TOXIC ATTRACTION

TOXIC ATTRACTION EPISODE TWO

Two months before the wedding I was on my way home from the supermarket where I had gone to get a few things for my mother when a van pulled over and a man, tall, dark with a black trench coat jumped out and got to me pointing a gun to my stomach and asking me to walk with him and if I dared scream he was going to shoot me dead right there. My knee felt numbed and was unable to walk because of the threat and the gun that was pressed so hard in my stomach. He grabbed my arm and then pushed me into the van and when he hopped in, the van took off at speed. Everything that I had bought at the supermarket dropped when he grabbed me and he didn't even bother to pick it up. When the van was moving, I heard a lady who had seen me pushed inside the van scream but the driver was on a mission and he was not going to get caught. He got away before a crowd could form.

Me: who are you and what do you want with me?

The guy did not respond but he maintained a stone face with his gun still intact in his hand. He looked like a no nonsense kind of a guy and I had freaked out because I had no idea why someone like me would get kidnapped and for what? My father wasn't a rich man that they would ask him for ransom so I started praying in my heart, asking God to spare my life from whatever intentions the guy had.

Half an hour later the van stopped and the guy told me we were getting off and going into a house and the only thing I had to go do was act normal and if I tried anything to raise an alarm, he was going to kill my mother in my presence and after watching her die, he was going to satisfy himself with me before putting a bullet in my head. I was scared out of my mind and especially after hearing those words that seemed to carry a lot of weight. I love my mother and I would not let anything happen to her, I would rather endure the pain than watch her die and that was motivation enough for me to cooperate with the stranger whose voice alone sent cold chills on my body.

I agreed to go with him even though I had no idea where I was being taken. The guy took my phone so that I could not make any calls and after we entered the gates to the flats, we went up the stair case and he opened the second door and pushed me inside. He asked me to take sit on the couch and I did. The house was on average and I couldn't say that whoever lived there was very rich but he was trying. The carpet on the floor was torn and shredded on the edges, the sofa was very old and I couldn't even begin to imagine how the mattress on the bed was. On the wall in the living room, hung a photo of a man whom I assumed was the owner of the house. The guy was light skinned but I could not say he was really handsome. In one photo on the wall, the same man was seated in a wheelchair and both of his legs were thinner than his upper body and that made me understand why he was in that wheelchair.

Me: aren't you going to tell me why we are here?..

I asked impatiently looking around then my eyes rested on him. He was drinking water from a glass and dialing his phone like he was communicating with someone.

Me: listen, my father has no money for ransom if that's why you kidnapped me. People who care about me will soon notice I'm missing and it won't turn out nice when the police come storming in here.

The guy still did not say a word. His presence was scary and especially after he said he'd satisfy himself with me, I didn't want to give him a reason to and I didn't want to risk my mother's life either. The guy seemed like a rock that could not hear or respond to anything.

A few minutes later after the guy was done on the phone, he grabbed my arm, pulled me up the chair and dragged me to a bedroom, and threw me on the bed. My heart beat increased rapidly as I begged the man not to do anything to me. He reached for a tape from one of the bags that were hung on the wall and taped my mouth and my hands from behind. Tears had found their way down my cheeks but when I looked at him, he gave me a cold stare then walked out without saying anything then locked the door from outside and I was alone. I tried all tactics to cut the tape off my hands but it failed. I didn't see any sharp object that I would have used to cut the tape off my hands and even if it did, it could do nothing because if dared escaped, my mother was going to pay with her life.

I sat there crying and worried at the same time. My mother was probably waiting for the stuff she had sent me. She might have also tried to call my phone which I did not even have at that moment.

You sacrificed our daughters' happiness for your own selfish gains, did you have to have her kidnapped, what happened to hold conversations?

Cleopatra asked stirring up Ronald's tea and handing it to him in a mug. She was upset because all along she had known Ronald had something up his sleeves but he never told her until that very day after he had confirmed that the job had been done.

Cleopatra: poor thing. Robina will never forgive you for this. Gone are the days when children were forced into marriage.

Ronald: do you now see why I did not involve you in my plans, who knows...

You could have helped her escape and screwed me over. I have had enough humiliation from that family.

She sat opposite him sewing some buttons on one of his shirts.

Cleopatra: you have had enough humiliation do you give my daughter as a sacrificial lamb? You could have sold the land pay them back what you owe them.

Ronald: it is not that simple so stay out of it. Robina will marry Richard and that is my final decision. Pack her clothes in a suitcase, someone will come for them... You either learn to live with that or you can follow her.

He picked up his newspaper from the table, wore his reading glasses, and read as Cleopatra continued her sewing in silence.

An hour or so later, I heard movements in the living room and I thought the guy was back to untie me and let me go home after probably realizing that he had kidnapped the wrong person but there was someone else, they were talking and laughing coming towards the room. I sat up in bed when I heard the key on the lock turn and when the door opened, I saw the same man in all the photos in the house roll in, in a wheelchair, and smiling when he saw me. I froze for a moment not knowing how to act or react. The man pushed his wheelchair closer and the other man whom I did not see pulled the door closed and now, it was just the two of us.

"I'm Richard"

He said and then asked me to move closer so that he could remove the tape from my mouth. I did as he had requested but he did not untie my hands.

Richard: I had been expecting you.

Me: I do not know you.

Richard: of cause you don't, your father never told you anything about me because this was meant to be a surprise.

