??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 42??
❤❤❤❤❤❤
From U.S Bah ❤✌?
Effe opens her eyes slowly.
She is lying on a big bed in an air-conditioned room.
She knows instantly that she is in the
Executive Ward of the Eden Hospital.
Sunlight filters in throu-ghthe hu-ge tint
glas-s windows because the Venetian
blinds are pulled and tied back with
golden sashes. She sees that she is in a hospital golden sashes.
She sees that she is in a hospital gown.
Her parents are sitting on each side of
the bed, and Eyram and Rupert are
standing at the foot of the bed.
She can hear voices to one side of her,
and when she turns her head slightly she sees that Doctors Anaman and Ayeh are
in de-ep conversation.
A nurse is tucking the edge of the
bedspread back inside, and she stands
back suddenly.
NURSE
Doctor! She’s up!
They all crowd around Effe, and she sees
the concern and love on their faces.
DR. ANAMAN
Please, stand back a bit, would you?
When they give him space he bends over Effe and quickly checks her pulse and
heart rate.
He checks the heart monitor, and then he
stands up and wordlessly unplugs the
monitor and the wires attached to Effe.
Effe’s eyes fill up with tears when she remembers the events that has brou-ght
her to the ward.
EFFE
(voice trembling)
I lost my baby, didn’t I, Doc?
Doctor Anaman sits down on the edge of the bed.
DR. ANAMAN
(in a firm voice)
Either you’re a very lucky woman, or that
child is one strong warrior. Running up
and down and getting stressed out like that, with your first pregnancy,
at your age, is not good for you, young lady! The
baby’s attachment to the walls of the
wo-mb got shook up a bit, and your stress
transferred to him. Hence the slight
bleeding. Luckily, he’s still in there. Tired, abused, but still hanging in there.
Effe exhales heavily, and her agony turns
to unbridled joy.
EFFE
Oh! Oh, my God! I was so, so scared! Oh,
thank God!
DR. ANAMAN
You have to take things easy from now,
young lady!
They all hu-g her, and ki-ss her cheeks, but
Effe is still in turmoil as her eyes search
Gilbert’s face frantically.
EFFE
Chris? How’s he, Gil?
Gilbert looks at her strangely, and then
leans forward and ki-sses her forehead.
DR. GILBERT
That injection you gave me, whatever it is, did the trick. He’s gonna be fine. All his
vitals are really good now, and he’s
stabilized, but still pretty weak.
EFFE
Please, I have to see him. How long have
I been in here?
KEN KEDEM
Since yesterday morning, my love.
DR. ANAMAN
I saw it best to give you a mild sedate,
Effe, to make you rest and bring down
the stress. You and the baby nee-ded it.
EFFE
Can I see Chris now, please?
DR. ANAMAN
I don’t see why not. Just take it slow, and
gentle.
EYRAM
Oh, Ef! You scared me so much!
MADAM IVY
(softly)
All of us. You scared all of us, my love!
Effe tries a br@ve smile.
Her family hu-g her again, and then the men step outside whilst she gets out of
bed and Eyram helps her back into her
own clothes.
They make light conversation as they
emerge from the ward and make their
way to the elevator. When they get out on the tenth floor they
see that it is crawling with a lot of people
in the Visitors’ Lounge.
Effe walks close to Gilbert.
EFFE
Gil! You kept everything quiet? He looks at her with furious eyes.
DR. GILBERT
(in a ti-ght voice)
I’m no fool, Effe, dear! I can easily put
two and two together. Steve found that
Chris was on admission here, and so injected him with a poisonous drug, a
drug whose name I’ve never heard
before. You spoke of the number of days
he had been on admission, meaning if it
had gone beyond a certain span of time
Chris might have died. Luckily, you had an antidote to that damn drug! What is it
anyway?
EFFE
(gravely)
An experimental drug, Gil, from our labs.
