Emotional tingle episode 34
EMOTIONAL TINGLE
(The Mind Reader)
Episode 34
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Written by Author Nath
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DAYS EARLIER
In a nice black suit, Emmanuel tapped his fingers continuously on a round table which only him occupied. It was at an open bar where Christmas light sparkled like the stars in the sky. Obviously, he was waiting for his date. A bottle of water and a glass cup could be found on the table. The young boy looked restless and nervous at the same time. Quickly, he drank from the glass cup and glanced at his wristwatch. Suddenly, he smiled at the sight of Cynthia, catwalking from afar.
She wore a black gown with a black purse in her hand. On her feet were heel shoes which expertized the locomotion of the domestic animal. She looked innocent and harmless like v×rgiπ Mary. Emmanuel quickly dressed the chair for her when she came.
“Thank you.” she smiled and sat down.
Emmanuel sat down too. “What would you like to take?” he grinned, staring at the beautiful face of the female mind reader.
“Exactly what you’re taking.” she replied. Immediately, a bottle of water and a glass cup were made available for her. In the silence, she poured a quantity in the glass cup. The running sound of the water in,side the cup seemed to be a beautiful sound wave to Emmanuel as he stared at her. Cynthia drank from the cup and gently dropped it on the table before looking at the boy opposite her.
“So..”
“To save time, Emmanuel” she interrupted him. “I know what’s in your mind; you’re crushing on me and will like to say all kinds of sweet things to make me blush or have my legs spread for you. I noticed that when I first set my eyes in your eyes at the airport. And my answer to your ‘would have been’ advances is no. But I can spread my legs for you because I like you. So let’s quickly move to the part of the person named Crucifix.”
Hearing all that, Emmanuel exhaled and leaned back to his chair, watching the girl drink from the glass cup for the second time. “How old are you?” was the only thing he could ask.
“Old enough to spread my legs for you. Don’t be scared you won’t be arrested for child abuse, if only I report you as a child by the way.”
“Why are you in town?”
“For a personal business.” She stared into his eyes and read his mind. “I know the next question and the answer is yes, I’m a mind reader.” she picked the glass cup again to drink from it
“Just like Crucifix Odinachi.” Emmanuel said sadly.
“Odinachi?” Cynthia paused with the glass cup in her hand. Instead of drinking from it, she dropped it back. “This Crucifix is a mind reader, huh?” she asked surprisingly.
“Yes, and he’s into some big shit because of it as we speak. He is my friend.”
“Why was he in the warehouse?”
“I can’t tell. Crucifix doesn’t look like a drug dealer to me. He’s just a boy that wants a peaceful life but keeps ruining it in the process. Lovcilia made it worst.”
“Lovcilia? For who?”
“There’s this girl he’s so obsess with!”
Cynthia became quiet, thinking critically. She was a mind reader, so she could fathom the suffering Crucifix was passing through. The silence observed between them enabled them to hear moving vehicles and sirens from afar. Emmanuel bent forward, in a lower and more serious tone, he asked, “Don’t you think you and Crucifix are kind of siblings? Girl, you look more like him!”
“Thank you for the drink, Emma.” She stood up.
Emmanuel stood up too. “Just like that? I don’t even know your name!”
“It’s Hee?”
“That isn’t a name. It’s not even Chinese.”
Cynthia drank from the glass cup for the last time and hit the bottom on the table. “My name is Cynthia, Cynthia Odinachi.” she walked out.
“Okay, what about the spreading of legs? I’m interested!!” he shouted to see the girl showing him her middle finger which means ‘f×¢k you!’ Emmanuel shook his head, smiling broadly….
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CONTINUITY FROM THE PRESENT
Back to the mud house, Raina and Margret closely glared at each other like two fowls about to initiate a fight. Geb shook his head sadly for what a man sees sitting down, a child cannot see it standing on top of a tree. There were not only silence in the local living room, but also tension filled the room caused by the two girls. Mrs. Nelson’s cell phone broke the silence, she looked at the caller then went outside while Geb stepped towards the angry girls.
“When two elephants fight, the grass suffers. Both your actions is hurting Crucifix. Just look at him.” he said.
None of the girls looked at him as Margret walked out from the house angrily, then Raina exhaled. The girl was ready to give Margret anything she wanted. After all, she’s older than her with months. She had been in her sixteenth before Margret just turned sixteen, do she was fully ready for her. As she stared at the door, she listened to her mother’s phone conversation with Mrs. Adams.
“You and Raina can come and stay with us, Emily.” Mrs. Adams said on the phone.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Helen.” Mrs. Nelson replied, glancing at her daughter from outside through the opened door.
“Why?”
“Margret and Raina are kind of not in good terms right now.”
“They have no choice. Also, we need to have a chat with the boy Crucifix and his grandfather. They know a lot. So you and your daughter should come over then we plan on when to see the two.”
Mrs. Nelson exhaled and glanced at her daughter again. “Alright.” she hung up the call. Immediately she entered into the house, Raina said to her, “If it is staying with the Adams, I will not do that.”
“What’s wrong with you, this girl?! Why are you so observant?!” the mother wondered.
“I’ve told you, mum.”
“Well, you have no choice. Park your things.” she folded her arms.
