“Oh Melanie….how are you doing” Ron rushes over to try and hug Mel but she puts her hand forward indicating that he should stay where he is
“What are you doing here Ronald” she asks with folded arms and with a straight face
“Mel why this arrogance….. we needed to talk and since you didn’t want to hear anything from me I….”
“You decided to Stalk me, is that it”
“Please……can’t you at least let me have a Sit” he asks and before she answers he is already sitting but Mel remains standing
“I went to the hospital but I met a woman who wouldn’t let me in….your mother too, she talked to me for a while and did the same thing…..she asked me to stay away but I just couldn’t” she stares at him with no difference
“Did he hit you?….. Is it because you met up with me…..what did he do”
“Just who do you think you’re Ronald, to demand answers from me huh….who are you”
“Calm down Melanie……. I had found out something after coming back from Terego…..something terrible, I called you but you picked up and refused to talk to me……I needed to tell you I know who was responsible for your….”
“Stop it Ronald….. I thought I warned to stay away from everything…. don’t complicate this please”
“This is not complicating anything…. I need to save you, I need to tell you who it is before it’s too late” Mel is just looking at him and Ron thinks she has no idea so he composes himself to break the news to her, he gets up and walks over to her holding her hands
“Melanie…. I know you feel grateful to your husband and you see him as a man who has no sin or whatsoever, he is so perfect in your eyes which is not bad….I know you think what you had was a normal couple’s fight….i know what I’m going tell you will crash you down, I know it’s painful to swallow but look at me……believe me the person who mercilessly raped you five years ago is no one but Tobias Akankwasa…. your own husband” he keeps quiet for a few seconds and looks in her eyes, searching for any reaction, maybe a sign she’s shocked or tears coming down but there is nothing…. she neither moves nor blinks….he drops her hands
“So you already know” she doesn’t reply but Ron is not liking the way she’s not reacting to this news….slowly he sits down and there is silence
“What are we going to do” he asks and finally she explodes
“We?….we?…. did you just say we Ronald….. we were we five years ago and this time if you think you still amount to anything in my life you’re wrong” she moves closer and looks at him
“You’re nothing but my past got it” he gets up and comes closer, Ofelia is hiding by the wall and listening to everything
“What has gotten over you Melanie….. what has come over you, you treat me like I was some useless creature”
“Well I didn’t say that but if you want to know I’m going to be so open with you today…… stop meddling where you’re not wanted, you have no right to come here and pretend you care when all you want is to pick up the very healed Melanie someone worked so hard to save…..I was going to take my own life five years ago, not because I was raped but because the man I loved made me realise that no man would want to have anything to do with me”
“That’s not true……I agree I was a coward back then but that doesn’t mean I never loved you” he wants to touch her and she walks away
“All that mattered to you back then was your mother…. her word was power, her word was final and she was all that mattered Ronald”
“Don’t bring my mother in to this”
“Oh sure….you see…I…” he cuts her short
“Now that you know that your Little perfect husband is nothing but your own rapist….what are you going to do about it” he tries to sound sarcastic
“That’s none of your business, what I will do is not something I should discuss with you” he moves very close this time
“If I were you I would call the cops, prison is where he belongs but of course where would you even get the money to do that….in his company where he kept you for years, you were nothing above the cleaner….I bet he never even paid you….your only benefit must have been sharing a king sized bed with him every night and travelling the world together just for show…..” this earns him a hot slap from her
“How dare you you bastard……..I will not take insults from cowards and losers like you….what do you know?…. you know nothing about my life with Tobi…. you don’t know how it has been all this while when you ran away like the coward you’re” he moves closer and raises his hand to hit her but he controls himself, Mel is so shocked
“You’re so worse than Tobi you’re labelling as a rapist…..go ahead and hit me….hit me and let’s see how strong you’re” he walks away from her feeling so ashamed of himself
“I’m so sorry Mel…. so ashamed of myself” she ignores him and follows him to where is standing
“Look at me….you said prison is where my husband belongs, I agree with you that’s where he belongs and I’m going to see to it that it happens but listen carefully…. when that happens, he will not be the only one going to prison, ……it might be five years now but I still remember that night so vividly….. I remember I received a call asking me to wait for her somewhere around the junction and I did”
“What are you insinuating”
“Nothing…. I’m only stating the obvious and it’s a fact….your dear precious mother will not be spared this time……I have nothing to lose, she never liked me anyways” Ron is furious again
“I know now what that rapist husband of yours has turned you into……you’re clearly a very ungrateful bitch….after all that my mother and my family did to you….all the love a and the affection….”
“Oh yeah…and the shame too, I’m not ungrateful, I’m not denying the fact that they did all that you have mentioned to me but let me tell you, the only real person in that family is your sister Perry….. the rest are all devils in disguise”
“Is that how you see us?…… I was so wrong about you…. I’m so sure I made a mistake about you, you’re here protecting your Little husband trying to avoid scandal but guess what, I’m going to give you war…I’m going to give you the scandal of your life”
“Get out….. get the hell out of here and never come back ” she practically pushes him out and shuts the door in his face……
Melanie drops down on the couch and weeps
“I hate him…..I hate both of you you bastards” her mother comes to her rescue
“Calm down Melanie…. you have had enough cry for a day”
“Did you hear that…….mother did you hear, did you see how he tried to hit me”
“Forget about him…..let’s go to bed and you will see tomorrow you will wake up feeling better” she leads Mel to bed where Mira Is sleeping
“Melanie…. I don’t want to sound like a meddling mother but whatever decision you choose to make, first think of this child and Whatever you choose after that….I will support you like a mother should” her mother walks out and she looks at her beautiful daughter who loves her father so much
“What do I do Mira… what do I do, Daddy had hurt me a lot but my heart just loves him so much” she lies down but fails to sleep, it’s the first time she’s sleeping without her husband’s arms wrapped around her, she looks for her cellphone and it hits her, she doesn’t have it….she must have left it in the house……
Ofelia enters her room with Jessy and finds her still awake
“What happened…. why did you take so long”
“Ronald was here”
“What that bastard…. what did he want”
“What else…….he says he wants to be of help” Jessy gets up and sits up
“We can’t allow that to happen”
“What do we do”
“I don’t know…….it’s Mel to make a decision about this”
“Why don’t you call Tobi and…”
“No no….Mel will be mad at me and it’s not appropriate” Ofelia looks like she’s going to give in though……..
Tobi refused to spend the night at his mother’s even when she begged him saying it’s the best thing to do….. he arrived home late and for the very first time he is met with silence, he enters the living room and it’s empty…he is lost and just stares in space
“Welcome back Sir” the maid welcomes him
“Thank you…” he walks and climbs the stairs
“What about your dinner” she screams but no reply from him….he walks and first goes to Mira’s room…..it’s empty…….the only thing left there is her smell and her favourite Doll…. he picks it up and holds it close to his heart….tears streaming down…..
To be continued…
