SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 19

SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 19

 KIRA’S POV

 Kenny’s mum broke down in tears. Dad consoled her and said let’s call his friends. Who is his closest friend among those who had been in prison with him?

That would be Maxwell, Kenny’s mum said. She dialed his number and put her phone on speaker. 

Hello Max she said, I could tell they were close. Good afternoon ma’am Max responded.

How are you holding up? I’m fine ma. Please, I’ll like to ask you a personal question.

Okay, Max said. It’s about Kenny. I’m worried about the way he has been acting lately.

He is suddenly so violent and aggressive to everyone, especially Kira. Really? Max exclaimed.

He has been verbally abusing her, now he’s resorted to violence.

Please, is there anything else he went through in prison that I need to know about?

I’m a desperate mother who is worried about her son. Hmmm, Max exclaimed before going silent for a few seconds.

I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this. I can’t say this over the phone, it’s just heartbreaking and embarrassing.

Max broke down in tears. We all exchanged glances. Is it that bad Kenny’s mum asked.

It’s traumatizing, Max’s breaking voice said. Maxwell Kenny’s mum said gently what happened?

Oh! God, I don’t know how to put this. He did it for us and I feared that it’ll turn out this way.

For a week I switched off my phone. I was surprised to wake up one morning and Dad was at the door.

How did you find me? I asked.  Don’t ask me that useless question Dad responded. 

What is wrong with you? He asked. Switching off your phone, refusing to take your calls, denying your son of his father, and keeping him out of school. 

READ ALSO SEE FINISH EPISODE 10

As Max was finding it difficult to reveal what happened to Kenny I began to panic. What could it be, I wondered.

It would never go well with those police officers and prison warders. They ruined our lives when we were innocent.

Maxwell, what happened? Kenny’s mum asked again gently. Kenny was sexually abused.

Please don’t tell him I told you, but he needs help. Kenny’s mum passed out.

Mum and Dad tried to resuscitate her. Mum was a nurse and she administered CPR as Dad started the car engine.

She was taken to the hospital for better attention. I wanted to inform Kenny but Dad objected.

When she came around she said I need to see Kenny. Dad objected again.

He asked mum to look after Kenny’s mum because her husband was out of town.

Dad asked me to come with him. I went along with him. We drove to Maxwell. He was surprised to see us.

Dad said we came on our own. Kenny’s mum passed out and is in hospital as we speak. 

We can’t tell her any further thing about this issue but my daughter needs to know because it’s her husband involved and it’s affecting her.

Please, I’m begging you, what happened to Kenny. You are not helping him by withholding information.

Maxwell scratched his head and said when we were arrested and taken to prison.

They brutalized us. At some point, Kenny stood up for us. 

He accepted to be brutalized instead of all of us. I don’t know why he did it. I thought about Kira and if he didn’t make it.

We were brutalized until our families found us in prison. After that, it switched to sexual abuse, just that it was Kenny.

You know how cool he looks, he attracts so many people.

You mean men Dad asked. Yes, Max responded. We were kept together but one day a warder came and took Kenny saying a senior prison officer wanted him.

We all wondered what it was all about. Kenny came back broken. Max broke down in tears. He said Kenny wept like a child.

We all panicked wondering what happened. He didn’t tell us but became withdrawn. 

It became a common occurrence for Kenny to be taken almost every day by the senior prison officer.

It didn’t take us long to figure out what was going on. Dad was in shock but asked what was the nature of this abuse?

Isn’t it obvious Max asked? It was a fellow man sexually abusing him. I almost passed out.

Do you know the name of the prison officer? I can’t tell you who sir Max said. I’m sworn to secrecy not to spill anything.

I did this because Kenny needs help before he self-destructs. You would have to get Kenny to tell you all you need to know.

But how? Dad asked? I don’t know but I can’t tell you anything and therapy isn’t helping Kenny.

Do you mean therapy won’t help Kenny? The therapist he is seeing won’t help him if she doesn’t know about the abuse.

Probably she can get him to talk because he is not just embarrassed, he is broken.

He turned to me and said your husband needs you. He loves you. You are the reason he hasn’t self-destructed.

He doesn’t love me. anymore I responded. He broke down in tears and said you don’t know what your husband went through. 

If you did you would be shattered. As he spoke I was feeling drowsy and passed out.

