Zara - S01 E04 (Story Episode)

4 years ago

Zara - S01 E04 (Story Episode)

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 4

It was simply amazing how since the phone
call at the Jardin Botanique, Zara and Iyke felt
closer.

Perhaps the statement was true that
‘there is nothing like an adversity, to bring
lonely souls together.

Zara quietly fought the pull back to Iyke.

While they spoke more often now, she
couldn’t just forget that there was a time Iyke
hadn’t been picking her calls and he was yet
to apologize or explain what brought about
that behavior. For this main reason, she was
wary about opening the doors to her heart.

Never mind the fact that her heart was in a
non-compliance mood. After all, the heart
wants what the heart wants and that it most
often gets.

Sighing, she clicked the sleep tab of her laptop
as she readied herself to go home for the day.

The commendation letter on a job well done
for the early completion of the AGM reports
did little to lighten her heavy heart. She
missed Ima like kilode. Lately, her doubts on
Ima’s safe return were starting to take roots.

She feared that her best friend was gone
forever but this was something she didn’t
dare voice out even to herself for fear that
her saying it could make it real. Her eyes
moved to the commendation letter and a sad
smile spread across her face. It was the lonely
house that made her spend more time at the
office. It was the avoidance of continuous
dark thoughts on her friend’s welfare that
had her commit her waking hours to the
report.

You see. Something good has come out of this.

That was something Ima would say if she
were around. Always the positive and
optimistic one. Exposure to life had slowly
shadowed her sunshine personality but if
anything it had made Ima’s smile more
genuine. Truth be told, Ima had faced more
sad times especially with her parents difficult
divorce. Throughout that period, Ima’s faith
hadn’t wavered. Something that had boggled
Zara’s analytic mind.

She had been raised in church settings herself
but Ima’s seemed to take it more seriously as
they grew older. She wondered how her
friend’s faith was faring where she was.

Assuming she is in danger, right?

Zara stopped cold. Where did that thought
come from? Of course her friend was in
danger. Why else would she poofed without a
word?

Perhaps she-
Zara physically waved the thoughts away.

Bending, her head she did something she
hadn’t done in a while and since the
beginning of the whole Iyke-Ima fiasco. She
did something she had seen Ima do lots of
times whenever she was distressed
emotionally.

She prayed. She prayed for Ima’s safe return,
for her relationship with Iyke and above all
for her sanity because Heavens knew that she
was beginning to lose it analyzing the mess in
her life.
…
They were back at the Jardin Botanique. He
hadn’t seen it well the first time being that he
had been on the phone more than half of the
time. It was hard to believe that his six
months in Geneva was its end. His return
flight was in three days. While his tour ended
five days ago, he had asked Sovie to meet him
at the park. There were some things he
needed to discuss with her.

The sounds of German greeting informed him
that Sovie was near. She promptly sat beside
him.

“Hi,” She said with a warm smile. Iyke
returned it. Turning on the bench, he looked
at her and asked. “How did it go?” A sad
depressed look came over her features as she
shook her head. Unconsciously, his face took
on the same look. “Oh no! He didn’t like it?”
Sovie lifted her head and looked at him. “No,
he didn’t. He loved it!” Immediately, her face
broke into a laugh bringing. Iyke’s face
showed his struggle to understand what was
going on. Were things alright or not? And
then, he understood. She had been pulling his
legs. He had advised her on what to buy
Henry, her fiancé. It had been his birthday
some days back.

“Henry loved it. Danke.” Thank you. Iyke
understood that. Slowly, he released a sigh
that had Sovie laughing. “I got you, right?” He
nodded with a smile on his face. “You did.

Fair and square.” Henry was a lucky guy as
was Zara according to Sovie. Their tour had
brought them close and opened his eyes. He
was beginning to think that Sovie was the
main reason why God had brought him to
Geneva.

“So, how is Zara? You guys better?” Iyke
nodded and shrugged. Perhaps they were.

“Her friend’s disappearance has brought us
together. We are talking more often. I can’t
believe I ignored her when she needed me
the most.”

“But she has forgiven you, no?” Sovie asked.

He shrugged again. “Can’t really say. I
haven’t asked her to forgive me yet. We
haven’t even talked about us per se. I think
she’s waiting for me to bring it up. I don’t
think she’ll mention it and I have a feeling
that the issue of the disappearance is what
has us talking. I’m not sure she would still
pick my calls if her friend were around.”

