Fourteen

“So how was work mom?” Ludo asked Zamiwe.

“Great my daughter,” Zamiwe smiled as she passed Joe a plate of veggies.

“How about you dad? Business?”

“So far, it's doing well,” Joe answered. “How was your day?”

“It was fine. Boring for the most parts,” Ludo chuckled.

“What did you do?” Zamiwe asked.

“Nothing as usual. I just watched TV,” Ludo sighed. “I wanted to apologize for the way I talked to you two the other day.”

“It’s okay sweetie, you apologized already. We saw the texts,” Zamiwe looked at Joe, smiling.

“Yes baby, we saw them. And we are glad you felt bad about it. We weren’t upset with you; we were just worried,” Joe added.

“I know. I’m sorry; it will never happen again.”

Ludo and her parents were having an early supper. Zamiwe and Joe had discussed that they should be spending more time with their daughter. They were willing to put their differences aside for Ludo. They wanted to be there for her always.

They finished eating and went in the living room to watch television. They sat quietly, all three of them, lost in their thoughts. Even though silence spoke volumes, they were all glad that they had each other in that moment.

Ludo’s phone, which was on the table, rang.

She looked at her parents.

“Answer it,” Joe said.

Ludo hesitated to get it.

“Sweetie answer it,” her mother added.

Ludo reached for the phone and saw a strange number. Had she been alone, she couldn’t have answered it but with her parent’s eyes on her, she didn’t want them to suspect a thing.

“Hello,” she answered nervously.

“Hi Ludo!” Melanie said excitedly.

“Hi Melanie,” Ludo excused herself and went to the bedroom.

“What is it Melanie?”

“I’m outside your house and guess who I’m with?”

“Outside my house?” Ludo asked surprised.

“Yes Ludo.” Melanie confirmed. “We have come to get you for dinner.”

“I just ate, sorry. I don’t think I can go out this evening.”

Melanie didn’t say anything.

“Melanie are you there?” Ludo asked.

“Hi Ludo,” Evan said.

Ludo felt weak in the knees.

“Hey,” she said.

“You need to come out, my mother is inviting you over.”

“I can’t. I have to….”

Before she could finish talking, Evan cut the call. Ludo sat on her bed shaking. As she was thinking about what excuse to make when they call again, her mother called out to her from the living room. Ludo went to the living room and saw that Melanie and Evan had already found their way into the house.

“Sweetie, your friend, Melanie, is here,” Zamiwe said.

Ludo walked to the couch, her eyes fixed on Evan. As she looked at him, she remembered how he wickedly treated her the other night.

“Hi Ludo,” Evan faked a smile.

“Hey,” Ludo said.

She sat down not knowing what to say nor do. Looking at how impatient Evan was, she knew she was wanted back at his house.

Evan looked at Melanie.

“We are going to have dinner and we thought of bringing Ludo with us, do you mind if she goes with us?” Melanie asked Joe and Zamiwe.

Joe and Zamiwe looked at each and then at Ludo. Ludo really wished they could say no.

“Its fine with us,” Joe said. “As long as you promise to bring her back early.”

“She will be back before you even know it,” Evan said, his eyes on Ludo.

Ludo kept playing with her fingers nervously.

“Then we should go,” Melanie stood up.

“Sweetie, aren’t you changing into something warm?” Zamiwe asked Ludo.

“I’m fine this way mom,” Ludo stood up.

“She’s perfect,” Evan added.

Melanie looked at Evan feeling jealous.

The three walked outside to Evan’s Jeep parked by Ludo’s gate. Evan got into the car and before Ludo could get in, he said, “Oh and I almost forgot, bring your laptop with you.”

“Laptop?” Melanie asked.

Evan was irritated by Melanie’s questions.

“Yes Laptop, Melanie,” Evan answered.

“What for? Aren’t we going for dinner?”

Evan didn’t know what to answer. Ludo saw that he was tongue tied. She ignored what he asked for and got into the car. Pissed at Melanie, Evan drove the car.

Kate walked into a strange neighborhood of Chawama. It was her first time going there. She had heard many stories about Chawama on the NEWS and read in newspapers. The sun had just set and she knew she had to go home to prepare supper for Kent. Kent called and texted her but she ignored him. She didn’t want him to start asking questions and probably get worried. She reached a house and looked at a piece of paper she held in her hand and confirmed to herself that she was at the right place. As she walked into the compound, she heard her husband’s words in her head, “Don’t pursue Melanie.” She didn’t want to think about Kent in that moment, she told herself it was her little secret, Kent didn’t need to find out. She reached the front door and knocked. An old woman came out of the house eating sweet potatoes.

