BROKEN

BROKEN EPISODE FOUR

I sat on that chair for close to thirty minutes then eventually Dr. Mila let me go after insisting that I had a baby I had left in someone's care. Mila told me Melvin was awake but I couldn't see him just yet, not in the state I was in. That was good decision because I had planned to strangle him anyway. I'm not a violent person, never been but what I was feeling inside could kill me. I loved Melvin with everything that made me human.

I got out of the hospital and Ndegwa was still waiting, such a patient man he was and finding him there made me feel bad. I had kept him waiting and anyone could have thought I was taking advantage, anyone but him. He didn't mind infact he told me he would have waited as long as it took.

I got into the cab and sat on the back seat as usual. He adjusted his rare view mirror and when I looked up, our eyes met but I looked away. The last thing I needed was him or anyone reading the worry on my face.

Me: can I ask you something?

I looked up again and our eyes met on the mirror.

Ndegwa: yes madam.

Me: you dropped Melvin at the airport several times for his trips right?

Ndegwa: yes.

Me: was there any time he was with other women, maybe you stopped to pick or just some funny behavior that would suggest he is having an affair?

Ndegwa was silent for a sec. Maybe he was thinking through that question and wanted to be careful on how he went about answering that.

That was stupid. How could I even ask him that, he was loyal to Melvin meaning anything he was going to say was going to be a lie anyway. Maybe I just needed to figure it out on my own without involving anyone.

Me: forget I asked that. I shouldn't have.

I said laying back and looking outside the window after he took ages to answer.

Ndegwa: Melvin is a good man, he never showed any shady behavior and we never picked any girl on his trips.

Yeah that's what I was taking about. I had a feeling Ndegwa was covering for him but I couldn't insist. I didn't have any bone to pick with Ndegwa and if anything he was doing his job.

I got home, payed Ndegwa and went for my baby boy and when I got there, most of the kids had been picked except for Ethan and two other babies.

The lady said Ethan had been so good, he didn't cry at all and had been asleep the better part of the time I was away.

I paid the lady the agreed amount and asked me to take Ethan Everytime I was not going to be around. I agreed because the place looked clean and she seemed friendly as well.

I went home and when I got to my gate, my biggest headache was there. Melvin's mum had crawled from whatever hole she was hiding in and was at my gate with her bags seated on a stone patiently waiting for me. This woman had recked my nerves enough times and everytime Melvin and Leo were there to defend me, what was going to happen now that none of them were around?

Me: hello mother.

I said holding out my hand for a handshake and she looked at it then looked away. I did that out of respect otherwise I would have just opened the gate and walked in like I didn't see her there.

Me: you didn't tell me you were coming.

I said ignoring her ugly stare and opening the gate anyway. The weather was nasty and it looked like it was going to rain again, it had been raining every evening a time like that for that week and she was lucky she got home before the rains.

I opened the gate and got in leaving her there. Not another word to her because she had shown all sign of arrogance and nothing I would have told her would have ended well.

I heard her bring in her bags complaining and I kept wondering where her driver had gone or why she had not been waiting in her car. The day I went to Melvin's home I saw everything I was meant to see. She showed me she was in control of her life and this same woman made me seat on a plastic chair because I was not fit sitting on her leather black leather seats. That's a story for another day.

The thing is I made sure after I got married to Melvin, we bought the most expensive leather seats we could find and I couldn't wait for the day she decided to pay us a visit because she swore never to set foot in our house if Melvin ever married me. She never did, this was the first time and I was even surprised that she remembered the gate because the last time she was here, her car parked a few metres away. That's the day Leo graduated and a party was organized by Melvin and Leo's friends. She never got in..

Ethan was awake and was bubbly as usual so I lay him in his baby basket that always sat on one of the seats.

Me: welcome home Lorna, I will take your bags.

She didn't say anything but stood there staring at the house probably wondering where to sit. My house was nothing like hers. I made sure it was twice as clean and it had a small water fountain by the entrance that added to the beauty of the house. I was good at interior and exterior deco so my house looked too perfect for an orphanage girl..

Me: have a seat. You can seat anywhere you want.

I said taking her bags to one of the rooms. It was the the guest room where people who visited us slept in for the number of days they were there to visit.

I got back to the living room and found her heading to Ethan's basket ready to hold him but I stopped her and she turned to look at me.

Me: kindly wash your hands first. You have travelled and you can't just hold the baby like that.

She stared at me blankly and she moved away from the basket.

Me: the sink is that way.

Lorna: it's okay... I don't have to carry him.

Don't get me wrong, I was not trying to be rude but I'm the only one besides Leo who knows the hell I had been through with Ethan in hospital when he was breathing through pipes and stuff. I thought she would look at it from that perspective but what did she care?

Me: will you have coffee or tea?

Lorna: I'm not interested in anything you are offering.

Me: then why are you here mother?

