick opened the door.. The crowd pushed back.. and he came forward.. She was starring at him but he moved past her and ambled in my direction while she stared in confusion.. He kissed me and led me to the back seat of the car.. The lady held his shoulders and he yanked them off with his hands and called her a whore before closing the car in her face and yelled;

” Grace’s with me.. So back off.” I saw the angry face she made at me and I couldn’t help laughing as he kissed me.. He snapped his fingers and the driver zoomed off..

Few minutes later, a text message hit his phone.. I knew already that what he and phony lady did was staged… Yet I played dumb when I saw the text she sent;

“ it turned out more cool than we rehearsed.. Hope your new girlfriend enjoys the aura of being preferred.. So make it a double pay.. That’s so social media.. Thanks. Xoxo Judith.”

He turned off the phone, almost immediately the message came in.

” Well, I have to be honest with you, what you saw out there few minutes ago was staged up and Judith is, well, an actress.. We met a month ago at a karaoke bar where I heard her sing solo and it was really good.. We had a drink after that and we started to catch up.. We got so close that she invited me to her play and well this was her way of paying me back I guess.. And me paying her in cash…”

” so you guys dated?” I asked

” Yeah we did. 2 weeks before we spilt. She is a sweet lady and have a great body but we didn’t have time for our relationship.. We both were caught up in our career. She had just finished school and got a job at a theatre.. And I was so caught up in my singing thing.”

I smiled and said nothing. We reached his house. It was a big house.

” That’s my house over there by the driveway. 6 rooms, a tennis court, 6 bathrooms, a flower porch, beautiful designs and a wonderful landscape, with my studio.. Don’t worry I don’t bluff when I say you’re gonna love the house. “

And true to his words, I did love the house. Everything was as he said.. I loved the white posh that was used for the painting and the fountain and blue sea that was used as design in the living room. The chandelier had candle shaped bulb around it and it spun slowly as though it would fall.. The house was cold. I could feel the icy breath in my mouth.. There was different knives stashed on the wall.. They were not real knives. The couch was nice and it was comfy.. Everything in the house was clean to a sparkle; the rugs, couch, flat screen TV, tables, even the chandelier. The floor gleamed. The rugs gleamed..

“Like it?” He asked.

” You love silver colour?”

” Yeah.”

I never met anyone who loved Silver colours.. Even the drapes were silver coloured.. He poured a Scotch wine in two Glass cups.. He smiled as he brought it to me.. Along with it were record labels and pictures.. He turned on the stereo and a soft music played out..

” Wow! You look great!” I said

” And you’ve not done bad for yourself. So how have you been? “

” Am good.. “

” Nice! I wanna makeup for the past 9 years since we broke up so here goes nothing. ” he said, plopping the pictures on the dinning table, arranging them in different rows. He took his time, working silently and when he was done, he looked up at me and I told him to proceed..

” So let’s begin with the last time we spoke” He said.

I felt uneasy but I put myself together.. The picture first he showed me was his dad wrapped up in a white linen.. Bullets and blood were seen on the floor.. I gasped the moment I saw this..

” To be honest I was kinda relieved that he died before he could harm anyone else.. You know my mom didn’t move on after he passed.. She still stayed at the house and refused to pack his things. Everyday became more awful within the first two days.. She didn’t come home and she locked me inside for the whole day.. She clearly told me not to go to school or anywhere and I didn’t feel up to it then.. Then on the third day, she arranged for me to move over to Kirkwood with child protective services.”

He showed me another picture, this time it was at a bar.. He was pouring wine at the counter.

” Tell you what, I didn’t go to school after my mom ditched me off with those child protective service people.. I was handed over to a family with no kids.. The man owns a bar.. He came with a woman who I never saw again after that day… He dropped her off at bluebonnet lane and moved over to chancellor square street and didn’t stop driving till he reached a house in the woods.. I didn’t know it was his house.. He just came down and walked in while I waited for hours before I finally came down and saw him drinking beer and sitting on a chair outside in his stained inn wear and blue jeans. He didn’t still say anything to me though.

The next day, he took me to his bar.. He was singing aloud to a country music and I could see his stained rotten teeth.. He patted me on the laps and told me that I would love the hot chicks at the bar.. He laughed when I asked him if I was going back to school, and told me that I wasn’t going anywhere.”

” Wow, Nick whose the guy in that picture.. I can’t really see his face.. The men and the only female among them sitting at the counter is blocking the view.” I asked

Nick laughed when he saw the picture before taking it from the table.

” That guy.” He pointed at the man holding a newspaper

” is a pickpocket…. He grabs JI’s phone. Ji’s the guy with the drink by the end.. I poured the first scotch for him.. So guy Picks JI pocket and put it in one of the waiters’ pocket.. Then JI noticing that his phone was missing bugged the pickpocket who raised his newspaper and shrugs. JI turns to his friend and he calls the line. Meanwhile, waiter was serving at the last role when the phone rings out of his pocket.. Ji turns around and go after the waiter.. While everyone stared, Pickpocket jammed guy at the front table steals his brief case and his laptop and his wrist watch, then uses his hands to slam a cup full of liquid at the lady next to the guy and while the lady screams out, and he, pretending to help the lady clean herself up, yanked the jeweleries on her arm and neck.. Then goes on stealing other stuffs, bumping into people who were pulled off by the waiter and JI’s scuffle. The pickpocket guy was running off when he bumped into JI and JI checked his pant pocket and noticed that it was empty, left the hurled waiter and ran after him and dragged him into the bar with the suitcase and Jeweleries trailing with him.. The guy who owned the suitcase, yelled when he saw the pickpocket holding it while being dragged on the floor. The lady who owned the jewelries yelled too on seeing it on the floor.. Wallets had fallen off too and people recognized it and pounced on the pickpocket while the waiter gathered the wallets on the table.. I could hear the kicking and blows and broken bottles slams.. People got up from him and by that time, he was already bruised blood streaked..”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the story. I took a sip from my wine.. He wanted to continue but then saw my frown.. I saw Olivia’s picture with Lancy at a baseball game… He followed my gaze and said;

“Haven’t heard from those two in a while now.. Saw them last at my show in California …. Both of them are in a serious relationship, don’t know how she was able to convince him to forgive her… She doesn’t talk about you though... Both of them are even getting married next week.”

I didn’t say anything.. Just closed my eyes, the mist covering my vision.

I woke up the next morning on his bed.. I could taste the wine mixed sweat.. The bed and pillow were body heated and had a combination of my smell and his.. I could remember the way he pulled me closer and that was.. It.. I knew we had a crazy sex that sent us lurching around naked.. I knew he carried me all the way to his bed and I felt disgusted at his having to touch me naked and I was glad that I had no memory of it.

He came out of the shower and I could see the steam rising into the room.. He didn’t say anything to me.. I just took off my shirt.. I saw his eyes on me as he looked in the mirror and I wanted to tell him to look away but then he gave me that bizarre look and I could see the sexual pleasure in his eyes.. I could see my worthlessness.. He had seen it all … I knew we had sex as kids but I never felt this vulnerable. I stripped myself stark naked, walking into the bathroom, not minding the looks on his face.

3 months later, we married.. Dad didn’t approve of him but mom did.. Our wedding took me by surprise.. I mean the media went all frenzy about it and so did some of the girls at school.. They’ve been going crazy ever since we started dating… I was never noticed by the girls or guys at my school but everything changed after that night at the karaoke bar when Nick proposed to me.. I was sent messages on my Email, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and my normal phone messages.. Janet, a girl I barely knew started stalking me.. She knew where I was at every moment. One time, Nick and I went for wedding shopping and after we got in the car, a photo of me holding a wedding bridal wedding gown while Nick took pictures on his camera.. The lady, who owned the shop was standing by a distance.. I would never forget the way she smiled the moment he hugged her and said ‘ hey Cynthia

Nick must have noticed the sore look on my face and then added

‘ We are tight friends.. Met 7 years back. ‘

” uh.. Nicko…. Baby Nicko.” I saw them wiggle their nose together.. Like they wanted to kiss each other. Face clasped together, only that they didn’t kiss which I knew they had no problem doing.. I could see the flirt on her face.. Nick’s face didn’t read any emotion.. I heard Cynthia say with a scoff ‘ why is your girlfriend jealous?’ Turning over to me, she said

‘ Best luck fighting

I didn’t know what she meant by that and I didn’t really care and it didn’t really creep me out like seeing that Janet’s photo of us.. I told Nick about it and he laughed it off. He told me that Janet had called him in the night a week ago, begging him to marry her alongside me.. She didn’t mind being a second wife or his concubine so long as she carried his child, and that he bets that it was the same Janet who sent me the photo was the same lady who called him.. I didn’t know who the Janet was and it never occurred to me that the Janet he talked about was the fat, straw berry eating, stud laughing, pony tail girl in my college until I called the phone number.

I woke up the next morning and went to school.. I took the school bus for the first time.. I heard someone shout dork as I chased the bus.. It stopped at a grocery store to pick up a boy so I moved in.. The driver was an old lady with a mean face.. Her face beamed like a toad with wrinkles and furrows starring.. I walked slowly starring into the mean eyes of everyone in the bus.. The girls were clutching their bags on the empty seats.. The guys gave me this mean look that sent me starling.. I moved over to the backseat.. The boy behind me sat with a girl.. They both laughed.. I brought out my headset to keep myself busy while I took a peek at my book..

Mr Wick looked like a wet socks in his grey Jersey and pants which looked bigger than his waist.. He kept pulling it up.. His bald head was a gold platter which reflect light. He rolled up into the class with an evil smile.. He took the first period.. We all settled down.. He didn’t say a word.. He just went towards the board and started writing out questions.. Formula questions.. He called them.. Nobody picked up his pen to write until he was done.. Text books and phones were hidden in the locker… Mr Wick had a very good vision and he had the ears of an elephant..

Once, I heard jenny telling Olivia about how Mr Wick caught Sam and two guys who cut out a drawing of a man with an oversized head, cut out of a cereal box and cut out a dick drawing and glued it on the cut out guy and raised it in the air, pointing at Mr Wick and mouthing

” Asshole.”

Mr Wick turned around after Sam had dropped the picture.. With his turning, everyone stared straight at him.. At first, everyone thought he would start giving us high jibes about how we have empty brains and chicken memory.. But he didn’t say anything.. He moved around in his secular manner, looking under lockers, looking for things he couldn’t prove. Each time he looked under a table, Sam would lift up the photo and mouth asshole.. His lips would move no words would be heard.

And so when he reached Sam’s desk, he didn’t bother checking the table, he just pulled him up by the pants and the paper fell off..

Jenny couldn’t hold her laughter at the way Mr Wick stuffed the paper in Sam’s mouth.. And kept muttering “whose the asshole?”. I would never forget the shock on her face when he grabbed Tom and Shawn, Sam’s friends, by the shoulders and knocked their head together. The way he kept walking, telling everyone to keep still while he taught on Number theory.. He paced around the class, walking in the middle of tables.. Then he turned to the left, moved to the third line of the second row, grabbed both guys who sat side by side, knocked their heads together and moved on as though nothing happened. I still can’t understand how he saw all their faces and the drawings.

Mr Wick sat, crossed his legs pressing his phone.. He gave us 25minutes for the test. It was two questions from number theory and Geometry.. Once, a guy tried getting my attention to help me.. He squeezed a shredded paper under his chair for me to grab it.. I wanted to take it, only for Mr Wick’s voice to echo

” You boy over there! You look tense!.”

I didn’t know that he was coming towards my direction.. I sat in the second row, at the last end..

Mr wick came and grabbed the boy from the chair.. He searched his pocket.. Confidence brimmed on the boy’s face when he looked at me, thinking I had collected the paper from the floor but boy was he toast! Mr Wick saw the little paper lying near my desk.. He saw the paper and even without asking question, he pushed him out of the class.. There was a little uproar when they went out.. Seconds went by before he came back in, almost out of breathe of pushing the almost sturdy boy..

” You’ve got 15 minutes! ” he said as he moved back to his seat.

The test finished at 10 on the dot.. He took the paper and moved out and the fear tensed moment ended..

I saw Jenny after school with Lancy. He was by a locker and she faced him.. It was a little too intimate and weird but I quickly averted my gaze.. Jenny dropped a paper as she paced around the hallway while two guys approached lancy, shook hands with him and they moved downstairs..

I grabbed the paper.. It was an invite to Lancy pool party.. At the end read ” invite only.”

I clutched the paper as I headed towards the cafeteria.

On Saturday, I went to Lancy’s house.. It was a Halloween party so I put on my customs.. I looked like a monkey in my black short gown and leggings with a long tail sown at the back of the trouser.. I had little whiskers that I had drawn on my face and a mask.. I looked creepy with the dark makeup on.. I took a cab to the place..

Invites were shown to the security guard at the gate… He kept sniffing at the papers to make sure it wasn’t fake.. 9 people were at the gates, all looking uptight.. Most of them were white, blonde haired, carrying the air of superiority.

” Hey man, here’s my driver’s number.. Call him by 10pm to pick me up..” A boy said before entering.

” Move it will ya.. God! I’m not carrying a bomb.. You don’t have to keep looking at my invite card, like am some poor crook looking for a good meal, and if the real bad dudes walk in, you won’t even know.. Won’t even be able to confront them even if you see them.. Worst security service ever.. How can Mrs Seba use an old fat guy to protect rich white kids… Even my dog would do a better job.. Can he even run?.” A girl behind the boy said.. She jabbed the invite paper from his sand, gave him a dull look as he buzzed her in.

My turn came.. The old guy was tired.. He took a glance at my invite.. Kira’s name was on it.. He smiled…

“You remind me of my daughter. Same blue eyes, same sparkling smile.. The warmth in her eyes is in yours.. Let me show you her picture..”

I watched him open the picture.. Didn’t focus on her images.. Didn’t care what she looked like. Before I knew it, I was buzzed in.

The party was already going sick by the time I got in.. Guys holding fire torches and dancing.. It was like a jungle in here.. The lawn was mowed.. Fire torches placed on wooden cleaves knocked on trees and walls.. Serval pumpkin heads were used in the pool.

A man came to the podium and told guys and girls to separate themselves.. Guys took the left.. Girls went to the right.. I couldn’t see no one as Everyone was instructed to put his Halloween face custom one.. The security guard gave everyone that didn’t have as he buzzed us in..

The girls formed straight lines.. A slow music emerged.. I couldn’t tell cause I wasn’t listening to the lyrics.. All I could think of was having a guy walk up to dance with me.. A guy I wouldn’t probably never see after tonight and I may not even remember to capture his face.. The rule of the dance was everyone must be masked up..

I became more tensed as I felt bodies moving in between me.. A guy bumped into me..

” Hey my bad! Just for the record, am a guy. Just wanna let you know, and am straight so…” He said..

I wanted to push him away but then a laughter I heard made me chuckle and I told him a girl..He laughed and I smiled..

We held hands, moving slowly against each other as our bodies clasped each other..

“Wow you smell nice.” He said..

” Thanks! Love how rocky your body feels and nice grip.. You got strong hands.. So what’s your name?”

” Lancy!”

I froze on hearing that..

” What the hell!! Lancy, like Olivia’s lancy?”

” Wait who the hell are you?”

” it’s me Grace!” I wasted no time replying.. I could feel his hands trembling but he didn’t let go..

” God, hope Olivia isn’t watching us right now”. I said guiltily..

” Well, She can’t see us.. But how did you come in? I didn’t invite you.” He said..

” I was bored.. Jenny left her invite card on the floor in the school hallway so I took it.”

He sighed.

I didn’t ask him why he didn’t invite me over for his party.. It was obvious, we are not friends.. At least I got that part but I knew it wasn’t the whole truth..

After the dance, I told him I wanted to say hi to Olivia. He refused but was called into the house by his mom by some guy.. There was so much noise that I wondered how the two men could whisper and hear each other.. Finally, he turned around and asked me to follow him.

Mrs Seba was an even prettier version of her son, Lancy. She was sitting outside the porch in her Halloween witch costume with a creepy green white and pink make over. She smiled as soon as she saw both of us…

” Another girl… Son, where is Olivia by the way.. Last time I saw her, she was in your room and I don’t think I saw her leaving..” She said.

I could see how tensed his face when his mom said it. It was quick, just noticed the way his eyebrows moved quickly. A message was sent to his mom and so she said quickly;

” Darling, so as I was saying, I need you to help serve the drinks… There are so many bottles of champagne in the Kitchen and beers, so get gone now.. Lancy show your girlfriend the way to the kitchen. “

Lancy and I moved towards the kitchen.. I wanted to loose him and check around.. I could smell that something wasn’t right..

“Hey, can I use the bathroom?” I asked nervously.

” Grace, are you okay?” Lancy asked..

I took a deep breath and could hear shouts and music… Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett was played outside and everyone was dancing in circles in the middle of a built fire.

” Yeah… I gotta go.” I replied and started running.

I took to my heels and ran down the hallway. I heard few mutters and when I turned around, Lancy was on my tails, along two guys.. I ran upstairs.. I felt a grab on my legs but I pulled away and heard a hurling sound. I threw a flower vase, then chairs, but still Lancy and the two guys didn’t give up. I ran into a guy who was mopping the floor, gliding and sliding my way. A door was open ajar and I barged in and what I saw bit me in the ass.. Nick and Olivia, naked and he was on top of her. The scene blew out the lights off my face..

By the time I woke up, I was on the floor.. Lancy stared in shock and Olivia and Nick wrapped themselves in a blanket.. Fear surged on their faces.. Anger and fear was on mine.. Lancy gave a blank stare.. No movement.. Then Nick arranged himself and Lancy threw himself at him and punched him serval times.. Olivia got up from the bed, wanting to run but I stopped her dead in her tracks. Words spurted from Lancy’s mouth; ” Bitch!” , ” trifling ass”, “whore!” His breathing kept rising.. The other two men were watching.. Fear was in their eyes.. Olivia had that same look in her eyes but hers was guilt and fear..

“So this was your reason for hiding from Grace? So you could fuck this guy? You had the guts to fuck a guy in my bed? “

Olivia was silent.. Nick didn’t say anything either and I just walked out from the room.

Olivia was at the gate when I came out. And so where everyone.. Lancy had shut down the party.. He just sprung to the podium to announce it and he apologized and told everyone to have a good night..

Next morning, I got a text from Nick.. He told me that he was sorry, adding that he wasn’t thinking clearly, that grief pushed him.. He then said that his dad had died 2 weeks back.. He had put a round in his mouth and he only told Olivia and didn’t want to tell me cause he was just too damn angry.. He told me that after having dinner at my house, he returned home to meet the scene and lots of police and his mom on the couch.. His mom had told the police quietly that she saw him put the gun in his mouth and shoot himself. He added that when he got my text from Nick, asking for rehearsal, he was angry even though he knew that I had no idea about the incident.. He told me that he was moving over to Kirkwood and that he was very sorry about everything..

I didn’t reply.. I turned off the phone…

I dropped out from the singing contest at school.. I was angry for a long time.. I could remember one time raising a scissors to my hair and cutting it to shreds.. It happened the next morning after I got the text from Nick.. I was standing by the mirror, yelling and cutting my hair so deep that I starting cutting my scalp.. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror.. Lots of burned stuff starring at me.. The middle of my head was bald while little hairs trailed in the left and right side of my head.. I got so angry, watching Olivia and Nick on the same bed that I took a seat and smashed the mirror.. I could never forget the horror look in my mom’s eyes when she entered my room.. She jumped in and jumped out of my room almost immediately.

At school, I saw Nick’s flash in all the dudes face.. I saw the flash of his smile in the principal’s face, saw his lean build in Max, saw the flash of his anger in Lancy.. I stayed by myself at school, listening to others talk.. They weren’t talking to me though.. I wanted to eavesdrop.. Thousands of words flown in my ears like bees.. I tried to make sense of them but I couldn’t.. I did more listening in class, tried to make sense of every word, and at the same time had my ears open to any side talk.. At the end, I heard nothing..

One time at school, durning break period, I sat in between 3 boys… Each gave me a nod and a warm smile and went back looking at a phone video held by the fattest boy who sat in the middle.. They were the weirdos of the school and one did have to be a loser to interact with them.. That day, I was the loser.

The fattest one, Chun was overweight.. He was Chinese American.. Durning Lunch hour at school, whenever he came down to the cafeteria, people who stood in line will push away so he will buy whatever he wanted. To make matters worse, people will start throwing apples, pies , banana peels at him. A guy even dragged his pant down once in the cafeteria.

I was eating steaks, hearing their laughter at the video;

“Man, that was crazy.. She sure showed him.. ” said the second guy..

” Ric, he grabbed her ass.. He brought out his dark shade eyeglass and his walking strick, moving towards her direction and grabbed her ass.. I never expected the slap.. It was so sudden.. Her expression is splendid.” They kept laughing, slapping each other laps.

Then 3 other mean looking boys walked up to them.. They didn’t look at me.. Boys just moved over to the table and smacked Chun’s face into his lunch, and his face was a mash of red sauce, pickles, cheese and Hamburger..

His face was so funny and people didn’t waste time to start laughing and taking photos.. One of the guys threw a nut in Chun’s mouth and I’ve never seen someone allergic to nuts before.. Chun threw up so bad on the table and it even touched Ric and his other friend who was black..

The second douche bag from the three bullies, moved behind Chun and put a fart machine toy on his seat.. I didn’t see it till Chun sat on his chair and the loud fart sound jammed the room.. It was more like the sound of a person popping out 30 burgers and 4 fries.. The laughter rang louder and the guy removed the chair and he fell to the floor.

Ric threw out his right arm at one of the bullies for a punch but he missed it and the dude took out his glasses and Ric crawled blindly on the floor. Then I heard a bone crack and a yell and a scream.. The bully guy raised his leg and Ric brought out his squashed left hand.. He and his other friends kept laughing..

I was hell mad at everyone and mostly at myself.. I didn’t help.. Tried to convince myself that I was outnumbered and a girl but I was hellva mad.. I was so glad when my mom told me that she was being transferred to university of Missouri a week later and dad decided to open up his own hospital in Missouri. Now, I watched with disdain as Chun’s friend, the third guy in the clique brought out his wallet and fearfully gave it to the 1st douche bag who had stood in his front.. The big bully looked at the small bundles that he jacked out of the wallet and yelled ;

” 200 dollars! Wow, didn’t you could afford 1 dollar.. Let me Press my lock on your prick friends.. ” He said digging into their pockets.. Ric and Chun each had 70 dollars..

” Thanks Asshole and fat Chinese Dick.” Before throwing the wallets on the ground..

****

5 years later, I met Nick at a concert in St. Louis at a hotel.. I was in my final year in university of Missouri and didn’t hang out with People there so much.. I had a few drinks and it was a lit night. Dance after dance, Music beaming loudly from the stage as different musical artist took to the stage.. I didn’t recognize him at first glance. No, not until he yelled;

” Everyone, I wanna give a shout out to my amazing ex- girlfriend Grace Attinks.”

People gave way where I was sitting and the light beam shown on me.. I was shocked. Then guys around me dragged me from my seat and I was tossed up to the stage and then my eyes met his.. Emotions swirling in my head.. The stage light beamed into my eyes.. The shouting from the crowd startled me. I didn’t know when I fell into the crowd, only to be pushed back on the stage.. I saw the gleaming smile on his face as he mouthed ” Am sorry.. Really sorry.” I smiled and the music started.

I got a text from him the next day. I stayed in a dorm at school with 4 girls.. Their names are Sam, Carly, Jordan and Rivera.. Sam was in first year, Carly was in the second year and Jordan and Rivera was in the third year and I was the final year student among them but most times, I had the dorm to myself as each of the girls belonged to a sorority group.. The same sorority group I should say.. I’ve heard them talk about it before..

Nick took me to a karaoke bar on our first date.. There seemed to be an over stretch in his body.. His body was bent over.. I could see the little ripping on his coat as he drove his car. I could hear the crack in his neck when he moved it around as he glanced through the side mirror, sweat dripping from his forehead and the fierce laughter and whopping sound he made when he blew the horn. The way he poked his head outside and yelling ” fuck you” with his middle finger raised towards the drivers and poked his head inside was alarming but all that look and act vanished as we reached the bar.

2 days later, I came to school and noticed the way everyone was hunched in small queues on their phones. From the hallway, to the bathroom, even at the food section, everywhere people kept laughing and pointing fingers. I tried to be as invisible as I could be so no one finds me. I could remember how frightful my mom was after I lied to her that some guys on the stret robbed me and ran off. I poured so much dirt on myself, messed up my hair. Prayed so hard that she would believe my lies and she bought it. She was scared.. Damn scared. She called the cops, moved into my room at night to check if I was okay. I was sort of glad that the thieves took her old looking necklace that she made me wear before I came to school that morning. I hated it. Covered it with my jacket which I wrapped myself with.

She called the cops. She was scared. Didn’t let me out of her sight that day but by the next morning she gave up. She couldn’t continue beating herself up for what could have been.. Dad knew I was lying about being robbed on the street even though he said nothing. At first I was being pampered by my mom for hours. She did my dishes, did my laundry, fixed me dinner, and the next day called a doctor to see if I was okay, and even though the doctor kept saying;

” She’s all good.. She didn’t break a spine.” My mom told the doctor to check me out. There was a smirk on my face that sent a resentment on hers. It settled on her face through out that day as she did the chores. She didn’t say anything to Olivia’s parents when they stopped by. It was my dad that talked slowly with Mrs Esther, and made sure not to laugh at anything frank said as not to be in my mom’s hate list. The last time my dad laughed when Frank had joke about my mom’s voice sounding like a chimpanzee, she completely avoided him for weeks. Cleaned everything he used before using it, bathed often whenever he came in contact with her. She even slept in the guest room. If at all she needed something, she wrote it on a piece of paper and passed it on to him. If dad should reply, she would reply coldly; ” Use the pen please. ” And he would scroll back to her in reply.

At first dad begged her. He didn’t at first know why she kept her distance, till one evening when we were having our usual silent dinner.. We’ve been having silent dinner since my parent’s fight began. I was sipping my water after taking the first forkful of the Macaroni . Dad had slipped on his napkin and clutched his fork and knife. Mum got up to leave after she got a phone call. Dad followed her. She was standing in the living clearly blurting;

” Phil is a goddam asshole! He’s so clueless, asking me to tell him what he did, I mean, how could he berate me like that before Frank? And he got the fuckin’ nerve to ask me what he did wrong.. Anyway…” Her voice trailed off when dad moved so quickly behind her and couldn’t stop. He jammed the flower vase and it fell. There was this stunning look in his eyes like he hadn’t seen her real beautiful side before. He stuttered as he looked at her. Mum laughed when he took her arms and kissed it. It was funny watching him tripped on the floor banging his head on the centre table with the flower vase. And right there, they had sex. Mum kissed him. He didn’t just kiss her, he drew her closer to himself and unbuckled his belt. I couldn’t understand the ecstasy, I mean neither of them was drunk but looking at them making love. My dad on top of her moaning, and mom caressing him. They had pulled off their clothes. I’d never seen my parents naked and high on whatever was in their head. I was afraid my mom would hate my dad, and blame him for what had happened, but she didn’t.. That night ended the quarrel.

