Playing The Piper - III

We have been running for what seems like an hour, with no sense of direction. At least we made it out of the house alive, after dodging bullets from both men, I was not about to die from running out of breath.

It was a miracle that we both left the apartment unscarred and I was curious to know what

Cynthia meant when she said the other James. So I had to look for a shaded spot with as much dim light as possible. “A mechanic workshop! Perfect”

I pulled Cynthia with me towards the thatched made building which looked like a perfect hideout spot. 

“it’s James, Angie your nemesis has finally caught up with you” Cynthia was saying as she gasps for breath. “it’s been James all along, your beloved James has been acting out a script with you. He was paid to be with you Angie”

This is the last thing I wanted, but if Cynthia does not get to the point, I might lash out on her. She must have noticed my countenance“better find a way to freeze that boiling blood of yours o, this is definitely not the time” her voice was getting too loud and I was already getting scared of being caught, so I told her to keep her voice low. 

Something strange caught my eyes suddenly before I could act, James showed up pointing a gun directly at Cynthia “I am with the gun now babe, move and she dies”

I could not see him clearly but I could tell he meant every word by the tone in his voice.

This is James, my James and not some stranger, he won’t do it. So I moved close to him, then directed his hands to point the gun at me “there, now pull the trigger, and try not to miss okay, cuz if you do…”

“Angie, are you losing it or what” Cynthia screamed at me, then turned to James “we can come to some kind of terms” James was about o reply when we heard a gunshot “the only terms are; you and your evil twin saying your last words” 

How did I not recognize that voice and that smell? He wears that odour like a cologne, smelling like a rotten pumpkin leave. The nerve of this guy, how did he get out of Kirikiri, I thought Barr. Kome said he will be there for 3yrs, damn this country and justice system.

“Don’t frown, my dear, your Lawyer did a good job but when money speaks, power listens. I never had intentions of showing up in your life trust me or you know what? I did” the more James aka Mr Agbada spoke the more enraged I felt.

He had a gun alright but all I see is a monkey with banana. “Cut to the chase and stop the blabbing, we don’t have all night, I need to get some sleep” Cynthia gave me that ‘this woman is impossible’ look as I spoke.

 “And the shrew has refused taming, Okon what did I pay you for, I see you didn’t tame her after all” while he spoke, he aimed his gun and took a shot. I felt every hit from the gun then gave out a loud yelp and fell while crying and holding on to my bleeding leg. 

Cynthia made a move to run to me but was tackled and she also fell on her knees, “now we are getting somewhere” James said waving the gun at both of us. This is going to be a long night and it seems things are going to get a lot uglier than I thought.

“Before I get rid of both of you, allow me to introduce my gardener Okon, come here boy, say hello. Oh wait, you have already said more than hello hey” He was winking at my James or Okon; I have no idea who this imposter is, while he spoke.

I was bleeding profusely and in too much pain to comprehend the scene playing before me or am I loosing too much blood and hallucinating? “oh, you didn’t think you will get away with it, do you? You had no tiny bit idea who you smashed a bottle on or whom you embarrassed in public or the countless men you have done the same with. No one gets away with publicly making me a nincompoop; the humiliation was just too much” 

I can tell he was hurt from his voice but I was physically hurting more “you talk too much James, I wonder how I lasted long on that date, get over yourself and quit the nagging, if you want to shoot then get on with it or find a way to make me stop bleeding” 

I must have sounded nonchalant or something but no one said anything afterwards until James or Okon or whatever his name was spoke “James, this was not meant to act out this way, you should have stuck to the plan”

“Just shut up, every single word coming out of those lips sound stupid, this whole issue would have been over months ago, but your greedy, poverty-stricken life will not let you play your own part” James replied with as much venom in his words.

“I did everything you asked, most importantly I made her fall in love with me, we just needed to make her wretched, that was why I bought Sugammadex from Kamzi. It was meant to cause paralysis or stroke but you just had to ruin it with your impatience”.

Make me wretched? My James wants me wretched, his words seem more hurtful than the bullet wound. Damn this dim light, I wished I could see those eyes while he spoke, I wish he could look at me and tell me he never meant those words. 

“How you take me for a fool Okon, chai, Sugammadex is for temporary paralysis, even empty-headed people knows this” James sounded so irritated, he might have as well spit the words out of his mouth. 

The argument between them continued, while I nurse my wound and I seem to lose a lot of blood. Cynthia moved towards me and helped tie a piece of cloth; she must have torn from her shirt, around my bullet wound.

It seems these buffoons have totally forgotten our presence as they continued their heated argument. Cynthia whispered that we should sneak out but my leg won’t let me. She decided to go get help and leave me behind while the other two were oblivious to everything but the back and forth argument between them.

Cynthia was only gone for a minute when the argument ended abruptly. I saw James look around the screamed “find her! And shoot her this time or I’ll do it myself”. Okon scouted off to find Cynthia while I lay there pretending to have passed out.

He booted me but I did not bulge, then he felt my pulse and cursed when he noticed I was still alive. I prayed desperately for my friend’s safety “this was all my fault” I thought to myself “please save her God and I will be nicer, a lot nicer no more bad temper please God keep her safe” my inner self kept saying. 

I just have to do something, laying here like a coward won’t help issues. “James, I am so sorry for everything, you don’t have to do this, please forgive me, don’t punish anyone for my sake” those were the only words I could utter.

