Once in Love
Episode Ten
“Let’s strike a deal,” Kemi suggested, her head lifted up, fixing her gaze on Anna.
“I will not kīłł you or your daughter,” she said, lifting the gūn up in the air, giving her the chance to run to her mother, who was frightened as she held Isabel.
“Are you ok, baby? Did she hurt you? Don’t worry; everything will be fine,” Anna assured her daughter , examining Isabel’s bōdy.
“Shhh, listen to me, this is not the time for your mother and daughter whatever. Are you ready for the deal or not?
I hope you have not forgotten that I’m the one with the gun,” Kemi asked, keeping a serious look. Anna just nodded without saying anything else; she held her daughter by the side, and Isabel was crying.
“I want you to go back home, pretend like nothing happened. I don’t care about what you will say happened to your daughter.
Pack your things and leave his house, then I will bring your daughter safely to you,” she said as two men came out from nowhere and carried Isabel.
“Don’t take her away, please. I will do anything you want me to do,” Anna cried out. Isabel also screamed, “mummy,” while they took her away. “You have just 24 hours to leave William’s house.
Only then will you see your daughter, and if you dare tell anyone, just know that your daughter is gone, and I will target you next.
Don’t forget that I know everything about you because you tell me everything that is going on in your life. I wonder how you were able to trust someone like me. You seriously think I would love to be friends with someone like you?”
Kemi continued ranting. Anna just stood still, watching the men take her daughter away, and she could not do anything about it.
She just could not control the tears dripping from her eyes. Kemi turned to leave, and Anna thought about finding a stick and hītting it on Kemi’s head.
But if she tries it, the men will just end her daughter’s life.
Why would she drag an innocent child into whatever she was doing? She should have just dėalt with her and left Isabel alone.
Kemi noticed her standing without saying anything and said, “While you were busy thinking, you exhausted one hour.
You have just twenty-three hours left.” Anna snapped back to consciousness and walked bit by bit, stopping on the way and thinking about how she would end her marriage just like that because she allowed Kemi into her space as a friend.
She remembered the vow she made to her husband, “for better and for worse.”
There was no need as everything had ended the moment she stopped trusting him. How come he never told her anything about Kemi? It wasn’t even a slip of the tongue.
Didn’t he trust her enough? “I will just go there and pack my things. I don’t care if I roam the street. I don’t even have any family to run to,” she thought as she entered the car and drove straight to the house, crying at intervals till she reached the house.
She had made up her mind not to say anything to her husband. “What if I tell him anything, and he goes ahead to wārn Kemi?
I will just lōse my child. I need to pack my things before he gets back,” she said as the gateman opened the gate, but unfortunately, her husband was already home.
She drove in, stood outside, breathed in and then out. As she went inside, she saw her husband sitting on the couch.
“Where have you been?” He asked, stretching his hand for the water on the table.
Anna just stood there expressionless. Just then, she realized time was ticking, and she had just 22 hours left to do whatever she wanted if she really valued her daughter.
She just did not care at that point if her husband would judge her.
She quickly rushed into the bedroom, pulled up her box, and started packing. She removed some of her clothes from the hanger and placed them gently into the box as she looked through the house.
“This house is nothing without my daughter anywheres. It’s better I just leave to the streets, I don’t care,” she lāmented. Mr. William was standing at the door listening to her. He went inside and noticed her packing.
“Where are you going? You did not even speak to me, and now you are packing your backs,” he yelled. Then he stood for a minute and thought within himself.
“Is it because I slāpped you yesterday? I was hoping to apologize to you.
I’m sorry, I was just controlled by my emotions. I know you have no relatives here. Where will you go? Are you leaving me?”
he asked, but there was still no response from Anna. Her eyes were fixed on the clothes she was packing, and she avoided even a stare from him because I might just make her cry again.
There was nowhere she was going to tell him whatever was going on. “How do I explain to you that I’m doing this for our daughter?” she asks herself.
She continued packing, and when she was done, she just took the box and walked out of the house.
Then Mr. William noticed everything was serious. He rushed to her and went on his knees, “We can sort everything out. We can find our daughter together, but please don’t leave me like this.
We have been together for years. Where will I even start from if you leave me? Remember our wedding vows, ‘for better and for worse.
“Please don’t go,” he pleaded, holding her right leg.
Anna stood still with tears dripping from her eyes. She respected her husband a lot, and the thought of him kneeling to beg her made her weak.
But picturing the face of her daughter, she released herself from his grip and walked through the door.
Thessycute Ekene
