Tobi is on pressure, he calls Mac back on phone but he’s not picking his calls
“What’s going in my home…. I don’t get it” he just gets a towel and wraps it around his waist…he drops the phone on the bed and heads down to the kitchen where the maid is preparing breakfast
“Good morning sir” she greats with a lot of difficulty because she’s feeling uncomfortable in what he’s putting on
“Where is my wife…”
“She took Mira to school” he remembers he had asked her to help him do it…. he leaves the kitchen at once and heads back to his room but he meets Ofelia climbing down
“Son what’s going on?…. I was trying to open the window in my room and I thought I saw many people outside..
what’s it”
“I don’t understand a thing myself but whatever it is, I’m going out there to find out” he says this as he’s almost slopping the stairs but Odelia’s head works so fast
“Don’t go yet” she comes down
“Son I’m afraid, I’m thinking the worst already”
“What do you mean mother”
“What if it’s Ronald carrying his threats…what if all those people out side there are all here in connection with what happened five years ago” till now, Tobi has not realized he’s practically naked…what his mother in-law says suddenly makes sense and instead of replying, he runs towards the TV for the remote…. he switches on the TV but he almost faints on what he sees….a picture of a drugged woman who is unconsciously lying on the bed, he remembers this was how he found her…..Mel’s face here is covered but one would surely say she’s the one…..then the picture is changed to his own, how he looked that day, someone who sees it would definitely know he truly did and he’s not who he parades himself to be……after the picture, there is a live coverage going on right and a man is reporting right in front of his gate, saying all the attempts to try get him out is not yielding any result…. He’s trembling, he changes the channel and there they are profiling who Tobias Akankwasa is,naming his investments and businesses with his sweet looking picture big there and comments pouring that the news anchor can not even finish with many abusing him and others asking for more clarification on this
“What is this…..who did this” he finally finds his voice and asks”
“Calm down….. you’re overreacting”
“I have to got out there now” he’s about to take off but Ofelia holds his arm
“Calm down son….at least, go put on something befitting…..” Tobi looks at himself and feels so ashamed
“Where is Melanie”
“She had took Mira to school but right now I have to get out there” he runs back in his room and meets both his phone and Mel’s ringing non stop,…. he ignores them and slips into the available jean trouser he got there with some polo shirt….he switches on his PC but it looks like the PC is taking forever to restart…… he picks up the phone he had ignored and on looking at the screen he realises it’s Jane
“Hello Jane”
“Tobi where are you,at work is mess, clients are coming demanding answers…. they want to see you…..I can’t handle this alone, others have taken off”
“Close up…..just close up” he screams over the phone and ends the call…………..
Monica has called Tobi and Mel for god knows how many times now yet non of them is picking up, her efforts to reach the media houses and stop with their fake live coverage and slandering news is met with loopholes…. she’s running crazy and decides to abandon her phone there and takes off to go look for them…………
Ronald seated with legs on the tanks is taking red wine and he’s feeling all big an successful…. his mother and sister patience are by his side and they are watching everything on TV after planning everything….. according to their plan, he the offended clue less ex boyfriend will run over to Tobi’s home when Mel appears, he has asked the reporters to delay her there a bit the moment she comes out, so he can make sure Mel has no one but himself she will run to for help….everything seem to work as planned and the joy he feels in his heart can not be measured
“Why is that fool taking so long to get out of that damn gate” patience says
“Don’t worry younger sis, we knew these things were going to happen so that’s the reason why we paid those guys enough money to stick to our agreement….. if Tobi wants his name cleared, the only way to do that is by coming out to clear his name”
“And what if he denies it”
“With all the evidences pointing at him like seriously…. I even doubt that Mel’s love, that idiot will not think twice about crucifying her husband and do you know what, I shall be there when it happens so cheers” he raises his glass up and his mother and sister do the same but they hear a sound coming from outside like someone is running inside the house to where they are
“So it was you mother?….. you all along” it’s a very furious Perry pointing fingers at her mother, she had closed her office and came running home the moment the story started spreading so fast
