Sacrilege - Season 1 - Episode 44

4 years ago

Sacrilege - Season 1 - Episode 44

Tito pushed open the door of her apartment. Men! She thought in annoyance, they are just stupid womanizing idiots. And to her, Chris topped that list. Of course, he would have a tall, fair Barbie-like hussy in his house, so late at night. No doubt he had another one lined up for tomorrow and every day after that. And to think I was about apologizing for calling a spade a spade… Tito twisted her mouth as she slammed the door. “Laura” she called. Definitely, a little ‘girls time’ would ward off her irritation.

Stepping out of her shoes, she peeped into the kitchen, Laura wasn’t there. “Laura?” She frowned as she found the bathroom empty. Where was Laura? Could she be out for a walk at this time? Or…

Tito’s eyes caught something on the floor and her heart practically stopped. She rushed forward and picked the open diary, clearly horrified. How had she been so careless? She had only been able to read a few pages. Though she despised that Teju girl, the few pages she read forced her to feel a little pity for the girl. ‘But that still doesn’t justify what she did to my cousin’s she had mentally insisted at the time.

Now, her eyes scanned the open page that Laura had obviously read, reading the words that seemed to have been scribbled in pain. Every line had her brows creezing in a frown. Unable to take any more, she slammed the diary shut, staring in horror. It is either Tito wasn’t using her eyes properly or Teju was seriously insane for suggesting that she was raped by…

Tito shook her head. No! Teju had to be insane.

*****

Frank Johnson changed the station to a news station with the TV remote, crossing his legs on the centre table. He heard the door behind him open without moving a muscle. His eyes remained glued to the TV as Gloria walked in. Gloria stood poised for a few seconds staring at her husband’s back. “I’m sorry I took so long” she quickly muttered as she marched forward.
“You sure took your time.”

Gloria took a deep breath as she came in front of her husband, giving him a small apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, there were too many customers at the shop today; I couldn’t get here any faster.” she lied.

“I can imagine” Frank said, not for once taking his eyes off the TV screen.

Gloria shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry.” She sat on the armrest of the chair, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek and a head rub. He always loved that, it was a tool she always used that often won her his forgiveness. “Have you eaten?” she mouthed, caressing his head in small circular massages. “I’d fix you something really nice now” she said without waiting for his answer, kissed his cheek and stood, heading straight for the kitchen.

“How is she?”
Gloria’s feet pulled to a halt halfway through. Her heart raced as she stood still, counting the seconds in her head before turning back to stare at her husband. The TV still had his attention. “How is who?”
Frank finally turned to her, giving her an ironic look. “You really think you can fool me? I know you haven’t been in your shop all day and there is only one person who can make you lie to me”

Gloria swallowed as she backtracked towards her husband. Her face held remorse. “I’m sorry, honey. I… I couldn’t help it.”

Frank turned his face away from her and Gloria took a deep breath, going on her knees before him. “Darling… You know me, right? I can’t keep calm when someone I care about is in pain. I know you are at odds with Laura now but now is the time she needs all the love she can get.”

Frank nodded. “You’d go against me, your husband, for a girl who clearly doesn’t have any regard for me or you for that matter.”
Gloria smiled softly. “Love is unconditional” she answered. “She might act nonchalant but I know what’s in her heart. I also do it all for you. I know you claim not to care now but the truth is you do care. A father cannot completely close his eyes to his daughter’s pain”

Frank stared at her for a while then averted his gaze. He blinked as silence reigned for a while. “How is she?”

Gloria felt a small thrill within her. Initially, she had thought the question was just to taunt her, but seeing that Frank was letting his guard down by showing that he still cared about his daughter, Gloria felt a small sense of fulfillment, like she had just won a contest. She stood and sat beside Frank, leaning against him slightly. “She is devastated” she said, her face registering sadness as she remembered all that had happened during the day. It had been so heartbreaking to see her stepdaughter in such a dejected state. Laura had always been a spirited young woman, always bubbling with life and vigor. She was an emotional being and always followed her heart, obviously why she was so pained by her husband’s betrayal. “She seems to have lost her fire”
Frank’s lips thinned as his body tensed. “That bastard” his spat out through clenched teeth. “If only she had listened…”
Gloria exhaled. “She was in love, Frank, you can hardly blame people where their heart is concerned.”

“Oh well, see where her heart has led her to” he boomed angrily, pushing out of the chair and going to look out the window. “The heart is to be led, not followed”

Gloria sighed, standing also and moving to her husband. She wrapped her hands around him from behind, resting her head on his back. “You should see her, honey” she whispered. “I’m sure she would be very happy to see you” Frank grunted. Gloria smiled into his back, giving his chest a playful caress. “You can’t deny you want to see her too”

Frank remained silent for a moment. “Where is she?” he finally asked. Gloria exhaled, feeling as satisfied as though she had just been handed a contract worth millions.

Looking up into her husband’s eye, she grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

*****