Once I caught sight of father relaxing to some bottles of beer and wine at the poolside, I decided to meet with him; for the past three nights that particular dream had repeated itself.I perceived my husband was conveying a message to me which needed urgent attention. And the message was no other thing than his safety. My nights have become more fun than my day. Although I enjoyed meeting Brian in the dream world, I couldn’t wait to tell my father-in-law about Brian.“Good day father,” I greeted him once. I pranced to his side and he lit delightsome laughter on his face as usual, expecting me to return the compliment. But I kept to my frown, “Permit me to have a seat, father,” I sounded yet further.Fanny shook his head firmly and dimmed her blue eyes at me, “My daughter-in-law is looking moody. Obviously, someone has got on your nerves. Or don’t you like the royal gown I bought for you?” he asked politely.I forced a smile, my thoughts still hovering around Brian, and wondering how
Upon receiving the urgent invitation from the doctor, Fanny and I hopped into the car and drove down to the hospital.At the time, Opula and Kate were having a sun bath at the garden and once they beheld the rate at which we drove away, Opula burst into a mocking laughter before Kate joined her.“I guess the doctor has put a call across to them. Brian is not supposed to remain alive on or before the yacht party,” Opula said through smiles before fetching her wine to gulp down.Kate’s face widened in surprise. She chuckled and sat up to listen to Opula, “Come on girl, give me more gist. I wasn’t getting what the doctor said over the phone when he mentioned his strategy and how can eliminate Brian.” Kate sounded and asked yet further, “How does he intend to do it?Opula cleared her throat before she said, “The doctor is such a smart ass and with his strategy no one would suspect we eliminated Brian. In fact, all the blame will be on Melissa.Kate interrupted her and asked, “Melissa?” sh
Our saving grace was that father didn’t drive the car because I hadn’t seen a man become so nervous that his entire body shook as the strings on a guitar.Fanny and I sat at the back seat while the driver sped to the hospital. Although I often dared to lock gaze with Fanny’s sweating, sour face which smiled randomly, I wondered if this man was going to survive the next day.The doctor’s phone call about my husband had changed my body temperature, and it was Fanny that reminded me how hot I was when his palm touched mine.“You are coal hot, Melissa. I believe nothing has happened to Brian,” he said, his voice longing and vague. “My son is fine so I want you to chin up and relax,” he rubbed me on the back of my palms, and kept cheering me up as though by so doing he would feel better.I turned my gaze to him and shook my head in the affirmative, without any interest in uttering a word.It was now that Fanny lowered his gaze that he saw Brian’s sizable photo in my hands, tightly held; by
Salsa had come to serve me some fresh fruit juice which I ordered after the blood transfusion. The tension in my veins had eased off since I was rest assured my husband was going to survive after the blood transfusion.“You look pale, Melissa.” Salsa said, her gaze settled on my drawn face, which seemed to be aching me after the blood transfusion.Nothing bothered me, although my mind often got reminded of the twins in my womb, yet I wasn’t bothered for one bit because I had saved Brian from the death that wanted to swallow him. All that mattered to me now was Brian’s safety.“What could be the reason, Melissa?” Salsa asked and rolled her eyes at me as she poured fresh orange juice for me. I forced a smile as I replied, “I guess it is because of the sleep I have not had for long. Have you forgotten I told you Brian has been appearing in my dream begging me to save him?”Salsa shook her head, “Yeah, you did, but has it got anything to do with the pale on your face? It seems as if you d
Once Fanny caught sight of the doctor who was prancing out of the emergency ward, he scampered and reached him, “Doctor, doctor,” he called, “Please, how is Melissa? I hope she is still alive?”The doctor grabbed Fanny firmly on the shoulders and affirmed, “There is nothing to worry about, Fanny. Melissa is doing pretty well and after some bed rest, she is going to join you.”Fanny raised his hands to the sky, “Oh my God. This is good news,” he said and when the doctor was about to step away, he grabbed his hands and asked yet again, “Please doctor, what could be the reason for the slumping? Melissa is my daughter-in-law. She has been healthy. I least expected such a thing to happen to her.”The doctor put a smirk on his face and recalled that Melissa had once pleaded with him not to mention her pregnancy to anyone. She was grateful to Salsa, who brought her to the hospital where she had been doing her antenatal. The doctor had always given her maximum cooperation, unlike the family d
In the heat of the quarrel, the doctor invited the security, who bundled Opula and Kate away. And because Fanny breached the policy guarding noise making at the emergency ward, the doctor was forced to ask Fanny and Eva to leave immediately.The doctor wasn’t going easy with me either. Although he scolded me, he gave me some pieces of advice which I found unnecessary and useless.A wave of anger rolled over the doctor as he asked, “Why did you do this, Melissa? You know you are pregnant, yet you went ahead to donate blood to your husband. Do you want to die?”My brow roughened as I shot a quarrelsome gaze at him. At the time, I was lacking the verve to speak up, but my thunderous face queried him annoyingly. I wished I could keep at my silence but I couldn’t. Why would the doctor ask me such a question?”“My husband’s life is involved here, doctor,” my soft tone came through, as I said yet further, “He has no one except me. It is only me that can save him…”The doctor’s wobbled eyes i
