barbienazom:
Faithfully followinq....ma'am Audrey you rock!!!!!
pls pls nd biko let that evil Jessica(Uzodinma) leave our NiGio alone

Lol. Thanks dear

Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?
–Leo Buscaglia


Episode 17


The harsh harmattan wind bit deeply into the skin of the handsome young man but he couldn't care less. His shoes made noiseless sounds on the tarred surface despite his hasty movements. He neither greeted nor acknowledged any greeting from passers-by. He'd left the church even before the mass had ended. There was no need wasting his time there. It was time to be alone. Alone to lick his wounds like an injured dog. Home couldn't be reached fast enough. 


Sighting his house at a distance, he broke into a run. Gasping for breath, he knocked rapidly on the gate when he got there. Complaining bitterly at the way the knocks came, the gateman did his duty. Felix didn't even spare him a glance as he rushed into the house, opened the front door and took hasty steps to his room. Finally in his well-arranged room, he shut the door and slid to the ground. His heart felt as if it was melting.


They-- the late girl's friends, had booked a mass in honour of his late ex-girlfriend. They had not been able to attend the poor girl's funeral owing to the fact that her aunt had disappeared after her demise leaving her father to fend for himself which had eventually led to his death. Rumor had it that Ivie's aunt was late too after moving her niece's corpse to Ivie's father's village for burial. And also that her father's sacrifice had gone wrong somewhere along the line, hence his demise as well. It was the catholic church who handled his burial when his only surviving daughter was nowhere to be found and his only surviving granddaughter was dead as a result of an abortion gone wrong.


Felix couldn't describe the way he'd felt when Obehi had called him weeping profusely to inform him of Ivie's death. She hadn't been at home when it happened but her younger brother had been one of the good Samaritans who had followed Ivie's aunt into her room to meet a lifeless body. They'd quickly rushed her to St. Camillus hospital in the neighboring town, Uromi where she'd been certified dead on arrival. 


He'd shivered profusely like a leaf trying to go against a storm when he heard the cause of her death. 


He'd killed her. 


There was no other way of putting it. He'd killed Ivie. He as good as poured the liquid down her throat when he'd told her to abort the baby even though she'd not collected the money. Instant fever had made him paralysed on his bed and fear had gripped his heart. Everywhere he looked, he saw her. Not the beautiful Ivie he'd set his eyes on in church that fateful day but the Ivie he'd last seen in her house. Looking sick yet with eyes blazing that he could ask her to abort the baby. But he'd been so hurt at seeing Ehis sneaking out of her house that night, he'd not paused to weigh his actions. Without a shadow of doubt, he had believed then that she was innocent. That she had actually been carrying his baby and not Ehis's or that of another guy. He'd killed her and his unborn child. Depression and guilt had followed him home when he couldn't stay in school any longer.


Home had even been worse because everyone had pointed accusing fingers at him. Obehi had wept abundantly in his arms, confessing that she'd set Ehis up with Ivie though she later changed her mind, but she'd not gone to Ivie's house to ask her to go to the hospital with her after his accident. She'd wanted Felix to continue being angry with Ivie because she was still angry with her for betraying Felix's love with her brother. Both of them weren't the only guilty party. Obehi had also confessed that after hearing the news of Ivie's death, Ehis had confided in her that he'd tried raping Ivie after fruitless efforts of trying to sleep with her. She'd been so dedicated to Felix, it had annoyed him immensely. He'd also said that his life went to shambles after that act. He lost his job, his fiancee left him, so he'd sneaked into the village late one night to beg Ivie to forgive him in order for his life to come back to normal again but had met her aunt who furiously asked him to leave. Those words to Felix had been like an archer using his body for target practice. Even his mother couldn't look him in the eye. He'd heard she'd visited Ivie's house that particular morning to fight her aunt. His mother avoided him like a plague now.


The dejected young man slowly rose, went on his knees and crawled to his bed where he bent and took a box from underneath it. In anger at her supposed betrayal, he'd put everything that reminded him of his ex-girlfriend into a box. The first thing he saw was her gold-plated hair clip. She'd called him from home one day after her visit to say she'd forgotten her hair clip at his place and he'd told her he would keep it for her. Next was the set of sexy lingerie he'd bought her. He'd wanted to give her but never remembered to. His hands shook visibly when he lifted the heart-shaped box containing the engagment ring he'd bought her. Flicking it open, his teary gaze beheld the beautiful gold ring with a diamond nose. His tears dropped on her framed photograph. Lifting the photograph, he stared at his late ex-girlfriend. The photograph had been taken during her post UTME visit in Abraka. She was standing beside a black Toyota Camry, looking sexy as usual in tight blue denim and a powder blue ruffled blouse. Her braids were piled at the top her head, donut style and brown flat sandals protected her feet, and her face was carefully made up. Her head was tilted to the left and the smile on her face could light up a whole estate. She'd been out and out stunning.


