Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 13
Outing
.
Continues.
âIf you love her as much as you claim, then just take her with you.â*A fist of water slammed into me, drenching me to the bones. I bolted upright in bed, my heart hammering like it would burst out of my chest. The sound of plastic smacking the floor hit my ears, bringing my attention to my stepmother. She stood a few steps away, glaring at me. Beside her, a bucket lay on its side; the bucket she hadjust emptied on me.âGood morning,â I said.Snapping her fingers, she said, âGet up, you lazy bone!âLike a robot, I sprang to my feet. Head bowed, hands held behind my back, I awaited her next order. I watched the water from my body glide to my feet. Forming a pattern, they plopped down on the floor.âYou are to do the dishes, launder my clothes and Cynthiaâs, scrub the floors, clean the entire compound andwash the cars right away. Only when youâre done can you have breakfast. Did I forget to mention anything?ââThe glassware,â I said.âAnd the toilets,â she said. âI will be back to inspect. And if on my return I find that you skipped anything, I willâââHack you into tiny bits and feed you to the street dogs,â I said.
I knew her pick up line all too well.âWhat did you just say?â she fumed, her face like a cloudy day.She lunged at me. I ducked, brushing past her. A knock at the gate forced a giggle from my mouth. We had a visitor. This placed our cat and rat session on hold.Snapping her fingers, she said, âItâs me and you in this house today.âDid she think she could scare me with that? What would she do that hadnât been done before? She had made me pass through fire, forced me through the thorny gates of hell and taught me to embrace pain. Nothing scared me at this point.Drops of water trailed after me as I made for the gate. Once there, I yanked it open. Taken aback by the person staring back at me, I could only gasp. I certainly hadnât been expecting my fairy godmother.
My stepmother wouldnât like this one bit. But despite this, a smile tore through my lips.âGood morning, fairy godmother.âShe did not return my smile. Her gaze locked on my drenched clothes. âWhat is this?âI looked away, groping for the perfect lie. âIâm a heavy sweater when I sleep.âAfter sheâd stepped into the premises, I moved to lock thegate, grateful for a chance to hide my face so she couldnâtsee through my lie.She tugged at my arm, her eyes flying wide. âI know you, Victoria. All week, I watched you sleep for no less than four hours at a time. And you certainly arenât a heavy sweater. Besides, you sweat all over your hair too?ââIââShe shook her head. âTsk. Tsk. If I find that that witch did this to you, I swear, itâll be an eye for an eye.âWithout another word, she made for my room. I trailed after her. The door to my room flew open and she burst in,halting almost immediately as she found the emptied bucket and the drenched bed.âThat woman has certainly overdone it this time,â she fumed. âAnd she will get what sheâs asking for.âShaking her head, she picked up the bucket. I had no idea what she planned to do. But I knew it would be nothing to smile about.âStella, please,â I said.She raised her non-dominant hand, splaying her fingers ina âstopâ gesture. Her other fingers bowed, leaving only thepointer to poke my shoulder.âDonât even say a word,â she said, her voice cold as death.âNow, show me to the kitchen at once!âIâd never thought a day would come when Iâd be conflicted about obeying my fairy godmother. Sheâd always been friendly, an angel. But today, I saw a different side of her.âShow me to the kitchen, I said!âUnable to hold her flaming gaze, I looked away, swallowing hard. âThisâŠM.. way.âShe muttered a few incoherent words. I could only grasp the last phrase. âAn eye for an eye!âA sudden realization sent a shiver down my spine as she headed for the fridge.
