??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 02??
❤❤❤❤❤❤
From U.S Bah ❤✌?
Effe stirs slowly and sits up. The
sheet falls off her. For a moment
she looks confused, and then she
looks around her and realizes
that she is still in the taxi. The
taxi driver is not in the car. She
looks at her watch and sees that
it is a few minutes past five a.m.
She opens the door and steps
outside. She sees the taxi driver
sitting on the boot of the car and
smoking.
EFFE
(wrinkling her nose with
distaste)
Is that all you do? Smoke?
The taxi driver gets down, and
Effe notices for the first time that
he has dreadlocks, and that he is
tall and surprisingly very good-
looking. He drops his cigarette
and steps on it.
TAXI DRIVER
You be okay now? I go fit lef?
Effe looks around. The city is just
waking up. Some cars are
pas-sing, and some cleaners are
already sweeping the streets.
Suddenly a look of intense pain
crosses her face as she recollects
her husband making pas-sionate
love to her cousin.
EFFE
I left my car at the hospital.
TAXI DRIVER
You wan make I take you back to
the hospital, madam?
EFFE
(shaking her head vigorously)
No, no. Please can you take me to
Dzorwulu?
TAXI DRIVER
No fears. Make we go.
He gets into the car. Effe sits in
the back again and begins to fold
the sheet he covered her with. He
starts the car and moves into the
street.
EFFE
(in a very soft voice)
Thank you.
He looks into the driving mirror
at her.
TAXI DRIVER
W-etin?
EFFE
I said thank you. I fell asleep, and
obviously you stayed with me.
You covered me with a cloth. You
didn’t try to take advantage of a
helpless girl. I denied you the
comfort of your bed, and maybe
put you in trouble with your
girlfriend or wife. I’m sorry, and I
thank you very much.
TAXI DRIVER
Ebe cool. No fears.
They drive along in silence for a
while. Effe leans back and closes
her eyes, but immediately she
sees the awful picture of her
husband and cousin together
and so she sits forward and tries
ha-rd not to cry again.
EFFE
I’m Effe Kedem Hollison.
TAXI DRIVER
W-etin?
EFFE
(in exasperation)
Oh, would you please stop that?
TAXI DRIVER
(confused)
W-etin?
Effe chuckles and shakes her
head in spite of herself.
EFFE
I said my name is Effe.
TAXI DRIVER
Oh, you be Ewe chick.
EFFE
You’re impossible, and definitely
uncouth. What has my tribe got
to do with me introducing
myself?
TAXI DRIVER
Abeg, reduce English small. W-etin
dat? I just mean I no make
surprised you be Ewe woman
because of how fair you be, and
how beautiful you be, Madam.
Anyway, my name be Chris. Chris
Bawa. My paddies dey call me
Darling Boy. You go fit call me
Darling, I no go mind.
Effe laughs this time, although
very briefly, and shakes her head.
EFFE
Pleased to meet you, Chris.
Soon they arrive at a plush
residential area at Dzorwulu. Effe
directs him to park in front of a
beautiful house with silver and
gold gates. She gets down and
leans throu-ghthe pas-senger
window.
EFFE
Wait here, Chris. I’ll go inside and
bring you some money.
CHRIS
No fears, Madam. I dey for you.
Effe rounds the car, and she sees
for the first time what is written
at the back windshield of the
taxi. It is in stylish yellow writing:
DARLING BOY.
She shakes her head and walks
to the gates and rings the
doorbell. A hu-ge dog begins to
bark immediately. The small gate
at the side of the main gates
opens, and a security man looks
at her and smiles warmly.
SECURITY GUARD
Ei Madam Effe! Welcome!
Effe nods at him and enters, but
suddenly she begins to run
because tears are flooding her
again. She runs up a beautiful
driveway, past the parked cars,
up a beautiful patio and straight
at the ornate doors.
The door flies open and her
mother, Mrs. IVY KEDEM, comes
out. She is still in her nightdress,
her hair covered. She is still a
strikingly beautiful woman.
MADAM IVY
(with great concern)
Effe, my darling, my sweet!
What’s wrong? Why are you here
this early?
Everything okay with Steve?
Effe’s tears fall in torrents now.
She throws herself into her
mother’s arms.
EFFE
(crying uncontrollably)
Mom! Oh, Mom! My heart! I’m
dying!
MADAM IVY
(scared and frantic)
Come on, my Pearl! Stop scaring
me!
What is it?
A calm voice speaks from the
door. It belongs to Mr. KEN KEDEM,
63, Effe’s father. He is of medium
build, and a handsome
distinguished gentleman.
KEN KEDEM
(calmly)
Let her come inside first, Ivy.