A loud sob escaped him. Then another one. Then another. Before long he was wailing like someone who had lost it all. He called her name as he wept, begging and begging for forgiveness and for her to come back. As if on cue, his mother entered the room with tears running down her eyes. She'd attended the mass as well.


Felix angrily got up and spoke through his tear-thickened throat. "Are you happy now? Are you happy? Not only is she gone from my life, she's gone from this world as well. Now you're free to marry me. Mummy, you must marry me."


The broken woman fell to her knees, weeping profusely. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she chanted but Felix was having none of that. He continued ranting.


"As if the misery I gave her wasn't enough when I told her to abort my baby, you went to her house to fight her and her aunt. Mummy why? An orphan at that. Hadn't she suffered enough? That must surely have been the last straw for her which had made her take overdose of that awful concoction just to make sure the baby died. Oh, God, will you ever forgive me? Will Ivie ever forgive me in the world beyond?"


His mother rose slowly and held him, "I'm sorry. I got carried away with anger. I don't know what got into me."


They both crumbled to the floor, weeping as if their hearts were about to pop out of their chests. Felix couldn't get his last view of Ivie out of his mind. How she most have suffered. Alone with no one to believe her innocence. He should look for Ehis to kill. But he was just as guilty as Ehis. Why had he allowed emotions rule his sense of judgement? 


Oh, God, Ivie!


He couldn't believe the first girl he'd loved with all his heart had died through his foolishness. There was blood on his hands now. If only he could turn back the hands of time, he'd give her the benefit of the doubt. But he'd seen her in a state of UnCloth with Ehis. What would anyone believe? 


But really, if he was sincere with himself, couldn't he have forgiven her? He had wanted to get engaged to her, to speak the 'for better, for worse' vows to her but when the worse came, he couldn't even stand with her. And what sort of friends did he have? Obehi had lied. Ose and Kenneth hadn't even been able to talk to him to stop him from taking rash decisions even though Ivie had called them a number of times to beg them. Only Oghenero had asked him if he was sure he was doing the right thing when he'd wanted to cut her off totally. But too angry to think properly, he'd shut his friend down. Oh, what a pity. His anger had killed a soul.


Oh, Ivie, wherever you are, please forgive me. Please put it down to youthful exuberance. Please, he prayed inwardly.


When he remembered the story of her life--which the late girl had told him--how she'd suffered all her life until she met him and he'd brought happiness into her life, a loud sob pushed forth from his throat. She'd suffered again before her death. He who had brought her so much happiness, had equally dished out sorrow. What a wretched life she lived. God had given him a maltreated bird to take care of but his own maltreatment had been worse and the bird had died. 


The whole house was filled with the sound of mourning from the regretful mother and son.


It's too late to cry when the head is off.

**********

"No! No! Please! Jessica please!" Nkiru shook violently with eyes tautly closed. Nkechi and Njideka quickly rose from their bed and rushed to their sister. Nkechi tapped her awake. Nkiru woke up and burst into tears. Njideka's eyes watered. Nkechi's eyes glistened also.


It was a daily occurrence now. Almost every night, they woke up to screams from their elder sister. Since the near-death experience, Nkiru had never remained the same again. She blanked out a lot and still couldn't remember the past year of her life. So she couldn't tell them how, when and where she got hit. As to who, her nightmares revealed the culprit. 


Nkechi remembered vividly what the specialist they'd all gone to see in Abuja told them about Nkiru's condition. They'd spent a lot of money going there and getting to see the doctor to carry out tests and all what not.


