Sister Deborah. - Season 1 - Episode 20

5 years ago

Sister Deborah. - Season 1 - Episode 20

.
.
.
Divineʼs threat didn’t make me flinch. I wasn’t perturbed in the slightest bit. To me, it was just a mere, ridiculous empty threat.

The moment she wheeled Deborah ahead of her and they both left the room, I followed suit behind them and bolted the door shut.
“What was that all about?” Timi didn’t hesitate to query me, despite Annabel’s presence in the room.

“What did it look like?” I shot back at him, clearly annoyed.

“You didn’t have to be so harsh on her like that.” Timi lowered his voice, calmly. “I don’t know what transpired between you and her, but at least if for anything, you should have been considerate enough on her condition.”

“To hell with her condition!” I retorted angrily. I had wanted to say something more out of anger until Annabel’s hands curled around my arms while she stared at me, signalling me to keep calm.

Timi didn’t utter a word afterwards. He only shook his head and sat down on the carpet, facing the direction of the television. Fatai and Hakeem imitated his action as well.

Annabel pulled me gently towards the bed where we both sat down together. She patted my shoulder softly with a warm smile, still trying to calm my nerves. Afterwards, she took out two mini-sized coolers and plates from the polythene bags she had brought along. She placed a pack of orange-flavored juice alongside too.

“Food is ready!” She smiled broadly as she dished the meal accordingly. She handed a plate to Timi but to her surprise, he rejected the meal. He got up to his feet and walked out of the room quietly.

Annabel was surprised, but nonetheless, still managed to retain her vibrant smile. She stretched the plate to Fatai instead, and his reaction was even much worse. He hissed and eyed her thoroughly with a frown before walking out of the room as well. Hakeem followed suit behind him too.

“What is wrong with your friends?” Annabel said in a mild, unhappy voice. She sounded sad and defeated.

“I don’t care what their problem is, they can’t dictate my life for me.” I responded with plain finality. She cheered up once more and smiled again, before dishing another portion of the meal into the same plate and then she spoon fed me. I spoon fed her as well and we both laughed. During the course of this, we joked, laughed and chatted as time flew by fast.
—
—
—
Later on, on that same evening, Annabel and I strolled out around campus together, hand-in-hand as we talked and walked along. She took me to a vast beautiful garden with a lake nearby, precisely ahead of it with people seated in various positions around the garden, all in pairs. She had blindfolded me all the while she led me there, until she eventually uncovered my eyes.

“You can open your eyes now.” Annabel whispered softly behind me as she removed her palms from my face. I noticed dim multi-colored bulbs lighting the atmosphere amidst the darkness. She pulled me gently as we both lay on the plain green grass, facing the stars.

“Is this the love garden?” I asked her, admiring the serene atmosphere. Annabel simply nodded in response.
“Why is it called so?” I pushed on.
“Look around you, what do you see?”
“People, of course.” I replied.
“You are wrong.” She laughed slightly. “These people are not just people, but lovers. Mostly all couples visit this place all the time. I am surprised that you aren’t familiar with this place of all places in campus.”

“With all honesty, the truth is that I rarely go out, Annie. I am more of an introvert and a nerd, so you don’t often see me out of my cave. If you hadn’t brought me here today, I probably wouldn’t have known that a place like this exists.”
“Thatʼs funny,” She laughed again, “but you obviously know where the school’s cafeteria is, don’t you?”
“Why not, who doesn’t? Of course, I do.”
Annabel laughed hysterically.
“You are such a food monger!” She pinched my nose playfully.

“We are birds of a feather then, aren’t we?” I joked and pinched her ear in return. Annabel flinched a bit and laughed.
“I haven’t seen this playful side of you before, Neche.” She confessed amidst laughter. “I really like seeing you this way.”
“Is that so?” I smiled.
“Yeah.”

“Really?” I smiled more, shifting closer to her body. We were facing each other this time around, barely inches apart.

“Yes.” Annabel responded again, keeping her eyes fixated on mine.

“Are you sure?” I touched the hem of her dress, precisely around her neck region. I could feel her heartbeat racing fast with anticipation.

In the heat of that tension-filled moment, a phone call happened to disrupt the glorious, serene flow between the both of us. I excused myself and sat up properly to answer my call. It appeared to be a video call from an unsaved number.

Hesitantly, I picked up the video call and I instantly regretted doing so.
Deborah’s face appeared on the screen, lying on her bed with tears cascading down her cheeks. She averted her gaze to the ground of the garden where Annabel lay close beside me. With one last sad glance at me, the line immediately went dead. She had cut the call without a word.

“Who was that?” Annabel asked after I lay back on the ground beside her.
“A friend of mine.” I lied. “He called to inform me that our hostel’s gate would soon be locked.”

“Oh.” Annabel pouted with a nod. “In that case, we should better get going then.” She sat up as she spoke.

“Why the rush? I am not in a hurry. Relax,” I assured her.
“Do you want to sleep outside?” Annabel laughed while pulling my hands. “Besides, it is far too late already. I suggest we sum it up and call it a day from here.”

“Youʼre probably right.” I gave up in mock surrender as I stood up to my feet. Annabel curled her hand around my arm as we walked, while I hung my arm across her shoulder.

On getting to the exit point of the love garden, Annabel halted her steps and ceased moving. She held my hands firmly and pressed her warm lips against mine, softly. I reciprocated the kiss as well.

I couldn’t decipher what it was, but something about Annabel’s eyes seemed to glint with passion after our kiss. That kiss we shared, as brief and simple as it seemed to be, could speak volumes beyond words between us.

Afterwards, we continued walking further until we arrived at the campusʼ junction where we were supposed to take a taxi to our various hostels. Annabel hugged me once more and kissed me, despite the fact that we were in public. Thereafter, I bade her farewell as she entered the taxi and the vehicle zoomed off. I chartered a taxi as well that was headed for an area around my hostel.

While seated in the cab, absentmindedly scrolling through my phone, I received a text message from a familiar number. Curiously, I clicked on the message which reads thus:
“I thought we had something genuine and true. I thought we found something pure and real. I believed we shared an inseparable, rare type of love between one another. I hoped and dreamed for a day when we would make a life-long vow between each other.
But now, my hopes and dreams have been washed down the drain. I prayed earnestly for a fateful day to come when I could call you mine, and you could as well lovingly call me yours. I vowed a pact in the deepest part of my heart to stand by you always, come rain, come shine. Funny enough, on your part, it is clearly obvious that you never really loved me from the start.

I gave you my dignity — my virginity. I lost my pride in your hands, all for the sake of love. Yet, I had a minor incident that cost me my legs temporarily, and this is how you treat me?
Whichever way, God knows best. I just want you to know that I still love you, Neche, despite all the odds.
Sleep well, my dearest love!”