HEART OF GOLD
EPISODE 9
Liz looked at her friend in disbelief, unable to comprehend what her friend was saying.
Ann: “why are you looking at me like that without saying anything? What is happening?” she asked.
Liz: “because I don’t have anything to say apart from telling you that you have malaria. Yes, you should get some malaria medications to take” she mocked.
Ann: “why? What is that supposed to mean now?”
Liz: “what is that not supposed to mean? Did you listen to yourself at all? How can you even think that Frank has a hand in what happened to me? Haba now” she said.
Ann: “is that why you would say I have malaria? Okay, how else can you explain the fact that I saw him with a shirt that your r@pist wore and then when I asked him about it, I saw him getting all nervous?”
Liz: “I am sure that he was surprised that you could even think of him in that light and that was why he was nervous. So because you saw him with the type of the shirt the person who r@ped me wore is enough reason to label him a r@pist? Is he the only one that can have such shirts on this campus?”
Ann: “I am only saying that Frank may have something to hide. Remember that you told me that he discouraged you from going to the police, I am still wondering why he is afraid of you going to the police” she said.
Liz: “that is because he is my boyfriend and doesn’t want people to know that I was once r@ped. There is nothing strange about that, I understand perfectly”
Ann: “but…” she said but her friend interrupted her.
Liz: “don’t worry, Frank is innocent. I am sure you are just imagining things. You are the one who said it was very dark and the bright torches on our faces didn’t allow you see anything the day I was r@ped. Now you are saying you saw the shirt the r@pist wore, you are contradicting yourself and it doesn’t add up. Thank you, ma”
Ann: “well, since you will not believe me, I guess I should be on my way to the library then” she said getting up.
Liz: “okay, read well o”
Ann: “are you not coming along?” she asked turning around.
Liz: “I am waiting for Frank, we will come together” she said.
Ann: “Frank again?” she heard herself ask.
Liz: “yes, what exactly is it that you have against my boyfriend? See the way you reacted when I called his name” she said getting worked up.
Ann: “like seriously? You are asking me what I have against your boyfriend? As if I don’t have my own boyfriend? Abeg see you later jare, I don’t know what you are talking about”
After the encounter with Ann, Frank rushed through his washing and went to visit Liz in her apartment. He knew that he had to do something fast before Ann convinced her to start suspecting him. Liz was getting dressed when Frank knocked.
Liz: “hi baby, I have been expecting you since. You know we have to read for at least 3 hours today right?”
Frank: “I know, I was held up with something that left me weak earlier during the day”, he said.
Liz: “Something like what?”
Frank: “don’t worry, I don’t think I should bother you with that” he said, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.
Liz: “ehn? What is it that you don’t want to tell me? I hope it is not what I am thinking o” she said sitting beside him.
Frank: “what are you thinking?” he asked with his heart beating widedly.
Liz: “you said that you did something that left you weak, I hope you were not with another woman. Don’t allow me hear that you are cheating on me o” she said.
Frank: “will you believe if someone tells you that I am cheating on you?” he asked her.
Liz: “why won’t I believe? Shebi you are a man? How many men stick to one girl? Don’t just allow me catch you o if not blood will flow” she threatened.
“Ah, let me confess then o, I have never seen you threaten to spill blood like this and so I know you are not joking”
Liz: “confess o” she said with peaked interest.
Frank: “I was with your friend Ann earlier today” he said
“what! You were with my friend as how? I don’t understand that” Liz remarked.
Frank: “I was in my room earlier today when Ann walked in. I asked what she was doing and she told me that she came to collect her textbook from her friend who just moved into the compound” he said and paused for effects.
“Yes, I know about the friend who moved into your compound yesterday. Go ahead” Liz urged.
Frank: “I saw the textbook in her hand and I expected her to leave immediately but she said she needed to rest a little. So, I lay on the bed and then started dozing. Next thing, I felt someone’s hand on my g—n, when I opened my eyes, I saw that Ann was n@ked and was trying to seduce me. I screamed and asked her to leave my room but she said I must make love to her the way I have been making to you after all the two of you are friends who share lots of things. I refused and then walked out of the room and started washing my clothes outside. When she saw that I was not willing to return to the room, she came out and met me there and begged me not to tell you what happened. I told her that I would have to tell you because I don’t keep anything away from you. That was when she said the shirt that I was washing would be used to implicate me. I don’t know what she meant by that” he lied so innocently and smoothly that Liz couldn’t help but feel pity for him.
Liz: “What! This is so unbelievable. Is this what girls do to each other? I have heard several cases of girls seducing their friend’s men before but I never imagined that it could happen to me. Can you believe that Ann was here to tell me that she saw you with the same shirt that the guy who r@ped me wore on the day the incidence happened?” she asked him.
Frank: “She said so? No wonder”
“no wonder what?” Liz asked.
Frank: “no wonder she said the shirt I was washing would implicate me, I now understand what she meant by that statement”
Liz: “ah, Ann is such a great pretender. So, she wanted to cause problems between us so that she can have you all to herself, ah! Girls are wicked”
Frank: “I hope you don’t believe any of the lies she said about me?” he asked anxiously.
Liz: “how will I believe it when I am not stupid? That Ann, she ceases to be my friend this minute” she said .
Frank: “I think you should take it easy with her. And about the guys who r@ped you, I just found out that they are not from this institution. I was reliably informed that you were not the only one who was r@ped that day. Several other female students on their way to their hostels were r@ped but nobody wants to talk about it because of the shame and stigma associated with it. So you see that you made the right decision by not going to the Police right?”
Liz nodded. She was engulfed in thinking of a way to deal with Ann for trying to set her up against her boyfriend.
============
The transplant was postponed for 4 days and on the fourth day, the doctors certified Declan fit to be taken to the theatre. As he was being wheeled away, he held on to his wife’s hands.
Declan: “pray for me and stay strong for me, okay?”
Stacey: “I am praying and I will continue to pray until the procedure is concluded. I love you so much my baby” she said to him with tears in her eyes.
Declan: “whatever happens, whatever be the outcome of the surgery, just know that I love you and I will always do. If paradventure I don’t return alive, please take care of my unborn baby and tell him or her that I had to do what I did because of the love I have for my father” she said.
Stacey: “you will come out alive. Nothing shall happen to you in that theatre, you will come out stronger than you are going in. Please come back alive for us, I cannot live without you. I need you and so does our unborn baby” she said touching her stomach.
Declan k!ssed her tummy and waved her off. As he was being wheeled away, she noticed that he was shedding tears. She sat down on the seats provided and began to weep too.
Her mother in law who was happy that the transplant was finally taking place came close and wrapped her arms around her shoulder.
Mrs Ogar: “don’t worry, your husband will be fine” she said.
Stacey: “Are you sure? I am afraid that something terrible may happen to him in there” she let out her fears.
Mrs Ogar: “Trust me, he will be fine. This hospital is very good and so are their doctors so you have nothing to worry about” she assured her.
Stacey: “thank you mum” she heard herself say.
Mrs Ogar: “I saw you touching your stomach fondly and I saw him k!ssing it shortly before he was wheeled away. Is anything in there yet?”
Stacey smiled as she felt proud that she had conceived for her husband in about three months after marriage.
Stacey: yes ma, I am 7 weeks gone” she said.
Mrs Ogar: “wow! Good news. It calls for some celebration which we will do after our husbands recover. The doctors said the surgery will take up to 8 hours, we cannot sit here and wait for that long. Let us go to the clinic cafeteria and relax there a little” she said and led her daughter in law away.
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