EPISODE 18
WEDDING OF MY EX
Aaron A.A
THE BAWA RESIDENCE – NIGHT
Chris parks his car behind two cars in his driveway. One of the cars is for Steve.
The other one is for Effe. Chris gets out of the car. He begins to limp towards the front door.
CHRIS
Okay, Effe. Good you’re here. Now you’re going to tell me WHY! Nothing else … just WHYYYY!
His front door is not locked, and he enters living-room, and then he st©ps dead with a shock so great that he has to hold unto the wall to st©p himself from pas-sing out on the floor.
Chris trembles, and his legs wo-bble. His eyes open wi-de, and his mouth gapes.
The lights are off, but the television is on, with muted sound, and it illuminates the floor clearly.
Effe is lying on the floor, m0@n ing, and Steve is lying on t©p of her.
Steve is wearing only his bo-xers. Effe is fully clothed, but the bu-ttons of her shi-t are undone.
Steve is k!ss!ngher n£¢k pas-sionately. Lying on the floor are two empty glas-ses, a can of beer, and an empty box of non-alcoholic fruit drink.
Chris leans his head back until the dizziness clears, and then he reaches up and fli-cks on the lights, bathing the living-room with white light.
Steve jack-knifes off Effe, and wh!ps his head round with shock.
When he sees Chris, his face crumples with acute shock. He jumps to his feet, walks forward, and drops to his knees in front of Chris.
Tears fall down his face immediately. Effe is still lying on the floor, looking up at Chris with a pained face.
She rolls unto her stomach, and then her b©dy begins to shake uncontrollably with tears. Steve, still on his knees, reaches out and gr-abs Chris’ leg.
STEVE
(in a voice shattered with pain and remorse)
Oh, God, Chris! plea-se forgive me, I beg of you. I was drun!kwhen she c@m£ in. God, man, when I told her you called that you wouldn’t be in tonight, she c@m£ on to me, man. She told this wild story about nee-ding a lot of money for some $h!t, that she’s always fancied me. I was very drun!k, man, though that’s no excuse! I couldn’t resist her man! Oh, God, Chris, I’m so fv¢king ashamed. I’m so sorry, plea-se, forgive me, man.
Tears roll down Chris’ cheeks.
CHRIS
Get up, Steve.
Steve slowly gets to his feet. Chris suddenly swings at Steve, hitting him ha-rd across the jaw.
The b!ow flings Steve to the floor, where he lies, dazed.
CHRIS
You are a $h!thead, man. There’s no justification for going for my girl! I now know the sort of trash she is, but you had no bloody right. Now get the hell out of my house!
STEVE
(desperate, his tears fall fast, and he clamps his hands together in a form of supplication)
No, no, Chris, man! I’m a disgrace, okay? Goddamn it, man, there’s no justification! I deserve your anger and contempt, man, but plea-se, plea-se, Chris, I can’t lose your friendsh!p, man! You’re the only brother I’ve ever had, man. Oh, plea-se…
CHRIS
Forget it, Steve. I’m not mad at you. You deserved that b!ow, and so we’re done. That girl on the floor ain’t worth fighting over. I just want to have a word with her, so plea-se, just leave. We’ll meet tomorrow. I’ll fill you in then.
STEVE
Chris, plea-se…
CHRIS
Just leave, man! I ain’t got no beef with you!
Steve begins to dress up. Effe is still lying on face down, crying.
After a while she turns on her side, and tries to bu-tton up her shi-t, but she is trembling so badly that her f!ngerscannot get the bu-ttons into the holes.
She looks at Chris with hvge eyes filled with such pain and horror that Chris shakes his head with wonder.
CHRIS
My, God, Effe! Who are you really? You’re such an actress, aren’t you? You deserve an Oscar for this performance. I know all about your dark life, so st©p $h!tting me, okay? I’m going to get myself cleaned up, and then I’ll come back and we’ll have a real talk to end this fiasco, okay?
