HURDLES
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I grew up an only child but I would never want to imagine the pain and betrayal that comes with sibling rivalry, I look at Catra who is shedding angry tears. I can see through those tears that she is mad and trying her best to keep it together.
‘When can I go home?’ she asks when the doctor comes into the ward
‘Are you sure you don’t want any of your family members here?’
‘I don’t have anyone.’ She says before taking in a deep breath
The doctor looks at her, then looks at me.
‘Alright then.’ He says signing the discharge papers
She is given some antibiotics that will help flush out the clots.
As we walk to the car, I notice she doesn’t say anything but her hand is still on her tummy. I drive us in silence, her eyes are fixed on looking outside and honestly, I don’t even know what to tell her.
When we get to her place, I stay a little longer helping her with preparing a bath then make her some soup because she looks like she hasn’t had anything and I know she will try to have the medication on an empty stomach.
‘You know you don’t have do this right?’ she asks as she forces herself to have the soup
‘I know.’ I tell her honestly
‘Good.’ She responds taking in the last of it
I get the plate and wash it then give her the medicine to drink.
After that I tell her I need to leave because I haven’t checked on the kids since morning but promise I will pass through later to check up on her.
‘Michel.’ She calls when I am ready to leave
‘Catra.’
‘Vashawn lost out on a good woman.’
I just smile wordlessly
‘I am sorry I contributed to the pain; no woman should have to go through what you did.’
‘Vashawn hurt me, and you might have contributed to the pain. You and many other girls but it was all on him. He was the key in all this, he was the roots and all of you were just branches that could have been chopped off at any time.’
She looks down
I go to where she is and lift her chin.
‘Catra why do you think it was easy for him to move from one woman to the next? He knew that he could cut you off and there would be no implication, he remained the biggest problem. No matter how much you cut off branches from a tree if the roots are still stuck in the ground, more branches will grow. The devil doesn’t wear 6-inch heels or red lipstick, hell the devil doesn’t even wear short dresses or bum shorts, the devil is the man that comes back to you after his many escapades. That one that makes an extra stop after work and tells you that he was out with the boys, the devil is that one who tells other girls nonsensical things like he can’t live without them when in actual sense he would still breath with or without them. The devil was Vashawn who continued to come home expecting to be treated like a king when he had been everywhere and anywhere. Kings uphold a certain integrity and Vashawn is and was far from that.’
I pause and watch as tears fall from her eyes
‘I am sorry that you had to be a victim in all this, I am sorry that this situation will somehow cause you and your sister to be on each other’s skin. If you ask me, I would advise that you make up with her no matter how bad it hurts because you only have each other. And no, you can’t entirely blame her for this, am not even
saying that she is innocent. I mean what were you thinking deciding to go out with the same man for the same interest? Did you honestly think she was going to allow you to carry his child when she doesn’t have one herself?’
‘So, it is my fault?’ she asks
I sigh, out of everything I said that is the only think she came up with.
‘Catra stop using your emotions to deal with this and be logical, both you and your sister had a good plan yes of trying to milk Vashawn for your personal benefits but what you forgot was the possibility of one of you falling for him and sadly it had to be you. So, deal with it, she is your sister and yes you brought this upon yourselves. I wont even apologize for saying it.’
‘Okay.’ She responds
‘I am leaving, I hope you get better.’
‘Are you still going to come?’
‘No.’ I say shaking my head
‘Just realized there is no reason for me to do that, we are not friends and we will never be. I just hope you heal from all this and move on with learnt lessons.’ I say before leaving
..
Michel’s words hit places I didn’t know existed, to say I am hurt is even beyond me. There is truth in everything that she has said but that doesn’t mean that I will let this go just like that, Cassie has hurt me and I will make sure she pays for it one way or the other.
I get my phone and call Vashawn.
In thirty minutes he is at my place, he doesn’t look like the Vashawn I know but I don’t care about that.
‘How are you?’ he asks
I am trying to stay really strong because I don’t want him to see my broken and painful side
‘I am fine.’ I lie even though my stomach hurts like crazy.
‘Here, you might use this to your advantage.’ I say giving him some documents
He goes through them for a while before looking at me
‘She is your sister so why are you doing this?’
‘None of your business.’ I answer back going to sit
What I have given him are original documents to some of the properties that Cassie has been able to buy through his money. She had trusted me with the documents until recently when she needed them back, what she doesn’t know is that am not as naïve because what I did was to make fakes and I have the original ones. I doubt Katuta knows about them because knowing my sister she is secretive.
‘You know I can’t sale these because they are still in her names, right?’
I give him a number.
‘Call him, he will buy the property and change the names into his. Cassie will never believe the properties were once hers with that.’
‘I know you don’t hate Cassie so why are doing this?’
‘That is none of your business as I mentioned earlier.’ I say
He looks at me intently
‘I owe you one for this.’
‘No, you don’t.’ I respond dismissively
‘Catra are you okay?’
‘Just leave Vashawn, I don’t want to see you here.’
He looks at me shock registered on his face, once he is gone, I send some files to Katuta using a number registered under different names. In those files is all the information on the things that Cassie owns, the best way to brig her down is to divide her with her husband and I will do everything I can to make it happen.
..