“It was you don’t deny it”
“Hey hey hey…..why are you getting so high on this Early morning… did you take a liquor or what?” it’s Ron answering for his mother
“So you have all ganged up on one person… my God why sort of wretched family is this”
“Watch your tongue young lady….watch it” Lillian speaks but Perry is not having it
“You should watch your moves too mother… how could you” they all laugh in her face but Perry is not done yet especially with he brother, she walks over to him and bends
“I’m so disappointed that I have been so wrong all along about your supposed change Ronald but listen carefully…..if Tobi looses Melanie, don’t think she will run back into your arms because she’s not gonna do it…she will hate you”
“And what if she does will you eat your words? Perry”
“If that happens by mistake, I will make sure you don’t have her in your life….it doesn’t hurt to play bad once in your life time right” she grabs her bag and leaves cursing why God gave her a family like them………
Tobi runs back to the living room, his PC by this time is open but he’s so afraid of going on line……he gets back to find Ofelia and Jessy mark timing
“Thank God you’re here… have you talked toe Mel”
“He phone is here so there is really no way of doing so” he gets to the door but then so scared Ofelia stops him yet again…she goes to him
“What are you going to say”
“The Truth”
“Whaaaat?”
“Yes mother, they seem to have all the proofs so there’s is really no way out”
“Do you realise by saying this, this is going to take you to prison”
“Oh yes i do”
“But why….how about Mira”
“Let us not get carried away,we shall cross that bridge when we get there but one thing is for sure, I’m not going to leave you helpless neither will I leave you stranded….I’m going to fight to protect that little girl even if I have to it behind bars” Ofelia feels so helpless and Tobi comes back
“You see i learnt something from Mel, I never thought it would mean this much to me but today it’s my only comfort….. even if it means death, Tobi can not give up on loving Melanie” Ofelia fights her tears
“Look is that not her car…..Melanie is here” Jessy points at the screen, Tobi looks at the screen and immediately dashes out at once………
Melanie is driving in good spirit and singing too but the moment she branches at the route leading to her lavish home, she’s so shocked to her bones to see her area, especially he home his all surrounded by media people
“Jeez…did any crime take place here or what” she wonders…she continues to drive, at first she really couldn’t sense what it was until when she checks her phone and it’s only a minute to 9am….she decides to switch on the radio in the car to listen to the news….the first headline causes her to bring the car to a standstill…. it’s too late because it seems she’s already seen….by now some media guys are already running towards her car throwing questions and at the same time reporting live…. she didn’t think twice, she’s only few metres away from her gate….she picks up courage with head lifted high, she opens the door and steps out
“Miss Melanie is it true….. is it true the man you’re living with truly did what he did…did he rape you for real…..has he ever told you, did you already find out and how do you feel about it” More questions to her and her mind runs back to five years ago in front of the church where she was bombarded with questions amid tears…. the difference today is that she’s not crying though and she refuses to do so….she wants to walk away, she’s enraged , her eyes wonder around looking for only one person she loves, her heart reaches out to her husband…. this makes her heart to ache because at least for her, she has been labelled all sorts of names and she’s used to it but her husband who is a perfect gentleman is being embarrassed like this…. she can’t bear it….she looks around the more but he’s not to be seen….. every step she takes is met with a full stop because someone has to get in her way…..it’s getting nastier, she looks at the gate suddenly and there he is…her heart leaps…..tall and handsome like always….he always stands out in crowd and that’s one thing Mel loves about him, she has not said anything Ever since she entered the ambush……people are not putting much interest on the gate….their eyes lock but non of them is smiling, Mel can actually see fears in his eyes, fear of helplessness and of giving up already… Mel finally gathers strength and in one force, she pushes through the crowd and takes off….before the Media people recover from this shock, Mel is already in Tobi’s arms and they embrace so rightly like someone is going to try tear them spart…..the media is not done with them yet and they follow
“Let me handle this my way baby” she whispers to him and turns to face the cameras with head help up high…….
To be continued…
