BROKEN AND BRUISED Episode “Did you say it’s about the night I was raped?…… I don’t get it”
“Yes it’s about that night, I should have told you this before but now is not too late” Mel gets up and walks over to the edge of the bed where Tobi follows her
“Please sit…….sit still and let me say what I have to say”
“No Tobi….. I don’t want to hear it….I have healed, I have gotten over that ugly experience and the last thing I want to know is anything related to what happened years back”
“This is very important Melanie”
“No Tobi, I know you care about me…..I know you want the best for me and I have never stopped you from doing what ever you wish to but today, I’m begging you…..that horrible night is not worth my anything….. it’s enough that I have Mira to remind me of that moment” she gets up and walks away
“I need to shower”
“What if I tell you I know the person who did” she was almost entering inside but suddenly stops, she turns around to face him and study his face, to see if he’s joking or he’s serious
“Will you change your mind if I tell you that, will you let me explain anything at all” he asks with pleading eyes and for the very first time, Melanie sees nothing but fear in her husband’s eyes…..fear that something might go wrong, she has spent five years with him and in all these years, she’s able to detect if her husband is OK or not…. she knows him like a book, so she cancels her trip to the shower and walks over to him
“What’s going on Tobi” she searches for the real Tobi in this one’s eyes but she can’t see him what she sees is a scared little boy
“Husband talk to me……what’s wrong?….. what do you know that I don’t”
“A lot of things Melanie…. a lot of things my wife”
“Shhhhhhh……come here….”she hugs him
” You don’t have to tell me anything now because you’re definitely not OK ” he gets away from her but she takes his hands
“Whatever it is….you can trust me, but take your time” she walks away again and he runs after her, he holds onto her and feel on bended knees like someone who is going to propose but this looks more like a death case to Mel
“Forgive me….please forgive me Melanie” her phone starts to ring and she gets a chance to escape this Scarry scene, the phone is still in her bag on the bed and she gets it out…… she realises it’s a strange number and contemplates on Whether to pick or not…..
“Hello….” she answers finally
“Melanie…. if you’re next to your husband get away, I have something to tell you” she realizes it’s Ron
“Where did you get my number from you moron”
“Have you forgotten that your phone was with me earlier today”
“Please…. I don’t know why you called but I don’t want to talk to you and that’s final”
“Mel listen…. listen that man….” the call line went dead and she turns to her husband who is still on bended knees but crying amid begging…..
“I’m so sorry….. so sorry Mel” she walks over to him and holds his hands
“Get up…..be bold enough and tell me, because I can already imagine what this is” her own heart is racing fast
“So it was you…..it was you…..you’re the man who mercilessly raped me???” Tobi looks up quickly, what he couldn’t have strength to say, Melanie said it in one breath and sentence….. his knees quack and he feels numb
“Tell me it isn’t you….” Melanie searches his eyes with fears written all over her face and deep down she was praying this shouldn’t be the case……finally Tobi finds his voice
“Yes Melanie….. yes I was the one, the one who…..” she drops his hands in the middle of his confession…….her head starts to spin, she wants to sit down but she couldn’t, she is seeing things in doubles…… Tobi is coming towards her and she’s trying to get away from him
“Don’t…… don’t touch me…… don’t touch me” she staggers and supports herself on the wall…..she suddenly travels back to five years ago……. his smell that night feels the room and it’s suffocating her……his slaps, how the monster ripped off her undergarments and forcefully parted her legs, all her crying fell on deaf ear how she begged him to not do this to her……..how he mounted on her and pinned her tiny self to the bed……she starts to hear those voices outside who were laughing at all her crying……all this while, Mel is just struggling with herself, she’s seeing too many things and her Brain is practically dead…..she didn’t know how but the last thing she remembers is hitting her head on the hard floor and that’s it…………