The two women enter the plush
living-room of the Kedems.
Madam Ivy gently helps Effe to sit
down.
MADAM IVY
Effe. I thought you were in
Takoradi attending a seminar,
and you were supposed to come
back this weekend. What
happened?
Mr. Kedem sits down besides his
daughter. He slowly takes Effe
into his arms and pats her back
gently.
KEN KEDEM
Stop crying, my Sweet Apple!
What is it?
Why is your heart so broken?
EFFE
(holding unto her father ti-ghtly)
I lied that I would come back on
Saturday. I wanted to surprise
Steve. He was not expecting me
until today. I went straight to his
office yesterday to surprises
him…and… and… I found him in
the office with Elaine. They were
making love, Mama!
KEN KEDEM
(in de-ep shock)
Elaine?
MADAM IVY
(shaking so badly that she sits
down)
You don’t mean Elaine Boateng,
my own sister’s child, do you?
EFFE
Yes, Mama! My own cousin
Elaine! Steve has been cheating
on me with my own sister!
KEN KEDEM
(in a very angry voice)
That’s utterly ridiculous and
simply too dastardly to even
imagine! Elaine is pregnant, for
Heaven’s sake! She is what, nine
months pregnant? She is
practically going to give birth any
day now! What is he doing with
an ugly pregnant girl like Elaine?
Are you sure you saw clearly, my
dear?
The two women look at each
other, and then Effe begins to
tremble ha-rd. Her whole
expression is one of acute shock
and pain.
EFFE
(holding her stomach now and
crying silently but with great
pain)
Oh no, no, no, noooooo! Oh,
Steve, please, please, please,
pleeeeeaaas-sse!
Oh, Lorrrrd!
KEN KEDEM
(looking alarmed)
Stop this, please, Sweetheart! Did
I say something wrong?
MADAM IVY
(looking very shocked)
Effe and Steve have been married
for ten years!
KEN KEDEM
(shaking his head in confusion)
And so?
MADAM IVY
(tears in her eyes now)
Effe and Steve don’t have any
children. I know Steve’s mother
has been pressuring both Effe
and Steve to have babies. You
may not know this but Effe has
even tried artificial insemination,
but it didn’t work. Elaine has
been living with them for two
years now, ever since Steve
employed her as a nurse at the
hospital. Elaine is now pregnant,
and she has never told anybody
who made her pregnant.
Mr. Kedem’s eyes open wide with
shock. He looks at Effe’s bent
head and pain crosses his face.
KEN KEDEM
Oh no! Dear Lord no! You think
Steve impregnated Elaine? Effe’s
cousin?
MADAM IVY
(voice very sad)
What cousin? They’re sisters, Ken.
The b—–d! That heartless b—–d!
I didn’t expect him to stoop this
low!
KEN KEDEM
Oh, my God!
Effe is on the floor now, weeping
uncontrollably, her heart broken.
Mr. Kedem sits down besides his
daughter, and without another
word he pulls Effe into his arms.
Effe holds her father ti-ghtly and
cries her heart out.
Madam Ivy is shaking, and she
sits and watches her daughter’s
agony helplessly. Effe cries until
no more tears flow, and then she
sits still. Her father pas-ses her a
box of tissues. Her eyes are
swollen and very red.
She blows her nose, and then
suddenly she jumps to her feet.
EFFE
Oh, no! Daddy, your wallet,
please!
KEN KEDEM
My wallet? What for? There, on
the glas-s table.
Effe takes her father’s wallet and
opens it. She pulls out some fifty
Ghana cedi notes and runs
outside. The taxi is not there.
Chris is gone. She looks up and
down the street. He is nowhere
in sight. She sighs de-eply, turns
and sadly goes back into the
house.
??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 03??
❤❤❤❤❤❤
From U.S Bah ❤✌?
It is two o’clock in the morning.
Effe is in her old room in her
parents’ house. She has not slept
the whole night. Her pain is very
great indeed. The television is still
on, showing a serial on
Telenovela channel.
On the floor is an empty wine
bottle and a slim tumbler with a
residue of wine inside, a clear
indication that she had drank a
full bottle of wine during the
night. She gets up from the floor
and enters the bathroom. She
surveys her face in the mirror.
Her eyes are puffy from all the
crying.
She brushes her teeth and takes
a cold shower. She swallows two
Panadol tablets to ease her acute
headache. She sli-ps into her
warm bathrobe, wraps a towel
around her hair and returns to
her room. She stops dead in her
tracks when she sees Steve
sitting on her bed. He is dressed
in crumpled black trousers,
stained white shirt and black
shoes. His tie is around his ne-ck,
untied, and his eyes look
bloodshot. It is evident that he
has not slept too.