Standing before the microphone, with the earpods tightly worn on my ears often reminded me of Brian. The last place I saw him before slumping into a coma was his studio, where he sang his favorite song.As I stood before the microphone to sing a little, nothing else sounded from me than a sobbing tone. To say I had missed Brian was an understatement. I saw him virtually in everything I did.And right about now, I could see him standing over there just behind the glass door, smiling cheek to cheek and hearing me sing his favorite song.But it was only imagination. Imaginations had ways of playing chase with our emotions, and I was only a victim. I couldn’t continue with the singing practice.I had broken down in tears several times and wasted precious time reminiscing about Brian and what our marriage would look like if he were around. I knew if he were here all these fights and quarrels wouldn’t have happened because he would have assumed his rightful position as the heir to the Fanny
Opula and Kate were having a nice time at the poolside, and whenever they gathered at such a time, the two names that never left her mouth were Brian and my name. She regretted it all now; she wished she hadn’t contracted me for this marriage.“I thought she was naïve and timid the very first day I met her,” Opula said to Kate, who was busy popping wine, “I never knew this poor Melissa wasn’t actually poor in mind. Today she is being problematic …”Kate shrugged, “You hired a beast and forgot to tame its fire. That rotten kitten is going to be our endless nightmare if we don’t act fast. I don’t need to remind you of the wings she has grown.”Opula caught sight of Fanny and I driving out in the Rolls-Royce, and she clenched her jaw and said, “Father is not even helping issues. But I know the problem with him. My husband mentioned it to me the other days and I doubted him. But right now I am beginning to believe him.”Kate’s face scowled in anxiety as she asked, “What could that be? Gis
All eyes fell on me once I cheered up and sniffed heavily. Already the police men had entered the hospital and advanced towards us with an investigative countenance and scowled faces which struck us with silence and suspicion.“Why is police in my hospital?” doctor bill queried anxiously and settled his suspicious gaze on me, “I can’t recall inviting the police to my hospital. Who could have invited the police?”There was a hush of silence when the police detective surged closer and queried everyone with his scarcely familiar look which had so much gloom.“Good evening, doctor,” the detective greeted warmly and shot his dark eyes at us, “We got an urgent phone call from this hospital. The voice couldn’t speak out but we traced the phone call to this hospital. The police detective said to Doctor Bill with so much expectation for an explanation, “Perhaps you may know who did.”“I did, detective,” my voice sounded with an iota of confidence and conviction, “I made the phone call to you b
Doctor Bill had stormed the Emergency unit and ordered mom and I to vacate the unit immediately. A handful of nurses paced up and down under the command of the doctor who was still battling to restore my husband who had been jerking under the oxygen machine.Outside the emergency unit, I wasn’t in my best of mood. My heart thudded with danger and I had no doubt something was wrong with Brian. The color had drained from my face and I wasn’t thinking about the baby in my womb than my husband.Mom rolled her eyes at me and about to step away when Doctor Bill stepped out with a fallen countenance ; I swallowed hard when I saw those red eyes of his and dark face ; he seemed as one that escaped hell.Mom had paused to know what news doctor had to share with me. I knew her wish for Brian was death and nothing would gladden her heart than to hear news about Brian’s demise.Upon setting my anxious eyes on the doctor, I melted as wax and could barely open my mouth to question the doctor, who w
The doctor spoke so loudly, obviously making a noise to attract attention and Opula gestured at him to bring down the tone of his voice.“You know someone could be listening to us,” Opula whispered, “Please, take things calmly. You must not make a noise about it. But I have told you the forty percent is not going to be possible. Why would you demand I pay you forty percent of a contract you know nothing about…”Doctor Bernard burst into a mocking laughter and grinned afterward, “Oh do you think I know nothing about it? Is that what you think? I am going to tell you what I know about it. The Bensons want Melissa as an arranged wife but your greed wouldn’t rest, you forced yourself on your ex-boyfriend, Rod thinking he will get you pregnant but unfortunately this pregnancy belongs to Ken,”Kate was still eavesdropping at the door at the time, Doctor Bernard made that statement. And she gagged her mouth in shock ; she couldn’t believe Opula had been lying about her pregnancy all this wh