So, at school, people gathered in pacts with their phones. Olivia was with some girls. They formed a circle around her. She was watching Sam’s porn video of the principal and Mr Benson.. Everyone at school knew the video was a phony but it was damn hilarious watching the principal in a diaper. An oversized dick popping out from Mr Benson shriveled nut sack.. The dick was so long that it curled around his oversized head and small body like a snake.

I heard the principal’s stern voice form the speaker that was hung high on the wall in the hallway.

“Whose Sam Daniels? Report immediately to my office.. There are some nice gentle men waiting for you.. You’ve got 5 minutes….Thanks.” He ended.

I could hear a low murmur with laughter. I moved towards my locker. I’d expect what I was about to see but I gasped, wanted to surprise myself. Inside was everything that Sam and his gongs stole from me. My mom’s necklace was inside. It was irrelevant anyway, didn’t expect them to steal it anyway cause it couldn’t be sold or pawned.. Maybe they could use it as a dog chain.. It was funny. The multi coloured red silver inked necklace that barely covered my neck. It’s grip on my neck was slit and I only wore it till I got to few meters away from the house before pulling it off.

Added to the necklace was my bag, phone, money and an apology note written;

“Grace, We’re sorry for everything.. We don’t want to get expelled from school..”

Added to the note was $400 wrapped in an envelop with lots of photos

I smiled as I closed the locker. My phone rang but just before I could get it, I heard a bash sound. It came from the back of the school. Everyone was stunned. Then it came again, this time, we saw a guy thrown so high and landed on a car.. Everyone immediately ran out. I almost tripped in the process but I came out.

At the back of the school was a very long track field. 3 officers, the principal and Mr Benson was standing over a battered stark naked Sam. I would never forget those lost look in his eyes. An officer kept landing punches on him and dragged him up..

” Wanna see something for YouTube? here comes the naked guy.” The man said as he tied him on an American flag pole. He flogged him on his raw ass, even slapped it twice before being untied and he fell hard on the floor.

Mr Benson Unzipped and yelled;

” Here’s to your big dick.” Before urinating on him.

I watched Sam roll away but he didn’t go far. Mr Benson piss went as far as Sam who rolled into a piled up mud. Everyone kept laughing.. Phones were out for recording. Guy got served. His friends sold him out to the principal. They did that in exchange of not being screwed over by Nick. At the end of the day, it was only Sam that got screwed. He left school and never came back.

2 weeks later, I began practicing for the music audition. Mrs Hags, who led the music theatre made us sing ” Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Max and AJ offered to practice with us.. Max was good with pianos. AJ was a pro at playing drum. Joe was good at guitar. We practiced at the school theatre by 4pm.

Nick had an amazing voice.. He reminded me of burno mars.. There was passion, hurt and pain in his voice.. He would hold my hands and spin me around. Mine hands would be held in his as we spun round the theatre.

The day for the audition came.. Lots of guys and girls paired up in both people from our class and senior high auditioned.. We were 8 pairs. The audition started. Mrs Hages laid out the rules; Duration of presentation must not exceed 3 minutes, song must be played on a keyboard and last minute sign up must speak out before the closure bell rung for class.

The two first people started, Mike and Judith from senior high. We all had to sing perfect. They kept missing lines in the song, making the beat more faster than it should be and overstretching the chorus. It was horrible.. It was like screeching of a vehicle.. Mrs Hages had to yell;

“Enough!” Before moving to the next pair.

The next Pair were Chinese. They stuttered. There were posed in one direction for minutes, that the guy fell off stage. A huge guy went to check on him and he was fine.

The third pair were African Americans. The guy and the girl looked drunk. The guy gave a drunken belch when Mrs Hages asked him his name and laughed about it.. They both wore a blue open buttoned shirt with jeans torn on the edges. He didn’t give an answer.. Neither did the girl and Mrs.. Hague didn’t mind. Their voice was croaked.. It was liquor filled as though it was in their mouth. They didn’t know the lyrics. Couldn’t comprehend anything.. When Mrs Hage asked them if they were okay, the guy replied, ” yeah baby boo.” And told her that she looked like an old hungry toad, calling her an old bitch and jumped on the chair. The girl puked in Mrs Hage’s bag which was on the table and started laughing. The guy too jumped from the seat, rolled in a corner where the girl was and started laughing. It was hilarious. The girl even kicked the piano and both the piano guy and the piano fell in front of the podium.. They got up, looked at the guy and continued laughing, falling back to the ground. Security was brought in and both the girl and the guy were literally dragged on the floor by two white men who spat on them and said;

” fuckin black drunk.”

Mrs.. Hage stopped the audition and moved behind the security men..

The next day, durning recess hours, we headed back to the theatre to continue. The remaining 5 pairs.. We all where white Americans. Each pair sat on a row. The first pair took the first row of chairs, and that order followed sequentially.

The first Pair was Judi and Maria. They had a good voice but their voice didn’t go in tune with the piano. The guy who played the piano at a point stopped playing and just starred at them. At a point, Mrs Hagie told them to stop. The next three before my turn did really good.. Mrs Hagie didn’t have to burst her eyeballs screaming. She didn’t say anything to them. She just said “Next.” And then it got to I and Nick’s turn.. I was shaky. My hand shook as Nick held it. I moved together with him to the podium.. The stage light flickered in my eyes.. It was so bright that I couldn’t see.. Strays of different colours blurred my vision. I could hear a noise in my head that popped my brain. At a point I couldn’t see or hear nothing.. Just whirling sounds from a machine.. Then the noise faded and I could hear clapping and I opened my eyes.. Nick held me tight with both hands as my head slipped backward and my eyes locked into his eyes. My breath rushing. I stilled myself up, as he let go of his grip. Mrs.. Hage told us to go back inside. We were the fourth pair to compete on the finals. I couldn’t believe that we made it. I walked with clouds for the rest of the week.

History was one subject that bored the shit out of me. I never took a headset to class so I couldn’t use my phone which made me sleep. It was my other only option. But after coming out of that theatre, I didn’t sleep. I laughed at Mr Winston tale on why he hates democrats liberalism, how he doesn’t understand why blacks should be treated any lesser than trash. It was funny when he called bill Clinton an old fart. My laughter provoked stares. Not from Mr Winston but from m classmates. At first they thought my laughter was sarcastic cause the guy after Nick, Spira, popped a drawing of Mr Winston’s head and pot belly in my face.. It looked so stupid. Well that was the point. It looked like one of those drawings In my kindergarten where circles and lines were used to draw a person.

Everyone laughed at the drawing. A guy snapped it and posted it online. Everyone was nodding and mockingly cheering him on when he said that America greatest mistake was Juneteeth

” Releasing blacks is what has caused our country to be ruled by a black ass nigga in a monkey suit.. I mean what guts did that obama guy have! He didn’t just contest but won.. Whereas in 1925, excretes were more valued than blacks.. His people were not wanted.. And now.” He said sighing.

That evening, I had planned on inviting Nick to dinner at my place. Dad told me in the morning that he was gonna be late from work, when I told him that I had planned dinner with a friend in the evening. Mum was in the living room. She added;

“That reminds me.. I got two classes to teach tomorrow and next.. 9am for each class.. I will be back on Friday.. So the house is all yours.. Make sure you were a condom after dinner cause it’s gonna be one hell of a fucked up dinner.”

It was weird of my dad to tell me his plans but it was weirder hearing my mom cuss. She laughed. I did too, telling her not to worry about me.

Then she asked me a more weird question;

“is it a guy?” I paused. She looked at my face and said;

” Off course it’s gonna be about a guy.. And you don’t use the word dinner in this situation.. Dinner sounds circular.. So what’s the guy like, is he tall?, prince charming.. Does he have 6 PACs’?”

” is he a fan of basketball? ” Dad added.

I just smiled at his joke. Didn’t remember that weird conversation until that evening when I Picked Nick at Melrose Avenue. I waited at the cinema where we had our first movie night date with Olivia and Lancy. It took him 45 minutes before he came. I remember carefully picking out the right drapes, using my savings to buy Beef Tenderloin with red wine sauce and lasagna. I used my mom cooking book to make it. She keeps it in the cupboard which was built together with the sink. The cupboard was down while the sink was up.. Luckily, my dad gave me an emergency card which I used to get the candles, drapes, ingredients and a pink jumpsuit outfit for myself. I had set the tables before leaving.

Nick appeared in a black Toyota RaV4. I was planning on calling an uber but I was glad I didn’t have to. I had seen the car miles away but I couldn’t place who the crazy driver was. It kept cutting through cars, tilting left and right. I thought the car was gonna crash. I would never forget how frozen I was as the car approached where I stood. I could hear screams but my body went limp. My heart raced a thousand miles and finally stopped as the car parked in front of me. The silence in me grew and by the time I could grasp myself, we were at my house.

” Thought you said no one was at your house?” Was the first thing my head could grasp after I got myself. I thought it was my dad but then Nick’s voice floated in my ears as he repeated the statement.

The lights were turned on in the living room. I could see it’s radiation in the porch. I saw shadows moving but still. The outside light flickered green the moment we moved past the flowers. I could hear a thud on the floor, like something heavy falling from the roof… There was a little murmur and I could hear a loud stumping and a weight pressed against the door and when I opened it, I saw my parents and and older Lady with a boy and a girl around my age. They all sat on the dinning.. The cutleries and covered plates were still as they were.. Nothing was touched expects slight pushes.. There was a plate of a big fried chicken with sodas bottles at each side of the table.. Everyone starred at us.. I could see the prank war smile on my mom’s face…

“Hello dear..” The old lady called out dropping her hands on the table. I didn’t respond..

“What’s her name again?? ” She paused..

” Grace!” My mom echoed.

I could see the glance on my mom’s face and I could tell that she thought this older lady was a jerk.

Dad thumped his elbow on the table. I moved over to the table. Nick and I sat opposite. I sat on the right, he sat on the left. I sat with the girl while he sat with the guy.

I looked over at Nick as the older lady started grace. She wrapped up the words, couldn’t hear a thing. Nick’s face was expressionless. He did look into my eyes and everyone started starring at him and then his eyes dropped back to his plate. My dad’s eyeballs kept moving up and down in Nick’s face as though sizing him.

I could see the derision in the girl’s face.. So many mean things she wanted to say, yet didn’t want it to spill out.. Her hands rubbing each other, her feet knocking each other.. Her body throbbing.. The old lady noticed and told her to spill it out.

” Hey guy… You look like a freak… No offence… Grace is my cousin.. Am Clara.. That is my brother John.. And my mama, June who are you? What is your family like? Is your dad a freak? Does your mom do drugs? Are they even alive? Any siblings? Or are you some freak who just jumped down from the sky?”

Nick used his fork to poke at his lasagna. There was this expressionless look in his eyes. His pupils dart around while his eyes looked steadily at me.. Furious, he poured his wine on Clara’s face and smashed the cup on the wall.. He jumped up and dragged the white linen that was placed on the dining table and I watched everything on the table crash on the floor.. The floor became the colour of bright red wine and a messy mash of lasagna, chicken, vegetables, beef.

I looked at the floor, then at Nick then at everyone else..

“Looks like I was right, he is a psycho freak..” Clara’s voice rang out..

Nick looked red hard on me and yelled;

“Don’t call me ever again.” As he walked outside.

I didn’t see him for weeks after that.. Nothing else changed.. Clara wasn’t reprimanded for her action.. She even faked a laughter.. I was so glad they weren’t staying at my house.

At school, Olivia and I bumped each other on the way to class. I was grabbing my books out of my locker when I ran into her.. She smiled and I too smiled. I picked up my books and asked her if she was good.. She said yes.. She told me that my hair looked like a mess and I noticed the little zits on her face but didn’t say it.. She told me to follow her to the bathroom.

I watched her take small tip of a cream on her index finger and kept rubbing the spots on her face, look at the mirror and then apply the cream at another spot. She said nothing while doing this. No , not until she applied her lip gloss.

” Hope you have a complete note in maths. Mr Wick is coming over for test tomorrow my note isn’t complete.. Maybe you could come over at my place for study.. On the other hand, I will come by at your place.. 9PM”

“Cool.. Can’t wait..” I said..

After she was done, I moved towards the mirror, took a glance at myself in the mirror when I heard a faint sigh and heard Olivia say;

” Ooh.. Let me fix that up.” Before going to work on my hair.. She brushed every end of the braids shoving the hair around. She didn’t say anything until she was done.. She held on to the end of the braids and told me what I thought, I smiled, saying nothing.

We headed to class pretty much after that.. 4 classes that day and we were done. After Classes, I went to the school theatre by 2pm. I was waiting for everyone, not expecting the text I received from Max;

“Nick’s done.. He’s not coming anymore.”

At first, I thought Nick called to cancel but then when I called Max, he plainly told me that Nick had dropped out from the show.. I didn’t think he would go that far just to get back at me..

At home, I was mad, really mad. Didn’t eat, chat or go out.. I just stayed in my room. My mom came into my room and I yelled at her to leave, then she looked at me and laughed;

” Boyfriend Issue?” She asked in between her laughter and I threw the pillow at her though it didn’t hit her.

I was furious, really furious. I called Nick to give him a piece of my mind but it went straight to voicemail.. I sent hurling messages to him…. Messages that I wanted to delete because somehow I was convinced that he enjoyed every moment of my ire. Messages that he never replied.

Olivia came in hours later. I was sitting in my room, doodling Nick’s name on pieces of paper and throwing them in the trash can near the bathroom door. Some of the wrapped papers landed on the floor near the trash can.

Her blue sleeveless gown with all the shinning stars and flattering colours was a dead giveaway. The Rose flower that was placed in the middle was a good finish. She brought her books and a pizza and two bottles of Pepsi.

I couldn’t help but yell when I saw her. I mean I was in my room, didn’t hear a flint step on the stairs that was climbed by two people. Neither did I hear their voices.

My mom shut the door, immediately Olivia entered.

” Had to carry books here to let my mom agree to my coming over here.. Told her I was working on a Science project with you at school tomorrow and she was very excited that we are on the same team, she bought us pizza and Pepsi.” Olivia said.

” But we are studying right? I have my note right here with me.” I said.

” Yeah, Grace, about that… Let me see.” She said.

We passed the night reading. I was a nug head in maths. Olivia was very good at understanding formulas by just looking at it once.

By the time we knew it, it was 2am. Pizza half eaten, drink gone half. We both sat in yoga style on the floor with the Pizza, drink and book in the middle.

“Well, I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you know about Nick’s whereabout?” I asked..

“Yeah that’s true.. He sent me series of long depressing text two days ago but didn’t mention where he was. I did a drive by at his place but his mom said that he had moved out of the house and also that she didn’t know of his current location.” Olivia opened the phone and showed me the texts on her WhatsApp.. It was a long angry text.. Using ” Fuck” in each sentence.. Fear gripped me in the last sentence when he wrote;

“Fuck the world and people like Grace that can’t stand up for anything.”

For a moment, I was stoned. I wanted to ask Olivia if she had another of his number on her phone but she was already dozing oby. I removed the message and scrolled upward at a message sent by Lancy inviting her for his birthday at his place.. It was a pool party. A picture of him and her at the pool was there too. She was sitting on the floor with him by her side, their legs giggling in the pool.. Lancy held up the phone while she smiled.

I watched him make a full run for the net.. It was amazing watching him shove dudes of different sizes. He kept running without breaking a sweat. And when he jumped in the air, his legs sliding apart, his hands throwing in the ball with all his power, and landing with his hands on the net, before throwing a back flip twice, everyone clapped and cheered. I stood up and smiled. I was about to go and hug me when I noticed that everyone was back on their seats. The next fantastic goal he scored was a far length throw into the opponent net, just after being passed the ball near his courts. It was amazing. He just jacked up the ball in the air and voom, it entered into the net.

Part3

At school, I and Nick became very close. He was able to convince Freddy, the guy who sat next to me to give up his seat and move over to his. It was easy convincing him because he was Nick’s right hand man. He was the guy I saw when Nick was talking to Olivia at her locker. The both of them were pretty very close with 3 other guys that made their cliques complete. The first time I hung out with them was on a Friday night after class. I told my mom that I was having girls night at Olivia’s house with some group of friends. She asked with a frown if jenny was coming over and I told her no. I could feel her gaze in my direction. She knew. She had to know that I was lying. I texted nick immediately I got into the house, asking him to pick me up and hour later. Olivia had her boyfriend when I came in, so I knew I was ruining the moment. But then I was better than her mom who always performed her melodrama whenever she saw a guy. She always wanted to make a good impression. I didn’t stay in the living room. I entered her room and sat on chair, reading a book on her study desk. I heard clamouring , footsteps, laughter, few yells and silence. I looked at her open drawer, starring at a bikini, wondering what it felt like to put it on. Then my eyes darted to a Japanese inscription on the book. It was inscribed on the front page of the book.

The door knob turned, immediately I looked at the door and Olivia entered inside. She was wearing her black jumpsuit in a shinning lipstick. She ran in and shut the door angrily. She sat on the bed. I could hear a mimicked laughter from the living room and the sound of TV. She looked at me and spoke quickly;

” Nick’s here.” And then hushed down in silence.

” you gonna tell me what’s going on?”

“God…..uuuuum.. Mum is so unbelievable! I mean what’s wrong in being in a relationship with a guy? How can she just come like that? First Nick, then Paul, then Joddy and now Landy.. Why can’t she just learn that we aren’t sharing bf.. And she wasn’t go near my boyfriend as I stay away from her husband?” She said ‘husband’ As though he wasn’t her dad.. As though her mom was stealing her boyfriend. As though her mom was among her clique of jealous girls that like to compete among themselves.

She moved downstairs after her phone rang for the 2nd time. She didn’t pick it. It was Nick. She waited for the call to end before moving outside.

I followed her. We moved past the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and then the small hallway. We passed the living room and there I saw her mom and her bf laughing over a bottle of champagne and pop corn with the Tv on. Neither of them saw us. I could feel the steam of anger rising in Olivia’s face. But I moved over at the door. Nick closed the door after saying a quick hello to Olivia which she didn’t respond.

Nick’s house is a far distance from mine. I tucked myself inside the car as we passed my parents house. There was silence as Alicia keys song was playing on the stereo. The only time we talked was when Nick said; ” you’re gonna love my friends. They’re smart ass pricks.” He said as he made the final left turn and then parked the car at the garage.

His dad was reading news papers and smoking. His classes pushed slightly above the ridges of his nose.

“Ignore him.” Nick whispered in my ear as we moved past him. Nick’s house was a nice building. It was a brick house and I’d never see one before. I used my hands to feel the sturdy surface of the wall. It was as though something was pushed against the house.

His mom was wiping her hands on a towel. Her face became very discoloured in the luminescent light bulb. On the walls were stashed collection of swords and knives. A sword fish was placed at a long end above their fire place.

“ Nick, honey!” His mom said.

Three guys were in the dining room playing Chess in the dining room. The guy on hood had a long scar on his right arm. The two other guys didn’t seem much different. I heard a guy yell;

“Bet I win again.” He said rolling up his sleeves.

“Na bro, checkmate!” The other guy yelled.

” Fuck! My king.. Eric…… What did you do?”

” Netan, chill bro…. You took your eyes of the ball.. You took out my rookie, and I took out your king.” Eric said with a smirk on his face. Before turning around to see I and Nick…

“God, just in time! I just won my first round with Netan and we made a bet of one thousand dollars to whoever wins.”

Nick smiled. I lean on him as I walked to the seat. It was though I would fall.. My feet seemed to loose it grips but I didn’t fall.

Nick introduced me to the guys and in turn said to me;

“Grace, this is Eric, Netan, and Smilv.”

Eric, the guy with the tat was the guy I saw at school.. He was Nick’s right hand… He didn’t have the politeness of a gentleman. He had this demeaning look.. I know I’m not good at reading people but then the look in his eyes.

Netan wasn’t easily read. I knew him at my school.. He played basketball with Nick but wasn’t as good as Nick. His grasps on my hand when we shook was neutral. It wasn’t weak, neither was it firm. It wasn’t as firm as Eric. Netan was a grade higher than both me, eric, and Nick.

Smilv was a natural ladies man. He was smiling when he held my hands and flushed when he said that I’m beautiful.

Soon, we went continued playing. Nick and Eric played their round of chess. It was a tight draw. They replayed again and Nick won. Smilv played with Eric and he tried to cheat on many occasions. He used his pawn to hit Eric’s bishop.. He made two plays with his rookie and bishop. Eric smiled when he saw him do this.

” I guess I win, right Smilv?” Smilv wanted to argue but then didn’t upon seeing Eric ‘ Don’t give me that crap’ look. And he just held his wrist together in mock surrender.

They played again and this time, Eric won again.. Eric removed 6 of his Pawns with his rooks and queen while smilv removed only removed Eric’s 3 pawns and a Knight. Smilv played a castling movement, moving his king and a rook. Eric played his bishop which was already out of the other half, alongside his rook. Eric played and smiled and said ” Check!” Smilv, looking confused, looked at the game squarely and looked up at Eric before using his rook to remove Eric’s rook, leaving his king exposed. Eric used his bishop to remove the king.. He took his time laughing, saying gibberish things I couldn’t hear.

Netan didn’t play. He just sat and watched. I looked at the wall by the flower base, and saw pictures of Nick’s dad in an army uniform with some other bunch of officers. One of the men standing, had his left arm chopped off. A guy squatting in the photograph had his left eye pinned inside in a hellacious manner as though his eyes were pulled out from the socket. A guy standing 3 feet from Nick’s dad had his right leg bandaged with a flake of a deep cut oozing out.

An award frame was directly under the wall portrait. It was then I knew that his name is Danny.

Just as I kept starring, Nick whispered in my ear;

“I guess I forgot to mention that my dad is..” I saw his mom stare from the kitchen angrily..

” I mean was a solider… My mom isn’t proud of it and neither am I… I know it’s cool to hear that your dad fought in the America Taliban War.. But he he got wrecked after that. It’s been 20 years since the war, Just the year my mom got pregnant for me. She didn’t want my dad fighting in the war. She tells me how every time she would have PTSD for days and months whenever he went on a war mission. She could stand his addiction to drugs and alcohol but not the war.. She couldn’t handle the feeling of knowing that your husband could die.. Yeah, people die from all other loads of stuff but going to war was a deliberate signing a warrant of death.. She always tell how he would put her off with his jokes and kiss whenever she told him to resign.. Then when she got pregnant, she thought he would stay, but no he didn’t.. Not even for his son.. He told mum that he was doing it for the good of the country but she knew it was mere obsession. She was so angry when she found out that he didn’t resign .. He had promised after numerous fights that involved her leaving the house that he would resign.. He even made a call in her presence to his office about turning in his appointment letter and mom told me that she heard a voice say, , all good. Mom even spoke to the man on the phone, telling him that she was pregnant and about her PTSD.. The voice assured her that his resignation was effective with full payments.. Only for her to go through his phone months later and discovered a letter from Washington DC sent to him, asking him to remember his training the next day for the Taliban war.. Giving location and time.. She never asked dad about it and a week later, dad snuck out, leaving her a letter on the bed about he going to fight the Taliban war, how he couldn’t just sit by and do nothing while his brothers fight the war..Hell, mum didn’t understand while dad would choose to be tortured , blasted by bombs and possibly get killed than being with his wife and son? Mum tore the paper into shreds and didn’t pick dad’s call. She believed and knew he wouldn’t die but he betrayed her.. A week after, she was called by a hospital that her husband was just brought in by the military ambulance.. Mum was told that dad was in a pretty bad shape. And true to it, she saw lying on a hospital with thousand of badly injured bandaged soldiers.

Mum recalled the disgust she felt after the doctor told her that her husband was a hero.. He survived but then his smile faded and he told mom that dad had suffered traumatic brain injury.. Mom recalled to me how twice he tried jumping off the roof of his house. Another time he tried burning the house.. She told me that dad became a beast after that war. He got into fights unprovoked. He even beat mom twice. The first time was because she wasn’t at home early and so he had to wait outside and after she came in and he silently entered, he began beating her.. He even pointed a pocket knife at her. Luckily the neighbors called the cops and he was arrested for weeks but it didn’t stop him from assaulting officers and other prisoners. He even shot himself with a gun in the head but they were able to save him and he got a metal plate in his head.. Mum even found that he had been doing drugs.. A whole lump of cocaine and marijuana was found in his closet.. With different posters of naked girls which were crossed with a red marker.. He was taken to a psychiatric home after his trial for 3 years before coming home.”

Nick crossed his eyes, moving away towards the guys after relaying the story while I stood in a mounted position. I saw his dad stare at me. A blank stare that I couldn’t make of it’s meaning before looking over at the TV.

That night, I was curled in Nick’s bed. The guys left. Smilv kissed my fist as he said goodbye to me. Netan shook hands with Nick and they laughed about the evening. Not the whole of it, just the part where a guy grabbed a lady’s butt and the lady gave him a knock out punch and the way the guy stiffed and the lady used the tip of her right index finger to poke his nose and he fell straight on, almost snapping his neck.. Everyone on the street had according to netan, thought it was some performance and yelled and clapped while the lady walked off the side walk. Nick added;

” Guy had his wrist watch, phone , wallets and even his clothes taken off him and he didn’t even stir.. No, not even when a dog pissed on him.

Before the dog piss on him, I thought he was dead, not until those punk kids touched him and said silently that he was still breathing as not to wake him up before they took his stuff and ran away and then that stray dog piss on him.. The way the guy jerked up, looked disdained at the dog, looked at the taunting people and then looked over his body, noticing he was stark naked with even his boxer ripped from under him… The way he ran into the Convenience store nearby, hugging himself with his dick flapping out was so funny.. “

Nick and I lay together on his bed, our warm bodies wrapped together. We faced each other and kissed, giggling and laughing. He put his finger into my mouth and I licked it and laughed. I had never had sex before, yet when I mounted on him, and rubbed him, it was as though I did it all my life. I was moaning, laughing, jumping crying. I wanted more of him. I grabbed him by the neck and kept kissing and soon I fell asleep.

A loud clatter woke me up. It was still dark. The faint voices were stark clear. I heard gun sound, as though someone was reloading his gun. Foot steps weren’t heard. But I could see shadows moving under the door.

“ Danny, what are you doing carrying a gun to Nick’s room.. You can’t go on crazy before his girlfriend. “

” Well she’s the one am after.. She’s a threat and she has to be eliminated.. She is oblar’s daughter. He’s the head of the Taliban group. ” He said, clicking his gun.

