EmperorAnthony:
surface value... A frace.

Omolola1:
Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to say this story is gradually coming to an end
Thanks to you all for coming this far with me . . .a journey of over 3 months is finally coming to an end

At this point, I would really love your critic and also how you think this lovely story should end Even though, the end of this story is already known to me, you my lovely readers, could also determine the end

Gracias all!

Enoquin:
My Love,

Yesterday, I renounced God. I cannot tell you that I felt any different. Knowing you, you would probably shake your head and call it one of my stupid dramatic acts or better still, you would probably laugh out loud. Whatever you do, know that I will be glad I got a reaction out of you.
‘Why,’ I can hear you ask ‘after all this time?’
Why not? How else can I get your attention? I’d like you to think that I am no more that terrified girl worried about the afterlife, worried where I’d end up.

Two days ago, I laid the bed just the way you liked it. I expected to hear your voice saying how perfect I had become and no I am not becoming melancholic, I know how you hate that. The edges were tucked in just the way you taught me. And after smoothing the sheets, I couldn’t lay on the bed. I just couldn’t, afraid that if I did, the creases might just wipe your memory away, wiping our memory out - leaving no traces of us.

Three days back, I yelled and kicked Dreamy, he was quite surprised and looked at me as if I had lost my mind, he yelped and ran far away from me and didn’t come back even when I coaxed and coaxed till when he felt hungry and even at that he took his food with such suspicion that I just sat there and cried. He came to bed with me later though; I think he understood what a rough place I was in.

You know what? I am going to tear this letter right after writing. I can imagine the look on your face, when you realize that you’d won and were right that I’d come begging. Well, there’s no shame in begging, but you probably don’t know that. ‘No one should have to beg anything or anyone’, you’d say with so much contempt. It’s why you hated the idea of God; it’s why you left me.

Today, I tried to pack all your clothes into that old box you hated and then haul it off into the bush, burning them all but I was too weak. I told myself I’d do it later but here I am it’s getting dark and I am nowhere close to burning them, I couldn’t; not after sniffing it, sniffing you, remembering us.

Tomorrow, I will scrub everywhere; scrub you out of this room, the other rooms and my heart.

I can hear singing from that church down the street. Oh, what a beautiful sound; pure and melodious. I should get up and make preparations for service just to clearly hear the voices. Of course, that doesn’t mean anything…it doesn’t….oh, I don’t know, I just feel you are putting me under pressure even from afar, trying to make me feel guilty for enjoying that song, shaking your head and probably saying I am a lost cause…

Someone is coming. Someone has broken in. Dreamy is pretending to be asleep, he should be up and barking. I have nothing of value that can be taken save this letter, I wouldn’t want my weakness out for anyone to see and even you won’t get to see this letter. I just….oh, they are here.

The footsteps walked towards the room where the woman was in. The woman seeing nowhere to hide her letter sat on it. The door opened and two men walked in.

“What do you want? I have no money, nothing of value.”
The two men did not answer. One goes to Dreamy and picks him up. Dreamy, the lazy dog snuggled further into the arms of the one who had picked him.
“How are you today Sandra?”
One of the men finally spoke while sitting down on the other chair in the room. No answer from Sandra, she stared straight ahead as if unaware of the men in her room. The man with the dog went out but left the door open.
“Sandra?” The man moved to touch her hand.
“Don’t you dare touch me! My neighbours might be out but I’ll still scream for those down at the church to hear. I have nothing of value, what do you want with Dreamy?”
“The teddy needs a wash, he’ll be back once he is dry.”
Sandra did not reply.
“Are you still having hallucinations?”
“None of your business…what happens to me or not, what I see and don’t.”
“But it is…how else will you get well? Besides Daniel is coming tomorrow.”
At this news, her eyes lighted up and her look was transformed to that of a child, trusting and open.
“He is?”
“Yes and I know you would like to see him but you know he wants to see you…well, he loves to see you improved…”
“But I am! Look, I even wrote him a letter…” standing up slightly, she brought out the paper.
The man looked at the paper a long while but said nothing.
“You think I showed too much weakness?”
“No, I think it’s beautiful what you have written…”
“Really? Read it to me, I like to hear how I sound; perhaps I might be able to edit it.”
“I don’t think I can, this looks too personal for a third party.”
Sandra’s smile brightened. “Well, it’s obvious you’ve never been in love before.” Stretching out her hand, she snatched the paper back and smoothened an imaginary crease, leaving it lying on the table between them. “You didn’t say anything about my well-made bed.”
The man looked towards the bed, the blanket was on the floor, the bed sheet had been taken off the matrass and dumped in one corner of the bed.
“Now don’t mind the mess by the bed, wanted to burn Dan’s clothes but it was in a moment of anger that has passed. What’s the use of carrying around so much anger, when we can as well carry love?”
“Sandra, who am I?”
She shrugged, “A thief, a rapist, a murderer….you could be anyone of those”
“I really had hoped you were getting better but it seems you might have to be transferred out of here. I am sorry, I failed you Sandra.”
“Lie, lie, lie!!! You want to take me away from Daniel. Nothing I do is ever good for him, nothing! He prefers those unclean whores to a clean and sanctified one as myself. Tell him he hasn’t won.”
As her voice rose, two men came in with a woman. The woman had a syringe in her hand. As the men held the screaming female, the woman quickly injected the liquid contents from the syringe into the unwilling female’s veins. The injection calmed the female and she sat looking listlessly at her captors.
“Sandra, Daniel is dead. You killed him after accusing him of cheating on you.”
“You lie…” spoken with resignation this time.
“To achieve what exactly?”
“To make them believe I am insane…”
“Are you?”
“No, I am not. I didn’t kill anyone, why would I write a letter to someone I killed?”
“Because that’s how your mind wants to deal with it. Can I keep the letter?”
“No, it’s personal…”
The man looked away helplessly. He stood up and with the attendants shuffled out of the room.
Sandra picked up the letter she had written and smoothened more imaginary creases. Her mind didn’t see what everyone else had, the paper had no words written on it except angry slashes drawn at random.

THE END