??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 25??
❤❤❤❤❤❤
From U.S Bah ❤✌?
Effe turns on her side restlessly and her
eyes fall on the bedside clock.
It is 5.00 a.m.
It occurs to her that she nee-ds to leave
her parents’ house very soon.
They had been a great help during her
ordeal, but she feels it is now time to
cope on her own.
Already the crippling pain Steve had
given her is almost a dull ache now.
She can choose to live in the furnished
apartment she owns, or the house she
has along the Labadi Beach.
Her phone rings suddenly and her heart
skips a beat. Who is calling her that
early? It is not Chris,
because he has a special tone,
and for a moment she looks
at the phone crossly.
How she wishes he will call, just call. She
sighs, picks up the phone, and glances at
the screen.
Steve’s smiling face is filling her screen.
It is strange, but she can’t remember
when she changed the special ring tone
she had for Steve and replaced it with
the default ring tone.
Why is he calling her this early?
She drops the phone on the table
and wonders how his call would have made
her jump with elation only a few days
ago.
But not now! A lot has happened the last
days.
The phone continues to ring,
and she continues to ignore it.
Finally he stops calling.
Effe turns on her back and picks the
phone. She opens up her call log and
dials Chris’ number.
His phone is switched off.
Suddenly an uneasy fear grips her heart.
Has she driven him away? Is that it? Is
she not going to see him again?
The thought of that possibility fills her
heart with sudden pain. She sighs
miserably.
EFFE
(in a whisper)
Chris. Please. Don’t do this!
There is a knock on her door.
She never locks her bedroom door when
she is home, and so she waits.
The door opens, and
her mother pokes her head in.
MADAM IVY
Steve is here, Sweetheart. In the hall.
Effe bolts upright, scowling, her face
confused.
EFFE
Steve? Here? This early? Why?
Her mother shakes her head and raises
her eyebrows.
MADAM IVY
I don’t know, love. The security man
opened the gates for him.
And he kept ringing the doorbell
till your sister opened
the door. You better come and see him.
Effe gets out of bed, still confused. She
marvels at how she is feeling a little bit
irritated. Just a few days ago she would
have jumped at the news that
the love of her life is in her home, looking for her.
Not now, though. This dawn, she is not
happy about that news.
She gets up from bed and takes off her
s-×y negligée.
She steps into jeans and blouse,
brushes her teeth and combs her hair.
She sli-ps her delicate feet into a pair of
feather-topped sli-ppers and goes
downstairs.
Steve is dressed in a most excellently-cut
blue-black suit,
with a sparkling white shirt and sky dark blue tie.
He is standing at the foot of the steps
looking up at Effe.
The moment she sees him she is
reminded of the day of their wedding. He
had been in the same attire.
She stops three steps up and looks at
him with her hand on the balustrade.
He looks up at her, and he smiles sadly
and holds out a hand to her.
STEVE
You look more beautiful every day, Honey.
EFFE
(puzzled)
You came here dressed like you’ve just
won a presidential election just to tell me
I’m beautiful, Steve Hollison?
A very painful expression crosses his
face, so profound that for one terrible
moment she is scared he is going to cry.
He shakes his head numbly.
STEVE
You have forgotten, haven’t you?
EFFE
Forgotten what, Steve?
STEVE
Jesus! I can’t believe this! Did you ever
love me, Effe?
Effe leans against the balustrade and
crosses her arms un-der her br£-$ts and
regards him with very confused eyes.
EFFE
What’s wrong, Steve? Are you alright?
Why don’t you just tell me whatever you
so evidently want me to remember?
STEVE
I’m not bloody okay! Today is our damn
eleventh anniversary! You always got
mad when I forgot it! You even set a
damn alarm for me so that I’ll always
remember!
And you’re telling me you’ve forgotten
the day we got married? Just like that?
Effe laughs softly because she is sure
she will go mad if she doesn’t laugh.
She brushes her hair angrily from her
face and looks at him with eyes
suddenly ha-rd with unbridled anger.
EFFE
Who do you think you are, Steve? You
still want me to remember our wedding
anniversary after you impregnated my
sister, divorced me and married her?
