Sacrilege – Episode 21

Sacrilege – Episode 21

© Adeola Nissi

At first, all Tito could see was her mind’s orchestration of the accident, the wrecked bloody car the internet had so perfectly captured, the bloody bodies she knew would have been dragged out of the wreckage and into that damned hospital. All she could feel was the pain her father was in, the fear of losing yet another person who genuinely loved and cared for her…

Then suddenly, she couldn’t see it anymore, couldn’t see the demons that plagued her… she saw something different, felt something different, even smelt something different. Chris’ mouth took hers quickly, snatching her from her demons until her mind was fully installed in the moment. His lips on hers was firm but surprisingly gentle; almost like he was trying to anchor her firmly to sanity. Her hands were shocked to her sides. Her brain still hadn’t processed the significance of what was going on, not to talk of knowing how she would react to it. There was gentle tenderness in the way his hand came up her back, pulling her closer into the circle of his arms while the other hand cupped her cheek, arching her head ever so slightly upwards as he kissed her. Chris’ lips demanded a response and before she knew it, she found herself responding, answering the kiss, opening up to him as her heart thundered in her chest and her blood simmered in her veins. Her head spun, his scent filled her nostrils, driving away the stench of blood that pervaded her nostrils from memory and her mind was reprogramed until she couldn’t think about anything other than this kiss. But as quickly as it had begun, just when her hands moved to touch his muscular shoulders, Chris ended the kiss.

Tito’s eyes snapped open and they stared straight into Chris’ probing eyes. Her breath came out unevenly. she felt shaken to the core and it angered her that Chris looked as unruffled as ever. How dare he? Chris probed into her with his eyes. Something flashed Chris’ eyes for a second, then, it was gone, giving way to concern. “You okay?” The hand at her waist squeezed slightly, sending warning signs into Tito’s brain as Chris thumb fingered away the tear Tito didn’t know was on her face.

She blinked. “Let go of me!” she snapped, stumbling backwards and out of his arms. How had she let this happen? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lukman staring at them, both in amusement and in confusion. “What do you think you are doing?” she rubbed the back of her hand against her mouth as anger flashed in her eyes. If only it would wipe away the kiss that still tingled her lips.

Chris saw the gesture and his eyes narrowed. Now this was the part of Tito he was well accustomed to. Comparing both, he thought he’d pick angry Tito over emotional Tito anytime any day. He shrugged. “You were having a moment”

“My father is in the hospital and all you can think about is how you can get me into your bed?”

“What? No! That’s not what this was about and you know it” Chris snapped. His expression showed just how absurd he thought her statement was. He couldn’t believe she would even think that.

“Oh… And what was this then?”

Chris released a breath. “C’mon. It’s not that deep, Tito. It’s just a kiss”

Tito blinked. “Just a…” she paused and let out a strained chuckle. “Of course. What else would it be?” She turned and marched towards the apartment ahead. She jammed her hand into her purse to extract her keys. She still thankfully had the keys to her father’s apartment. Opening it, she marched inside and made straight for her father’s bedroom. Fear might have ruled her just a moment ago, but now; anger had every part of her being. It possessed every muscle in her body. Her father should occupy her every thoughts. Even if the thought of her father was slowly pulling her towards insanity, he deserved to be in her thoughts. How dare Chris bot into her thoughts? How dare he kiss her? Fuming, it took her only few minutes to grab the few clothes she felt was needed before she made out.

Chris was waiting outside the apartment. He could not understand what Tito was so mad about. He had only been trying to help. So, why was she being so bitchy? His jaws were clenched and his eyes had grown darker. If his schooled features weren’t any indication, the hands jammed into his pockets told Tito beyond words that he was very angry. Well, that makes two of us, Tito thought, because she was extremely angry. Not just at him but at herself; maybe even more at herself and she knew why… How could she not? And what should he be angry at anyways? She was the only one who had the right to be angry here.

She locked the door and walked past Chris towards her father’s car. “You can go, I’d get to the hospital on my own” she said over her shoulder in a nonchalant fashion, holding out her father’s car keys and pressing the unlock button.

Chris stormed towards her. He released a savage oath under her breath that Tito didn’t catch. “I certainly am not leaving you to drive.” He grabbed her elbow, whirling her around to face him.

“Listen, I have been driving myself for years without an itch, okay? I don’t need you to be my watchdog” she muttered her chin up; as she matched him stare for stare, anger for anger.

“Yeah? And when you sight the hospital and panic? I am not about to let you drive yourself to death, Tito. Now, if I have to carry you over to the car and strap you to the seat, that’s exactly what I’d do.”