“Sorry to bother you this late, ma'am,” Kate said.

“It’s okay my child,” the old woman said with a friendly smile. “How may I help you?”

“I’m looking for Melanie. Does she live here?”

“Melanie?”

“Yes ma.”

“That troublesome girl? Ah! That one was a handful.”

“I’m sure she’s the one,” Kate said.

“She used to live here together with her aunt but they moved sometime ago.”

“Do you know where?”

“I don’t, I’m sorry.”

“Thank you ma'am,” Kate waved the old lady goodbye.

She left the compound assured that Melanie was lying. Looking at the place, there was no way Melanie could afford the car she was driving the other day. As she left the compound, she found a number of missed calls from her husband. She knew he had knocked off and was on his way home.

“Mr. Visashi, I’m off now,” Kent’s secretary told him.

“Alright, I’m leaving the office soon, too. See you tomorrow,” he said.

Kent finished up his work for the day. He texted his wife that he was on his way home. Usually, when he texted, she replied in a heartbeat but this time, she didn’t. He locked his office and went out to the parking lot to his car. Before opening the door, he decided to call Kate. She didn’t pick up his calls.

“I’m sure she’s cooking,” he said out loudly.

He got into his car and drove out of the company’s premises. As soon as he got onto the main road, he heard something move in the backseat. He tried to turn his head to check.

“Just drive!” A voice commanded.

Kent breathed heavily. His hands became sweaty.

“I want the manuscript!”

Hearing the word manuscript had become daunting now. Everytime Kent heard it, he sensed danger.

“I gave them,” Kent said shaking.

“Who did you give?”

Kent tried to peep at the man through the rear view mirror.

“You don’t want to see me, trust me.”

Kent’s eyes quickly concentrated on the road.

“Who did you give?”

“I gave it to one of the sons. He came to claim it.”

“Copies?”

“No copies, i also told him that i don’t have copies. Why won’t you people leave us alone? Leave the girl alone. Ludo doesn’t know anything about this,” Kent mentioned Ludo’s name regretfully.

“Ludo?”

Kent sweated even more.

“Who is Ludo?”

“No one.”

“Mr. Man, i have come a long way for this and you telling me nothing won’t do you any good. Do you know how many people die of road accidents in this country?”

“Please don’t hurt her, she’s innocent.”

“Who is she?”

“She’s the one who wrote it.”

“I see. Park there.”

Kent reduced the car speed and parked. He kept praying the man behind him wouldn’t do harm to him.

“Write her address here.”

Kent got a pen from the compartment and wrote Ludo’s address on a piece of paper.

“Don’t hurt her,” he passed the paper without looking back.

Kent heard the back door closed as quickly as it opened. He got his head out to see who it was but couldn’t see a thing. When he peeped through the rear view mirror, despite the view not been clear, Kent saw that the man was bearded and very huge.

“I thought we were going someplace to have dinner,” Melanie complained looking at Evan who was driving into his parents’ house.

“Change of plans,” Evan said, his eyes fixed on the gate.

“But baby…”

“Don’t call me that!” Evan yelled.

Melanie looked at Ludo ashamed of herself. Ludo knew all along that Melanie was just used in this game that was being played. Pitiful and naive Melanie, Ludo thought to herself as she got out of the car.

“This way,” Evan looked at Ludo.

Coming out of the house was Erica all dressed up in a long blue dress. She looked at Evan, and then at Melanie and Ludo and rolled her eyes.

“Where to?” Evan asked.

“I’m going to have dinner with Jean,” she replied.

“That low life?”

“Don’t you get tired of insulting him?” Erica asked Evan.

“I will never get tired. That’s what he is.”

“I don’t care,” Erica said.

“Did he even bring back the rover?”

“Is it yours?”

“It belongs to the family.”

“Evan, you can hang out if you want. No one talks about how much you spend on whores,” Erica looked at Melanie. “Go in mom is waiting. Someone will die tonight if not lucky,” she looked at Ludo and off she went.

Ludo and Melanie walked into the house while Evan trailed behind them. On their way, Evan had been texted by Elise that he should tell Ludo to go in the living room.

“Melanie let’s go and eat,” Evan led Melanie to the dining room.

“What about Ludo?” She asked concerned.

“Ludo will join us later. She has to talk to mother first.”

“Your mother likes Ludo,” Melanie said looking back at Ludo walking to the living room.

Ludo went to the living room and it was as quiet as a graveyard. She hesitated to sit down. She walked to the door and looked at Evan and Melanie walking to the diner. She wished she had followed them but she was told to wait in the living room. She composed herself, entered the room and sat on the couch. As she sat, she heard something move behind her. She quickly turned around but there was nothing.