The doctor, in the absence of Nkiru had told them she had retrograde amnesia. The head trauma she'd suffered had caused her memory loss. Retrograde amnesia was the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an accident or operation and in some cases it could extend back decades while for some it might be only a few months memory. Nkiru's amnesia was that of over a year loss. Sometimes, pyschological trauma could cause it, determining the extent to which the mind would want to forget. If for the past year, she experienced some painful and distressing things she didn't want to recall, coupled with the head trauma, her mind would help her forget rather than deal with the stress. The condition was actually temporary and could be treated by exposing her to memories from before her loss. They had to find a way of letting her know that she'd graduated from the university and was now serving, informing her that she'd been in an accident which caused her temporary memory loss. Sometimes it would help taking her to where she was serving, her house and place of primary assignment to kick-start her memory. 


"Sometimes the mind forgets because it wants to forget. It shuts a door in self-protection," he'd finally told them.


Among themselves, they'd decided it was best for Nkiru never to know that she had had anything to do with Gio. Granted, he'd loved her and made her happy but he'd also indirectly caused the trauma she was going through at present. The Azubikes were a devious and conniving bunch. Who knew what would happen if Nkiru was exposed to Gio again, regains her memory and wants to be with him? Of course they'd make sure she died this time around. It was best for everyone concerned if Gio remained just a school mate to her. They'd explained to her that she'd been involved in an accident on her way back to where she was serving and couldn't remember some things for now but would eventually. The poor girl had accepted it with a nod but these days she was as quiet as a mouse. There were times when she wouldn't even remember recent events but she was beginning to get over it. The whole family rallied around her and tried their best to treat her as if nothing happened but there were times when they hid and cried at what their family member had become.


The Chiwendus had decided they would wait for the divorce papers from Gio which they knew would surely come, and look for a way for Nkiru to sign it without her knowing the contents of the document. They'd wanted to instigate the divorce proceedings themselves but feared she might have to appear in court, thereby exposing her to the fact that she was truly married to Gio. She'd been wondering what the scene in Gio's house had been all about ever since they came back home and they'd covered it all up, using her own words that Gio was insane.  It was best if Gio filed for the divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Her absence in court was sure to hasten the process. 


Nkechi came back from her reverie to hear Njideka's raised voice.


"Wherever you are, Jessica, it will never be good for you. You will experience misery for the rest of your life. For this thing you've done to my sister, you will never know peace. You'll die a horrible death. Your corpse..."


"Sssshh...mechionu (keep quiet). It's okay." Nkechi who had her elder sister in her arms laid her gently on the bed when she noticed she'd slept off. She put her arm around Njideka who was still weeping. They turned in the direction of the door when they heard it open. Their mother stood there with tears in her eyes while their father's eyes were very red. They knew what Nkiru went through almost every night. Seeing her family suffer as a result of the Azubikes' wickedness, Nkechi felt wild in that instant. If she had been a tigress, she would have clawed them to death in revenge. Her very powerlessness taunted her cruelly.


Their father raised both hands to heaven. "Father Lord, look at your daughter. Look at what she has been turned into. You who wipe away flies from tailless cows, please vindicate my daughter, my family. Please arise and revenge this harm done to her. Her enemies know I have no money to arrest them and take them to court but I have You, the defender of the defenseless. Please come to our aid. Don't let my daughter go mad. Please. In Jesus name."


"Amen!" They all chorused with tears except the softly sleeping Nkiru.


**********


It was very dark. He could barely see. He walked down the lonely and dusty road. He looked up at the pitch black sky. It looked as if it was going to rain. Suddenly he heard a howling wind and before he knew what was going on, he found himself being lifted in mid-air. Shouting for help proved fruitless when his words echoed back to him. He was finally let down at the top of a mountain. The sky had turned white by then and a figure, clad in a white shroud descended from it. He knelt down and put his head on the broken ground and shivered uncontrollably. He heard the figure come closer. He quickly got up and was about to take to his heels when the figure stretched forth a human hand.


"Why? Why did you forget? Why did you allow Nkiru be taken from Giovanni? Why? Why did you forget what I told you?" The figure whispered loudly.


Senator Ekwe woke up with a start. Despite the low temperature in the room due to the efficiency of his split unit, he was drenched in sweat. He looked around the room and sat up.


"I have to get Nkiru back!"

**********


Gio knew he had to get up from his bed to change the music blaring from his laptop on his table but he couldn't make himself move. Every word of Maroon 5's Misery cut him. That was exactly how he felt. Miserable! He was so moved, he sang along.