She would empty bottles of cold water into the bucket and empty the bucket on someone.âYou will show me to Cynthiaâs room,â she said.âIâm sorry,â I said. âI canât.âStella smiled a threatening smile and tugged at my arm. Gripping it hard, she turned me toward the door, but I didnât budge.âI cannot,â I said. âI wonât.ââVery well then. I guess it wonât be difficult to find that step-sister of yours.â Letting go of my arm, she started off toward the rooms. The first three doors showed her to empty rooms.And the next âŠMy heart shattered as it flew open. Cynthia lay in her air-conditioned room, on her king-sized bed, sleeping amidst pink pillows and teddy bears. Stella advanced to her.âCynthia!â I called, my voice loud enough to wake the dead.Cynthiaâs eyes flew open just in time to watch the ruthlessly cold water lunge at her. She made to roll to safety, but didnât stand a chance. Drenched, she sprang to her feet.âWhat is the meaning of this?â she yelled. âHow dare you insult me like this? What is the meaning of this?âStella flung the bucket at Cynthiaâs feet. Shrieking, Cynthia side-stepped. The watery floor made her slip. I gasped as she hit the floor with a painful thud. Sat helplessly on the floor, and drenched to the bone, she wailed like a woman whoâd just received news of her husbandâs death.I moved to help her, but Stella held me back. âHer mother will come.ââWhat have you done?â I asked.Cynthia wailed on. She made no attempt to get off the floor. Obviously, she wanted her mum to find her in this state. This spelt trouble.âWhatâs happening here?â My stepmotherâs voice boomed from the doorway.âMummy,â Cynthia whimpered. Catching sight of her, her mother rushed to kneel beside her.âMy baby. What happened? Who did this to you?â She helped Cynthia get on her feet. Holding her in an embrace,she patted her back. âCome now, mummy is here. Itâs fine now.âStella smirked. âNow weâre even.âGlaring at Stella, my stepmother disentangled from the embrace. Her right hand lashed out, aiming for Stellaâs face. My breath caught in my throat.
But the slap never landed.Stella gripped her hand, suspending it in the air, her glarematching my stepmotherâs. âDonât you dare.âIt took a few moments for Stella to detach her hand. She trusted my stepmother would not make another move. And for the sakes of both women, I hoped so. Cynthia looked between the two women, her eyes mirroring my fear.âSo it hurts you to see your daughter abused,â Stella said. âAnd yet, you do the same to someone elseâs child. A child who should be like a daughter to you! You go ahead and abuse her without any qualms. In the same way you carried your daughter in your womb for nine months, someone carried Victoria. She did not just fall from the sky. Neither was she born by an animal. No! She was born by a woman like you. And you go ahead and abuse her withno feeling of remorse? How could you be so evil?ââI will not let you come into my house and insult me,â my stepmother said.âAnd I will not let you insult your stepdaughter and her motherâs good name!â Stella said. âOnce or twice, I met hermum at the orphanage. And she spoke of how it broke her heart to see the less privileged suffer. I will not watch you subject her child to the very same life she didnât wantfor other children.ââIf you love her as much as you claim, then just take her with you,â Cynthia suggested.Stella seemed to consider Cynthiaâs offer. âI would if I could. But that would mean her leaving the house for you and your mother, wouldnât it?ââWhat do you want?â my stepmother asked. âWhy are you here?ââIâm only here to remind you of the deal you signed. You best take it seriously. Tomorrow, I will be leaving for the Uk âŠâUnable to conceal their excitements, Cynthia and her mother glanced at each other.âBut I am not leaving her unprotected,â Stella went on. âAnd the deal remains.
You do well to remember that. I willhave people on the lookout for any form of abuse. And I will appoint a guardian in my place. So you best not get any ideas.âCynthia looked between her mum and Stella. âMum, say something. How can you just let her threaten us in our own house?ââItâs not a threat,â Stella said. âWhen I threaten, trust me, youâll know of it. That said, today is my last day here in Nigeria, and so I am taking her out with me.ââYou will notââ My stepmother started.âIt is my understanding that your daughter goes out with friends as she pleases,â Stella said. âSo, why canât your other daughter do the same?âAfter moments of unnerving silence, my stepmother said,âReturn her by noon.ââI will bring her before nightfall,â Stella said. âAnd donât worry about chores. Iâm sure Cynthia knows how to keep a house in order.â Taking me by the hand, she led me to my room.
