The Blue House S04 E13

Dear reader,  this is the second to the last episode of The Blue House(sigh)! I've enjoyed writing this series and appreciate you for going on this journey with me. I'm getting emotional (rolling my eyes)! So, enjoy this post and have a very merry Christmas.

P.S: The last episode will be posted on Friday.

Joy kept running until she realized that George wasn’t chasing her. She stopped momentarily and observed herself; her skirt was torn in front and she was holding the pieces in one trembling hand. She touched her face with her other hand and felt the welt on her face where George had slapped her. Her skin was burned where the hot rice had poured on her and her fingers were inflamed from carrying the hot pot. She began to cry feeling ashamed, terrified and in pain. If only she hadn’t let him in knowing what he had done before. Where could she go? Her only thought was to call Kunle but she had no money.

A black SUV pulled up in front of her and a woman’s head peeked above the glass.

“Hello dear, what happened to you?”

Joy looked around wondering if she could trust this woman in a black tinted vehicle. “I need money to call my Uncle.”

“No problem. But please tell me, who did this to you?” the woman asked again, coming out of the car this time around. She was a middle-aged, elegantly dressed woman.

Joy looked into her eyes and saw that she could trust her, she looked genuinely worried about her. “Somebody tried to rape me.” She said embarrassed.

“Who was it?”

“My madam’s boyfriend.”

“Come into the car, people are staring at you.” Joy looked up and saw that people were really staring at her but how could she get into a stranger’s car after what she had just been through?

“It’s alright.” The woman said reading her mind. “My daughter is in the car too.” she opened the door and truly her daughter was there typing away on her tablet. “Please come in.”

Joy hesitantly got into the car.

“This is my daughter Tega, and I am Mrs. Williams” Jane finally looked up and stared at Joy, horrified at her disheveled appearance and wondering why her mother always took people like this in. Mrs. Williams asked Joy to explain what had happened and how it had happened. She tearfully described her ordeal and stressed her need to speak with Kunle because Teniola was alone with George in the house. At this Mrs. Williams asked the driver to turn around towards Banke’s house, in her experience people like George usually found someone else to carry out their evil devices on.

At the house they found Teniola crying at the top of her voice, George was nowhere to be found. He had evidently taken off to get himself treated and abscond from the trouble that Joy’s escape would bring. Teniola was unharmed but terrified from being alone in the house. Joy hastily turned off the gas that she had left on and opened the windows.

After establishing that Teniola was safe and Kunle could be trusted, Mrs. Williams decided to call him.

**********

Kunle was happy again, all wasn’t as he wanted it to be but he’d found a new happiness in Ada’s company. His lawyer hadn’t inspired much hope about him regaining custody of Teniola so now they were working on his visitation rights. Ada had proved to be a great support for him during his moments of depression and although he had earlier established that she didn’t like him romantically he doubted that she felt the same way now.

He couldn’t deny his feelings for Ada anymore and in spite of all he had been through with Banke he was considering making things official with Ada. This morning he had called to ask her out on a date, if all went well he would tell her how he felt and hopefully get a positive answer from her. His countenance was considerably cheerful and he became more restless as the hours went by. Making sure that his table was clear at the end of the day he picked up his briefcase and headed for his car.

“Hey!” Nkechi called out to him.

Kunle didn’t want to be delayed. “Hi, I’m in a hurry.”

“Yeah I see that. Just wanted to wish you all the best.” Kunle raised an eyebrow wondering what she was talking about. “Okay I confess I overheard your conversation with her….” Kunle rolled his eyes. “So I’m wishing you all the best. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks!” Kunle replied gratefully quickening his steps towards the car park. He was about to pull out of his spot when his phone rang. He glanced at hit and saw it was a number he didn’t know. He ignored it, whatever it was could wait. His phone rang two more times before he finally decided to answer it.

“Hello!” He said impatiently

“Hello sir! Uncle Kunle!”

Kunle recognized Joy’s now hysterical voice and he promptly turned off the engine. “Joy! Are you okay? What happened, where’s Teni?”

“He wanted to rape me!” she cried.

“Who?”

“Uncle George.”

Banke’s boyfriend? He knew that guy was up to no good. But if she was calling him where was Teni? “Where’s Teni?”

“She’s here with me.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at home…”

“With George?!”

“No Sir, he ran away. I’m here with Mrs. Williams, she found me and brought me back to check on Teniola.”

Kunle was in a daze wondering where Banke was when all this was going on. “Let me talk to her.”

“Hello sir.” Mrs. William’s calmly spoke.

“Hello Madam, I’m Kunle Agunbiade I’m Teniola’s father. Thank you so much for taking care of her, please help me ensure that they’re safe. I’ll be there in a short while.”

“Alright sir, drive carefully, we’ll wait for you.” Mrs. Williams handed the phone back to Joy.