When Ronald called and Mel cut the line on him, he wanted to drive over to her house but he knew if he did that, he would do worse, he and Tobi might get physical….. the only person he needs to talk to was either his father or sister Perry….. he drives the car in one speed and gets home to find Rebecca waiting for him in the living room….. the woman jumps on him for a hug but he pushes her away
“Perry….. Perry….where are you Perry” he calls out to his sister as he runs upstairs living everyone so stunned
“What’s wrong with you…. why call me like I have no ears to hear only one call” she was already out of her room on hearing her name
“You talk too much” he drags her in her room and starts to pace up and down
“What is it….you’re making me scared”
“Call Melanie….. please”
“Melanie?…. I don’t have her number”
“Do something…. get to her, tell her to get out of that man’s house before he hurts her” he continues to pace and this time around Perry gives him a hot slap that seems to relax him a bit
“Sit down and tell me what the problem is” they have no idea patience is spying in on their conversion
“I have found the man who destroyed Melanie and I” Perry could only stare at her brother like he’s mad
“Yes…..that Man…. that man who claims to be a wonderful husband, he’s nothing but a shameless wild beast….. I swear he’s going to pay….. I swear I will kill him myself”
“Which man…..whose husband”
“Mr Tobias Akankwasa or whatever he calls himself….. I knew it…..I knew there was something about him that was extra ordinary”
“Wait Ron….. you mean to tell me that man…..I mean Tobi, Melanie’s husband, the man who rescued Melanie on the day of your wedding… the one who helped her,and now is her husband is the same man who raped her”
“Exactly….. exactly Perry”
“I don’t believe you……who is feeding your head with all this nonsense” he remembers where he heard this from….. for a moment he wonders if those guys were also part of this or they only knew about it “
“Answer me Ron…. who told you”
“Well that’s not important….. the only important thing here is that he pays for what he did to us” Perry ignores that part
“Do think he has been with Mel all along just to cover up if at all what you are telling me is correct” Perry is becoming scared also
“I knew it…..I knew he was never in love with Melanie, it’s only me who loved and still loves her…. that man was only doing everything because he felt guilty…….he thought by helping her out this truth would never come out”
“What if he fell in love”
“That’s rubbish….. total rubbish”
“You can’t rule that fact out….but that aside….don’t you think Melanie might be knowing this already?….. what if he has told her already”
“Listen to yourself…… imagine it was you….would you be comfortably living together with a man who raped and left you broken so rule that out because it’s not possible”
“What are you going to do….”
“Tell her the Truth because I know that coward will never do that…. I’m going to score a marks with her with this news…..I called her but she hanged up on me, there are many ways of getting to the Truth”
“How are you going to when she doesn’t want to have anything to do with you….she even doesn’t want to hear anything from you”
“I was able to prove she still loves me….today she followed me to our house…she did so willingly..that house is hers and hers alone” Perry is sure her brother is not well in the head
“And what happens when you finally score marks with her”
“I will do what I was supposed to do five years ago…..take back her shame and replace it with honor and give her a last name…. something that bastard rapist couldn’t have done…..if he truly wanted to make up for his wrong, he should have been bold enough to wed her”
“What about Rebecca….she’s here because of you”
“Don’t mention that bitch…..the same way she came to this country is the same way she will go back to Zambia” patience has heard enough, she tiptoes away but unlike old days, today she’s rather scared for the news than happy….her mother needs to hear this…………..
