Episode 25
Jide grabs his black shirt and wears it, he picks up his masks and wears it too, he tells the three other guys to do the same, they carry a gun each..
They are packed outside the gate, waiting for the time they are to go in.
âBe ready, as soon as it hits the hour we move in, check when the guards and the guests leave, it would be our signalâ
âYes sir!!â they replied
âAnd remember, make it believable!!â
âYes sir!!â
They wait across the road, inside a black truck parked.. Unseen.
Listening in on the telecoms waiting for when they hear them leave.
Another truck drives by, it is black, they park at a safe distance, four men come down, dressed in black, guns in their hands, they begin to walk towards them.
âWhat is happening Emeka?â Diana asks Emeka
âWhat is happening? what Diana, I am not done with my storyâ he turns to everyone, pointing at her âYou see, over ten years ago, ten long years ago when I was still a young man, I had a life, a home, a good life, yet a bad one, I had a father who didnât care about me, a mother who loved me and a girlfriend who I could die forâŠâ
Mercy blinks âWhat is going on here, Tayo, what is happening?â
Tayo sighs âSomething I wish he wouldnât do!!â he shakes his head, donât do it Emeka, for your sake, your heart, donât do this.
âMama, donât worry, you will understandâ he turns to Diana, she is looking at Grace
âEmeka, what is wrong, why did you say that to her, what is this?â Grace asks him, she walks to Grace to hold her
âNo Grace not today, please ⊠be patient and listen, no donât touch her, leave her let her stand alone, she needs to bear this aloneâ he pulls Graceâs hands away from her and tells her to go seat. He pulls Diana holding her hands, while he twirls her around then stops âYou see, this girl, such a beauty, such a beautiful creation of God, how can something so beautiful and pure be filed with lies and deceit, how can a girl who looks so innocent like this be so wicked to ruin the heart of a young man, a man who loves her. He had nothing, not even his fatherâs wealth, not even anything and yet he tried to treat her nice and right by her you know, for two and the half years he loved her, in his little and his plenty, and when things got bad at home he still wanted to make her smile, and he did, but she was pretending, she was the devilâs spawnâ
Diana gasps as she blinks, shaking her head as her eyes pools âEmeka , what are you doing, what are you saying, why are you saying that, bringing it all up, the past, me, the worst part of me, why? Why today, why now? Baby, what are you doing?â
Emeka ignores her and continuous talking âand my father was the devil you see, some other devil. You see I gave her all I could when I was a boy and loved her wholeheartedly, and when things got bad at home, she bolted, I mean, when he got worse, when the devil of a man I called father became worse at home to me and my mother, she Diana was my peace and calmness in my chaos, and when I needed her the most, when I had nothing but my mother and my car as her means of survival when my mother was sick and I had to sell the car to care for her, the woman who bore me, who sacrificed a lot for me, risked everything for me, Diana here didnât care, she didnât care about my troubles at home, about the pain I went through, about my motherâs tears or sleepness nights, no, she cared about money, luxury and when I couldnât afford to give her little things too, she told me to my face, that she never loved me, breaking an already broken boy, shattering him to pieces, and why, why? She wanted his wealth from his father, that is what she wanted, to strive on it, follow and sleep with me for money, that was the girl I fell in love with then, and that was the girl who⊠who I lost myself to once, once a long time agoâ
The tears flows âEmeka, No!!â Diana shakes her head. This, this doesnât feel right. What was he saying, why was he saying this, why was he saying all these things to her, no, she reaches for him he nudges her hand away, he points to her, his mother is in shock, everyone is muttering, Grace shakes her head.
