BROKEN

BROKEN EPISODE ELEVEN

Leo opened the door to the car and helped his brother in. This was more of a kidnap because I don't think Melvin would have willingly come with us, then again his neck was still supported and besides my son missing, there was so much Melvin needed to clear out. I needed to know why he had made a fool out of me and why of all the girls whose life he choose to destroy it had to be me..

Leo drove pretty fast and of cause Ndegwa's house was not far so within a few minutes we were there. Melvin looked around and he seemed to have known where we are. Of cause he did I mean if Ndegwa drove him severally and they were more like buddies, he ought to have known he has a house there...

I got out of the car and leo helped Melvin out and escorted him to the house as I followed behind with the knife in my hand.

Leo: were you really going to kill someone?

He asked as he waited for me to open the door holding on to Melvin's arm. Melvin looked tired and I don't think he was already in a good condition to be moving around..

When Melvin was admitted in hospital and Leo and I were running around looking for money. Lorna left her home and that day she came along side Magdalene and found me seated on a chair beside the bed holding on to Melvin's arm. Melvin was asleep and there is so much that went on that he probably wasn't aware of.

Leo had just invested a lot of money in some project and he was pretty much broke just like we were so he said he was going to sell his sound system to a friend then get the money for the hospital bills and his being selfless is one of the reasons why even if I was to get so mad at him, I just wouldn't. He was more human than anyone I met in his entire family. Okay by that I mean his mum since I never met their dad and they had a sister who nobody spoke about so I only knew of the two of them.

Lorna: the wife role does not fit you Benta. You look pathetic with that big belly of yours.

I swallowed that. Lorna was a sadist and there is no day I did something that made her happy, all she ever saw in me was mistakes and did I blame her for that, her life was so boring that all she could think of was perfecting mine...

Magdalene: mmh! You are waiting for him to die so that you can take everything the has, girl we know your plan and we know his bank being frozen was your idea so that no one could trace the money after he is dead.

I held on to Melvin's hand tightly trying not to let whatever they were saying get to me.

The two women had ganged up on me and as much as I had felt like getting up and grabbing one and beating her up thouroghly I thought of my unborn baby, maybe that's what they wanted.... To provoke me to a point of miscarriage or maybe they wanted me to pick a fight with them so that they could beat me up or just do something crazy. I don't know but my instincts told me to act dumb and I did.

Leo helped Melvin to the seat then he said he was hungry but didn't see anything he could eat inside the house and opted to go out and shop for a few things. Leo was smart. He knew I was about to go nuts and he didn't want to be a part of it.

He took Melvin's car keys and left me with him in the living room. Ndegwa's living room wasn't as big as mine but we could still wrestle in it..

I sat down on the opposite side of where he was seated and I still had the knife in my hand...he stared at me for a while then looked around the house..

Melvin: Ndegwa, how did you end up in his house?...

Me: I'm asking the questions.... Tell me something, when you asked me out for coffee a thousand times. Did you know you were going to end up playing games with me?.

He remained silent and I couldn't tell what was really going on in his mind.

Me: you better answer my question or I swear to God I will drive this knife through your heart and forget I ever loved you.

Melvin: I did. But that wasn't my idea.

Me: it was Jade's?

He nodded with his very stiff neck.

Me: why didn't you tell me you were married to Jade?.

Melvin: if I did it could have destroyed everything.. you needed to believe that I was in love with you.

I don't know how that sounded in my ears but I needed to hear more so that I could make up my mind on what to believe.

Me: so all the gifts, the nice personality, the love, the s*x, the house... All that was an act Melvin?

Melvin: no.

Me: no?

Melvin: at first it was. Jade and I badly wanted a baby to restore our marriage and she told me she has found someone that could do that for us. I didn't ask questions especially after I had seen you. Your stricking beauty mesmerized me and I honestly wanted to get to know you, the type of a person you were and all that stuff. Then after we started going out, I picked a few interesting things about you and it wasn't games anymore.

Me: stop lying to me Melvin you did enough damage. The eve to our wedding you slept with Jade and that was the reason you both showed up late, you almost ruined the day.

Melvin: who told you that?

Me: does it even matter?..

He didn't respond.

Me: the days you told me you were going on business trips, were you with her, making love and discussing how stupid I was, buying a house and pretending you put it in my name?.

Melvin: no.

Me: no what?

Melvin: the house is not a lie. I bought it to you because I was guilty. I wanted you to have a home after a these exploded because I knew you would find out some day... Jade, I knew she would blow up everything especially after she got a chance to meet Ethan. Listen baby, I didn't want you to find out like this.

Me: don't baby me, where is my son.

Melvin: he is not your son, he is our son.. we are married.. you are my wife.

Me: the last time I checked, the marriage certificates were fake too, I mean everything about us is fake except for that baby that I carried in my own womb, that baby that your mother and her sister almost killed twice in my womb and you know the sad part about it, is you knew all that, and you did nothing about it.