I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me
Girl, you really got me bad
Now, I'm gonna get you back


His heart broke again. Damn! Despite his anger and hurt, he missed Nkiru terribly. It was over a month since the scene at his house yet he couldn't get her off his mind. When he got back to Akure, he discovered her belongings had been removed from the house. As if that would wipe away her existence from the house. He could still smell her on the sheets. He still saw her in the kitchen, cooking and in the living room, setting the table. He saw her sweeping the compound and doing his laundry. What a pity their love had not been able to stand the test of time.


Gio let out a huge sigh of misery as his door opened. Jessica stood there in a see-through pink nightgown. He'd met her in the house three days ago and totally ignored her. He didn't even have the strength to chase her out of the house. He felt when she was tired of him ignoring her, she'd leave. He neither answered her greetings nor spoke to her. Her meals got wasted because he ate out when the worms in his stomach grumbled terribly.


"Gio darling," she purred and gave a seductive pose by the door. Gio sighed. He had forgotten to lock his door.


"Oh, that's attractive!" he sarcastically lashed out when he took in her protruding stomach displayed by the nightgown and heavily madeup face. "I give you A for effort but you look like a two-bit hooker. Don't you have a lick of sense in that big head of yours? Don't you get it? This ship sailed a long time ago, b*tch," he lashed out and she put a hand to her eyes as if trying to hold back tears. "Please, don't start with the waterworks, you'll make me puke. So not sexy. Now get out and stay out."


Jessica sighed. What was she going to do to get to this cold fish? She'd tried all she could in the past three days to get him to notice her but he always shut himself in his room when he came home. She'd been amazed that he didn't throw her out. Truth be told, she was scared of him but her mother had pushed her to capitalize on the situation. She was glad when she didn't hear the usual click on his door after he shut it. He'd come back not long ago from his place of primary assigment. Hurriedly dressing up, and making up, she'd thought it was a deliberate action in order for her to come to him but here he was, abusing her. Maybe it was camouflage. She took a step into the room.


"One more step and you will know why I was rumored to be crazy," he warned her with blazing eyes.


"Gio, please. Please let her go. She's nothing but a gold digging b*tch. We paid her family millions. I know you and your dad went to her village to look for her but you didn't see her or her family, did you? We settled them so well, they decided to relocate to enjoy their money. I'm here for you, baby and I'm carrying your child, our first child. I might not be what you want but I assure you that with time, you'll get to know and love me. Please give me a chance," Jessica purred.


Gio processed all she'd said slowly. It was true that his dad had insisted they went in search of Nkiru for reasons best known to him. He'd refused at first but his father had insisted and told him not to give up on her. But after searching for her and her family for awhile without success, they'd given up. Their neighbour had told them that money had suddenly come into the family again. Her father had even bought a car before they relocated. Their destination-- Lagos.


Gio's eyes narrowed when it seemed what Jessica said was true. Had Nkiru and her family truly collected money from Jessica's family? But...


His lips tightened. He was tired of thinking of her. Looking at Jessica, he felt all the hatred in the world for her. She'd caused it. It was time to get the desperado out of his house and life once and for all. There was just one thing to do. Something that would hurt his image but definitely get her off his back for good. 


He got up slowly from the bed with a smile on his face. He walked slowly to the door and placed a hand on her shoulders. She smiled at him and raised her face to look into his eyes. Wow! This guy is really handsome, she thought. She opened her mouth to tell him but before she knew it, he turned her around sharply, opened the door and pushed her out. The door was banged on her face as she turned round. Jessica sluggishly retreated to the opposite end of the corridor. He had gone over her like an armoured tank and the track marks of the vanquished were on her body.


Damn! Yet another foiled plan. She fumed to her room. She laid on the bed and plotted again. Gio would be hers whether he liked it or not. Unintentionally she suddenly burst into tears, hating herself for the weakness, but she felt as if she were an animal caught in a trap. What sort of miserable life was this? Chasing after a guy who wouldn't give her the time of day. She'd thought by now that she'd be able to seduce him and have him eating out of her palm but here she was, still the rejected one, chasing rainbows. It was all so unfair. She'd expected them to be in tune with each other by now, on the same wavelength. If not for her pregnancy, she would have pulled the plug and stopped following such a lonely road a long time ago but her mother would hear nothing of it. Her mother wasn't all aout Gio's money anymore, she just wanted to make sure Gio didn't have his way after making a fool of them by marrying Nkiru. Jessica tried to dredge up pity for what Nkiru had become but couldn't. The two hot slaps she'd received from the stupid girl made her feel justified with what she'd done. She wiped her face with the bedding and cursed herself for not being careful. She felt fat and ugly. Alcohol was prohibited now and she couldn't go clubbing anymore. Why did people want such a life? She'd been lucky not to have morning sickness. That would surely have made her abort the baby since. Luckily, she hadn't put on much weight but she still felt bloated. She was never going to contemplate pregnancy again even though she'd had the plan to. Only if Gio came around would she tow this path again. Scans had shown they were going to have a boy. How lovely! Still building castles in the air, the soft hands of sleep carried her away.