Developed by Dr. Sey Wachipa and Dr. Simi Simpson, aimed at curing the virus
that causes AIDS. It’s quite lethal, still in
its formative stages, and can kill within
thirty-six hours if injected without being
mixed with a measured dose of its female
dose, the one I gave you. Please, it’s a secret. Only a few of us have the first
samples.
DR. GILBERT
Damn it! This is murder, Effe! Chris
evidently saw Steve, and tried to write
down his name! You nee-d to let the police know. Steve should be arrested
immediately!!
EFFE
(sadly)
I couldn’t believe he would go that far,
Gil. But what’s important is that we saved Chris’ life. As for calling the cops, I’ll wait
for Chris’ decision. But thank you for
keeping it un-der wraps. I appreciate it!
DR. GILBERT
I don’t like it, Effe. This is the most
insane thing I’ve ever heard! He’s a Doctor, sworn to protect all lives! He tried
to murder the boy, pure and simple. I
un-derstand your dilemma. You were
married to the guy, and naturally you
might not want to put him in the soup, but
we can’t sweep this un-der the carpet either! It is a most wicked thing to do. If
you had not shown up, if that three-day
bench had elap-sed, Chris would’ve died.
Have you thought about that?
EFFE
(in a sad voice)
I’m more outraged than you are, Gil, that
I can tell you. What Steve did was
absolutely unpardonable. But I love
Chris, with all my heart, and I want us to
talk about this, and decide on what to do.
Before Gilbert can reply the glas-s doors swing open, and more people come in.
Effe is shocked, to say the least, when
she sees that Mr. Albert Ntim, the
President of the Eden Board, Mr. Frank
Stiles, First Vice President, and Jonathan
Afful, Second Vice President, are all present.
She sees three grey-haired doctors, and
some grim-looking nurses following.
Preceding them are about four hu-ge men
in impeccable black suits and dark
glas-ses. Effe recognizes one of the Doctors as
one of the most talented in the country in
surgery, Doctor Ralph Setorwofia.
She has attended a highly-profiled
seminar chaired by the famous surgeon.
She remembers he is the Chief Executive of the
Eden Research and Scientific Centre.
Behind them is Steve Hollison, who
pauses in the doorway for a moment, and
then follows the delegation forward, his
face filled with unease, guilt and fear.
MADAM IVY
What’s happening here?
DR. ANAMAN
(puzzled)
I don’t know, really. Can someone tell us
what’s going on here?
RUPERT
I think I’m gonna find out.
He pushes his way throu-ghthe throng,
but suddenly the door of Ward 5 swings
open, and a sophisticated power-operated stretcher is wheeled out,
and lying on it is Chris Bawa, his eyes closed.
On either side of the stretcher is a hu-ge
man in black suit, whilst some preceded
the stretcher.
The doctors and nurses are following,
and standing attentively to one side are the three top officials of the Eden Board.
Doctor Ralph Setorwofia comes out last,
and he has Chris’ records and diagnosis
sheets.
Suddenly scared, Effe pushes forward
and blocks the stretcher.
EFFE
(in an unsteady voice)
Where are you taking him? You can’t do
that! Who’re you people anyway?
Two of the black-suited hu-ge men step
forward and try to push her back, their faces grim.
BLACK-SUIT 1
We don’t have time for this, Madam.
Kindly step aside.
DR. GILBERT
(coming to stand beside Effe)
You can’t talk to her like that, my friend.
What’s going on here anyway? That man
is my patient, and you can’t just enter
and take him away! The proper
procedures have to be followed! I have to
sign a rele-ase form.
Somebody, get Security, please! You nee-d to show us
some identity, mister!
BLACK-SUIT 2
Please, please, don’t let this turn into an
unpleasant situation. Listen, if you want
explanations, speak to your superiors, okay?
Please kindly step aside and let us
throu-gh!
EFFE
No! You’re not taking him out! What’s this
anyway? This is beyond comprehension!
Where’s Security anyway? Would someone please call the police? Is he in
some trouble with the law? Even if that’s
the case there must be proper
docu-mentation. You can’t just budge in
here and start taking patients away.
Rupe, please call Security!
