Amidst temptations batch 16

AMIDST TEMPTATIONS
 
Episode 24
 
“So..you and my brother uh?” Serena began as we changed into our swimwear, it’s been two weeks and I had been having swimming lessons from Sean, Serena had been in school but this weekend she was home. I wasn’t so good yet but I could stay in water and swim at 4ft
“You guys dating yet?” she continued
“No”
“Seems to me you guys are”
“Well we not..not yet”
“Why..?”
“Because Martin is my boyfriend”I said with a duh, she scoffed
“So you are using my brother?’
” no..not at all, he’s just teaching me swimming”
“That’s what he told you uh?’
“Serena I know what I’m doing?”why was she popnosing
” I’m not gonna push you, but I’m sure you know what your doing, because he’s soon leaving for London”
Why was everyone pressuring me, why did she think I was using her brother, we were friends and just seeing how it goes, besides it was none of her business
We went to the pool area, Serena dived in but I stayed on the chaise, checking my phone messages as Rachael’s death was still trending, it was being investigated as everyone who knew her was being questioned, I felt it was weird as it was a straight forward case, but her parents seemed to be influential, the doctor had been arrested, but I was thinking her boyfriend should be the first to be arrested..My phone started ringing, it was Martin, rolling my eyes I cut, he called again, I decided to pick
“Hey”
“Why haven’t you been picking my calls?..you got me all worried”
“I’m fine” I paused”I just needed time to think ”
“You needed two weeks to think?, you are never in your hostel, I’ve been looking for you all over, where are you? are you with him?”
Had he been stalking my room
“What did you want?”
“Are you cheating on me?”
“What..no..” Why would he think that “I just, I’m just confused”
“Let’s see tomorrow, we can talk about it ”
“You are around?” why was he around?
” yeah”
“Well why you around?”
He paused “I was called to the station about Rachael”
What..”w..why..?.”
“Can we just see and talk?”
“I can’t..” I saw Sean coming towards the pool
“What do you mean you can’t.. I want to see you, you are my girlfriend, why you doing this?”
“Martin, you’re shouting” why was he shouting
Sean sat on the other chaise, took up a drink and drank
“you are with another man and i should’nt shout? Are yo sleeping with him?”
“What no..” At this point I wanted to cut the call but decided to be civil
“You are a slut, you know that..” he was saying when I cut, nursing my headache
I took a deep breathe..he just called me a slut
“lover boy”Sean teased
“He just wants to know if I’m fine”I dismissed
“Yeah I guess, don’t let him get to you”he said
” I’m alright…I have to see him”I said
He looked at me”why?. Except you’re breaking up there’s no reason to”
“He’s still my boyfriend”
He stared at me “yeah..guess he is”
He stood up to join his sister, I sat there and thought about Martin, feeling it was my fault he was acting that way, I would be angry too if it was in reverse situation, but why was he called, was he in trouble, I decided to let it all go as I stood up and went into the pool.
The next day, Serena and I swam alone
“I’m sorry for the way I sounded earlier, I just want you to make the right decision, you obviously love my brother very much” She said as we reclined on the pool wall
“Yeah I do” I admitted to her, she giggled
” So you can say I’m the perfect matchmaker”
“More of an evil schemer” I said, she laughed out then “See if you can catch me”
Sean had gone to attend to some business, when he returned he joined us in the pool, and I continued my lessons. We joked and laughed around with Serena until she made a phone call, talking to a guy, I haven’t met him yet but with the blush on her face, I knew she was serious about him. I was glad she moved on fast and teased her about it, she chuckled and she said she had to go
“Where you going?”
“Have to meet up with someone..besides I can’t be a third wheel”, she said as she left the pool, glancing at Sean I knew she was scheming again, I hated her so much, but loved her anyway. I practised my strokes while he made a call, he was quiet when he finished
” What is it?”I asked then swam to where he was, he stretched his hand and touched my hair
“Are you okay?”I asked
“Yeah…just spoke with my travel agent”
“And..?”
“My flight’s booked for Saturday”
“What..” I felt I had more time
“Yeah..thought we had more time”
I was silent as the pressure built on me, he stared at me
“I want to know if there’s a reason for me to stay”he said
“You can stay because of your family”
“No..everyone has their life..I wana start mine with you”
I was silent “you can’t just stay because I want you to?”I asked
He held my face “no..that’s not something to hold on to”he k-ssed me and I k-ssed him back with fervor, because I loved him very much but I needed time, I needed to settle whatever it was with Martin physically, plus the fact he wasn’t a christian held me back, how do I show him to my father?
He stayed me..I felt guilty, like I was using him
“Emilia…you’re driving me so crazy, I think I deserve a yes..” he paused “or a no, I’ve waited too long”
I stared at him and my l-ips shook, I wanted to cry because I was about to say something stupid again .
“I need time” I said “by the end of the week, I promise” I needed to see my Dad and tell him the truth, I needed to break up with Martin..
“Okay..” he said “I ll wait”
I got back to my room and discovered Rebecca was not indoors, sighing I went about changing, I heard a sound
“Rebecca?” I called, She was supposed to be back from church, wondering where she went , I decided to have my bath, I came out and dressed up….
Suddenly I knew he was there as I heard breathing.
I didn’t want to turn… but I did.
Episode 25
 
