WHEN LOVE JUST HAPPENS 2 : EPISODE 11 – 20
EPISODE 13
It was six in the morning, and Jeffery was still at the hospital with Erica, he had to spend the night with her as he couldn’t bear to leave her alone.
“Please I need you to go to my house and check on Jonathan, I need to be sure he is doing okay” Erica said as Jeffery stood up to take his leave.
“Alright I’ll do that on my way to work”
“No, please Jeffery I need you to go there this morning from here” Erica spoke with panic in her voice.
“Why the panic Erica, is anything the matter?”
“Nothing, I just need you to promise me, you will go check on Jonathan as you leave here”
“Alright I’ll do that now” he bent over and pecked her on her forehead “you will be fine while I’m gone yeah?”
“Don’t worry I’m a big girl”
“I’m sure mom will be here soon”
”Alright”
When Jeffery got into his car, he saw his phone lying on the driver’s seat. It must have fallen off while they were rushing to take Erica inside the hospital. And he didn’t even notice it wasn’t with him all through the night.
He unlocked it and found several missed calls from Jane, his mom, and Anita. Dele must have told his mom and Anita the situation of things, so he decided to call Jane back, first. He called severally but she wasn’t picking up. So he assumed she must be busy preparing for work.
When he got to Erica’s house, her husband was about to get into his car with their son Jonathan.
The moment Jonathan saw him, he quickly rushed and hugged his legs. “Hey big man, how are you?” Jeffery carried him up.
“Fine” the little boy replied. He seemed really quite for his usual self.
“Are you guys going out?” Jeffery asked as he walked up to the father who didn’t look too happy seeing Jeffery.
“Yes, I’m taking him to school” he replied hastily.
“But why is he not on his school uniform?”
“Daddy said we are travelling” the little boy said innocently
“You’re traveling?” Jeffery asked the father in shock. “Wait, was that a luggage I saw you putting into the car as I drove in?”
Desmond who wasn’t in the mood to answer any of Jeffery’s questions, tried to take Jonathan from his hands, but Jeffery held on to him. “Hand the boy over to me, I don’t have time for your questions” he stretched out his arms, but this time around Jeffery took a step back.
“Are you trying to run away with the boy while his mother is at the hospital?”
“He is my son and I will go wherever I choose with him, I suggest you go think of how to have yours, and stay out of other people’s business!”
“He is my nephew remember?”
“And he is my son, now hand him over, now!”
Jeffery took a few more steps backwards and dropped the boy on the ground, and when the father tried coming closer, Jeffery pushed him back, causing him to stagger.
“Jonathan run to my car, get in, and close the door” Jeffery commanded the little boy who immediately obeyed.
“Jonathan come back here!” Desmond screamed but the boy didn’t answer him, instead he did exactly what Jeffery had told him. “You think you can turn my own son against me? I suggest you hand that boy over to me if you don’t want trouble”
“The only reason my fist hasn’t made a connection with your nose yet, is because I promised my sister not to. You should be lucky I’m sticking to promise”
Jeffery turned to walk to his car, but Desmond quickly rushed to the car before him. Jeffery was quick enough to use his remote in locking the doors before Desmond got the chance to open it.
“I guess I don’t have to stick to my promise after all” he punched Desmond hard on his nose and as he staggered, Jeffery got into his car and quickly drove out of the compound.
“Jonathan, I’m sorry you had to see that, but your daddy did something bad” he turned to look at the boy who sat calmly at the back seat.
“Daddy always fight with mummy like that too” he spoke innocently.
“Your daddy be.ats your mummy?” Jeffery asked with so much shock.
“Hmmmm” the boy nodded.
Jeffery saw red, so that ba$tard not only cheated on his sister, he also be.ats her up in the presence of their son? How come he never saw any of the signs? That explains why most times Erica avoided seeing him, she always claimed she was busy. Probably she was trying to hide the bruises she sustained from his beating.
Jeffery had to park by the roadside to avoid him from crashing into something, for he was so angry. After a while, he decided to call his mother. “Hello mummy, good morning ma”
“Good morning my dear, have you seen Jonathan?”
“Yes, he is with me. Are you at the hospital already?”
”Yes I am with your sister”
”How is she doing?”
“She is fine, are you taking Jonathan home with you?”
“Yes I am, tell Erica when I come, we all need to talk. I will be there soon”
Jeffery decided to drive to his house and have a shower and change his clothes before returning to the hospital. All his meetings for the day would have to be handled by his manager. He kept calling Jane on his way home but she wasn’t picking up still.
“Please pick up” he muttered as he drove, he really needed someone to calm him down and she usually knows how to.
When Jeffery got to his gate, he found it wide open. “I’m really going to have a talk with this gateman of mine, I have warned him not to leave my gate wide open for no reason”
As he drove in, he noticed the estate security in his compound. He was still wondering what they could be doing in his compound, when he saw his housekeeper coming out of the house with tears in her eyes. He quickly parked, got down, and opened the door for Jonathan to get down too.
“Mama Martha, what is the problem?”
