Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 22
We finished with dinner, it was already late, so grandma insisted I drove Mary home even though I had it in mind to do so.
I stopped in front of her house; a non painted new bungalow with no fence and sandy floor. A yellow bulb shone in one of the rooms facing the road with a green curtain covering it half way. Two ladies and a man sat outside discussing in the dark but turned their attentions to us on seeing us.
Mary wasn’t so proud of the house as she turned looking at it.
” are you sure it’s okay I brought you home?”. I asked looking at the people outside that were curiously staring our direction.
She turned to me smiling. ” you’re really scared of Jude”
” not that I’m scared, I don’t just want trouble”.
” don’t worry, he comes home very late, that’s if when he doesn’t sleep in one of his girlfriends house”.
” alright, I will call you when I get home”. I said, waiting for her to leave.
She smiled, then opened the door and stepped down.
Just then, a car light rays flashed into mine from behind. Mary saw it, waved at me and rushed inside.
My stomach knotted when I saw the car moving towards me. I engaged the engine and reversed. Low and behold, the car that passed me was Jude’s, he was looking to see who was in my car, thank god for the tinted glass.
Back at home, I retired to my room and called Daniella’s number, the phone rang twice and diverted to answering machine, Daniella’s voice came on: If you’re hearing this, kindly drop a message, I’ll get to you ASAP.
The sound of her voice on the answering machine reminded me of her. What I felt for Daniella was so strong I could barely imagine that I would feel that way for someone almost twice my age.
I dailed her number again, same answering machine, I tried three more times before I left a message.
” hi, this Mike. Yeah I’m home… Em… i wanted to let you know I’m home…em…. Are in the office?” I cursed myself for asking such question, how would she be in the office by that time?!. ” em… Just em… Wanted to…em…”
Then the phone connected and my heart almost jumped out through my mouth.
“Hello, Mike?”
The sound of her voice made me speechless.
” Mike, is that you?” She asked.
” yes! Yes!” I said finally.
” oh my god! I have been expecting your call!”.
Really? That was more than my all day fantasy for fvcking the shit out of her. My heart sang with joy.
” oh..em.. I just got a phone”. I managed to say.
” you should have called me on a pay phone, but that’s by the way. How are you? I saw you on the news! You looked so battered, me too…”. I sense her smiling.
My mind went straight to the ghost cult. Now they know what I looked like. But I shoved it aside and attended to what’s more important.
” oh…that’s nice.I wish I saw it ”
” check it online. CNN”. Daniella said excitedly.
CNN? Wow! I’m in soup! I thought.
” how’s the office?” I asked to change the topic.
” they all saw you on TV though non recognized you until Gabriel called their attention to it”. She said, bringing it up.
” wow ” was all I could think of saying.
” Tasha asked me to bring the documents to seal the deal tomorrow. I’m so happy! She asked after you though, I told her what you told me. The police are on it right now”. Daniella said
” what? You told the police?” I bellowed. This got me off balance.
” yes, I ought to. Yes, som cops maybe corrupt, but some will do their job effectively well”. Daniella insisted.
” what! I didn’t expect you to make such mistake!” I yelled
” Mike, Tasha was going to take up the case accusing you of knowing what killed her driver. They all saw you on TV. I had to defend you, that was the only option I had. It was better you have only the assassins on your trail than have both the cops!”
There was sense in what she said. But that wasn’t a palatable news. I had to swallow.
” I understand you. It’s okay. I’m happy for you. The two difficult jobs”. I managed to sound cheerful.
She chuckled and added.” Thanks to you. I’ll send your ten percent as soon as we begin the job. And I owe you that date too”.
Two great news. Ten percent for one client is about 20 million of local currency and I landed two, plus the other jobs I got for the company.
It works this way, any job you bring to the company, you will get 10 percent of every service charge and profit. As long as the client partners with my company, I’ll always get paid even after I retire.
” wow! I can’t wait to have that dinner with you!”. I said almost shouting.
She laughed and said. ” I’ll be in Africa for another deal after I finish with Tasha’s. I believe you will come with me for the job”.
” with all pleasure!”. I said.
She laughed and added. ” Gloria is asking after you, have you called her?”
” no ”
” you better call her. She misses the meat between your legs”.
I was shocked at her statement. Daniella was too loosen this evening. I wanted to ask her what she meant but she hung up.
I was very happy. She made my evening completely. Then one fantasy crossed my mind. ‘Marry her!’ I laughed at the sound of the ridiculous idea, but suddenly, I realized it wasn’t as funny as I thought. She was everything I wanted my wife to be; smart, intelligent, confident, beautiful, strong, achiever, charming, sexy, bossy…d--n! She had it all. I began nursing the idea to propose to her, thinking of how beautiful the wedding will look like.
“Mike weds Daniella”. I said out loud, picturing the scenario in my head and laughted happily.
I went to the refrigerator for a drink but saw only juice and yoghurt. I turned back to the bed and remembered to call Mary. I ignored it and turned on the television, but I wasn’t comfortable and didn’t know why.
So I picked up the phone and the sheet of paper she jotted down her number, dailed her line and it rang for long time before it connected. The sound of her voice got me activated.
” hello. Mary what’s it?”
” Mike is that you?”. She asked whispering and sniffing in.
” are you crying?” I asked.
