Chronicles Of A Runs Girl - S01 E63

2 years ago

Chronicles Of A Runs Girl - S01 E63

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 63

He stopped when he saw me. He turned his back to me, trying to hide his thing, as if I’d not just seen it downstairs.

As I left I turned and said to him “I hope you understand, but I have to tell Johnny what happened.”

I went back downstairs, my head ringing with anger. I settled into the sofa and crossed my legs, waiting for him to come downstairs and apologise properly, and beg me not to tell his father.

He took his time coming down and when he did – fully dressed – it was only to give me a duvet and a pillow. He told me he might have to wake me up anytime, if the kidnappers called. He didn’t say goodnight, he just left and even switched off the light without asking me if I wanted it left on.

I tried to get comfortable but the thoughts marauding through my mind were plenty and worrisome.

I had gone through thinking of what just happened between John junior and me, to thinking about Rotimi, to thinking about the result of my HIV test, and back to thinking about Rotimi, when I finally started thinking about Johnny and his request that I bring the ransom money. Something didn’t feel right about it; something definitely felt wrong.

Why had they asked me to be the one to bring the money? How did they know me? Where would they want me to take the money to? Why were they releasing the American couple first and not Johnny? I thought of how Mama had rightfully berated me for going to the police station unprepared. “Like a mumu,” she had said, and she was right. And yet here I was, once again playing the part of the ultimate mumu. Kidnappers I did not know, had asked me to bring their ransom money to a place I didn’t not know, and nobody knew what was going on or what I was up to or where I was, save for Rotimi who didn’t even know half the drama I was in.

The spirit of mumu left me. I fetched my phone and called Mama. In hushed tones, and listening for John junior in case he came back, I told her everything – apart from the part where I slept with John junior, accused him of raping me, and screwed with him by saying I was going to report him to his father. I told her to contact Uncle China to ask for advice, and I warned her not to tell anybody else. She asked if she should come and meet me at Johnny’s house but I told her not to.

I remembered John junior warning me not to tell anybody about the ransom drop. Talking to Mama felt like the second time I was betraying him that night. He also said his father’s life depended on it, but the way I saw it, the money was for the release of the Americans, not Johnny, so.

Mama listened without interrupting too much, thankfully, and then when I’d turned down everyone one of her suggestions, including her going to the police and telling them what was happening, she told me to call Rotimi and explain everything to him. This I agreed to do, partly because I’d wanted to call him all time. My battery was low but I still had enough to make one more call, I hoped.

I dialled his number and closed my eyes wondering how to start.

A woman answered the phone: “Yes? Who are you and why are you calling my husband at this time?”

Two things: One; I didn’t know what time it was and two; I had chopped when he told me he wasn’t married. My head rang.

I heard laughter then Rotimi was on the phone.

“Hi,” he said, still laughing, “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Is that your wife?”

“No. I told you I’m not married.”

In the background the woman shouted “I’m not his wife, I’m just one of his many mistresses!”

He told her to stop it and she laughed.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing. Where are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Where are you? Can you talk?”

“Can I talk? Yeah, sure?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at a friend’s, not that it’s any business of yours. But, what did you want to talk about?”

“Never mind.”

One half of me wanted to end the call, the other side wanted to keep him on the phone – away from the woman he was with. We were both silent.

“Hello? Hello?” he said.

“I’m still here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The place you dropped me today, that guy is not my boyfriend.”

“O.K.”

“I mean, I’m not sleeping with him or anything like that if that’s what you think.”

“I didn’t think anything.”

“So why did you leave like that?”

“You asked me to leave.”

“Ok. I just want you to know that it’s not what you think.”

“And what do you think I think?”

I had no response for that. Another period of silence ticked by.

“Listen, Amaka, I understand you’re in some sort of trouble. China told me a bit but I don’t know the rest. If this has to do with it then I suggest you call the police.”

“I can’t. What did he tell you?”

“Why can’t you?”

“I just can’t. I can’t explain now. What did Uncle China tell you?”

“That a friend of yours was kidnapped and you were arrested because of it, and that’s how the policeman…”

“The policeman raped me.”

“Yes.”

“Listen, if there’s something I can do to help then you must say it, otherwise you’ve got to call the police and let them handle this.”

“The same police that beat me up and raped me?”