“Sir, there has been a situation” she cried as she spoke.
“What is the situation, and why are you crying?”
“The gateman was attacked”
“What? how? What are you talking about?”
“I came in this morning to find the gateman on the floor, he was bIeeding on the head, then I tried waking him up but when he wouldn’t responding, I decided to go call you or Miss Jane from inside, but I noticed the door was wide open and none of you were inside. That was when I called the estate security”
Jeffery looked down to find blood stains on the interlocking stones. He quickly carried Jonathan and rushed into the house calling Jane’s name but she wasn’t there, instead he met two estate securities looking around in his sitting room.
“What are you people doing here? And where is my fiancée?”
“she was not here when I came in” his housekeeper said from behind him.
“We have taken your gateman to the hospital, he should be able to tell us what happened when he regains consciousness” one of the estate security said.
“But meanwhile, we think you should inform the police about this” The second security man said.
Jeffery slumped tiredly on the couch, not hearing any other thing that was being said to him. What has he done wrong? Whom has he offended? Why can’t he just have a moment of happiness without anything coming to cut it short?
“Mr. Jeffery can you hear me?” His housekeeper asked, after the security men had left.
“What was it you were saying?” He asked with a hoarse voice.
“I asked if you would like me to call the police?” she looked pitifully at him.
“No don’t worry, I will do that myself, kindly take my nephew and prepare him breakfast. I need to make a few calls” he handed Martha the little boy who was busy playing with the TV remote, oblivious of what was happening.
Jeffery went upstairs and searched the whole house, but neither Jane nor Amaka were inside. He saw that everything was intact, not even a pin was missing. So this was clearly a case of abduction and not theft. He decided to call Anita and her husband.
”Hello Jeffery, I was trying to call you last night to know how Erica was doing” came Anita’s small voice.Chaos
”Sorry I forgot my phone in the car, did Jane and Amaka follow you guys home after we left?”
”No, we left them at your house. What happened?”
”They are missing”
”Missing how? have you called their phones?”
”I found both of their phones on the floor of my sitting room, when I came in”
”Jesus Christ! what is this now?”
”I will call you back” Jeffery ended the call and decided to ring up Black.
“Hello boss, have you thought of hiring me back?” He asked with a smile on his voice.
“I thought you confirmed Timothy and his men were truly dead?” Jeffery went straight to the point, he clearly wasn’t in the mood for jokes.
“Yes I did”
“Did you go back there after we were gone?”
“Yes I did, I even set the place up on fire with the bodies in it, the next day. Why?”
“it seems like Jane has been kidnapped!”
“What?”
“Yes, and this time it’s with her friend”
“But how could that have happened? Who could be behind her kidnap this time?” Black asked.
“I don’t know, if you say Timothy is truly dead, then I don’t know who could have kidnapped them” Jeffery was clearly exhausted from all that is happening to him and his family.
Just this time yesterday, he was helping Jane and Amaka prepare for their get-together and now they have been kidnapped.
“I think you should inform the police sir, as I don’t think this is linked to Mr. Okafor’s son”
“Yeah, I will do that right away”
“Let me know if you need me”
“I will, thanks Black” immediately Jeffery ended the call with Black, he decided to call the police and report the case to them. Few minutes later the police were at his house to search for any trace of the kidnapper and also to take his statement and that of his housekeeper.
“I noticed you have a surveillance camera outside?” One of the Police officers asked.
“Yes, it’s right at the front door and at the gate and there’s also one at the pool area”
“Do you mind if we collect the footages and go through them? One of them might have captured the kidnappers face”
“Yeah sure, I will hand over to you”
WHEN LOVE JUST HAPPENS 2 : EPISODE 11 – 20
After the police officers had left with the promise of coming back in the evening, Jeffery decided to drop Jonathan off at Anita and Michael’s place before heading back to the hospital.
”I don’t get any of these, what exactly is going on? how can things just move from 100 to a 0 in barely 24hours? who have we offended?” Anita lamented after Jeffery had told her all about Erica’s health issue, her divorce and then Jane and Amaka’s kidnap.
”I really don’t understand it myself, but I do know things are going to turn around for good” Jeffery got up to leave, he needed to see Erica and have a chat with her. He was really trying hard to not have a breakdown. The thought of Jane being out there with some total stranger, who might be causing her harm, is almost driving him mad. He has checked his phone over thirty times in the last one hour, hoping to get a message or a call from the kidnapper.
”I will need you to look after Jonathan. Please on no account should you let him out of your sight, there is no telling with what Desmond can do”
”I won’t, do tell Erica I will come over to see her later this evening”
”She will hear”
When Jeffery got to the hospital, his mother was with Erica’s in her private ward.
“Erica we need to talk” he said to her after he had greeted his mother.
“Where is Jonathan?” Erica asked as she tried sitting up with her mother’s assistance.
“He is with Anita, why didn’t you tell me Desmond was physically abusing you?” The moment the words left his mouth, he started regretting it for the look on his sister’s face was that of both shock, and embarrassment. For it was evident she didn’t want their mother to know.