Jessics woke with a start some hours later. Her gaze flew to the window and she realized it was dark outside, night had obviously fallen while she slept. A figure moved in the darkness of the room. Her heart flew to her throat. When she made to move the sheets, a hand clamped over her mouth, squelching her scream. She blinked and closed her eyes when a flash light shone on her face. Her first thought was that a thief had made his way into the house, but when the musky masculine fragrance assailed her nostrils, she knew it was Gio. Her heart beat came back to normal. She smiled. He'd probably come to ravish her. Well, she was game. She removed his hand from her mouth.


"Gio..." she began, but was cut short when a hysterical laugh burst forth from him. Her eyes widened.


"Who is Gio? I'm not Giovanni, I'm Giordano." Unholy amusement turned his dark gaze to simmering dark chips of enticement in the lean dark lineaments of his handsome face. He laughed crazily again. Her heart made it's way to her throat again.


"Dano is dead," she whispered in fright.


He laughed again. "Says who? Gio died. I'm Dano. You've been chasing after a ghost and lying against a ghost. The ghost wants revenge."


Jessica flung back the sheets in a bid to run but a hand held her down in a vice-like grip. Fear paralyzed her then.


"Please. Please. I'm so sorry."


The torch was dropped on the bed while both hands moved to her throat.


"I'll confess. I'll tell everyone the truth. Please don't kill me. Please." Her voice was a croak because the pressure inserted on her throat was increasing. 


She shivered violently. Was this the way she was going to die? At the hands of a mad man? What about her unborn child? Tears made a beeline down her eyes. What scared her most was the look of pure glee and devilment in Gio or was it Dano's eyes as he slowly ended her life.  When she thought one more pressure would seize her breath totally, his hands liifted from her throat.


"Gosh! What's going on here? What am I doing here?" Giovanni asked, looking confused. 


Jessica could see the confusion on his face from the torchlight as she coughed painfully. She clumsily got up and rushed out of the room, screaming. She opened the gate and ran out of the house. She was glad she'd made friends with his neighbours. She knocked on their gate furiously until they opened it. With tears in her eyes, Jessica told them that she'd quarreled with Gio and was afraid he'd beat her. She however stopped the man of the house from going to talk to Gio. Due to her condition, she was made to sleep in the room meant for their daughters who were in school. She didn't sleep a wink that night, afraid Gio's madness would make him search for her or his brother's ghost would come to torment her.


When it was morning and she was sure Gio would have gone to his PPA, she pleaded with the youth in the house to go with her to Gio's house. With bags underneath her eyes, she hurriedly packed her stuff and went to the bus park after calling her mother to tell her the events of the previous night with her looking over her shoulder every five minutes for Gio. Her fear was that intense.


He that digs up a grave for his enemy, may be digging it for himself.


Three days later, it was all over the gossip columns in newspapers and magazines and social media that Senator Ekwe's first son, Giovanni Ekwe was insane. Jessica had blown the whistle and then gone into hiding.


Senator Ekwe held the newspaper with tears in his eyes. Aunt Peace wept.


Giovanni stared at the news of his insanity on his phone and smiled.


Mission accomplished!


Money is sharper than a sword.


*To be continued on Wednesday*


I'm sorry for the short update. Longer update on Wednesday. Tired.


Thanking you.

A story that makes u smile and at the sametime makes u sober and cry...God bless you audrey..i still read unfulfilled promises til now.learnt a lot of lessons in this story especially the quotes sinks deep into my heart n it made me realise that i really av to let go of some things and move on...

No!! No no no no!!... Audrey you can't stop here naa!!!!..... ooooh God!!!

This is just the beginning,i really feel for Nkiru and Gio. Thumbs up.

Its a ghen ghen something oooo

but Audrey, Sunday Special is supposed to be llooooooonnnnnggggg.

