With her third miscarriage in two years, the line of hope Lena is holding to keeps getting thinner. The thought of Lionel coming home earlier than late was becoming more of a wishful thinking now. As the gate opened with no sound of car driving in, Lena wondered who that was.
The door opened and in came a skinny, tall, skin-headed chap in an all-black jeans outfit. “What are you doing here Jack? And how did you get through the gate?” Lena asked. “Well, let’s just say your gateman is quite gullible.” Jack replied. “What are you doing here?” Lena repeated. “Relax love, can’t a man wish his lover a happy married life? Or on the contrary, console her on her subsequent miscarriages?”. Jack responded sarcastically. “I’m not your lover anymore Jack so you can save your well wishes for someone else.
“You also need to leave before my husband comes back and don’t think to come back into my matrimonial home ever”. She continued before Jack’s interruption “Or else what? You’ll kill me like you’ve killed all your babies? Please don’t make me laugh. I could have showed up earlier before now if it pleased me but then again, had to eliminate any form of suspicion”.
Did she hear the word right or was she hallucinating, she thought within herself. “What did you say Jack?” she asked with a shaking voice trying as much not to stutter while at it. “Did you just say suspicion?” she asked precisely. “You heard me right, yet you want me to repeat myself. My dear, I’m not a home theatre you can rewind at your will. I came to deliver a message and I’m going to say this once so listen carefully”. At this point, nothing else registered into Lena’s ears besides that word and what Jack meant by such.
“Jack, what did you mean by SUSPICION?! What did you mean” asking anxiously without caring about what else he had to say. “Okay if you insist… Have you ever wondered why your health is so fit for child birth months before your delivery yet the unexpected happens eventually?” He continued… “Have you ever wondered why your misfortune comes when exactly your husband is out of reach?” have you ever thought to monitor your maid’s activities, moments before and after your miscarraiges?” Jack kept going while Lena was already lost in thoughts about what she was hearing. “Well, if you remember clearly when, after our breakup and hearing about your proposed marriage, months later” Jack continued as she kept silent, trying to make sense of all Jack is saying.”I told you back then, that if it’s not going to be my child in your belly, then it will be no one else’s”.
“Jack, now you have my full attention” as she came closer to the sofa and took a seat gently with her hands on her bumpy belly. “Please continue Jack”. Showing less regard for her struggle to sit, Jack continued talking. “So with the help of your maid, who seems to be no smarter than your gateman, I had my eyes and ears within your home for the past two years, watching and observing your so-called happy family life.
“With your maid’s help ofcourse, I knew when you had taken in. A few months afterwards, I started giving your dear maid a drug dose to sprinkle into your meals each night. By the sixth month, I let the drug take its course on your pregnancy and the rest is history”.
Lena, having gathered enough strength on her seat, had her mouth wide open as the words spilled out of Jack’s mouth. “So you’ve been responsible for my last three miscarriages? Jack! Ah! May you never find happiness as you’ve taken away mine in my own home. So this is how you treat me after cheating on me, lying to me and messing up my emotions while with you. Jack, you’ve crossed the line and this is the last time you’ll ever hurt me”. “And what are you going to do? Report me to the authorities? Let’s see you try dear”. Jack responded.
As the tears kept dripping from Lena’s eyes and Jack kept whining as he always did, the gate opened again and a car engine’s sound was heard this time. “That’s my husband”. Lena noted. “Well, then it’s time for me to take my leave. But not before I say hello to the man who took my woman”. Lena’s annoying response – “I’m not your woman Jack” as she gets up and heads to the kitchen and reached for a bottle of juice in the fridge. After sipping and placing the juice back in the fridge, and Jack taking his gaze away from Lena, sighed in response. “whatever dear, time for some introduction and I know you won’t be stupid enough to tell him what I’ve just disclosed to you”. With no words from Lena, she reached for the small cupboard right above the fridge.
The door opened as Lena’s husband walked in “Sweety I’m home…!” Jack gave sarcastic look as he stands waiting. “Welcome my king, how was your day?” Lena to her husband as she approaches the living room to see Jack standing next to their dining table, a few distance from the sofa. “it was great dear. Signed off another deal with a new client. And who is our guest here?” referring to Jack. As Jack was about to respond, Lena jumped in to respond… “Sweetheart, meet Jack, my ex-boyfriend I told you about prior to our marriage”. Out of curiousity for Lena’s facial expression regarding her last comment, Jack turned around to look at her with a shocking reaction on Jack’s face as Lena concluded, “He came to say goodbye” and the next sound was a gun-shot firing straight into Jack’s forehead.
Micheal Tadese