Seven

You see what you have done Joe?” Ludo’s mother asked her husband.

“How could I have known Zamiwe?” Joe touched his head. “It was going great, I don’t know what happened.”

“She told you she didn’t want to go but with your arrogance, you had to make her go.”

“Is it a crime to go out with my daugther Zamiwe?” Joe’s eye brows bumped together in a scowl.

Zamiwe knew better not to irritate her husband. She knew he had the same rights as her when it came to Ludo. Despite their differences, Ludo was for the both of them. They were just both overprotective of her.

“I didn’t it mean it that way Joe,” Zamiwe answered thoughtful.

“I know she’s sick and I care for her. Don’t make me look like a bad parent please!” Joe sunk in his chair.

They all became quiet and lost in their thoughts. Ludo’s condition had taken a toll on the both of them. Instead of bringing them even more closer, it pushed them apart. They all had different opinions on what treatment she needed and in the end, Zamiwe always had an upper hand because she had practiced Nursing. Joe being a regular businessman was not considered to be the best thinker when it came to Ludo.

“Mom,” Ludo emerged from her bedroom.

Joe and Zamiwe both stood up.

“Hey sweetie,” Zamiwe walked to her and held her hand while Joe made the seat.

Ludo sat down with a towel in her hand.

“I hurt myself with the fall, my head feels like its about to explode,” Ludo complained bitterly.

“What happened?” Joe asked.

“Not now Joe,” Zamiwe cut him.

“Why are you always fighting?” Ludo looked at the both of them.

They both stiffened at the question.

“I’m an adult, I know what’s been happening with the both of you.”

Zamiwe and Joe looked at each other.

“Its not something we cannot handle sweetheart, trust us we will sort it out,” Joe answered holding Zamiwe’s hand.

Zamiwe looked at him and felt her heart sunk. She loved him but where did they go wrong was the question she asked herself every morning she woke up. He was near but very far away. He no longer confided in her which made it more difficult to confide in him too.

“If you say so dad,” Ludo said and went on. “I saw something strange tonight.”

“What sweetie?” Joe asked.

“Where did you find me?”

“At the parking square.”

“There was a man. He had a beautiful car. Chevrolet i think. I was interested in it and went to check it out. I think there was a girl in the car.”

“Maybe it was his girlfriend or wife,” Zamiwe said.

“She was tied,” Ludo said as if not sure. “Yes she was tied, I now remember.”

“Some people who saw you fall said you were in a confrontation with a man, was it him?” Joe inquired.

Ludo thought for a while and answered, “Yes dad. He was scary. His eye..." Ludo curled into a ball in the chair.

Joe noticed she was scared at the thought and changed the subject. Ludo kept thinking about the bearded man and how hideous he was.

Hunter drove into his compound while looking around ensuring no one had followed him. Thinking about what happened earlier made him stiffen a bit. He was not a kind of man to feel sorry for someone but thinking about how the girl fell and started convulsing made him somewhat uncomfortable. He had read about fits but never saw anyone before in action. He didn’t have to feel sorry for her, his life was at stake and no one was innocent in his eyes. Every person who got closer to him was an enemy. He drove into his parking space and got out of the car. He stood for a while thinking. He stood still while trying to listen to any movements around his house but there were none. He opened the back door of his Chevrolet.

“Hmmmm, hmmm,” the girl in the car mumbled.

“You brought this on yourself Hilary,” Hunter said as he carried her on his shoulder.

She tried to shake herself off him but couldn’t manage. Hunter was too strong. He had the body of baseball players. He was six feet tall. His arms were big they could hold three people at once. He had a very hideous face with a beard he well took care of.

He went to his backyard which had a one roomed building he called a Carnage. He opened it and dropped Hilary on the floor. She looked around and saw blood everywhere. She looked on the walls and there were stained knives, hooks and machetes hanging. She started crying and mumbling because her mouth was covered.

“Stop it!” He yelled at her.

She went quiet shaking.

“You betrayed me Hillary,” he stared at her.

She nodded in disagreement.

