False Pretense Episode 63

“ Mom, how could you? You went too far, you know it, now just look at what you caused.” Jeje had had enough of her mother and she was finally letting her know what she’d had on her mind since two weeks back at the hospital when she’d heard the accusation Ise had thrown at their mother. Things had gone downhill from then, Ise hadn’t been to the house since, he’d been living in the penthouse suite at Transcorp Hilton, with strict orders to anyone.

She wasn’t shocked at his attitude, it was typical Ise behaviour to take off and hide or hibernate somewhere when he was really upset. Her brother avoided human interaction whenever he needed to think or was really upset. She understood him and allowed him his space but it was Kite who had shocked her, She had just up and disappeared from the hospital that same evening and couldn’t be found anywhere. Jeje wondered how she’d done it, how she’d pulled that kind of disappearing act on them. Jeje had tried tracking her down but hadn’t been successful, she was no longer at the address she’d stated on her employee details. Her friend Lucky had sworn that she had no idea where Kite was, they’d talked on the phone but she hadn’t disclosed the details to where she was staying. Jeje wondered how she was managing on her own with the sprained foot and the ordeal she’d just returned from.

“This your meddling mom, look what you caused.” Jeje continued at her mother who was silently sitting on the sofa in the lounge of her suite of rooms “I’ve kept quiet for the past two weeks but I can’t keep living with all this on my mind, I know you are my mother but… I have to say, I’m seriously disappointed, because even for you, this is a new low.”

“Jeje!” Her mom gasped

“Yes mom, it’s the truth, I’m letting you know how it is! Offering a girl money to stay away from your son is not only insulting, but it’s dirty mom, dirty!” She shook her head at her “I would never have believed you could be that dirty, mom.”

“I…” Her mother tried speaking “I thought she was just after the money.”

“Okay, and what if she was? Is it any of your business, your son is a grown man, if he wants to date a retired prostitute, it’s his damn decision, not yours!”

“I.. I couldn’t have sat back and watched him make a mistake.”

“Yeah, and look now where that has gotten you… gotten all of us….I’ve seen Ise mom, he’s not doing too good. Eventually he would get over it but he might never forgive you for this, you know how he is, you just might have lost him…..you just might have lost the son you care so much about! The only way this can turn around for you is if you fix it, you have to fix it, mom.”

“And do you think I haven’t tried?” her mom asked her back “You think I enjoy that Ise will not step into his house? I have made enquiries as to where the girl used to stay but I learnt from her friend that she’s not there anymore. There’s no way to get in touch with her so I just thought I would wait, she still has her things here, sooner or later, she will show up and that’s what I’m waiting for.”

“And if she shows up, what then happens?” Jeje asked watching her mother

“I will beg her to reconsider, I will let her know that I was wrong to….to do what I did, it was shameful and I was desperate, I will do anything I can, Jeje. I’m afraid that Ise will hate me forever, I remember how he looked at me, like I was some creature from hell…. It haunts me, even your father is very angry with me right now … but what can I do? I can’t find her, and I have really tried.” Her voice shook with emotion and Jeje was moved. The woman was obviously troubled, her mother was as strong as steel when it comes to showing emotion, she had never seen her mother cry but Jeje could see the cracks. The woman was barely holding herself together, she decided to cut her a little slack. Jeje sighed, determination lighting up a fire within her, she would find Kite, come hail or high water, even if it meant driving round Abuja. She would go back to Kite’s friend,Lucky’s place, crawl, beg, and even sell her soul if she had to but she would find her.

*********

Ise was fighting a failing battle, it was him against the bottle of bourbon which had been his companion for the past two weeks since the break up with the greatest love of his life. A lot had happened since that fateful day two weeks back at the hospital, Vicky had been caught, barely alive as she’d slit her wrists, she’d been rushed to the hospital and was now recovering. Ise hadn’t bothered with going to see her, she wasn’t worth his time but from what he’d heard from Sal, she had to be sedated most of the time as she seemed to have lost her mind.

She screamed, cursed and couldn’t have a conversation with anyone. It was obvious she’d gone crazy and was hazardous to even herself. Her boyfriend had been Identified by a picture on her phone and found just in time at the airport, and was presently in police custody pleading to be shown some leniency. He would return the money but was begging to be deported; Ise wasn’t sure what to do with him just yet. He wasn’t interested in the money, someone had to pay for putting he and his family through hell. He needed to vent this great anger off on someone. He was angry, really angry.

He was angry at his mother, he’d known the woman could be crafty but offering money to his girlfriend, really? What had she been thinking? Who was she to judge Kite just she came from a humble family? Had she forgotten where she herself had come from?

His mother’s family hadn’t been much different from Kite’s when his father took an interest in her, so how had she become this great snob that could deduce that any girl from a lowly background would be after the family’s fortune? He just didn’t get her and probably never would.