Thanks everyone for your patience..and comments, inspires me to keep writing. Well, back to our story..!
 
Third person POV..
Rebecca opened the door to her room and closed it, keeping her bag on her bed she went to her pot to check for food, she had decided to go visit a sick sister in fellowsh¡p after church so had returned late, while eating her jollof rice she glanced at Emilia’s bed and wondered why she wasn’t back yet, she was always with Sean these days but should be back by 8:30pm she discovered, checking her watch, Sighing, she went to keep the empty plate, then decided to call her, her number wasn’t reachable, well she’ll just chill, maybe Sean took her somewhere.
She read a magazine on her bed as she wondered why Emilia couldn’t just date Sean, he was every girl’s dream and she obviously liked him, fine he wasn’t a Christian but God could change him, she didn’t think that was an important criteria. It became 10pm, she got worried, and looked again at her bed. It was well laid with a dress on top of it, looking again she discovered there was something white on it, she went to the bed and took up the sheet of paper
“I’m spending the night with Sean, don’t wait up”
Wow..that was fast, since when did she sleep in a man’s house?, She folded the note but wondered at it..Emilia would have called her instead.
Thinking she was an adult, she shrugged and went to the bathroom, noticing it was w-t, meaning she had returned earlier.
She had her bath and dressed up in the room, being an early sleeper she was asleep in no time.
The next morning, Emilia wasn’t back, sighing she got ready and went to the hospital for her clinicals, hoping to talk to her about the night spending. It wasn’t wise for a young woman to do that, yeah Emilia was capable of making her own decisions but could become emotional sometimes…especially since was in love.
Emilia wasn’t in class either…that was so unlike her, missing three classes, Serena was busy with her snobby friends so she decided not to approach, assuming she might still be with Sean, she decided to chill.
When she got back in the room, there was still no sign of Emilia, she hadn’t returned at all. She decided to call Serena, she picked on the third ring, guess she was busy, plus the place was noisy
“Hey bitch ‘sup”
She decided to ignore the B part “you have my number?”
“Of course, I have to, we have a common friend” she said bitterly
“Well the common friend is missing”
“What..”
“Did you see her in class?”
“Umm.no..but she’s prob with my brother those two go everywhere together”
Rebecca wasn’t settled, Emilia should have called her by now, or texted
“Can you ask him?”
“She’s fine, I ll call her now even” Serena cut but didn’t call back.
Rebecca got worried again, but decided to go for night class.
In the morning, Emilia wasn’t back, bed still as it was, she sat on her bed and began to dial her numbers, did she go home?. She thought of calling her father but didn’t want to scare anyone…yet, her sister was far away having gotten a job in Lagos, plus she didn’t want to worry anyone, seeing it was like reporting her friend.
She slept off, when she awoke, Emilia’s bed was still empty, there was a knock on the door, it came again more subtle
“Who’s there?”
“Me”
She stood up and opened it. Sean stood there, eyebrows furrowed, Rebecca stared at him as he stared at her
“where’s Emilia?”he asked
She went back into the room
“Wish I knew, thought she was with you”she said sitting on her bed
“What do you mean, I haven’t seen her since Sunday ”
“When did she leave?”She asked
“Quite early..maybe 4pm”
“Did she say she was going anywhere else?”
He thought about it then shook his head
“You mean you haven’t seen her? ” he sighed “thought she wasn’t picking my call on purpose”
“year, one number is not going the other rings without being picked” she confirmed
“Where do you think she might be?”he asked
