Dave woke to a dull ache in his head. He let his gaze wander from the roof to a figure sitting beside him.
‘Melanie,’ he muttered.
The effort it took to speak made him wince.
Melanie moved closer and laid her palm on his hand.
‘What happened?’ he mumbled.
‘You were shot.’
‘Who?’
He drifted into unconsciousness.
Melanie sat there feeling responsible for his tragedy. Dave was a good, reliable man; she should be in love with him. Instead she had brought this tragedy on him. Had she been a little more sensitive, had she not betrayed what she felt for Daniel he wouldn’t be lying here unconscious. She got off the chair, just as two nurses came inside.
‘He came around for a few seconds,’ she told them, and walked towards the door as both nurses moved over to Dave. Just before she left the room, she took one more look at Dave and couldn’t help the tears that welled up in her eyes.
Still her heart burned for Daniel. Her body yearned for the feel of his strong arms.
‘I trusted you,’ Uchendu blurted out and walked away from Daniel towards the lakeshore behind Gessup’s farm. The police had left half a dozen armed guards in the area, but Daniel had made sure they stayed away from areas around the lake. He was determined to comb them for clues the attackers had left behind. ‘You assured me everything was going to be fine.’
‘Sure, I did,’ he replied and walked over to her. ‘I don’t know how they followed you here.’
‘They didn’t follow me, Daniel,’ Uchendu replied, and continued walking. ‘They were waiting…..’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ Daniel said walking past her. ‘I didn’t realize they were a threat until it was too late, but at least, your kid brother is safe.’
‘Yes, and for that, I’m grateful, but this whole thing has messed up our lives. We can’t ever return to Nigeria.’
She broke down then and began to sob, her body shaking with emotion. She fell into Daniel’s arms.
They had now walked onto Dave’s territory.
Daniel moved to hold her. He had worked with Uchendu for over three years and their working relationship had made them kindred.
‘I swear, I’ll make them pay,’ he declared.
Melanie got back to her farm and decided to drop in on Dave’s mother. She believed she owed him that at least, to be sure she was doing okay. She made her way beside the lakeshore, heading for the lodge where Dave’s mother lay incapacitated. Melanie's mind was filled with thoughts of Daniel. But as she took the detour leading to the rear of the lodge, she caught sight of the entwined figures of Daniel and a black woman she swore looked like Naomi Campbell. Walking with tentative steps, she went towards them.
Daniel saw her first, but before he broke free of Uchendu, Melanie had turned and headed towards Dave’s lodge.
Isi Agbi (Germany)
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