Chapter 58: The Steps
"You do?" Tola was bewildered as she left Luciana's arms.
"Does it have to do with Deo?" Lucy asked with
a faint smile.
Tola blanched. "I knew it. When you refused to
speak with me, I knew that something was wrong. I did not mean to do it. It was a… a mistake. Please forgive me babe, I did not mean to do it" she rushed with pleading eyes. "He told you?"
Lucy nodded. "Do you love him?"
Startled. "What sort of question is that? He is your man Lucy; I can't take him from you. What happened was a mistake which will never repeat itself again. Please."
"He is not my man" Lucy dropped, sitting down
with a sour look. "I am not in love with him."
"What are you saying?"
"I accepted him not because I loved him the way I ought to but because I thought that I should be able to love him after some time."
Tola regained her composure to a certain extent as her earlier suspicion materialized. "Does this have to do with Raymond?" Lucy froze and Tola got her answer.
Lucy changed the subject. "Deo told me how he felt about you T.J" Tola shifted uncomfortably and stood up furiously. "He loves you a lot. I have never seen him so confused. I advised him to tell you how he felt."
"He already did!"
Lucy jumped out of the bed. "He did? What was
your response?"
"What do you expect? That I would jump into the arms of my best friend's boyfriend? I can never do that?" Lucy swallowed and pulled Tola back to the bed.
"Tola. You know how much you mean to me. You are my friend and sister and I can never deceive you. When Deo told me of his feelings for you three days ago, I saw the sincerity in his eyes. Even when he had asked me out, I did not see what I saw in his eyes. You deserve to be very happy T.J and I know that Deo would make you the happiest woman in the world. I have noticed the way you look at him Tola.
Answer me honestly; do you love him?"
Tola swallowed and looked down. She had never
felt more like a complete idiot in her life. Here she was receiving love lectures from the same Lucy whom she always confronted with the idea of getting a man in her life. "I don't know" she
said softly.
Lucy smiled. "Think about it. Don't be unfair to Deo. The heart goes where it wills; it is not his
fault that he is in love with you. Believe me when I say he is the man of every woman's dreams, it is just a pity that I could not fall in love with him, and instead, I loved the wrong person". Her heart ached even though she knew that loving Raymond was the best feeling she ever had.
"I saw the look in your eyes when you stared at
Raymond."
Lucy breathed deeply. "He is Fred's step-brother."
"He is not" Tola gasped wide-eyed.
"I am in love with the brother of the guy that raped me and almost killed me. Am I not lucky?"
Tears streamed her face.
"Oh Lucy" Tola held her tight, barely taking in what she had just heard. She could only imagine what Lucy was feeling. "It is alright honey" she whispered.
"No. it is not alright. How am I supposed to deal
with that? Upon that, Deo's step-sister is pregnant for him."
"Wait a freaking minute, Deo's what?"
"Yes. Tinka, Raymond's fiancée is Deo's step-sister."
Tola jumped to her feet. "That is the woman that snatched Timothy away from me."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Holy Father."
Lucy and Tola happily entered Tola's apartment with bags in their hands. After their heated discussion a week ago, they had both decided that they needed a break. They left their apartments and went sight-seeing. They both left their phones at home, not wanting their problems to interrupt their break. They had gone to the zoo together, went to the museum, to amusement parks and finally went to the beach before deciding to go back home. They had lodged in a hotel for the week and the two friends had made their friendship stronger. They were no longer best friends but they were sisters.
Sisters whose ties were stronger than the legendary blood tie. They dumped the bags on
the floor and collapsed on different chairs.
"Don't just lie there, go and prepare food. You
want me to die of hunger?" Luciana muttered.
"We will both die of hunger if you don't stand up and enter that kitchen" Tola responded, removing her shoes.
None of them could stand up due to fatigue and
were both startled when they heard a knock.
"Why can't those neighbors allow me to breathe a
bit before bombarding me with questions about
where I have been all week?" Tola murmured
slightly as she made for the door. When she opened the door, she saw an unfamiliar face.
"Please, how may I help you?"
"Sorry to disturb…"
Lucy jumped up at the sound of that familiar voice. "Vicky" she called and moved towards her with smiles of surprise and happiness.
"Well, I was not wrong" Vicky said with smiles and hugged Lucy.
"How did you know this place?"
"Well, I was driving somewhere when I saw you. I knew I couldn't be mistaken so I followed you guys until I found you. Why did you run off?"
"Do I get an introduction?" Tola asked cynically.
Lucy smiled and introduced them. They all sat in
the sitting room some minutes later until Tola
excused herself in order to take a cold shower.
"Raymond is almost going crazy. He has been to
your house three times but he could not find you. Your parents told him to be patient that you would be back soon but he has been killing himself with worry. He called your line but it was always off."
Lucy sighed, a bit happy that Raymond had been
searching for her.
"I had to take a break Vicky, it had been really rough recently and I needed some fresh air to wipe away my pains." She swallowed.
"I understand but I have never seen my brother
that worried. I know you love him, I have always known. It was so evident in the way you looked at him".
Lucy looked away. "It doesn't matter. He is going
to be a father and I also can't be with him under
the circumstances."
Vicky breathed. "Ray told me everything Lucy. You can't let Fred stand between you and the man you love. He caused a lot of havoc in our family too and partially caused the death of our parents, that is why everyone hates him so much."
Lucy was shocked. "What are you saying? Your
parents died in a plane crash" she murmured.
"Yes. Fred arrived all of a sudden, claiming that our father had fathered him which my father confirmed. It brought a lot of rift in the family,
especially between mum and dad but even when
mum had forgiven dad and had her arms wide
open to accept Fred, he was only intent on
destroying the love in our family. Dad gave him
a house in Mbale but still, Fred was so bitter. He
did a lot of things and even set dad up in a hotel
with a woman, got pictures and sent them to mum. It almost got them divorced. Thanks to the confession of the photographer, the situation was solved and we the children asked them to go on a vacation in order to forget the incident.
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