“We had an arrangement and you backstabbed me,” Hunter paced around.

“Did you think he could marry you?”

She cried.

“That man is a womanizer, everyone knows. But what did you do? You fell into his trap and exposed me. Do you know how long I have worked to bring those people down?”

Hilary kept crying.

“Women! Show them money and they will betray you in a blink of an eye!” Hunter growled. “I call this place a Carnage.” He looked around. “I’m sure you have noticed the blood around.”

Hilary’s eyes burned with hatred and fear.

“This blood is for people like you who have betrayed me,” Hunter reached for a machete on the wall. “I’m willing to forgive you if you tell me everything you have told them about me.”

Hilary looked at him blankly.

He untied the rope around Hilary’s head and removed the cotton he had stuffed in her mouth. She took a deep breath and looked at him defiantly.

“Now talk,” he said.

“Hunter Hunter,” she laughed. “Do you know you are an idiot?”

Hunter unrelentingly stared at her.

“Let me tell you one thing though. They are coming for you and they are out for blood. No matter what you do, you won’t escape their wrath. You have messed with the wrong people my dear hunter.”

“They messed with me first,” Hunter said. “What did you tell them about me?” Hunter asked furiously.

“Kill me if you want but I will never tell you anything. The months have spent in their circles, I have realized that they are better people than you. Hunter you are an animal,” she spat on him.

“Hilary you have left me with no choice.”

“Do it you sorry ass of a man,” Hilary dared Hunter.

Hunter breathed heavily looking at Hilary on the floor.

“Kill me now Hunter!” She shouted. “If you won’t, I’m sure they will find me and kill me.”

Hunter raised his machete and swung it in the air while Hilary screamed at him.

“Noooo,” her voice faded in the night.

Ludo woke up feeling tired as usual. She had not written anything the previous night because of the episode she had. Her mother insisted that she should rest. She got out of bed and took a shower. She felt her stomach rumble. She was hungry. She went to the kitchen and found her mother and father having breakfast together.

“Wow, this is new,” Ludo smiled pulling a chair.

“How did you sleep?” Joe asked her.

“Slept just fine dad,” she answered.

“Have you taken your meds,” her mother asked.

“Yes mom I did. This is yummy,” she tried to reach for pancakes on her mothers plate.

“Bad manners Ludo,” her mother looked at her.

“What? I’m so hungry I could eat a cow,” she winked.

“Nancy!” Ludo’s mother called out to the maid.

Nancy quickly came to the dining, “Yes madam.”

“Bring something for Ludo before she eats us alive.”

“Ok madam.”

“I cannot stop thinking about the bearded man,” Ludo said after some silence.

Her parents looked at each other.

“Bearded man?” Zamiwe asked.

“Yes the man I saw last night,” Ludo answered.

“Don’t think about him, you will probably never meet him again,” Joe said assured.

“I hope so,” Ludo sipped on her tea.

Whilst eating, they heard a knock on the door. They all looked at each other wondering who it could be.

“Nancy!” Zamiwe called. “Go and check who is at the door.”

After a while, Nancy came into the dining room with Mrs. Visashi.

“Madam!” Ludo exclaimed and got up spreading her hands.

They hugged while Joe and Zamiwe looked at them.

“What a surprise!” Ludo said.

Mrs. Visashi let go of her and said hi to Joe and Zamiwe.

“To what do we owe this visit Mrs. Visashi?” Joe asked.

“Enough with the formalities Joe, I’m not at school,” she answered.

Joe laughed and went on, “Ok Kate.”

“I have come to see my favorite former student.”

“Well, let us excuse you both so that you catch up,” Zamiwe said getting up looking at Joe.

Mrs Visashi and Ludo sat in the dining room and talked for a while. She had come to check up on Ludo because time had passed ever since she saw her and being concerned about her, she made an effort.

“Tell me you are done with the book,” Mrs. Visashi said curiously.

“I’m still figuring out the last chapter,” Ludo smiled. “I’m having a conflict on which characters to kill or keep.”

“I bet you will figure it out,” Mrs. Visashi smiled. “I have to see it. Do you mind?”