“Hello sir.” She said into the receiver.

“I’m coming there now okay, wait for me.” He cranked up the engine, all thoughts of his date with Ada gone.

**********

As soon as they ended the call with Kunle, Mrs. Williams decided that they should also call Banke. Joy wasn’t enthusiastic about calling Banke but the older woman insisted. Her line was switched off and Joy was grateful for the reprieve, the woman probably wouldn’t believe her.

After a while Kunle joined them as promised and he was stunned when he saw Joy’s appearance. He hugged Joy and Teniola fiercely, glad to see them again in spite of the circumstances. His lawyer had said it was alright for him to take them both with him if Banke wasn’t there but also advised him to report the matter to the police for future reference.

It was a painful experience taking Joy to the police and hearing her account of what had happened, what if George had succeeded? Mrs. William liked Kunle and was comfortable enough to leave Joy and Teniola in his care. They exchanged phone numbers and Kunle promised to keep in touch.

**********

Peace’s eyes were red with tears, even though she regretted the circumstances in which she had conceived the baby she had eventually warmed up to it. Her body ached from the surgical procedure that had to be done to evacuate the dead baby and preserve her life. Iya Ibeji whimpered beside her, angry with herself for losing her temper and causing the death of her grandchild.

Baba Ibeji came in as soon as he heard the news and when he saw his daughter his heart fell, why wasn’t his wife patient?

“Are you happy now? At least the baby is dead now so you can relax.” He said to his wife coldly.

“I didn’t mean it, I swear it is the work of my enemies. How could I have been so mean to my daughter without someone making me do it?” she cried.

“You are your own enemy. I warned you against sending Peace to that house but you insisted. You said you didn’t want your money to be in another person’s hands. Do you have money now? I told you to be patient when she got pregnant, I told you they would have no choice but to give us money when we involve the police, still you went ahead and fought with the woman and even threatened to ruin her business. Why couldn’t you just be patient? See what has happened now. Now we have to look for more money to pay the hospital bill here. You have offended this child and may God forgive you.” Iya Ibeji’s body rocked violently with tears of regret, truly she had wronged her daughter.

“I want to confess.” Peace said suddenly.

“Confess what?” her father asked curiously.

“I want to tell you who was responsible for my pregnancy.”

“Are you saying it wasn’t Ayodele?” her father asked alarmed.

“Yes, it wasn’t Ayodele. I was raped by Brother Tunji, the barber.” She proceeded to tell them the whole truth and when she was done both parents were stunned. They remained speechless for a while wondering how to deal with this revelation, no one would believe her side of the story especially since she had taken so long to tell the truth.

“You should have said something.” Her father eventually said. “We made a fool of ourselves for you, did they know?”

“No, only Ayodele did and I told him that no one would believe him if he told anyone.”

Baba Ibeji sighed. “You should have said something from the very beginning, you would have saved us all this trouble. But it’s okay, the man will surely meet his fate.”

*************

When Banke came out of her meeting and saw George’s messages she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Your maid attacked me, I’m at the hospital.

She immediately dialed his number. “Hello?”

“Babe…” George replied weakly.

“What happened, what do you mean Joy attacked you?” she asked suspiciously.

“It hap…pened so fast…”

“Where are you?”

“Regents’…”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

Banke was on her way to the hospital when she decided to check on her daughter, if Joy had attacked a full grown man what would she have done to Teniola? When she got to the gate the security officer opened the gate with remarkable speed.

“Madam you just dey come?”

“Yes, wetin happen?”

“Nawa that your boyfren no try at all.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Banke asked alarmed.

“The man wan rape her, all her clot don tear finish! Chai madam, he no try!  But I like am, na so she sef pour hot food for him back.” The man burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Banke was shocked and confused, what was so amusing to this man? “You’re not making any sense.” She said and made to drive in.

“Dem no dey, one man don come carry dem wit one woman.”

“What are you saying?” she shouted at the man.

“Dem no dey!” he shouted back.

Banke put the car in reverse and pulled out sharply startling the security man. “Yeye woman!” he shouted after her.

Banke dialed Kunle’s number as she drove furiously.

“Hello.” Kunle said coolly.

“Are they with you?” Banke asked without preamble.

“Yes they’re with me.”

“Oh!” Banke cried gratefully.

“Your boyfriend tried to rape Joy but she attacked him back. I have them back with me now and hell will freeze over before you take them away again.”

“George rape Joy? Why would he do that? She’s a kid she could have misunderstood him…”

“Yeah, her skirt was torn and her private part is sore from your boyfriend’s groping. There’s no misunderstanding here and there’s a doctor’s report to prove it.”

“Why? How could he do this…?”

“I have to go Banke, good luck with George.”

Banke felt weak with shock, why would George destroy what they had? The driver behind her honked his horn and she drove on, she had to see George.