âYou Diana Nkechior left me because I had nothing to my name, you left me because I told you I wanted to sell my care to take my mother to the hospital. You left me because I couldnât treat you as nice as you expected me to even despite knowing my situation, knowing that my father used to beat my mother on a daily, as a student I had to work three to four jobs just to be able to treat you to that salon and neck pieces and shoes you wanted, knowing that my father stopped giving us a dime as soon as I turned fifteen, I practically entered the streets to hustle to feed myself and my mother and the only reason he allowed us stay in the house was because of people he didnât want asking questions, and the only reason he bought me that car was because he was trying to show off to his friends that he loved his son but you knew that was a lie because I told you how sometimes we went home hungry, sometimes I came home to find my mother locked outside the gate after he had beaten her, you know the chaos in my home and my heart, yet, despite all this I loved you, when I had little means after fixing cars, washing plates and helping people, I took care of you and my mother because you both where the only two women I would lay my life for, that I loved with everything within me. I was just a boy in love Diana, trying to care for his mother, trying to survive when I had a father, a father who doesnât deserve nothing, and yet I was the boy who loved you unconditionally, you were my escape, my life and I gave you everything I had even in my little aside my mother, but what do you do? Like my heartless father you ripped my heart out â
Mercy stands up âEmeka!!ââ
âNo mama, let me talk. Let me, that too would be clarified soon, that man, but wait, this time is for Dianaâ he faces her
She blinks, rooted to the ground, shaking as tears falls out her eyes, smearing her makeup, her lips shaking.
âDiana you left me, that same day you told me to my face you never loved me, you couldnât possibly love me despite me telling you about my sick mother, you rather her die than for me to sell a useless car you wanted to cruise around school. You left me Diana, you ignored me, and you broke me to tinier pieces. I loved you with every fiber I had in my body Diana, I did, but what you did to me changed me. You said you couldnât love or date a rat like me, and so you left, not looking back, forgetting the pain I had suffered, I reached out for you, begged, pleaded, apologized for wrongs I didnât do, I did everything to get you back but like a door you shut yourself to me.
You wanted nothing to do with me then, now ten years later you see me and knowing my state of affairs you threw yourself at me, feigning repentance, crying crocodile tears, spewing lies, trying to sÂŁduce me, and jumped at the offer of marriage, because you think I donât know who you are and what you came for? Who are you if not a gold digger, someone who perches only to sU-Ck and take all she came forâ
âEmeka, I ..I apologized, I did !!â she sobs shaking her head.
âYou apologised because of what you didnât want to lose Diana, that is why. And you quickly grabbed your things and came here thinking of a warm welcome? You are not welcomed here, not in my life and definitely not in my house!. I became the man you left me for Diana, I became the man you chased around for and what do you do as soon as you saw how I had evolved and I have changed into this thing that causes your eyes to glitter, like gold, you came running, like a goat you came bleating, like a hungry dog you came flapping your tongue and what do I do? I threw you a bone soaked in honey and sweet things and you chewed it, you loved it and you fell for it hard. You think these things happened naturally? I made this happen Diana, I made you crumble to your knees, I made your heart to soften , I made you feel this way and then Iâll take it, like an egg and I will crush it!!â
She is shaking her head âWhat are you saying Emeka?â she grows weak, she staggers,
âI played your game Diana, that game you lure men in, take all that they are, and then leave them hanging, lie to them, tell them you love them for the duration of what you are with them for, I played that game, from the moment I la!d eyes on you I already knew what I wanted to do, to get you to this point where I was in ten years ago⊠and then shatter you, just the way you once shattered meâ
âNo Emeka, I was wrong, I was wrong then and I admit it, I admit my faults and I apologised to you, I told you I was sorry, I ⊠mama, mama please help him to listen to me!!â Diana turns to Mercy, going to her as tears gushes out, âPlease talk to him, tell him i am sorry, tell him mama!!â she cries
Mercy is too shocked to speak, her eyes doesnât leave her son..
