EMOTIONALLY DETACHED
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#EMOTIONALLY_DETACHED
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Things had been moving okay both at work and at home, and I could gladly say that I was not having regrets whatsoever about Raquel. Our relationship was normal, well by normal I mean I would ask her about how her day was and she would do the same. We had meals together, sometimes even did the dishes together which was fun.
On weekends it was either we were by my sister’s place or by mum’s place. She was back at school and the baby bump was visible and the glow that the pregnancy gave her was just amazing.
I stared at the watch again, probably for the hundredth time and she was not yet back. This was so unlike her, she always got home earlier than me and even when she was going to be late, she always made sure to call.
I walked to the kitchen where the maid was cleaning up.
‘Aunty.’ I began
‘Yes Sir.’
‘Did Raquel by any chance tell you if she was going to be out late?’
‘No Sir, I am sure she will be here soon because she left in a hurry.’ She responded I was about to go back to the leaving room when I remembered that we had left at the same time and we weren’t in any hurry.
‘What do you mean in a hurry because we left together?’
‘She came back from school at about lunch, she looked disturbed when she got here. I asked her what was wrong but she told me that it was nothing but I could tell that whatever it was, was quite big.’
‘But have you tried calling her?’ she asked after much silence
I felt like a fool because in this day and age the first thing that people do is to call and I had not done that.
So I went back to the living room and grabbed my phone.
I called her twice but it went unanswered until on the third ring. ‘Raquel.’ I began but there was silence on the other end ‘Raquel.’ I said again but this time I heard a sniff ‘Raquel are you there?’
‘Stephen please come and get me.’ She said and cut the line
Next I received a location where I was supposed to meet her. I put on my sleepers and drove out without telling the maid anything.
The place was in a secluded area and I kept checking google maps for directions, when I got there I noticed it was some sort of a bush and since it was late so I left my lights on.
I got my phone and called her.
‘Where are you?’ I asked
‘I am coming.’
I waited for a few minutes before she appeared from behind bushes, she looked disoriented and right there I went and held her tight. She cried in my arms softly, we were in that position for some time before I led her to the car.
I also noticed that she was limping so without asking questions I drove us to the nearest private clinic where she was attended to.
‘Do you care to tell me what happened?’ the doctor asked her but she looked at me with pleading eyes
‘I will report the case myself to the police.’ I said
‘You know I can’t treat her without a police report right?’ ‘That is why I brought her to a private clinic.’ ‘What if you are the one that hit her?’
I shot her an evil stare and she immediately stopped asking questions. She got her medicines and cleaned up the bruises that Raquel had then applied some medicine on her.
‘I am giving you these drugs that I need you to take religiously, if anything please come back.’
‘She is pregnant.’ I said with shock
‘Oh, then I guess you will not be needing those.’
I looked at her incompetence then told Raquel that we had to leave, I held her hand as we walked out of the hospital and I drove us in silence.
When we got there I asked the maid to run her a bath whilst I went and prepared her some mushroom soup.
When she was done with bathing, I carried her to her room and fed her the soup, I didn’t think it was a good time to talk so I allowed her to sleep.
‘I will call in sick at work tomorrow so that I can watch you.’ I said switching off the light
‘Stephen.’ She called
Speaking for the first time.
‘Yes.’
‘Please sleep with me, I am scared.’ She said
I scratched my head a bit before going to sleep next to her, I kept a distance between us but she covered it by laying just close to me and putting her hands on my chest
The night was peaceful, I was awake most of the time as I watched her sleep. She looked peaceful and I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to her.
The next morning I got up early and ran her another bath. This time I asked the maid to prepare her some light porridge with groundnuts whilst I took my bath. When I was done I helped put the cream on the bruises and I called her class representative informing him that she couldn’t make it to class as she was not feeling okay.
We decided to have our breakfast from the living room whilst we watched pitch perfect, even though I didn’t like it; it looked like that is what she wanted to watch. I avoided asking her what happened last night, I wasn’t going to push. She was still traumatized and so I would take it slow with her.
‘Sir, there are some people here to see you.’ The maid said ‘Let them in.’ I responded
‘Good morning Sir, sorry for disturbing you.’ He said
I looked at him from head to toe, he was a police officer.
‘Your wife here is under arrest for assaulting Ms. Camilla and anything she says will be used against her in the courts of law.’ He said
At the sound of Camilla my heart tore, I removed my hand from Raquel’s as I gave her an angry look.
‘How dare you?’ I asked
She stood up without a word and followed the officer.
‘Ba Gertrude please get my phone, the last dialed number is Aunty Tina’s. Please call her she will know what to do.’ She said before they walked out
I got my phone and called Camilla.
‘Baby where are you?’ I asked
‘Stephen hai, she is just being stitched. We are at Levy general hospital.’ Her sister said.
I grabbed my car keys and walked out, the police van was just leaving but I decided I would go to see my woman, my Camy.
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