Tito’s mouth fell dry as she squeezed the back of clothes she had in her hand. She tipped her chin, returning his furious glare with her own. “You wouldn’t dare”

Something flashed in his eyes as a dry smile touched his mouth. “Very well” Chris bent in a flash and before Tito could think of his intent, he had her in the air, hanging over his shoulder like a bag of cement. She let out a shriek as she hung, bent in half, buttocks in the air, head bent over till she had an eyeful of his muscled back and buttocks. She tried not to think of humiliating fact that the hand holding the bag was resting on his butt. She had never felt worse indignation. If she had thought Chris had done the absolute worst by kissing her, he definitely had more surprises in store. Right now, she knew if she had a gun, she would fire a short straight into Chris’ heart without a blink. She pounded on Chris’ back with her free hand in fury, her soft hand, connecting with his hard back. Tears stung her eyes as Chris marched out of the compound, while Lukman got an eyeful of her humiliation.

***** Gloria took cautious steps into the doctor’s office and closed the door. The sight of her daughter created this deep feeling within her that she could not explain. It was so unfamiliar. Her eyes rotated from Doctor Hassan to her newly found daughter who wiped away tears from her eyes. She knew instinctively that there was something going on between the doctor and her Tinuke but now was surely not the time to ask. Doctor Hassan looked a bit unsettled as he moved and went round the table to his seat. Her daughter, on the other hand, looked pissed. “I’m sorry about that, ma’am” Doctor Hassan was saying but she merely nodded, staring at her daughter.

“Are you okay, Tinuke?” she muttered.

Teju nearly groaned. What on earth was she doing here again? “Fine” she snapped. “Listen, I am not Tinuke, okay? Can you stop calling me that?”

“I’m sorry” Gloria said automatically.

“Tinuke?” Hassan frowned in confusion.

“She is delusional” she muttered.

Hassan frowned at Teju. “Really, Teju” he was obviously wondering where her respect had gone to.

Gloria understood and smiled. “I deserve that”

Teju scowled, not taking her eyes off Gloria. Just when she came to accept her problems, she didn’t want to think of the fact that she had more in stock for her. Even if Mrs. Aderigbe confirmed it, she was not about to accept it. How could she accept that Gloria was her mother? That Laura was her step sister, or worse, that Frank Johnson was her step father? It was just too terrible to imagine. “What are you doing here? You’re stalking me now?”

Gloria swallowed. “No. I… I’m here for my daughter… Stepdaughter” she corrected.

Hassan stared from Teju to Gloria and decided to leave his questions for later. “Margaret?”

Gloria shifted her eyes from Teju’s slowly, gazing at the doctor. She nodded. “You need to discharge her”

“She isn’t fit to leave now”

“She doesn’t care, and frankly, I’m also tired of caring. Her father just had an accident and Margaret won’t rest till she sees him”

Teju frowned. “Mr. Johnson was in an accident?” She gasped out.

Gloria tried to keep her emotions in check. She was trying to be strong for all the kids looking up to her for emotional support but frankly, she was drained. The day had brought on too many blows. “The two Johnsons” She managed.

Teju felt her heart slam in her chest. “With… with Tito’s father?” Her hands shook. “Oh my God” Teju sank into a seat. She couldn’t understand what was happening anymore. Her eyes watered as she stared at Gloria. “Are they…” she couldn’t bear to finish her statement.

Gloria swallowed. “I… I don’t know”. The thought of any one of the twins being dead was too unbearable for her. There was so much mystery surrounding Teju. If Gloria hadn’t been sure, Teju’s reaction now told her that there was something between her and the Johnson twins.

Teju shot to her feet. “I’m coming with you to the hospital. I have to see Tito’s father”

Margaret nodded. She looked at the doctor until he reluctantly shrugged, probably realizing the futility in arguing. He pulled out a sheet of paper, scribbling some things to grant Margaret’s discharge before giving the paper to Gloria. “Give this to one of the nurses” he said to her. He sent Teju a look rife with meaning. “Be careful” he said.

Teju nodded. Gloria noted the exchange as she turned, hastening out of the office with Teju following her closely.