âDiana, how do you like the tables turned !!!ââ Emeka spat
âI love you Emeka, I didnât love you then, I am sorry but I love you now, I am in love with you now, my heart my all, I donât need all of this wealth, I donât, just youâ
âNo Diana, a leopard never changes its spots, you think you love me, you donât, you love my money, my wealth and that is what you chased me for now, that love you think you feel for me isnât real, I made that love you feel, you love no one but yourself and moneyâ
âNo that is not true, not anymore. I love you, you love me, you love me I know it, you told me Emeka , pleaseâ she rushes to him and touches his face as tears slip done her eyes, she is searching his, her body shaking with tears and pain coming from her heart âYou love me, I love you and that is the truthââ
âYou love no one but yourself, and no I donât love you Diana, not now, not anymore!â he pulls her hands away from his face putting her away from him
âNo that is a lie, I feel it when you kiss me, I ..IâŠthe days we have spent together, the time, the attention you gave me, our marriage, we just got married Emeka, you are my husband, you love me, you love me!!â she is hysterical
Then he begins to laugh âOh Dee, you make me laugh!! I planned everything that resulted to this day Diana, every dialogue we shared, every scene, even in my house and even though my mother was unaware of this, because in order for me to do what I wanted, certain people must be put in the dark, but my mother showed you who is boss didnât she? She got you feeling bad and pain and you realizing your stupid mistake. But you see, I am no longer interested in all that Diana, love you? Love is a just a sad sour word when placed next to you, no I donât love you, havenât loved you for ten years today Diana, and did you say we are married? we are not married Diana, well, not anymore, like a second agoâ he looks at his watch.
She gasps as she stammers âI donât get!!â
âLet me explain it to you Dee, we got married yes, but that document I gave you to sign upstairs states that your marriage to me gets annulled within the next two hours, citing irreconcilable differences..â
âEmeka!!!â Grace and Mercy exclaims, so did Diana
âMama, I told you, I told you I will never upset you, that I will never go against you, against your wishes and desires for me, I am so sorry I kept you in the dark.
Mercy slowly drops to her seat lips, her eyes tearing up, she is watching Emeka as he turns to continue talking about Diana
âEmeka, itâs a lie, you married me, I am your wife!!â she is shaking, the pain increasing in her chest, something else accompanies it as she cries âYou planned all this⊠all this?â she disbelieves
âOh come off it Diana, you really expected me to have forgotten all what you did to me? I hurt for years, for years; my mother was the comfort I needed. You think I will give my heart back to a woman who had crushed it? Never!!â
âSo all this things, everything is a lie, a lie? The ring, the court wedding, everything?â she sinks to her knees
âYes Maâam, you are no longer married to Mr Emeka Odinaka Uchendu, this marriage was annulled a few seconds ago thanks to your signature, as of now, this documents and marriage certificate is uselessâ
Grace and others gasps, she couldnât believe this
âYou⊠did all this Emeka?â a fresh load of tears pour
âYes, I planned this day a long time carefullyâ
âWhy, Why?â she cries, Grace who is also tearing up made to go to her, Emeka stops her again
âDonât Graceâ he points to her and stares back to Diana âDo you have any idea how I hurt, did you have any idea how my heart hurt on a daily thinking about you? No you didnât, now you want to crawl into my life and ascend the throne of queen like you own it? You must be joking!!â Emeka spat
She is crying âI am sorry, I am so sorry, I ..oh God Emeka, I have changed, Ihave changed. I love you, I love you donât do this to me pleaseâ
âLove yourself Diana, maybe you can be able to be less heartless once you leave here. But you disgust me, you do, I loved you then as much as I hate you now, so much that I couldnât wait for this day to come⊠I recoiled when you kissed me, I wanted to scream my frustration when you laughed and told me how nice of a person I am, in fact l dreaded it if you had asked me for more when we curdled at night, because I couldnât bear the thought of you in my arms because it would have been disgusting to me. You think any of this things are real, this people? Ha,â he points to Everyone âthey are all paid actors, guests, only my mother, my friend Tayo and my lawyer Tammy and maybe your friend Grace who isnât the fake ones here⊠the court wedding and engagement is a sham, why? Because I wanted to make it believable. I treated you like the way you have never been treated before, gave you access to all that you would have prayed for, the car, the cloths , the diamond ring, little