Sacrilege - Season 1 - Episode 37

4 years ago

Sacrilege - Season 1 - Episode 37

*****
Laura popped open her eyes, staring at the white ceiling of Tito’s room. The light streaming in from the window told her she had slept late into the day. Tito was nowhere in sight but the tantalizing scent of a familiar soup assaulted her senses, making her turn in the direction of the kitchen. Through the window, Laura saw the shape of someone standing outside and guessed it to be Tito, but she could hear movements in the kitchen.

A familiar figure emerged from Tito’s kitchen, making Laura’s face widen. Oh great! It had been years since she had seen her stepmother, what a great time to make a re-entrance into her life, Laura thought miserably. It surprised her that her stepmother still looked the same. Impressive height, one that every model would kill for, with a perfectly feminine shape to go with it. Same low cut that accentuated her round face in the most tantalizing way. “Family reappearance! I see that’s what’s in vogue”

“Thank God, you’re awake, Laura” Gloria smiled as she crouched before Laura. “I’ve really missed you”
“It shows” Laura shook her head. “Disobeying the almighty Mr Frank Johnson seems the popular thing to do lately, what are you doing here?”

“I know you are mad at me, and you should, but now is not the time. You should eat”
She rushed into the kitchen and emerged with a tray of piping hot Oha soup and Akpu, dropping it on a stool. “C’mon Rababy, it’s very hot”

She just had to call me that pet name! “I’m not hungry” Laura snapped.

“You must be, look at your state”
Laura scoffed. “Can’t be worse than my state of mind with you around”
Gloria smiled. “I understand you want me to leave but I’m not leaving till you’ve eaten” she sat on the bed, moving the tray of food from the table onto her lap. “At least, try a little, ehn” Gloria pushed. “Heaven helps those who help themselves o”
“And mouth takes what stomach wants, don’t force me, mum”

Being called ‘mum’ by Laura after such a long time pleased Gloria beyond measure but she hid it as she stared at the tray before her. “You don’t want this?” she asked. “Tell me what your stomach wants, I’d get it”

“Yeah? Can you get me a child? My stomach would very much like that”
Gloria sobered.

“You can’t, right?” Laura was so tired of people trying to make things alright. The truth is it would never be. Laura sighed. “Oh stepmother, we are more alike than we thought. Guess what, I’m on my way to being a stepmother” she smiled drily. “I just knew we had a connection. Two stepmothers in one family, isn’t it amazing?”

The door busted open. “Okay, enough of this crap”

Laura’s eyes snapped up and her head literarily went off the pillow. It wasn’t as much the sound of the door but the voice of the speaker. Mr Johnson charged into the room like an army general, looking like the no-nonsense man he occasionally was when he wanted to put things straight. Laura was momentarily frozen in shock as she stared at the man who suddenly dominated the room. “Father?”

Gloria blinked. It wasn’t everytime she got to see her husband’s twin – Mark Johnson. The resemblance was scary, and if not for the voice difference, Gloria wasn’t sure she could differentiate the two brothers.
“Mark” she mouthed. “Didn’t know you were back in the country”

Mark Johnson glanced at her. “Tito was smart enough to tell me my house was on fire.” he responded, giving Laura a significant look. “You’d better be there when I see Frank, I just might kill him if we are left alone for a minute”

Mark Johnson faced his niece, his face taking on a serious look. “Alright young woman, enough of this self pity, get out of bed; we are going for a walk”

Laura caught Tito’s look of concern from the door as she turned away, tucking the pillow firmly beneath her head. “I don’t want to” she murmured.

“Woman, you look at me when I talk to you” Mark boomed.

Laura felt frustration welling up within her as she turned back to face her uncle reluctantly. Why was life so unfair? Why couldn’t she be left alone to wallow in her misery? She deserved that much after all the misfortunes that were befalling her. But she wouldn’t dare defy her godfather. As playful and loving as he was, there isn’t anyone born who could defy him in the face of his anger.
“I wasn’t asking, I am ordering. Now, get your behind out of that bed and meet me outside in five minutes or by God I’d come back in here and drag you out of this bed by the hair”.

Laura watched her uncle sweep out of the room, knowing from experience that he would do exactly what he said and more, if she didn’t do his bidding.

“You should… he doesn’t look like he’d accept no, besides, the walk would be good for you” her stepmother botted in.
Laura closed her eyes briefly and opened them, pushing sluggishly out of bed. Her body complained. She wasn’t accustomed to staying in bed for so long.

“Do you think I could be lucky and not meet you here when I return?”
Gloria appeared to give it a thought. “I don’t think so” she said, smiling.
Laura walked into the bathroom and rinsed her face. Staring at the image in the mirror, Laura didn’t look like herself. Great! Her face made a perfect show of how she was feeling – wretched.

Sighing deeply, she walked out. Without waiting for her, Mark Johnson eased into motion, marching out of the house. What the heck? She didn’t need this now. Of all the people Tito could summon to torture her, it had to be her godfather? Laura glared at Tito as she walked. Tito appeared to be reading something. “Thanks” she snapped.
Tito smiled. “You’re welcome”
“Keep up, girl” Mr Johnson boomed as he stalked down the street like a soldier.
The wind slapped at Laura’s face as she hastened up to meet her uncle.
*****