I jerked Nick up but he kept pushing, and even faced the other direction, as he pulled the blanket on his body.

My heart skipped on hearing the loud knock on the door. I heart whispers, and a dead silence. I could see a figure walking into the room quickly and quietly. I wanted to turn on the light but the figure pointed a gun in my face and before I knew it, bullets were shot in a frenzy. Loud clatter of bullets piercing and shattering but not of it landed in my direction. I closed my eyes to what was happening and kept on screaming before I knew it, I found myself pushed under a heavy drawer. It was fallen on me. There was little movement. I heard a voice ;

“I killed her. Oblar’s daughter is dead.. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

I heard a male voice. He was crying, saying how he saw her get blown up with her father, only for her to be seen with her son.. ” You believe me don’t you, honey.. I’m not insane.” I didn’t hear a response.. The door just snapped open and was shut almost immediately. Few minutes later, the drawer was pulled away and Nick gave me a hand and I reached out to grab it and we both hugged each other with my sobs pouring out. Nick put his finger on my lips to hush me and I started moaning.

The next morning, I got up very early. Nick was still asleep. I put on my clothes. It was 7am. I headed down, running like I was in a marathon race. My heart kept skipping. I didn’t know when I bumped into Nick’s dad who was holding a cup of coffee. I wanted to keep running but I tripped and fell. I tried bracing myself up with a leg of a chair and then I saw him come closer in my direction. I was paralyzed. I started screaming, closing my eyes. But I was lifted up from the ground. I heard him asking me if I was okay but I didn’t respond. I just ran outside, past Nick’s mom who was watering the garden and I headed for a cab that took me back home.

Mum was out by her car when I arrived back at home. She had just gotten out like she forgot something, about to make a call when I moved in. She smiled the minute she saw me;

“Good morning grace, how did your night out with your boyfriend turn out?”

She held her mouth. She wasn’t supposed to spill out that she knew about her daughter’s whereabout. She wanted to track me till I was caught caging against the wall.. She wanted me stunned by discovery of what she knew about me. Now she blew it.

I didn’t act shock. Nothing really shook as much as the events of last night, leading up to the morning. I quickly apologized and then entered inside. Dad was sitting by the fire place.. In his silk pyjayet. and with his scrubby look, he looked like grandfather.. The 60year old version. I never met him though. He was dead before ℹ was born.. I only saw him in a picture hung on the wall.. But now it didn’t matter.. I was so glad to have a father that wasn’t insane.. I didn’t have a big hero father that fought for America. I hugged him, wrapping my hands around him.. He smelled like pillow.. I didn’t let go. Closed my eyes to smell the early morning sunrise, to feel it’s warmth.. Finally I pulled back and patted my dad’s hair. He didn’t say anything. He just smiled.

That evening, Nick sent tons of text messages, apologizing for the previous evening.. He called and I sent it to voice mail. I couldn’t face him, at least not yet.

On Monday, I ran into Olivia durning lunch hour.. We hadn’t had much catching up since that Friday.. We had just finished Math Class. She was talking to Joyce and jenny when I bumped into her.

” Hey you.” She said as I tripped and fell. She pulled me up and I starred at her. Neither Joyce or jenny spoke to me.

“Thanks.” I finally said.

” Thank goodness I finally found you.. Nick said I should give you this.. He said it’s to make it up to you.”

I took the music notes paper.

“He’s auditioning today at the music theatre. He wants to sing with you.”

I was stunned. So stunned was I that the paper slipped off my fingers and landed on my legs.

By the time I recovered, Olivia and her friends were gone. Along with them was my money, my watch and my jewelries. My locker key was also taken and I knew that before I got there, my phone too would be taken..

I moved, clouded by many thoughts, not noticing the poking laughter from other people. The laughter resounded with the pointing fingers but I couldn’t make out the faces. Finally, I slipped and a pie was thrown in my face and I fell. The laughter rang on the floor. It didn’t stop. No, until Nick pulled me up and we entered into the basketball court gym. There was lockers all over the place. Guys tying towels, walking about shirtless made me gag. But it wasn’t as much as the laughter. I wondered why? Not until I looked in the mirror and saw lots of sharpie drawings on my face with different colours. gibberish small letters were drawn on my forehead. My face looked carved. My nose wasn’t coloured but the two sides of my face were. I could still see streaks of colours drawn on my legs and arm with gibberish inserted in different position. I screamed so loudly. I had a hard time removing them but in the end with the help of a lemon juice which Nick got from the hallway, the stains went off quickly. I watched as he used a white handkerchief, smeared in lemon juice and scrubbed it on my face. It felt slimy. I looked at myself in the mirror. There were faint specks of sharpie drawings and colours.. They looked like shadows, really creepy but it didn’t match the creepy chill I got when one of those basketball wienies plopped behind a locker and yelled;

” This is for all YouTube viewers out there. Today video is about a crazy girl at school.. You can follow us at Prank Masters DM for more videos. ” he ended the clip before looking at me through the mirror;

” You’re famous brat lady.. Video of your collapsing at the hallway and the sharpie prank has been posted on YouTube.. And 730 views in less than 2 hours since it was uploaded, so welcome aboard.” He jumped out and ran off.

For a moment I starred, with liquid fire ragging on the inside. My hands shook and it squeezed the plastic bottle which contained the lemon juice. It was though I was chancing into a monster like the way Barry changes to hulk the moment he gets real angry. I could feel my veins stacked out in my neck, my brain exploding with ragging fire, my thigh posting. But no. The only sound Nick heard was my loud fart and my moaning after he jerked me.

“I got an idea.” Nick said.

” Nick, hold on I gotta tell you something… They stole my money, my phone, my jewelries…Good mom is gonna kill me.. They’re actually hers.. God!” I yelled, tugging at my hair.

” Then follow me. ” he said.

He raced out of the gym and ran downstairs. He flew over the staircases. I’d never see such athleticism before. I could see the bewildered look on people’s face when he flew past them , almost bumping into them. A guy who was carrying lumps of books that were so high that It overshadowed him was hurled to the ground after Nick flew past him. I ran after him. The wind blew in my face.. So did lots of images of people, and doors and lockers.. It was as though everything and everyone around me was in a fast forward. Then a pause. He jerked me still after he entered a dark room.. Nobody was there. In front of us was a book shelf. It was so big.. So many books. The shelf was very tall. Nick pushed a book on the shelf and it split open. And I saw a staircase.

“This is the underground basement. It is used as a hide out in case of a shoot out or a bomb blast. But we’ve never had one of those so it has never been used. So many people don’t know about this place save a few guys I’d like you to meet.” He said as we walked down the stairs.

Well he was right. The tunnel’d lead us to the basement. It was more like my house basement. There was tons of stuff in here. Couches thrown in an upside position, coffee stained mugs. There was a plate of half eaten sandwich on the floor, near a saucer fallen face down. The place had numerous smell that I couldn’t place. The smell of dirty laundry, mixed with a strong masculine stench , plus the smell of really sweaty people and the smell of whatever was lying dead around the corner choked me.

Then 3 guys came in. I could hear their faint voices;

“Shit! Someone have spotted our secret hideout.. We are getting suspended!”

” shhh… quiet I hear something.”

It was my stomach growling. The dead silence made even a little whisper loud.

They came to where I and nick were. We didn’t move from where we were. There was literally no place to go.

The first guy broke the awkward silence. He extended his right hand for a shake.

” what’s up AJ?” Nick said, shaking him.

“Hey! So you’ve finally brought her to our secret hideout.”

“It’s not really a hideout. No, not when half the school knows about it.” 2nd guy said.

” Shut up joe, do you have to be logical about everything? ” 3rd guy said, before throwing a playful jab on his shoulder. Then he looked at me and said;

” You’ve got blue eyes.. Love girls with blue. ” And then realizing himself, looked at Nick and said:

“Sorry, didn’t mean to hit on your girlfriend.”

There was a sad look on Nick’s face when he said that and I couldn’t place why neither did I care.

The third guy introduced himself as Max and the other two as Aj and Joe. They all had Peculiar traits. AJ was muscular and tall, Max was tall and very thin. He was so thin that two of him together won’t give Aj body mass. Joe was short and pudgy. He wasn’t so fat and as if he read my mind, he told Max;

“ Wow, can’t believe I lost three pounds.”

Aj looked at Nick and said;

” So what brings you here man? You’ve been keeping our hideout a secret, guess we owe you one?”

Nick staggered a little bit before speaking;

” Man, some dutch bags at school have been putting my lady in a bad space and I need to teach them a lesson?”

” what guys?” Joe asked

” Didn’t you…. Never mind” Nick said, cut himself off.

” Yeah, I know you, you’re the famous lady on YouTube who got drooled on by a guy, and had sharpie marks drawn on your face. To be honest it was very funny.. That video has gotten 900 views already. More than enough to last a whole year.” AJ said, looking at me. He started laughing but stopped dead the moment he saw Nick’s eyes

I took a deep breathe before adding;

“They took my stuff when I passed out and I need to get them back, I need your help.”

” Well, the guy who owns the youtube channel where the video of your girlfriend was posted is our classmates. Always like poking fun.. He did same to us. His name is Sam.” Max said.

As soon as Max said his name, my mind clicked back to his fallout with Mr Benson in Class.

” Why do you think we hide from everyone at school? We got punked by him and his crew at the school prom last year after they dragged us butt naked in front of everyone at school. Dutch bag even videoed it and put it on his youtube channel, and I guessed half of everyone at school did same too. We were so high. On the video, we were all smiling and holding our dick in front of the camera.”

“Yeah I could never forget that day.. I was the prom king and lyida was the prom queen.. I would never forget the stunned look on lyida’s face.” Nick said

” Probably one of the reasons she left the school the following year.” Max said.

“ Well, I’ve been looking for ways to make the bastard pay and I think I know a way.. I have a leaked video which he made of Mr Benson and the principal fucking each other.. Their heads were big in the video and their bodies looked so small. They even had baby pampers on.. Let me turn on my phone. ” Aj said, as he unlocked his phone.

I stared at my mom, at the same time my eyes focused on the light that shone in my mom’s bathroom. It kept glistering. It was bright gold.

I eased my way from the door and watched her enter. She didn’t shut the door. She carried Abby into her bedroom I kept on starring until she shoved me aside before I remembered myself. I didn’t know why I starred, perhaps the shock of what I found in the trunk startled me. I mean how could I tell her that Memo was doing drugs and had been arrested by the cops. But then I knew I didn’t have to.

I moved outside and went to the garage. It was open. Mum didn’t like it shut, well dad did.

I moved towards the backseat of the car and opened the door and then I noticed that the plastic bag had the Woodbine centre label instead of the De Peres Centre label where we normally by groceries. Dad loved that place, and I guess we all did too.

I took the bags inside, walking slowly as though my feet were heavy.

Mum didn’t say much to me. She did notice me though, kept walking at a crisped angle as though I was a plague. She didn’t go peering at the groceries, like she would have done. She didn’t mind that I didn’t shut the door, something she would have barked out at me.

I just watched her as she went slowly and painstakingly inside and brought out a couple of dirty clothes, throwing them inside the washing machine, turning it on and moving into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water with her pain killer tablets.

Marcy walked in just as the machine dinged. Mum came out with a basket and walked hastily to the laundry room which was close by the stairs. I watched her enter inside, shutting the door, and then coming out almost immediately. Both I and Marcy were still starring. She was few metres from me when Marcy yelled out;

” Mum, Memo has been arrested by the cops.”

And this statement stopped Mum’s tracks. It stunned her. She turned around and moved towards Marcy and gave her hard thuds on the face.

I was too stunned to do anything. I had never seen this desperation in Marcy’s voice. She looked at her, then turned to face me. I could hear her groan laughter. I watched her dash upstairs.

Marcy fell on the couch. I wanted to hold her, hug her and tell her that everything would be okay but then I could sense this righteous vindictiveness.

Memo had always been termed the good child. He was quiet, never getting into trouble. He seemed more ambitious than me and Marcy.

Once, I heard him telling dad;

” You know dad, I wanna make you and mum proud. I wanna be a pilot, so I would take you both round the world. We will go to London. I know mom loves going to London. I don’t wanna disappoint you.”

And I believed him. I was watching Barney on TV that day. I could never forget that day. It was on a Sunday Morning. We didn’t go to church. Mum usually went for the early mass by 7am. As for the rest of us, we never did.

Mum hurriedly came out dressed in an orange top and a black pant. I could hear the dangling of the keys. Then I heard the TV turn on. Marcy had turn the TV on and guess who was on TV? My Dad!.

A Reporter was live on TV with my dad at a cafeteria. They sat opposite each other. The Reporter goes asking the big question;

” Wow, it’s been hours since the cops made an arrest on your son.. What do you have to say?.”

My dad laughed, smiled and took a sip of his coffee before replying;

” Well I got nothing to loose, he ain’t my son.”

Before I could grasp the shock of what he said, I saw my Mom and Marcy walking out of the living room. I wanted to run after them but something glued me where I stood. The front door was wide open and I watched them leave.

I turned and entered inside and then I noticed that the TV was again unplugged from the socket. I was moved beyond surreal at the way she could still remember to turn the TV off in the midst of the chaos.

I sat still, looking at the window, remembering my father’s words;

“Well I got nothing to loose, he ain’t my son.”

Those words cut me in half. I didn’t know why. So many thoughts rattled in my head.

“ He probably wanted to protect his image.. “

” He wants the media attention…”

“Maybe it was his way of mocking mom.”

I could imagine him jeering at mom, publicly mocking Memo in prison.

I turned around on hearing the clatter in the kitchen. I ran in there and saw cutleries and cereal boxes and a broken jelly jar on the floor. Mum would literally kill me. Those were the groceries she bought.

I didn’t pick anything up. Instead I heard a chiming on the right side of the cupboard. I opened it and saw an I pod. It was dark blue. I picked it and swiped it open. No password. She didn’t hide it in the normal place where she hid everything else.

There was a long passage in the I pod. It wasn’t that long, probably 30 pages. It looked like she started writing it weeks ago.

I scrolled up and started reading….

“ I lived in L.A. with my parents. I was the only child.

My memories of everything began when I was fourteen. My father was a doctor, my mum a lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles. We lived there with our neighbors, Frank and Esther. Frank was a doctor who worked at the hospital where my dad worked and Esther worked at a shopping mall. They had a kid, Olivia. She was a year older than me.

At first we didn’t talk to our neighbors. I never thought of knocking on their door. Until one evening, I was asleep in our couch and I noticed some men dressed in firefighters uniform with fire extinguishers. One of the men pulled me away and took me to my almost wary parents who held me. I’d never see them hold me that way before.

My mum kept calling my name in between tears;

” Grace! Grace!!.”

My dad didn’t say anything. I could feel the throbbing in his chest. It was as though I was lying in a hospital bed and they were watching me take my last breath.

The house wasn’t completely burnt down. But we didn’t stay there for 2 days. We stayed over at Frank and Esther place.

The Next day after the burnt down, I could remember getting up early in the morning and hearing my dad say to frank;

” Thanks for calling 911.”

“Yeah… What are neighbors for.”

” Soon the police will be up with the news. And I think the police had already figured out that our toaster is faulty. I used it and I must have forgot to turn it off.” My dad said.

“ Yeah, at least you have insurance covering up the damage.”

I heard little murmuring which resulted in laughter.

Just as I wanted to clear my head a little, I saw Olivia stretching on the bed. I didn’t feel comfortable sharing a bed with her cause I never shared a bed with anyone.

I saw her mom walk into the room in her orange pyjamas..

” Good morning mom.”

“Good morning olivia.” And then she turned over and looked at me and said;

“Morning Grace.”

Not waiting for a response, she told us to get ready for school.

Few of my clothes were hurriedly packed in a bag that was kept on top Olivia’s wardrobe. I picked out a pink dress and a silk pant.

Olivia had gone into the bathroom and that gave me plenty of time to look into her bag and then I noticed a rolled up stonehenge paper and I remembered our assignment that Mr Benson had given us to draw the map of the United States of America. It was an assignment that I spent 2 nights drawing, only for it to be burnt in fire.

I saw her room for the first time. It had a lovely smell and a fine rug kept by the end of the bed. I could see some photos that were stuck on the mirror of her dresser. Pictures she took on the beach with a guy, her boyfriend I guess. He was the average muscular guy in blue shorts. Pictures she took at a girl scout. Personal pictures with drunk friends at a party. She had two personal pictures. In one she was younger, no older than 8 years old and the other, more older. Next to these photo was the picture of a girl, slender in a red gown, her hands were raised and she was smiling.

Olivia came out about the same time I turned around from looking at the mirror. She had a white towel tied around her waist. She moved pass me and went to take a dress from her closet. She didn’t say a word to me.

I moved away took off my clothes in the bathroom and started running the shower but stood afar off. I heard thuds, stumps, whispers and then silence.

I came out from the bathroom after a quick shower with my bra and underwear on. I moved over to the side of the bed and grabbed a gray shirt and a pant and put them on. I wanted to try on Olivia’s makeup but after running the red lipstick over my lips, I put it down and took a comb and ran it in a straight curve on my head.

I didn’t stay long cause I knew I would still look like a hot mess so I ran downstairs.

Olivia was already walking out the door, her mum blowing kisses and telling her to stay safe. My parents were already out. The dinning room smelt of pancakes and Maple syrup and beacon and eggs.

I didn’t have my school bags so I was going to school with nothing.

I entered my class. Everyone was starring at me. It so crazy how news spread out. I sat by the door, my usual spot when Mr Benson walked in. I thought he would send Mrs Jackie to carry on for him as he sometimes did but here he was. He couldn’t wait to send people to detention.

” Good evening Class.” He retreated.

” Good evening Mr Benson.”

” Before I begin, I wanna say two things; I’ve finally proposed to Mrs Jackie….”

Everyone growled at the same time. I looked over, reading their expression on their faces:

” Duh, of all the guys to get married to.” Shawn, the guy who sat three seats from me

“ Oh the proud prick, what a show off.” Joyce, the girl behind me read.

And finally, a voice broke out in the silence;

” Seriously what does Mrs Jackie see in his Shriveled dick?”

And everyone turned to Sam’s direction. There was a quick silence and then laughter. Normally, whenever a student cracked a joke about a teacher’s bald head, or his ugly moustache, or draw a dog face, raising it up in class when a teacher was in class, the teacher would just something funny to get back at the joker or send him to detention but not Mr Benson. He had other plans.

Before I knew it, I heard pounding fist. I turned and watched Mr Benson as he beat the shit out of Sam. It was fast and slow at the same time. It stopped as soon as it started. Then, I saw Olivia walk into the classroom. I didn’t know she was in my class. She walked to her seat and everyone kept starring at her. Not that she was in anyway attractive but everyone was caught up in the moment.

Mr Benson was so angry that he walked out of the classroom. He didn’t ask for our project and well that was a good thing , well for me.

I watched Sam walk out of the classroom and it left a breath of a little relief

Durning lunch time, I ran out. There was much shouting and running outside. I took my time and walked out the front door when the class was empty. Mrs Jackie , our class teacher starred at me. She pushed the ridge of her glasses up a little.

I had just walked a little down the hall when I saw Olivia and two guys standing. I heard someone shout ” Grace” from an unknown direction. I decided to move close to where she was standing.

The guy Olivia stood close to had honey comb eyes. He seemed flustered when he spoke.

” Benson whipped his ass big time.”

” Bro we gotta get in line… Lunch hour will soon be over.”

” Man, get in line for me.. Make sure you grab a soda too.”

I watched the other walk away. Olivia and the guy started talking;

“Well Nick, I have this awesome party planned out on Saturday at my house.. It’s strictly based on invite and am inviting you.”

” I have this game night with my buddies this Saturday but well I could always cancel.” Nick said and then took out his phone typed quickly and then I heard the beep.

” Done!”

And with that the bell rang.

” Oh just great.” I yelled.

” Grace, what a surprise. ” Olivia said.

I watched the stare Nick gave on my face. He was skeptical, using his eyes to scan me and then looked away at two girls bending down to grab something from their lockers which was near each other and a boy riding on a skateboard rode behind them and grabbed their butts and just as he was laughing, his skateboard tripped on a banana peel, sending him crashing on the stairs.

Everyone ran downstairs to check on him. Murmured laughter rang in my ears cause Mr Wick, our science teacher was coming.

Mr Wick didn’t stop to look at what happened. He just entered into my Class we filled in behind him.

After school, I went to my locker to get a chocolate bar when I saw a note that read;

“Hi Grace, call me. Nick.”

I saw his number near his text. I didn’t call him off course. I was a little tired after the whole class lecture which lasted for 2 hours but even after I got home, I didn’t still call him and I lost his contact.

The next day, I was woken up by the noise of the door which was pushed open. It was Mrs Esther. I rubbed my sleepy eyes just in time to catch a glimpse of Olivia hurled on the floor. I noticed her phone falling off the table and hitting her and she immediately jumped up. She looked at me and then looked at her mom who was still standing by the door. Her eyes were red. It was so creepy when she starred at me with those eyes.

I heard her phone beep and I watched her open it and the next thing I knew, she started screaming. She was so horrified.

” Can’t believe I slept that long! God am a fuckin weasel.. The party is starting soon and am not ready, not fuckin ready.. What are my friends gonna think? What was I thinking when I was throwing the party? I can’t do anything. “

The Phone beeped again and this time she smashed it on the wall. She then took a deep breathe. I watched her enter the bathroom and come out almost immediately before moving out of the room. Her mom walked out of the room the same time She left.

I heard a mimicked laughter downstairs and I came downstairs watching my Dad and Mr Frank making fun of a crying baby on T.V. and they kept laughing and asking themselves whom they sound like.

My Dad mimicked my mom’s laughter and Frank told him it’s the laughter of a chimpanzee.

My dad laughed and nodded at my mom, with his eyebrow raised in her direction, as though trying to point her to someone without her noticing like the way they do in action movies. But he wanted her to notice and she’d notice.

” You laugh like an ape.” Frank said laughing and mom was super pissed. I could see it in her eyes.

I looked over my mom and watched Olivia come inside with 2 girls. I saw her mom enter inside about the same time Frank turned around to look at the 2 girls who walked in. There was quick nods, quick hellos, brief chuckles and the three of them ran upstairs, almost pushing me down in the process. It was quick, the pull and thud of the door, and the brash shutting clasped a thud in my face, leaving me terrified.

I decided to follow my mom for grocery shopping with Mrs Esther. She took both of us in her car.

It was a fifteen minute drive. I could hear my mom sigh when her phone rang and she looked at it. It rang again but my mom didn’t answer. Olivia’s mom gave my mom that stare that spelt;

” If I were you, I’d pick up the phone. “

And as if mom understood that look, she replied in English;

“Not in a life time.”

“It’s phil”

“Can you believe that he was mocking me before frank? Like he totally did that. He didn’t even try to defend me when frank called my voice a chimpanzees.”

Mrs Esther only chuckled. She kept driving.

” Wow, I took a glance at your house yesterday and well I most say it’s looking really good though.. Am sure you can’t wait to move back in.” She said..

” I don’t know though.. I’m so happy that the fire didn’t cause a major damage.”

We stopped at venos store to buy the groceries. They picked out a lot of stuffs. I wheeled the cart where all the bought stuffs where kept in. We moved to the counter and the woman kept clicking computers, and I could hear the beeping when she took an item and faced it to a computer before yelling;

“That be 600 dollars and 20 cents.”

After the man in front in an open neck jacket paid, Olivia’s mom paid next and we got back to the car.

Before heading home, Mrs Esther drove into a saloon to get her hair and nails done. Mum decided to get her’s done as well. I sat at the a third empty seat watching the Saloon owners get to work. I could see how flustered mom was. She would curl her hair and laugh. I would see the 2nd woman who was doing mom’s hair grab a soda and the first woman jokingly said;

“That’s the 5th bottle of soda you have finished today. You want to kill yourself?.”

” Seriously I can’t help it Sophie.”

” Well, I will not watch you kill yourself, Jamie. Am throwing away all that stuff.”

” No way, you can’t do that. “

They didn’t say anything else again until Jamie, the second lady, took a newspaper that spread on the floor and then looked into it and said;

“Black guy gunned down by white cops in his car.. He was shot 15 times.. Police officers at the scene said he was moving his hands into his Glover compartment when stopped by police and he refused to cooperate and show them his drivers licence when the cops asked for it and he even threatened to dead them if they don’t get the fuck away from him, and so they shot him, thinking he was reaching for his gun but it was his phone.”

“That’s one hell of a bastardized lie.. I’m sure the cops made up their minds to kill him after he told them off and they cooked this trash about him being uncooperative and stuff.. I’m sure he didn’t reach for his glover compartment.. It’s fuckin racists.” Sophie said, putting a black jel on Olivia’s mom hair. Nothing else was said for another minutes before 2 women walked in with their cats. The women looked mid forties. I watched them as they moved in and sat down on a long seat. One of the women had a bulgy cheek, the size of a bull dog. I watched her use her eyes to look at Jamie and Sophie and then I heard her say so loudly;

“These ladies are no good.. They smell like skunks.. These African American faggots. Come on lets get the fuck out of here.”

I watched the cat wriggle it’s way out of one of the women and ran after a mice that was lurking near the seat of both women. Not long after did the mice climb up the hair of one of the women and as the woman was screaming, the cat jumped on the woman. The rat jumped on the second woman and the cat jumped on her as well. Both women were hurled down and slipped crashed into a chair and both the chair and a bucket of blue paint that was on it fell on both of them. I could hear Jamie’s cringing laughter almost at once.

The women looked more petrified when their hands slid down their faces. I steadied myself on my seat as though trying to get a great view of a film. The women turned around and left. The amused astonishment on my face silenced my laughter but deep down I was overjoyed.

We left the saloon and went back home. It was 6pm when we got back. Olivia and the two girls had just moved out from the house in gray blue mini jacket and a blue shorts with sneakers.

“One hell of a party.” Mrs Esther said, shutting the driver door.

The girls moved to the next house opposite my parent’s house.

I moved behind the girls staying few meters apart. A guy was by the door in a slim fit suit. A few meters long line was at the door. You needed to be checked out before entering. I was almost smiling cause I was certain that I would be checked in but all that smile faded when I heard him yell out:

” No invite Card, no entry!.”

I watched how he kept pushing backward. People kept sticking out a purple cards up in the air before entering. The line kept moving till I saw him push Olivia and the other two girls backwards. They moved again and he pushed Olivia on the chest and yelled;

” No card, no entry. “

The third girl with Olivia wanted to say something but Olivia waved her hands up in the air, shushing her up. I watched her open her green pursue and brought out her Phone and said loudly to the girls;

“ Lesson 1 : never leave your phone behind you never know when it will come in handy.”

