SHADES OF LUST
Episode 32
Yes I was totally excited over the news Kelvin broke to me. I just couldn’t wait to have a one on one conversation with Jessica. My head was just filled with many ideas and thoughts.
‘’please I won’t want you to act arrogantly before Jessica. Just be civil with her. I already have things planned out and I still want you to leave the questions and investigation for me to handle’’ Kelvin begged after breaking the news to me.
Of course I accepted all his terms to put his mind at rest but I wasn’t ready to continue trusting him over Jessica’s issue. I had to make my own plans and get my own act together.
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Early the next day, I headed to Aba to meet Kelvin’s friend for my I.T placement. I almost spent all day at the noisy city but it was worth the effort at the end. I returned later in the evening very happy to have settled that part of my life.
I returned to my hostel to continue with my plans for Jessica. I planned confronting her with a whole lot of questions. I planned throwing to her face that I knew she
was with my father the day he died. I planned giving her opportunity to spill out the truth or have me and the law to deal with.
I already had wasted enough time waiting for Kelvin to act and her body language on Saturday was going to determine for me whether to press charges on her or not.
I had enough money to get the police to my side, I had enough money to take my case to court and if possible get a search warrant to go through her things.
Yes I knew my plans were quiet ambitious for a boy of my age and it could lead to a fierce quarrel between Kelvin and I but I was a very desperate boy who wanted nothing but closure on his father’s death and I knew I could end up losing the little money I had over it. I could end up running to Pamela for financial aid but I felt it was worth the sacrifice to get to the root of my father’s death.
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Friday evening, I called my Tracy to speak with her like I always did everyday but to my surprise her mother answered her phone, leaving me a bit shocked as I heard her voice.
‘’Tracy was involved in a car accident hours ago. She can’t speak to you right now’’ the old woman informed me. I couldn’t believe my ears. I couldn’t even talk for some seconds.
‘’what??’’ I shouted.
‘’there is nothing to worry about. She is in a stable condition. I believe by tomorrow you will be able to speak with her’’ she muttered to calm me down.
‘’so where is she right now?’’ I asked.
‘’we are at the national orthopedic hospital. Her left leg got fractured a little’’ she answered, leaving me so scared.
‘’I will be there tomorrow morning’’ I promised after few seconds of silence.
‘’is it necessary?’’ she asked.
‘’of course it is. I will be there first thing tomorrow’’ I breathed strongly.
‘’very well then, when you get to Enugu, put a call through. I will send someone to pick you up’’ she promised and hung up, leaving me with my thoughts.
‘’dear lord, I hope her leg injury won’t be a permanent one’’ I prayed solemnly.
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Very early the next day, which was Saturday, I headed straight to Enugu to see my Tracy. I couldn’t sleep the previous night and I couldn’t even get myself to eat before embarking on the long journey. All that was in my mind was to see my girl.
By 12noon, I was already at the hospital, holding Tracy’s hand with great concern.
The poor girl never believed her eyes when she saw me.
‘’my mum is very wicked. She never told me you were coming’’ she breathed with great happiness while her mum who was watching us from a distance smiled to herself. I couldn’t get myself to smile. I just was so concerned over her state of health.
‘’a fast moving bus collided with a taxi I took yesterday. I was in the front seat and I got the impact of the collision on my legs. It’s just a minor fracture but mum won’t let me go home yet. She wants the best specialist to give my legs a hundred percent before we go home’’ she explained softly.
‘’when I called yesterday and mum told me you were involved in an accident, I almost fainted with fear’’ I said calmly. She laughed.
‘’hmmmm I never knew you cared so much’’ She breathed with great love while I stared into her eyes. My phone rang that moment, taking away my attention. It was Kelvin calling and as soon as I saw his name on my phone screen, I instantly remembered our date with Jessica.
‘’how far where are you?’’ he asked.
‘’I’m sorry bro, I can’t make it again today. I’m currently in Enugu,. My friend had an accident yesterday and I’m there to be with her’’ I informed him. He kept silent for a while.
‘’you could have told me and saved me the worry’’ he breathed and hung up.
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**Kelvin’s side of the story continues**
I really didn’t know whether to feel relived or disappointed when Jude told me he wasn’t going to show up again. In fact I just was in the middle of the two emotions.
I really was never comfortable with the plan of showing up at Jessica’s house with him. Moreover the way he acted when I told him about Jessica’s request gave me a lot to worry about. So hearing that he wasn’t going to make it after all, really set my heart temporarily at rest.
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I got to Jessica house at exactly 6:15pm that fateful Saturday a bit nervous. I planned using the opportunity Jude’s absence created to directly confront her for the first time without mincing words.
Jessica wasn’t really happy to see me all alone. She searched me with her eyes the moment I walked into her sitting room.
‘’how about your cousin?. I thought you were bringing him along?’’ she asked curiously. I shrugged.
‘’he had an emergency and had to travel to Enugu this morning’’ I answered.
‘’hmmmmm. Should I believe that?’’ she asked arrogantly.
‘’I really don’t care what you believe my dear. I have passed the stage of lying over such a trivial matter. However I have some questions for you’’ I said with a soft smile while she drew back with surprise over my boldness.
‘’my cousin, told me something that I still find hard to believe. He said before his father died, that he told him about a lady known as Jessica Simon, who was handling many of his projects. According to him, his father planned making the lady his step mother and even shared one of her pictures with him’’ I said softly, studying her reaction..
‘’the day he walked in on us, he told me you looked very much like the lady in question. I don’t know why he was so sure but now you are my woman and your life and happiness matters a lot to me. You told me days ago that you ran a background check on me and I feel you equally did the same on my family. And if that’s the case, I believe you equally know a lot about my cousin Jude. So tell me, have you dealt with the boy’s father before?’’ I asked calmly but seriously, giving her room to trust me and open up with a clear conscience. She surprisingly colored up, breathed deeply and nodded.
‘’yes I knew Jude’s father’’ she finally admitted.
To be continued…