Melvin: I didn't know Benta, when in the hotel room I sneaked up on Jade and heard her on phone. She was asking if something was done and I thought she was on business call until Leo called me and told me you had been poisoned and both you and the baby's lives were in danger. That day, I stopped seeing Jade and decided to be a husband that I swore before the alter to be.

Me: and you still ended up in an accident with her.

Melvin: I can explain that..

See when I was five months pregnant with Ethan, Leo and I had been invited to Magdalene's house for some dinner. Her daughter Alice was bringing home her boyfriend for introduction and we were called to be among the people to entertain the guests since we were family. That was akward because all along, they thought I was trash and Magdalene wasn't any better than her sister.

I helped Alice in cooking. Alice was so nice and since we were almost age mates, we did click and we talked and laughed like old friends while Leo kept Alice's boyfriend company. His name's was Michael. Michael worked in a bank according to what he told us and he drove a range which made Magdalene more excited than she was in him as a person.

After we were done cooking that night, Lorna and Magdalene joined us in the kitchen and they were so exited and even so good to me that I thought they put up the act because of the visitors, little did I know that I was getting closer to death...

They served the food and brought it to the table and Magdalene placed the plates in front of everyone and she let Alice serve her boyfriend then I served Leo and myself. Melvin was away on his business trip as usual..

Few minutes earlier..

Magdalene pulled out some small bottle from her arm pit and showed it to Lorna.

Lorna: are you sure it will work?

Magdalene: this is from the interior of Tanzania where witches are known best for what they do and it works like magic..

Lorna took the bottle from her and looked at it again.

Lorna: how did you get this?

Magdalene: I have a friend in Tanzania. Jade paid for everything. She wants Benta dead be wise she feels like the woman has taken all her man's attention. I'm only worried about the baby.

Lorna: what baby, as long as that baby is alive, that low life will have a connection to my son so I wouldn't give a hoot if he died alongside her.

Magdalene: Lorna!

Lorna: I don't care about Jade or that baby as long as that woman is gone from my son's life. I don't want to associate with people without class. There are so many beautiful women Melvin can marry. It doesn't have to be either of them. How does this thing work?.

Magdalene: it's just like water so you pour it on the plate and make sure it touches all the surface... The plate might seem like it has undried water but even if it's dried, the poison remains...

They were whispering all along and Magdalene showed her how it's done. She then wiped the plate with a serviette and put it under the rest of the plates and gave the plates to Lorna who took them to the table and placed everyone's plate before them..

Food was served and we ate as we talked and laughed until I started feeling funny. All over sudden I was sweating and my stomach felt like someone was stiring it then I couldn't take it anymore and I felt like everything was detaching from my body and my biggest worry was my baby.

Leo, called for an ambulance and the good thing is the hospital responded faster than we expected. By the time we were getting to the hospital, I had passed out but hours later, the doctor had saved me and my baby was safe too. I can't believe explain how that happened but it was indeed a miracle.

I didn't wait for Melvin's explanation because I knew that everything he was going to tell me was going to present him so good and innocent. I loved Melvin so much that after I learned everything I did, I was left with a hole inside my heart.. I looked at him and I didn't understand how someone as handsome and good hearted as Melvin could be so heartless.

I got up and walked up to him then sat on the table right in front if him..

Me: I don't care about the explanations. You saw the need to sleep with her and take her around the world because I was not good enough, I'm only an orphan so who would want to hang around a woman without class like your mother put it. Who would want to be embarrassed I mean Jade was a thousand times better than me after all to you, I was just a baby making machine. Now tell me... Where is my son Melvin?..

I asked pushing the knife to his neck only that he was wearing the neck brace

He shook his head as if to tell me he had no idea but I knew he did. Ethan was his son and Jade ought to have told him something...

Me: where is Ethan?

Melvin: I don't know Benta if I did I would tell you. He is my son too and I care about his....

Me: do you?

He didn't respond and I felt like he was wasting my time..

I walked to the kitchen dropped the knife, went to Ndegwa's room, pulled a box and took a gun I had bumped into earlier. I then went back to the living room picked my phone and stood there watching him and wondering what to do with him.

When I was going through Ndegwa's things, I found the gun lying in his things and though I didn't know why he had the gun and he was not there to give me explanation I thought it was about time I learned how to use that thing and if I found who was keeping my son, they would be dead..

Melvin: Benta... What you are doing is dangerous. Please, we will find Ethan...

Me: we?.... No there is no we...

I took off my wedding ring and put it on the table right before him.

Me: I'm going to find my son. You stay out of it because if he meant anything to you, you should have told me the truth... You send anyone after me, I will kill them. You call the police on me, I escaped a police cell the other day and I can do it again and when I do... I will hunt you down Melvin...I don't want to see your face and when I'm back, you better be gone..

Melvin: where are you going with a gun?

Me: I'm going to search the house of every member of your family.... Everyone I know... Starting with Alice, your aunt Magdalene and so on...

I wrapped the gun in my jacket and left him seated there like a cabbage that he was for the moment. I was going to find my son and I don't care about anything else...