Tarasha - Season 4 - Episode 46

4 years ago

Tarasha - Season 4 - Episode 46

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2:30pm
Dr Martin Ekwueme’s Residence, Ngozika Estate
Dr Ekwueme had just finished having his lunch and was still at the dining room when a maid came to announce the arrival of his ex-wife. The news had taken him so much by surprise that he couldn’t take the drugs he was supposed to use for afternoon.
He sat there on the shiny metal and leather chair, with his plates on the table unpacked. He had been wishing to see Adaeze but now he wondered how he was going to face her. She had said to him the last time they met that she would never forgive him for all his atrocious deeds. He had never done anything against her, he loved and protected her all his life and for their thirty two years in marriage never lifted a hand against her. But her love for him disappeared when she found out his cruel deeds against humanity and the country which he claimed to love. She had said to him that she could not continue to live with such a man like him and requested for a divorce immediately paying deaf ears to his pleas and claim to have turned a new leave.
He wondered how his son had been able to convince her to see him finally after many years of pleading. And what surprised him most was that she came to him in less than five hours. His son must have said something really serious to her.

‘Martin!’
Fear gripped his heart as he heard the voice he hadn’t heard in years. She had entered into the house and was looking for him, he could tell she was already in the living room. He sat still, knowing that she was going to locate him soon.
‘Martin.’

Here she was, standing directly opposite him with an angry look on her face.
Martin closed his eyes. She was still as mad at him like she was over ten years ago when they divorced even though he still loved her like no other woman in his life. He had loved her like that and never cheated on her while they were married.

‘Martin, what is this I hear that you’ve invited all the kids to come over during the weekend so that you can tell them what transpired between us.’

He opened his eyes to look at her. She had aged just like him in the past few years but she still looked very beautiful to him even though she was in her late sixties.

He now knew what made her come so quickly to him, just hours after his son had gone to her. His son had told her that he (Martin snr) was about to tell them why she divorced him. That was it. She was still protecting him, trying to make the children not hate their father. Was that because she still had some love left for him? He asked himself.
‘I have to do it,’ he played along. ‘I have to tell them.’

‘Have you gone nuts?’ she gave him a cold look, climbing unto the dining.
‘Yes, I have. I’ve gone mad without you. I’m dying of guilt and I don’t have anyone to listen to me. I have to let it out before I die.’ he said, looking down as he couldn’t look into her eyes.
‘You’re really crazy. How can you tell your children? They would detest you.’ she said, now closer. She placed her handbag on the dining table.

‘I deserve it. Let them hate me. I brought it upon myself.’ he replied, now considering on making it real – considering telling his children if she wasn’t going to listen to him.
‘I won’t allow you do that.’ she gave him a furious look.
‘I have to tell them, I need someone to listen to me. You’ve been the one who listens to me and nobody has occupied that spot since you left twelve years ago.’
‘What exactly do you need someone to listen to?’ she queried.

‘I’m dying Ada, I know. These drugs here cannot save me.’ he raised up the nylon of drugs on the table and dropped it back. ‘I’ve been having nightmares of my death for some weeks now and it got more intense few days ago. I know I’m about to pay for my sins but I need someone to talk to before I finally die.’
‘You deserve something more than death, you did so much evil; you stained your noble profession and betrayed the trust of many in you.’
‘I know.’

Tears began to drop form in the man’s eyes. He picked up a napkin to stop the tears.
‘Mum,’ a voice called from behind. It was that of Martin Ekwueme jnr.
‘Give me and your father some time,’ she said, turning back to Martin who was already approaching the dining.
Martin stopped and stared for a moment at his father, he could see their discussion was heated. He stared at his mum’s face for a while before walking away hesitatingly.
‘These kids must not know anything, I won’t let you pass your guilt to them.’ she continued after the boy left.

Martin Ekwueme remained silent.
‘I’ve lived with the guilt of the things you did for the past few years and it’s tormenting enough for me just knowing we used the monies you got from evil together. I don’t want you to pass the guilt to the kids, I’m protecting them from your torment.’
More tears flowed from the Doctor’s eyes. It was confirmed. She didn’t love him anymore and wasn’t protecting him, her protection was for their kids.

His life had been a disaster. The feeling of unfulfillment never left him from the day she divorced him. Even after he established the hospital and tried to get fulfillment by helping people with it, his past will not let him be. And the thoughts of what he had lost, Adaeze, the woman he had worked so hard to be able to spend the rest of his life with finally leaving him and hating him took away every room of happiness from his heart.

He knew his days were numbered. The recent nightmares had confirmed it. He was always seeing a person whose face was always covered with a mask, shooting a bullet into his head.
‘If you love your children, and I hope you do. Do not let them know about it, do not trouble their lives with your problem, allow them continue their lives and don’t put the seed of evil into them.’ Adaeze said in a concluding tone and picked her bag from the table. ‘Goodday,’ she said before storming out of the place.
‘How did it go mum?’ Martin jnr who was waiting outside walked to his mum as she came out of the house.

‘Take me back to Nibo’ she said , walking to the car. ‘I’ll call to confirm if Tracy has gotten home so she can make plans for us to leave.’
Martin froze where he was. He had expected something positive from his parent’s meeting, after over ten years that his mum agreed to meet with their father. But he was wrong, he could see from the look on her face that nothing pleasant happened between the couple. He heaved a sigh of frustration, after several years his mother was still bitter at his father and didn’t look like she was going to ever forgive him.

He finally moved from where was but he entered into the house again. He met his father still at the dining with his eyes closed and tears around the eyelids. He decided not to say anything and he quietly turned back and walked out to meet his mum in the car. They drove out of the compound few minutes later.
Dr Martin Ekwueme still remained on his seat at the dining. The maids had come to clear the used plates from the table and served some fruits. The Doctor stayed still with his eyes closed. He knew he would never see his wife again. It was the end of their love.

He remained there for several minutes, imagining how his life would be. Then suddenly, he felt a presence in the room with him. He opened his eyes and he saw his visitor. Dressed on black from head to toe, the face was also covered with a mask, there was a gun in the left hand.

He heaved a sigh. His nightmare was coming to pass.

He saw the gun raised. He was sure his death had come. He had nothing more to live for and couldn’t wait for the bullet to enter into his head.
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