He was angry at Kite. He’d thought she was tough but she’d given in to pressure and what everyone would think. Forfeiting her own happiness because she cared for what others thought, she’d let them get to her, let them come between them. Didn’t she know people would always talk, there was no comfortable place in one’s life where people never found something negative to talk about. She’d probably never been that much into him or else she would never have let it get to her.

It had been easy for her to walk away, literally. He’d learnt from Sal and Jeje that she’d left the hospital the same day she’d ripped his heart out, how in the world had she managed tol leave, he’d been wondering since. She ‘d been in a hospital gown with no change of clothes. How had she coupled that with a healing ankle and disappeared? The girl was crazy.

Finally, he was angry with himself for not putting up much of a fight. He’d given in to her demand to leave too easily, he should have refused but he’d promised that he would only leave if she wanted him to and he was a man of his word. He never went back on his word, he should never have made her such a promise, he should have broken it and persuaded her to do a rethink.

He shook his head, not believing a girl was the one making him feel this vulnerable and depressed, he wasn’t an overly sensitive guy but with Kite, it was like every nerve ending in his body came alive where she was concerned. He was a grown man for crying out, not some fifteen year old teenager going through his first heartbreak. He should be stronger than this.

He’d locked himself up since in this hotel pent house and had let only Jeje in to talk a few times. He chatted on phone with friends, but he needed space and time away from them to get himself together. He talked to his father over the phone, the man was also really concerned about him and attended business meetings via skype and his messages were brought to him by Sal everyday.

He’d cancelled all trips out of the country and the really important meetings were done via Video conferencing. There was a brief rap on the door before it opened, admitting in Sal who had an immediately disapproving look on his face seeing him sprawled on the sofa, bottle of whisky next to him.

Ise renewed his promise to himself that he was going to quit drinking soon and begin patching himself together, two weeks was enough time to nurse a broken heart, he had to begin getting himself together somehow, it wouldn’t be easy but he had to do it.

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“Sir,” Sal started “I…er brought your daily reports from the office.”

“Yeah, you know where to leave them.” He said

“Yes Sir,” Sal replied dropping the documents on the centre stool “Sir…. Miss Princess was at the office premises again today hoping to have a word with …..” Ise let his eyes open

“Whatever for?” He cut in “She’s lucky I didn’t have her arrested, the next time she reappears, have her know that if she steps a foot on the company’s premises I will have her arrested and prosecuted for both embezzlement and also leaking confidential information and jeopardising an ongoing police investigation.”

Tolu , the IT guy had planted a false email saying Kite had been released at a location where Sals guys had been waiting. A lone reporter had arrived the place and had been promptly taken in for questioning, he’d confessed that Pincess had been feeding he and other reporters information on the case for a price. This had made Ise wonder just how many more back stabbers he had around him.

She’d been taken into police custody and then he’d found out a few days later from Adeniyi’s report which he’d finally gone through, that she’d been partners with Kenny , along with a few other staff in various departments. He’d ordered all of them promptly fired and would have taken legal action aganst them all but had just let it drop.

What they’d enjoyed was nothing compared to what Kenny had, he was the one who deserved to feel the full wrath of the law and Ise was regretful that he’d let him off so easily. Now he couldn’t be found.

“She will be really sorry if I ever lay eyes on her, I don’t ever want to see or hear from her or about her ever again, is that clear?” He instructed his guard.

“Yes Sir.”

“And please, have Eneze make necessary preparations for me, I will be leaving the country tomorrow.” He saw this was a surprise to Sal, he’d just come up with the idea himself. The change of scenery would definitely do him a lot of good.

“Where to , Sir?”

“I don’t know….” He’d done china not long ago, Seychelles, Spain, no he needed serious distraction

“Sao Paulo, Brazil.” Sal raised a brow

“Are you sure , Sir?” Ise fixed him with his own look and Sal got the answer to his own question, which was you never question your boss. Not even if he was half drunk, heart broken and acting like a spoiled rich kid who had all the money in the world to spend, which he was. “Okay Sir, I’ll do that.” He turned and made to leave but turned back again

“Sir, are you sure you don’t need me to get in touch with her? Whatever it is between the two of you could definitely be worked out , if you just talked again….”

“Saleem, I swear one more word from you and you can begin looking for a job else where. I don’t pay you to butt into my business, do I?” Ise asked his trusted guard of about five years now.

“No Sir, I just thought….”

“Don’t think, Just do as I say, and right now you can leave until I have need for you, will that be too much to do Saleem?”

“No Sir, not at all.” He said immediately taking his leave. Ise didn’t need help from anyone, or advice, he would be fine. He didn’t need to know where Kite was, he would get over this, Brazil had pretty girls. Sao Paulo was a trendy wonderful place, he was sure he would find some pretty Adriana Lima look alike over there to help him dull this ache he felt, help him forget those large catty eyes tilted at the corners. He sighed, who was he kidding?

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