Four of the hu-ge men in black approach
Effe and Gilbert, and they grab them by
the upper arms, and begin to push them
away from the path of the stretcher.
That is when the president of the Eden
Board suddenly speaks.
ALBERT NTIM
Leave them alone, please. I’ll explain
things to them! You can’t manhandle the
staff here like that! They have every right
to know what is going on!
Every eye turns to Mr. Ntim.
EFFE
(voice puzzled, scared)
Mr. Ntim? You know what is going on?
Has he done something wrong? Is Chris
in trouble?
She shrugs free from the grasp of the man holding her and walks anxiously
towards Mr. Ntim.
Mr. Ntim takes a de-ep shuddering breath
and smiles kindly at Effe.
ALBERT NTIM
Please, let them pas-s. We didn’t want to say anything, but it seems, quite
admirably, that you are professionals and
wouldn’t let anybody mess with your
patients, so I have no option than to give
you the explanations you seek.
These men, all of them,
from the security detail to the nurses right down to the Doctors,
work for Mr. Bawa. The doctors and
nurses are his personal health
attendants. They’re taking him to his
personal hospital. Please let them
throu-gh.
STEVE
(voice full of contempt)
Personal medical staff? What the hell are
you talking about, boss? You must have
that guy confused with somebody else!
That boy is a damn taxi driver,
for Christ’s sake! He is a damn-
Mr. Ntim turns to Steve and his voice is
like a whiplash.
ALBERT NTIM
You keep your damn mouth shut this
minute!
The men in black now push the stretcher
towards the entrance.
Effe, face distraught and still filled with
fear, reaches out and holds Chris’ hand
ti-ghtly.
She does not un-derstand one word of what Mr. Ntim had said, and just like
Steve she is absolutely floored.
EFFE
Please, Mr. Ntim! Say something! I can’t
let them take him away like this! His
personal hospital?
I know him, please, and he doesn’t have a personal hospital!
ALBERT NTIM
(exasperated)
Please, Effe, let them take him. That man
is not who you think he is. Please, let
them take him away right now. That’s what he wants, so let it be.
The men push Chris out of the entrance,
and the medical staff follow him out.
EFFE
Mr. Ntim? What do you mean Chris is not
who we think he is? What’s going on, please? Let me know! I’m going out of my
mind with worry, please!
DR. ANAMAN
(face concerned)
Effe! Keep the stress down, please! It’s
not good for you in your condition!
Albert, you better give us something sensible,
and fast, excuse my language, but I’m
concerned for Effe!
ALBERT NTIM
(softly)
That man’s real name is Chris Eden Bawa.
EFFE
What? Eden? Chris?
The silence in the room is so complete
that if a paper had fallen down it would
have sounded like a bomb going off. The total shock, disbelief and
amazement is like an electric shock that
runs throu-ghall of them, most of all Effe.
KEN KEDEM
(in an awed voice)
Surely you don’t mean Eden as in Eden Investments, Eden Capitals, Eden
Hospitals, Eden Technologies, Eden-
AFFUL
(laughing for-cefully, his voice scared)
Cut that crap, old man! Are you crazy?
Are you saying we work for him? That he pays me?
That guy is just a damn taxi driver!
The First Vice President of the Eden
Board turns a cold face towards Afful.
FRANK STILES
Shut up, Jonathan!
Mr. Albert Ntim turns towards Jonathan
Afful and gives him a baleful look.
ALBERT NTIM
He was driving a taxi because he fell in
love with a woman, and didn’t want her to
know who he was. He wanted to win her over first.
Chris Eden Bawa owns EDEN
INC. He’s the riche-st man in Africa, and
one of the riche-st in the world. Yes, Mr.
Afful, you work for him, and yes, he pays
you. We ALL work for him. Satisfied now?
KEN KEDEM
(in awe)
My God!
MADAM IVY
Oh, sweet Jesus!
EYRAM
Crikey!!
I’ll be damned! Chris? Jeez!!
RUPERT
I’ll be damned! He’s my boss?
