??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 04??
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From U.S Bah ❤✌?
INSIDE THE LARGE SOPHISTICATED
SURGICAL THEATRE OF THE
GIGANTIC EDEN HOSPITAL.
A group of doctors and nurses
are gathered around a patient.
The overhead lights are bright. In
pans are a variety of complex
surgical tools. Around the room
are beeping machines and
monitors. The patient being
operated on is a little boy of just
two years.
Effe Kedem Hollison, the surgeon,
deftly performs the last stitch on
the che-st of the baby and then
she steps back. She glances at
one of the heart monitors. It flat-
lines for a moment, causing the
other doctors to look up in alarm,
and then it zigs and resumes a
steady regular rhythm.
Effe quickly leaves the theatre. A
nurse helps with taking off her
head cover and nose mask. She
shirks her gown and gloves and
quickly walks into the washroom.
Some minutes later she emerges
out on the corridor of the
theatre.
The South African Paediatrician,
Rupert Henderson and a senior
Gynaecologist, Dr. GABRIEL
ANAMAN, and a few nurses and
doctors are huddled together on
the corridor.
When Effe emerges they begin to
applaud, and she stops and nods
with a for-ced smile on her face.
DR. ANAMAN
(shaking Effe’s hand)
You saved that boy’s life, Effe.
RUPERT
(hu-gging Effe briefly)
You’re the best surgeon in the
world, Ef.
The other doctors also
congratulate Effe. She murmurs a
few pleasantries to them and
moves rapidly towards the
elevators. Rupert walks with her.
He enters the elevator behind
her. They are the only ones in it.
The elevator begins to ascend.
Effe brushes a hand across her
face and sees Rupert looking at
her critically. She arches her
eyebrows.
EFFE
Something on your mind, Rupe?
Rupert shrugs.
RUPERT
Obviously, apart from being a
super surgeon, I’m also
beginning to see that you’re one
very strong woman. I must admit
I almost gave up on you showing
up today to perform this surgery.
EFFE
And why, if I may ask?
RUPERT
(gently and sadly)
Not many women can bounce
back that quickly after finally
seeing their husbands in a
compromised position.
EFFE
(sharply, almost angrily)
Cheating, Rupe, not
‘compromised’. And what do you
mean by me finding out FINALLY,
Rupe? You knew about it and
didn’t tell me?
RUPERT
Didn’t know about it, Effe. I saw
your husband coming out of the
elevator and running out after
you into the street stark Na-led,
and I didn’t nee-d Sherlock
Holmes to deduce what
happened.
The lift dings and the doors
open. Effe steps out and pauses.
Tears form in her eyes again.
Rupert steps out and squee-zes
her shoulder gently.
EFFE
(a tear falling down her right
cheek slowly)
I’m hurting, Rupe. I’m hurting
really badly.
RUPERT
I know. You have every right to
be hurt. Your husband is a fool,
forgive me. But I know you’re
going to sail throu-ghthis. Don’t
let it break you. You’re stronger
than this.
He nods and turns away sharply.
Effe swallows painfully and heads
in the other direction. She is the
head of the Surgical Department
of the Eden Hospital.
She sees that her vision is
blurred. Her tears are falling
fas-ter. She runs the few feet to
her office door and pushes it
open.
She ignores Joyce, her secretary,
and rushes into the inner office.
She hears Joyce speaking but she
does not listen. She closes her
door and presses her back
against it.
A lady dressed in a fetching
white suit is already in the office.
She is rocking a baby lying in a
blue carrier on Effe’s hu-ge desk.
The lady turns and looks at Effe.
She looks exactly like Effe. The
only differences are that she is
carrying a little bit more weight
than Effe due to childbirth, and
she has a little black birthmark
on the right corner of her li-ps.
She is EYRAM KEDEM AFFUL, Effe’s
twin sister, married to JONATHAN
AFFUL.
The sisters stare at each other,
and on their faces are
expressions of pain which only
twins are capable of feeling for
each other. Without a word
Eyram holds out her arms. Effe
moves forward blindly, slowly,
haltingly.
Great sobs rack her body. The
two sisters emBr@ce and hold
each other ti-ghtly. They cry
together.
After a while Eyram leads Effe to
a beautiful luxurious sofa in the
corner of the room, and they sit
down. Eyram picks up a tissue
box from the low table besides
the sofa and pulls out several
tissues. The two sisters wipe
their faces and smile sadly at
each other.
EFFE
(blowing her nose)
Sorry, Rammy, the floodgates just
wouldn’t close. I’ve been crying
for four days now. Amazing, isn’t
it?
EYRAM
(nodding once)
Let it all out Ef. I spoke to Mom
after Steve came looking for you
at our place.
Learnt that Steve has
impregnated Elaine. My Lord, Ef! I
couldn’t believe it! Elaine? Our
own cousin whom you’ve loved
more than a sister? Jesus Christ!
Steve of all men?
EFFE
Yes, Rammy. I wouldn’t have
believed it either if I hadn’t
walked in and seen them myself.
Steve, my Steve!
EYRAM
(eyes flashing with fury)
Elaine! That ungrateful little
fiend! If I lay my hands on her I’ll
tear off her head! How could she
do this? You’ve practically looked
after her all these years! She
repays you by seducing your
husband?
EFFE
Can’t blame her, Rammy. Marriage
is about commitment, respect
and love. Temptations come in all
forms, and I won’t say men
haven’t approached me, but my
principles and total devotion to
Steve and this bond called
marriage ensured that I was
never even tempted once to be
unfaithful to him. If he loved and
respected me, he wouldn’t have
done this to me, with my own
blood.
EYRAM
But how did this happen? Have
you spoken to Elaine? Did Steve
tell you why?