I watched her dial numbers quickly and quickly voiced out;

“Landy please I need security out here.. “

I saw a huge guy in a tuxedo walk outside and walked over to the guy and whispered in his ear and the guy replied loudly;

“ Fuck that… You know what, you guys are what’s fuckin wrong with these girls.. This bitch talks crazy to me and you’re supporting her.. Come on bro , am your guy, you should be supporting me.. Girls are just sex objects to fuck with..”

“I’m not gonna say it twice.. Let her go.” Landy said.

The laughed but it was brevet of emotions.. It was as though he was memorizing it.

“Guys! Guys!! So stupid! So you’re telling me you wanna fight me over this bitch? This toothless scum, this..”

Landy not waisting any time, knocked him out.

“That’s no way to talk to a lady.” He said before moving over to Olivia and asked her if she was okay.. She stiffed her face in irritation before saying yes. I watched the smile creep into her face slowly.

“May I?” He said, taking her hands into his. I watched him point at something on her wrist but I couldn’t tell what it was. I only heard her laughter and watched them both with the two other ladies, climb over the guy that stood at the door. Everyone at the door suddenly went into tumult. People raced inside. I joined them off course, pushing and shoving under people’s arms and armpits. Twice I was pushed back by two ladies and a guy in front. Everyone was rushing. The door was wide open and I feared that it would pull off from it’s hinges.

I tripped immediately I got in and I heard the door closed forcefully immediately a guy fell on me. I could hear raised voices outside. The guy got up and looked at me. I smiled. I knew the guy. It was the guy Olivia was with at school durning lunch hours. I could remember his name, Nick.

We went to grab a drink. He poured champagne in my glass cup before pouring into his. He smiled as he did that. In fact he smiled literally at everything. He would stare at a lady taking a selfie with a selfie stick and he would sneak behind, plop his neck behind her just as she took the shot. He did that more often than I could count. I often caught him starring at a ladies butt when we were talking. He didn’t talk much, couldn’t remember what we were talking about whenever he got distracted and would want to change the topic. It irked me but at the same time, it made me laugh.

He was a very observant guy. He’d notice a very tiny red dot on my neck. It was so small that it was my parents who noticed it. But the most thrilling of it was when he got up from his seat durning our conversation, (it was like the hundredth time he was doing that, and I was really becoming sick of it.) My eyes was thrown in his direction as I watched him move over to a lady in dark gray blue. She was about sipping a drink from a tall glass cup when he slapped it off her and it fell and splattered all over the floor. The bartender and everyone at the table all looked confused. A guy who was drinking lattice, poured it on his chest as he stared.

“It’s poisoned.” He said loudly when a huge dude came over to punch him in the nose.

The lady’s dog jumped off from her laps and licked off some of the wine on the floor and it jerked and died. It was almost funny and quick. I thought the puppy dog was faking it but even after the lady screamed it’s name, it didn’t wake up. Security were immediately called in. Nick was told to give the full description of the guy whom he saw poisoning the drink and he did; 6 foot scruffy hair, blue eyes, white skin, dark suit, slender dark pants, purple tie, very slim and was seen putting on a Bandana Scarf and wore a sneakers. It was a little bizarrely hearing that this guy wore sneaker on suit but none of that mattered now. The party was kinda shut down because the cops were called in and I noticed how nervous everyone became.

I watched the cops enter inside the building. At first people didn’t really care. I mean I saw a girl move over to a cop, dragging him by the hand to the dance floor, using her hands to feel her nipples. A guy even barfed on another cop. That cop who got puked on, brought out his gun and shot it twice in the air and shouting at everyone to get outside.

I moved out behind Olivia. I couldn’t make out who she was in that blue short gown that was cut out in the middle and the crazy makeup and blue lipstick. I knew it wasn’t the outfit she wore the last time I saw her and her two friends before they entered inside the building.

The cops were hot heads. They weren’t looking for whoever tried to poison Syi, the lady who Nick saved. Her boyfriend who punched Nick was arrested for carrying an unlicensed gun. Nick was the one who told the cops. I wondered how he knew that. But I heard him pointing at the detachment of the serial number on the handgun. I heard the click of the cuffs on his wrist and they led him to the car and I heard Nick say loudly;

” Pay back’s a bitch!”

I watch the cops round up guys who had drugs and unregistered guns on them. I saw Landy and the guy who stood by the door, the guy Landy beat up, his name was Austa. It turned out that this Austa was the guy who tried to kill Syi. The bartender who was one of those arrested for possession of drugs, rattled him out to the cops. And Nick too confirmed that he was the one. The bartender told the cops that he wanted to kill a girl who dissed him in front of everyone. She even called out a guy to beat him up. The bartender told the cops how Austa looked at Syi and had clenched his fist in rage on seeing her before moving outside. He told the cops that he didn’t see Austa after that.

A cop went and uncuffed the bartender and shoved him right back to where we stood. I could hear the blaring of sirens. The cops shut down the building and everyone was told to go home.

Olivia wasn’t perturbed at all about the previous night. She didn’t talk about it with her two friends who slept over in her room after the party , neither did she say a word to me. But I knew she saw me at the party after the police rounded everyone outside.

The only time I heard her talk about it was when one of her friend, jenny who plopped a pillow close to my face and said;

“That Austa guy is one son of a bitch! He didn’t even recognize you and that’s sort of good, well it’d save your life.”

I’d see the wary look on Olivia’s face when jenny said that and she quickly replied;

” Well none of it happened, right?.”

And When jenny said:

” Tonight served as a warning.. You gotta be careful, there are wackos all over the place. “,

Olivia told her to drop it. There was a still slience before joyce, her second friend brought out her phone and showed them something. Truth be told, I didn’t really know what it was, neither did I care the least. I was damn tired about how the evening went down. I had screamed, gasped, laughed, and almost shit myself. I even started praying to God after the cops showed up. Something I don’t think I ever do. The floating sounds of giggling and cracky throaty laughter and a sound from the phone trailed in my head till I fell asleep.

The next day, my mom entered inside Olivia’s room. Her gait blinded the light in the room. She was a huge broad for her age. Even though I knew we were moving back to our house, yet I was surprised when she said it.

Dad had his bag trailing at his side by the time I came out of Olivia’s room in my pink long sleeves and blue jeans. I had my school bag hung across my bag with few clothes in it. She didn’t still speak to me after my mom walked out of the room but I could hear her conversation with jenny;

“I was just thinking, since yesterday’s party was kinda ruined, I was planning a girls night.. I will call Nick. And maybe you can call Landy.. And by the way, Grace, you’re invited.. That’s if you wanna show up.” Jenny’s face was heaved up with a sneer when she faced me to say that. Her face expression reading;

“Not in a life time is that ever gonna happen.”

But much to my surprise, Olivia agreed.

Breakfast was Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with bottles of coke. There was laughter at the table. My mom kept nudging Aunt Esther as she laughed. She didn’t seat close to my dad, and always tried to sideline him whenever he spoke. Like when my dad said that our house was good as new and that he couldn’t wait to go back to his bed with his wife, he said, leaning for a kiss, as he moved over to the empty seat that separated them, she pushed his face away and said that she would rather stick pins into her eyes than be anywhere near my dad. Everyone laughed. But it got a little bit more personal when mom started talking about how one time dad got so drunk that he was seen walking completely naked on the street with a stuffed bear tied around his private part. She went on to He was seen by a Kid’s mother, rubbing the stuffed bear on the little kid’s face so much that the boy began to try to rip off the stuffed bear from his waist.. My mom even said that he was heard by a passerby as he kept shouting ; ‘ here you go fag’, but what saved his ass was that his father was a damn good lawyer and a well connected one. Some guys that he helped in their cases involving the murder of a black guy in an arm robbery shooting at a local store. He got them all out of prison after 10 years.

“Phil told me that his dad planted drugs in the car of those women, till today how he managed to find out who were at the scene, I’m sure it was those guys he got out of jail and the cops he paid off but those women never got any chance to testify. Tons of cocaine and marijuana were found in their cars. The mother of the boy had drugs in her desk at school. Mum told us that after arresting her, a call was made by the school authorities where she worked. A janitor who cleaned the school had discovered drugs in one of the lockers of her desk.

I would never forget the look on Frank’s face after mom relayed that story. I wanted to hear more about what happened to those women but I knew that mine was the last voice anyone wanted to hear. Olivia’s mom said nothing. We all just ate in silence, saying as little as we could to each other. The only voice I heard was when joyce said;

“ Thanks Aunt Esther.. Nice food.. I think we better get going and Olivia, tell me when next you plan doing something awesome. The party was amazing and so was the sleep over” I heard her chuckle and then she said finally;

” see ya around Olivia.” and then got up. Jenny too got up, did a little gesture with her hands as she thanked Mrs Esther and left.

We packed our stuff and headed back to our house. Frank helped us put our luggages in his car and moved over to our house which was a 6 second drive.

The house was still the same other than same fresh paint used on the house and our couches and TV were missing. The house was cleaned swept with literally nothing inside. I could hear my echo. I looked over at the spot where our couch was. I could remember the night I lay there just before the fire started.

I heard the noise of a mini van. I looked out the window as dad moved near the van, wrapping his hands together as if ready to unravel a present. I heard them talking even though I couldn’t make out what they said. But I saw two other men coming out of the van and started bringing in furniture. I saw very fine glass cupboards, new glass tables. The couch gave me the wits. The plasma TV was huge. It was laid resting on the wall.

A car parked near the mini van. I couldn’t tell when the car came but I saw it. men came out w, bringing stuffs out from the trunk. When I looked closer, I discovered that it was work stuff. They moved in. Electricians, masons, carpenters, and some other guys who moved in things strolled. I could hear banging, cutting, screwing, electric rattling and few words spoking in gibberish.

2 weeks later, I , nick, went on a double date with Olivia and Landy. Joyce and Jenny didn’t show up. We were at a cinema. It was my first date. Nick, showing up in a suit was very weird considering that we entered a cab with a woman and her baby who puked all over Nick. The woman eyed her baby, and brought out a baby wipe that was bloated with blue ink. Nick took the wipe and used it to clean his suit, only to see snarks of blue ink on his suit. The woman held her hands on both side of her face, screaming:

” oh God, so sorry!”

Nick told her not to worry. Before the driver pulled at the cinema. Nick paid the driver. He didn’t give him change. He just drove off. I couldn’t help but mutter ” asshole.”

Nick got into the bathroom while I went to get us a ticket. The line was soul crushingly long. Lots of people scrambling for tickets. The movie we were about to see was hell to the yeah, an American comedy movie about a man who was cursed with women flocking his life after his one night stand with a girl about to get married.

Before it got to my turn, I saw Olivia sitting on a chair, typing on her phone. Landy came inside and walked towards where we was. His zipped up sweat shirt didn’t fit into the arena. He kissed her.

As I kept looking, I was distracted by a flicker light and by the time I turned around, I discovered that I was the last. People whom I came before had just simply slipped by me. And then the worst happened, I saw a man and his daughter, take the last two tickets for the movie. I knew it, because after they left, the guy was telling his daughter;

” Honey we made it. Daddy got the last two tickets.” And then gave her a peck on her cheek.

Olivia and I bumped into each other. I didn’t know when she came towards my direction. She quickly apologized, and then laughed when she saw me.

” Hi Olivia.”

“Hey you.” She replied in a dry tone before reaching out to my hair and smiled and said;

” Can’t believe mom took you out to make her hair.. You used my mom’s extension on your hair. I know you, my mom and yours went to my mom’s favourite saloon. I heard your mom and mine talk about it yesterday on the phone.”

I noticed the bittersweet expression on her face. I saw Nick coming towards my direction with a smile that dented his cheek. He moved in a saggy curve and started jay walking before he stopped dead on seeing me. He smiled again.

” I saw justin moments ago. He and jenny came to watch Avengers infinity wars. God, that dude is crazy.. You needed to see how he dressed up. It was heinous.”

” I’ve always known that this Justin guy was trouble. Can’t believe you guys still hangout… ” Olivia said

” Well, I’ve got bad news Nick tickets have been sold out.. ” I said.

“ Hi Grace, hello Nick… Oh honey, movie is starting in 3 minutes and I got us pop corn ..” Landy said.

” How about we get tickets and join Landy and Olivia?” I suggested.

He shrugged a little but then he realized that we were out of options and so he asked for the name of the movie, and Olivia told him that it was avengers and he yelled, ” oh man why didn’t you tell me. ?”

We moved into the movie theatre after nick got us two tickets for the movie. There were at least 5 rooms showing different movies. Devices weren’t allowed inside the theatre so everyone had to drop their phone with a middle aged lady who gave tags and numbers. Olivia and Landy were before I and Nick. Nick put his phone on the table and the woman smiled on seeing him;

” Hey pretty boy, ain’t what that other Lisa lady call you? So this is your engagement place, u take your special girls here right? So tell me, why didn’t it work out between you both? Don’t mind my asking, I love love.”

I could see her deep smile and dimple and the way she kept looking at us. Nick was too tensed to say anything. It was as through he was trying to hide something and it was best not knowing.

he won’t twich. It was sick watching everyone become heavily The movie was nothing short of amazing. Especially durning iron man, Captain America and Thanos scene. Repeatedly, I was caught up in the tensed screaming and jerking. People jerked on each other in shock shouting ‘ shit’ and ‘fuck’ . Landy was so caught up in the moment that he spilled his drink all over the floor. It was the same reaction my dad gave durning scoccer and American football. I mean you could literally slap his head twice and he wouldn’t twitch.

The movie had a shocking ending with Thanos sending half the earth alongside the avengers heroes into extinction by the snap of his fingers. Everyone gave out an open mouth stare.. A guy had his drink poured on his face. The most touching part of the movie was when spider man disappeared and iron man was crying. A lady was literally crying and had to be held by a guy who sat next to her, her bf, am guessing. Lots of cuss words were sputtered in all directions. I guess people weren’t just ready to see the bad man win. No. Especially not Olivia. I overheard her telling landey as we exited the theatre;

” Nice movie with a stupid ending.. The writers must be such big dicks.” And She uploaded it on her status two weeks later.

So things actually 5dad look bad so I didn’t. kinda intrsting. Olivia was my right hand lady. Our both parents became close. Dad and Frank would watch America football and soccer at our house while Dad would go over to their house to gym. Sometimes, I would see dad weight lifting, hoisted in the air by Frank as he lifted up those metals. I was creped out. Frank was a 5ft guy with a no so great body yet he lifted a huge guy weight lifting. I did want to take pictures and post it online but it only would make things look bad for dad so I didn’t.

Mum and Esther got really close too. Turns out that she worked as a board in the University where my mom teaches. Mum and her would go together to school. Mum even went with Esther to the saloon that she took the both of us to when we were at their place.

At school, I became everyone’s favourite because of Nick. Girls trailed all over Nick. He was damn so good in literally everything.. He was good in science project, was great at basketball.. I could remember one time watching him play at the school tournament in the finals. Everything he did made girls scream. It was as though he was the only player in the pitch. He played full round. I remember watching him run with the ball after David threw the ball in his direction. I watched him make a full run for the net.. It was amazing watching him shove dudes of different sizes. He kept running without breaking a sweat. And when he jumped in the air, his legs sliding apart, his hands throwing in the ball with all his power, and landing with his hands on the net, before throwing a back flip twice, everyone clapped and cheered. I stood up and smiled. I was about to go and hug me when I noticed that everyone was back on their seats. The next fantastic goal he scored was a far length throw into the opponent net, just after being passed the ball near his courts. It was amazing. He just jacked up the ball in the air and voom, it entered into the net..

Psalm 46:1 God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

http://goo.\ngl/Q7hrP

Hey guys… Just thought about sharing this uplifting scripture.. In this time of crisis, let’s all put our hopes on Jesus.. Cause he got the power to make all things beautiful.. He’s still doing Good and he’s the only one who can help us out of this pandemic.. And he is gonna do just that cause he loves us all…

Please do take out time to read Psalm 46.. It will really bless you..

Do have a lovely day..

Today started off when I was basically grounded by my mom for staying out late the previous night.. I mean is that such a big deal?…. Anyways, at least I don’t have to worry about babysitting my baby sister, Abby. My mom never trusts me with her… Well that’s a good thing.. Don’t judge me Cause I can’t deal with her tears.. It’s debilitating. I mean there are some days that I just wanna put her in an oven.

So my mom drives out and didn’t as much as wave at me. She’s hell mad but why should she be? I’m 18 years old, an adult.

I moved away from the window and sat down on the couch in our living room. I couldn’t believe that I would be grounded for a week; no going out, no phone; my mom will literally start picking my calls and I know that it wont be long before my friends stop calling cause my mom would always yell at them, telling them to get off the line and do something reasonable with their time.. She would call my male friends predators and Locals and keep threatening them with the cops if they don’t leave me alone.

I could remember countless times hearing her yelling on the phone. She began yelling too often ever since she and my dad got divorced. I would hide and stare as she kept yelling, sometimes I wonder if really someone was on the phone; I’d thought my mom was crazy and sometimes I would try to talk my eldest sister, Marcy to talk my mom into seeing a psychiatrist, but she was always damn too busy checking her phone or going out. I rarely ever saw my elder brother, Memo. He rarely ever came home. He was able to convince my mom about trying a scholarship into Stanford and he needed to stay at his friend’s place to be able to read up for the exam.

I rarely ever stayed home, none of us really did.. My mom was busy with her career and her new crush.. His name is Jonas.. A basketball player.

Marcy always went out.. She always had somewhere to crash… Sometimes I thought she was tired of my mom, trying of being the target of my mom’s constant nagging… Well we didn’t talk much, you know as girls..

My parents destroyed the sibling bond between me, Memo and Marcy. We didn’t get to do things that other brother and sister did.. My dad, from the time I could remember, never allowed Memo into my room. He never let us share anything. Not even a plate of ice cream. Everyone had to have theirs.

Again, We didn’t go to the same school. My parents never took us shopping.. Everyone had to go fend for themselves. My dad only managed to pay our fees in school but never showed up for bring your father to class day, and rarely picked me and dropped me off to school..

When I was still little, my mom would give me to Aunt Patti, a former neighbor of ours to pick me and drop me off at school. She didn’t have any kids of her own, so she obliged to it. She loved it. Once I asked her why my mom won’t hang out with me and then she replied slowly and quietly as though fearing that someone might hear and said;

” people don’t know what they have until they loose it. “ and then kissed me on the head.

****

So after my mom drove out, I sat down and stared at the TV. My mom’d unplug the TV socket so I don’t watch TV and so I was pretty much screwed. I tried not to think of Misty and Travis, her bf. Misty was my best friend. She’d live in Becker street which was a different side of the tracks for me as I lived in Amber street with my mom and siblings.

I starred around. It was as though I was playing chase hunt. I noticed the silver plastering in the living room. My mom didn’t change that. I’d remember her saying she wouldn’t leave a trace of my dad’s memory. My dad loved silver color. Almost everything in the house was silverware; our TV was silverware, the couch was silverware, the cars, garage, cutleries, bathroom, even the painting in the house. I’d never noticed this until I moved around the house. The front door was opened with a little gate which I could easily jump over was standing in front of me. Sometimes I wonder how really was I grounded. I could easily escape but then I didn’t want to try my mom’s crazy. I mean I’ve seen her ram a dog with her car.. Some how I’d figure that she would find out if I should escape, so I didn’t and we were on summer break so no school officially for me.

I moved towards the garage and saw the silver color used and as I turned around, I saw my neighbor playing fetch with another dog. He frowned at seeing me. He was the neighbor whose previous dog my mom rammed. I started walking slowly. I didn’t want any mean remark from him and sure enough, he didn’t call me back.

I entered inside and locked the door. I was so terrified but I couldn’t tell what I was afraid of.

A whisper sound made me jump and run into my mom’s room. I didn’t stop running till I slammed into her wardrobe. It was pretty weird. The room was wide enough, the ground slippery, pieces of furniture on the floor and yet none of it slipped me.

Immediately I landed with my head on the wardrobe, a heavy book fell on me and I was thrown down and then I jerked up, shook my head a little and then looked into my mom’s room.

I couldn’t hide my startle on seeing my mom’s bedroom. I’d never come in here before; the lights, the purple curtain used, the flowery scent, the A.C, the roses spread on the bathtub, the nice smaller wooden cupboard, with a mirror built on it and then when I opened the drawer, I saw a phone placed on a picture. I took the phone away and saw the picture. It was my dad and his new side chick.

The phone chimed and I swiped it open as it didn’t have a password and then I saw half written letters composed by my mom to my dad. I didn’t know she missed him that much.

” Dearest Nick, missing you so much. I would like to kill that bitch who stole you away from me.. Hahahaha.”

Added to the letter was a picture of my Dad and my dad’s new girlfriend, Becky.

My dad was a musician and I noticed that my mom kept watching all his live feed as well as old music sung by him. It was hard for her to watch, especially walking with her on the red carpet at an award festival.

My mom had a screenshot of my dad and Becky walking on a red carpet to receive a VMA award and had commented

” She’s a real bitch!” On YouTube.

I looked over at her WhatsApp messages and I saw a message sent by Jonas.

“ Hey beautiful, thinking of you all night long.”

Somehow, I knew he was a dirty flirt. I decided to reply.

He was online the minute I started chatting and then I texted.

“Hi, it’s me Anabel.”

“Am Frank.” He said ..

“What a liar? Using fake names, oooh shit! Is Jonas actually his real name?” I thought. But I played along.

“Wow, that’s nice, saw your picture on Facebook and well I must say you’re damn handsome… So I thought I’d take your number..” I said

“ Wow that’s nice. ” he replied.

” Alright, so what do you do?”

” Am a doctor. ”

I almost wanted to ask;

“A what?”

But I knew he’d catch me so i didn’t. My mom told me that this Jonas guy was a basketball player. Well a guy who could give a false name , every statement he makes are just horse apples.

” OK that’s cute. But can you give me an address of your house, I’d love to talk to you in person. ” He said.

I couldn’t believe it.. He couldn’t wait for the first day to end.. I wondered if he was some dubious serial killer, or just some stupid phony.

” No can do. At work.” I replied.

” So tell me something, how old are you?”

Since I had no display picture, I decided to download a grown up lady picture. I didn’t use a celebrity. I wanted to use Marcy picture as my dp but I’d figure that this guy was trouble so i didn’t.

” Wow nice pics.” he replied, ten minutes after I uploaded it.

“Thanks.”

” Nice hair and boobs and nice bra.” He said.

I stuck a laughing emoji.

” You’re damn hot.. Well from the look of this picture, am guessing you’re in your twenties.”

I didn’t know why I couldn’t just tell him I was 18.

But I didn’t need to.

” Wait, isn’t this Grace’s ( my mom’s) phone.”

” It sure is and am her friend Anabel, wait till I tell her that her wonderful bf is cheating on her. Can’t wait to see the look on her face when I tell her that her bf is a liar, that Jonas ain’t even his real name.”

” Please don’t do that.. I know how crazy Grace gets when she’s angry. I will stay away from her. In fact I will cancel the hotel date I planned with her.. ”

” No you won’t.. You must go on that date with her.

You will be her boyfriend for another 2 months and then you disappear from her life. When I mean disappear, you will leave this city. And in case you don’t know, my husband is a highly ranked officer, so if you don’t do what I say, you have your ass locked up in jail, especially when i tell him that you tried to lure me. I can cook up evidence that can send you to jail for a long time. You will be all over the news and be tagged the cyber predator and I promise you it won’t be funny. You will be in a jail for a long time and you will have a hard time clearing your name. So are we on the same page?”

I couldn’t believe how easily the lies flew out. I had to hold myself from laughing.

” Promise me you won’t tell her about our encounter.” He said.

” Of course not. Am her friend. I want to protect her.”

” Ok. Bye.”

And the chat ended.

I looked away from the phone and my gaze trolled towards a door near my mum’s bedroom. I’d never noticed this door. After living in this house almost my entire life. I stood before the door. It was like any door, metal cushioned silverware with brown knobs. Every door in the house looked the same. I remember countless times i mistook my room for Marcy’s.

I pushed the door open and moved inside. Everything about this room smelt of history. 2 trunks lay on the floor and a picture album lay on the floor so like the one I saw in my mum’s room.

Then I saw lots of lost items in the closet. I didn’t know my mom kept Marcy’s bags and shoes. Red bags and red shoes. It was imported by her bf ‘s dad from London. She clearly didn’t like them, at least that’s what she obviously said, but Marcy wore them. In fact one time Marcy wore it , a flowery red gown , and the red bag and red shoe, my mom told her to drop the bag and shoe and Marcy in her recalcitrant manner refused and my mom told her she either does that or she won’t go on the date with her bf. And her bf was waiting for her in his ford ranger car parked on the road.

The heated argument between Marcy and my mom lasted for 20 minutes with lots of swearing and shouting and then I heard the shattering of a glass cup. I knew it was Marcy. She always does that in the fit of rage. I heard the door open and saw her bf entering inside just before Marcy called my mom crazy to her face .

Her bf wore a slim fit suit and tuxedo inside and a tight pant. There was a judgmental look he gave when he entered inside. His eyes almost closing, the deep furrow on his forehead, the way he bent his lips sent a message that was unsaid. He looked at Marcy with that stare and she told him to get the fuck out of her house. He turned around, walked out the door and drove off. I thought Marcy would call him back but she didn’t. She silently cleaned up the broken glass.

The next thing I saw made me almost cry. I saw my graduation picture frame. I and Misty with Travis standing in the middle, his hands spread across our shoulders. I couldn’t believe that my mom came. I could remember Travis mom hugging him when his name was called and a folded rolled white paper was put into his hands after being shaken by our principal. He was nominated for best science student of the year.

As I stood in line, I saw Misty mom taking pictures . Not only her, but literally everyone was taking pictures and shouting.

I could remember how free my spirit was for the first time when we threw our berets. There was so much joy and laughter. It was so contagious that i couldn’t question it. I didn’t have anyone show up at my graduation. My dad and mum had already divorced then, Marcy went on a date and Memo was graduating in his own school , so literally no one was planning on coming. Well finding out that my mom did come didn’t give me any satisfaction.

I remember Misty mom giving the final shot just soon a guy bumped into her and yelled;

” Move away lady.”

Just before we threw away our beret and yelled excitedly.

As I moved down with Misty, I saw her dad running and hugging her.

“Here’s to your big day.” He said, handling a car key in her hands and pointed a black Honda Accord car parked two miles from where we were standing.

I could see the radiating excitement on her face. She dragged me by the hand and we got to the car. She entered inside the car, turning the steering wheel and laughing.

I watched her as she hugged him and then saw that something was tossed into her hands and when she opened it, it was her drivers licence . She was so excited.