AFFUL
(looking absolutely sick)
What the fuc-king shit is this? Jesus H.
Christ! Oh, Lazarus!! No, Mr. Ntim, tell me you’re fuc-king joking!
Eyram looks at the absolutely shocked
Jonathan Afful, and she bursts into
laughter.
Steve reaches for a chair and sinks
weakly into it. He wishes the ground will open up and swallow him.
STEVE
Oh, dear Lord! What have I done? What
have I done, Lord?
Effe is shaking her head, trying ha-rd to
as-similate all that she has heard.
Her trembling hands fly to her mouth.
EFFE
Chris? He owns Eden Inc? But how, I
can’t believe it! Please, how can it be
possible? The riche-st man in Africa? He
is an orphan who grew up in an orphanage!
ALBERT NTIM
Yes, my dear! All that is true, but he is a
fighter, and he came out of the harsh life
he was given as a child. He left the
orphanage and came to the city.
He had a little money saved, and he enrolled in a
free computer programme sponsored by
the United Nations. The facilitators saw
his immense skill and talent, and gave
him a scholarship to further his IT
training. Have you heard of Orphan Logik?
EFFE
(nodding)
Who hasn’t? A world-famous br@nd in
computer technology.
ALBERT NTIM
(nodding)
That’s Chris’ first Company. He
developed the programme for Orphan
Logik, and it was taken on by the UN. He
got a lot of money from that, and went on
to develop many more apps and software
for computers and phones, creating
world-clas-s apps for android and iPhone
platforms. Shortly afterwards he created
his antivirus software, OrphanLock, and it
became a world best. He went on to
create the best computer environments
that were bought and incorporated into
Microsoft and Apple computers, and later
even Samsung, and that catapulted him
to riches. Later, he sold Orphan Logik and
OrphanLock and established EDEN INC,
and the rest is history.
MADAM IVY
(looking absolutely sick)
Jesus!
EFFE
(shocked, dazed)
It all makes sense now!
The Jamaican Resort, WaterWorld, his ability to get my
father’s loan approved…
ALBERT NTIM
(with a little laugh)
He owns the Jamaican Resort. He owns
WaterWorld. He owns a lot of things.
EFFE
(almost weeping)
But why? Why the deceit? Why the lies?
Why did he do this to me?
ALBERT NTIM
(shrugging) I don’t know, Effe, dear. I’ve known that
boy for almost twenty years. He’s always
kept his identity a secret. He bought that
taxi for a total stranger, a poor man who
found Chris’ mobile phone and wallet
and brou-ght it to him.
You see, when he bought and registered that taxi, he
brou-ght it here that night to pick me up.
He wanted to go with me to the young
man’s house and give the taxi to the
man. I was here that night, and he was
coming to pick me up, but when I came out he was gone.
Later he told me a mysterious lady who was being chased
by a nak-ed man entered the taxi, and the
next moment he turned himself into a taxi
driver, driving that woman all over town.
He bought another taxi for the young man and continued using the first taxi.
Chris is like that. Sometimes I don’t
un-derstand him myself.
Later he told my sister-in-law to pretend
she’s the taxi owner, and a whole lot of
other nonsense. He has money, and so he can do anything he wants, I guess.
Effe is nodding, dumbfounded.
EFFE
He lied to me. He kept his identity a
secret! He made me think he was a poor
man! Oh, Lord!
Mr. Ntim is looking at her, puzzled, and
then slowly a light of un-derstanding
came into his eyes.
ALBERT NTIM
(in a hoarse voice)
Dearest me! Are you the mysterious lady,
the one he only calls Precious? Jolly me!
EFFE
(nodding)
Yes, Sir!
Mr. Ntim shakes his head and looks
absolutely disturbed.
ALBERT NTIM
Look, something happened! I don’t know
what it is, but Chris thinks you deceived
him! He thinks you want him dead! That’s
why I sent for his doctors!
EFFE
(shocked)
What? what are you talking about?
Steve wishes he can just disappear. He
looks on miserably and with great fear,
his heart thumping with terror.
