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Saturday 26 September 2015

BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS...EPISODE SEVEN (7)


Ellen wanted to scream out for help but her screams were muffled by one of her captors. She began to get scared of what might happen to her in the minutes to follow. Goose pimples riddled her already dry skin and in that moment, all she could think of and all that came to mind was a song her father used to sing for her when she was growing up as a toddler to calm her down. The first guy she helped with the luggage started to undress, he took of his T-shirt leaving on only his undershirt and trousers. At this point, Ellen could only guess what that gesture meant. She remembered watching TV with grandpa when a man and a young woman were in a room together and the man took off his shirt. Immediately that happened, her grandpa asked her to quickly go into the kitchen to fetch him a glass of water. When she returned, the T.V channel had been changed and she never saw what became of the two of them. Tear drops started running down Ellen’s cheeks. “I am not going to see daddy and grandpa again”, she wondered. “What are these men trying to do to me?” “We live in such a cruel world”. “You help someone and they pay you back with pain and sorrow, when you refuse to help, you are branded as being pompous”. So is it right to help or not to help?”, Ellen wondered as she looked up at the two men walking up to the window to look through it. The man who entered after Ellen became alarmed and exclaimed, “Joseph, someone is coming”. “I thought you said all your co-tenants were out of the house.” At this time, Joseph run to the window to see who it was. It was one of his loud-mouthed co-tenants she was rushing toward his door. When she got there, she banged loudly on the door, “Joe, open this door”, she shouted. “Ever since children started getting raped in the neighbourhood, I suspected you because the way and manner in which you keep luring little girls into your room was unusual”. “I have been keeping a close eye on you and today you have reached your waterloo”. I was watching you through my window and I saw the little girl who just entered the room”. “You better open this door right now”. As the lady spoke, the urgency with which she spoke attracted the attention of a small crowd of passers-by standing outside. “What are we going to do now?”, the second guy asked Joseph. Now, Joseph started getting scared and knew that the crowd was going to lynch them should they open the door. To their surprise, and with the little bit of strength left within her, Ellen began screaming loudly to attract the attention of the crowd that had gathered outside. The screams enraged the crowd –now-turned-mob to break down the door and went in to rescue Ellen. The two kidnappers received sound beatings and had it not been for the usually late but timely interventions of the police, the two men would have been beaten to death.  Erica had realized that it was getting late and Ellen had not still been home. She began getting worried and enquired from her other co-tenants if they had seen her around the house. When she received a negative feedback, she decided to call David to find out if per chance, Ellen had changed her mind and rather wanted to spend that particular weekend with him. When David answered the call, Erica blasted off, “At least show me some respect and recognition as the mother of the daughter you are so proud of”. “If you know you don’t want her to come here, why can’t you just inform me?” “I hate being left in the dark”. “For whatever it’s worth, I am her mother and I deserve some privileges too”. “Dave, won’t you say something?”, Erica queried. “I am at a loss for words right now”. “I was just about to call you to ask you to take Ellen to the salon tomorrow morning and you call me to ask me these questions?” “Erica, where is my daughter because she is not here with me”, David asked in a cold tone. “She is not here, David”, Erica said with a trembling voice. David immediately hang up the line and in approximately five minutes, he called Erica back. “I just spoke to my dad and he says Ellen has not been to the house”. “The last place we all agreed that she was going to be today was at your place”. “Erica, you better find my baby before I get there”. “I am on my way”, David said and hang up the phone. Erica stepped out of the house only with her brassiere on and a cloth wrapped around her waist. As she stepped out, she saw a group of people accompanying Ellen toward the direction of her house. “Please she is my daughter” Erica said as she rushed to meet the angry-looking crowd. “What has she done to you people?”, Erica asked, examining her daughter for possible bruises. “We just saved her from being raped by two men”, one of the women in the crowd said. Ellen appeared visible shaken at her near-death ordeal. She could not speak for a long time. Erica could not thank the crowd enough and promised to get them a handsome prize when Ellen’s father arrived. When David arrived, he was looking unkempt probably due to the thought of having to losing his only beloved daughter. He thanked the crowd and doled out some money to the leader of the delegation that saved Ellen from the hands of the kidnappers. David decided to keep a close eye on Ellen and never wanted such an incident to ever happen again so he never allowed Ellen to visit her mother over the weekend but gave her mother the privilege of coming to see her anytime she wanted. Soon, Ellen had grown into a beautiful young lady and was about entering the university. She had stayed with her father all her life and was now about to face life alone in the university. She wished that her father would move into school with her but that was not to be. Ellen left for school but was always chatting with her father so much so that her roommates thought that they were dating. She found comfort in her school, lectures, roommates and Collins; a student she met on her campus. Soon, Collins’ company replaced that of her dad’s and she began to break away from her dad’s tight hold on her. She began to love school and more especially, Collins. He was her first love and she could not get enough of him. She always wanted to be in his arms and always wanted him to pamper her. Sometimes, she feigned sickness just to feel the warmth and loving care only Collins could give her. On one of the nights that David spoke to Ellen, he was on his way home. He drove past the old place where Fred lived with his parents. Fred had built a plush house for his parents and siblings and they had moved from their old house. He parked his car there for a while and reminisced on the good times that he shared with Fred on that same street when they were growing up as children. “Fred has done well for himself”, David thought to himself. He sent him a message and Fred replied instantly with a phone call. Fred told David that he had wanted to surprise all of them but since he was more than a brother to him, he informed him that he had intentions of coming home to establish a business. David was elated at the news and could not wait for the moment when he could finally reunite with Fred. “How could you keep such a thing from me?”, David asked, trying to supress his joy. “I just can’t wait to see you again, Fred”, David said. “Just promise me that you are going to keep it to yourself for now”, Fred begged. “I want to organise a surprise party for everyone, except you of course”, Fred added “That would be splendid”, David replied. David wished Fred well and hang up the phone. He parked in front of his gate and had to open the gate himself since his father was now old and might be asleep by then considering how late it was. Immediately he got out of the car, two masked men wielding cutlasses rushed unto him and pinned him to the car. “Take the car and the phone”, David spoke trembling. “I don’t have any money now but we can work something out please”, David added, fearing for his dear life. One of the assailants laughed and asked, “You think it is going to be that easy?” “You just don’t want to listen and we would show you how to”. Immediately he said that, he swung the cutlass at David’s chest and it cut wide open with blood gushing out with full force. The other assailant hit David on the head with the cutlass and cut off one of his fingers and placed it in David’s pocket. “This would teach you to keep your hands to yourself and not use it in taking off the panties of married women. That being said, the assailants pushed David to the ground and left him to his fate…. More soon. MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND THIS IS STILL “BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS”. STAY TUNED. RANDOM AFRICAN THOUGHTS ©.     MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com

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