” Daddy, I love you.” She said over and over again.

” OK honey, need to get back to work. Don’t worry the fun isn’t over yet.” Her dad said to her before pushing backward and kissed Misty’s mum and kept pushing back and smiling before i saw him enter a Ford jeep and it drove out immediately.

As I stood staring, I heard Misty’s mum voice;

“Places people”

I turned around and moved towards the car. Misty and Travis were already standing and smiling for a pose. Their eyes on each other. His hand cuddling her and she smiling. And then I went to the end, near Misty, grabbing her hands which was left flaggy on the air. She didn’t seem to notice but then I saw her mum pulling Travis who stood at Misty’s right and drop him in the middle. I was caught staring and their eyes still met each other and the only thing I heard was a finger snap.

Misty’s mom had taken the shot of us staring. I looked like someone who had Amnesia. I couldn’t help but stare at Misty and Travis getting lost in each other.

Misty’s mom took the next shot . This time we stood near Rosa park’s statue which was in the middle of the school. Travis stood in the middle, his hands spread across our backs. I’d see lots of parents and children and two guys , one holding a bass drum with a rope tied on her neck. The other guy had a snare drum which had a rope , tied on his neck. They were playing. It was so amazing. Everyone kept cheering them on as they played.

Most of my course mates were taking beautiful shots at a red carpet stand. I saw Chad and Kia and Paul and Ruth. They were taking picture at the red carpet stand. Ruth and Kia took first. Chad and Paul took next. Chad and Kia took next and Paul and Ruth took final shot before they all gathered together and took final picture. I kept blinking my eyes because of the continuous camera flash.

I wanted to remember more things but then seeing a video camera took my interest. On the camera was written;

“January 16th 2007″

I didn’t know what it was but I knew it held something memorable and sure it did. It was the day Abby was born. At first I wasn’t sure what it was. I felt I was gonna find a secret, like a video of a killing spree or robbery, not sure what it was, I opened it.

It was the video of my mom being stretchered hurriedly into the labour room. It was as though her eyes were fading.

“Breathe honey, we are almost there.” My dad voiced.

I could hear loud noise accompanied with camera flashes. I could hear a lady voice;

“Please sign your autograph.”

And a nurse shouting;

“Back off people.”

I didn’t know paparazzi followed celebrities to the hospital. They were everywhere, always taking photos and videos.

It was part of why we didn’t hang out together as a family. Marcy didn’t like the fame, although she liked being rich. I remember one time my dad came to pick her from school in his Black Ford car. He just stepped out of the car and immediately everyone on the road started shouting. News reporters came from where ever they were, trying to ask him few questions. Parents kept asking him to sign his autographs on their papers, some even on their foreheads.

Marcy had just finished her final exams that day and was walking outside the building with her friend, Katie when she saw dad’s car parked opposite the school. Everyone was cheering his name;

“Nick! Nick!!.”

Katie ran forward and started shouting. She didn’t know about him being Marcy’s dad. She didn’t know about Me or Memo, or my mom. I still don’t get why she had to be ashamed of her family. Everyone else would have been bragging.

Katie stood with my dad, taking pictures and laughing.

And then Marcy was walking down, ear plugged, moving slowly towards a bus when my dad called out;

” Honey, over here.”

Marcy kept on walking as though she didn’t hear him or know him and so he shouted;

“Hey everyone, that’s my daughter, Marcy”

Marcy then looked up as half her school cheered for her. She was so red faced by the shouting and stares that she said;

“Am ok Nick, I think I should use the bus.”

” Are you sure?.”

“Yeah.”

Marcy started walking towards the bus when Katie screamed;

” I can’t believe Nick’s your dad.”

And Marcy sharply and coldly replied;

“He ain’t my dad.”

Marcy statement caught headline and it was captioned;

” Popular Musician, Nick Howard’s daughter, denies her father at school.”

And the short video of Katie saying;

” I can’t believe Nick’s your dad.”

And she replying;

“He ain’t my dad.”

Was on screen for a week.

That evening, Marcy was very angry with my dad. I could remember that evening. I, Memo and Marcy sat beside each other. Memo sat in the middle of the both of us. Mum sat opposite me and dad was next to me. At the right end of the dinning table. He usually sat there whenever we had lunch or dinner and no one ever took that spot. It was an unspoken rule.

We each had a plate of chicken cacciatore and a glass of wine. My dad said grace and we dug in.

There was a strain silence at dinner that hushed us all as the reporter on CNN kept talking about the event that transpired at Marcy’s school. No one said anything. I kept looking at My dad’s eyes as he stared at Marcy a I watched Marcy as she poked the Chicken hard with the fork. I kept looking at my dad, begging him with my eyes to say something to lighten the tensed mood but he didn’t. And being that we ain’t a close family, no one would talk about his/ her day or what’s going on in his/her life. The only time we ever talked was when my dad says something funny about how women kept pushing one another for him to sign on their face. How rip each other hair, talking crazy;

“Hey am here first.” A lady will say.

” Bitch, shut up.” Another will reply

” Fuck you ugly chipmunk..”

And then dad will say;

” Ladies calm down.”

” Tell her ugly face to leave. She ain’t worth your saliva.”

” Oh yeah, at least my child doesn’t smoke crack like yours does, neither does my husband sleep around like a whore in bikinis.”

And they keep on thrash talking each other until one of them looses it and slap the other and the other pulls at her hair and they start fighting.

My dad loves the action flick. He enjoys being flattered by women so much that he doesn’t let my mom follow him to big events so that people don’t easily remember that they’re married. It is so weird and so was the silence at dinner.

The only thing that broke the silence was when Marcy got up, picked up her glass cup and smashed it on the TV.

I couldn’t help but look at her. The way she got up. There was everything wrong about her posture when she got up. She didn’t seem angry, hardly got up to push Memo’s hand gently so she would get a room. She was relaxed and a faded smile crept on her face. Then she took the glass cup as though to raise it into her mouth as there was still wine in the glass cup.

I didn’t know what took my attention off her but while I looked at my plate, I heard a shatter. I looked up as my dad jerked his shoulder as though dodging the already shattered glass. I looked at everyone. They all kept eating as though nothing happened. Marcy took her plates, pushed back her chair and walked straight into the kitchen.

The only thing I heard was her footstep and the scraping of fork and knives. The moment she stepped outside the dinning door, the place returned to it’s wonted quiet.

I remembered how quickly we looked at my dad and how quickly our eyes got back to our plates. I wondered why Marcy didn’t say a word at all to dad but then I understood that she didn’t have to, her action said a whole lot.

So, I pushed back my hair and continue looking at the video of my mum being led by the team of nurses , a doctor, and my dad, into the labour room and when they entered inside the room and shut the door, the clip ended.

I pressed ‘ NEXT’ on the video recorder and I saw my mum holding my little sister in her hands. She looked scaled on the video. Her eyes were closed and her head bald. I couldn’t believe that this hunker – do- di was my sister.

I could hear voices in the room. I saw my aunt Clara and uncle John and some other people , and of course the baby’s loud whimper.

I kept hearing;

” God, the baby’s so cute”

” Awww.. Look how pretty she is”

” Baby, make a fist. Make a fist for Uncle John”

” Beautiful baby with the prettiest smile.”

Just then I heard noise at the door. I knew it was those Paparazzi. My dad quickly opened the door for them. I knew my mom didn’t want the press on her at that moment but she would do anything to please my dad.

I had earlier saw how cold my dad was to the baby. He wasn’t excited. No kiss or hugs from him. He behaved as though the baby wasn’t his. As though mom got pregnant out of wedlock and he just had to put up as the good guy. Was that why he left ?As though the baby was an extra burden that he didn’t and couldn’t carry.

I’d notice how he made series of phone calls out the window. He kept saying one minute but the call didn’t stop. No. Not until the paparazzi walked in.

I then noticed the full attention he started giving my mum and little baby sister. He kissed mum on her cheek and told the press about how excited he was about having to look out for the baby. How he was now Dad 3. How he forgot how sweet it was watching a baby grow, teaching a baby how to walk, talk, feed herself and ride a bicycle He wasn’t gonna be relieved of this moment easily.

“It’s great being a dad.”

I watched him kiss mom who tired to create a happy face. But the facade was glaring. They kept smiling. And then the screen went blank.

I looked at the video recorder as it slid from my hands and fell inside the trunk. I looked up and then my nose sniffed irritably at the dust in the room. It was though no one had steeped in this room for months. The floor was dusty, so were my hands and face.

I looked into the trunk again and noticed a phone. It looked new even though it was dusty as everything else in the trunk.

I picked the phone and tapped on it and it opened. That was weird, No password.

As soon as the phone opened, I saw a live feed of a street. I knew the phone was used as a tracking device. I could see the hand of whoever was wearing the tracking chip but I couldn’t see his face. Mum must have pinned the chip on his/ her arm.

I heard an old crappy voice;

“Memo!”

” Yeah man, what’s up?”

” Cool, you got my dope?”

” Yeah, he got your dope.” Another guy responded.

I could see his face clearly when Memo stretched out his hands to shake him. His name was Rick. He lived with his mum in Bluebonnet lane. I only saw him once, two weeks ago. He came over to help Memo pack some of his stuff to his house. They were high school buddies.

Memo had begged mom that evening to let him stay over at his place so that he could prepare for his Standford scholarship exam. I could remember the suspicious look I gave him. The queasy in my guts told me he was lying and I guess mom could feel it too.

I felt suspicious because he never asked mom’s permission to go over to his friend’s house; we all never did. Mom’s only law was that we come home that same day otherwise we are grounded. It was a law my dad made and it still stood.

Mom didn’t say anything. She was watching TV and I sat arm length from her.

” When were you planning on telling me? You just walk in and start packing stuff.”

” My stuff.” Memo said.

Mum looked at them and then walked into her room and within seconds she came out with a wrist watch and some cash.

” Thanks mum.” Memo smiled gleefully as he took it. And with that he walked out of the house.

I’d figure then that mom let him off because she knew Rick’s dad or something. I couldn’t believe she was spying on him.

I watched as Memo took two red bags and handed it to the old guy. Memo was standing by the car waiting for a tip but what he got was a pistol shoved in his face.

” Hands in the air you cunt. NYPD, you’re under arrest.” He said, using his gun to knock him out. I knew the tracking was strapped to his wrist watch. So it was difficult watching the view from the ground level but I didn’t see Rick and my gut told me that Rick had tipped the officer. He was his secret informer who tipped him off about drug dealers.

Memo was raised from the ground and put inside the car and just before I knew it, the phone screen went black.

I put down the phone only to hear my mom’s car tyre screech into the garage. I knew she would take forever before entering inside so that gave me plenty of time to arrange the trunk , cover it, enter her room and put the family album back on top of the wardrobe, delete my chat with Jonas, her boyfriend and shut the door. My mom won’t find out if anything went amiss in the room. She’d think she did it. Sure my mom had a lot of explaining to do, but if she found me digging through her stuff, the only explanation am gonna get is triple grounding.

I sat in the living room, legs crossed, hands on my legs with a nervous look as though I was hiding something, when mom walked in with Abby.

” Hey mum.”

” Hi!” She replied in her low tune voice.

There was a face she made at me when she walked in as though i did something wrong. Perhaps she hid camera in her room and watched me search her room or the room next to her’s which I call the secret room.

I watched her storm into her room in anger and then she came out with her phone. She was on a call. I could hear her shouting and angry. I was so scared. I moved towards where she was and she looked at me. I could hear Abby’s baby voice from her room. I couldn’t help myself from not looking. And when I put my face inside mom’s room, I could see little Abby playing in her little bed. It didn’t take seconds for mom to come to her room, with a phone stuck in her ears and cursing loudly.

There was a dead silence when she saw me standing by her door. I didn’t get it. Or maybe I did.

I could remember how my dad never liked the idea of Abby sleeping in the same room as them. He didn’t like his sleep being disturbed. He was a superstar who didn’t want to go through parenting a child phase again. He was way past it. He was already tired of having to lookout for Marcy, Memo and I. He was tired of seeing our faces. He wanted us to go to college and move out of his house for good. He’d complain of how he spent more paying the bills whenever we were around. He would talk about how he could turn part of the house to a studio. It was as though were one bane in his life, mum included.

Every night, my patents fought about Abby staying in the room, especially at midnight. I would hear them from my room and later I would see my parents door open and he going to the living room.

My dad clearly stopped coming home. We didn’t see him that often. He couldn’t stand the little “mutt”. And he couldn’t stand mom.

Mom’s voice tossed me out from my thought.

” Jonas called. He’s taking me out for dinner. And am freaking out cause Nick is coming and so is that whore of his.

Actually it’s a party at a hotel, and Nick is the guest artist. I mean I don’t really know what to do. I need to look hot. I need Jonas to be all over me. I want him to see just how fine I’ve been without him. I want him to be jealous and I want to throw that his girlfriend off stage. I wanna be so good that it will cut him down at his throat. I want him notice just how fit and perfectly slender I have become. I want him to chase me and I will sniff at him like he were some dog. I will love to watch him roll in dirt and plead for me to come back to him and I will mock him and kiss Jonas in his presence. I wanna watch him bleed, wanna watch him crawl on the ground like I did when he left me, wanna read his text messages and see his calls which I will reply with a picture of me and Jonas and he will go crazy and rip that bitch in half.”

Mum suddenly realized herself and looked at me and said;

” Go get the groceries from the car.”

“They say there’s one thing that’s greater than the pen and it’s called a fucking handgun….” He said to the cop and pauses.

The cop pauses and looks as the man suddenly sat still, his hands chained to each other with cuffs and his legs too cuffed together.

The man looked on stubbornly at him but the cop knew that he would confess anyway. It didn’t make sense to keep hiding and the cop knew that their bargain to reduce his sentence if he should tell the truth was mendacious and the cop could see that ‘I’m not stupid’ smile he wore when he said it but then the cop wasn’t impressed, neither would any of the police who watched the interview outside.

The silence persisted. The man saw that the cop wasn’t intimidated by him but had put on the face of a friend, someone who just wanted to talk. He even went as far as turning off the camera and then sat still and offered the man a smoke. The cop took his Cigarette and lighted it. And the man suddenly felt at ease with the cop. The cop didn’t put on his uniform, he just looked casual. He didn’t even take his badge and had shaved.

Nothing was said. But the silence started breaking as both men smiled dubiously and it could be read on both faces;

“I would love to get the hell out of this shithole. ”

They both laughed and stopped and then he started talking.

“Man, it all started on a quiet Wednesday in Alameda street in California.”

He paused and looked at the cop who sat still without moving a flinch and then he smiled and said;

” By the way, am Larid. ”

The cop didn’t say anything. He still remained in the same pose posture; He sat still, leg crossed over, eyes fixed on the criminal, those confident eyes. Larid thought.

Then Larid said;

” what’s your name officer.? ”

No answer.

” Hey officer! ”

” Well I didn’t give it, did I?. ” The officer responded.

What a show off. Larid thought. Then he looked at his badge and caught his name ” Brian ” written on it.

” No you didn’t, officer Brian. ”

Larid could see the offset in Brian’s face. His shock, the anger and the silence could make up for his ego.

What a sulky bastard? Laird thought.

Then the door opened and the chief of police walked in and yelled;

” Brian what’s going on? I sent you in here to get him to talk, not to stare at him.” and then walked out.

Brian could see the smirk in laird face and he damn hell wanted to punch him. Why was he acting so special? What did he know that the police didn’t? The police knew about his brother, Eddie, kidnapping 3 people from a bank; The security guard, a lady and the owner of the bank, Mr Lonnie.

Eddie was masked alongside two other guys who carried out the operation. At the bank, they made away with 10 million. Too low for a heist, especially something calculative like this one and then again, why still kidnap those people? Was there a connection among the victims? It didn’t make sense to Brian or any cop? If they wanted more money, they could have taken a lot more from the bank or was Eddie and his gong using them as hostage?

The door snapped open and another cop entered inside and Brian came back to himself and looked at Laird whose face was devoid of emotion. Brian turned around and saw detective jean enter.

” Time up.” he said and Brian looked at the window and saw inspector Jean disapproving eyes and then he got up and walked out of the interrogation room.

Inspector Jean sat and gave a hard look at laird. Brian knew that there was no wasting time with this detective.

Brian had barely made it out of the interrogation room when he heard the sound of a table crashing down and he turned around and saw detective jean and laird staring face at each other. The table in between them had fallen on the floor and inspector Jean was pointing a gun at laird. He even shot laird on the leg and he wilted in pain. Brian scoffed in disgust. Inspector Jean had just shot Laird and no one did anything. If it were to be him, he would have been suspended.

He could remember how Inspector Jean and he had headed an operation in Garden Grove in LA. 4 robbers, multiple killings and collection of purses and phones from each of the victim. Each victim had a bullet in the head. And they were lying on different side of the road. Their identity were discovered after they were taken to the lab. Their families wailed after they got the news and months after, the fingerprints on the victims faces and throats, even the footprints were taken.

The victims were 4 women, young, mid twenties. The autopsy report proved that the women were raped and strangled and that each of the women had a different male fingerprint on their face and throats. semen were seen on the women.

Brian knew that this women were dumped on the road. He guessed in his head that the killers must have raped them and then strangled them and for no reason, shoot them.

The killers were four males; John , Masc , Jedi and Dogg . An anonymous call came to the police stating what happened to the victims. The caller didn’t give his name or whereabouts. He called Brian, told his story and ended the call.

According to the caller, he had gone to buy fuel at a Gas Station. He was still filing his car when a pick up truck moved in and parked close by near a fuel pump machine. A dude came out of the vehicle to fill the tank. Then the caller saw 4 women at the back seat of the car. They were in a sit up position but they looked drugged and unconscious.

When Brian asked for the plate number of the truck, the caller who had snapped it, called it out for Brian, and then hung up before Brian went to meet his boss.

Thomas, the chief of police, on hearing the recorded call, called in inspector Jean and Dawn, Brian’s partner and together, they listened to the recorded call.

“Looks like we got ourselves a case here. ” Thomas said.

Dawn and Thomas with the help of Nancy, a lady who worked in , Star Ford Lincoln , South Gate , LA, were able to track the owner of the pick up truck . His name was Dogg Peterson.

According to the caller, it was a white pick up truck. Brian and Dawn were able to confirm this. They went to the Gas Station to look at their security cameras and everything was as the caller said. Although the caller didn’t follow them to the place, he gave them the address and later they saw the supposed caller and they identified him as Mr Patrick who lived in Torrance, divorced, with a 16 year old daughter who was with her mom in Boston. He had been divorced for 9 years. After they divorced, his wife, Angela, decided to move over to Boston with her ex boyfriend and her daughter.

The man at the front seat of the vehicle was seen on camera and was identified as John vemi . The man who came out to fill the tank was identified as Dogg Peterson .

Thomas asked Brian and inspector Jean to check it out. Dawn had objected to be on this case and Thomas sided him.

Brian and inspector Jean decided to visit Mr Patrick before looking over for Dogg.

Mr Patrick was already moving into his house when the police came over. He didn’t want them in his house.

” Hey good morning sir. ” Brian said

“what the hell is the goddam police doing in my house? Whatever is it you want, you ain’t seeing it here. Just go on before I make you leave. ” Mr Patrick said.

Inspector Jean came forward and spoke..

” where you the person who called the cops ?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong by being a good citizen, whatever you find incriminating about the facts I gave it wasn’t intentional and please don’t take my name on the news. I wanna remain anonymous.. It took serious guts and balls to call you guys.. I believe I did good, at least to the cops? ”

” We don’t want no trouble. We just want to know our mystery caller. ” Brian said.

” Guess I will be leaving LA this week . Maybe move over to London. ” Mr Patrick said. But that didn’t scare inspector Jean.

” You may go to shitburg for all I care but when we catch this guys, you make sure you bring your ass to court, at least so we won’t look like fools before the judge… We need a witness and we have a good shot at you, so if you make us look stupid, just know that it’s all over for you cause your ass will always be on the run and finally in jail. ”

The next day, Brian and inspector Jean set off to Dogg’s house. He was just coming out, about to enter his car when Brian and inspector Jean showed up. They were in suit.

” Hey, can I help you? ” Dogg said.

” I’m officer Brian, and this is officer jean… ”

” Inspector Jean ” Inspector Jean said, and then waved a hand at Brian and continued speaking;

” we came out here so you could help us with these murder cases. ” he said, showing him the pictures of the 4 ladies and then Dogg started digging his hands into his jacket and before he could bring it out, inspector Jean shot him twice in the chest and Dogg feel down and a barrel gun rolled out from his jacket.

Just before Brian could recover from the shooting, 3 other guys came out with guns and inspector Jean, not waiting for them to walk out the front door, shot them many times and their bodies lay on the floor, their double barrel guns were on the floor too.

Brian kept staring at what had happened. The quickness of the whole thing scared him.

The police were quickly called in and the 4 men were taken to the hospital and that’s when their identity were revealed; Jedi, masc, John and Dogg.

They took DNA samples from this men to test with the 4 women who were killed and it matched. The truck which was seen on camera was found in the garage and was taken for searching and blood sparkles were seen at the edge of the back doors and on the seat and it matched the victims. It was then discovered that these men had no connection with this women.They were just random killers, they didn’t have any personal relationship with the victims. The victims were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Laird’s scream brought Brian back to himself. And now that he had time to think things through, he felt grateful that Inspector Jean had did what he did. It saved them both and above all, those women killers have finally been brought to justice, and above all, he won’t have to prove no damn thing to the judge, neither will those men.They won’t have a chance of getting a good lawyer to free them. They would never be able to do what they did to another person but Brian couldn’t be more grateful that he was alive.

And then inspector Jean voice boomed out;

” Looks like he’s ready to talk. ”

” Quick and easy. ” yelled Dawn

***

Laird sat chained on the hands. Brian took the wheels while Dawn sat at the front seat.. He was directing them to where Eddie and the victims were. Larid’s voice kept saying, ‘go this way’ or ‘ go that way ‘ , or ‘ stop’, ‘ enter. ‘

Brian kept moving, listening to every single word laird spoke. Dawn said nothing. The only time Dawn spoke was when he spoke on his transmitter;

” I think this guy’s playing us. ”

” well if he is, I’m gonna beat him to a pup. ” inspector Jean said. And Dawn looked back at laird and saw how frightened he suddenly became and this made Dawn smile.

Brian moved from the road and headed into Gospel swamp. Laird took them to particular spots where different dead bodies were found. It shocked him. He could remember countless times people were reported missing. The sight of the corpse puked Brian. He really needed a transfer. He couldn’t keep up with the numerous murder cases that he solves. The crime here is too much. Garden Grove is regarded as a very unsafe city in the USA.

” We’ve reached the place and it’s pilled up with dead bodies, 12 dead bodies and they are all covered in swamp mud. Looks like this Eddie dude is a serial killer , and a dumb one.. Why kill his victims and dump them in a swamp where they could be washed out?.” Dawn spoke on his transmitter.

” We are sending a team right in your location. ” Thomas said.

Few hours later, the police arrived and all the bodies at the swamp were taken. They were long dead and their bodies looked decayed. They were taken into the lab but the police couldn’t find the bank victims .

” Do you have any clue where your brother could be? Time is running out, we got to save those hostages! And stop him. ” Dawn said to laird.

Laird laughed and smiled..

“Hostages…. What makes you so sure that they aren’t dead.”

He was still laughing when a heavy punch on his face took the smirk away. He turned and saw inspector Jean.

Brian could see the fear in laird eyes. The blow had knocked out larid tooth.

” Where is Eddie.? ” Inspector Jean yelled..

” I don’t know. ” laird said.

” Don’t lie to me, man. ”

” He was supposed to be here. ” laird said.

Brian phone rang. It was Thomas. He clicked.

” They got nothing. ” Thomas said.

” Hello chief. ” Brian said, thinking Thomas was talking to another person .

No answer.

” Chief!”

” They’ve got nothing man. This dead guys you found are campers, probably bitten by snakes or pythons. Venoms were found inside their bodies. Looks like they were strangled hard by the snakes but somehow were able to take them all out, you know what I mean, not get swallow up. ”

Brian hung up the phone and turned around just in time for inspector Jean and two officers came forward.

” Thomas just texted me, looks like we’ve been pranked and we found 2 tents erected downhills and camp fire in the middle of the tents and a long range gun was found in the water.. Well you could imagine. ”

” Fuck! ” Dawn yelled

At the same time, inspector Jean turned around and gave laird a heavy blow on the side of his head.

” You motherfucker! where is larid? ” he said, holding him by the collar.

” I don’t know, I swear to God. ”

” You fuckin piece of shit! ” inspector Jean punched his face twice before Dawn pulled him away. laird spat out blood.

Just then, Jordan, a 911 dispatcher called Brian. He picked it and thenher voice rang out;

” There’s someone on the line calling, it’s an emergency. She said 2 masked guys brought in 3 hostages and had everyone in the hospital hostage. She said she worked a the food service worker in the hospital. When I asked her who was in the hospital, she told me everyone was at the hospital. Patients and workers. She said the guys brought in a very sick man and just before I knew it, I heard a bang and the line went dead. ”

” Looks like we got our man. ” Brian said, turning over and saw Dawn. Soon, inspector Jean came over and said;

” There’s been a hostage situation at a hospital, let’s move. ”

****

Eddie looked at his little brother, Stan . The more he saw his brother pained, the more angrier he became. He couldn’t watch him die. He could remember the doctor telling his mum that Stan had congenital heart disease. He could remember how stiffly his mum was. it was as though everything in her was freezed. She couldn’t believe it. The doctor held her cold hands and told her that everything was gonna be alright. His brother stayed in the hospital for 3 months and he and his mum always went to see him and everything time he saw Stan deteriorating, he got more angrier. And worse still, his step father, Lonnie, and his bimbo of a girlfriend, kept moving on with their lives as though nothing happened.

Lonnie owned a bank and he and Rachel, Eddie’s mum, had married after he became rich. Rachel was previously married to Kingsley, a finical secretary of a huge store, with whom she had Eddie and Stan before she divorced him after she met Lonnie.

The first time they met was at his bank, Grigetton bank. She had newly started working there. Kingsley, her husband, got laid off from work as a finical secretary of a kidies store. It was a very big store with a net worth of over 400 million dollars.

Kingsley and the two guys decided to rob the store on a Christmas evening. It was a big heist that they were planning. They wanted to steal 1 billion from the store . Chess, a bartender who worked at a bar close to the store had come up with the idea. Kingsley had come to have a drink on that evening when he heard chesss talking about it with another guy, Leo.

Kingsley didn’t know why, but he decided to help them. He introduced himself and grabbed a seat close to Leo. There was a suspicious way Leo looked at him, as though he was gay and so Kingsley held up his wedding ring.

” You’re married? ” Leo asked.