Lorna: I have told you before, I'm not your mother and you have zero rights asking me what I'm doing in my own son's house. You feel so mighty and womanly enough to talk to me just any how, but let me remind you that you are nothing but a homeless little girl who knows nothing about....

Me: save your insults Lorna. I have taken enough from you. Your son is not here as you can see, he has been busy sleeping around with other women and do you know the ugly truth about me being a homeless girl, is that my husband Melvin bought this four bedroom house for me and put it in my name. So technically, Melvin does not own this house, I do. So be nice or else you will end up sleeping in the streets until your son gets back here..... If he does.

Lorna remained silent after I told her that. Was I being rude, I don't know but after everything I had been through in the hands of this woman, I was not going to seat back and watch her destroy my life. I was going to give her just what she was asking for.

I switched on the TV and went to the kitchen to prepare myself some tea before I thought of what to prepare for dinner. My phone blinked and I picked it from the table and went with it to the kitchen, it was Leo. He was checking up on Ethan and I like he always did. I told him his mother was in my house and he sent me panicking emojis he had in his phone.

Leo

What does she want?

Me

I don't know.

Leo and I didn't finish conversing when I heard the door and left whatever I was doing to go get it. I wasn't expecting anyone but now that Melvin's mum was around, maybe she was.

I got to the living room and she was seated there with her arms folded to the chest watching TV so I walked to the door and opened it. It was Jade.. I took a second to react because I didn't know why the hell she would set foot in my home after the ordeal we had at the hospital...

Me: what are you doing here?

Lorna: I called her and asked her to come.

I turned to look at Lorna and before I could say a thing, Jade let herself in walking confidently as if she owned the house..

I went to the kitchen to switch off the cooker because from the look of things, I was not going to have my tea in peace. I got back to the living room and the two were seated there waiting for me as if we had a meeting I was not aware of.

Me: what's going on.

I asked looking at Lorna then at Jade.

Lorna: I called her here because I want you to know your rightful place in this house.

That didn't surprise me at all but it was still shocking.

Me: how do you mean.

Lorna: I understand my son's surgery was successful and he will be coming home anytime.

Jade: that's true. The doctor said he can recover from home.

Lorna: I don't want you here by the time my son gets home Benta. His wife is here and you can either choose to leave or take the guest room for the night then you pack out tomorrow.

I let out a good laughter. This woman was indeed a clown or maybe she was just sick in the head. What was she really talking about.

Jade: do you think we are auditioning for a comedian, what is funny?

Hearing Jade talk was like she was fueling some fire that was burning inside of me. I moved up to her but Lorna got up and pushed me away but I managed to stand my ground.

Me: I'm not leaving this house, I will not leave my house for this husband snatching witch. You will have to drag me out but I'm not leaving.

Lorna: that's where you are wrong orphan, you see this house you are living in, this is Jade's house, she bought it with her own money and Melvin, Melvin was just playing games because he wanted something out of you and I must say you are so naive and stupid. A man you have only married for a year and some months a man who knows nothing about you cannot give you a house. Not in this generation and certainly not a house this expensive..

She said then laughed and I knew something was terribly wrong. Jade and Lorna had ganged up on me and they had plans for me. I was alone with no one to back me up but I decided to stand my ground. Melvin presented the house in my name and there was no way he could have been joking about that.

That was not an issues at the moment, the issue was how my house came to be Jade's house. Everything that had happened already hinted that Jade and Melvin had a thing but I wanted to hear the beginning, how it all started. How my best friend started sleeping with my husband and why they deceived me all that while..

I sat on the one seater trying to process everything that was going on.

Jade: you thought you were going to enjoy my husband's money for that long?

I looked up at her and I didn't even have the strength to ask how Melvin was her husband but since she was very so determined to hurt my feeling, she volunteered to give me the information..

Jade: Melvin and I have been married for eight years.....Yeah, eight.

She repeated with a smile on her face like she expected me to share in the joy of their 8 years marriage. That hasn't sank yet..

Jade: see I couldn't sire any kids for Melvin because my womb was removed after complications during a pregnancy that almost killed me. The baby died in my womb and started rotting inside there without me knowing.....

Me: how is that any of my business.

Lorna: it will be your business when she is done with the story..

I kept quiet because I was more interested in how my best friend turned out to be my husband's wife.

Jade: I couldn't give Melvin children and he wanted kids running around. He thought of adopting but the doctor told us there was a better way to do it. He said we could find a surrogate to carry our baby then pay her off.

My eyes widened. Where was she going with this. Wait. Was she..... No!

Jade: when I came to the orphanage, I was looking for a simple low life but beautiful girl who could do the job for us and I found you perfect. Melvin agreed with me after the photos we took then him and I had an agreement.

I didn't say a word. Jade's words had pierced me and all I felt was cold and then hot tears started finding their way down my cheeks. I didn't blow up on her, I was seated there like a fool I was listening to her narrated the story of how both her and Melvin made a fool out of me.