The scene in Cynthiaâs room revolved around my head. What had I gotten myself into? Would they not kill me once I returned home? Would Stella be with me then? No. I would be all alone to feel my stepmotherâs wrath. And after what Stella had done, they would sure hate me burying imaginable.Oblivious to the danger sheâd placed me in, Stella rummaged through my closet. âGoodness gracious. Itâs almost unbelievable that the very same woman who abuses you cares enough to give you a fitting wardrobe.âA smile tugged at my lips. âShe wants her public to believe she treats me the same way she treats her daughter.ââThat sure is something,â Stella said. âGo freshen up while I find a perfect outfit for our outing.âIâm afraid I canât go,â I said.âWhat?ââMy stepmotherââStella snapped. âI am not listening to your silly talks! You will go freshen up and prepare for our outing. Look at you,your fatherâs death has you locked up in this womanâs cage. You donât even know what fun is anymore. You only do the things she let you do. Chores. Chores. School. And more chores. Whereâs the fun in this?ââI have fun,â I said. âI have fun at school with my friends.âStella rolled her eyes. âGreat. You could also say you have fun with the rats and roaches while doing your chores.âI grinned. âThat too.ââIâm done listening to this. You are going out with me, Victoria Brown.
And I will not take no for an answer. Comeon, this is my last day here. Will you actually deny me mylast wish?â She batted her lashes at me.When she put it like that, how could I turn her down? âI need to hurry with my chores then.ââVicky dear, you shouldnât worry yourself,â she said. âI want today to be a holiday for you. Cynthia will do the chores.ââYou donât understand. It wonât feel right to just walk away, leaving the chores undone. Please. I promise Iâll be fast.âStella weighed my request for a moment or two. âFine then. The movie doesnât start till twelve anyway.ââWe are going to see a movie?â My eyes beamed with excitement.âA movie called Cinderella Retold,â she said. âItâs new.â*Sat in the near-darkness of a theatre, I brimmed with expectations as I gazed at the giant screen before us. The movie, like my life, was a reenactment of Cinderella. Set in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Witch Hunt period, the movie revolved around a young orphan abused by her stepmother and two half sisters. At a ball, Michael Huntington, the priest/executionerâs son fell for the mysterious girl who disappeared at midnight, leaving behind a glass slipper. Upon knowing Cinderella was the girl after Michaelâs heart, her evil family framed her as a witch and delivered to the priest for execution.Things would heat up, making us gasp and almost fall off the edges of our seats. But like all fairytales, a happily ever after climaxed the movie. The villains were made to suffer. The hero got the girl. And they lived happily ever after.âThatâs the best movie Iâve seen in years!â Stella exclaimed as we stepped out of the theatre. âItâs such a bold retelling of Cinderella. Did you like it?ââItâs a great movie,â I said.Draping an arm over my shoulders, Stella led me to the cafeteria. She sat across from me. âDo you know why I wanted you to see that movie?ââBecause she went through hell just like me?â I guessed.âYes,â she said. âI wanted you to see her overcome every obstacle, climb every mountain, live through every disappointment, and emerge victorious. I wanted you to see her forge ahead even after Aunt Maggie, her supposed fairy godmother abandoned her when she was accused of being a witch. It is truly a great movie.âA waiter advanced to us with a well-practiced smile lighting up his face. âGood afternoon. What would you like?ââChicken and chips should do.â Stella said. âWhat drinks are available? Chapman?âThe waiter nodded.âChapman it is then,â Stella decided. âAnd a bottle of water.âThe waiter wrote down Stellaâs orders in his notepad. To me, he said, âAnd you, miss?ââSame,â I said.âWhatever theyâre having, make it for four,â I heard a bubbly voice say. Farah. Raheem stood beside her, his face as though heâd died in a dream.Farah waved at Stella. âHello.ââHi,â Stella said.âWhat are you doing here?â Farah half-squealed at me, muting out Stellaâs and Raheemâs greetings.âWe saw a movie,â I said.âSame here! Raheem and I saw Cinderella Retold. That movie is just amazing! I could watch it over and over again.ââRaheem saw the movie?â I asked. I could never have tagged him as one for cheesy love stories.âI am not one for such movies,â Raheem said. âShe forced me to come along. The movie was crappy. Waste of time.âFarah nudged him with her elbow. âLiar.ââIâd rather be at home playing,â Raheem said.âHeâs only putting on an act. He enjoyed the movie.ââI know,â Stella said. âEveryone did.âFarah made to join us, but Raheem tugged at her arm. Forcing an overly formal smile, he said, âWeâll sit at our own table. We wouldnât want to bother you. Enjoy your day, please.â His eyes begged that we backed him up.
