Ronald drives his car with Melanie in it for close to one hour and finally they get to his destination……. a well furnished house built far away from town, it’s a surprise house he had wanted to move into with Melanie after their wedding and Mel never got to know about it…….when he pulls up at the gate, the gateman sees his car and happily runs to open the gate for him……..Ron drives his car inside with a very confused Mel seated by his side, he packs the car and gets down
“Ronald….. it’s been a very long time, welcome back” the gateman no doubt is so happy to see him
“I’m very fine and thank you…..how is everything around here”
“Fine very fine….the house is intact” Ron dismisses him and all this while Mel is still seated inside, Ron comes to her side and opens the car
“Welcome to my crib gorgeous” Mel rolls her eyes and ignores his hand that’s stretched out to her and steps down
“Take me back Ronald….. I need to go back right this minute”
“I shall take you back but only after we have talked”
“Thank you…..but you know what, I know I can find my way back using public means” she starts to walk away from from him and he just makes one order
“Job……don’t open this gate until I tell you to do so” Mel reaches the gate and the man can’t even move
“Open this damn gate and let me out of here” she screams
“Sorry madam a boss’s order is always the order I follow” Mel looks back at Ron and he makes faces also shrugging his shoulders….. she’s so frustrated as Ron starts walking towards her
“Don’t make this more difficult sweetheart, we are both adults here…..adults who love themselves so come with me to the house instead of embarrassing yourself out here”
“Did you listen to yourself saying that Ronald…. like seriously, do you think I was made only to love you and no one else”
“Yes….yes, you’re supposed to love me only and you do that, you’re just with your companion because you feel grateful to him for all that he has done to you, remember he even went as far as employing you so tell me why wouldn’t you be grateful and accept to be his wife” she didn’t wait long but gives him a long overdue slap , instead of frowning he takes her hand and drags her along with him to the house and she screams at him to let her go, he pays deaf ears to her and continues dragging her, he single handedly opens the door and drags her in……..leaves her hand and turns around and locks the door
“Let me go…..let me get out of here Ronald” he walks past her without a word and goes to a room that seems to be a kitchen, Mel is so frustrated to even care, she’s so hungry given she never had food last night, and no breakfast this morning, her stomach has started complaining but that’s not the issue here, the issue here is her phone is with Ron switched off and she imagines her husband must be calling her by now……………
Tobi knew after last night’s encounter with David, it was only going to be a matter of time before they start hunting him down but today finding them waiting for him in his office this Early morning is definitely something he didn’t prepare for, when Eddy said Hello to him, he did not only refuse to reply but he walks past them headed to his office and they all got up to follow, they get to his office and he throws his bag on the table
“What do you all want…I thought I made myself clear five years ago that I didn’t want anything to do with either of you much less see you”
“At least offer us seats Buddy….. we were best of friends after all” says Clems and they sit down
“We can see you have done tremendously well in our absence” adds David…. Eddy sees something that catches his eyes and walks over, it’s a picture of Melanie during a vacation in US……she looked so happy in the picture, and so beautiful, Eddy picks the picture and walks back with it in hand, he sits down and turns the picture to face Tobi
“She’s pretty huh”
“Let me have a look” David takes the picture away from Eddy
“Who could have imagined, that little girl, she wasn’t even dressed well….who would have thought she would be the queen of this place….. Hahahaha” Tobi finally looses his head
“You all are a bunch of annoying idiots…..people go to school to learn and become better people but I can see your problem is right from the families you come from, no wonder you three don’t have any other friend apart from yourselves….. but guess what, my word still stands I don’t want to have anything to do with you, maybe I was scared of you five years ago but not now”
“Bravo……. you deserve some handclap and accolades for being so brave but let’s see if you shall say the same thing if we meet with your little beautiful wife”
“David don’t even think about involving Melanie in this”
“Oh her name is actually Melanie?….what a beautiful name for a beautiful wife but too bad she’s a part of this…actually a center part of this”
“You monsters…..you have no idea how much I regret ever crossing paths with you”
“We regret that too Buddy….. but guess what, there is always a price for everything…..it’s called something for something…… you want this to remain like nothing really ever happened, upon you”
“All your blackmail will not work on me……I have lived every single day regretting why I never listened to my mother concerning all of you”
“And you thought by marrying her, all your sins will be forgiven huh”
“Trust me Eddy, I have no obligations or whatsoever to explain my relationship with you”
“Fine…..fine, we should maybe have a little chat with Melanie that’s her name right?….the choice is all yours” he finally sits down and looks at David
“Well I’m not scared of you”
“Well then…. I wonder how little Melanie will react when she finally gets to know that the man whom she has been seeing as a perfect husband all these years is nothing but her own rapist”
“Get out……get out and leave my office, your blackmail is not going to work on me because you’re not getting any Penny from me…..NEVER!!!”