No lele sha. God bless you 4 d update sha. Wednesday must b lonnnnnggggg. Even longer than longitude.

No lele sha. God bless you 4 d update sha. Wednesday update must b lonnnnnggggg ooooooo. Even longer than longitude.

*sigh* May Ivie rest in peace. I guess some characters hv to die sometimes to make it realistic. But all the same ...*sigh*
Good to see Nkeiru and Gio overcoming their enemy though.
We appreciate the updates.

Izyyblaze:
This update is a very sad one that it had me shading tears . I want to believe that Ivie is just unconscious and not dead. Audrey why are you doing this to my Gio na. Chai! There's just so much tension and suspense in the air in this update. I can't wait for the next one.
Thanks so much for this , may God bless you and everyone that has contributed to the success of this story.

team Gio must go

Mourin:
Finally here..... All thanks to king Philip for sharing the link to this beautiful piece. I am really feeling the story. More MB to ur device Timms.

welcome welcome welcome sweetie

AudreyTimms meet my sweetie
Every other one is fake

AudreyTimms:
@king philip, better go and put that 'and' Lol. I hope mitchyy isn't around. Fi is a secondary character in this story. For now, we're focusing on the primary characters.

@Mourin, thanks dear. Thanks to king philip too.

Finally she has told me thanks

Do men cry? Dis ur story is intresting.

AudreyTimms:
@kingphilip, better go and put that 'and' Lol. I hope mitchyy isn't around. Fi is a secondary character in this story. For now, we're focusing on the primary characters.

@mhiz, thanks dear. Keep your fingers crossed. *looks around for mitchyy* Nope, haven't forgotten her. She'd just a secondary character in the story.

Audrey, Audrey, Audrey! I'll steal your manuscript o if you give any more pointers. Leave us in suspense jor. I need to report you to your husband

N my character have turned into a secondary character because I support her

Good things turned out like this at least it's an awesome thing

I'm sure the surprise look from Gio was just pretense from him to deceive her and now he succeeded

Wednesday is too far but who I'm I not to wait

Nice one AudreyTimms

Abuklaw:
Hope survival quest is getting easier? I was hospitalised for good 7 days. I even thought I would die (as I frequently do right). But glory be to Allah for granting me another chance to life.

Read this story and tell me what you feel about it. You meet Nkiru (The book freak and miss hazel eye), Giovanni (the psycho, epitome of perfect guy for ladies and extremely rich guy), Felix (a womaniser, clown but a committed lover), ivie (the innocent girl whose fate is a mystery to us till now) and Jennifer (oh jenny! When you see her coming, you have to take the next available route. She is super desperate and a devil incarnate)

Ride on friend.

Subhanallaha I hope you are now back on your feet coz i know that wont stop you from pressing your phone. I will check it out soon and report back to you.

You av waohed me . Audrey, you are indeed a bundle of talent God bless you.

Dear God, give me the morale to read her other story unfulfilled promises
Over a hundred page

Madam AudreyTimms, come back here o, Wednesday is like next year naaaaaaaa!!!
Giovanni's antics got me LMAO .
I have got your reply as per the other story, will get back to you ASAP. Happy Sunday to you and your family.

Great job Audrey....can't wait for Wednesday

kingphilip:
N my character have turned into a secondary character because I support her

Good things turned out like this at least it's an awesome thing

I'm sure the surprise look from Gio was just pretense from him to deceive her and now he succeeded

Wednesday is too far but who I'm I not to wait

Nice one AudreyTimms

Me I couldn't wait for Wednesday...... I went hunting.... and I made a big Catch!!!

I like stories that point to reality.

but what I don't understand is why and how a woman would be so devious and scheming just to get a man who does not even have desires for her

I am talking about obehi and jessica.

sadly there are mothers like jessicas out there.

Well done audrey.

lumzybo:
You av waohed me . Audrey, you are indeed a bundle of talent God bless you.

Dear God, give me the morale to read her other story unfulfilled promises
Over a hundred page

I bet wen u start reading...u wouldn't know until u get to d last page..
isn't dat right guys??

Well done Audrey for giving us extra dose!
I love the way the story is going. Its only Ivie's death that could have brought Felix to his senses. It really pays to give someone the benefit of the doubt.
As for Jessica, don't worry, your madness might be worse than Gio's own. Can't wait for them to all to confess. And Senator Ekwe, please grow some balls and do something.
I have a feeling Nkiru might be pregnant sha, but lips sealed until Audrey completes the story.

humeehjay:
I bet wen u start reading...u wouldn't know until u get to d last page..
isn't dat right guys??