âActually, itâs no bother,â Stella said.She smirked at the beat up look on Raheemâs face as Farah hurried to occupy the seat beside mine. Left without a choice, Raheem occupied the last seat. He cast Farah a life threatening glance that made me wonder how they survived at home.The waiter returned with our order. Once he placed them on our table, Farah started getting acquitted with hers. Noticing Stella staring intently at Farah, Raheem said,âSheâs Farah. My kid sister.ââWow, I can see so much resemblance,â Stella said. âItâs great to meet you, Farah. I amâââThe school nurse,â Farah cut in. âOh, please, tell me Iâm right!â She clapped a palm over her eyes, but I could see her peeking at Stella from the space between her fingers.âI am she,â Stella said, half-giggling. âIâm just curious about how you could tell.âPlastering an ear-to-ear grin on her face, Farah uncoveredher eyes. âWith vivid descriptions like the ones Raheem gives, even the king of fools can tell who he speaks of. For example, I havenât seen the principal yet. But I know to expect an overweight man, his skin as burned chocolate. His hair, styled as an afro, is a mix of black and white.
And then heâs five foot six. He walks as though every step were a punishment. And then thereâs Sir Aaron, a man of stone. He lives in his own world and doesnât evenâââFarah!â Raheem warned.Farah recoiled in an attempt to escape Raheemâs fiery gaze. âUhm âŠyeah?ââCould you just shut up and eat?â Raheem asked.Farah pressed a finger to her lips. âOops. Sorry.âWith the new found silence, we all had time to dig into our snacks. Farah finished first. She swept her eyes around the table, aching to speak. I could tell it wouldnât take longfor her to break the silence.âWho could have thought Raheem Kadir could actually make friends?â she thought aloud with a smirk. Glad to have my attention and Stellaâs she went on, âIn our former school, he almost never said a word. Iâm just really surprised heâs actually making friends now. Loner!ââIâm notââ Raheem said.Farah cut him off. âOh, shush. The only friend youâve ever had is your guitar.ââThere was Malik, Yusuf and Karmani,â Raheem said.âOnly because you were all in a band,â Farah said.âWait,â Stella said. âRaheem is a singer?âFarah beamed at herself for steering the conversation in this direction.Raheem nodded. âIâm in a band. Impaling Sedation.ââIâve never heard of it,â Stella said.âI donât expect you to,â he said. âThe bandâs popularity never crossed Iraq. We mostly played at clubs, diners and some shows. We were meant to do a really huge audition. But then the war came along, shattering our dreams.âStella seemed genuinely interested. âAre your songs on the internet? Perhaps you could send me a link? I want to watch you sing. Iâm a fan of rock myself.ââCool,â Farah said. âAre you a fan of Bring me the Horizon?ââThatâs one of my top rated,â Stella said.âPerfect,â Farah said, rubbing her palms together. âThen youâll love Raheemâs band, I assure you. His band is bomb!ââI can only imagine,â Stella said.âCan you heal my heart,â Farah sang. âItâs bleeding. Can you fix my soul, itâs brokenâââQuit ruining my song,â Raheem said.Farah pouted. âOh, come on. Iâm just trying toâââDonât.ââOkay then, sing.ââIâm not singing. Thatâs the lead singerâs job. Not the guitaristâs.âRi
sing to her feet, Farah clapped her hands to gain everyoneâs attention. âLadies and gentlemen, Iâm sure you wouldnât mind a little background music, would you?ââFarah, what are you doing?â Raheem whispered between clenched teeth.Farah played deaf. Lighting up her face with an enchanting smile, she pulled in her observers. âWith us here is a rockstar whoâs dying to share his music. He represents a male fronted rock band called âImpaling Sedationâ. Will you deny him a chance to sing? Please put your hands together if you want to witness this live showtoday when itâs free.âA roar of applause followed Farahâs request.