Who do you think you are, Mr. Steve
Hollison? You must think you’re
Superman, the best man God ever
created, too handsome for this world, too
special for women! You must feel you
have to be worshipped,
a Steve God whose fart is perfumed!
You must be very special indeed,
and I must bow and kneel
in your divine presence!
Steve climbs the steps and stands before
her. His face is screwed up with pain, and
she notices that he is trembling with emotion.
STEVE
(voice trembling)
I’m so sorry, Honey! I’ve hurt you beyond
human comprehension. The stress of
childlessness, the pressure of impatient parents,
the taunts of friends… I’m not
making excuses, Effe, but those things
does get to a man. I messed up big time,
and I killed your soul in the process! But I
never meant things to go this far! Elaine
threatened to take the baby away
if I didn’t marry her! I just wanted this to be a
mere formality. As soon as she gives birth
and the child is legally recognized as
mine I’m gonna leave her!
Effe feels her fury mounting
uncontrollably.
For one horrible moment she
almost reaches for his eyes with her
nails.
EFFE
Leave her? Are you saying you’re gonna
leave Elaine for me after she gives birth?
Is that what you’re saying?
STEVE
(plaintively)
Yes, yes! I love you, honey! I’ve never
stopped loving you! I’ll never stop loving
you!
EFFE
(contemptuously)
Hm, I see. I’ve heard of a game called
Musical Chairs. Seems to me you want to
redefine it and rename it Changing
Sisters! You’re pathetic, Steve!
Steve grabs her arms ti-ghtly,
his face suddenly filled with emotion and
engorged with the crippling love he still
feels for her.
STEVE
(speaking throu-ghclenched teeth,
absolutely emotional)
I love you, Effe! I’m sorry, Effe! This day
is our special day! It’ll always be our
special day! Our anniversary, and I don’t
want us to fight. I came to take you to hill,
our love hill, and watch the sunrise
together like we used to!
I went throu-ghan awful lot to get here this morning. I
had to even leave my car because Elaine
took it because she remembers what day
today is. I don’t wanna be alone today. I
wanna spend it with you, my love! Please
don’t push me away!
Effe tries unsuccessfully to disengage
her arms from his. She is feeling
suffocated all of a sudden and just wants
to be away from him.
EFFE
Let me go, Steve! You’re hurting me!
I’m not going anywhere with you!
Steve transfers his arms to her wai-st,
holds her ti-ghtly, and clamps his li-ps to
hers. For a moment she is shocked and
lost.
His li-ps rove hers, and brings back
memories of fonder days, of loving days,
of sweeter days!
For a moment she relaxes in his arms,
feeling his anguish as his tears suddenly
flood her face.
He is ki-ssing her with de-ep emotion
and crying at the same time.
But there is one thing missing!
The spark is gone! Her heart is not
fluttering, the fire is not burning in her
heart anymore. There is no bomb, no
explosion.
It is just a whisper, not a roar, not a boom
like she had felt in a certain suite in a
certain magical place called WaterWorld.
The hands roving her body do not have
fire in their tips, or ice in their depths…
fire and ice, hot and cold, fire and water,
mixed into delicious echelons of
unbearable plea-sure that made her crave
for more again and again and again.
She sees his face, the face of that violent
stubborn taxi driver, and suddenly she
begins to fight.
She pushes her face away from his, and
pulls back violently.
STEVE
(crying uncontrollably)
Effe! Effe! Please, honey, don’t fight me!
Please! I love you, I nee-d you! I want you!
She pushes ha-rd, and he falls down to
his knees. He raises his hands to her,
begging and imploring as tears course
down his cheek.
She is crying too as she looks down at
him. Oh how glad she would’ve
been just a few days ago, before she ever set foot
at a place called WaterWorld.
She shakes her head. She is missing a
man quite badly, yes, but that man is not
called Steve.
Oh Chris!
EFFE
(with tears in her eyes)
Go back to Elaine, Steve, please! We’re
done here!
She turns from him and flees into her
room. Her tears are still falling,
and she can feel his hot li-ps on hers.
She smells him all around her. That won’t
do at all. She nee-ds to shower, to be
fresh, to feel new.
She stri-ps off her clothes and runs to the
bathroom nak-ed.
Anguished tears fall down her
cheeks as she draws a warm
bath and sli-ps into it.