Mr. Ntim grabs Effe’s shoulders and speaks anxiously.
ALBERT NTIM
I don’t know what happened, my dear.
Chris let one of the nurses call me. When
I came, he was delirious. He was still not
completely awake, but he kept repeating that Precious betrayed him, Precious
wants him dead, Precious planned to
murder him! I don’t know what he’s
talking about, maybe it is because he’s
still not fully out of the coma. I was
concerned. I didn’t know he was referring to you. That’s why I sent for his medical
team. And his VISA was ready. He was
leaving the country. He was going to
Switzerland. He told me he would be
there for a long time. His flight was
scheduled for the next night after the accident. If he had not been hurt in that
accident he would’ve been out of the
country by now.
EFFE
(completely scared now)
No, no, no! It must be some misun-derstanding! Please, I must see
him! Now! Please, let me speak to him!
Please!
ALBERT NTIM
Yes, yes, yes! You have to go to him. I
didn’t know it was you all along. I believe you.
Please, let me go and see him first.
As soon as he’s much better and
stronger, I’ll give you a call and let you
see him, my dear!
He moves quickly towards the entrance
and gets into the elevator. Effe is trembling, and winces when she
experiences a sharp pain in her lower
abdomen again.
Doctor Anaman rushes to her side and
lets her sit down.
DR. ANAMAN
(concerned)
Effe! What’s wrong with you? Sit down,
sit down! Too much excitement!
When Effe sits down, surrounded by her
shocked family, Mr. Frank Stiles faces
them and speaks.
FRANK STILES
(grimly)
Well, I must also leave, but before I go I
must tell you people about a couple of
changes Mr. Chris Eden Bawa has
ordered. First, with immediate effect,
Mr. Jonathan Afful is dismissed from the
Eden Board. Doctor Steve Hollison is also
dismissed as Chief Executive Officer of
this hospital. Their entitlements would be
computed and paid to them. Doctor
Gabriel Anaman is appointed the CEO of Eden Hospital,
and Doctor Rupert Henderson will be his as-sistant, with
immediate effect. I’ll bring you all the
legal docu-ments tomorrow. Have a good
day.
Jonathan Afful collap-ses immediately and crashes to the floor besides Steve,
whose eyes are suddenly filled with
unshed tears, jealously, rage, surprise
and fear.
He looks so shell-shocked that his
posture is absolutely that of a suddenly old pathetic man.
Doctors Gabriel Anaman and Rupert
Henderson stare at each other and smile
with sudden happiness and perverse
glee.
Gilbert leans over the sprawled body of Jonathan Afful and loosens his tie.
He feels for a pulse and, satisfied that
Afful is in no danger, he props Afful
comfortably and calls some of the
orderlies to send him to a ward.
Rupert then walks over and stands in front of Steve.
DR. GILBERT
(speaking softly)
I’ve never liked you, Steve. Heard what
you did with Rupert’s wife, and with
Effe’s cousin.
You bastard! Serves you right! Better look over your shoulder,
because when that Chris man cools
down, I’ll talk to him, and make sure he
sends you to prison for attempted
murder! How could you, man?
Effe can still not un-derstand it.
It is as if she is dreaming, and suddenly
she feels very scared! She knows that
suddenly she is losing Chris.
Why is Chris feeling she wants him
dead?
Why? What happened? She looks at Steve, and it begins to dawn
on her that maybe Steve said things to
Chris before injecting him with the
dangerous drug.
Her eyes fall on her mother, and she sees guilt in the depths of the older woman’s eyes, and again it dawns on Effe that maybe her own Mom had told lies about her to Chris too!
Tears blaze down Effe’s cheeks slowly. She cannot speak as she slowly convinces herself that her mother and Steve have combined to poison Chris’ heart against her.
Tears slowly come into Madam Ivy’s eyes. She sees just how much she has hurt her own daughter. She speaks silently, her mouth forming the words.
MADAM IVY
Forgive me, Effe! I’m so sorry!
To be continued….