“Let’s see for how Long…..you have not seen the last of us yet….. let’s go” the three all get up and leave the office at once……when the door is closed, Tobi gets up and paces up and down
“I have to tell you this today, I have to but where are you” he looks for his phone and gets frustrated when he couldn’t find it in his pocket, he fidgets with the bag and finally locates it in his bag……he dials and still nothing, Mel’s phone is switched off……he storms out of office and heads down to her office, he opens and there is no Mel…..he spots his own picture she had put infront of her desk, he picks it and looks at it
“Tobi you’re not a bad person, you’re not a rapist” he leaves the office and almost takes off to go look for Mel but he bumps on Jane
“Hey hey Tobi what’s up with you”
“Have you seen my wife” he looks unsettled
“No…..what’s up with you”
“Take care of everything here….I don’t want to see anyone today and if Mel comes when I’m not here tell her to call me” he runs back to his office without giving Jane a chance to respond to him , he only picks his bag and car keys and runs out of office and drives out at once……………
Ron carries a tray full of food and heads back to the living room where Melanie is now standing by the window looking out side, he puts down the tray and walks over to her and realises she’s not even aware he’s in the room, he looks at her inviting legs in her not so short body hugging dress, he wonders what she must be thinking about, he’s instantly attracted to her and finds himself hugging her from behind, Mel jumps off like he’s some wild animal
“Don’t come near me” she threatens as she backs away from him and he raises his hands in the air again
“Fine fine….I’m so sorry but I just couldn’t keep my hands to myself”
“Well you should learn to” she walks away
“Look I made almost all your favourites”
“I’m not hungry”
“Oh please say that to some stranger, I know you like the back of my hands…..eating doesn’t hurt and you know me, I can never hurt you…I have never and I will never”
“Sure you don’t…. and you have never” she said sarcastically and he gets the picture…. there is some awkward silence between them but Ron walks back and sits down….he starts to uncover the food
“Mel…. I will never get tired of asking for you forgiveness…. that’s why I’m trying to correct my mistakes, let me help you”
“You never did when I needed you most and right now I don’t need it because I’m fine” she sits down too and looks so longingly at the food
“Serve yourself… eat as much as you want” she finally grabs a plate and serves herself….. she’s maintaining her distance from Ron though, they continue eating in silence but she can tell Ron is eating more of her with his eyes instead of his food on the plate and this makes her so uncomfortable
“Where did you get all these food stuffs….I didn’t see you go out and I know you don’t live here” she tries to engage him in some talk so he can finally take his eyes off her
“For you I’m so capable of anything beautiful… so the question of where or how doesn’t apply when you’re involved” not the reply she wanted……Ron continues to eat her with his eyes, he pictures how beautiful she might look especially when she is sleeping, he envies Tobi and feels jealous knowing he has all this full package all night long, just imagining how making love to her feels like, something he never got to experience….. all of a sudden, he feels anger on imagining Tobi’s hands all over her soft body, he takes his glass of juice and smashes it on the wall making Mel so scared and she practically jumps off her skin as she stands up….he realises he went too far and apologies
“Are you alright” Mel is still scared
“I’m OK…..I’m sorry I scared you….sit and finish your food” she sits down and still not sure if she can bear another minute in Ron’s presence
“Can you help me Ronald” she says fearfully
“Can you stop calling me Ronald please?…. what happened to Ron” she ignores his question
“Give me back my phone…… I need to call my husband”
“Another correction…..your housemate not your husband and No….you’re not calling him and I’m so serious about that” he looks dangerous and Mel knows better to shut up
“Have you ever wondered who or where that bastard should be”….. he asks Mel a question she has never wanted to even think about but now there is no way she’s going to dance her way out of this topic………
To be continued…