When I got you a job in Melvin's office, it was so that he could hit on you and being raised in that filthy place, you wouldn't think twice about falling for a rich guy, that's what all your type does. I knew you had seen enough problems that you couldn't resist a handsome man hitting on you because you all reason the same way...

I must give it up to you, you were pretty tough and played hard to get but he managed to make you fall hard for him. Do you know the hardest part in all that, it was seeing my man all over you, kissing you in my presence, I had to keep pretending that I was your best friend and that I was happy for you. It killed me to see him slide that ring on your finger on your engagement day but what you didn't know is everytime he left your flat, he came home to me... His original wife...

I couldn't take it anymore, i couldn't hear any other thing she had to say so I stormed out of the living room, picked my baby and rushed to my room. I put Ethan on the bed and I burst out in tears sitting down on the floor and holding on to my stomach because a sharp pain cut through it and it hurt so bad... Was it all a lie...was it?.

I had several flash backs of how Jade treated me so well, she was so nice to me.. she took me shopping, she introduced me to important people she was that stepping I needed to cross to the other side and build a life for myself, I loved her, I trusted her with every single thing in my life. She knew when Melvin and I were fighting and over what, she gave me advice and it worked. She knew when I was worried about life, she was my therapist, she was there when I broke down over my dead parents several times she soothe me and watched me sleep. Was it all a lie?..

I tried to collect myself but I couldn't stop. The pain was just too much and I didn't know what to do. My son.... Ethan wasn't really my son?..

I got up and looked at him. He was so adorable, he smiled at me and playfully kicked his legs in the hair. He looked exactly like Melvin and there was no traces of Jade. I cried some more. Why me... Why did she choose to destroy my life like this?....

I paced in the room fanning my face to dry my tears then I walked to my dresser and checked my face in the mirror, I was nolonger beautiful, I didn't see it. I walked to the wardrobe opened it and pulled out my suitcase. I unzipped it and pulled out the documents that were in my name. I had to confirm again that the marriage certificates and the house title deed was real, I had to make sure I was not in a bad dream.

I looked at the seal in the certificate and it looked real I mean Melvin couldn't have lied about putting the house in my name. I had to seek another opinion so I took the certificates and stuffed them in between my clothes then put the suitcase back in the wardrobe and went back to the bed.

Leo must have waited for my response on our chats and when I didn't respond after an hour he called and I picked almost immediately..

Leo: oh good, she has not set you on fire.. what's up?

Me: did you know?

Leo: know what?

Me: did you know that Jade has been married to your brother for the last 8 years..

There was a bit of an awkward silence like he was contemplating lying to me.

Me: Leo.....

Leo: yes I knew...

When I heard that I hanged up. I don't know why I thought he would say otherwise but hearing him say he knew about Jade's marriage to Melvin made me feel so betrayed...

He called back immediately but I didn't pick, then there were follow up texts asking to let him explain but I didn't want to hear it. I switched off my phone and slept on the bed next to my son...

*

Jade: wow! This is a very expensive ring.

She said holding on to my hand and checking it out as Melvin wrapped his hands on my waist from behind helping her admire the ring.

Melvin: yes it is. A beautiful woman, deserves a beautiful ring don't you agree?.

Now I remember seeing that jealous look written all over jades face that day and how she grabbed my arm and pulled me to go take a photo when she saw me kissing melvin.

Me: uum! Are you okay?

Jade: yeah, why?

Me: that was weird...

Jade: sorry but can't I steal my best friend for a photo on her engagement day?.

I brushed it off with a smile and took the photo anyway just to assure her that we were good.

A bang on my bedroom door interrupted those memories so I jumped out of bed and walked to the door and when I opened it, Jade was there.

Jade: get out of my room. You can either take one of the rooms or you completely leave.

Me: I'm not leaving this house until Melvin comes back.

She didn't ask me again but grabbed my arm and pulled me out and then we started fighting at the door. I grabbed her hair and pulled them but she gave me a hot slap that got me seeing tiny stars then she pushed me down the stairs and I rolled all the way down. She got into my room, picked my clothes and threw them at me and then followed my suitcase.

I dragged myself from the floor and collected the clothes and stuffed them into my suitcase and still had strength left in me to go up and get my son and as I was attempting to climb up, Lorna grabbed one of my legs and I fell then she started dragging me down. Jade got out of my room, rushed down and helped Lorna drag me out and I couldn't stop fighting to get my son. They over powered me and threw me out, then Jade took my suitcase and threw it out too..

I banged on the door but they didn't open. I couldn't stop shouting but all that ended in deaf ears. Where was I going without my baby, I was going to break that door if I had to. I would give up everything but not my son....I didn't care how he became mine but I wasn't going to leave him with the two witches....my body was in pain.. my heart was bleeding, was this the price for love?....