Effe leans against the doorjamb.
Steve gets up from the bed and
approaches her. His face is
pained, and tears glisten on his
lashes. He holds out his arms to
hold her.
EFFE
(softly) Don’t, Steve, please!
STEVE
(his voice trembling) Oh, Honey!
I’m so sorry! I never meant this
to happen! I never meant to hurt
you this way! Please, please
forgive me, Honey!
Steve’s legs suddenly collap-se
and he falls on his knees. He
wraps his arms around Effe’s
legs and begins to cry ha-rd.
STEVE
Oh Honey! Please, please, please!
I’m so sorry, honey! Please
forgive me!
Silent tears fall down Fffe’s
cheeks. She disengages herself
from Steve’s emBr@ce and walks
slowly to the center of the room.
She wipes tears from her eyes
and turns to face him as he gets
to his feet.
EFFE
I guess you haven’t been home
yet.
STEVE
I went home, expecting you to
be there, but you didn’t show up,
Honey. Called you all night long
but you never picked my calls.
EFFE
My phone is in my bag in my car.
I left my car at the parking lot at
the hospital.
STEVE
(his voice dropping into a sob)
Oh, my love! I’ve really hurt you. I
went all the way to Tema, to your
sister’s place in case you went
there. I didn’t expect you to come
to your parents. Your sister called
your father, and he said you
were here, so I came. Your father
told me you were in your room.
His expression told me you have
told them everything.
EFFE
Yes, I did. I nee-ded to tell
somebody, otherwise I would’ve
gone mad by now, Steve, from
the shock and pain you gave me.
He comes toward, his face more
pained than ever, his arms wide
to take her in his arms.
STEVE
(in a hurt voice) Oh Ef, Ef, Ef!
Never meant to make you go
throu-ghthis. Never meant to
hurt you like this, Honey! Please
forgive me!
Effe steps away from him. She
walks to stand beside the
television. He turns and see tears
streaming down her face, and
the pain on her face is more than
he can bear.
EFFE
(her voice soft and full of pain)
Ten years of marriage, Steve. I
never had any reason to doubt
you. You have been the epitome
of a good husband. The kind of
man any woman would wish for
a husband. I go for a seminar
and came back early to give you
a sweet surprise, and see you
making love to my own cousin, a
woman who is closer to me even
than my own sister! Are you the
father of the baby she’s carrying?
STEVE
(looking ashamed) Honey-
EFFE
(shouting and tossing her head)
DON’T YOU HONEY ME! ARE YOU
THE FATHER OF ELAINE’S BABY???
Steve bites his lower li-p and sits
down wearily on the bed. He
runs his left hand across his face
and throu-ghhis hair, and then
bows his head and begins to
weep uncontrollably.
STEVE
(speaking throu-ghhis tears) Yes,
Honey! Elaine’s baby is mine.
Effe shakes as if she has received
a physical blow. Her legs shake
and she sinks to the floor. She
M0-ns as her own tears flow
again.
EFFE
Oh, Steve! How could you hurt
me like this? I know you wanted
kids! I’ve been trying to get
pregnant for you, Steve! I’ve
done everything! I came to your
bed a V¡rgin, and I’ve known no
other man! Is this how you repay
me? Impregnating my own
sister? Ahhh Steve!
Steve shoots off the bed and
rushes at her. He falls down on
his knees in front of her and
clasps his hands in front of her.
STEVE
Honey, I’ve wronged you, I’ve
hurt you. You’ve been an angel,
and you don’t deserve this. I’ve
messed up, I’ve been a fool, a
demon! Oh, Effe, please forgive
me!
Please, please, please, honey!
EFFE
You deserve an Oscar, Steve!
When Elaine completed nursing
school and I wanted her to come
and stay with us and begged you
to give her a job at Eden Hospital
because you are the CEO, you
were set against it! I’ve always
felt guilty about pushing her on
you, because you ba-rely looked
at her! Even at home you never
even speak to her. To all intents
and purposes, you practically
hated her! What a fool I’ve been!
It was all an act! You Se-duced
and slept with her! She’s in her
ninth month, isn’t she? Have you
been sleeping with her for all
these two years she’s been with
us?
STEVE
(slamming his fist repeatedly on
the carpeted floor)
No, no, no! Effe, don’t make me
into some sort of monster! I’m
not a monster! I adore you, and I
love you more than I’d ever love
any other woman! I’ll always love
you! You don’t un-derstand what
happened!
EFFE
(shouting) THEN MAKE ME
un-derSTAND, STEVE!!! I’M DYING
HERE! MAKE ME un-derSTAND!!!