At the time ambulance came to pick up Opula who was still coughing out blood, Salsa was peeping from the kitchen where she prepared lunch. She smiled evilly and gritted her teeth as she shook her head in vengeance. She hoped the abortion would happen this time around; she couldn’t wait to hear news of Opula losing the pregnancy; only then would her joy be full.From the kitchen, she peeped out to the ambulance personnel attending to Opula, and she could recall how she did it;Opula had requested for a fresh orange juice a while ago and Salsa prepared it for her with mixture of her poisonous herbs that would abort the pregnancy. Salsa was responsible for the bloody cough Opula was experiencing and if Opula should cough out blood for a longer time she could lose the pregnancy.“Until the teeth of my vengeance bite you, I shall know no rest. Opula, you are going to suffer in my hands until you lose that pregnancy. I will not remain alive and watch you get pregnant for a man I love so muc
When Kate barged in on Opula, she met her sobbing and weeping in her palms. She was red on the face and the color drained from her face; it was obvious Opula had been weeping all night.“Oh my goose!” Kate exclaimed and paced to the side of Opula and clutched her teary chin, “What happened to you again? Why are you all tears? The day is too early for this, Opula,” Kate petted her and caught sight of the picture on the bed and when she picked it up, it was rod’s picture, “Is it because of Rod Benson? What did he say to you again?”Opula swallowed hard, sobbed even greatly and managed to say, “He has refused to pick my phone calls ever since he rejected the pregnancy. The most annoying thing is that Rod wants me to abort the pregnancy. Can you imagine? Does he hate you that much?”“What!” Kate snapped and snorted, “Is he sick in the brain? How could he suggest such a thing? Oh my God!” Kate raised her gaze in frustration and asked yet further, “Did you show him the paternity test result
“MELISSA!” she called, her body shivering, the fierceness of her face threatening as she molded her fist, “What are you doing here? Are you supposed to be here at this time?” she asked, her hands trembling.I hummed and quoted, “Because the bird has learnt to fly without perching, the hunters have learnt to shoot without missing. I knew you were up to ruin. A leopard cannot lose its spot. So this is it mom. You demanded to know the ON and OFF knob so that you could sneak in and turn off the oxygen machine and suffocate Brian? Your evil has caught up with you.”Mom’s jaw sagged as she fumed, “You rotten maggot. I am only doing you a favor. I really want to have you back as my daughter but you must be set free from this evil marriage. He has to die.”I advanced forward and replied her, “You got to be bluffing, huh. My husband? Are you okay, mom? Are you saying it to my face that you want to kill Brian? This is unimaginable, mom!”“Listen up, Melissa. I have so much money now. I may not
Promptly I flinched from sleep; it was a dream.“Oh my God,” I whispered and wiped my face of the nervous sweat that trickled down. “Brian cannot die. What sort of dream is this? Something must be happening to my husband,” I said to myself, gasped, stroked my hair confusedly and picked up my phone to call the doctor…***Seated in front of the police detective were Fanny, Opula and Kate. While they spoke, the police scribbled down vital information on a paper, with keenness in his eyes.“The total sum of money is one million dollars,” Fanny said in a baritone voice, “I believe the money is somewhere in my villa, obviously in one or two chambers. I really want you and your boys to fish out and punish anyone found guilty of stealing the money.”The police detective winked after scribbling down some more information from Fanny, “Um, Mr. Fanny, this one million dollars in question was it stolen from your company, the Fanny Group or from the villa? Because you made mention of the money was
Feeling enthusiastic and not knowing what mom was up to, the doctor pointed at a knob, “Yes, this is the knob that controls the machine. It has an ON and OFF but it is always turned ON. Once it is turned OFF for more than thirty minutes, the patient will finally die. It is very dangerous to turn it off. And what would even make anyone to turn it off anyways?” the doctor asked suspiciously.Mom smiled and shook her head, before turning her gaze to smile deeply at me.“Why all these questions, mom?” I asked, anxiously, with my suspicious gaze locking with hers, “Are you interested in medicine now? Is this the reason you want to see Brian? You should be talking about Brian and not the machine.”Mom burst into a choking laughter, “My daughter never mind. You see, I was arguing with a staff of mine the other day that an oxygen machine has an ON and OFF knob and she kept arguing with me .” she brought out her phone and took photos of the machine, “Right now I have the picture of the machine
That was strange of mom. I couldn’t stop gaping at her, wondering why she wanted to see a man she hated so much. Mom had never desired to see Brian when he was insane. Mere thought of Brian irritated her like plaque. I could recall several times she yelled at me when I mentioned Brian in our discussion.“So why is she demanding to see him now?” I asked in my mind, “What is she up to? Is mom for real? Could this be a dream? This is strange. What is mom up to?” I asked yet further while I gaped at mom.“Why do you want to see my husband?” I asked softly and narrowed my suspicious eyes on her, wondering why she was chuckling now, as though I was funny.I could see the nurse who was in charge of riding her, develop interest in our discussion; perhaps it had come to the part she was needed. The nurse shot a brief smile at me before settling anxious gaze on mom who was nervously waiting for a prompt reply.“Um, ma’am if you want to see any patient at the emergency unit, you must seek the p