Energized, by the encouraging noise, she introduced in a full bloom scream, âGive it up forâŠRa-Heeeeem!âShe gestured at Raheem and winked at him. Raheem swepthis eyes around the room. He held everyoneâs attention.Whimpering, he bounced in his seat. Farah giggled. My sixth sense told me sheâd kicked him. If he didnât get up and feed the crowd with quality music, she would definitely kick him again. I could tell from the look on her face.âPlease donât disappoint, please donât disappoint,â I chantedto myself.Raheem rose to his feet and waved at the crowd.âIâllâŠuhmâŠIâll go grab my guitar.âThe audience seemed to be okay with his hurried departure. Either that, or they didnât want to watch him, but didnât want to make Farah feel bad.***âWhat if he doesnât come back?â I asked. For the past five minutes, Iâd been staring at the door.âYou shouldnât worry,â Farah said. âHe wouldnât want to miss this, trust me. He loves performing.âStella tilted her head toward the door. âThere he is.âWith an electric guitar strapped to him, Raheem strode back into view. Strumming his guitar, he sauntered towards the counter, his temporary stage.âCan you heal my heart,â he sang. His voice brimmed with colorless emotions, causing my heart to sink. âItâs bleeding.âMore than half of the audience held their phones in the air, recording the live show. Now more than ever, I wished I had a phone.
Raheem clutched his guitar as though it were the most important thing in the world; as though his life depended on it. Squeezing his eyes shut and flinging his head backward, he strummed his guitar, sending off a haunting echo of his songâs intro. Was he in pain?Working a magic I couldnât fathom, he switched his guitar notes from painfully quiet to one I could almost dance to. Ilistened intently to the lyrics as he sang on, faster this time: Can you heal my heartItâs bleedingCan you fix my soulItâs brokenThe intensity of his voice awed me into breathlessness. His eyes settled on me, hitting me full force with the bitter emotions behind them. His song had me thinking. Who had broken his heart?Can you feel this deep despairA void in my chestWhere I once had a heartUntil you came alongRipping it with your liesWith your liesâWow,â Stella said. âHe is just⊠Wow.ââHis voice,â I said. âItâs so intense.ââHeâs my personal Oliver Sykes!â Farah said. âDoesnât he remind you of him?ââNever heard of him,â I said.Farah seemed stunned. âYou donât know Bring me the Horizon? Heâs the bandâs lead singer.âI wanted to believe Raheem had just composed his song without anyone in mind. But the pain evident in his voice led me to the other possibility; that heâd written this for agirl he used to love.âRaheemâs song, whatâs it called?â I asked.âWith your lies,â Farah said.âItâs a sad song,â I said. There. The perfect bait. If heâd written the song for someone, Farah would tell me.âIt sure is,â Farah said, watching the stage. Moments passed, and she said nothing.I didnât want to come off as nosy, but I had to get Farah to tell me.
It probably didnât matter if heâd written the song for someone, but I had to know. âWhoâs it for?ââJameela,â she said. She seemed to have been expecting my question. âShe used to be their lead singer. She had a thing for Raheem. But then, there was Austin, a transfer student.