“This place creeps me out,” she said to herself; her breaths thickened.

“Hello my child,” Elise said entering the living room pushing her husband’s wheelchair.

Ludo stood up holding her breath. She had been startled.

“You look tense,” Elise said.

Ludo folded her hands.

“Sit down my child,” Elise pointed Ludo to the couch.

“Why am I here?” Ludo asked.

Elise tended to her husband. She made him comfortable in the wheelchair while recognizing Ludo’s presence.

“This is a lot of work,” Elise said. “But as they say, in sickness and in health. I still love him,” Elise touched her husband’s face.

Ludo stiffened.

“Coming to your question. I have been reading and something interested me in your book Ludo. You are talented, I give you that.”

“Thank you. When am I getting my manuscript back?”

Elise jolted upright and her facial expression changed to what Ludo couldn’t tell.

“Oh you can keep it; i don’t mind,” Ludo said.

“I know i said i believed you, but the more I read, the harder it is to believe you, child.”

“What do you mean?”

“Who sent you to write?”

“I’m getting tired of that question, Elise. I don’t mean to be rude, sorry.”

“It’s fine dear. I need to know.”

“I wrote that myself.”

“How? Do you know this family?”

“I didn’t know you people existed until the first day i came here.”

Elise studied Ludo. She stood up and went to a drawer, opened it and got the manuscript from it. She looked at it and opened it. She walked to Ludo and gave her the manuscript.

“Read there; where it’s highlighted.”

“I know what’s here already. I wrote this.”

Elise smiled.

“That part right there happened the exact way you wrote it.”

Ludo’s eyes brightened. She quickly read through the passage feeling her heart pounding.

“Yes it did. Elise repeated. “Does that give you a clue of what I’m capable of?”

Ludo didn’t answer.

“You see my dear, the way I was back in the day is the same way I am today. Nothing much has changed. So tell me, who sent you?”

“No one. I don’t know how this is coinciding but trust me I know nothing.”

“I really want to believe you Ludo, but you are making it hard for me,” Elise sighed. “How are your parents? Your teacher Kate? I know you have a soft spot for her. How about your friend Melanie who is here?”

Ludo knew she was being threatened.

Elise shifted in her chair.

Ludo saw Elise’s husband's face saddened like he was trying to tell her something.

Ludo felt someone standing behind her.

“Don’t look back,” Elise told her.

Ludo felt cold.

“One last time, who sent you to write about us?”

“No one,” Ludo answered breathing heavily.

“Is it the Patels'?”

“I don’t even know who the Patels' are, please believe me,” Ludo begged.

Elise sighed. Ludo caught Elise looking at someone behind her and then nodded.

Ludo closed her eyes. She felt the figure behind her step towards her and in a split second stepped away from her.

“Open your eyes child,” Elise said. “Go home now. My driver, Mr. Jabulani, will take you home.

Ludo opened her eyes and stood up.

“How about Melanie?” Ludo asked.

“Melanie is Evan’s guest. You were my guest and I have let you go.”

“Oh and Ludo, I need each and every copy you have on this manuscript. Be it soft or hard. Understood?” Elise asked.

Ludo nodded leaving the room, her eyes on Elise’s husband who was also looking at her.

She was driven home by Mr. Jabulani who didn’t say a word to her till they reached her gate. He just looked at her once or twice. By the time they got home, it was around 11pm.

“Do whatever they tell you. If you mess up, it’s either you will live miserably or your family will,” Mr. Jabulani said threateningly.

Ludo looked at him blankly.

“And don’t try acting smart, those people are ten times smarter than you,” Mr. Jabulani said leaving Ludo at the gate.

Ludo quickly entered the compound with her eyes everywhere. Luckily, Nancy had spent the night at Ludo’s. Ludo called her to open the door for her.

“You took long,” Nancy whispered.

“I know,” Ludo whispered back. “I’m going to bed now. Goodnight Nancy.”

Ludo went straight to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She removed her laptop from the bag and sat on the bed. She didn’t take Elise serious before but now she was slowly being convinced that what she wrote was truly about the Hamuumbu’s. She opened the document on her laptop.

“I should probably delete this,” she said out loudly, biting her nails.

“That would be a bad idea,” a voice said behind her.

Ludo froze.

Ludo’s finger was on delete shaking.

“Don’t press that button.”

Ludo heard the voice nearer.

Ludo slowly turned her head to see who it was.

The footsteps got even more closer.

“You!” Ludo yelled.

“What? The sick girl?” The voice said, surprised.

“Don’t kill me,” Ludo’s voice sunk as she slowly fell on her bed fainting.

"Sh*t!", Hunter cussed.