For the first time in a long time, I felt emotions building up and suddenly hot tears began to drop from my eyes. I wasn’t crying from the bullet wounds but from fear that I was about to lose the only one I call family also, the one my heart beats for, because of my terrible temper. 

“I am so so sorry James, this was never me. I was better than this, but going through life where you lose people that matters to you can change you. I had a complete family once, they meant the world to me, we were one big happy family before tragedy struck. My family take out time to travel to any country of our choice every year. But on that said year, I was handling a project and could not make the vacay. I never knew it was the last time I will spend with them. My dad, mum and my amazing beautiful sisters never made it back. James, you have no idea what it is like to lose everyone that meant the world to you” 

I have not told this story before, but speaking to James, brought every memory back, I felt a heavy weight being lifted off me and I wanted to share more. The more I spoke, the more I wept. James just stood and listened without saying a word, he kept listening while I poured out my heart. 

What happened next was so astonishing or should I say I wanted it. I saw his silhouette moving close then wrapped his arms around me saying “let it out Angie, it's fine, just let it out” while he spoke, a movement from the entrance caught my eyes, it was Cynthia and Okon. “Please James don’t hurt her, Cynthia is all I have left in this world” 

while I spoke, she came close then whispered “it’s going to be okay Angie, it's okay now” then she turned to James and told him to let me go. I was confused by the scene playing before me so I demanded an explanation.

“In due time, we will explain but first let us get you to the hospital before you bleed to death, shooting you was not part of the plan but I needed to make it look real,” James said.

Wait what? I looked from Cynthia to Okon then back to Cynthia, I couldn’t tell the look on there faces since it wasn’t bright enough then I heard the sound of an ambulance.

Opening my eyes, a different atmosphere presented itself, I must have passed out, I thought. The pain on my leg has subsided and I noticed a bandage, great! Drip and hospitals; two words I avoid. 

Memories of what happened in the past few hours began to surface making my head hurt. Then I recall Cynthia in danger then telling me “it's okay”, standing up abruptly from the bed and almost wrenching the catheter from my arm. 

“Easy dear, don’t hurt yourself” Seated right beside me was Okon, offering a helping hand. I was too weak to reject, while he was helping he get comfortable, Cynthia and James walked “sleeping beauty awakes” she said smiling “I know we have a lot to talk about but first take all the time you need” she said with glee. 

I gave her that 'you better start talking' look and made myself more comfortable to comprehend the story behind all this charade. 

“I was worried about you Angie, all I wanted was to help you but knowing the angle to use in getting you off that shell and breaking those shield that you have created around you is never as easy as one will think. I needed something extreme” she began, looking serious than usual. 

“I had to do something. I met James at an auction, we became friends so I told him about you” she said this smiling at him. “we came up with a plan, starting with the dinner; that ended so badly or should I say, ended the way we wanted it to” 

Everyone of laughed when she said this but it wasn’t funny to me and I must have given that look. “Angie it was actually funny. Thank goodness he did not sustain any injury. Yeah, Barr Kome played his part too. I know you so well, so it wasn’t difficult getting Okon, ‘he is not a gardener, by the way, he works with Chams as project manager’ it was easy getting him to show up at the appropriate location. The rape scene was acted, we wanted you to see everything. It was all a charade, Angie, everything played out as planned. At the balcony, when we decided to get an apartment, Okon suggested we hurry up and end the game because he had falling for you and was not comfortable lying to you, he even threatened to tell you everything, but my aim had not been achieved and seeing that he cared deeply about you, I had to make everything play out fast before all my effort will be in vain. Be mad at me Angie, hate me for all I care but I can’t watch you exist, you need to be happy, matter of fact, you deserve to be happy. Watching you cry for the first time in a long time last night made me feel fulfilled. I love you so much Angie and this was the best way for me to show it”. 

I was bewildered while listening to Cynthia, it all seemed unbelievable. She was still talking or someone else, but their voices sounded so far away, then I heard Okon say “but you and I was real. At first, I was acting out a script but eventually, it became real. I couldn’t act anymore Angie”. 

Although I was still processing every word, I needed to know, so I asked James “why the rotten pumpkin smell and most importantly why on earth did you shoot me”. His reply was “the smell was all her idea, it was meant to aggravate your temper as for the shooting part, that was a mistake on my part, it was a rubber bullet tho but I am so sorry for the mistake, I was supposed to aim someplace else but it was just too dark, Cynthia picked the wrong hideout spot”. 

I told them I needed to be left alone, Cynthia looked at me, held my hands so tenderly then pecked me on the forehead and led others out of the ward.

I thought about the whole drama, only a true friend will go the extra mile to see to the need of others. 

Replaying the images of the last couple of months in my head, I began to wonder why I never suspected that I was the pawn in a chess, it all seems funny all of a sudden and I find myself laughing; a real laughter free of all the weight of the loss I have endured, but instead, filled with happiness and promise of the future that seems so bright and right this time, who best to share this moment with than the very soul that has made it a reality. I reached for my phone and dialled Cynthia’s number “thank you and please tell Okon to come take me to our home, where I belong. Before I forget, pls tell James to enjoy the use of his legs for now” those were the only words I could utter as I drift off to a sound peaceful sleep.

*The End*