Effe tells her sister everything
Steve told her.
EFFE
…and that is how it is now.
EYRAM
(shaking her head with shock)
Elaine had the audacity to touch
Steve’s d–k on your wedding
night, and he didn’t tell you? My
God, she’s a d–n witch! And now
Steve’s parents are on her side?
EFFE
Yes. Steve’s mom has been on me
all these years to get pregnant
because he is an only child, and
they want an heir, to carry on the
Hollison line.
EYRAM
That nincompoop! If it were that
simple to have kids why did she
give birth to only Steve?
Nonsense. What shows that
Elaine is going to give birth to a
boy to carry on the Hollison line?
For all we know she would lose
that baby, or give birth to a
legless, handless and faceless
turd!
EFFE
(with shock)
RAMMY!! Stop that evil thought!
Both of them start to chuckle at
the same time.
EYRAM
Glad to see you smile, Ef. You’re
too good to experience this crazy
betrayal, darling. What is Aunt
Ruth saying now? Is she aware
her daughter is now pregnant
for your husband?
EFFE
I haven’t spoken to her, and I
haven’t spoken to Elaine. I just
have this pain center that just
wouldn’t go away, and I nee-ded
to deal with that first. Didn’t want
to confront them with pain. I
nee-d to be level-headed to take
that step.
The baby in the crib begins to
cry. Effe gets up and rushes to
the baby. She picks up her
nephew, and coos to him. The
baby giggles and his pudgy
fingers go up and touch Effe’s
face. Eyram comes to stand
beside them. She touches Effe’s
arm tenderly.
EYRAM
I don’t know what you’re going
to do, Ef. Ultimately that decision
is yours alone. I just want to say
that, no matter what happens,
don’t let Elaine win. No matter
how ha-rd it would be, make this
marriage work. I’m sure Steve
still loves you. That witch trapped
him. I’m now convinced that
Elaine has been jealous of you for
a very long time. Don’t give her
the satisfaction. Stay with this
marriage. Repair the cracks if you
can, and stick to it.
EFFE
He hurt me, Rammy. I went to his
bed a V¡rgin. I’ve dedicated my
life to him. I saw them Na-led
together, MAKING LOVE. That
sight will always haunt me. How
can I ever forget? How can I ever
trust him with my heart again?
EYRAM
He still loves you, Ef. He told me
he wants you back, still loves you.
At least now he’s got his
supposed heir. Let it change him.
This is a storm you nee-d to ride,
baby girl. Don’t let Elaine take it
on a silver platter. You don’t
know the kind of marriage we
are in, the kind of sacrifice we
have been making all these years.
Sometimes you just pray and
move on, a day at a time.
Effe looks at her sister with sad
eyes and shakes her head sadly.
EFFE
(getting angry)
Jon still beats you, doesn’t he?
EYRAM
(faint tears in her eyes)
Would he ever stop? He’s sick, Ef.
Now he wants to me to dress like
a w—e and put on blonde wigs
when he makes love to me. He
ties me up with leather str-aps
before he gets an erection. He
brings his who-res to the house
and make love to them in our
bedroom and wants me to
watch, and when I refuse he
beats me up! But I’m still in there,
ain’t I? Makes what Steve has
done seem like toy play, doesn’t
it? He doesn’t hit me above the
shoulders and below the wai-st,
so everybody just sees my nice
skin, but I can’t ever wear a
bikini again because there’s not
an inch on my body I don’t have
a scar from his sadistic beatings!
Effe looks horrified. She clutches
the baby to her shoulder and
draws near her sister.
EFFE
Good gracious, Rammy! Has it
become that bad? You have to
leave him, Rammy! I’ll tell Dad.
This can’t be allowed to go on.
EYRAM
We’ve been over this before, Ef.
EFFE
I know, but you said it yourself.
It’s becoming worse, and he’s
not ready to stop. You shouldn’t
take that, no matter what!
EYRAM
(sadly)
Jonathan Afful is the Second Vice
President of the Eden Board of
Directors, and we all know Eden
Inc is the multimillion Company
that owns ninety percent of
Dad’s Kedem Industries. Jon
approved the loan Capital to Dad
when the company almost
collap-sed.
Jon has made it clear that if I
leave he will pull the plugs, and
Dad will lose his Company. If Jon
activates the payback clause in
the contract Dad would not only
lose the Company, but he’ll lose
his house and everything, and
that will kill him.
EFFE
No, no, no! This can’t go on,
Rammy. For how long are you
going to suffer like this? And at
what price? Until you lose your
life? Don’t you think Daddy would
rather lose his company and his
house rather than see you suffer
like this?
EYRAM
(puts her arms around her sister
and speaks softly.)
Things always work out for the
best, Ef. My situation will work
out, because I trust my God. First,
let’s get your marriage back on
track. Steve is a good man. That
minx worked in the dark to fill
his head with her witchcraft. She
has been exp-osed now. You
must take your man back. You
still love him, don’t you?
EFFE
That’s the problem, Rammy. I still
love the son-of-a-b—h!
EYRAM
Then go home to him today, Ef.
Try to find a way around this
crisis, okay?
Effe nods and ki-sses her nephew
on the cheek. The baby giggles
and gurgles, and then gives a
W-et splotchy fart.
The sisters laugh and wipe tears
from their eyes.
EFFE
(still chuckling)
I think he did the poopsie!
EYRAM
(laughing loudly)
Go on, Doc, you change him. He
farts and poops just like his
b—–d Daddy!
They burst into laughter again.
EFFE
Thanks for being here for me,
Rammy. I love you so!
EYRAM
Love you more, Ef. Love you
much, much more!
TBC