At first, Raheem kept his distance because he thought Austin and Jameela were an item.âMy mind filtered Farahâs last sentence, and chose to revolve around the first two words. At first. At first, Raheem kept his distance. At first. This only meant he didnât succeed in the end.âBut she said they were just friends,â Farah continued.âEveryone thought it best for Raheem to go for it. When I say everyone, I mean me, mum, and the other band members, who were at that time his only friends. As for dad, he was just indifferent about the whole thing. Well anyway, it turned out that Jameela wasnât the angel we thought her to be. She and Austin were an item, and we only found out when he confronted Raheem, which had a very ugly end. He started a very scary fight that led to him being suspended, and Raheem expelled. Jameela didnât know how to face Raheem after that, and so she left the band. That was how he came up with the song. With your lies. He never had a chance to perform it, though. The war came along.ââWith your lies,â Raheem concluded, his voice barely a whisper. He bowed at the overly excited crowd slamming their palms together with beaming faces.I joined in the applause. âHeâs good at what he does.ââMore, more, more!â a kid squealed.âSing us another song,â a man said.âOkay,â Raheem said. âIâm singing just one more. For the kid. This one is called âHighway to Yesterday.’ââThis is my favorite Impaling Sedation song,â Farah said.âYou are so going to love this one, guys.âAs long as it didnât involve some girl from Raheemâs past, I sure would.And I did love it.Drawn by Raheemâs song, a crowd streaked in through thedoor, doubling the audience. They bobbed their heads up and down as they watched him use his voice to the fullest. Girls screamed out in sheer excitement as he stomped and staggered. This part made me scowl. Rockstar Raheem had killer moves. But did the girls have to be so obvious about it?Raheem sang on, strumming hard, unleashing all his pent up anger on the guitar. His dramatic picking made the crowd cheer even wilder. It stunned me how an orderly group of people had morphed into an uncontrollable, noisycrowd.Raheem sang the chorus for the third time. Everyone sang along as though theyâd known the song all their lives.I did too.At the end of the chorus, Raheem strummed even harder, spinning his head around in circles wild enough to break abone or two. Moves like this deserved the âkids, do not try this at homeâ caption.I feared for his neck. An end to his head banging session made me release the breath Iâd been holding. Iâd expected him to show a sliver of fatigue after rotating his head so fiercely. But he went on just fine.âIncredible!â I cried out.For a dramatic effect, Raheem threw his guitar in the air.
My breath caught as I watched it flip right back into position. I wished this show could go on forever. But just like every other good thing, it ended. Jumping to my feet, I joined the crowd in a thunderous applause.
An outrageous crowd of Raheemâs new fansâmost of which were girlsâclosed in on him, blocking him out of sight.âWhat are they doing?â I asked.âThe expected,â Farah said. âThey are no doubt taking his number so they can be present at his next show.ââWill there be a next?â I asked.âDidnât you see the look on his face?â she asked. âIâm sure he canât wait to do this all over again!âStaring at Raheemâs fans, Stella said to Farah, âIf Raheem lives through this, tell him we enjoyed his show.âFarahâs face dulled as she watched Stella signal the waiter. âYouâre leaving?ââYeah,â Stella said.âYouâll be in school on Monday, right?â I asked.Farah sighed. âIâll try.âThe waiter strode to us, his well-trimmed smile still on his face. He received our bill from Stella and made to speak, but she beat him to it. âKeep the change.ââYou are so kind,â he said. âI hope you enjoyed dining here.ââWhy, yes we did,â Stella said.The waiter directed his attention to Farah. âThank you forthe quality entertainment you initiated. Our customers are extremely satisfied today. Iâm sure the manager will seek to hire him. Heâs a fine young man.ââHe sure is,â Stella said. We simultaneously vacated our seats. Waving Farah goodbye, we made for the exit.
I turned around to cast Raheem one last glance, and perhaps wave him goodbye, but his fans had built a solid wall around him. Sighing, I walked away.
Choose Episodes Below;
Note: episodes already read are highlighted in red!
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12 Episode 13 Episode 14 Episode 15 Episode 16 Episode 17 Episode 18 Episode 19 Episode 20 Episode 21 Episode 22 Episode 23
Leave a Reply