“Of course not, follow me,” Ludo got up.

They went to Ludo’s bedroom. Ludo got her laptop and showed Mrs. Visashi her work. Mrs. Visashi read for some minutes while Ludo looked at her.

“Well what do you think?” Ludo asked.

“This is good Ludo,” Mrs. Visashi answered surprised. “Did you write this?”

“Yes,” Ludo answered proudly.

“Wow, I’m short of words. Do you ever think of publishing?”

“My mother says I’m not ready.”

“This is wasting talent. I know people who can be interested in this.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This is too good to be stored in a laptop.”

“I will contact one editor I know and see how it goes from there. I love this Ludo,” Mrs. Visashi said honestly.

“Thank you madam but you will have to talk to mom before proceeding.”

“Zamiwe won’t have a problem with you publishing i know,” Mrs. Visashi said and went on. “I have to go now,” She said standing up. “You will let them know that I have gone.”

“Ok madam I will.”

“I saw a black car outside, is it your father's?”

Ludo’s heart pounded.

“Black car?”

“Yes.”

Ludo hurriedly ran outside and opened the gate. She found the car outside their wall fence. Ludo walked to the car carefully trying to see who was in it. It was a black Chevrolet like the one she saw the previous night. Ludo went to the window and knocked. No one was opening.

“What do you want from me?” She screamed circling the car.”I know you are in there. I told you I don’t know anything, please leave me alone!”

“Hey young girl, what is it?” A woman asked walking to Ludo.

“There’s an hideous man in this car!” Ludo pointed at the car.

The woman quickly rushed to the car and opened it. Ludo was surprised.

“Why are you opening the door?” She asked.

“What do you mean why am i opening the door?” The woman asked surprised. “Its my car!”

“No its not.”

“Yes it is. I live across the road. I parked here because i was seeing a friend over there,” the woman pointed at the house next to Ludo’s. “Young lady who are you?”

“You have hidden him, right?”

“Who?”

“The bearded man?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about young girl.”

Ludo’s parents and Mrs. Visashi came running at the two. Joe grabbed Ludo who was refusing to be taken back inside.

“Dad let me go. I have to know what he wants from me!” Ludo screamed.

“I’m sorry madam,” Zamiwe apologised to the lady.

“That girl needs help,” the woman said.

“Yes we know,” Zamiwe said.

“She’s a psycho.”

Zamiwe felt like her heart had been crashed hearing someone call her daughter a Psycho. She charged at the woman and grabbed her by the hair. She wanted to throw her on the ground when Mrs. Visashi stopped her.

“Stop it Zamiwe, it’s not worth it,” she held her tightly pulling her back.

“Didn’t you hear? This woman called my daughter a Psycho. Who does that?” Zamiwe shouted.

“You are all crazy. Your whole family needs help!” The woman said getting into the car.

“Don’t call my child a psycho,” Zamiwe pointed at the woman. “Let me go,” she shook herself from Mrs. Visashi and ran back inside.

Mrs. Visashi just nodded her head in disappointment.

The woman drove off.

Joe carried Ludo and took her to the bedroom while she kept screaming that the bearded man was in that car. Zamiwe got into the house and rushed to her medkit in the bedroom. She could hear Ludo screaming and shouting. She went to Ludo’s bedroom and found Joe had restrained her on the bed.

“Do it,” Joe looked at Zamiwe who stood on the door dropping tears.

“I’m sorry sweetie,” Zamiwe said injecting Ludo to induce anesthesia.

Zamiwe left the bedroom crying.

“Dad,” Ludo called Joe.

“Yes baby.”

“Is mother upset with me?”

“No she’s not, she’s just tired.”

“Why did she ran away from me dad?”

Joe stiffened.

“Tell her I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

“Scared of what baby?”

“I can’t feel my face, dad,” Ludo complained.

“It’s the injection baby.”

“I hate it dad,” She blinked vigorously.

“Tell me, what are you scared of?”

“The bearded man. He was in that car. He’s coming for me, I know it,” Ludo said faintly while falling asleep.