treasures for your neck, you hands, your heart was gladdened and from nowhere you began to like me, then you began to feel jealous of other woman, you began to love me, but I know you love the money more. You see this pain you are feeling, I did it, I wanted you experience it, and you did, and I know what hurts you more, is actually realizing that you didnât marry me as you hope, that your dreams came true for only a few seconds, because you signed the annulment upstairs. You are nothing but a heartless gold-digger, and not deserving of anybody much less me. See this Emeka? He had grown up from the boy you used to know, and he stopped taking the pain and channeled it into something more useful, like hitting you where it hurts, hitting you back for all you have done to me.â
Diana is sobbing on the floor, the pain was tearing through her entire body, she clutches her chest and cries âEmeka, I love you, I love you, please stop!!! Please!!!â she begs âIt hurts so much, it hurts I beg you stop.â She wails
Yes she had come for the money, wealth, luxury, then she fell for the man and all that didnât matter anymore, it didnât. It hurts! Oh it hurts, his words were tearing through her, shattering her into a thousand pieces, like a knife it daggers her chests ad twists and turns and turns and twists⊠she was in pain, she couldnât breathe, her throat was closing, her eyes burns from tears and her nose drooled as she cried, ever tear brought an excruciating pain to her heart..
This wasnât happening, yes, she had hurt him so much and for the past few days she had been the most remorseful and felt ashamed and felt guilty, and then she had told herself that she was going to make up for all her lapses and short comings, she was going to give up that life of pretends and for the first time in her life she had felt free, a weight lifted and her heart that had never known love had fluttered and had loved this man she once didnât care about, she had fallen madly in love with Emeka that she didnât understand how it happened, when it happened and why⊠and maybe it was when his mother showed her herself in a mirror with her words, maybe because for once⊠she felt the pain she had meted out to others in her pretense, maybe for once, it had just been cupid playing a cruel joke with her but it happened, he shot the arrow and she fell in love with Emeka, that is why she was marrying him, for love, this time for love she was with him not what he had..
And now, and now!!! He tells her it was all a lie, a game, plan, to lure her and pay her back?.
And the most sad and painful thing was that she knew she deserved it, she deserved it and she had no anger in her for him but pain. But it hurts, it hurts⊠because the love she feels is also pain, the one she loves doesnât love her, the one whom had always loved her as long as she could remember had stopped loving her, hates her, and has done all she had done to his heart to her own heart in a dayâŠ
She clutches her chests and cries out, dear lord it hurts, she chokes, it hurts so much, I want to die, I want the pain to stop.
âYou feel pain? You should, you feeling pain now, well I felt it for months stretched nonstop into years, see all my wealth you desire? You will not be getting an ounce of it, you disgust me, I think you should get up out of my sight!!!â he says pointing to the door
âI canât Emeka..I-I canât!â she shakes with tears, breaking, she chokes in pain,
âWhy? Because you will die of shame? Because you will lose all this? Well guess what, this wasnât ever yours, me ⊠thisâŠââ her spreads his hands âNever yours and that includes that ring you are wearing â he reaches for her and pulls the ring from her finger â you came here with nothing and you will leave with nothing ââ he takes away the necklace from her neck âMama Tito, go to the room she stayed in, find my car keys, yes, the jewels, the cloths, the shoes everything, take it all out, because I rather give it all to those who donât have than let you have anything that you donât deserve. These were the things that lured you to me right? The excitement of having all this at your beck and call, well you like shinning things right? The men who could give you all this? You left me because I was like a dirty rag to you yes? Then I lure you with what you love, money and you fell, you came sniffing up me like a dog, like fly to s–t you came, like honey to bee you came, Diana you came, and as you did, you were unaware of the consequences, this is the consequences â he takes the bangle away from her hands.
âNo⊠Pleaseâ she doesnât stop him, she tries to touch his hand, he pulls away
âNothing Diana, you wonât take home nothingâ
Grace is crying, I knew it, I knew it was all a game, a ploy, I felt it.. it was a lie, he⊠he wanted to hurt her, pay her back, oh God Diana, I warned you to stay away, I did⊠she sobs, making her way to her.