”I’m sorry” Jeffery mumbled under his breath.
“Desmond beats you?” Her mother asked in disbelief “how come you never told us?”
“How did you know about it?” Erica directed to Jeffery who was already walking back and forth in anger.
“From your three year old son! Erica that boy thinks Desmond beating you up, is some type of play! Was that the lie you must have told him to cover up for his loser of a father? what type of kid do you want to raise? A woman beater just like…”
“You have no right to judge me!” Erica cried out
“I’m not judging you, I’m just disappointed that you condoled it and…”
“Enough the both you” their mother cautioned. “Jeffery I won’t have you raise your voice at your elder sister, apologize immediately”
“I’m sorry Erica, but..”
“No buts, stop that pacing and take a sit” Jeffery immediately obeyed his mother and sat down on one of the plastic chairs in the room.
“Erica for how long has your husband been physically abusing you?” Their mother asked calmly.
“For three years now”
“Desmond has been physically abusing you for three years now and you kept quiet about it?”
“What was I supposed to do mother? You all saw him as the perfect son in-law!” Tears were already rolling down Erica’s cheeks. ”How could I have come back just barely a year after my wedding, to complain to you that my husband was abusive?”
“You were supposed to tell us, we are your family Erica, that bastard did what he did because you never said anything to anyone, he felt he could get away with it” seeing his sister cry, makes him just want to look for that excuse of a man and beat him.
“You would never understand what’s it’s like to have everyone look up to you, you have no idea what it’s like to be the first daughter, perfection is expected from you. Everyone looks up to me Jeffery, including you. Anita calls me for advice almost every time she has a fight with her husband, because she believes my home is running smoothly. Then there is you and Dele who always call us the power couple, you guys idolize my marriage, how was I supposed to come out and say; that same marriage is a failure?”
“But my dear I never asked you to be perfect, no one is perfect, why would you choose to sacrifice your own happiness just so others won’t be disappointed?” her mother said with tears in her eyes.
Jeffery who could not take seeing his mother and sister cry, decided to excuse himself.
”Jeffery please don’t go and do something stupid” his mother pleaded.
”mummy I’m not leaving, I just want to get some fresh air” he closed the door behind him as he left.
”Mummy remember you used to tell me when I was much younger, that divorce is a sin? You always said God hates divorce. I was only trying to live by the principle you thought me. I didn’t want to anger God, I didn’t want to disappoint you. You and dad are respected elders in the church, what will people say when they found out your daughter divorced her husband? these were the things that held me back from telling you or taking any action against Desmond all these while”
”Who cares about what people thinks? They can think whatever they want I don’t care. I’m so sorry I gave you a wrong notion about marriage” her mother wept as she spoke.
”No mother you don’t have to apologize, you didn’t force me to stay, I chose to, thinking probably he might change even when he was cheating on me”
“He is cheating on you too? Ha egbami… (Meaning ‘help me’ in yoruba) I’m finished, you are leaving that marriage”
“I already filed for a divorce”
“Erica my dear daughter, you need not remain in an abusive marriage because of what people will say, people will surely talk no matter what you do. Divorced or not, you are still my beautiful daughter whom I love so much, I don’t want you to ever think less of that”
“I’m sorry I never said anything mom, I just didn’t want you or Dad to be disappointed”
“It’s fine my dear, we will pull through this together” her mother got up and hugged her as she sat on the bed.
“He threatened to take Jonathan away from me, if I tell the court or anyone that he is abusive”
“Leave him to me, he doesn’t know the family he is messing with. By the time I am through with him, he will regret ever laying a finger on my daughter. You just focus on getting better, I will handle him”
Jeffery was out trying to clear his lungs, while taking a walk within the hospital premises, when Dele drove in.
”Hey bro, what’s up?” Dele greeted as he got down from his car. “What is this I’m hearing about Jane and Amaka?” Jeffery could see Dele was really pained by the news of Amaka’s kidnap, even if he was trying to hide it.
”I’m confused myself bro”
”Is there anyone you are suspecting?”
”I can’t say, I have been racking my brain to think of someone who could or would want to do this to me, but I haven’t been able to come up with any name”
Dele folded his arms and leaned against his car as he tried to think. ”And you haven’t received any call from the kidnappers yet?”
”No I haven’t”
”This is serious, what of Erica how is she doing? I have news about her husband”
”She is fine, what news?”
”A friend of mine who works at the Canadian embassy contacted me earlier today to say Desmond was at that their office sometime last week, asking for how he can seek asylum in Canada”
”What? What for?”
”He is saying his life is under threat. His wife’s family are after his life and that he needs protection, he also said he was being physically abused by his wife”
”So that was why he was trying to run away with Jonathan this morning, now I understand”
”Exactly, his plan was to take the boy with him and then seek for asylum in Canada, and none of us would have access to him nor the boy” Dele explained.
”How come none of us ever knew this guy was this heartless?”
”We need to protect Jonathan from that man at all cost”
WHEN LOVE JUST HAPPENS 2 : EPISODE 11 – 20
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