” I ran out of the house. He wanted to shoot me!” She said and began crying.
” hold it! Hold it! Where are you, who wanted to shoot you?” I asked getting to my feet.
“Jude! I’m in a bush waiting for a friend… A client though. He’s an officer. But he’s an hour away”. she said in a crying tone.
” can you come where I can see you?” I said grabbing the car key from the bed.
” no! No! ” he will kill me!” She said and began crying.
” I’m coming, just give me the location”. I said rushing out.
” please don’t come. He will shoot you. Jude is crazy when he’s angry. Please don’t come !”
I was already downstairs and was entering the car.
” I’m coming over to your house if you don’t tell me where you are”. I said and engaged the engine.
“I…I’m behind my house. I’ll meet you at the junction. Please wait at the junction, don’t come here. If you don’t see me in thirty minutes time, please call the police”. She said and hung up.
I drove as fast as I could to her junction and parked. I was very worried and fighting back the urge not to go to her house.
“But Jude knows she was a hooker then why attack her? It doesn’t add up, but when I see her I will find out” I thought aloud.
I kept looking behind and forward at any shadow I saw hoping it was her. It was fifteen minutes gone. I tried to engage the engine but refrained. I feared something must have happened to her. Beads of sweat ran down from my forehead and moisture gathered in my armpit.
Someone hit the passenger side window beside me hastily and my spirit almost left my body. I turned and saw Mary struggling with the door. I quickly opened it for her and she said hurriedly hitting the dashboard.” go! go! go!”.
I quickly engaged the engine and zoomed off.
We got my house and stopped at the car park. I turned to her face, her left eye was swollen, with a cut on her lower lip. I was furious and wanted to inflict pain on Jude.
” what happened? I thought he’s cool with you doing your job, why attack you?”. I asked angrily.
” he believes any man that brings me home is no longer a client. He very jealous and very dangerous when angry”. She said avoiding my face.
Dangerous, that I can relate with. I have seen him exhibit it twice.
” what about your friend? The officer, he should arrest Jude’s girl beating ass”. I barked.
” he will call me when he’s around. But I bet they will meet Jude at home. He has this signal in him he feels each time trouble comes for him. They can never get him. This is not the fifth time he’s doing worse”. She said .
” this is not even the first? And shooting you is not the first?”. I asked surprisingly.
She shook her head. ” he shot at me once before now but missed ”
” wow! wow!” I couldnt say further.
After hearing what she said, I was scared for my life and that of my family. Every part of me wanted to send her away, but when I turned to her, she was looking more like a beautiful, innocent teenager that needs someone to protect her.
I strenched my hand and held her hand. She turned to me and looked away abruptly trying to hide her broken face.
” it’s okay. You can stay in my room until you recover”. I said.
Mary: this guy is too kind! How do I pay him back?
She began crying. I robbed her shoulder and wanted to open the door when her phone rang. She looked at me frighteningly.
Mary: it’s him!
” Jude?” I asked.
She nodded still looking at me.
” take the call!” I said.
She shook her head and turned to the phone as though Jude was coming out of it.
” don’t worry it, so you will know what he wants” I said.
She slowly picked the call and was looking at me while she listened to the caller. Then she barked all of a sudden.
” give me my car! It’s over between us! Return my car Jude!”
Then she kept quiet, her eyes dangling like a pendulum. She barked again.” you are evil! Don’t expect to see me again….. You can’t do anything Jude, you can’t….Go ahead and report me! Tell them I killed somebody! It’s better I rut in jail than live in the same roof with you!… Go to hell! I’m coming for my car!”. She hung up and threw her phone angrily at the backseat.
Mary: I don’t care anymore! It’s over! This time I’m not going back! Thank god for Mike, what would I have done? I’m not going back, never!
I sat silently on my chair looking at her. She now looked bolder now after speaking to Jude. I heaved and said to her.
” lets go inside”.
Her phone rang again. I turned to get it.
” leave it! It’s that fool!” She said opening the car door.
I looked at the caller ‘ officer Johnbull ‘. ” it’s not him” I said , showing the phone screen to her.
She returned back to her seat looking hopefully at me. I handed her the phone, she took the call hurriedly. ” hello! Yes! I’m out of the house, at a friend’s in the neighborhood. Where are you? Okay, did you see him?” She turned to me and made a face. ” he is not at home? I just finished talking to him… Yes he threatened to shoot me,….yes he had a gun… Yes sir…Please arrest him! Okay sir…. Thank you sir…No, I’m here for the night…Okay sir…I’m grateful….bye”.
She dropped the call and said to me. ” they didn’t meet him at home “. then smiled regretfully.
I led her to my room and she went straight to the mirror and wasn’t happy at the shape her face took. I got some ice for the swollen eye and made her a hot tea. We talked about everything else and later slept.
The next morning at about five A.M, Mary was still fast asleep, I went on morning jogging out of the estate. It was still dark as I jogged with my headphone on listening to music.
An approaching car headlamp shone on my face. I wondered why the idiot won’t dim his light. As I made to jog pass the car, I recognized it immediately as Jude’s and increased my speed. I hadn’t gone few distance when someone shouted.
” sir! Sir wait! ”
I ignored it and continued. Then I heard footsteps behind me and someone touched my shoulder. I turned and saw Jude jogging after me smiling. I was surprised how he was able to catch up that fast.
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