Kingsley didn’t reply but brought out his phone and showed them Rachel picture and his two sons.

“wow that’s great, you’re a father too. Nice! ”

And so the two guys allowed him in their company and they got along very quickly and they knew they could really use him, especially being that he worked at the store.

Kingsley had snuck into the store at midnight and was able to shut out the cameras. The security guards was drugged by chess and so it was an easy task.

By morning, Kingsley set up a smoke in the building which triggered the fire alarm and everyone headed for the exit of the building while chess and Leo hid in the ceiling.

When everyone was out, the three guys went to a computer. Chess and Kingsely had earlier shut out the cameras and so he went to work. He hacked into the accounts of the store. The store had over 30 accounts in 6 countries. He sent a virus into 3 banks in LA so their computers stopped. And he kept transferring money from these accounts to an account that Chess opened in London . He opened it in the name of one Friman Johnson. He had stolen the man’s ID at an airport and had even been using his credit card , piling up lots of debts for him. He had sent Friman Johnson ID to the bank and they immediately opened it in his name.

Friman Johnson was arrested after the police traced the accounts.

But a receptionist of a hotel where Chess had lodged called the cops, reporting the credit card stolen. And then she sent the video of chess using the credit card and the police tracked him down and arrested him.

While at the station, the receptionist of the London bank where he opened the account called Chess and Brian picked.

” Hey there, I’m just checking in. I would love to have an interview with you, not that am suspecting you, cause you’re a good man with an impeccable Character but protocols must be followed. And I would love to see you, Friman Johnson.”And immediately the line went dead.

Chess, immediately he was taken into prison, exposed everything that went down. He was a coward.

The police immediately released Friman Johnson and 2 days later, arrested Leo and Kingsley.

Kingsley was at work when he saw the cops entering the building. it was 3 months since the heist and he had a feeling of ease although somehow he knew he would be caught and that’s why he didn’t dry playing the chase game with the police. When, he wasn’t certain but he off course knew.

He was watching some stuff on his computer when the police, with his boss leading the way, entered his office. It still didn’t click. Until one of the cops came behind him and said;

“you’re under arrest.. You’ve been caught. ” before mirandizing him.

He got up and walked out of the store with the police behind.

Few months after he was imprisoned, Rachel served him the divorce papers and he signed it.

****

Lonnie and Rachel got married a year after Kingsley was imprisoned and neither Eddie or Stan saw their father again.

2 years after she got married to Lonnie, she discovered that he was cheating on her with Sarah, his secretary. She found both of them in Lonnie house, having sex on their bed and she was shocked like really shocked. it was so much to take. She couldn’t believe Lonnie would do that to her. I mean she praised him and loved him and adored him. She knew she couldn’t stay. And a week later, she decided to file for divorce. Since they signed a prenuptial agreement before they got married, Lonnie got to keep all his wealth and she was left with nothing. He didn’t as much as continue paying for Stan’s treatment. He wasn’t his kid anyway. And the hospital decided to get rid of Stan and give him back to his mum.

3 months after the divorce, Eddie with his friends decided to rob Griggtonn’s bank, owned by Lonnie. They took 10 million out of the bank, and still kidnapped Lonnie, his wife and the security guard, Mr Thompson.

Lonnie, too, had gone ahead to marry Sarah.

Even now as Eddie stared at Lonnie and his wife, he couldn’t help but hate them. They were gagged and tied up.

One of Eddie’s men, four, dragged an unconscious lady into the surgery room and held her phone screen on Eddie’s face and said;

” She called the cops. ”

” Fuck! ” Eddie yelled and turned around and looked at the scared doctor and said;

” Just so we are clear, if Stan dies, you too will join him, and I will come after your family.. This is not Rachel Evans, this is her son and that’s my brother over there. So make it good. ”

” But he needs a new heart. ”

“Not a problem. ” Eddie said, shooting Lonnie on the head twice and his body throbbed and fell. And with the shooting, Sarah screamed. Eddie pointed his gun at her and said;

” Bitch! shut the fuck up. I will be with you in a minute. ”

Lonnie’s heart was removed from his chest. it was a gruesome and bloody mes. The surgery lasted for hours.

****

Brian and Dawn and the rest of the police team, arrived at the hospital. It’s been 40 minutes since the PR called. The phone dispatcher had said that she heard a bang and the line went dead. Brian prayed she wasn’t dead.

As soon as Eddie saw the police cars, he went outside with one of the hostages with a gun in his hand;

” I’ve got plenty hostages, you back off or I shoot. ” he said.

Brian watched Eddie go back inside with the hostage. He imagined what was going through the mind of the hostages.

As he stood, a police car drove in and the driver door opened and inspector Jean came out.

” Hey officer Brian, what do we got on the hostage situation?”

” Nothing! We don’t know how many hostages are in there but looks like they’re lots of hostages. PR, when she called, said everyone was still in the building, workers and patients. ”

” Have you tried talking to Eddie, like get him to talk.? ”

” He just drove me on.”

” what about his brother, laird? I don’t think he knows we got him. We can use him to make a trade with the hostages. We got a leverage. ”

Few minutes later, laird was brought out of the van, cuffed on the hands and feet. They went to the security camera and made him stand in the middle.

Eddie was still watching the doctor as he cut his brother open and began to remove his bad heart. Some many equipments were on the table. Then, four, his friend entered, painting.

” They got larid. The cops got larid! ”

Eddie went and called Brian.

” Hey dear fella ” he said, immediately Brian answered.

” whose this? ” Brian asked.

” So you got larid. ”

” Hey asshole, we fuckin got your brother, release the hostages or watch him die slowly. ” Brian said.

” You can’t do that cause you’re fuckin weak. I, on the other hand has killed Lonnie, my fuckin step dad and his bitch wife is here too and I plan on killing her. And I wish you guys would have seen his heart taken out. ”

“You Bastard!” inspector Jean yelled. And he came over with a gun and pointed it at Laird’s head as they headed for the main entrance to the building.

” You release those goddam hostages or I burst his caps. ” he said.

” you can’t do that you’re a cop and cops don’t have balls. ” Eddie said, and immediately, a bullet flew out of the window and hit laird on the head and he fell dead.

Inspector Jean was taken aback by fear. He ran off whimpering.

” See what I mean, you got no balls and larid isn’t my brother. He was just a distraction. I shot him on the leg at the bank on purpose so you guys would find him.. See the way he led you on. It was great watching you guys fool yourselves .. lol.”

Inspector Jean was still out of breath. He couldn’t believe what just happened.

Brian got a call from Jordan. He wanted to cut it but he took the call.

“Hello. ” he said.

“Brian! ” Jordan replied.

” Now’s not a good time…. ”

” She didn’t let him finish before saying;

” I looked at Eddie’s profile and I found out that he has a mum, Rachel Evans and a brother , stan and his father, Kingsley Evans is imprisoned for arm robbery. I looked up Rachel Evans and I found her home address, maybe you could bring her and Eddie would give up. ” Jordan said.

” Just so am cleared, he has no brother by the name laird? ”

” Nope. Laird and his parents live in 6209 Ludlow are, Garden Grove, while Eddie, Stan, and his mum live in 6187 Ludlow Are, garden grove. ”

Jordan hung up immediately and inspector Jean came by him and said;

” We can go get his mum. I’ve sent a cop already to get her. We’ve tracked her location already. She’s at Westminister museum .”

Brian and he smiled and turned around to keep watching.

An hour later, Rachel Evans was brought to the scene. The cops had pulled her out of the car and brought her before Brian. And then inspector Jean showed up. Dawn too came by.

****

Eddie looked over at his brother and then turned around to look at four. He could tell that he was nervous. He knew he wasn’t supposed to kill laird but he badly wanted to get back at the police. Now he wondered if it was a bright idea.

He looked at Sarah with a hate glare. He wasn’t gonna let her go. She had to die.

The doctor finished stiching Stan up and looked over at Eddie and said;

” He’s okay.. He needs to rest. ”

Eddie smiled thankfully. He was so happy that he was ready to release everyone, except from Sarah, off course. He told four to release everyone, while he grabbed the screaming Sarah, while he gagged her.

” Bitch’s screaming so loud. ”

Four released everyone.

Brian and Dawn looked over at the hospital and saw everyone running out of the building.

” Asshole just released victims. ” Dawn spoke in his transmitter.

Brian and Inspector Jean, rounded up everyone and discovered that Sarah was still missing.

” We need to get in there. Dawn, watch out in case he tries to make a run. ”

Brian called Eddie.

” Hello buddy. ” Eddie’s voice rung out, melodious .

” We got your mum and we wanna make a trade, her for Sarah. ”

” That’s good Brian, but I ain’t buying it. ”

” Check the security camera. ”

Eddie went out and checked and he saw his mum with the cops. He was outraged and then shouted at Brian;

” You watch me kill her, and am coming for you and your family. ”

Eddie looked over at Sarah and pointed the gun in her direction. He laughed and growled at the excitement of watching her die. He was ready to loose his mum.

“Brian, you got 5 seconds to catch me before I make the kill…… 5, 4, 3, 2…”

Brian ran into the building.

“1…”

And then the bullet went off. Brian stopped and started crying.

Dawn and the police went to the last floor and saw Eddie lying dead and saw a guy in hoodies pointing a gun in Eddie’s direction while Sarah had passed out on the floor. The reality of death crumbled her.

Dawn cuffed the guy and called an ambulance went in to pick Sarah.

Brian too had ran up, just in time for her to get conscious. And he ran to hug her really tight. Inspector Jean had to break off the hug. They took her inside the ambulance and it drove off.

The ambulance too had spotted Stan and took him into the van, driving him to a hospital.

As Brian sat in the back seat of the car with the cuffed guy, he looked over and asked him his name. Dawn was looking at him through the driver mirror. While Inspector Jean looked through the side mirror.

” four… My name is Four. ” The guy said.

” Thanks for saving Sarah. ” Brian said.

” I didn’t save her. I just got back at the motherfucker who killed my brother, laird. ” he said, sending a wave of shock to them all.

Dickson towed the car forward as he moved towards the building. He could feel the excitement running through his veins. His buddies Mike and Tyson were already ready. It was an all night party at Thomas house.

Music was already turned on and flicker green light shone as people came out of the building in a shinning green dress that glowed. Green lights flickered from their dress.

Mike voice rang out;

” Can’t believe we actually snuck out for the party… I mean my dad is really dumb, like I do really get away with serious shit at home….

Mike voice was drowned in the drunken voices of people and the music playing. A Guy and lady were seen standing near the door smoking. They often giggled and laughed. The girl looked often at the people who moved in and out of the building but the guy will nudge her and she peer into his phone and they both laughed heartily.

Mike turned his eyes and looked at a lady running after a guy, and another guy pleading walking in front of him, using his hands to slow the pace of his movement;

” You fuckin piece of shit” The guy said, turning around to the girl…

“Robert calm down. ” The other guy pleaded, still pushing him backward.

Robert eased his way from his hold.

“That bastard fucked my sister and you let it happen! Didn’t I tell you that she ain’t up to 18yrs? Am shutting down this stupid party. ”

Robert pushed him away, only to be gunned down by a bleeding dude who came out. Mike could tell that Robert had seriously beaten up this huge dude.

The girl was crying and screaming;

“Jason, call the police. ”

Jason stood motionlessly. He couldn’t call the police.

The huge guy came over where the girl was and gave her a drink in a small glass cup. She knew he was gonna do whatever the hell he wanted, and she didn’t want to be sane when he does that and so she drank it, it was just one gulp, yeah, just one gulp and her life would never the same again.

Mike looked over at Tyson and Dickson and noticed that they both saw what just happened but their face didn’t hold any fear. He knew that they were going to enter the party and nothing was gonna change that. It was just 2 psychos….. I mean isn’t it said that death is part of life?

Dickson was the first to jump out of the car and Tyson and Mike came down together, slamming the door and soon the huge guy and the lady zoomed off in a car pass them.

Mike knew everyone at the party was boozed up. No one had run on hearing the loud gun bang. The gun had fired loudly and no one did anything or said anything.

Mike saw Jason calling another guy and they put Robert in a car boot and rode off to go dispose off Robert’s body.

Dickson saw Mike’s gnawing stare on him. He looked away and saw 3 women approaching their direction. They smiled and they moved away from each other and each went to grab Dickson and the other two guys.

Dickson looked at the lady that stood before him. The lady smiled and he too smiled.

” Am Carley ” She said.

” Am Dickson. ”

” Wow, your name is funny.. It’s a short form for Dick. You sound like my brother when you pronounce your name. He always says ;

” Look at my dick ”

” You know am growing large balls and dick. ”

And he always calls every girl he likes his second dick. Off course no girl will like to be called such and so they ditch him before he dates them. ”

Dickson didn’t respond. He just smiled.

” Have you ever been out late before?”

Dickson knew from the way she smiled at him that she was assessing him, using her brother as a standard rule for him. He could tell that she often do that with different guys. Telling her that he snuck out from the house would make a good joke but it would cause her to disparage him and so he said;

“Yeah… Am a night crawler…. ”

” Am a drug dealer. ” he whispered into her ears.

Dickson looked at Carley and she smiled at him. She always smiled but then he wondered if she would be impressed. Perhaps she wouldn’t still think of him as anything close to her brother.

Dickson noticed her gaze looking above him and then an admiring smile crept into her face. Dickson looked backward and saw a guy looking at Carley and smiling. It was few seconds flirting before he joined a small crowd into the house.

Carley looked at Dickson and he could hint the smile of disappointment and then she said;

“you ain’t nothing like my brother. ”

Dickson knew that she expected him to punch the flirting guy in the face for flirting with his woman. That is what her brother would have done.

Carley moved pass him and he turned around and saw Mike and Tyson with the other two ladies.

Both ladies shook hands with Dickson.

” Am Donna. ”

” Am Lizzy. ”

Donna wore a short bun and a mini top and a tight grey pant.

Lizzy wore braids and a mini black top that exposed her nipples and a mini black skirt.

Carley wore a short Jean jacket and wore a white dress inside and wore a jean tight pant and she had her hair done in layers.

Dickson looked behind Carley and saw guys and girls holding hands going inside the house. He came back to himself on hearing Tyson’s voice and then he saw him shaking Thomas and giving him power hug.

Thomas came outside. He was with a lady, his hand wrapped around her shoulders. She smiled often.

Dickson kept staring at her makeup. It was crazy . She looked like a Halloween clown in a custom. The make up was too much on her face. He would like to snap it and show it to his sister.

” Hey you guys, so glad you could make it. ” He said, shaking the guys hands and giving the ladies a peck on the cheek. There was something romantic in the way he pecked the ladies. He was acting like a Spanish rich mafian. The way he kissed the ladies on their fingers which he held close , going on one knee and said;

” Hey senorita. ”

He then got up. The lady beside him smiled, and playfully jabbed Thomas on the shoulder.

” Hey guys, this is my lady, Linda. Standford, free med.”

” Wow, congrats. ” Carley said

Linda went into the embrace of all of them except Thomas.

” so we…. ” Thomas voice was cut short by her coughing.

” Thought we came here for a party and am sure you guys haven’t gone inside yet. ” Linda said, cutting in.

” Yeah, sure. Everyone this way. ” Thomas said almost immediately and they all went in one file with Carley and Linda leading the way.

Thomas and Dickson both could see the tension for control between the ladies but they kept quiet and went into the house. A small crowd of people had followed too, some shouting Thomas name and saying all manner of shitty things.

” Yo! This party is sick. ” yelled a guy.

” We are all fucking crushing motherfuckers. ”

” Eat my titty. ” A lady with a bare chest yelled. She ripped off her bra.

” Now this shit is awesome. ”

Dickson kept smiling and laughing and shaking and hugging and giving small talks and then Carley opened the door and they all entered..

****

It was a hell of a night filled with music, screams, ladies, drugs, and shouts and the DJ was on a frantic mode. A bottle of champagne was popped open and everyone kept yelling.

Mike had brought a bottle of wine that he popped open with a pill that would remove sleep from the eyes. The ladies had their own drinks and glass cups with pills too. Thomas took them to a table and brought marijuana for them in grinded form and each of them snuff in a large amount after they took the pills and gulped down the drink and then their brains were fried.

Carley took to where people were dancing and jumped on a guy, pouring champagne from the bottle on both herself and him. They both were screaming and he took a selfie of both he and she.

Dickson ran straight to the guy and pushed him away from Carley. Even his intoxicated state couldn’t keep her away from his eyes. He wanted her.

Dickson was a wimp in the real sense of it and he would never fight huge muscular tall guys but now he was wild in his thoughts.

The guy came over. Carley had fallen down and hurt her waist when Dickson pushed the guy.

Dickson ran forward but the guy gave him a knock out punch that left him on the floor for hours.

Donna and Tyson had jumped on tables stark naked and screaming. Donna was screaming;

“Eat my titty bitches.” and was pouring cheap whisky on her body.

Tyson grabbed her and kept nuzzling her breast, wringling his dick.

Mike jumped from the roof of the house in his drugged state and feet landed hard on a jeep and everyone outside was yelling. And he jumped down from the top of the jeep and ran inside screaming loudly and jumping into the crowd.

Lizzy was dancing wildly with a guy, screaming and laughing and jumping.

Dickson was woken up from being knocked out but the drugs didn’t leave him. He went over the guy who was with Carley, who had passed out and began punching him on the face. No one stopped him, no one noticed it. Everyone’s crazy was lit.

Dickson even broke a bottle and pierced the guys face and then he used it on his face and then fell face down, laughing. Everyone was screaming and laughing and dancing and the DJ beat out of control. It was an all night party that lasted until 5am the next day.

****

Dickson woke up on a seat face down. A bottle lay before him. The bottle was corked open and sprawled face down and drops of liquid wine leaking from the table. A small pool of wine was formed near the bottle.

Dickson noticed bottles and drugs and cigarettes on the floor. He saw a needle on the floor and without being told, he knew someone was injecting himself with heroin. Broken pieces of bottles and glasses cups. The music set was still there. Plastic cups and bags were lying on the floor.

Someone underwear was hung on the fan blade which spun slowly. Then Thomas came out from his room jumping over guys and ladies that were sleeping all over the floor and couches. The 2 Djs were passed out drunk with a passed out naked lady on top of one of them.

” God, you’re awake… The 4th guy to get up. You have sleeping problems? You barely passed out for 30 minutes and now you’re awake.”

Dickson didn’t respond. He just turned back on hearing someone trying to rouse himself up and he could hear groans and a loud fart.

” oh men! ” A voice rang out.

Dickson knew it was Tyson and then quietly moved over to where he was being laid on by a heavy lady. She farted again and then there was silence. He knew she was passed out.

” Come, Thomas, help me out. ” Dickson said.

Thomas and Dickson rolled the lady away from Tyson and she was pushed to a table and it shook and a bottle feel and broke on her. Dickson and Thomas averted their gaze to the bottle and looked back at Tyson. Dickson pulled him up and Tyson looked around.

“Wow, looks like we really partied hard.. I feel so sick.. I really wanna go home. ” Tyson said.

Thomas and Dickson stared at Tyson’s naked body. It was shocking, yet not sinful. They stared at him as he grabbed his underwear from the fan blade and his clothes which were on the floor near the DJ stand. They didn’t take their eyes off him but watched him as he put his underwear and clothes on.

Dickson knew that he danced all night stark naked. The reality of this crippled his stare at him. Thomas looked away. Dickson suddenly jerked back and asked;

“where’s Mike? ”

“Yo! He’s at the kitchen counter. ” Thomas said.

And the three of them walked quietly and slowly to the counter. So many passed out people lying on the stairs and floors and near the doors. A guy had his face in a toilet and tissue paper rolled in a straight line on the floor. Another guy was passed out in the bathtub , wearing only his underwear.

Mike was in the kitchen. A knife was near him which was bloodied and a bloodied finger was near the knife. He jerked up and turned around. He was barely awake. Dickson could see a bloody cloth wrapped around his right hand and then he knew that Mike had slashed his finger.

Tyson looked back at Thomas and asked him if he had seen Donna and Carley and Lizzy.

Thomas stammered a little bit before talking in whispers;

” Their brother took them away. He looked really pissed but I had to pacify him. No one noticed anything as all of you guys were oblivious. He came with some guys. He wanted to kill everyone. He punched a drunk guy who barfed on him to a pup. When I brought out his passed out sisters, one of them was stark naked. He kept on asking for their boyfriends and I told him that they didn’t come with any. I bet he would have killed you guys if I rattled you out so I didn’t. After starring in fury, one of his men spoke to him and he got into his car and left. He kept on shouting until he drove off with his sisters at the back seat. ”

” WTF? Those ladies are sisters… They don’t look like each other. ” Tyson said.

Nobody replied. The three guys jacked Mike and put him in Mike’s dad car and they dropped off each at his own house. No talking during the drive. Everyone was damn tired.

*****

Dickson walked on the road. He had just entered Broadway Street and his family house was on the first block. He looked at his phone and realized that he didn’t get a missed call from his parents or his sister. The last call he got was from Mike when they came to pick him up from his house. They parked at Tyson’s house and made the call so that Dickson’s parents or sister won’t be alert. It was 10:30pm when they came.

Dickson parents were asleep and so was his sister. So he climbed out from his window and climb down the roof and landed on his mum’s flower. He quickly jumped out through the small gate and smiled, before putting on his helmet and gliding his skateboard over to Tyson’s house.

Dickson moved so slowly as he dragged his feet and dozed off in his standing position, ready to fall but stilling himself. He couldn’t wait to enter his room. He wanted to sleep, badly needed to sleep.

He got to the door of his house and rung the bell and then dropped off on the welcome rug and it was few minutes before a gourd of water was poured on his face and he jumped up. He figured it would be his sister but it was his dad.

” So you snuck out of the house, ain’t that right smart guy? You won. Me and your mum are douche bags… We are so dumb. We can’t catch you… You snuck out again like you always do… Bravo! ” His said.

Dickson rubbed his eyes and then yawned;

” Dad, am so sorry.. Okay you caught me this time.. I own up to my bullshit.. I wanted to go out, in fact it was my idea in the first place.. I take responsibility for my actions and you can ground me for as long as you want to.. ”

It was the same line he always used for his parents whenever he snuck out to go to any party and then they will ground him and he will be of good behavior for a week, and then ask them if they needed any favors or help and they always did. They appreciated this gesture, especially his mum because she always did everything and never gave her kids any chores to do because she feared that they would do more damage in the process so she always do everything in the house and go to her job.

And most times whenever he helped her with anything, she would complain but she wouldn’t do anything about it.. Like a week ago when he helped his almost exhausted mum on his second day of being grounded to go buy groceries, he told her to lift his being grounded for going to a night party prior and she nagged about him not coming home on time, him not knowing what to buy, him forgetting an item even if she wrote the list of items for him, but she still gave him money and lifted his ban. He prepared dinner that evening and burnt it and was grounded again and his mum started nagging but they ate the burnt roasted chicken and Taco salad for dinner.

Dickson looked at his dad and was still shocked at the response he got when he uttered his fake apology;

” No problem son, go get dress for school.. it’s almost 8 am. ”

” What? Aren’t you gonna ground me?. ”

His dad busted into a chuckle;

“Nah… Son, me and your mom are tired of going through the same thing with you over and over again.. We ground you and you sneak out, so we’ve decided not to ground you, go in and get ready for school and sorry about the water I poured on you, thought you was dead. ”

Dickson laughed at his dad joke. His mum came outside in a red gown and had her face made up.

” morning mom. ”

” Morning son, how did your party go?. ” she said moving into her car and then turned around and kissed her husband and then gave Dickson 20 dollars.

” mum? ”

” You want it or not, I bet Kim would need it. ” her dad yelled his sister’s name.

Dickson tightened his grip on his money and then went inside. He moved slowly and then his eyelids started dropping. He needed some damn sleep and he crashed himself on the couch. It wasn’t long before Kim snuck up on him and zapped him with a stun gun and Dickson jumped up and feel to the floor.

” Dad said I should make sure that you’re ready for school. ” Kim said in between her laughter.

” Stupid ass bitch.” Dickson muttered and then got up

” I ain’t going to school today!” he yelled as he moved towards his room bumping into several things and opened his room door, barely moving and then lay in a kneeling position, face down on the edge of his bed.

Kim entered his room on hearing the thud in Dickson room and the silence and then saw him, kneeling down and sleeping. She came over with a headset and put it in his ears and then turned on a loud music on a stereo which she plugged the headset to and immediately, Dickson jumped up. He removed the headset in anger and yelled Kim’s name in frustration and then his dad emerged in his room.

” What the hell?” he cursed.

” Dad ” Dickson said weakly.

” So you’re not ready for school?. ”

” Dad am damn tired, I need to sleep. ”

” Nah… You’re not gonna stay home today. You’re going to school. ”

” No way! ” Dickson yelled

” How about I get another water, am sure you want that. ”

Dickson didn’t respond. He was half asleep.

Dickson dad on noticing that his son was sleeping, entered the bathroom and came out with two bucket of water and an electric wire which he rapped around Dickson and plugged the end to a socket near the bed, lightening it and then he poured the two buckets of water and the wire electrocuted him and then he jumped up, this time the sleep cleared up from his eyes and he went to prepare for school.

Dickson stayed at the front seat while Kin stayed at the back.

” No sleeping son otherwise I would have to spank you. ” His dad said as he turned on the engine .

The drive to school was a short one but it felt like hell cause Dickson had to control himself from falling asleep. He had been spanked 6 times on the face for dropping his eyelids. And so he decided to join in their conversation.

” Dad, I was checking some beautiful clothes for ladies online in the Walmart app; out wears, Active wears, in wears, designer shoes and bags and all clothes deals, it’s really… ”

” Yeah dad, I love Christmas and money.. Give me Christmas and Easter and Good Friday .” Dickson said cutting in.

Both Kim and their dad looked at him in confusion and then he yanked himself on his seat and gave a sleepy stare and before he could get comfy, his dad slapped him again and this time he glared up at kin and his dad and ordered his dad to stop the car. Kin laughed, his dad laughed too and Dickson got so mad that he jumped on his dad in a bid to stop the car and as they both struggled on the driver seat, the car suddenly started moving in an incoherent manner, moving in the left right axis. Dickson steered the car left while his dad steered right and the car was on a very high speed as Dickson dad had marched the accelerator very hard in trying to get rid of his son.

Suddenly, Kin started screaming and both Dickson and he looked up and saw an oncoming truck and Dickson swerved left and the truck was able to duck away from them in a slim. But then, the car was heading for the railings and it started breaking. Under the railings was a river. Dickson was pushed by his dad immediately they ducked from the truck and so he was able to push the car backward and still it. Kin kept yelling as the railing kept breaking as her dad tried to pull away.

