RED FLAGS
EPISODE 6
What have I gotten myself into like this? Why do I even enter this car in the first place? God, please save me this time and I promise not to have anything to do with this family again” I said as the mother and son keeps dragging the steering with each other. At this rate, I know is only God that can save us because Gabriel’s mum was adamant on getting us involve in an accident. It was as if she was possessed by a devil with the way she was dragging the steering with her son and I wonder how a mother will want to put her son’s lives in danger even if she doesn’t like me. I keep praying for God to intervene and just like as if he answered my prayer, Gabriel gained the upper power and was able to get the steering back in control. He quickly stepped on the brake and park on one side of the road.
I quickly get down from the car and throw up due to the car motion. Gabriel got down from the driver seat angrily and went to his mum’s side. He opened the door for his mum and surprisingly she refused to get down from the car. I was busy emptying all the food I ate in the afternoon not minding the mother and son drama because I was already weak.
“Mum, what was that stunt for? Gabriel asked his mom angrily. I don’t understand you anymore because if I didn’t overpower you earlier we would all have died. I thought you loved me but now I can see you only want me dead ” He stated angrily while his mom ignored him as if he wasn’t talking to her. Well… When we get home, we will talk better about this since you decided not to reply after putting everyone’s lives in danger.
He looked at me and said:” Oh, Anisha, I am so sorry, and rushed back to the driver seat to get me a bottle of water to rinse my mouth. I was already sitting on the floor because I was too weak to stand on my feet. He came back and handed me the bottle water and I thanked him as I rinsed my mouth with the water. All this while I was rinsing my mouth, his mother was seated in the car hissing and eyeing me not minding she was the one that put me in this position.
” Anisha, I am so sorry for what happened tonight. Just take it as if I was the one that offends you. Trust me, my mom wasn’t like this, I just don’t know what came over her tonight. Allow me to drive you home , this is 9:25 pm and we are in the middle of nowhere” Gabriel told me as he helped me on my feet and I just nodded at his response because all I wanted is just to get home and sleep because on a normal basis , I wasn’t supposed to allow him to drive me home after what happened but I am so weak and don’t have any strength to reject his offer. He walked me back to the back seat and tried to open the door for me but it was locked.
Mum, please help me unlock the back seat door, I think it is locked ” he asked his mum but there was no response.
He knocked on the car window and his mom whined down the glass and said ” What!”.
He replied his mom and said:” I need you to please help me unlock the back seat door so Anisha can enter”.
” Over my dead body will I allow this girl enter the car talkless of you giving her a ride home,” His mom told him angrily and we were both surprised at her response.
” Mum, do you realize this is my car and I have the right to allow anyone into it? He asked her trying to control his anger.
” And do you forget I am your mother and what my son owns automatically becomes mine ” his mum replied him back angrily.
” Why are you doing like this for goodness sake, mom? Unlock the door and allow this poor girl in, she has already passed through a lot tonight and where do you want her to get a cab home at this time in the middle of nowhere ” He told his mom calmly this time so she can allow me in.
” Gabriel is better you don’t waste your saliva because this girl is not leaving here with us in your car tonight. She should find a cab to take her home because I won’t allow her in and if you insisted on letting her in, I hope you know what am capable of doing because I will make sure we all died this night”.
” What has this girl done to you for goodness sake for you to hate her like this ?” He asked his mom.
” You want to know? Then I will tell you. I hate her because I realized she is going to turn your back at me and am not ready to lose you to anyone. If you are ready to come in without her let me know so I can unlock the driver seat for you ” his mom told him and whine up the glass.
My eyes were already swelled up with tears because never in my life have I ever been in this kind of position. I looked at Gabriel and said:” Please go home with your mom, I will sort myself out”.
” Anisha, I can’t leave you here alone. It’s late already and how am I sure you are going to get a cab home safely. We are in the middle of the road and is very dangerous for you alone to stand here waiting for a cab considering that you are even weak. You might be robbed or raped by some hoodlums so I will stay here with you till you get a cab home before I leave with her (referring to his mom) ” he told me with concern written all over this face.
I thanked him because I realized something that day that Gabriel wasn’t a Mama’s boy but he was only doing all that to please his mother. I told him I can’t stand for too long because I was very weak and he assisted me back into sitting down on the slab. He pull off his jacket and cover me with it because it was cold outside and I was already shivering. Gabriel was only in his T-shirt folding his arms together due to the cold waiting for a cab to take me home.
Gabriel and I stayed outside in the cold for the past one hour and we couldn’t see a cab to take me home because those one that are passing are already full with passenger while his mom was already asleep in the car not minding us.
” Gabriel, please take your mom home. This is 11 pm already, I will trek home myself and I am sure God will protect me ” I told him trying to control my tears while his mom was seated in the car snoring which means she doesn’t care if we stayed outside till dawn. He looked at me with love and care written all over his face and said:” Anisha, I am so sorry for what happened. I would take my mom home and come back to take you home. I pray nothing happen to you while I take her home because I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to you. Please be safe for me till I am back ” he told me and kissed my forehead before he walked back to his car.
He knocked on the car window twice before his mum whine down the glass. “Can you open the driver seat door so I can take you home since she is no longer coming with us?” he asked his mum with a sarcastic tone.
“No problem ” she replied him with a sleepy voice and opened the driver seat for him then went back to sleep.
Gabriel looked at me one more time after his mom had open the driver seat door for him. He walked to the driver’s seat and said:” I will be right back Anisha, please be safe for me and enter into the car”.
He started the car and zoom off. Immediately his car was out of sight, I released the tears I was holding and cried. I blamed myself for rejecting kola and his wife’s offer, I blamed myself for entering into Gabriel’s car in the first place, I blamed myself for literally everything that happened tonight as hot tears streamed down my face. I wanted to call my mom so I can tell her to find a solution on how to get me out of here until I realized I forgot my phone inside Gabriel’s car. It was as if God was punishing me for rejecting Kola and Bimpe offer. I was already shivering and running a very high temperature. I was sitting on the slab at the side of the road where it was only cars and vehicles that are moving on the road.
I keep praying for Gabriel to come back as he promised when I saw two men walking towards me though I could not see them clearly because it was already dark. I quickly stood up despite how weak I was so I can see them clearly to know if they were just passersby. Fortunately, A car passed by at that moment and I was able to see the two men clearly through the car sidelights and I nearly dropped dead when I saw the two men holding cutlass. Immediately they knew have seen what they were holding they increased their footsteps and I don’t need a soothsayer to tell me they were ritualist who cut human parts and sells.
I took to my race immediately and they ran after me while I keep shouting for help. “This wasn’t how I wanted to end my life,” I thought to myself with tears streaming down my eyes as I increased my race while the two men were about to catch up with me.
I fell down at some point bruising my elbows and knees but I quickly got up and keep running with all my strength shouting for help and praying to God to save me.
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