âDonât Grace, please donât!! You donât understand the hurt and pain i went through for her, you donât understand after shattering me to realise that the reason she was with me in the first place was because she felt i would be able to spend my fatherâs money on her and when i couldnât because of that old fart of a father, speaking offâŠâ he turns around facing the staffs âhas anyone come to look for me?â
âNo sir!!!â
âOkay⊠you all can leave now, thank you!! Take food, anything, Mama Tito pack the foods and drinks and give them, and the package I left for them, please take the rest of the day off⊠all of you go home, go enjoy the love and comfort of your families who loves you while I rid myself of this scum of the earth, go home, every single person should leave the compound. Go!!â
They slowly file out throwing glances at the woman whom he had paraded as his wife earlier on, leaving just him, Tammy, Tayo who is gravely quiet, Grace who manages to rush to her friend despite Emekaâs disapprovals and holds her as she cries into her hands and his Mother who is staring at him to Diana and back at him, she looks at him like he was someone she never knewâŠ
Diana is sobbing uncontrollably, she is clutching her chest as she holds on tight to Grace
âTell him Grace, tell him I am sorry, tell him i am sorryâ she cries
âEmeka!!ââ Grace began pleading with her eyes, âshe is sorry, she really is sorry. Emeka, I â I know she is everything you said but, look at her now, you can tell she is different, she has changed.. Emeka, she is really sorry she-â
âSorry!!! Sorry Grace? You think she is sorry? You think this crocodile tears she is crying means anything? She is sorry? Diana sorry will not cut it, sorry is when you tell someone when you step on their toes, push them by mistake, fall on them, take something that belongs to them without knowing, injure or hurt them by mistake, you tell them sorry, but how do you tell someone sorry, when you sat down and purposed in your heart to lead someone astray, string them along on purposeful intent, you took my heart Diana, you know you couldnât love it, you knew there was no way you could, but you said yes to me when all I wanted was a friend, you said yes to me when all I wanted was someone to love, you knew I had lost someone important to me, Jessica, you came in the guise of friendship to comfort me, i fell for your fake care and love, I fell for your heart, not for your body or anything else, and when I gave you my heart my everything followed⊠but guess what, this man doesnât want you, I played your game well Diana, game over!!ââ he breaths in anger
âEmeka!!â it was Mercy, she walks to him âThis isnât you, this heartless uncaring person, this isnât you, I raised you better!!â her eyes tears up again, she turns to the crying Diana âI know I was against this because I saw right through her, I did, but now⊠even I am ashamed of my actions, your actions⊠because that woman is in pains, her tears are genuine , she lovââ
âShe is nothing other than what you called her, a gold digger, and I think itâs time for her to go, she has nothing left to hold on to here Mamaâ he turns to Grace âI have nothing against you, nothing, this in no way affects our working relationship, but as of this moment, my ties to Diana has been severedâ
âEmeka, brother, pleaseââ Tayo speaks up
Emeka turns to him âIt is done Tayo, it is done!!â Emeka blinks
Tayo walks to him, Mercy leaves her son, waking to Grace and Diana, she is staring down at them, what has she done? She wants to comfort her, her pains pulls at her heart, this woman truly loves her son now, she had done him wrong years ago, she bad intentions seeing him again, but right now, this morning, she is crying from a broken heart, because Emeka wanted to ruin her back, and she helped, unknowingly she helped, what has she done. If only she could hold her and comfort her, she stares down at her.
âIt is done!!â Emeka repeats smiling..