Mel has been put on drip after fainting and hitting her head, Tobi had called Mac who came running accompanied by Jane his wife to be, he’s relived to hear she’s fine and there is nothing wrong with her head, he was scared this isn’t the first time she has hit her head…..no one, not even Ofelia knows what happened to Mel apart from the story Tobi tells them that she stripped in the bathroom and hit her head, Mac can sense there is more to this story than what Tobi is saying by just looking at him….. he asks the rest to leave the two of them alone in the room so they can talk….. he walks over to the door and locks, he comes back to a very distraught and disorganized Tobi confident that it’s only them in there
“Tell me the truth, did you guys fight….you two were at it back there on our way”
“More than that Mac…. Mel knows it all”
“Jesus!…. have they already called her…. how did they get hold of her……those guys how could they”
“Mac….Mac….. I did…..I told her but I haven’t told her all of it”
“So you lied to Mummy……and lied to Grandma too….you said she fell..” Mira whom they forgot was lying close to her mother asks and Tobi can’t even afford to look at her……to be continued
: BROKEN AND BRUISED Episode 49
Lillian busy in the living room is keeping a very broken hearted Rebecca entertained, telling her all those fake stories about Ron being Someone who takes his stress on every thing and Everyone, Becky is not easily fooled and can see she’s only covering up for her son….. all of a sudden patience walks towards them
“Mother we need to talk” Lillian didn’t like her tone
“Let it Wait”
“This is more pressing and and so urgent” she didn’t even wait for her mothers answer and walks out of the house
“Excuse me….I need to deal with this one” she follows her daughter and Becky can only open her mouth in bewilderment
“What’s wrong with all of you people in this house….. you’re are all mysterious and strange”………
” What’s wrong with you patience….. why were you insisting that we talk like this is a matter of life and death”
“Because it is…..” she grabs her mother’s hand and pulls her further deeper into the garden
“Hey hey…..some respect please, I’m your mother……what’s wrong with you”
“We are in deep trouble mother!….. double trouble”
“What have you done this time around, I swear I’m not helping you out this time”
“It’s not just about me mother…..” she looks around to see if someone is coming
“I hope we’re safe…..I don’t trust that bitch Rebecca…….. mother Remember Melanie”
“Which one?…… that good for nothing bitch….why should I bother”
“Thank you….I’m glad you remember her…..but do you also remember that she was rescued by a mysterious young man that day”
“Yes…..what are you driving at”
“I’m getting there……that man, that young man was non other than Tobias Akankwasa the CEO of Safi whatever… I Don’t even remember and he heads two other businesses, personal businesses”
“And so…..”
“So Ronald finally found out who raped Melanie and it’s none other than Tobias Akankwasa…. her own husband”
“Whaaaat?…… you mean that man….that man and Melanie……”
“Yes mother……” Lillian is excited all of a sudden
“Why looking happy when this is nothing to laugh about……. mother, have you forgotten this will all backfire on us?….. remember it was with your order she was raped”
“Sssshhhh…..no one should hear you say that……if my memories still serves me right, I asked some experts in the game to help me with that little assignment and not some responsible young billionaire” patience is stunned
“Look here daughter…… remember after our deal, those guys never got back to me…..they knew something went wrong, what if this Tobias guy kidnapped Melanie before the boys got there…..remember the place I asked her to wait for me is some dangerous one” patience is beginning to see reason
“Where did you hear this news from”
“From my brother and sister where else”
“What did Ronald say”
“He’s furious…. He’s planning on turning that guy over to the police and it’s like he’s planning to win Mel over”
“Good very good….. that’s my son and I wouldn’t expect less of him”
“You’re happy….mother”
“Very happy daughter….. look at it this way, Tobias Akankwasa raped Mel five years ago, he made her his wife not long after that….. we have no idea if he married her for love or he was trying to make up for damaging her…… in most cases like this one, Mel must be having properties under her name, properties that are worth millions or even billions….so what does that mean?…… there is a possibility Mel is still in love with my son and if we all use this to our advantage we can achieve something”
“Do you think Melanie is going to come back to Ron…. much less forgive him and all of us for what we did to her mother”
“Oh daughter!….. you have no idea what a power of love is like”
“What about Rebecca”
“Yuck!!…. she’s another parasite…. your brother can keep her around just to show off but the real deal here is Melanie…. I’m going to wait for a few days, I will pay her a visit….I can be of help to my son and he surely will like this effort I’m putting” she walks away
“Mother…..don’t also forget there is thin line between love and hate…..if I were you, I wouldn’t count my luck yet….five years of living as someone’s wife is not like a few months of dating” she takes another direction and walks away………….