Me: my father... What surprise, what is going on?

He laughed sarcastically then pushed the wheelchair even closer and caressed my thighs that were slightly exposed to him because of the short dress I had on.

Richard: you are beautiful, just like I had seen in the photos.

I tried to move away from him but he pushed the wheelchair even closer.

Me: what photos, who are you, and what do you want from me?

Richard: from you, I want nothing but from your dad, he delivered. You are going to be my wife and this is going to be your new house.

I could not believe my ears. I could not stop the tears from falling and especially after imagining that my father who set me up and marry me off without my knowledge. The shock that came with the revelation left me numb and unable to move or say a word. I had this empty stare as my mind jogged through everything that Richard had said. He watched me in silence trying to process the information he had just given me and he enjoyed watching me beg him to let me go back home because to me, that was a mistake or some sort of a misunderstanding.

Richard: you better get used to staying here. You will not walk out that door for any reason and you are not allowed to contact anyone unless I decide to let you speak to your mother or your father. No one will come here to see you until I say so. I will be a good husband to you but only if you behave yourself.

Me: I don't want to be your wife, I don't want to be anything to you and I don't know what kind of sick joke this is but you are going to regret this if you don't let me go.

Richard: and where do you think you will go, to your daddy? He does not give a damn about you because if he did, he wouldn't have sold you off to me. You are mine Robina, you are my wife and I promise you a wedding that you will never forget. That's what every girl wants right?

He winked and rolled his wheelchair backward and pushed it out of the room and the door was locked again. I lay on the bed crying my eyes out trying to understand why my father would do that to me, his only daughter, and why my mother did nothing about it.

I heard it was said that we create our own happiness but how was I going to be happy under such circumstances? I had to leave, I had to find a way.

Richard never cared about my tears and how hurt I was. To him, life was moving on as usual and like any other husband, he expected me to cook, clean, and sleep with him. He made sure everything I needed was in the house and he had someone watch me all day when he went about his businesses out there. I had no idea what Richard did for a living and I never got the interest to find out what his life was about. I was cut out from the rest of the world. Couldn't keep in touch with my friends and no one knew where I was or how to reach me and I cried nonstop for two weeks until reality started to check in that this was going to be my life now. It was like a taste of bitter medicine that I refused to swallow.

One of those nights Richard came home unusually late and we were drunk. The guy who had been watching me during the day helped him in and after Richard gave him some money, he left and I was left with him in his drunk state. I played nice, maybe nicer than I ever did in the two weeks and I wasn't sure if he could tell that I was acting. I asked how his day was and he didn't respond I thought that maybe he was too drunk to hold a conversation. I helped him undress and helped him get to the bathroom for his shower. Normally I would put a plastic seat in the bathroom and I would help him sit on it then step out and let him have his shower then after that help him dress up then serve him dinner.

That night was the night I had planned to escape and I had intended to do it when he was in the shower. I heard the water running and so I hurriedly went to the bedroom, put my suitcase on the bed and put all my clothes in then zipped it and hurriedly carried the suitcase and rushed to the door. The Tv in the living room was on and I assumed both the Volume from the Tv and the noise from the water in the shower would make it impossible for him to realize what was going on. I searched his pockets and found my phone which he walked around with to keep me from calling anyone and once I found it, I rushed to the door, opened it and just as u lifted my suitcase to step out, the guy who had been watching me the whole day stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm. I tried to scream but he slapped me so hard I went staggering back into the house and he pushed me to the chair then got in and by then, Richard was already done with his shower. He crawled out of the bathroom with a towel and sat down there looking at me with rage in his eyes.

Richard: I knew you would try something like that and I had to play drunk to know your mind. You are never getting out of this house, not alive anyway.

Me: please let me go. I'm begging you.

He commanded the guy to take me to the bedroom and on his orders, the man grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me to the bedroom. Richard came in and asked the guy to lock the door and not open it until he said so. I wished for the earth to open up and swallow me alive.

Richard: how else do you want me to prove myself?

He asked crawling towards the bed. He managed to climb the bed and I moved away from him.

Richard: you cannot run away from your husband Robina. The sooner you realize that the sooner you will have your normal life back. Do I disgust you that much?

He asked trying to reach for my hand but I couldn't let him touch me. It wasn't so much him or his state, it was the fact that I was sold to him without my consent, the fact that I was not ready to be a wife and especially to someone I knew nothing about, someone I had no connection with, someone I had never met or held a conversation with. I wanted my freedom back.

He sat there watching me cry but from the look on his face he felt no remorse, he told me he was going to let me go if I made love to him and made him feel like a man. He said it was not his wish to keep me against my will but he would let me go if I treated him like a human being and saw him differently just that once. I felt bad for him, I mean I could understand his need of wanting to be treated well and stuff and I had tried for those two weeks to be kind to him but I couldn't bring myself to accept him as my husband. We slept on the same bed but always had pillows stuffed between us.

Richard: you know I have been patient with you and I could have had my way with you if I wanted to but I still want to be gentle with you. Don't let me be a monster with you so I'm asking nicely. It's your only ticket out of here and if you don't take the chance, you will be stuck with me for the rest of your life.

I sat there debating in my mind whether to take the chance or say no and wait for another opportunity to run... something that was going to be close to impossible with his guy watching me like a hawk. If you were in my shoe, what would you do?..