“I don’t know, I called Serena earlier and..”
” yeah, got me worried, I had to come”he said
She got silent, moving back and forth on the bed. He walked to Emilia’s side of the room and touched her bed, he took up the dress
“This is what she was wearing”he said
She stood up “Really ”
“Yeah” he said feeling it
“She had her bath too, bathroom was w-t”
He squatted…looking around as he saw something, reaching under her bed he took out a purse
​​​​​ “This is her purse, why would she leave without it, does she have another?”he asked her
She came and took it from him “It is…wow, she can’t leave the house without her purse she has to take taxi’s and all”she opened it and there was money in,side.
He held his forehead and sighed
” This is so not happening”
“What do you think we should do?”she asked
” I don’t know, is there any place she might be?”
“Home..but I don’t wana call her parents”
“I think we have to”
Rebecca sighed then made the dreaded call
“What do you mean she’s not in school?”her father barked, after Rebecca explained the situation, her father said he was coming with the mother, as the duo sat and waited for them to arrive, Sean suddenly said
“I think we should call Martin, you have his number?”
She nodded”That’s true, I didn’t even think of him”she took out her phone and dialled, it rang and rang then went to voicemail
” He’s not picking, maybe he’s busy, he’s involved in Rachael’s case”
“Who’s Rachael?” as he asked that, there was a knock on the door, both sighed in relieve but then
thought that Emilia would not knock.. getting up Rebecca went close to the door
“Who’s there?”
“It’s the police, open up”
Rebecca looked back at Sean,what was the police doing at her room door, she opened anyway and a middle aged man walked in with a younger man on uniform
He showed them his ID
“I’m Detective Charles Marshall, this is Sergeant John Binigie, we investigating Miss Rachael Okoro’s case”
Rebecca and Sean looked at each other
“I want to speak with Miss Emilia Badmus”
Sean stood up, glanced at Rebecca who was now scared
​​​​ “She’s not around sir..we’ve been looking for her” she managed to say
“Possibly she has run away” he showed her a picture “Do you know this young man?”
“That’s Martin” Sean said surprised, Rebecca was almost in tears
“yes, he’s her boyfriend” she said
“We needed to ask her some questions but possibly she had run away with him”
“What is he talking about”, he asked Rebecca” what’s going on?”
“Emilia would not run away with Martin”Rebecca said fearing the worst
Pastor Badmus came in through the open door
“What’s happening, where’s my daughter”
“What did you say happened to her?” her mother asked, Rebecca sat on the bed so she didn’t faint
The detective looked at them and introduced himself
“The autopsy report of Miss Racheal Okoro came out today, she didn’t die of complicated abortion like was earlier speculated, she sustained severe head injury so we imagined she was pushed from a height, the doctor after rigorous questioning said she didn’t want to do it, so had left the hospital having opened up to him about the young man here in this photo, who had asked her to remove the pregnancy he was responsible for, we had him but he was bailed out by his father, he wasn’t supposed to leave town while the investigation was going on but we can’t find him anywhere. His parents are currently in custody till he is found, we got information about the girlfriend but now she is missing”
Her parents got more confused“ What are you talking about, can somebody tell me what is going
on?” Her father exclaimed looking around, his eyes landing on sean who had gone to the window to stare out
“Rebecca..where is my daughter?” the mother asked”oh god..”
Rebecca was already in tears as the detective sighed then said
“yes sir…your daughter is involved with a murderer ”
*******
Who can guess where Emilia is?