Afraid To Love – Episode 33



“I’m leaving now. Bye papa.” she said and found her way out of her dad’s office.

“Tricia,” David called to her retreating figure. He sighed sadly as she did not respond to his call. It was really devastating. He shook his head, he must work now, then get home to his daughter. He hoped she’d not do anything stupid to herself.

“So, lets hear your case. We have enough privacy already.”

Myles was the first to speak. “Its a kidnap case. For some reasons, it was hidden and now it has to come to light.”

“Hidden? I don’t understand you.” He turned to Allan, “Why was it hidden?”

“So many reasons,” Myles answered, regardless of the fact that he was not spoken to. “It was the best option.”

A frown creased David’s face. What sort of stupid explanation was he gonna listen to? “I’m getting impatient.”

“We have all evidence, sir. I knew about it all,” Myles answered.

“Show them to me,” David demanded.

As Myles reached out to hand the evidence to David, Allan said, “Take a deep breath, sir. What you’re about to see might shock you.”

David’s hands steadied for a shile. He shot Myles a questioning look.

“We’ve got a whole lot of explanations to do.”

“I’m listening.”

*

*

*

Purity was led into a dynamic mansion. Everything she saw reeked of wealth and power. The black gigantic gates, the inter-locked ground, streams of the latest vehicles parked chronologically, a tennis lawn, a swimming pool……. she snorted. They weren’t new to her. Her father could afford more of what stared at her. The big question still crossed her mind – what was she doing there? Was this another of Ernest’s plot? Or was it Jeremy who had done it? He actually had her at heart? She couldn’t help but wonder, Jeremy was stinkingly rich and so was Ernest. The more she pondered over it, the more perplexed she became. She heaved a weary sigh. Following their orders could provide the answers she needed. They were even too strong for her – the men. She resigned to doing so.

As the door to the mansion opened, she was greeted by five young maids, in their uniforms, ready to recieve her. They took her from the bloody looking men, leading her to a room. She got confused. Where to now? She didn’t give protesting a single thought, it wouldn’t save her.

*

*

*

Jeremy exhaled, looking out the window. Silence filled the moving vehicle. The silence was only broken when Ernest gave further directions to the place Purity was taken and after that, they relapsed to silence. He was glad it was thay way. Hearing Ernest speak to him was repulsive. It only ignited the feeling of anger and hatred he felt for him. Keeping his d–n mouth shut was good for them. Something else was of importance to him. He needed to get to her, to see her. He wished she was okay and that it wouldn’t be impossible to help her out by the time they find her.

“I wanna call Allan,” he said to Darren. “I need to know the situation over there.”

“Go on,” Darren replied absent minded. His thoughts were far away. He hoped they wouldn’t fail, he wouldn’t fail his friends.

“Allan,” Jeremy breathed out when the phone was answered. “What’s up?”

“Its not that easy,” Allan drawled in a disappointed tone.

That response made Jeremy’s heart lurch, “What’s happening? It should be easy.”

“It happens that the cop to help us out turns out to be Tricia’s dad. We’re tryna convince the old man to be on our side.”

Jeremy sighed, “That’s one hell of a job.”

“We’re working on it. Will get back to you when we’re ready.”

*

*

*

“What do you want with me? Why bring me here? Who are you all?” Purity asked the maids when they were finally locked up in a room – a very beautiful one at that. But her mind wasn’t settled. She had to know.

None of them agreed to speak up. They just looked at her and exhcanged glances among themselves. It looked as if they communicated with their eyes, reading eachother’s minds. And they tried reading hers. They had no idea if they were to carry out their duty or not.

“Please,” Purity insisted. “I don”t know what I’m doing here. Make me feel comfortable.”

A sigh came from one of the maid, probably the oldest. “We just want to dress you up. The boss gave us that order.”

“Who is your boss?” she questioned, her hope lighting up, “Who wants me dressed up?”

“Please, ma’am. We don’t want to get to trouble. Let’s do our jobs.”

Purity frowned. Who is the boss? Could it be Jeremy? Musing wouldn’t get her anywhere.