READ ALSO SEE FINISH EPISODE 11

NNENNA’S POV

I hissed and flung my phone away. I lay down on the bed. Chiemerie started to cry. I looked at him and cried alongside him. We both fell asleep. 

I woke up with a throbbing headache. My father had called, my mum had called, and Dubem had called. Even Ikenna had called. 

They had sent text messages. I didn’t read any of them. The following day I didn’t send Chiemerie to school. 

I knew Dubem and Ikenna would be there. I didn’t want to see them. I wanted to deal with my issue on my own.

I began to make inquiries about apartments. I just needed to move out. Ikenna could visit Dubem not me. 

For a week I switched off my phone. I was surprised to wake up one morning and Dad was at the door.

How did you find me? I asked.  Don’t ask me that useless question Dad responded. 

What is wrong with you? He asked. Switching off your phone, refusing to take your calls, denying your son of his father, and keeping him out of school. 

As Dad yelled at me. Chiemerie woke up and screamed, Grandpa. 

He held on to him and rejected me. My child was rejecting me.

I immediately put his belongings together and handed them to Dad. 

You are not going with us, he asked. No, I responded. He put down Chiemerie and said alright I’m sorry for my approach. 

Sit down, let’s talk. I told him I was fine standing. 

He guided me to the bed and sat beside me and said tell me what is upsetting you the most. 

He cheated on me Dad with many women, not even one I sobbed as my father hugged me and petted me as I cried.

As I sniffed my dad said Nnem see eh I’m not making any excuses for Ikenna but life happens. At least he is man enough to confess. 

You didn’t catch him in the act. He could have as well started this reconciliation and pretended it didn’t happen. 

You go back to him and find out years later and you’ll be back to square one. He confessed to you on his own, let it count for something.

Crying in this hotel room tells me that you still love him. He is fighting for you and your child please while it hurts don’t halt its progress. 

What progress are you talking about? I asked amidst my tears. Dad talked about the progress of giving Chiemerie a father.

Is anyone considering my feelings? I asked. Dad said yes I am but we need to focus on Chiemerie. 

Besides, I want you back in your husband’s loving arms. What loving arms? As I rolled my eyes and walked away. 

Dad carried Chiemerie who had been yearning for his attention and asked if I was going with them.

I said I wasn’t because I needed to think.

Dad left with Chiemerie who didn’t even wave at me. Hours later I heard a knock on the door. 

I opened up and it was the devil himself Ikenna. He was on his knees. People were staring at us. 

I left the door open and walked away. He stood up, walked into the room, closed the door, and went to his knees.

He couldn’t even look at me. His head was faced down. I asked him what he wanted. He said forgiveness. 

I told him I didn’t think I could forgive him. He said he wasn’t asking for us to get back together, he just wanted to be in Chiemerie’s life. 

I told him I wasn’t stopping him. He said I’m truly sorry. I told him I didn’t care. He stood up and left.

I put my things together and checked out of the hotel. I didn’t want any more visitors. 

I spent the next week sober reflecting, wondering why life was so unfair to me. I had returned to work but I was just lost in thought. 

I stopped by the school to see my son. He was so happy asking mummy when are you coming back. 

Because of him, I went back to Dubem’s apartment. I didn’t speak to anyone.

Chiemerie turned two years old. His father with help from Dubem threw him a big birthday bash. 

It was a show stopper and the talk of the town. I just turned up for Chiemerie.

He was so happy. That was all that he wanted. He was slowly bonding with his father. 

Dubem was mad at me and I was mad at him. He felt I was unreasonable. I doubt he knew what it felt like to be cheated on.

I couldn’t remain in that house and be killed. If I never left I would have had no value. Ikenna wouldn’t be getting on his knees to beg me. 

The party was ongoing and Ikenna received a phone call. He went outside to take it. 

I followed him and someone on the phone was telling him to kidnap Chiemerie since he now trusted him.

READ ALSO SEE FINISH EPISODE 12

KEISHA’S POV

I got in his car and told him I hope you know you don’t have to do all these things to make a point. 

Leave me alone Richard said haven’t I always been generous to you? My apologies I said.

You are terrorizing me but no problem you do know my parents are alive right? 

That information shocked me even though I tried to pretend.

You are surprised right, he said. I will report you to my parents for the way you’ve been treating me. 

I just had to laugh out loud. At least I made you laugh, he said.

Since you came to work for me, you have always been so serious you never smile. 

Everything is about work, you have no time to have fun. 

