Mended Hearts – Episode 14

Mended Hearts – Episode 14

© Jennifer Godwin

“Williams, why?, why did you decide to tarnish the image of our family?” Helena asked placing her hands on her waist, she got back from her vacation only to hear the devastating news.

“Am sorry Lena, it was a mistake, I was so happy about the contract then, I decided to complete it by getting someone to lay with, am so sorry” he answered looking up soberly.

“And you Chibugo, all these things were going on in my family and you didn’t see it necessary to tell me?” she barked at Kenny, she has the habit of addressing him by his native name whenever she wanted to say something important.

“Am sorry Mom, I didn’t want to ruin your vacation, you worked so hard for it” Kenny said immediately sitting up, he knew so well not to relax back when his mother had called him by his native name, the matter was damn serious.

“What stupid vacation are you talking about?, I can always go for the vacation next time, you should have told me” she shouted angrily.

“Am sorry Mom” he answered keeping his face down.

“I will want to meet her, arrange for the meeting” she said sitting down on the sofa.

“Who?” Kenny asked together with his father.

“Your mistress of course, I want to know who she is” she said crossing her leg.

“she is not my Mistress Lena, she is just someone I made a mistake with” Williams answered guiltily.

“I don’t care if she is your mistress or not, I need to see her, arrange for that” she eyed her husband.

“Okay, I will get her address for you” Williams answered.

“And as for you Chibugo, leaving your father’s house is not the best decision to make, go back to the hotel, pack your things back to this place right away” she ordered reaching for her handbag.

“Okay Mom, I will do just that” Kenny said standing up.

“And Williams, schedule a meeting with our family lawyer before the end of this week” she said looking for something in her handbag.

“Lawyer? but wh..at d..do.. you ne..ed a law..yer for?” Williams asked getting scared, hoping that she didn’t want to file for a divorce.

“Am not filing for a divorce” she said as if reading his mind. “we need to start the adoption/recognition process right away, they are your children Willie, they need to be in the family tree” she concluded finally bringing out the thing she was looking for, her diary.

“I will do just that, am sorry once again for everything” he said letting out a smile, for the fact that she called him “Willie,” he was still safe.

Kenny was about leaving the house when he met Obinna coming in to his house, he was surprised at why he came, was something wrong?, he wondered.

“Good day Boss” Obinna greeted as soon they met.

“Obinna cut the Boss crap, my name is Kenny, or you can as well call me Mr Williams” he said with a wave of the hand.

“Alright Mr Williams, I came to tell you something important, yesterday when I was coming out from the factory, I saw Funmilayo heading out from the office, I don’t know what she came to do, I thought she came to see her daughter until Funmi told me that she was at the company canteen, please you need to be at the office tomorrow and carry out an inspection.” he concluded putting his hands in his pocket.

“No problem, I will be at the office tomorrow, how is my sister holding up” he asked even surprised that the word “Sister” felt comfortable on his lips.

“Sister?” Obinna asked surprised.

“She is my sister and the earlier I start getting used to calling her that, the better for me” he said walking towards his car, he always had that brotherly feeling towards Funmi right from the day he employed her, it was a pity that they didn’t enjoy the luxury of life, he shook his head while entering his car.

“when the adoption process is over, I will spoil funmi silly” he said starting his car.

___

James got to the club with Gabriel looking lost, they stood in front of a gigantic building with the name “The 360 lounge” boldly written, the owner sure spent money on the building and was also getting money from it, it was a three storey building, the down floor was the club and beside it was the bar/lounge, the second and the last floor was for people lodging in at any time. people spend money like they drink water, James thought.

“Which way to go Gabriel?” he asked looking around.

“I don’t know, let’s just walk into the compound first, my friend once told me that well to do men come by this time to book for strippers to perform personally for them, let’s just act like clients and remember we need to act fast” he said looking around for any sign of danger lurking around.

“Okay then, let us ask the security dude over there” He said heading towards the building.

After much hassle, they were directed to Anny’s room, James climbed the stairs fast not minding Gabriel’s warning about his injury. He got to room 25 and knocked, he heard the person inside mutter something that he didn’t hear, he did the sign of cross, praying that he came before Tobi and any member of the CLAVE.

“How can I help you?” a young lady of about 26 years old asked scanning James and Gabriel from head to toe, Zowey, the security man had told her that two clients were looking for her, but looking at the young men standing in front of her, they don’t look like people she do business with, zowey should know her better.

“Are you Anny Mathew?” James asked hoping she replies in affirmative.

“Yes I am, how may I help you?” she asked still not looking away from them.

“Please we have something important to discuss with you, I am James, and this is my colleague, Gabriel”. he said carefully not wanting to add that he was a police man.

“Alright, you can come in” she said leaving the door way. “Make yourselves comfortable” she added going towards the window pane where she stocked forks and hairpins, she would stab them if they try any nonsense.

“Your friend sent us to you, you need to come with us right away, your life is in danger, they have already killed your friend”. James said in a haste, they need to be on the run.

“Wait, which friend are talking about?” she asked still not moving an inch from the window.

“Your friend, the one you live with, I don’t know her name, we just left her house, she is dead and they are coming for you” Gabriel said this time getting pissed, they were finding it difficult to convince her.

“Wait, they killed Olive?, why? she did nothing wrong” she said tightening her fist.