Everyone sat still for few minutes, their sigh of relief and tension brooding between them and then Dickson pushed the front door and was yanked by his dad..

” You walk out that door, you walk out of my house. ” his dad said.

” I don’t give a damn you sick bastard. ” Dickson cursed, plopping himself from his dad grip.

” Am serious son. You walk out and you don’t ever come back. ”

” Fuck you dad! Yeah at least I would find a place to sleep. ” Dickson said, smirking his lips a little harder before adding;

” I could call the cops for your black ass. ”

” And you leave.. You think you’re so stubborn. I told you not to go for that party and you went, while I may not give a fuck about you, I do about my house, I don’t want you sleeping and someone break in. Just so we are clear, you ain’t sleeping till midnight, I ain’t gonna let that happen and if after school you don’t come home , don’t even think about coming home again… While you may choose to live your life the way you want it, just remember that I pay the bills of the house and as such I make the rules, and if you can’t understand that, get the fuck out of my house.”

Their was heavy silence after their dad spoke and it continued until he dropped them off at school.

Dickson mind relayed the truck incident and noticed how the truck ran off as though the driver didn’t know that it almost collided with their car and he could remember how cars were scattered in different angles in an attempt to avoid any collision with theirs. People coming out to ask if they were okay after his dad was able to pull away from the railings, the way his dad drove off till they got to a backyard and then he sat still before everyone started giving sighs of relief before he tried to get out from the car and then his dad then gave him a piece of advise and the tension followed suit.

****

Dickson, Tyson and Mike sat together during lunch hours in detention. School was horrible for them. Neither of them could sleep at home and so they had to sleep in class only to get pranked by other kids in the class.

First time, they were sleeping, someone put an ice cube in their ears and they started barfing everywhere till they were woken up and then they noticed that their pants were wet and their hands soaked in a bowl of warm water. Everyone kept laughing and yelling at them. A guy came over with a pen and wanted to continue his drawing on Tyson’s face but was pulled away by Tyson who had suddenly come back conscious, and when the dude made another attempt, Tyson knocked him out with a punch.

At the same time, Dickson had gone into a fight with another boy who was laughing and jeering at him. He wasn’t the only one laughing and pointing fingers, but the boy had called his mum a whore and a fuckin pussy and that really pissed him off.

Mike didn’t really do anything. But he went to detention with his friends. They were kept in an isolated classroom with a scary male teacher and a janitor through out lunch period. No talking. Everyone just kept looking at each other. They could only pick books on the table and read.

Dickson noticed the bandage in the middle spot of Mike’s right hand and remembered that he lashed his finger and then tore a paper and wrote;

” How’s the hand?. ” and then passed it to Mike who was a seat before him and then Mike turned back and waved his right hand and mouthed back;

” How did it happen? Do you know where my finger is?. ”

Before Dickson could reply with a negative affirmation, the teacher turned and stared at both of them and Mike paced forward as if trying to rearrange himself.

Dickson sat there thinking. Their teacher didn’t give them any chance to explain. She just came in the ears of those white kids and took them to detention. Didn’t she see the drawings on their faces? Or the remains of pie on their faces?

Now that Dickson had time to think through, he looked over at his pants. He couldn’t believe that he had wet his pants, a habit he stopped at 5 years old. Even though he knew that soaking hands in warm water in one’s sleep could lead to peeing on himself in his sleep, it wouldn’t save him or his friends from embarrassment at school. He needed a break from school. He looked up and noticed Mike nodding at him as though agreeing with his thoughts.

Dickson eyes finally started dropping. Sleep came back again but the sleep vanished on hearing his teacher stony voice;

” You three, to the principal office. ” She said opening the door of the classroom.

Dickson looked at her. The deplore on her face was petty. She was racist and Anti Semite. She would gladly expel them from school if she had the power to do so. They were black and she was white.

The principal gave them suspension for 3 weeks and then sent them home. Their parents were called to the school. It was only their dads that came. It was a long talk most of which Dickson heard nothing. The sleep in his eyes were gnawing on him. The sleep would disappear from his eyes whenever his stare met with his dad’s.

Finally it was all over. The three of them walked uniformly, humoring their dads who walked ahead of them. The men kept laughing and talking to each other. Even when they got out of the building, they kept talking .

Dickson and his friends each went to their dads car. Dickson sat down and looked at the side mirror to see his dad. He didn’t want to sleep now. He didn’t want his dad to smack him. He knew his dad wouldn’t give a shit about his detention but his mum would and she would scold him and that’s it.

Mike ‘s dad would ban him from T. v and from going out. He didn’t have a mum. His parents got divorced. His dad had a reputation for being a pastor at a local church and hearing what his son did would make him really mad. Not only will he ground him for the detention stuff but also for sneaking out of the house to go partying.

Tyson’s dad won’t give a fuck. just like Dickson’s dad wouldn’t , neither will his mum but he would have to put up with his annoying little brother, same as Dickson who would have to put up with Kin and when Dickson remembers this, it would make him mad.

But for all the best things, he finally closed his eyes to sleep. He finally gave in to nature. He didn’t try to fight. He longed to surrender and that’s what he did. It felt like hours or days or months. Maybe staying at home won’t really be a bad idea. Kin would go to school, unlike Tyson’s brother and he would have the T. v. to himself too.

He smiled in his sleep only to be woken up by a water splash on his face. it was Kin. Dickson was still lying down in the back seat of the car. He knew that he was at home. His dad finally let him sleep.

Dickson looked up at his laughing sister and for the first time he laughed at her prank and finally knew as she smiled that it was her way of getting along.

Emma sat down in the wardrobe. Her dulling eyes and mind gave in easily to her environment. She didn’t know why she felt such shivering fear. She didn’t know why she felt wetness all over her. She didn’t know why she was inside the wardrobe or why her body throbbed with fear. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. Then suddenly a noise pushed her back to Memory Lane. Her jottering started off from there. The memories rushed up in her head at the same time. She wasn’t given time to breathe, to shake it off a little.

Her memories started off at dakikoya restaurant, then when she jumped towards a moving car to save a little girl, then Kain. His name rang memories in her head. Where was he? She stretched out a little, pushing the wardrobe open but it didn’t. It was locked. She kept pushing it a little harder and then she heard the noise again, this time it was louder and closer. She heard the rattling of the Wardrobe lock. It was as though someone was breaking a safe. It came fast and slow at the same time. The noise drenched the shit out of her, so much that she passed out before the wardrobe door opened.

Emma weary eyes and brain synced open at the same time but together, they were dull and unreponsive. Emma picked up lots of sounds and blurred images but couldn’t make out neither. It was like pouring water in a drive. She noticed a man sitting on the wheels with Japanese inscriptions tattooed at the back of his bald head. The writing was so small and Hindi.

The driver looked at her through the wind screen and saw how terrifed she was. He sighed remembering how his cousin, Kain had called him over to pick her up and take her to their family house. He could remember how docile he was. He’d ask questions, like when Kain told him that she was locked up in a wardrobe, he asked him what she was doing inside there, of course, Kain danced round the question and skipped it but he didn’t sound jovial. Kain didn’t sound like something was wrong . He rushed the conversation, saying what was necessary then quickly hung up. And now he got to the house through the address that Kain sent and he couldn’t find Kain. He could have also not have been able to find Emma, hadn’t it been that Kain had told him where she was.

Now he looked at her as she leaned haphazardly on the door.. What had fhe gotten himself into. He should have asked Kain why she was locked up in the wardrobe.

Emma sat up on the bed. She could tell that she wasn’t at Marcus apartment. The bed sheet on the bed was reddish blood color. The floor had the color of a brown wood that was used in making beds. A huge frame was hung on the wall. A plate of chicken noodle soup was kept by the bedside and above it was a wall clock.

Emma was slowly emerging from the bed when she saw an old lady. She wore a slim tight dress and a rumpled brown skirt. She was so slimb and bone dry. Emma could see her bones sticking out from her neck. There was something irking about her, in fact, there was everything irking about her. She frowned at Emma. A frown that sent a jolt to Emma’s spine. Emma was scared as the old lady stared at her. The old lady was holding a small knife which she glared at Emma before going out of the room..

****

Emma heard loud voices as she sat on the bed. She heard a guy speaking a Japanese tone English, while the voice of the old woman in pure Japanese language was heard.

” I didn’t find Kain there, although I found this lady locked up in a wardrobe…. And I can’t reach Kain either, I’m trying Akihisa number to see what he can find. I bet he’s coming over here too… ”

Emma could feel the old lady impatience and fury rising. She was shouting in Japanese language.

” Don’t worry mama, Kain would be fine. ” But that didn’t do any better.

****

“I can’t believe you shot that dumb fuck… You’ve deprived me of the satisfaction of torturing him… He slept with my wife and no one does that to me and gets to leave normally.. Now you’re gonna go in his place. ” Nashua said before shooting the guy in the head twice. He gave a signal and two guys took the dead guy away.

Nashua leaned back on the couch as he watched the news. The guy’s death gave him no satisfaction.. Kain was still out there.. The dumb fucker had shot Kain thrice but didn’t kill him. Kain was at Temple Medical Center hospital. It was easy to kill him there. Dr. Lawrence was there. In fact, Dr Lawrence was the one who told Nashua that the ambulance had brought in Kain before he saw it on the news. He sighed as he called Dr. Lawrence.

Dr. Lawrence sounded shaky on the phone and so Nashua asked him what was wrong…

” Everything! Every fucking thing! ” Dr Lawrence yelled.

” What happened? ” Nashua asked calmly.

” It’s about your son Caleb.”

” What about him? Thought you told me he was dead. ”

Dr. Lawrence swallowed hard. He didn’t know what to say. The last thing Nashua could stand was lies. He could remember when Nashua men abducted both him and Riley on the orders of Nashua. And for no reason whatsoever, Nashua had asked his men to return Riley back to Emma and have Caleb killed. Nashua had told Dr. Lawrence to inject Caleb with lethal injection drugs but there was a mix up in the drugs. Dr Lawrence forgot to inject Caleb with potassium chloride which would stop his heart. He was only able to sedate him and before he could give the final kill, some team of nurses were seen rushing to where he was. He was being called for an emergency surgery. Another doctor had to look out for Caleb. Luckily for Dr Lawrence, the telephone operator had given him a 5 minutes heads up on their coming so he was able to hide the injections.

The surgery lasted for hours. It was a heart transplant surgery. A woman was being rushed into the surgery room for it. So many doctors were in there. A Japanese doctor was the one who led the operation. It grazed Dr Lawrence as he watched them open the woman up to remove her bad heart. It was the first surgery that Dr Lawrence had ever witnessed. Everyone in the surgery room wore hand gloves and covered their nose and mouth leaving their eyes.

Finally the surgery was completed. The woman was stitched up back and lay unconscious. It was a 3 hours surgery, after whichu Dr Lawrence hurriedly took off the gloves and the surgery coat and ran straight to Dr Sota office, where Caleb was transferred to and when he got there, he was told by Dr Sota that a woman came with the police, claiming that Caleb was her son. Actually, he thought this to be joke, till he heard some clamouring coming from the hallway and he walked there and saw two police officers and the woman. Caleb too was with them and he seemed off the grid.

The woman was so convinced that Caleb was her son and there was no need trying to prove otherwise. She called him by the name koki and hugged him.

Dr Lawrence wondered if this was some foul play.. Was this Emma getting her son back? He thought. He wanted to tell Nashua but he knew better and so he didn’t. Nashua watched the lady shout and hove out in the hospital. The police told her to go and come back the next day and Dr Lawrence was exhaling in relief. He had the next 12 hours to kill Caleb but the next day, Caleb had gone missing from the hospital. While Dr Lawrence was still meddling in shock, the phone dispatcher called him aside and told him that a nurse had discovered a lethal injection in his office and she wanted to call the police and turn it over to them but the phone dispatcher, a Japanese lady who was having an obvious crush on Dr Lawrence, had stolen the injection from her. She handed the lethal injection over to him and told him to get rid of it while smiling mischievously. Dr Lawrence shook greatly before going to dispose it.

Later that day when he would be composed and his mind will go back to that day, he will be sure glad that he didn’t have to kill anyone to cover his tracks.

The woman who claimed that Caleb was her son, wasn’t seen or heard from for a long time. Then all of a sudden, after almost a year, Caleb was reported on ABC7 news to be found in N. Alameda street.

The woman who had earlier claimed Caleb to be her long lost son was arrested alongside two men. It was discovered by the police that the woman had no child . She the police and told them that her son was missing. The woman was a child trafficker who trafficked children in exchange for drugs. She usually steals children, even babies, from hospitals. The police were able to track her to a house in N. Alameda. The house was like any other house and one won’t think that children were stacked in there, drugged. The police entered inside and saw that the house was empty. They heard lurching sounds from the basement and the cops followed the noise and found the children there all tied up with chains and drugged. The woman didn’t try to run when the police got hold on her, neither did the two men who were with her. They were arrested. The people who sold drugs to them in exchange for children were Mexicans.

The woman name was revealed on the news. Her name is Ami. The two men were unidentified.

Pictures of abducted children were shown on the news but Dr Lawrence didn’t see Caleb picture on the news. Perhaps they killed him. It would be a good riddance if they did but he couldn’t take any chances.

Nashua’s voice rang again on the phone. Dr Lawrence quickly realized how lost he was. He stammered quietly on the phone. Nashua said something that he didn’t get. He said something about Kain. He heard this very statement….

” Don’t make the kill on Kain yet. I want to have the pleasure of killing the bastard. I have Caleb all covered. ”

That was the only statements he heard. How couldn’t Nashua tell that he wasn’t paying attention?

The call ended and Nashua turned around in time to see a nurse coming to his direction.

*****

Emma sat still at the library looking at a Japanese book. Their was something shoving about the house. It had Japanese inscriptions and pictures all over the walls. It looked like a shrine tainted with ancient history. She kept peering into the book, trying hard to make out the meaning of the Japanese inscriptions used in the book.

” Still no word from him mother but I think saw him on the news. He was taken into a hospital, can’t remember the name. ” The man’s voice rang out in the house.

Emma saw him moving towards her direction as he kept talking, as if running from the old lady. He placed a phone in her hand

“Is for you. ” The guy who drove her over said. His name is Rui. He heard the old lady calling him that. The soggy looking old lady with her cramped figure. she thought.

Emma put the phone in her ear as a new kind of fear throttled her. She knew it had something to do with her kids or Marcus. Maybe either was found dead. She held her breath, preparing for the worst, yet she couldn’t stop the shivering fear. The voice rang out;

” Hello, are you there? is this Emma?.”

It sounded like an alarm….

“Yes! Am here. ” she replied screaming too.

The male voice on the phone paused and took a deep breath before saying;

“I have your son, Caleb!. ”

****

Emma was stunned in silence when she heard her son’s name. She wanted to ask him his name, but he told her to come over and get her son. He added too that if they were to contact each other again, it must be by texting . No phone calls and no police. But even the caller knew she would still call the police.

Emma jumped out from the seat and made a run for the car. Rui saw her running and tried to still her but couldn’t. The old lady was saying something in Japanese language about him wanting to leave her all by herself. But Rui replied back in Japanese that he just want to know what was wrong. But Emma didn’t say a word before storming out and Rui couldn’t help but follow her. He led her into the car and turned on the engine.

****

Nashua sat in the car and watched out. He never showed up with his men for any operation yet he couldn’t resist coming. He wanted to shoot Caleb. He wanted to see Emma grieve. He wanted her to watch him ride off with Riley. He smiled with an evil grin as he remembered Mei eyes when she died.

Riley woke up 2 nights ago and approached Mei with a gun. One of Nashua guys had broken into her house and injected Riley and placed a gun by her bedside and got out through the window without being spotted.

Riley was in a total black out as she got up with the gun. She kept following the voices in her head. The guy had turned on the micro chip planted in her ears a long time by Dr. Lawrence and kept speaking through it and she kept moving iftn its direction. She was very unconscious. In fact, her moving was not willed by her.

Mei woke up on hearing the door of her bedroom pushed open. She turned just in time to see Riley pointing a gun to her face. A voice spoke out from nowhere, loud and clear the voice rang;

“Give up Riley or die! Give up Riley or die!!. ”

Before Mei could say anymore, a bullet hit her on the forehead from the window. Riley was still unconscious with the gun pointed at Mei. A man, using a rope, broke the window open and took Riley away.

Nashua smiled at himself. He knew the murder would be on the news. A mystified kill. Although he knew that there was no perfect crime, yet the thought that soon, the police would gain on him and finally he would gain recognition for his crimes spur him. He had to finish up Kain, Caleb and Marcus before turning himself over to the police. He ain’t got time to keep running from the police. Most of all, he wanted to watch Emma welt in pain. He wanted her to suffer. He wanted to watch life gorge her out. That was his life spring. That was the whole essence of all his crimes. Since she had the balls to leave him for other men, he would teach her and her lovers. But he didn’t want her killed immediately. He wanted her death to be slow. nothing would make him anymore happier. He wanted her to suffer all through life.

He jumped out of his thoughts on hearing a car pull over. It was a cop. One of his dirty cops who strolled out of the car with Caleb. He pulled him by the shirt and took him to Nashua car.

” Did you make the call? ”

” Yeah!” the cop said, pausing before he continued;

“Almost forgot…. I didn’t give her a location ” and then he typed;

“ forgot to mention am at N. Alameda… At a Chevron Gas Station 901 Almeda st” He hit the send button.

Emma phone beeped almost immediately. She saw the message and showed Rui who scoffed;

” Shit we’ve passed it ” before making a turn.

Emma called the police officer on the wheels and told him about the message and he too scoffed before making a turn.

Emma drove slowly on reaching the Gas Station. She muttered a prayer under her breathe. Emma could see a jeep parked at a building close to the Gas Station and she saw a dim image of a man holding a boy. The man held the boy on the right hand and a gun on his left.

Emma knew from a distance that the boy was Caleb

Rui drove quickly being fired up by her screaming. it was as though the faster they drove, the less chance of Caleb death.

Emma didn’t take a quick glance at the Gas Station, all that rang in her head was screams; hers, Riley and Caleb.

The two police officers followed her at a distance. Emma heart skipped faster than ever. Emma wanted to tell Rui to run the man over with the car but she wouldn’t risk her son’s life.

Almost immediately Rui stepped out from the driver door, the jeep opened and Emma smiled at who she saw coming out of the jeep. It was Marcus. He smiled at her but she could tell that even as they stood, starring at each other, that something was different about him. The hairs on his body and face stood, rather than curl. He was more robust than usual. He smiled falsely. Emma could see the false smile and he was a more shorter than she remembered. All this described one person; Nashua. Maybe it was her worry alarm ringing in her head. The alarm that never allowed her enjoy anything.

Emma knew better than to trust her guts so she went over to him and grabbed his collar and kissed him. He did same too only that he grabbed her thigh.

Nashua loved the scent of her. He couldn’t believe what was happening. she didn’t notice by a hint. She couldn’t feel his heart throbbing in anxiety and ecstasy. He ripped her open with his eyes. How could he forget her plummy, dry rigid body. There was nothing sexy about her. Not in looks or moves or sound.

A police officer stepped forward and so did the man who held Caleb.

” Haru. ” The man said, introducing himself to the police officer.

Emma watched the men shake hands and pull off. She noticed also that Caleb was unconscious. His eyes didn’t lit up. He did a little gesture with his hand and then dropped it as if he noticed something.

” Your boy really went through a lot. Nashua is a damn beast.” Nashua smiled. He loved it, the damn beast. But no he wasn’t a beast. He was a tactical motherfucker. A beast wouldn’t go as far as he went. A beast would go after his prey without a rethink. But not Nashua. He would plan, strategies, before making a tactical kill. He hardly ever missed his target.

Nashua smiled at his thoughts and then continued.

“Nashua strapped your son to a chair and kicked a wooden door and rats came gnawing on Caleb. I could see the pleasure in his eyes as the rats climbed Caleb and chewed on him before throwing him inside a cell where he is beaten and locked up. ”

There was fury in Emma’s eyes when Nashua finished talking and nothing made him more happier than seeing this but still he wanted more. He wanted to rip Caleb like a sack bag.

The drive continued in silence. Emma sat still. Marcus was carrying her to the police station and when she asked why, he told her about Mei.

” Mei was killed last night and Riley was seen at gunpoint with the lady shot dead. No one can say what really happened. looks like an accident and I don’t think that Riley knew what she was doing but the police ain’t gonna believe her. They took her in their car but me and my men snuck her out and she’s safe. That’s where we are heading.

Emma smiled on hearing this. it was all she ever wanted. She wanted to ask Marcus why he didn’t bring Riley along and wanted to know in details what Nashua had done to Riley and Caleb. The more she knew the more angrier she would become. she wanted to smash Nashua head. She wanted to cut him in half. Nashua smiled in satisfaction.

The car drove on an empty road. No cars, just Metro Stations and gas stations and the crunchy sound made by the asphalts.

The silence in the car was revered. Emma turned silently to Caleb who was still slightly conscious. His eyes lit up a little, pointing up and then he crashed out. Emma looked back at Marcus, wondering why there was no snuggling or kissing or chatting. Had the events drifted them off? Had it changed them in an unrecognizable manner? was there still a remnant of the old?

Emma couldn’t answer the question and didn’t want to. she leaned over and kissed him.

Nashua wanted to pull her away but he didn’t. He still needed her so he played along and kissed. A deceitful kiss, yet it felt like passionate. With Emma it was passionate and that made Nashua hate her the most. She always wanted to be sincere, always open, always true.

The kiss lasted for a while before Emma looked at the driver seat and saw a message in his eyes that she couldn’t interpret. A man too was sitting at the front too. He didn’t look back, didn’t as much as peek.

Just as they were about to pull out from each other, thecar jolted, sending both Nashua and Emma to the side doors of the car. The driver tried to still the car, clutching the wheels. Then a shot came again and this time the car jerked in a somersault and crashed on the road. There was growling and man at the driver seat pulled out from the car just in time to get shot in the head. The other man at the front seat was already dead. He caught a bullet in his chest during the chase.

Nashua crawled out from the car with cuts and bruises on his face. He kept a staggering face and was still blurred out by the crash when a kick landed at the side of his head and he feel. He looked up and saw his own reflection starring at him. At first he thought it was a dream or vision but then as the view came down on his face, he knew at that moment that it was Marcus. He remembered the surgery.

Marcus came forward, pointing the gun on Nashua face, eyes fixed on him. Marcus touched the trigger, aiming for the forehead and then the glass shattering and Emma moans made Marcus turn and then Nashua jabbed him on the knee. Marcus turns and kick Nashua in the skull and Nashua kicks him again, this time, pointing the gun more fiercely at him and then a gun rattled behind him. He could hear bullets and then Emma’s voice rang out

” Turn around. ”

Marcus paused and stood still. He heard so much noise in that moment but he couldn’t make out what the voices said and who owned the voices. It was as though he was in a place that was blown up. screams. shootings.. and then Emma’s voice stood out among the voices and in rang again. He turned, smiling and she didn’t wait to pump the bullets in his chest. It was three hard shots, Landing on his bullet proof vest and slowly he fell.

****

Emma pointed the gun at Marcus. He reminded her of everything she hated. She looked up and saw Nashua coming forward, smiling and pointing a gun at her. She was numbed.. What is going on? she thought. Emma kept on calling Marcus name as she looked at him. This time. she heard him scoff at her and she heard the word;

” Bitch!!” from his mouth, then he shot her on the leg and she fell.

It hit her again, her vision at the dakikoya restaurant.

Nashua walked slowly. he couldn’t wait to rip off Marcus face that he carried. His initial plan was to wear Marcus face and sleep with Emma and maybe run away with Riley while he killed her and Caleb but the thought of her mouth coming in contact with his nauseated him. He wondered what Marcus sees in her.

Emma was still pointing the gun in Nashua face when two men strolled out from behind her and went towards Nashua turned around, facing him, now pointing the gun in her face.

Marcus stirred as he lay on the floor. He could feel the bullets shove up his assistant. He looked at his bullet proof vest and saw the holes that the bullet made. He jacked up a little harder for Nashua to notice.

” Hey bitch! ”

On hearing Nashua voice, he mellowed down

” So you’re awake… I know you didn’t die though. You’re not an actor, neither am I though. I wanted you to watch this moment as I pull a bullet in her head. ” he said, holding Emma and pointed a gun in her head before thundering;

” Back off. ”

Nashua saw the confusing look on Marcus face as he saw two of his men standing for Nashua. Nashua smiled on seeing his face;

“See one thing God has blessed me with is that I have loyal friends, people who are willing to loose themselves for me and the thing is am not even a loyal friend all the time.. This are my men whom I sent to the police force. You thought you was gonna shoot me but here is how it’s gonna be played… ”

A bullet sent Nashua landing on his belly.

Nashua looked up and saw one of his men pointing a gun at him.

” YOLO! ” Nashua called out.

He ordered his second man to shoot Yolo but he didn’t move a muscle.

” You couldn’t wait to let him have it.” Marcus voice rang out in laughter.

Now it was Nashua turn to be confused.

” But you captured the perfect moment ” Marcus said before looking in Nashua face and said;

” Good to be played ain’t it? You think you can just kill someone and get away with it?”

Nashua was still confused and then Marcus spilled it out;

” Mei, you remember? This men where her brothers and you killed her. ”

Marcus wanted to capture this look this frantic stare in Nashua eyes but before Nashua could say anything else, both men pumped 24 bullets into his ass.

Marcus walked towards Emma and smiled. She was still shivering but he gave her a cozy hug.

They broke off and looked into each other eyes. Emma knew he was Marcus. She never saw this brave side of him before but she knew he was the one behind Nashua face. She wanted to hug him but not with Nashua face.

” holding up on a brother? ” Marcus asked and she pointed at his face.

Yolo coughed and both Emma, Marcus looked at him.

Then Marcus smiled.

” We’ve got something for you. ” He said.

Emma saw him dash towards a car miles away and she followed. They got to the car and there Riley was. Emma was stunned. Nashua had told her that Riley was at his house but then it occurred to her that Yolo and his brother must have snuck her out. She heard Marcus say;

” We didn’t sneak her out. Yolo was the one who told Nashua that I was bringing the cops over to the warehouse and that he should put Riley in a separate car and after he must have killed you and Caleb, he would snuck her out to Mexico.”

But Emma wasn’t listening. But she waited for Marcus to finish talking before going to the car, pulling out her daughter and hugging her. Riley cried on her mother. They both looked at each other after Emma pulled her gently away and then they went back to hugging.

Emma looked back after pulling away from Riley finally and saw Nashua holding a detonator. She didn’t need to be told that Marcus wanted to blow up the warehouse. He smiled at her and she came forward and they both kissed and then he pressed the detonator. After which they headed back to the jeep to get Caleb.