Steve suddenly grabs Effe by the
shoulders. His grip is ha-rd, and
his pained face is earnest.
STEVE
Yes, I’ll tell you the truth! It would
make you hate me even more,
but at least there would be no
more lies in my heart, no more
skeletons in my closest! Because,
above all things, I want you to
forgive me, and take me back
into your heart on a clean sheet,
my precious darling!
Effe knocks Steve’s hands off her
shoulders and stands up. She
rips off the towel around her
hair and wipes her face. She
leans against the wall.
EFFE
(in a tiny lost voice)
Thrill me, Steve, my DEAR
husband!
Steve stands up and faces her.
His face is haggard and puffy too.
STEVE
(gives a long forlorn sigh)
I had a reason for not being
happy when you asked me to let
Elaine come and stay with us,
and to give her a job after her
graduation from nursing school.
You know why? I’ll tell you why…I
knew she was trouble! Ten years
ago, on our wedding day, you
remember we spent a long time
at the reception. We got to the
hotel quite late, and you fell
asleep almost immediately when
you fell on the bed. Elaine was
the one who manned the Gift
Table, remember?
EFFE
(so shocked she could ba-rely
speak)
Are you telling me you slept with
her on OUR wedding night? Jeez,
Steve, she was what… only
fifteen, sixteen years then???
STEVE
(almost weeping again)
No, d–n it, give me some d–n
credit, Honey! She came to our
room with the cash and cheques
donated. You were asleep in your
wedding gown. I was in the
bathroom urinating when she
entered behind me. She sli-pped
her arms around my wai-st and
took hold of my manhood! I
swear I thought it was you! Then
she giggled and said she was
h—y seeing me in my suit, and
asked if I wanted a boost…that
was exactly what she said, a
BOOST! I was so shocked I
couldn’t move for a moment, but
when she began to Ca-ress my
d–k, I pushed her away and
came back to the room, really
shaken up because all along I
had thought she was just a kid,
an innocent child. D–n it, she was
just sixteen years old then! She
came back to the room, winked
at me, and left. Sincerely, I didn’t
like her after that, because I
knew she was trouble!
EFFE
(putting trembling fingers to her
li-ps)
Trouble that you couldn’t stay
away from! Trouble that you had
to follow throu-gh! Why the hell
didn’t you tell me about that,
Steve?
STEVE
I didn’t want any family feuds, no
family splits! That girl was more
of a sister to you than even
Eyram! You trusted her, and I
didn’t wanna mess that up, quite
stupid of me, I should add.
Almost a year ago you went to
Australia, remember?
Effe shuts her eyes, and nods,
and pain crosses her face
instantly.
EFFE
(in a whisper)
Yes, the Sydney Conference, for
Surgeons. I was gone for a week.
That was when it happened,
wasn’t it?
Steve turns away from her and
walks aimlessly to the center of
the room. Once again he ru-bs his
hand across his face and sighs
heavily.
STEVE
Yes, I went out one night, to
Harold’s bachelor bash. Got quite
drunk. Elaine and I were alone in
the house. Your monthlies had
not shown for a week before
you left, way past the expected
time, and I guess you and I were
both hoping that you could be
pregnant, finally, and we were so
excited. You called me that night,
when I was still at Harold’s place,
and you were quite distraught,
because your menses was
flowing. I guess I was
disappointed and very sad that
night.
EFFE
(sadly)
You didn’t sound disappointed.
You consoled me on the phone!
You gave me the strength to
carry on.
STEVE
(in great distress)
What else could I do, my love, as
a loving husband? I got drunk,
and when I got home Elaine
opened the gates for me, I
parked in the garage, and when I
entered the living-room she was
standing there, quite Na-led. I
was drunk, I was sad, I was
stupid! There’s no excuse for
what happened, Honey!
Effe closes her eyes ti-ghtly, but
still the tears of hurt drip down
her cheeks.
EFFE
Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I can’t
take this! And it began from
then?
STEVE
(his voice really sad and full of
remorse) No, Precious! I was
sorry for what happened, for
allowing her to Se-duce me that
night, for soiling my marriage
bed! I told her not to come near
me ever again. The following day
I had to chair the conference at
Akosombo, and so I left. When I
came back a week later you were
back, and I pretended that
everything was okay. A month
later she entered my office, said
she missed her period. She was
pregnant!
EFFE
(sobbing heartbreakingly now)
And you were elated, weren’t
you? Finally you had an heir,
something I couldn’t give you
because, to all intents and
purposes, I’m barren! Your
mother had been giving us hell
because you were an only child,
and she nee-ded a grandchild!