“those people want to start a war they can’t finish, I am the daughter of a locksmith, I grew up in the village, am stronger than I look, they should not mess with me” she said looking out from the window.

“We need to leave here now, they are probably on their way” James said surprised at what was fueling her courage, a young lady going against the CLAVE? unbelievable.

“They are here” she said picking a fork from the window pane, she bent it in such a way that it was as flat as a knife, she started sharpening it at the edge of the window.

“Who are the they?” Gabriel asked getting scared.

“Spark and Host, they have come to ki*ll me” she said not stopping with what she was doing, not portraying any feeling of fear.

“Spark is here?” James said moving towards the window, he needed to see the person that shot him.

“But that is not spark, that is inspector Tobi and the other one is inspector Max, they are the people in charge of the investigation now, common we need to leave now” he said shaking the young lady.

“I don’t know what you just called him, that person standing in front is Spark while the one behind is Host, they were in charge of the refreshments on the day of the interview” she said letting James know that she could never forget their faces.

“Wait, which interview, what refreshments” Gabriel asked looking from the girl to James.

“You mean that Inspector Tobi is spark and inspector Max is Host?, they are working for the CLAVE?, Tobi was the person that shot me, holy moses” James said clutching his stomach in pain.

“You are bleeding bro, we need to get out of here right away, you are looking pale” Gabriel said looking at the blood stain on his shirt.

“You are coming with us Anny, we have many things to talk about, you can’t handle two men with just a fork” James said still clutching his stomach.

“Alright then, we need to pass through the back door, they must be climbing up by now” she said leading the way with the duo following carefully behind.

___

“Mara, this is your aunt Felicia, your mother’s sister, she was the one that saved your mother from the evil plans of Agness and her stepsister” Mr Johnson said pointing at Felicia.

“How are you doing my dear?, Johnson told me everything, how you didn’t believe that Agness could do all those things” she said taking Mara’s hand into hers.

“Am surprised at everything, I was actually curious on why my parents had to wait for 6 good years before giving birth to my younger sister, but it is finally making sense now, the age gap and everything” she said shaking her head sadly.

“I will explain everything to you” Felicia said shifting closer to Mara.

“I did something when I was 24 years old and Margaret was 22, I fell in love with someone from Calabar, my parents didn’t approve, they wanted someone from the east, so when I insisted on getting married to Ndifreke, they told me to choose between him and my family, I followed my heart and ran away with him, but I loved my sister so much so I decided to go see her at home.”

“I got to our gate and waited for Margaret to come out since I was denied access into the house. Not long after, I saw her come out with her best friend Agness, I rushed to hug her but she pushed me away and said many hurtful things to me, how I abandoned my family because of a Calabar man, how shameless I was, that I should not show her my face ever again. I couldn’t bear the things she told me so I ran away, deciding not to come back again, 4 years later, I got married to Ndifreke, his people were not in support of the marriage too, so we went against them and got married, I started working as a nurse at a clinic, some months later, I saw my sister been pushed into the labour room.

“I was worried, I paced round the hospital with prayers on my lips until I heard the cry of a baby, I happily ran to the restroom to ease myself, I had been pressed for long, on getting there, I started hearing voices, I wanted to do what I came for and head out, but then, I heard my sister’s name, and I also heard someone say poison, I completely decided to listen to them, I gathered information that they wanted my sister and her baby dead, I opened my mouth in shock and waited for them to leave before coming out, and when I came out, it was Agness and her step sister.

” I waited for Funmilayo to leave before confronting Agness, I told her that I was going to let my sister know everything, she told me that I should not forget how Margaret pushed me away the other time, that what my sister felt for me then was pure hatred, that she won’t even listen to me. I planned to save Margaret and her baby without letting her see me.”

“When I got home, I explained everything to my husband and we planned on doing something about it. the next day, when I got to the clinic, I heard the matron say that my sister was having complications, that she will be transferred to a higher hospital, I called my husband immediately and he told me to make sure I join them in the journey, and we should make sure that we pass through Igwurita road, I didn’t understand at first until we got to Igwurita road, armed robbers accosted us, hit the driver and the other nurse with something on the head making them pass out, I was bundled into the car with Margaret and the clinic car was set ablaze”

“I thought they were robbers until they took us to another hospital where Ndifreke was waiting, they administered treatment to her immediately and she was stabilized. she was on oxygen for many years, when she finally gained consciousness, she went mute, she won’t talk or acknowledge someone’s presence, we were taking care of her until Ndifreke died, his people took everything from us, leaving nothing for my daughter and i. I was watching TV one day when I saw Johnson win the best dealer in Auto mobile, we relocated to owerri immediately and i contacted him 8 years ago, Margaret was still not talking to anyone then, Johnson took her to the hospital and the doctor told us that she lost her memory that was why she went mute, she had not seen what would trigger her memory and get her to talk, she has suffered so much.” she concluded sobbing.

“You know the rest of the story Mara, don’t you?” Johnson asked looking at her.

“I Can’t believe that Mom would do something like that, someone I took as my mom for the past 26 years” she said breaking into a sob “where is Aunt Margaret, I mean my mom now?” she asked wiping her tears.

“She is at the hospital, once you are been discharged, you will go see her” Felicia said giving her a hug.

To be continued

 

ALL EPISODES