Don’t blame me, I said. I had to draw lines that I couldn’t cross that is the only way I can work professionally. 

I’ll be glad if you accompany me to see my parents, Richard said. 

I didn’t wait for him to finish before I said I’m not ready for that. 

I am not going to introduce you to my parents as my wife-to-be. I’m just going to visit my parents in the city.

Do you mean you can’t accompany me to go visit my parents as my PA and PR person? 

You are very cunning. You know that right I said to Richard. 

So it’s a done deal then so let’s go. I could see the excitement on his face as we drove to see his parents. 

READ ALSO SEE FINISH EPISODE 13

I began to do the Maths in my head. If he was 55 then his parents would be nothing less than 75 or 80. 

It was such a blessing to have parents alive at that age I said to myself. I wonder what they look like. 

This family had found a way to just rope me into it, I said. We arrived at the house of his parents in the city. 

I had no idea his parents lived in the same city where he resided. 

He never talked about them so I thought they were late, just like he never mentioned having any children until I met Michael and his three daughters. 

His parents hugged him so passionately that they even pecked him on the cheek. I’ll have to admit I was jealous because I didn’t have that with my parents. 

He even chopped knuckles with his dad. You look well Dad, Richard said.

Well you look better than me his dad responded please meet Keisha Richard said. 

I made a gesture to bow to greet his father and his mother.

Good afternoon sir I said to his father, good afternoon ma I said to his mother.

You are welcome, his father said. So it’s you I’ve heard so much about. 

Excuse me! I exclaimed. His father repeated, so it’s you I’ve heard so much about?

I can see why my son likes you. You are cool, calm, and collected. 

Honestly, I thought he was going to say you look so much like his late wife and that would have been a huge turn-off. 

His mum said come here don’t mind these men who are trying to ambush you trust me I won’t let them. 

I laughed and she hugged me and said you are welcome to our home. 

Thank you for making my son happy for the first time in a long time.

I wanted to say what! but I held my peace and said this family is setting me up but it won’t work. 

I’m heading to the kitchen, his mum said I’ll be right back. I was attempting to follow her.

I knew you were coming so I already cooked. I’m just going to serve the dishes. I looked at Richard.

She knew we were coming? Wait, is this a planned visit?

Richard gave me the I don’t know what she’s talking about look. Putting his two hands up. 

Let me assist you, I insisted. You are a visitor so I won’t allow that. If you follow me I’ll be very upset.

Please relax and keep these two men company. 

I smiled and Richard left with her to the kitchen. His father smiled at me and said welcome to our home. 

I want you to relax and feel at home. First of all, I am not trying to coerce you into agreeing to marry my son. 

That is not who we are, his late wife would say the same thing if she was alive. 

My son must like you because in 15 years of his widowhood he has never mentioned to me that he wanted to get married. 

I brought it up a few times and he told me he wasn’t going to remarry. 

I was amazed when he told me he had found a wife. I asked him what had changed. He is yet to tell me till now. 

I hear you have a challenge in saying yes. Can I ask you what it is? He said. 

I said I’m 31, almost 32. He is 55. That is a 22-year age gap and it is just a little too much for me. 

My father was also older than my mother by similar age and he treated her like a servant. 

I didn’t want to be put through that. As if that’s not enough he has four children almost my age.

I’ll be a step-mum to my age-mates. It just seems somewhat awkward. 

His father said if he was a say 40 years old would you have said yes. 

I would have considered it and I would have said yes definitely. 

I promised to marry a man just 5 years older than me. 22 years is 17 years more than the age I wanted. 

It’s giving me sleepless nights, it’s making me seem like I’m heartless but the thing is it doesn’t sit well with me. 

I can understand where you are coming from. His father said I don’t blame you. It will be difficult to accept thank you for being honest. 

I hope you will let us know if you change your mind. I smile at him. 

Richard Returned with his mum with the food to serve. I tried to assist but his mum said I should sit down because I was a visitor.

I just quit trying and sat down. We ate the food as we chatted.

Richard’s mum said thank you to me for coming as well as his father. 

They asked for my phone number so they could contact me. I didn’t argue. I just gave it to them.

I knew I had my work cut out for me. Richard’s children except Micheal called often and sent me gifts.

Now his parents had my phone number. They were up to something and they were so good at it.

READ ALSO SEE FINISH EPISODE 17

To be continued

© Treasure Ezuruike.

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