Thanks 4 the encouragement. I will surely do after this story

You are soo right humeehjay .........
kingphillip I don't understand this love btw you and Fi but if anything more dangerous happens to Nkiru because of her lie........I'll find her even it its with a torch in the night and whatever I'll do to her is in my mind....... so if you don't want to see her in the pain I'll subject her to soonest,BACK OFF.
Keep it coming Audrey.......I'm so glued to my chair

Audrey, thanks for the weekend dose. Looking forward to Wednesday

Confession time!!!!
All through today's service, i was refreshing and refreshing my phone just because 2day's post. May God 4give me. Wednesday abi??
A begger has no choice.

I love Gio's madness, its unique... lol, so Ivie is gone? what a waste!

tear left my left eye while reading this

AudreyTimms:



Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?
–Leo Buscaglia


Episode 17


The harsh harmattan wind bit deeply into the skin of the handsome young man but he couldn't care less. His shoes made noiseless sounds on the tarred surface despite his hasty movements. He neither greeted nor acknowledged any greeting from passers-by. He'd left the church even before the mass had ended. There was no need wasting his time there. It was time to be alone. Alone to lick his wounds like an injured dog. Home couldn't be reached fast enough. 


Sighting his house at a distance, he broke into a run. Gasping for breath, he knocked rapidly on the gate when he got there. Complaining bitterly at the way the knocks came, the gateman did his duty. Felix didn't even spare him a glance as he rushed into the house, opened the front door and took hasty steps to his room. Finally in his well-arranged room, he shut the door and slid to the ground. His heart felt as if it was melting.


They-- the late girl's friends, had booked a mass in honour of his late ex-girlfriend. They had not been able to attend the poor girl's funeral owing to the fact that her aunt had disappeared after her demise leaving her father to fend for himself which had eventually led to his death. Rumor had it that Ivie's aunt was late too after moving her niece's corpse to Ivie's father's village for burial. And also that her father's sacrifice had gone wrong somewhere along the line, hence his demise as well. It was the catholic church who handled his burial when his only surviving daughter was nowhere to be found and his only surviving granddaughter was dead as a result of an abortion gone wrong.


Felix couldn't describe the way he'd felt when Obehi had called him weeping profusely to inform him of Ivie's death. She hadn't been at home when it happened but her younger brother had been one of the good Samaritans who had followed Ivie's aunt into her room to meet a lifeless body. They'd quickly rushed her to St. Camillus hospital in the neighboring town, Uromi where she'd been certified dead on arrival. 


He'd shivered profusely like a leaf trying to go against a storm when he heard the cause of her death. 


He'd killed her. 


There was no other way of putting it. He'd killed Ivie. He as good as poured the liquid down her throat when he'd told her to abort the baby even though she'd not collected the money. Instant fever had made him paralysed on his bed and fear had gripped his heart. Everywhere he looked, he saw her. Not the beautiful Ivie he'd set his eyes on in church that fateful day but the Ivie he'd last seen in her house. Looking sick yet with eyes blazing that he could ask her to abort the baby. But he'd been so hurt at seeing Ehis sneaking out of her house that night, he'd not paused to weigh his actions. Without a shadow of doubt, he had believed then that she was innocent. That she had actually been carrying his baby and not Ehis's or that of another guy. He'd killed her and his unborn child. Depression and guilt had followed him home when he couldn't stay in school any longer.


Home had even been worse because everyone had pointed accusing fingers at him. Obehi had wept abundantly in his arms, confessing that she'd set Ehis up with Ivie though she later changed her mind, but she'd not gone to Ivie's house to ask her to go to the hospital with her after his accident. She'd wanted Felix to continue being angry with Ivie because she was still angry with her for betraying Felix's love with her brother. Both of them weren't the only guilty party. Obehi had also confessed that after hearing the news of Ivie's death, Ehis had confided in her that he'd tried raping Ivie after fruitless efforts of trying to sleep with her. She'd been so dedicated to Felix, it had annoyed him immensely. He'd also said that his life went to shambles after that act. He lost his job, his fiancee left him, so he'd sneaked into the village late one night to beg Ivie to forgive him in order for his life to come back to normal again but had met her aunt who furiously asked him to leave. Those words to Felix had been like an archer using his body for target practice. Even his mother couldn't look him in the eye. He'd heard she'd visited Ivie's house that particular morning to fight her aunt. His mother avoided him like a plague now.