Effe tries to speak, opening herl-ips, but nothing comes out. Chris clim-bs the stairs to his room.
He goes straight to the bathroom and gets out of his clothes.
He gets un-der the shower, allowing the cold water to rain down on him.
Chris sli-ps into his bathrobe, and when he enters the be-droom he suddenly hears a sharp pain-filled scream from downstairs.
Chris rushes out of his room and takes the stairs down two at a time. Another terrible sight meets his eyes when he gets to the living-room.
His mother is lying on the floor. Blood is streaming down her face, and she is holding a hand imploringly at Effe.
Effe is standing over his mother, holding a side-table in her hand.
Her shi-t is still undone, and her face is bitter as she looks down at the elderly woman on the floor.
Chris runs to his mother’s side and holds her.
CHRIS
Mom! Oh, Jesus, what happened?
There is blood all over her face now, and Chris is terrified.
His mother looks up at him, dazed. Her voice trembles as she speaks.
MADAM LOIS
Oh, son! Keep her away from me! plea-se keep her away from me! Doctor Anaman called me and said he treated you. He told me you had been in a fight. I was so concerned and decided to come this night to check on you. I got here and your fiancée wouldn’t let me in to see you! She wanted me to leave, and when I said I had to see you she went mad! She began fighting with me, and then she picked up that side table and hit me!
Chris’ face is filled with uncontrollable wrath.
He gets to his feet slowly and faces Effe, who is looking at him with dazed, pained eyes.
His voice is spilling with fury and contempt.
CHRIS
That’s it, Effe. I’m s£nding my mother to the hospital. Get out of here before I get back. I don’t ever want to see you again!
Tears roll down Effe’s cheeks. Her voice trembles.
EFFE
Chris, you can’t do this. What have I done to you? Why are you being so cruel to me? Whatever it is, we have to talk, plea-se. We nee-d to thrash this out. It’s not what it seems like. I did not…..
Chris screams at her.
CHRIS
Get the hell outta of my house, you silly who-re! You are no longer welcome to this house. It’s finished, Angel-Devil. Mission accomplished. The fool I have been.
Effe drops the side-table and recoils as if he has struck her.
Her voice is a terrified whisper.
EFFE
Chris…
CHRIS
I know all about your sordid life, Effe. Spare me the pain of going throu-gh all that mess. I am even ashamed to say what I know. You are really something else. I don’t want to disgrace you in front of my mother, and I don’t want the world to know just how dirty you are. Lie to your family, tell them anything, I don’t care. The wedding is off permanently. I won’t say a thing because I want to spare you the humiliation. Go on with your sordid life, girl, and stay the hell out of mine! We are done.
EFFE
( b©dy shaking with hvge sobs.)
I don’t know what has come over you. I don’t know why you are doing this. If have unconsciously wronged you, I’m sorry. Whatever it is…
CHRIS
(voice is thun-derous.)
I said get out!!
EFFE
(moves towards him, wobbling badly.)
Honey, I don’t know what’s gotten into you but I can explain what…
CHRIS
I know what’s going on! Effe. Don’t try your lies with me! The cat is out of the bag. The game is over.
EFFE
Honey, let’s talk! Even if we should p@rt, it shouldn’t be like this. I truly love…
CHRIS
(sl@ps her hands away as she tries to t©uçh him)
Don’t t©uçh me! Keep your damn hands to yourself, woman! Get the out of my house right now!
EFFE
(voice a lost whimper now)
Chris…
CHRIS
Get out, Effe! Go away from me!! I don’t want to see your sorry face ever again. Get out before I murder you! I hate you. I curse the day I met you. Get out and leave me to my misery!
Effe turns and flees from the room, and Chris turns to his mother.
Tears spill down his face as he leans over her. There is pain on hi s face.
CHRIS
God, Mom, you’re bleeding badly. Let me get my clothes and take you to Dr. Anaman!
To be continued
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