She is shaking, and afraid, as it dawns on
her that in a moment of craziness she
has unconsciously made a choice… and
it is not Steve she has chosen.
Steve falls to his knees on the stairs, and
his tears fall silently, agonisingly.
Madam Ivy emerges silently from the
recesses of the living-room where she
had been standing and listening and
watching. She is in a belted robe, and has a scarf
around her grey hair. She is middle-aged,
but she is a strikingly beautiful woman.
MADAM IVY
Are you going to sit there and behave like
a weasel or you’re going to go up
there and fight for her?
Steve looks round, notices her and
quickly gets up. He looks at her, puzzled.
STEVE
Pardon? What did you just say?
MADAM IVY
You heard me.
Steve comes towards her slowly,
haltingly. His desperate eyes search her
face.
He runs a dry tongue over his drier li-ps
and wipes tears from his eyes.
STEVE
You don’t hate me?
MADAM IVY
Oh, I detest you with every fibre of my
soul. I think you’re scu-m, and I’ll never
forgive you for the pain you gave my baby!
Steve stares at her, puzzled.
STEVE
Then why? Why’re you encouraging me
go after Effe?
MADAM IVY
Because I believe she’s making a fool of
herself. She’s still hurting from what you
did to her, and she’s vulnerable… so
vulnerable that she’s making a stupid
mistake without realizing it.
Steve nods, and his jaw sets ha-rd.
STEVE
That damn taxi driver, right?
MADAM IVY
Yes, that damn taxi driver. I’d rather have
her back with you, no matter how much I
hate you,
than with that leech who is way below her,
and who only want to use her
as a fulfilment of his perverse fantasies. I
think he might’ve made love to her
already.
Steve reacts as if he has received a
physical blow in his belly.
The air whooshes out of him and his
knees wobble. He reaches out in a daze
and grasp the balustrade for support.
He can ba-rely breathe, and his face is
screwed up ti-ghtly with pure
unadulterated pain and high grade agony.
STEVE
(in a whisper)
What? Effe? No, no! She wouldn’t do
that! She ba-rely knows him! She’s not
that kind of woman!
I can’t believe that!
Madam Ivy looks at him without pity.
MADAM IVY
Then you’re a fool, and it serves you
right, of course. If you have any sense in
your head you’ll go up there and make
her see that you two can still have a future together.
If you allow that boy to
be with her, from now, you’ll lose her
forever.
Steve, filled with furious jealousy, waits
no more.
He bounds up the stairs three at a time,
makes the landing, and enters Effe’s
room.
He looks around and sees she’s not
inside. He hears the splashing from the
bathroom and tiptoes forward to peep
into the crack of the slightly open door.
He sees her lying in the bath, her head
resting on a raised upright, her che-st
ba-re, her lovely br£-$ts standing proud,
her n¡pp|es taut.
Her amazing skin is glowing, and she is
the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.
desi-re rips throu-ghhim like an
earthquake, and in a flash he rips off his
clothes.
nak-ed now, he reaches for the handle of
the bathroom door…
Meanwhile, down in the living-room, Mr.
Ken Kedem emerges from his room.
It is now 6 a.m.
He is dressed in a beautiful African top
and crisp black trousers.
He is going to meet some business
partners at eight in the morning.
KEN KEDEM
Thought I heard voices.
MADAM IVY
Oh, nothing, dear. I was watching
television.
Are you sure you don’t want any breakfast?
KEN KEDEM
Will take breakfast with Mr. Duncan and
Crankson, darling. Have to rush. Will
meet you at the office.
MADAM IVY
Alright, Champ.
She puts her arms around his ne-ck and
ki-sses him briefly.
She accompanies him outside to his car.
He opens the back door and tosses in his
little attache case,
closes the door and approaches the driver’s door.
The gate man has just opened the main
gates for him, and that is when a man
emerges throu-ghthe gates.
Ken Kedem’s face lights up with surprise
and delight, and he waves to the man.
KEN KEDEM
Chris! My boy! Come here!
Chris is wearing black jeans, white Nike
sneakers and a white Lacoste polo shirt
and he looks incredibly handsome.
He greets them and takes Ken Kedem’s
outstretched hand.
Madam Ivy does not respond to him.