The dejected young man slowly rose, went on his knees and crawled to his bed where he bent and took a box from underneath it. In anger at her supposed betrayal, he'd put everything that reminded him of his ex-girlfriend into a box. The first thing he saw was her gold-plated hair clip. She'd called him from home one day after her visit to say she'd forgotten her hair clip at his place and he'd told her he would keep it for her. Next was the set of sexy lingerie he'd bought her. He'd wanted to give her but never remembered to. His hands shook visibly when he lifted the heart-shaped box containing the engagment ring he'd bought her. Flicking it open, his teary gaze beheld the beautiful gold ring with a diamond nose. His tears dropped on her framed photograph. Lifting the photograph, he stared at his late ex-girlfriend. The photograph had been taken during her post UTME visit in Abraka. She was standing beside a black Toyota Camry, looking sexy as usual in tight blue denim and a powder blue ruffled blouse. Her braids were piled at the top her head, donut style and brown flat sandals protected her feet, and her face was carefully made up. Her head was tilted to the left and the smile on her face could light up a whole estate. She'd been out and out stunning.


A loud sob escaped him. Then another one. Then another. Before long he was wailing like someone who had lost it all. He called her name as he wept, begging and begging for forgiveness and for her to come back. As if on cue, his mother entered the room with tears running down her eyes. She'd attended the mass as well.


Felix angrily got up and spoke through his tear-thickened throat. "Are you happy now? Are you happy? Not only is she gone from my life, she's gone from this world as well. Now you're free to marry me. Mummy, you must marry me."


The broken woman fell to her knees, weeping profusely. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she chanted but Felix was having none of that. He continued ranting.


"As if the misery I gave her wasn't enough when I told her to abort my baby, you went to her house to fight her and her aunt. Mummy why? An orphan at that. Hadn't she suffered enough? That must surely have been the last straw for her which had made her take overdose of that awful concoction just to make sure the baby died. Oh, God, will you ever forgive me? Will Ivie ever forgive me in the world beyond?"


His mother rose slowly and held him, "I'm sorry. I got carried away with anger. I don't know what got into me."


They both crumbled to the floor, weeping as if their hearts were about to pop out of their chests. Felix couldn't get his last view of Ivie out of his mind. How she most have suffered. Alone with no one to believe her innocence. He should look for Ehis to kill. But he was just as guilty as Ehis. Why had he allowed emotions rule his sense of judgement? 


Oh, God, Ivie!


He couldn't believe the first girl he'd loved with all his heart had died through his foolishness. There was blood on his hands now. If only he could turn back the hands of time, he'd give her the benefit of the doubt. But he'd seen her in a state of UnCloth with Ehis. What would anyone believe? 


But really, if he was sincere with himself, couldn't he have forgiven her? He had wanted to get engaged to her, to speak the 'for better, for worse' vows to her but when the worse came, he couldn't even stand with her. And what sort of friends did he have? Obehi had lied. Ose and Kenneth hadn't even been able to talk to him to stop him from taking rash decisions even though Ivie had called them a number of times to beg them. Only Oghenero had asked him if he was sure he was doing the right thing when he'd wanted to cut her off totally. But too angry to think properly, he'd shut his friend down. Oh, what a pity. His anger had killed a soul.


Oh, Ivie, wherever you are, please forgive me. Please put it down to youthful exuberance. Please, he prayed inwardly.


When he remembered the story of her life--which the late girl had told him--how she'd suffered all her life until she met him and he'd brought happiness into her life, a loud sob pushed forth from his throat. She'd suffered again before her death. He who had brought her so much happiness, had equally dished out sorrow. What a wretched life she lived. God had given him a maltreated bird to take care of but his own maltreatment had been worse and the bird had died. 


The whole house was filled with the sound of mourning from the regretful mother and son.


It's too late to cry when the head is off.

I'm sad for Ivie... She doesn't deserve what she got at all (I'm still in denial over her death tho).
About Gio and Enkay, I have even forgotten what I had wanted to say... Audrey be twisting my head since "Unfulfilled Promises" . Thanks so much dear for this Sunday special (...Wednesday should do and come jhur.
@kingphilip, Gio is one of the major characters so he's not going anywhere