99

Tricia lay lazily in the bathtub. Her body covered with soapy water and her left hand hand out, dripping slowly with water. She closed her eyes, thinking deeply. The soapy water kept dripping off her hand at intervals making a soft noise as it touched the tiled floor.

The bathroom remained still except for the little drops of water that decreased each time one fell off. She laid still, motionless. Silence. Silence. Beats of silence.

“Nooo!!!” she shrieked suddenly, lifting herself off the tub. She placed both hands on her ears frantically. “It can’t be,” she whispered to the air. “It just can’t be,” she cried out again.

With quivering hands, she covered her nudity; wrapping a white cotton towel around her body. “They won’t let me be,” she muttered, stepping out of the bathtub, “Please, go away,” she sobbed.

And they wouldn’t just listen. They just continued speaking at the same time. Tricia felt her head was gonna split into two. She really couldn’t take it anymore. She covered her ears with her hands a second time and found her way out of the bathroom. On getting to her bedroom, she sank into her bed, weeping. “I’ve got to be her. If I’m not her, they’d never leave me.” More determined, she repeated, “I’ve got to be her. Tricia Cayson no more exists. I am Purity Theodore.”

*

*

*

“Give me a name,” Purity persisted. She was sure it’d get a good result. Without anymore whinnings and protests, she wholeheartedly submitted herself to the maids. They had done whatever they wanted, and she smiled at the perfect reflection of herself in the mirror. She never believed she’d be as pretty as she was after all that Ernest put her through. She exhaled, “I’m really curious to know,” she flashed the maid who had earlier answered her questions a broad smile, “Please…..”

The maid was between crossroads. A part of her wanted to jump right at the miss’s offer and tell her all she wanted to hear. The other part declined, and for good reasons. She had to keep her job and talking would do no good, it might cost her her job. Then, she’d be out on the streets with her son – begging. It was something she never wanted to happen. She closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled sharply as she weighed the outcomes of her intended actions in her head. “Miss,” she called out softly, opening her eyes, “I can’t do it. As much as I want to, I can’t. Please, don’t ask any further questions.”

A frown curled Purity’s lips. She thought of a better idea. “Um, why don’t you give me the letter his name starts with. Trust me, if you were in my shoes, you’d be dying to know as much as I am.”

She felt sorry for her. She knew that feeling too – being kept in the dark while everyone else was aware. Its unbearable. This wouldn’t hurt, right? “Its a J.”

Purity grinned. “A J.” she repeated. “Its a J,” she said again. She felt her stomach flutter. “A J.” It was Jeremy. He was actually the one behind the facade, just to show how much he loved her. She felt loved. “Um, does he by any chance have a Y in his name?”

“Uh…..yes, he does.”

That’s it! Her guess wasn’t hazarded. It was a good guess. Jeremy, Jeremy. Oh, how she had missed him. She was finally gonna see him and determinded to love him back. Nothing was going to deny her of being happy, especially with him. She wasn’t scared anymore, she was more than willing to love him and have him as hers.

“Miss, its time. He awaits your presence,” the maid informed, breaking into her reverie.

Purity smiled dreamily. Excited she was. She couldn’t wait to lay her eyes on him. The only man who had succeeded in breaking the walls around her heart. Staring at the mirror, she said, “Lets do some finishing touch.”

*

*

*

“Two turns at your left,” Ernest directed. He was going to help get Melisa back. He was sure of it. Good thing he realized his mistakes, but it was a little late. Despite that, he was determined to be a good guy and love enough to let go, just like Jeremy.

Darren felt the piercing silence eating him up. He decided to take advantage of it. “Ernest,” he called out, exhaling. “Are you sure you’re taking us to the right place? If this happens to be a set up, I’d personally put a bullet to your skull,” he threatened.

“Its the right place.” He thought for a while, “I’m not wrong. If we don’t get to find her, they might have moved.” He looked scared. They shouldn’t move, he prayed. “I swear it-”

“Don’t you f—–g swear!” Jeremy exclaimed, irritated. “Do not swear in my presence,” he warned.