Your father had been giving me
hell because he nee-ded a male
grandchild to carry on your
name! And so you were so happy
Elaine told you she was pregnant
that you decided to keep it a
secret, even if it would hurt me!
Steve comes to her and falls to
his knees. He reaches up and
takes her hands.
STEVE
My love, no! I wanted her to get
an ab-ortion! I was so disgusted
with myself! I couldn’t look in the
mirror because I hated myself! I
never wanted to hurt you! I told
her no! But she went to my
parents and confessed! My Mom
called me saying she had
something important to discuss
with me. When I went there
Elaine was sitting with them.
They were so delighted. The
arrangement was that you would
not know. Elaine would give birth
and the child would stay with my
folks!
EFFE
(sobbing and wrenching her
hands from his grip)
HOW ON EARTH WOULDN’T I
KNOW? DID YOU THINK YOU
COULD KEEP SUCH A DASTARDLY
ACT A SECRET FOREVER??
STEVE
(quite anxious and scared)
Forgive me, Honey! Oh, please
forgive me! I never meant to hurt
you, Effe!
EFFE
And ever since your Mom spoke
to you, the two of you have been
sleeping together, haven’t you,
Steve?
He remains on his knees. He can’t
asnwer. He begins to sob.
EFFE
Answer me, Steve, DEAREST
husband!! You have been
sleeping together, haven’t you?
Constantly??? Just like I saw you
in the office, making love to her?
He still remains silent. Effe walks
to him, and speaks softly.
EFFE
Have you been making love to
her in our bed, Steve? I want you
to answer that please, honestly!
Steve turns to her, and his
anguished face is awash with
tears.
STEVE
Please, Ef, my Precious! Let’s walk
past this darkness! We can
resolve this, Precious! I don’t
want to lose you!
EFFE
(wiping tears from her eyes)
Have you been making love to
her on our bed?
Steve hangs his head in shame
and gives a small nod.
STEVE
Sometimes, yes, my love.
Effe gasps. Her heart is tearing
apart. She finds it difficult
breathing.
EFFE
Look at your finger, Steve, dear
husband! You are not wearing
the ring I put on your finger at
our wedding, after we
exchanged vows. You have taken
it off! Where is your wedding
ring, Steve? WHERE’S YOUR D–N
WEDDING RING???
Steve holds up his hands. Tears
drop on his ring finger which
shows a white outline where his
wedding ring has been.
STEVE
(trembling with the depths of his
tears)
Elaine, my dear! She doesn’t want
to see me wearing my wedding
ring whenever we’re together.
EFFE
(in a choked voice)
You mean when you’re making
love to her! You d–n hypocrite,
Steve! Get out! GET OUT NOW! I
DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU
AGAIN!!!
Steve gets to his feet, and tries
desperately to hold her. She
screams and pummels his che-st
with her fists. Tears drown her
as she shouts and frees herself
from his emBr@ce. She throws
the door open and flees down
the staircase. Her parents are in
the living-room. They stand up as
Steve stumbles down the stairs
after her.
STEVE
Effe! Please don’t do this! I don’t
wanna lose you!!!
Mrs. Ivy Kedem reaches out for
Effe. Effe holds her mother ti-ghtly
and begins to cry. Mr. Ken Kedem
meets Steve at the foot of the
staircase and blocks his path as
he tries to reach Effe.
EFFE
(her face buried in her Mom’s
che-st)
Let him go, Daddy! Get him out of
here! I don’t want to see him! Oh
Lord! This pain is too much! I’m
dying, Mommy!!
Ivy brushes her daughter’s hair
with her hands and holds her
ti-ghtly.
MADAM IVY
It’s okay, my dear girl, my darling!
You’re going to be fine!
Steve tries to move past Mr.
Kedem, but the man blocks him
again.
KEN KEDEM
That’s enough, boy! Let her be
for now. She’s distraught. She
nee-ds her mother. You should
come back when she’s a bit calm.
STEVE
(in a plaintive voice)
Please, Daddy, please! Let us…
EFFE
(screaming)
GET THE HELL OUT!!!
STEVE
My Princess…
MADAM IVY
(harshly)
Just go, Steve, just go! Give her
space to breathe!
Steve hesitates a moment. His
face is tortured. He sighs de-eply
and his tears blind him.
STEVE
I’m sorry, Effe, darling. Please find
it in your heart to forgive me! I
wish you would come back
home, honey, and let me show
you how really sorry I am.
Mr. Kedem takes Steve’s arm and
leads him out of the room. Slowly
Madam Ivy guides Effe to a settee
and helps her sit down, but still
holds her as Effe cries her heart
out.
To be continued..