âEmkea, I love you, I love you ⊠I love you!!!â Diana screams repeatedly as her body shakes with tears, Grace is holding her tight
âDo you know what love is? love is a woman who stands by her man, love is a woman who is considerate, understanding, honest and truthful., love is not you Diana, love is Olive!â
âWhat?â Grace and Diana exclaims, Mercy turns
âYes!! Love is Olive ,and she is the woman I love, the woman I have been loving all this while, the woman who mended by broken heart, who came to this house and you felt threatened, yes Diana, I have been seeing Olive, she is the woman of my heart, my love, my everything and you had no idea because you were blinded by what was in your d–n twisted dark heart. Olive is the woman I rather spend the rest of my life with who isnât afraid to love a man for him, despite his broken heart, despite his uncertainty, despite his dark hours and his demons, love is Olive, and you will never be half of the woman she isâ
âEmeka!!ââ Diana chokes, it felt like a large knife twisted itself deep into her heart and turned and kept turning, the pain became worse, she is shaking her head ââNo, No , No!!!â
Their heads turn as the door opens up and she walks in dressed elegantly, a beauty she was, and a pleasant smile on her face, she walks to him, ignoring the women held together on the floor as she goes to Emeka, turns his face, she leans in and gives him a passionate kiss so intense that the breaking gasp they heard would only come from Diana.
âHey baby, I missed being away from you, I love you too!!â
Tayo watches the scene, he shakes his head, this wasnât right, this wasnât rightâŠ
âMama, good evening, I hope you do now see that your son would never go against you!!â
Mercy turns back to her son âFor the first time since this whole thing, my sadness isnât that he didnât go against me, my sadness is that he is too blinded by his quest for revenge that he has no idea how deep love is seated within, he has no idea the wrong he had done, he has no idea the damage he has done to himself as he metes it out to another, he has no idea that every word spoken by him tonight was burn out of hate yes, pain, yes, but yet⊠when all is gone, my sadness comes from the fact I thought I raised a better son!!â Mercy says âAnd my son has no idea that hate is a powerful emotion such as love and sometimes due to the hurt and pain of one who has done wrong, when the dust has settles, they cannot be able to settle their turbulent heart, I only pray he sees the damage he has done to himself and to others just by this game, yes he may have hurt whom he set out to hurt, but in the process, he has hurt himself.
Emeka blinks, his chest is constricts, Olive is kissing his face, Diana is crying , Grace is consoling her and Emeka is staring, yes, finally, finally he did it, he ruined her, he made her feel the pain and anguish. Finally, closure. Closure!
Olive goes to Mercy, trying to explain to her, Mercy turns away, she loved the girl, but allowing Emeka to make her do this, it was wrong.
And yet, why does his chest hurt, why doesnât the smile reach his eyes, why does his throat close up.?
Tayo comes to him âAre you happy?â
âYes, yes I am!!â
âAnd yet, I see more than what is behind your eyes, itâs too late Emekaâ
âToo late for what!!â he sniffs
âYou think you won right? You think you won? But you lost yourself the minute you looked away when Diana broke down, you lost when Olive there kisses you with her heart and you gave her only a tiny pinch of affection, all I see is a man who is struggling not to break, your eyes tightly closed and your heart about to burst. You lost that minute Emeka, you lost⊠and you lost yourself again, donât ruin it all⊠end it now, there is still time to scoop the broken pieces and mend it. Because that over there, Dianaâs tears of genuine sadness, coming from a place of shame, and regret and hurt, and her tears are not over the loss of material things, but of you. You lost Emekaâ
Emeka doesnât answer âI did it, I broke her, that is all that matters, right now⊠one more thing remains for me to send her away for good!â he begins to walk away, Tayo holds his hand
âStop Emeka, please,I beg you!!ââ, he removes Tayoâs hand away from his, shaking his head, he looks at Diana
He rubs his chest frowning as he felt it, âI have to, thatâs the only way I will be free from her, to know that⊠all this isnât a front, thatâs the only wayâŠâ he breaths âShe will do it, she will,a leopard never changes its spots!!â
Suddenly the door bursts open and four men dressed in black and hooded masks enters with guns.
One of them c—s the gun, Mercy screams rushing to her son
âWe are going to do this nice and easy, get on the ground everyone, make one funny move and I will blow your mudafxxking heads off!!!ââ
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