CHRIS
Good to see you again, Mr. Kedem.
KEN KEDEM
I haven’t been able to express my thanks
and gratitude to you, boy! How have you
been?
CHRIS
(smiling)
I’ve been better, sir. Had a little
misun-derstanding with your daughter,
and I’ve been feeling very blue.
Ken Kedem laughs and slap-s Chris’ back.
KEN KEDEM
The women in my pen have that kind of
effect on men, boy! Drop by for a dinner
this week, and let me thank you properly!
CHRIS
No thanks nee-ded, sir. It was a plea-sure.
KEN KEDEM
Thanks again, son. I have to run now.
Effe is in. Go and see her.
They watch as he gets into the car,
waves, and drives out of the gates.
Chris turns to Madam Ivy,
whose poisonous eyes drive into him, and her
jaw line is set in an angry thin line.
MADAM IVY
You damn, sleazy bastard!
CHRIS
Wow. That’s descriptive, I think.
I’m going to see Effe.
Madam Ivy smiles mirthlessly.
MADAM IVY
She’s sick, and in her room. You can go
right up. Come, let me show you her
room.
Chris scowls at her.
He is surprised she is
not stopping him from going inside.
They enter the house and he follows her
up the stairs to Effe’s door. She indicates
it to him, turns, and heads back down to
the living-room with a cold,
satisfied smile on her face.
He knocks on the door, and calls Effe’s
name softly.
Steve hears the door, and hears his voice
just as he opens the bathroom door wide.
Effe sees Steve nak-ed,
and she gasps with a mixture of
surprise and anger, and
quickly stands up in the bath.
Water cascades down her beautiful body.
Blindly she reaches for a hu-ge towel, and
just then Chris opens the door and steps
inside the room. He sees Steve nak-ed,
still with an erection, and he sees Effe standing
nak-ed in the bath.
Effe’s face breaks down with total pain
when she sees the sudden agony on
Chris’ face.
Their eyes lock, and she shakes her head
numbly.
EFFE
(in a pained whisper)
Chris!
She sees Chris shaking, and feels his agony,
his pain, his tortured spirit plainly
on his face.
CHRIS
At least you should’ve locked the damn
door!
He turns quickly and leaves the room.
Effe snatches the towel and dra-pes it
around her body, and comes out of the
bath.
EFFE
(shouting)
CHRIS! WAIT! OH LORD,
OH NO! WAIT, CHRIS!!!!
She tries to go past Steve, but he holds
her ti-ght.
STEVE
I’m here, honey! Let him go! I’m here, and
I love you!
EFFE
(screaming)
Let me go! Let me go, Steve! Damn you!
CHRISSSS! OH PLEASE WAIT!!!
She pushes Steve away, but he is still
holding her towel, and it comes off Effe.
She does not stop.
Still nak-ed, she opens the door and races
down the stairs.
Eyram’s door slams open and she
emerges, still in her nightdress and with
Junior clamped to her shoulder.
EYRAM
Effe! What’s wrong, Ef?
Effe reaches the front door and tries to
open it. Madam Ivy comes out of the
kitchen and pushes Effe back, blocking
the doorway.
EFFE
MAMA! LET ME OUT!
MADAM IVY
You’re nak-ed, dear. The house staff are
outside, you sure you wanna go out
nak-ed?
EFFE
Let me out, Mama! Let me out!
Madam Ivy holds her as she begins to
cry. Eyram enters Effe’s room and sees
Steve putting on his trousers.
EYRAM
What the hell are you doing here, Steve?
What have you done to Effe? I swear to
you if you’ve hurt her I’ll personally
castrate you!
She picks up the hu-ge towel from the
floor and descends to the living-room
where Effe is being held in her mother’s
arms.
Effe is crying bitterly as if her heart is
being torn out of her che-st.
Eyram hands her baby to Madam Ivy, and
then she covers her sister
with the towel and hold her close.
The agony on Effe’s face sears Eyram to
the core.
EFFE
I lost him, Rammy! I lost him!
Eyram, who doesn’t know exactly
what is going on,
smiles reas-suringly at her
tortured sister and holds her ti-ght.
Steve appears on the landing.
He and Madam Ivy look at each other,
and both nod in victory.
To be continued….