“Relax brother, he’s tryna convince -”

“I think we’re here,” Ernest cut him off.

100

Darren forgot he was about to chide his friend on hearing Ernest’s statement. Without a thought, he hit the brakes and slewed the vehicle off the road and shut the engine. “Sure this is it?”

“It sure is,” Ernest confirmed.

Jeremy did not utter a word. He just stared at the big black gate. “Whoever did this must have a lot of power,” he mumbled.

“Ernest, you’re gonna go to jail. Why do you even wanna help us?” Darren asked.

“Its not in anyway gonna reduce your sentence,” Jeremy curtly said.

“It could.”

Ernest sighed. “I know all of that. And I’m not doing this just to get out of prison or escape it. I deserve to pay for my crimes. But I wanna do something good before ending up there.”

“Are you sure about this?” Darren questioned.

“I am.”

Jeremy was not interested if Ernest had changed or not. It didn’t appeal to him. He just did not give a d–n about that. Saving Purity was of more concern to him. “How do we get her?”

“I have an idea.” Darren smiled.

*

*

*

David Cayson sat behind the wheels of his police car, driving to a street he never knew existed in New York city. Three other vehicles of similar brand trailed behind his. Riding with him were Myles and the doctor he just met. They were on a rescue mission.

“Forgive me, Tricia,” he whispered bitterly. The pain he felt at his heart could not be compared to any physical pain. The pain was doing a lot of damage to him. He was unable to accept the fact that his daughter – his very on little girl of yesterday had become something else, someone he does not recognize. Hearing it from the two gentlemen sounded ridiculous. But they convinced him, it was true. Now, his daughter was not just a shadow of herself but an imagination of her own self. She lived according to her thoughts. Her new self was merely of fantasy.

He sighed, wringling those thoughts out of his head. He’ll figure out a way to save her later. Now was the time to save Purity. Purity Theodre – his daughter’s role model and arch-enemy.

“They’re at his place,” Allan broke the silence, interrupting David’s thinking as well. “The place of the guy who had her kidnapped.”

“Have they gone in yet?” Myles asked.

“Um… It seems so.”

“We gotta hurry.”

“No,” Allan refused. “They’ve got a plan. Lets not burst in there and ruin it! Spoil their show.”

David chuckled. “Is this what it means to you? A show? Its live and direct boy.”

“I know. I-”

“Lets hope his mighty ‘plan’ of theirs doesn’t get them into trouble.” He breathed deeply. “I’m gonna step on the accelerator and the rest would follow.”

*

*

*

They led her gently out of the room she had just changed in. She was going to meet with Jeremy. At last! Acting like a baby was what she thought of doing. Screaming excitedly, jumping exhilaratingly and scurring off to find him. She just had to act cool and bottle up those feelings inside of her. She wasn’t gonna let people wonder if she had gone crazy.

“Do you speak French?” the maid inquired.

“What? What did you say?” Purity asked. She hadn’t quite heard her vividly.

“French? You know it?”

“Nope. I do not know. Why should I?” Purity asked, bewildered.

“The boss does. Just got back from Paris.”

They stopped right in front of a massive door. “This is it.” the maid finally said and they left Purity standing by herself.

She did not have the chance to reply the maid. Jeremy speaks French? She had no idea he did. Or was it not Jeremy? Was it someone else? The happiness she felt slowly crept away. The feelings of anxiety, fright, nervousness found their way back into her. Purity groaned. “Don’t I deserve to be happy?” she whispered. “I’m gonna know what this is about.”

Shuffling towards the door, she pushed it open and it gave way easily. That added to her fears, but she wasn’t gonna back out. She quickly stepped in, hoping to keep the door open. But it jammed itself right after she got in. That did not make her comfortable. Sighing, she turned her back to the door. She looked around; it was study room, but it wasn’t her business.

“Bonjour Mademoiselle,” a masculine voice greeted.

“So it was never Jeremy Broderick.”

…to be continued

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