Ron still has not understood why his father is bent on sending him abroad, he knows he messed up but his father’s action is uncalled for, now he has no choice but to leave though he only wants do do one thing before he leaves and that’s talking to Melanie and explaining that he didn’t really abandon her at the alter because he doesn’t love her or because she’s carrying another man’s pregnancy which she never called for but to tell her that he could not go through with the wedding because she was carrying the blood of a,rapist, he will never stand touching her if that thought still remains in his head ……his next stop is in Perry’s room where she’s preparing to go to bed “What do you want again” she asks making it looks so obvious that she wasn’t really interested in talking to her brotherCan we talk lil Sis” “No…it’s been a long day and I need some rest” “I know but please Sis, don’t turn your back on me….at least not you” she finally swifts her attention on her brother “If I tell you right now that I was not hurt and still I am not hurt with what you did, trust me Ronald I will be lying to to you and myself” “I know…. and for that I’m really truly sorry” “You see, I’m still getting used to the fact that you have never really changed, still the same Ronald you were back then” her words hurt him so much “Dad wants me to go” “Go where” “I don’t know, he just wants me to get ready in two days time I will be leaving” “Isn’t that what you wanted, then that’s a good thing” “You know it isn’t, you are only saying this because you’re hurt” “Doesn’t matter….” “But….before I leave, I need a favour from you…. I need to speak with Mel and please you help me” “You wish to speak with who?… Melanie?….. get serious” “Please you help me or else you tell me where she is” “I will tell you where she is unless you tell me why you developed cold feet all of a sudden” “OK, I won’t lie to you because you’re Perry my sister…..I didn’t leave her because of the fact that she was raped or she’s pregnant… but the fact that she’s carrying the blood of that bastard we don’t even know is what I could not take” Perry continues to stare at he brother unbelievably You surprise me by the day Ronald, what a cheap excuse” “Yes it’s cheap but you can’t blame me” she furiously gets up “You know what, I’m so glad you left her because she doesn’t deserve a hypocrite who is no where near being a saint” “Don’t run that in my face” “Sure….. u can’t waste me energy on you” “Please tell me where she’s and understand why I’m trying to do this, I want to leave this burden behind so I can start a new life” “Well, since you care to know…. you can tune on the TV in your room and watch the free drama you created, you shall see the back of a savour oh how I wish they covered his face so we would all see,!!…. you will see a hero, a saviour who stood tall against the world as Melanie was going through hell, to defend her like she was his sister, no body knew who he was because no body paid him any attention but the moment they started covering, he was already heading out of there” “What are you saying…. a stranger defended Mel… my Mel” “Point of correction, you don’t have a Mel, you lost that right few hours ago and yes, he took her away and up to date no body knows where he took her to and ehoi he is”……. Ron is not looking good………. Monica is seated in her living room just reading some papers as the news bulletins run, since she received an assurance call from her son, she’s not really worried about him not coming home tonight, she didn’t bother to ask him why he wasn’t coming home until when sees someone who looks like her son fighting the news people ” Lisa…Lisa ” she calls out the maid who runs out immediately “Is that not my son?…. what did Tobi put on” Lisa is too shocked to even react “I could swear with my mother’s life that he’s the one boss” Monica gets up and starts to pace up and down, she had never paid attention to watch the newsfrom the beginning but now this whole thing is getting out if hand, she’s not liking this latest behavior of Tobi “First it was coming home drunk and wasted but fighting In public like a common unemployed youth is the last stroll, I will not allow him to sink my company down with him” she can now tell why he’s not coming home, she wonders where he could be, she calls the gateman who says Tobi is not there…she calls a few of his friends but no one has seen Tobi or even heard from him………. After saying their good nights and heading in to their respective rooms, Tobi finally gets to rest after being up and down almost through out….he lies on his back just starring at the ceiling, he’s so stuck between the rocks because he’s not really functioning well in the head “I can’t be like this forever, I know Melanie is just trying to look strong when in reality she’s Broken up….it’s not healthy because in most cases people who are like her end up taking their own life and people will get to wonder why they did it when they were looking fine and fully recovered…… what if I tell her the truth, will she ever forgive me because I can’t seem to forgive myself” he processes this and lies still but suddenly, something tells him go to the window and he does though reluctantly, he thought he saw something move when he looks down at the corner of the house, the security light in that corner is off and since he was just indoors, he didn’t know it wasn’t working…. he focuses his attention and that’s it, it’s a woman “We’re only two in this house… could it be that askari (gateman) brings in women here, but then why would Askari’s woman cross over to this side of the house” he continues to think, maybe askari is sleeping by now and didn’t see someone sneak in…..something tells him to come down but he decides to see what this mysterious person is all about…. the woman scouts down and puts down something, she also has a jerrican in her hand, she pours the content in the jerrican on what she put down, she lit fire and sets it ablaze, as the fire continues to increase, he can see who is is clearly “Melanie…. how did you get there” it appears like she’s going to let her own dress she’s putting on to catch the fire as she sinks down with yet something that he can’t see properly in he hand, Tobi doesn’t remember how but he only slips his feet in the available slippers at the foot of his double bed and runs out of there bare chested in the cold whether calling out to her, he finds when she’s just starring at the fire and this time without crying, her wedding gown burns into flames Melanie ” he calls her and that’s when he sees her holding Long kitchen knife “Stay away from me….don’t get any close” she threatens pointing the knife at her herself like she’s about to do something crazy “Please, put it down Melanie…. put it down and let’s talk” he takes another step towards her but she’s getting wild, she’s having flashbacks, he’s not putting on any shirt and it only appears to her like he’s going to do the same thing to her, like he only wants her body too “Please don’t hurt me….don’t touch me I swear today I’m going to stub myself or slit my throat if you don’t get a way from me” “I just want to help you please put it down” he begs and she begins to tremble in fear, her body shaking and she’s loosing balance yet she still has some strength the defend herself and threaten Tobi ” “It’s me Tobi Melanie please” “It was you….it is you, you just want to hurt me again but I won’t let you” she’s shaking and Tobi finally gets to her and Mel who was about to faint in the fire faints in his strong arms with the long knife falling freely, their voice must have attracted the askari because he comes running “Boss what happened” “What happened is you have been sleeping you idiot, this woman almost took her life when you the askari was there only sleeping” “Sorry boss…. I just fell asleep” “Get off my sight” he tries to get Mel back to the house, she’s really light and he carries her without any problem…..he remembers the morning he woke up to find her almost lifeless next to him, that day one could conclude she was dead and that’s exactly what he thought until when he checked her pulse…… now he carries her to her bed and puts her down, he’s beginning to tremble too….and he checks her pulse and he’s relived she’s Alive, stands not knowing what to do next,….he looks for his phone which he gets from his room, he dials the number of Mac his best friend and personal doctor asking him to come asap, Mac says he’s on his way but Tobi should check for her airways, and leave room forbreathing……he fidgets with what she’s putting on but the sight he met on her upper left breast is something he can never forget in his life….it’s his own long nail leaving a long but painful trail on her upper chest coming to the left breast… the sight is so painful to watch…..he comes down out of curiosity to check more and there he finds it…. on her left thigh at the entrance of her Virginia there are black spots that are still trying to heal “Just how strong are you Melanie??…. how can you live each day starring at these permanent scars and bruises??”…… No way can he take all this in…he breaks up at the foot of the bed and weeps loudly……..
To be continued…