“Come here princess….. you see, Daddy never lied to Mummy, Daddy also didn’t lie to Granny and Everyone of us”
“But he just said that he did Uncle Mac” Mac doesn’t know what to say to this clever little girl you can’t easily fool
“OK sweetheart Listen to Dad” Tobi scoops his daughter in his arms
“I admit I lied….. it’s just that you, people who stay together as Mummy and daddy always fight a little sometimes so that’s what happened”
“So it’s true then…. you beat up Mummy”
“No I didn’t….. I could never do that……I will come to your room later and tell you everything but for now….uncle Mac needs to put medicine on mummy do you understand….. go to Grandma and tell her Mummy is getting better”
“No Dad…. I want to be with my Mummy” Tobi knows this is another mini Melanie, whatever she wants she does it and she gets it but Mac takes over
“Look Mira sweetheart, children don’t stay in hospitals, don’t you Remember how I used to send you out to play whenever you visited my hospital” Mira remembers
“Now if you don’t want to get sick…..go over to Grandma and help me take my phone to aunty Jane” Mira accepts but it’s like she’s trusting Mac more than her father, Tobi takes her to the door and opens the door for her, he kisses the little girls and closes the door, walks back to Mac
“Why is she not waking up already Mac”
“Calm down……this was a major blow to her but like I said to you, she needs enough rest and she should be kept away from things that remind her of her awful past….she should be wide a free clear mind” Tobi climbs the bed and sits close to her, he takes her hands in his
“It’s all my fault my love….. please forgiveness is all I’m asking from you….. and I will never get tired of asking it from you”
“That’s enough Tobi… she’s not even hearing you” he comes and sits down near him
“Can you tell me how it all started”
“I don’t know if I used the right procedure but all I needed was to tell her the Truth before someone else did”
“But how do you feel now that you have told her every thing”
“Not everything….. in fact she asked the question about something I couldn’t even say, I only confirmed it and that is how far we went with the talk….. now I feel anxious, I feel, i feel impatient…. I don’t know what she’s going to want after here but I only hope she’s going to give me a chance to explain how it all happened”
“Tobi….if I were you, I wouldn’t count so much on that….there is a high possibility she will not want anything to do with you….. I have to be frank with you” this is like someone slicing Tobi’s heart with a sword
“Please Mac….. please brother…. you know how much i love my wife, she’s my life and you know that”
“You don’t have to explain to me Tobi….. if anyone hasn’t told you this yet, let me do so…..you and I almost never believed in love…. I was always telling myself that there is no love but when I saw how in love you were with Mel… I started having my own hopes high and that’s why Jane and I are stronger in love…..you’re my inspiration and I’m so sure this is not how far the Melanie and Tobi story goes….you still have a Long way to go” Tobi his Mac in his pouring tears
“Thanks you for making me feel I’m not really a horrible person”
“You’re not….you’re a very sweet soul and the perfect gentleman but for now being with Melanie is not something I encourage you to do”
“I don’t understand it…..”
“I’m taking Melanie out of this house before she regains her sense…. she’s going over to the hospital under very strict supervision……she has to be taken right now”
“Why…she’s safer here….this is her home and house”
“In know….. I have admitted you both here in your home here on several occasions……. and i only come here to check whether there is improvement or not but today it’s a different Case….. I don’t know how she’s going to react when she wakes up so she has to be next to me”
“Can’t you sacrifice and do this for me please”
“I wish I could but I can’t…. don’t forget you and Mel have been living under the same roof not just as someone ordinary people but as man and wife for five years, you have all gone beyond expressing love in exchange of words but there is physical intimacy involved in a deeper sense and you can imagine…. when she wakes up, all your touches and kisses and caresses and etc….all will seem like it all happened that horrible night…it’s going to be worse when she finds herself under this roof and you the person she has worked so hard to forget starring at her, she’s going to hate you and might do something stupid”
“What do you want Me to do…..I can’t stay back and live without seeing her, Mel is my life…..she’s the air that I breath, the person I live for”
“I know all that brother, I know she’s much more to you than you’re saying…… but You will have to help me, we need to get her to the car downstairs…. I need to get her out of here and that’s it….before opens her eyes…..keep your distance, don’t surface let’s give her time and let her heal….if she wishes to hear your story and decide to see you, I will call you personally but if she chooses not to….. you will have to respect it….you will need to stay away Tobi…. let’s not complicate this…….. to be continued
To be continued…