He could feel her piercing blue eyes on him.

What did she see this time?
“I am only twenty years old. Much much
younger than you but I have been blessed,
jah, to grow up amongst people who don’t
hide much from each other. Until now, I
haven’t liked that aspect but your experience
has made me rethink my perspective. You’ve
told me about your not so good past.

Something you haven’t told Zara – the very
thing that keeps you from giving your heart to
her. I do not think you are better off not
telling her. Or are you?”
Iyke thought about it. It wasn’t the first time
he had asked himself that question.

“You don’t have to answer it now but think
about it. You are leaving tomorrow?” She
asked. “No. The day after tomorrow.

Tomorrow evening is the closing ceremony or
should I say farewell dinner.” Sovie nodded.

“Well, I think you should tell her. If she feels
as strongly as you have made me to believe,
then she’ll accept you. After all, you can’t be
faulted for your parents’ decisions. What
happened is in the past. Her future with you
should hold more promise and if it doesn’t,
well, then it wasn’t meant to be.”

He couldn’t argue the wisdom in her words
but- “What if she goes about telling people
after she says no?” There he had said it and
the way Sovie searched his eyes out, he could
tell that she might not have considered that
line of thought.

“That’s what truly scares you right? The fact
that someone will find out and then your high
profile will be turned to dust.” Her voice was
soft as she voiced out his deepest fears. Not
trusting his voice, he simply nodded. Sovie
smiled sadly.

“Well, here’s the shocker, Iyke. People know
already. There will always be someone out
there who knows. Someone who was there
when it all happened. So, that fear will always
be with you?” She shook her head. “No. you
shouldn’t do that. Tell her. If she leaves, not
so good yeah? But I know she’s not the kind
to go spreading tales about you, right?”
Iyke released a long held breath. Sovie was
right. About everything. His profile as one of
the most eligible bachelors in his given field
had come to mean so much to him. It could
most likely be the end of him if the truth
were to come out. However, that didn’t seem
as scary when compared to living his life
without Zara. It surprised him to find out in
recent times that she had snuck past his well
erected defenses into his heart. Somehow, he
didn’t want that to change, horrible past or
not.

“You are right, Sovie. Thank you. Danke.

Danke Danke so much.” Sovie laughed at his
mixture of words. “You are welcome. Iyke,
you are one tourist I won’t be forgetting in a
hurry.” Iyke smiled at her words. “The same
could be said for me too. Obviously with you
being the tour guide I won’t forget in a
hurry.” Another bout of laughter followed.

“Now, tell me. Have you set a date for the
wedding?”

Sovie’s eyes twinkled as she went on to fill
Iyke in on the preparations for her upcoming
nuptials.
…
It was a day to Iyke’s return and Zara was
feeling all kinds of feelings. She felt happy,
apprehensive, excited all at the same time. He
had told her the day before that they needed
to talk.

As though she didn’t know that
already. However, she sensed that something
had changed. He felt closer in a sense she
couldn’t put to words.

Deciding quickly, she went to her wardrobe to
pick out her blue dress to wear to the airport.

She had promised to meet him there. A quick
search revealed that it wasn’t there. Was it
dirty? She backtracked looking around her
room. It couldn’t be. She hadn’t worn it in a
while. In fact, she hadn’t worn it since-

A sad smile spread across her face. Ima had
borrowed the dress for her trip. Zara’s
comment that people would know she was
borrowposing hadn’t fazed Ima. In fact,
because of the statement, she had told Zara
she would deliberately wear it on her trip
back home.

The phone rang bringing her attention back
to the present. She glanced at the clock. It
was some minutes past ten. Who would be
calling her that late at night? Her lips curved
upwards at the possibility of it being Iyke.

It was a number she didn’t recognize. She put
the phone to her ears but heard nothing. The
silence was almost scary. At that exact
moment the lights went off. What followed
next chilled Zara to the bone. It wasn’t that
the laughter sounded evil. That it did.

It was a familiar laughter from long ago.

Laughter that she thought, had been promised
she would never hear again. The call ended
and the phone slipped from her fingers
crashing to the floor.

Not remembering the phone, she cupped her
knees as she sank to the floor. How?

How did he find me? How?
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