THE JAILBIRD ®18 SNVL (Episode 40)
©Aaron A.A
SHIASHIE – 37 HOSPITAL ROAD
Steve drives for a while, and then he st©ps the car and gets out. He slams the door with fury and kicks at one of the tyres.
His head is thudding with pain as he recollects the sight on the floor. He sees Effe, so aggressive as she strains pas-sionately on t©p of Chris.
She has never shown such pas-sion with him, such abandon, such incredible fervour.
STEVE
(with tormented wrath)
fv¢k you, Chris! fv¢k you to hell!
Some pas-sers-by and people in their cars give him very strange looks, but he is oblivious to them.
He takes out his phone and dials.
AFFUL
(drun!kenly)
Hey, hey, Stevo, my main man! What ails you, Rasta?
STEVE
(voice trembling)
Just saw Effe k!ss!ngChris!
AFFUL
(shocked)
You drun!k?
STEVE
(angry)
Cut the bullpile, nigga! Just saw it! Tearing my heart ap@rt, brother!
AFFUL
Ouch! That must have maimed you good!
STEVE
It’s killing me! You told me you were cooking up some plan to get rid of that bastard for life. How’s it going, Jon? I nee-d him off the scene!
AFFUL
(condescendingly)
I’m on my way to base. Come over. And don’t fret your as-s none, bro. Chris Bawa is being taken care of. He will go to prison again, believe me.
STEVE
(shouting)
It should be fv¢king soon before I go to jail for murder!
AFFUL
(chuckling)
Chris is sorted, bro. Come over. I’ll tell you all about it! You’ll love it! There’s some $h!t like that in the Bible, right? Some damn Bible quotation I heard once in church by the Reverend br@nd Bawa. It goes like ‘the Egyptians you see now, you’ll never see again.’ Well, Mr. Steve Hollison, let me as-sure you that very, very soon, the Chris Bawa you see right now, you will never see again! Come over, bro. I got some Chinese women here. Firm as-s, hvge tits, come and have a S-x p@rty, bro!
STEVE
(laughing)
Oooooooohhh yeaaaaaah! Nothing like a piece of imported Asian as-s to heal a broken heart, huh? But I want Chris gone, Jon. This time forever!
AFFUL
It is done, bro. St©p fretting yourself. Bring your d!¢k here and scre-w Soo Ming Shushan Lee Khangizi or whatever the fv¢k her name is. Chris is sorted. I have his as-s cooked for sure this time.
EYRAM’S RESIDENCE – NIGHT
Eyram’s front door opens and she comes out, followed by Rupert.
She is wearing a simple sleeveless dress that st©ps just above her knees.
Her hair is held back in a ponytail, and in the glimmering moonlight she looks extremely beautiful indeed, like an angel.
Rupert, in dark blue baggy shorts, ash T-shi-t and blue sneakers, cuts a smart figure besides her.
As they laugh and walk towards his car, Eyram notices Barbara Brooks on the veranda of the Boys Quarters, evidently waiting for Chris, and the smile dies from her face.
Rupert follows her gaze and also sees the woman on the veranda.
He deliberately steps in front of Eyram and looks critically at her, the laughter also dying from hisl-ips.
RUPERT
(softly)
Eyram, I’ve fallen in love with you, and I know my life without you in it will be meaningless. Not one second pas-ses without a thought of you. Working so close to you is also an agony. I thought we were heading somewhere, until your brother-in-law c@m£ on the scene, but you convinced me he has no place in your life. So, what is preventing you from accepting me and marrying me?
Eyram looks up at him desperately. He is right, of course.
Theirs had not been a whirlwind sort of love. Eyram had had a few flings in her life, and one very serious relationsh!p, but she had always had cold feet when it c@m£ to the final commitment.
She had gradually grown close to Rupert, and she respects him a lot.
He is stable, and he is committed, and he is a White South African.
Also, he is handsome, wealthy and incredibly loving. He is the kind of man many women will always dream about.
She had been sure she wanted to marry him and settle down and raise a litter of half-castes.
Until Chris had rolled in from prison, and she cannot get that one stolen k!ssshe had given him so many years ago out of her system.
She now raises a hand and puts it on Ruperts’ arm.
EYRAM
(gently)
I love you too, Rupert. But marriage is a life-long commitment, and I’m just asking for a little bit more time, okay? I’ll definitely be for you.
His kind and gentle eyes search her face.
RUPERT
There is …no one else?
He had almost mentioned Chris’ name, and she knows it. She sighs heavily, noting the worry lines furrowing his brow.
He is extremely s-en-sitive, and hurt so much over the trivialities of life, and she knows she has to reas-sure him.
She sidles close to him and links her arms around his n£¢k.
EYRAM
There’s no one else, Rupert. I’m just being kind to Chris. He has a child with my sister, Rupert! It is a taboo to be with him. Why should you even think of such a thing?
Rupert gives a shaky laugh, and runs his hands down her arms lovingly.
RUPERT
So, what if he didn’t have a child with Effe, my dear? Would he still be insignificant?
Eyram f0rç£s herself to giggle.
EYRAM
Don’t be silly, Rupe. Chris will always be just like a brother to me, nothing more. I’ll never be attra-cted to him.
That plea-ses him, and she sees it. His arms go around her, and when his head descends she opens herl-ips to receive his k!ss, and returns his pas-sion with an ardent de-sire of her own, so that when they finally p@rt he steps back with a gro-an , his eyes glazed with de-sire.
RUPERT
Eyram, my love, plea-se don’t keep me waiting too long.
She smiles at him, pu-lls him close and presses herl-ips to his again.
There is suddenly a bright glare and she tenses and wh!ps her head round.
Chris has just ridden in on his motorbike, and its headlight has caught her in the arms of Rupert.
Rupert laughs and tries to k!ssher again, but she has gone rigid in his arms, and she shakes as hisl-ips t©uçhes hers, and after a rather perfunctory sma-ck she steps out of the circle of his arms and smiles wanly at him.
He fights down his sudden insecurity which is ma-king him feel an alien and violent bout of jealousy, and smiles ti-ghtly at her.
EYRAM
Just a little bit more time, Rupe. I won’t keep you waiting too long, I promise.
He smiles at her and gets into his car.
He executes a U-turn perfectly and waves to her. She waves back, and turns towards the front door.
Rupert drives slowly, peering into his driving-mirror at her, and he nods his head gently with satisfaction when he sees her get into the house and close the door behind her.
He speeds out, and tries ha-rd to calm his troubled heart.
Eyram leans against the door to make sure Rupert is gone, and then she puts off the lights on her porch and steps back out unto the dark porch and looks at the Boys Quarters….
And at Chris and Barbara!
To be continued….
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