****

The police officers were already at the jeep when Emma and Marcus arrived. They pulled Caleb out of the jeep and one of the officers made a call and ambulance arrived in no time. Caleb and Riley were taken into the ambulance. Emma joined them.

It was 2 days at the hospital. Two days watching her kids. 2 days crying at what they went through. 2 days starring at Nashua images in her head. He was gone but his memory wasn’t. On the news, his death was announced and it sent a shocking wave.. On the news, it was tagged

“Killer finally got served. ”

Dr Lawrence too was arrested too. Marcus had exposed him. Kain was recuperating and was later arrested when he recovered. Dr Lawrence exposed him. Emma never saw him again.

Later Marcus arrived at the hospital. Emma was in Caleb room kissing him and he smiled. Caleb wound up and his eyes opened.

Emma smiled and left the room and went to where Riley was. She didn’t care about what had happened to her daughter. she had her and that was all that mattered. she hugged her and kissed her. Riley too cried on her mother she too had missed her and this warmed Emma heart.

The story of the explosion warehouse at San Pedro was all over the news. Emma saw piles of burnt stuffs there.. Police had arrived at the scene and recovered over 40 dead burnt bodies.

” Wow that’s cute. ” Marcus said

Mei picture was shown on the news. The police had recovered 3 children and had identified a missing girl too among them. Riley picture was shown on the news.. it was gonna be a long damn explaining to the cops.

Emma chided herself for not grieving for mei. she wanted to grieve but she was damn too happy to grieve and this saddened her

The end

Evans drove his van steadily on the road. He couldn’t be more stunned and disgusted at how rich people flaunt their wealth. What did he expect? This was rodeo drive street in belvery hills, a place not meant for the poor, or the average. Celebrities lived here. Although he loved the sites in rodeo drive, he knew that it wasn’t as dashing as buildings in mulholland drive or as gorgeous as sunset boulveward. He looked over at the rear mirror to take a glance at the house where he had just delivered a mail in a mailbox. He wanted to stay and observe but he knew he couldn’t be caught unless he would be suspected to be an arm robber. The way the rich protected themselves here was so alarming. He wouldn’t blame them though. One could ehttp://asily become a victim of violent crimes here and also one could be a victim of property crimes like burglary, car theft and the likes. It was no surprising that people called the cops when they suspected someone.

Evans looked over at the previous house where he just delivered their mail, and smiled. He wished he could just buy the house from the owners. It was a white slivered house with lights on it. The lights shone brightly at night, making the building a full crystal ray of brightness. That building looked like a Royal Palace. He moved over to the next house, a few blocks away from this house. It was a normal house, nothing really fancy save that the tiles in the compound gleamed and the buildings were built in a straight role. The garage included. Luckily the compound wasn’t big. One didn’t have to walk miles to reach the house. The walkway was a x shape with Lawns at different angles.

Evans parked his van by the gate and came out. He looked out for a mailbox but it wasn’t there. He looked at the compound and decided to climb over the little gate. Immediately his legs entered the compound, he could hear the growls of dog barks. He took two more steps and he saw vicious dogs. They were rottweilers. 3 in number. They looked at him all Salivating. He went backwards and the dogs came forward, all growling slowly, then immediately, he turned and ran. He didn’t know what he did next. Adrenaline did the rest. He just jumped through the gate. The dogs jumped too and chased him. One of the dogs bit him on the butt but he couldn’t get a complete mouth grip on him.

Evans ran very quickly. The rottweilers chased him with full speed then stopped after some distance but Evans didn’t stop running. He ran until he entered a mall. The name of the mall is Rodeo collection. It was a big plaza.

Evans stood by the door, realizing that it all over. He was amazed at the distance he covered as he ran. He knew that the dogs had long stopped chasing him but he couldn’t stop running. He didn’t look back. He didn’t want to look at their horrific eyes. Then it occurred to him that he had dropped the keys and he didn’t know what had happened to the mails of the residents of that house where he had just been chased by dogs. He feared that the residents would call his office and have him fired. He had other mails that was yet to be delivered. He touched his back pocket and felt the emptiness. His phone was gone. Someone must have swiped it from his pocket or maybe it fell off on the road or it was in his van. But he couldn’t care the least.

Evans gasped a little as he looked at the glass of a boutique shop in the mall. He saw a woman and her white puppy dog. She held on to the puppy as she spoke to the woman. She had a pearl of diamond necklace hung on her neck with a diamond ring on her finger. She was flustered as the sales woman in the boutique was talking. Evans loved her pink lacy gown and red jacket. It had flowers all over it. She looked like a celebrity in the shinning red lipstick she wore.

Evans kept peering, watching the woman try to keep her jumpy dog still. Evans didn’t know what made him look away before hearing a scream. He looked at the door and saw two men with 2 bags running out of the mall. A diamond ring fell out of one of the bag. One of the men looked at Evans and screamed;

” Run! Run!!. ”

Before throwing one of the bags to him.

Evans looked stunned at the bag before looking at a cop who looked back at him as if daring him to run and he did run. He didn’t ditch the bag. He ran into a car which was turned on. A guy was leaning on the bonnet of the car, smiling and looking at a lady’s behind, when Evans drove speedily and he fell down, lucky to roll out of the way of an incoming Police car. They were actually 2 police cars.

Evans drove speedily, honking at incoming cars. Twice he left his lane and almost got hit by an incoming car. Evans swayed away into the pavement. The police were behind him. One of the police cars had made a detour. The other car was still behind him. Cars were swaying from their direction.

Evans couldn’t tell what direction he was going to. He didn’t turn left or right. He just kept moving, knowing he was heading for a dead end with the other Police car gaining on him. He looked ahead in time to see the other cop car which had earlier made a detour, making a one way drive towards him. Evans tired marching the brakes but it gave no response. Evans eyes shone red in devastation, his hands shaky on the wheels and then he heard a tire bang. He didn’t need to be told that it was his tire that was shot at. He freely let go as his car ran into a neatly parked car.

****

Evans sat still handcuffed in a police car with another police car behind. He looked over at the road and saw the wreckage that was caused due to the hot chase. Cars had crashed into each other in a bid to avoid the crazy drivers, ambulance were seen at various ends of the road. Evans heard the voice on the walky talky;

” we have those assholes, have you got the accomplice?. ”

” Yeah. ” one of the cops answered, turning around and looking at him before turning forward.

As soon as Evans heard the word “accomplice ” his heart skipped a beat. What had he gotten himself into?

” Hope his not bugged?. ” The voice came again.

” Don’t think so. ” The cop answered.

” You didn’t check him out did you. ?”

No answer.

” Remember what happened the last time. The criminal who hid a pin in his clothes, who jammed the lock of the handcuff and shot all the cops, jumping out the window and was never seen again, while our beloved cops died and their car exploded in contact with a truck? ”

Their was silence and then the cop driver pulled over while the cop at the front came out and dragged Evans and gave a thorough search which involved pulling down his pants before putting him inside. Evans tried pleading his innocence but was told twice to shut the fuck up.

Then the drive continued, with the cop driver looking at him through the rear mirror.

****

Evans sat in an empty room. A cop entered inside and sat at a swat opposite him. A table separated them. Evans could see the other cops watching through the window, cameras were on the walls and he knew that the cops could hear everything.

The cop wasted no time asking him questions.

What’s your name?

Where do you come from?

Did you know this guys?

How were you involved with them?

Did you act alone or was their an inside guy?

What other crimes are you people planing?

Where are you planning on carrying out the crime?

At first Evans tried playing it cool, telling them that he didn’t know what they were talking about, telling them about the dog chase in a funny tune that made one think he was joking. But then the smile on his face faded when the cop threatened to lock him up in prison. Evans became mad, telling them that he was only a mail man who had a terrible day and didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. But the cop had walked out of the room, giving him time to confess to a crime that he knows nothing about.

Hours later, the cop enters back. Evans is now calmly seated but scared and angry. The cop tells him that they believe that he’s lying. He brought out a file and read out the previous crimes committed by this group of criminals. It was then that Evans would get to know their names;

Brian, Foster, Michael, John and Dike.

Evans thought they were only two but he didn’t know about the other three. He had earlier seen Brian and Dike at the mall. He recognized them but he wouldn’t tell that to the cop as it would fuel the suspicion of his involvement.

The cop read out the other suspected crimes;

Heist in banks and jewelry stores, Arson.

They robbed two banks; Bank of America and well Fargo bank.

They robbed a jewelry store and burnt it in the process. police couldn’t pin them on either crimes because they knew how to slip away from them.

Evans read the files

Brian was born on October 16th 1980 in Kansas

Foster was born on 30th September 1984 from Michigan.

Michael was born on 11th June 1978, from Massachusetts.

John was born on 19th April 1985, from Massachusetts.

Dike was born on 20th July 1986 from belvery hills.

All of them were Americans. They all went to the same college. He didn’t really read into their details.

Evans finally looked up at the cop and told him soberly that he didn’t know who these guys were. Then the cop brought a video where Evans was caught on the outside camera looking suspiciously through the window and then bending low and few minutes later, Brian and Dike were seen running out the door of the mall with 2 bags. A diamond ring fell out one of the bags. Brian threw the bag to Evans and Evans started running. Brian and Dike were seen on camera entering a red car and the screeched away. 2 security guards had dashed out from the mall at the same time the red Car screeched off.

Evans couldn’t say anymore. He immediately requested his lawyer. The cop smiled telling him that it wasn’t gonna do him any good before leaving the room.

His lawyer, Mr Bryce was immediately contacted. It was his cousin. He lived with him here and took a job as a mail man. Evans was working to save up for college and also to help pay the bills of his cousin’s house.

Mr Bryce came in. He told the cops that he knows that his cousin is no crook. The cops tells him that it wasn’t gonna prove anything and so Bryce went to work. The police finally charged them all to court. The criminals pleaded guilty expect Evans who on the advice of Bryce pleaded not guilty and so they continued to prosecute him. The other criminals on the light of the current crime and the former crimes which the prosecution was able to prove, they were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Evans hated the court room, hated those lawyers and judges who wore sadistic looks, hated and terrriffed at being told to stand in a box and asked hard questions by the prosecutor in a pertrifed manner. Even when Bryce came up to question him, something they did practice, he still was petrified. Sometimes he had a brain lock down and he would go on stammering for hours.

But finally Bryce was able to prove his cousin’s innocence. He showed the court evidence of the previous gang crimes which Evans didn’t participate, he showed them pictures which Dike, Michael and Foster took on a train with Brian at the back, his head raised between Dike and foster and he giving a fuck you sign, pictures of Dike and his girlfriend Dallas in a boat, Brian and his girlfriend at a restaurant. Brian was putting on a baseball cap and wearing sunglasses while Jane, his girlfriend wore a red jacket covering whatever she wore inside and a white print pant. It was a tight one.

Bryce told the court that this pictures were taking long before this guys went into crime. The prosecutor objected. The judge told the prosecution lawyer to hold on and let Bryce finish. Evans looked often at the prosecution Lawyer who gave him a hateful glance.

Bryce touched his tie, looked over at his cousin before turning over to the jury and that indeed the pictures were taken a great deal back but then it could prove that his cousin didn’t have any history whatsoever with either Dike, foster, John and Brian. He also added that this crooks did start their robbery adventure two years back, so one can consider the time frame and observe that my client had limited time to merge up with this guys. Bryce told the jury that his cousin was his client and the way one of the jury looked proved that they knew. He remembered using client and cousin interchangeably.

Bryce proved further by telling the jury that Evans started living with him 3 months back. He moved over from New York to come over to belvery hills . He proved this by showing the court evidence of the plane ticket that Evans had and also pictures of Evans in the plane. The jury saw the tickets and nodded.

The prosecutor tried to hang on to the picture of Brian throwing the diamond ring bags to Evans at the mall. They showed images of Evans running away in a car with 2 cop cars behind his trail.

The prosecutor posed a question to the jury that if indeed Evans wasn’t part of them, at least an accomplice, why was he standing at the window of the boutique shop in a suspicious manner? The prosecutor showed images of Evans outside the mall standing and stopping suspiciously, and of course the question as of why Brian had thrown the diamond bag to him. If he were no accomplice, he wouldn’t have started running immediately. The prosecutor deposed that Evans if he were no accomplice would have been shocked or at most afraid and dropped off the bag but he didn’t as much as ditch the bag. The act of running immediately showed that he wasn’t surprised by the action of Brian and his gangs. He must have known of their plans at most even if he didn’t join them in carrying it out.

Bryce finally stood up and called witnesses, one was a recorded statement from Brian who expressly spoke that he never knew who Evans was. He didn’t know he was standing there. And that he throwing the diamond bag to Evans was out of desperation.

Even the police records that Bryce brought as evidence was able to prove that Evans had no criminal history whatsoever both here and in New York.

Bryce brought family and friends from New York and Evans’ work place who spoke good about Evans. Even Evans boss at work testified in court. Evans was particularly described as a calm, shy, intelligent and loving human being.

Things were starting to turn good. Evans was happy. The prosecution couldn’t call any witnesses. Brian recorded testimony really turned things around. The prosecution told the jury that the Record was fabricated and so Brian decided to appear in person when the court sat again. He told the court exactly what he recorded. The prosecutor asked him if Bryce had in any way deceived him into thinking that he would gain freedom or that his sentence was gonna be reduced? Brian laughed and told the jury that he merely was doing what he thinks is right. He tells the court that he is now a changed man. The prosecutor laughed and told him that he really isn’t a smart liar. He hasn’t spent a month in jail and he is now changed. Did Jesus appear to you last night in your dream? The prosecutor asked mockingly and everyone laughed briefly and kept quiet. But Brian didn’t answer, instead he smiled.

The prosecutor objected, telling the court that Brian’s testimony was false. They told the jury that Brian was trying to protect Evans. They posed that gang members often did that. They often would rather die than sell out their brother in the supposed sense.

But Bryce able to show all the numbers that Brian, and the other gang members called before and after their robbery spree started. Their text messages were also shown as evidence in the court. Bank transactions of the gang members were administered as evidence in the court and all these evidence proved that the gang members had never communicated to Evans by any means.

” Guess it’s a rap up prosecutor. ” The judge said. There was a masked tense silence before the prosecutor finally said

” That’s it your honor .”as Brian moved over to his seat.

Then The prosecutor spoke up and finally told the court that indeed they were wrong to have prosecuted Evans but there was one problem. Evans had stolen a car and had damaged it and it turned out that the car he stole to use and escape from the cops was a cop car. it was used as new evidence and it’s images were shown in the court. Evans smiling face of victory turned sour on seeing this. The prosecuting lawyer gave a fleet smile, an in your face smile at Bryce then turned over continued speaking to the jury that Evans had indeed caused a great deal of accidents on the road, damaging both the police car and other individuals cars that had tried to duck from him. He also injured people who walked on the sidewalks. Images of the damages were shown to the jury.

The jury finally gave it’s judgment on the next date. Bryce was indeed acquited on the charge of being accomplice with Foster, Brian, Dike and Michael but was sentenced to 5 years in prison for damaging a police car and also for damaging people and road property . He was further asked to pay the sum of five hundred thousand dollars as payment for all the damages he caused. However Bryce would be able to bail Evans two years after.

***

Bob walked out of the court room quite pleased with himself. He didn’t loose. it was a winning streak of his that no lawyer, not even the famous Bryce could break. But Bryce really did put him on a shoving edge. He smiled as he looked over and saw Bryce coming forward. He shoved him aside and said;

” how does it feel to loose?. ”

Bryce smiled and walked out. What was he smiling about?. Bob checked his pocket to see if anything was missing but nothing was lost. He just scoffed and entered his car. It was then that his phone beeped. It was an email. He opened it and screamed. it was images of his previous night at the hotel. He was seen having sex with three women. He was drunk holding a popped up bottle. There were images of when he stuck his hands in the bare ass of one of the ladies. There was another picture of the the two ladies stark naked kissing him on the bed.

With it was a little message underneath;

“ How about I show your wife this images I’m sure she would be thrilled to see it and I also tell the world of your corrupt practices behind and put your ass in prison? Can’t believe you could go through such diabolical means just to send people to jail… I’m still stunned as I read your files… Trust me I wanna make your life a living hell but on a second thought, how about you give me 30 million to put my scandal away. if I were you, I’d work fast, am doing your ass a big favor. ”

Bob starred at the images. God was he dumb. Really what goes around comes around. He jerked and his phone fell off.

Emma sat still and looked on the road while the cab driver drove. She’s been giving a black out stare ever since they came out of Dakikoya restaurant. Kain tried not to look at her. He wondered if she caught Nashua’s gaze in the dim of the night. He knew she saw the shadow. Nashua stood long enough for her to catch his gait, though he knew she wouldn’t know who the figure was. But would she suspect that he was there too as he had earlier gone out to make a phone call… That was planned too. Soon, Nashua or Dr Lawrence would soon call him for a new assignment. He scoffed.

E

Emma sniffed absent minded and was about taking her pills when she smiled frantically at Kain as she popped in the pills. Something broke inside him as he watched her take in those pills. He wanted to stop her but he couldn’t bring himself to it, at least not yet. Cool breeze snuck into the cab as the driver took on a high speed. The multi color lights from other buildings glowed, making it feel like Halloween. Most shops and malls and apartments, all had Japanese inscriptions above them.

Kain and Emma finally reached the apartment. Kain literally had to help her walk. The drugs made her dizzy. Kain knew she was hallucinating again and this time, it was Riley she was seeing. There was a frantic smile on her face and at the same time, a sorrowful grim on her face. She was laughing and crying at the same time, while making gibberish sounds but at least she walked straight. Then it was as if some other stuff broke up in her. She pulled herself from Kain and ran in between a car on seeing a little girl crossing the road, about to be hit by the car. Emma screamed Riley’s name as she shoved the girl away and together, they were flinged to the pavement. The already crying girl choked as Emma covered her in her embrace. She cried on the girl. It didn’t take long before a Japanese woman pulled Emma away and grabbed the little girl. Kain knew that she was the mother of the girl, and that she didn’t know what had happened. Kain had seen the woman come out from a mall and he figured there that she smoked crack. Emma had saved her daughter’s life and what did she get in return?, shrill abuses.

***

Marcus looked up drowsily. All the images in his face was blurred. He was tired and his whole body system was in a shut down.

The man poked Marcus in the face before putting back the shadddy glasses which have fallen up from Marcus face. Cars drove ahead while he slowed down to send a text to Dr. Lawrence, when he got a quick message that threw him out of balance,

“We can see you… Meet us at point fermin park. “

The man shook in fear. Dr. Lawrence had earlier told him to come to temple medical centre and now this? He suspected a foul play. Who were this guys?.

He could remember how thrilled and frightened he was when Dr. Lawrence called him by his name; Akira a week ago and offered him the job. He didn’t know how Dr. Lawrence got to know his name. He didn’t even know who the caller was until Dr. Lawrence introduced himself to him before ending the call on him, and at that moment, he knew he had to do the job. Firstly, Dr. Lawrence had saved his mum, who was diagnosed with a hole in the heart. He performed the surgery on her and she made it. Secondly, the reward of the job was huge; $700 million dollars, an amount he knew he can’t earn in the next 5 years due to his low pay job that earns him 50 dollars a month. He wonders if Dr. Lawrence knew that he owed him a favor, or if he’s name was just a random guess. Then he didn’t care, he was gonna be rich but now maybe he did a little. When he asked Dr Lawrence to show him the money before he did anything, Dr. Lawrence merely scoffed before he said;

” it’s either you’re in, or you back the hell out. ”

Those words told him that Dr. Lawrence wasn’t fucking with him. Akira knew he had no option and so he joined. It was a one man operation. It was an easy one. He was given directives of Marcus whereabouts and the rest was history.

Now, as he drove to the park with Marcus who was barely awake, he wondered if he was going to make it from this, I mean, he had remembered when he earlier threatended to expose them to the cops if they didn’t have his money. He didn’t want them to think that they could just mess with him.

None of the men where there when Akira got there. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The sun was still shining, people were having fun in the river. Akira loved the white turf buildings around that area. Akira had pushed back his car seat and took in a deep breath. Everything was perfect before his head got blown by 2 bullets. He didn’t turn around before getting shot. The bullets had pinned him face down to the steering wheel. Before he finally died, he coughed out blood.

The two men came out from their car and went over quickly at where Marcus sat and pulled him out into their car and drove of. Marcus was still unconscious. One of the men sent a text to Nashua;

” The deed is done. ”

****

Riley sat still as Mei, her foster mum, came out from a detective office and she was signaled to come in. She sat still, not making any move, till, her foster brother, Yiki, pushed and pointed her to his mum direction before she got up and entered the office. The office felt sulky and so did she. She felt in her brain thousands of people playing soccer in her head. Words were flowing in and out of her head. Words didn’t get to settle in her head before popping out. She tried hard to get a grip of the thoughts in her own head, when finally she heard Mei speaking;

” He’s been sending me this message for almost a month now. I don’t know who he is but I have a feeling that it’s a guy and no offence, you know also that most guys are criminals.” it was a joke but it had no warmth in it.

Riley saw the threat text and it read;

” Give up Riley or die!! ”

She inhaled deeply and tried to swallow too but something like a log was formed at her throat, making her choke a little before she looked up and gave a thumbs up in the air, signifying that she was okay. She didn’t want Mei to get alarmed as Mei was an awfully nice person and that made Riley hate her.

” I’d bet that maybe this message is a prank. ” The officer said..

” That’s what they all say.. But I don’t think so. I mean this message has consistently been sent to me for a month now and with terrifying bloodshot images.”

Mei opened her phone to show him the images and indeed they were terrifying. Women stabbed beyond recognition in a face up position, A dismembered skeletal frame scattered around by a graveyard, headless bodies of men and women on the road with their heads placed beside their necks. It creepy. Even the police officer had to gasp a little before he regained himself.

” Call it. Let’s see if we can trace it.” he finally said.

“No you call him, he won’t pick my call if I do call him. ”

The police officer finally exhaled and looked invariably at Riley and wondered what was going through her mind.

Just as everyone were reclining in their thoughts, Mei phone rang and instinctively, she picked it.

” Hey asshole!” The voice rang out,

” You hand over Riley or you’re dead. ” Call ended.

Mei looked at the cop and he could see the question lit in her eyes;

” Did you trace it?”

He inhaled slowly and she knew it was a no.

The cop bent down, dropping his clenched fist on the table. He looked over at the table for too long that Mei began thinking that the table had vaticinating powers, or maybe he was seeking counsels from a God with potent power. Finally he looked over at Mei and asked;

” Are you her foster mum. ” his eyes peering in Riley’s direction.

Mei nodded explicitly before adding;

” I went to the Foster home months back to look for kids I can help since I never got a kid of my own. My other kids were taken also from Foster care. Both of them have same story. Their dad died, their mum started taking cracks and dumped them at some shitty place then child services finds them. But Riley was different. I actually saw her at some restaurant with her mum. Her mum’s is a psycho. You needed to see how she charged at me when I came and took her daughter. They had to use during tape and Chain to restrain her. Later, I saw her mum on the news jumping from one table to another, people running, so they don’t get their food dumped on them. It was highly hysterical. But then I fear for Riley. She hasn’t said a word since I took her in. She’s always starring, as though a part of her is somewhere else, perhaps with her crazy mum. It’s been 2 weeks since I took her in and I have taken her to hospitals and I was told that she’s perfectly fine. Finally it dawned on me that it was a mental situation, so I took her to 2 different psychologists but she won’t open up to them. She didn’t as much as say a word through out the session with them. Then it dawned on me that she didn’t want to talk to anyone. ”

The cop looked over at Riley, who was scanning the room with her eyes before their eyes met and then he said;

“whose your dad?. ”

It didn’t take minutes or seconds for Riley to respond

” Nashua. ”

The cop eye balls popped out on his face. He damn well knew the psychopath. It was the monster that killed that judge few years back. But there was no proof that he did it but everyone knew it was him.

The cop knew he couldn’t just jump into conclusion that Nashua was the one sending those letters and making those calls. it could be anyone but he wasn’t so sure.

Mei looked at him closely, wondering what was wrong but she didn’t ask. He just told her to go home and take extra precautions. Be very cautious. Put alarms on your door and if possible, get a dog. Always take extra care when you’re driving or at any place. He told her to install cameras in her house. He told her to call the cops if anything out of the ordinary is noticed. He gave her his number to call him if there was trouble. With that, he sent her away.

****

Kain took Emma inside and placed her on the sofa. He looked at her. Anger and guilt lurched her. She had lost her two kids and he played a role in it. He wondered what she would do if she found out?

Kain’s phone rang again. it was Dr. Lawrence calling. He had sent him a message to give her flunitrazepam. so as to knock her out and they can take her to the streets and she can go crazy and get locked up behind bars. It wasn’t enough that they mixed up her meds which makes her see people who aren’t really there. It was what made her go crazy at the restaurant and in the bus. He could still feel the shiver as he watched her break through the window in the bus on purportedly seeing her son. He could remember watching her jump on tables in other to catch her imaginary Nashua at the restaurant. It felt so good. Even Nashua who never smiled, laughed when he saw this.

Kain heard the sound of footsteps coming from the living room. He knew it was Emma but he wasn’t sure why and when she got up. He saw Marcus portrait hung on the wall in Marcus bedroom. He looked at the bed, imagining Emma and Marcus snuggling sex, he, all over her and she all over him. He imagined she stark naked, on top of him, Kissing his nipples and he being lit up and burnt by her touch and body. It made him frisky and so he turned around and went to the living room, in time to see Emma popping a tablet of the flunitrazepam drug and drinking water to swallow it. He stared in shock at her and she too gave him a surprised look and smiled and then her eyes shut down and she was knocked out. Kain looked at the door and could see shadows standing and could hear voices in very low tune and then he heard bullets fired at the door, making a small hole in the door.

Kain was still trying to recover from his shrilled madness when the door was pushed. Kain could see the door knob jerking. Someone was kicking the door. Kain quickly grabbed Emma who was knocked out and hid her in a wardrobe, locking the door. He used a chair to break the window and throw her foot wears outside just in time for two of Nashua’s gongs to come in. One of the men didn’t waste time shot Kain on the leg.

” where’s she. ” he yelled

” She jumped down. I gave her those drugs that makes her go crazy, and before then, we got into a fight. I confessed. I told her that I worked with Nashua. ”

He didn’t waste time in shooting him thrice in the chest before he pushed back the other man who was with him and then turned on his transmitter to talk to the other men and Dr. Lawrence about his information. There was a heavy silence before another guy spoke up that Marcus had escaped. The two men who had pulled him out from Akira’s car were found dead at point ferrin park. No sign of Marcus. There was a heavy silence, and then Dr Lawrence voice rang out on the transmitter;

” Don’t worry, we will get him. ” and then he broke connection and so did the others.