*****

Deolu sat on the uncomfortable hospital wooden bench, his arm was arched around Laura’s shoulder as he caressed her hair. She poured over the things she had found out about Mark Johnson and Frank Johnson. The gory details sounded so terrible and he could understand why Laura had been so upset when he had found her, running herself to exhaustion in the dead of the night. He felt her pain. Even as she spoke, her tears making a wet patch on his shirt, he wished he would take away the pain that was ravaging her. He wished he could have been there to hold her when Mark told her those things. But when she mentioned Teju and Laura told him of how Mark hadn’t exactly denied or accepted the fact that he had raped Teju, Deolu tensed. His arm tightened around her. He heard her unspoken words. He heard the thought that must be ravaging her mind. The thought that the child Teju was carrying was actually not his.

Now was not the time to tell her of what he had just found out. It wasn’t the time to tell her that Teju insisted the child was his. It was certainly not the time to tell her that his mother had orchestrated it all. He still felt like a fool for falling so cheaply into their trap. One thing still puzzled Deolu. He couldn’t believe he had been so wrong about Teju all along. He had known her for probably as long as he had known himself. How could she have hidden this part of her for so long? Also, her reaction when she had more or less driven them out of her house still puzzled him. She had looked scared, betrayed, and even… in pain.

Laura raised her head from Deolu’s chest. Her eyes were red. “I told him I hated him” she said, amidst tears. “I don’t… God knows I can’t. Despite it all, I still love him very much”

Deolu wiped her tears, it was disconcerting seeing it. “He knows that”

“What if he doesn’t?” Laura pushed slightly away from Deolu’s arms, feeling restless. “What if he is on that hospital bed thinking I hate him? I even called him a monster. Oh God!”

Deolu captured Laura’s face between his two palms, holding her gaze with his. “Laura, stop. Listen to me” and he hoped his eyes held more reassurance than he felt. “You have to stop tormenting yourself, love. You said those things in a fit of anger. He knows you didn’t mean it.” He said. “He would have seen past your words to the eyes which carries the true feelings of the heart”

Laura blinked, sending tears rolling down. “And my dad?” she asked as her mouth shook. “And Frank? I always told him I despised him. It was always there in my actions, in my words…” she pushed to her feet. “It certainly was all he saw in my eyes” she bit her lips. “He surely doesn’t doubt what I feel for him, does he?”

Deolu stood and pulled Laura into his arms, hugging her tight. He raised her head with his finger and planted a small kiss on her lips. “You would have enough time to show him just how much you love him” he reassured.

Laura nodded. There was something about having Deolu’s arms around her, having his scent envelope her like a glove. It made her feel safe; feel protected; like everything could be alright with the world. It was one of the reasons why she had fled the house that night after Teju crashed her happiness.

A doctor approached and Deolu’s heart slammed against his ribs. He dreaded the news they were about to receive. His arms tightened protectively around Laura, wanting to shield her from what was to come. Laura felt the tension in Deolu’s body. Felt how rigid he had suddenly become. It was almost she was being held by a rock. She lifted her eyes to his but her eyes caught the white uniform approaching and she snapped straights. All colour left her face as she tried to pry herself from Deolu’s grip.

“Doctor” she forced in a pitched tone. She pushed against his hand until Deolu let her go, holding her hand in a viselike grip as he moved with her to meet the doctor. “How are they, doctor?” tears shone in Laura’s eyes as they got to the doctor.

“The twin accident victims” Deolu explained.

The doctor frowned at them. “And you are?”

“In-law. She is their daughter” Deolu answered.

“Daughter” Laura seconded as she moved restlessly on a spot. Her heart was racing so fast, she was sure she would have a panic attack any minute now. “I am their daughter, sir… please, how are they?”

The doctor frowned, not understanding what she meant by ‘their daughter’, then he seemed to dismiss it. He looked indifferent as he stared at Deolu and Laura. “Is there any older relative you can call?”

Laura paled. “No… not that line, no!” She had heard that line so many times in movies, enough times to know that statement was a prelude to terrible news.

“Calm down. Laura” Deolu was having a hard time holding Laura firmly in place. He tried not to glare at the doctor. “Please tell us how they are sir”

The doctor saw the tension and sighed. His shoulders seemed to slump as he opened his mouth. “We tried our best… but

“But what?” Laura’s eyes were as large as saucers.

The doctor took a deep breath. “I am sorry…”

“No!” Laura’s eyes widened as tears fell from her eyes.

“Laura, please…” Deolu tried to hold Laura closer but she shrank back.

“Don’t be sorry… please don’t…” she sobbed, horror written all over her.

To be continued

 

ALL EPISODES

5 Comments

  1. Eya, Rest in peace to the inseparable Mr. Johnsons. But how’ll their children survive this series of bad news na?

  2. oh dear..this is so unfair at least a final chance to way I love you to each of then😞😟😞

    enjoying the story though.

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