??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 15??
❤❤❤❤❤❤
From U.S Bah ❤✌?
They are having a family dinner.
Madam Ivy has whipped up a most
sumptuous palava sauce with goat
meat and boiled yam.
Ken Kedem says the prayer, and when
they begin to eat it is just like old times.
Eyram, relieved and obviously happy, is
perhaps enjoying dinner more than
anybody else.
Effe is moody and avoids eye contact
with her mother.
Afterwards the sisters clear the table and
wash up whilst their parents sit in the hall
and watch a Telenovela with Mr. Kedem
holding his grandson.
With the utensils cleaned and stashed
Eyram goes to the hall to b—-t-feed and
Effe begins to climb the stairs to her
room.
KEN KEDEM
My Princess, a moment, please.
Effe looks uncertain for a moment, and
then she goes and sits beside her father.
Junior stops b—-t-feeding and stretches
his tiny arms out to Effe and kicks his
little legs ha-rd in apparent agitation.
EYRAM
(laughing)
I hate it when he does that. Almost like
his fool of a father!
Effe smiles and takes the baby and
ki-sses his cheeks tenderly, and the tot
giggles.
KEN KEDEM
I think we nee-d to talk, people. It’s not
every day that sisters’ marriages break
down at the same time.
EYRAM
For very different reasons, Daddy.
Two men, two friends, both as-s-holes!
KEN KEDEM
(sharply)
I’m still not tolerating that kind of
language in my house, lady!
EYRAM
(making a zi-pping gesture on her li-ps)
Sorry, Daddy.
KEN KEDEM
Right. I must first apologize to you,
Eyram. I didn’t know you were going
throu-ghso much pain in your marriage,
and putting up with the cruelty of your
husband because of your fear of what he
might do to me and my Company. I am
very sorry. Please, accept my apologies
and gratitude. I don’t subscribe to
divorces. This dawn Jonathan called me.
He’s contrite, and he’s sorry, and he
wants you back. I think what that boy
Chris did to him has brou-ght his mind
home. Now-
EYRAM
(cutting in firmly) Daddy, no.
He CAN’T change. And
moreover, I don’t love him anymore.
KEN KEDEM
(holding up a finger)
I know, but nobody has a perfect
marriage. He was a beast, yes, and
acted irresponsibly because he thought he had
you on a leash. Now his power has been
taken away, and maybe he would turn a
new leaf. You have to give him a second
chance.
EYRAM
(grimacing)
He can’t change, Daddy. His evil is not
restricted to beating me up alone. There
are… other things, other bad things. I
don’t trust him, and I’m not going to ever
feel safe with him again.
KEN KEDEM
(sighing)
I can’t for-ce you, dear. You’re always
welcome home. But take some days off
to think this throu-gh. Take a week,
maybe two,
and if at the end of that you still feel this way,
we would all support you, okay?
Eyram nods, stands up and ki-sses her
father’s cheek.
EYRAM
Fair enough, Dad.
KEN KEDEM
Now. Ivy, I think you really surprised us
yesterday over your reaction to Chris.
Surprising because it’s the first time
you’ve shown open hostility to the friends
of your daughters.
I didn’t want us to discuss it
yesterday because tensions
were running high. What happened,
dear? Effe has been very hurt since then.
She’s going throu-gha very bad time, but
it seems this boy gives her the right kind
of shoulder to lay her head.
What happened, Ivy?
Madam Ivy looks at Effe as she speaks.
MADAM IVY
I’m sorry, baby girl. I was out of line
speaking so directly to Chris that way. I
should’ve waited and had a motherly chat with you.
You have to forgive me.
But I was overwhelmed, dear. Maybe it is
my failure to control your affairs,
especially your love lives, as you girls
were growing up, that has resulted in
such bad marriages for you.
I just saw that boy and he looked like a player to
me. The kind of man that would sleep
with you and leave you. My motherly
instincts came to the fore, and all I could
think of was to protect you.
Effe looks at her mother with a
bit of confusion on her face.
EFFE
(voice hurt)
Surely, Mama, you must know me by now.
I usually don’t do rash things. I know I’m
hurting, but that wouldn’t push me to lic-k
the feet of the first man available. Your
reaction to Chris really hurt me
yesterday. I like him, Mama.
MADAM IVY
(her voice earnest)
Dear Princess, that’s my fear!
You’ve had your Degree, your Masters,
your Doctorate, and how many other
certificates? Uncountable! You’re
brilliant, and you have a wonderful future
ahead of you, time to meet more people,
more suitors. That boy is a taxi driver!
KEN KEDEM
Good grief, Ivy! I can’t believe you! When
I met you, I was unemployed!
MADAM IVY
But you had a certificate, dearest. You
were educated!
