Episode 40
<>Vivian’s side of the story continues from the last scene of the previous episode
‘’hmmm Vivian how are you?, where are you?’’ Val asked with a slightly raised tone as soon as he picked up my call, showing how surprised he was to hear from me.
‘’you sound surprised huh?, I can’t believe you never bothered to check on how I was faring?’’ I reprimanded him. ‘’you won’t understand. Seriously’’ he breathed while I scoffed.
‘’it doesn’t matter. I’m calling for another reason. I need to see you this evening. I will be at All Seasons hotel later today for something very urgent, let’s meet there. It’s more about your life and future. I’m still in Lagos though but I will be taking the next available flight down to south east’’ I muttered very quickly.
‘’fine I will be expecting your call when you arrive’’ he replied. I smiled, hung up and called Clara.
‘’hey dear how far?’’ I greeted as soon as she picked my call.
‘’I’m just there jare’’ she replied in Pidgin English.
‘’I will be arriving town this evening, but won’t be coming to the house, instead I will lodge at a hotel because of some issues that came up. I will invite you over when I arrive there. Hope it won’t be a problem to you?’’ I asked
‘’no of course not but I hope all is fine?’’ she replied and
asked with a worried tone.
‘’yes just be patient till I get to town’’ I added, hung up and breathed deeply. The stage was now set for my next line of action and I needed no one to warn me on being very cautious. It was a big risk I was about taking and it could either end well or badly for me.
‘’dear Lord I hope I’m doing the right thing this time?’’ I prayed.
By 5:45pm that same evening I was already settled in one of the best rooms ‘’All seasons hotel’’ could offer. The comfort of the room however couldn’t stop me from being nervous and a bit scared as I waited for Val and Clara to arrive. It really was the first time we were about being together in a long while and I knew things could get messy. I equally was unaware of the relationship Val was currently enjoying with Clara who was now about getting married to Charles. I had a lot of questions in my head that needed answers. I equally had my own story to tell.
Yes the get-together was definitely going to open up many secrets and truths. I couldn’t help but weigh my options over and over again. I knew going against Charles’s directive could backfire on me in a very explosive manner. It equally was the only way I could redeem myself and save Clara and Val from impending doom. I had a lot to lose; I equally had a lot to gain by going through with my plans. My prayer was just for it to go very successfully because it really was taking a whole lot of courage on my part to get on with.
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Val was the first to walk into my room and just like I expected he looked very suspicious and curious over my motive. He perhaps thought I was all out to seduce him. I couldn’t help but laugh in my mind.
‘’thank God you are finally here. What will you take?’’ I asked, trying to make him feel relaxed. He shrugged and breathed deeply.
‘’Vivian I’m not here to take anything but first to apologize over everything that happened in my house the last time we met. It has been in my mind to apologize all these while but I haven’t been myself. Yes I survived Charles brutal attack but I have never been the same ever since. I got suspended from work, I lost Clara, I don’t even know if I lost my mind as well. I have been in the village ever since, trying to start all over with life. I’m glad you are okay’’ he softly apologized, shocking me with his words. Yes his apology wasn’t supposed to touch me because I deserved one from him but I was moved by it because I wasn’t really expecting it that minute. However before I could say something, a knock landed on the door. Clara showed up.
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Clara’s presence changed everything. Her presence brought in tension and heat to the room. Val looked very disturbed and surprised to see her and she equally looked very unhappy to see Val.
‘’what the hell are you up to Vivian. Why invite me here? You want me to see you guys together or what?. I already know everything, there is no need’’ Clara breathed angrily, forcing me to reach forward and grab her hand.
‘’it’s not what you think my dear. Yes I liked Val. I still do like him but we never had an affair. We were never together. We never went far from being friends. The night I was attacked, I was just in his house to thank him for rescuing you and equally give him the food I got from the house. I did that because I knew what he was passing through that moment but unfortunately someone else had something planned for us. Charles surprised us, using the surprise to his advantage to overpower Val and i. we were brutally stabbed by him. We were stabbed by your fiancée’’ I breathed with all my energy. Clara instantly colored up while Val slowly sat down. There was uneven quietness in the room as my words sank in.
‘’but that’s not the main reason I invited you guys here. I’m in a deep terrible mess right now. Charles set up my new boyfriend yesterday and forced me into making a confession indicting Val. I was forced to confess on tape that Val stabbed me. I had to do his bidding in order to free the innocent guy who just got to the country for my sake. I don’t know what he plans doing with the tape. I was warned not to talk to you Clara and I beg you to act as if I told you nothing until we get enough evidence to jail him’’ I added breathlessly.
‘’this is just too much. I don’t know why I believe all you just said. It sounds like a cooked up tale. Can Charles really be this cruel?’’ Clara breathed, sitting on the floor with a look of despair.
‘’I know I know but we have to work together to nail him. We have to set our differences and suspicions aside. You can’t
marry Charles. That dude can murder you anytime he wants. He’s not a human being. I used to be on his side until I learnt my lesson the hard way’’ I begged Clara who shook her head, covering her face with her palms. There wasn’t any doubt the information was too much for her and I was taking a big risk by revealing everything. I looked at Val for him to say something but he looked a bit uninterested.
‘’I don’t think I have any role to play here. Clara is no longer my problem. I’m equally on suspension. The best you guys can do is to find a way to secretly tell the state director of my department your story and plans. He’s a good man and will handle it well. I have to go now’’ he simply said and stood up while Clara looked up at him with eyes filled with tears and disdain.
‘’I came to your house. I begged you to tell me the truth but you were willing to sacrifice my happiness in order to have the last laugh. What kind of guy are you Val?’’ she asked while Val looked away. She surprisingly stood up with great energy, walked up to him and landed two hot slaps on his face, shocking me with her action.
Instead of retaliating, Val tried to hold her still, a struggle ensued and in the process the two love birds ended up on my bed breathing heavily. I couldn’t help but wonder that moment what would have happened supposing I wasn’t in the room with them. There wasn’t any doubt their hormones were raging like wild fire.
<> love song plays in the background <>
‘’meanwhile unknown to them, Vivian’s phone which was
tucked under a pillow had been ringing endlessly. Perhaps the tension in the room, coupled with the low ring volume of the phone made it impossible to be heard. And yes the caller was no other person than Charles ’’
Do you think Charles was dumb to let Vivian live to tell her
story?
hmmmm
To be continued
Clara the state governor’s daughter