EYRAM
Mama! Look at what our educated
husbands are doing to us! I’ll marry an
illiterate who would make me happy and
who would be committed to me, as long
as we can earn enough to live on,
and to care for our children! Chris is so
handsome, and I don’t believe he’s
illiterate. And even if he is, Effe makes
enough money. He could go back to
school!
EFFE
(still sounding hurt)
I don’t even know why you are behaving
like this, Mama. I never said Chris and I
are headed anywhere. He’s a friend. I
can choose my friends, can’t I, Mama?
Madam Ivy stands up and sits beside Effe.
She takes her daughter’s hands and
speaks tenderly and earnestly.
MADAM IVY
Don’t say just friends, Effe. Why do you
think I was scared? I saw the way you
two looked at each other, and I was so scared.
That boy is in love with you.
EFFE
(softly)
Wow, Mama! You saw all that? We’re
just friends.
KEN KEDEM
(smiling broadly)
Naaah, Princess. That boy loves you. I
don’t have any complaints about him. He
did for me in ten minutes what none of
your husbands could do in ten years!
Effe looks at her father, exasperated.
She looks at Eyram, who smiles
mischievously at her.
EYRAM
He looks at you as if he wants to devour
you. Love and lust were just drooling out
of his face.
MADAM IVY
That’s what I saw. Forgive me, baby girl,
for being so direct and gross. I was just
worried for you.
EFFE
Trust me, Mama. I’ll be fine.
She gets up, and hands Junior back to
Eyram. They all look at her, at the warm
glow on her cheeks and the dancing
lights in her eyes. She climbs the stairs
with quick steps.
EYRAM
(softly)
Oh-ohh! I think some lady is feeling love
bugs!
Madam Ivy’s jaw sets ha-rd and angrily.
Back in her room Effe undresses slowly.
She runs a warm bath,
puts fragrances and liquid soaps in and sli-ps in.
She lets the sweet scent as-sail her, leans
back in the soapy water, and closes her
eyes.
She sighs de-eply. From time to time she
looks at the phone lying on a special cli-pper
on a side table beside the bath.
She feels the happy bubble lying
somewhere de-ep in her.
She hears her family… HE LOVES YOU,
HE LOVES YOU!
She feels like a teenager all over again.
That special feeling of love, the secret
looks, the sweet letters, the gentle
touches.
She has felt them only with Steve, but
this has a bit more rush, a strange power
that both exhilarates and scares her.
The phone rings, and even with her eyes
closed she smiles and sighs with
happiness. She has given him a special
tone just that afternoon.
She gets up, leans over the bath and
picks the phone.
She dries her hands and picks the call,
and puts it on speaker.
EFFE
(softly, mischievously)
Darling Boy.
Chris laughs. It is a slow, de-ep laugh, and
she imagines the dimples creasing his cheeks.
CHRIS
You said you would never use my
nickname, Precious.
EFFE
(laughing gently) Just teasing you,
Mr. Jackie Chan.
He laughs again.
CHRIS
I can’t sleep. I miss you.
She is quiet for a very long time. When
she speaks her voice is very soft and sentimental.
EFFE
My Mama is right about you, Mr. Chris
Bawa. You’re a very dangerous boy.
Can’t sleep too. I miss you too, Taxi
Driver.
CHRIS
(chuckling)
Your Mama still hates me?
EFFE
I think she’s okay now.
CHRIS
I’m glad. What are you doing now?
Sleeping?
EFFE
(a demure look on her face)
No. Taking a bath.
CHRIS
Ah.
EFFE
(smiling)
What do you mean ‘ah’?
CHRIS
(very softly) Don’t do that, Effe. Please.
She un-derstands. She imagines him
looking serious. She knows it is a serious
moment.
EFFE
Will I see you tomorrow?
He is quiet for a long time.
CHRIS
There’s something I gotta do, Effe. In the
morning. When I finish, I’ll call you. Good
night, Precious. Sleep well.
Effe’s heart beats fast with sudden fear.
She suddenly knows, de-ep down, that
something bad is going on, that Chris
might be in danger.
She calls his number, but it is switched
off. Suddenly it dawns on her that she
has not bothered to find out where he lives.
She knows de-ep down, with the instincts
of love, that whatever Chris is going to do
in the morning could be dangerous, and
she has to be there.
But where is he going to? What is he going to do?
Why does she feel this
great sense of danger?
There is only one place she knows of
where he has been in danger.
Elm’s Bar.
She baths quickly and puts on her nightie.
She cannot sleep. She feels her fear
escalating with each pas-sing minute. She
tries to tell herself that she is
overreacting. Maybe he has to go and
see Mrs. Ayeh.
There are a thousand things he could be doing.
She does not know that much about him.
Maybe he has other commitments.
But she still cannot rid herself of the fear,
of the panic that has gripped her heart
for him, the feeling that he is in danger.
EFFE
D–n you, Chris! You promised me no
more gambling!
To be Continued..