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Being an orphan is something no one would wish for him or herself. No amount of love will erase the memory of your parents. It just hurts so hærd that something will forever exist only in your memory and that’s the love of biological mothers and fathers. Margret felt the pain, so she journeyed to their abandoned family house. It was the only disrupted building at the site. The roof had no zinc except half burnt woods. The walls were as dark as charcoals.
Margret stood before the house, crying as she remembered how her parents were burnt alive in that house eight years ago. She covered her head and shoulder with a black fabric like an Arabic woman with a black plain trouser too to mourn her parents. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.
“Is that Margret?” The old female voice had said.
Margret turned with tears. She forcefully let out a smile from the sad face. “Aunty Ada.” she called.
“Oh, my baby!” the woman spread her hands and Margaret found refuge in them, crying seriously. “Poor girl. I understand your pain. You were just eight the last time I saw you before taken by the Adams.” she patted her back gently then disengaged. “Look at you, you’re all grown up now. Remember Tommy, my child and your childhood friend?”
Margret nodded her head.
“Come, he’s around. He will be so happy to see you.” the woman held her by the hand. “Stop crying, my dear. Crying will not bring back the people we love.” she added.
Entering into the bungalow, Margret saw Tommy, a young fair boy on knicker and singlet with a television remote in his hand. She stopped at the door, staring at him. Meanwhile, Tommy had dropped the remote and stood up after sighting her. “Margret?” he called.
Oh, his voice reminded Margret of their childhood in the neighborhood. How they fought, played and went to school together. “Tommy.” she called too. Both hurriedly hugged each other at the same time.
“You’re so big now.” Tommy weighed her again.
“I can say the same thing to you.” she forced out another smile.
“Look at your eyes. Have you been crying?” Tommy began to caress her cheek gently as both never averted their eyes from each others. Obviously, the boy had started developing feelings for her…
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On the other hand, at DeMar, Crucifix and Emmanuel continued strolling on the quiet lonely street just beside the mud house. They used it as a form of exercise especially for Crucifix who still had a bandage around his stomach. Both wore shorts.
“Crucifix, you know the feds will soon come for you.” Emmanuel began. “I mean you were found on a crime scene. You will be interrogated.”
“I know.” Crucifix glanced at him. “I still can’t remember what happened that very day. Who must have come to kill Raina’s father and other men?”
“That’s one of the questions you’ll answer for the police.”
“But I sincerely do not know.”
“But what were you doing there at the first place?” Emmanuel stopped, to pay more attention to him. “Crucifix, I’m your friend. You don’t need to lie to me. I need to know what’s going on. Okay, I promise, if you tell me everything that is going on with you, I’ll tell you a little secret which might interest you too.”
“What could that be?” Crucifix asked. “Tell me first.”
“Well, you’re not the only mind reader in town. There’s a female one named Cynthia Odinachi. I think she’s your sister.” Emmanuel explained while Crucifix chuckled, moving forward again.
“You’re not a good comedian, Emma.” he said.
“It’s not funny!!” Emmanuel held him back. “I’m not joking, Crucifix! I even have her number. When I mentioned lovcilia, she freaked out!” the boy sounded more serious and Crucifix began to believe him….
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At Mr Adams, in the dinning room, Margret seated opposite Raina at the dinning table, Emily and Helen also seated opposite each other, Crucifix and his grandfather seated side by side. The two teenage girls had not spoken to each other for more than twenty four hours the Nelsons parked in. They stayed in a different rooms though and had cancelled everything school for the moment. You know what they say, ‘family comes first’. Though the setting looked more like a dinner meal but was a meeting called by Emily and Helen.
“I don’t understand why I’m sitting with people who keep secrets.” Margret broke the silence sarcastically with a glanced at Crucifix. She opened a plate of rice before her.
“Behave yourself, Margret.” The mother warned then turned to others. “We actually called us here because we are now one big family. Our fathers or husbands have left us in this mess. Thank God Adams is still alive.” she looked at Crucifix and continued. “Crucifix, very soon the feds will come for you for questioning. You need not to dish my husband to them.”
“I’m not intending to.” he replied.
“What’s he actually dishing your husband for? For drugs or the murder of Lucy and her brother? Huh?” Margret asked, chewing some rice in her mouth.
“Stop that, Margret!” The mother warned again.
Margret dropped her spoon. “Why do I feel that I’m being left in the dark? We’ve suddenly become family, right? And family doesn’t keep secrets. Crucifix should tell us everything that…” her ringing phone interrupted her. She picked it from the table as everyone watched her. She looked at the caller to see Tommy then picked it and stood up from their midst, speaking faintly through the phone until she entered into her room. Crucifix couldn’t help but to shake the feeling that Margret was speaking to another boy. He felt jealous, staring at her door and hearing her faint voice.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Adams took over the floor. But Crucifix’ mind wasn’t there anymore. Raina could see it and observe it. She knew that all his attention was on the girl that wasn’t with them anymore. Suddenly, Margret came out from the room, heading back to her seat.
“Who was that on the phone, Margret?” Crucifix interrupted Mrs Adams.
Hearing that, Margret stopped on the way with a bitter smile. “Are you kidding me now?” she retorted.
Crucifix read her mind immediately. “Who is Tommy, Margret?”
“Oh, you can f×¢king read my mind anyhow you like, but you have no right to ask me that, okay!” she began, walking back to her room.
Crucifix stood up. “Fine, I killed Lucy!” he said.
That statement did not only stop Margret on the way, it also brought everyone’s attention to him. Crucifix stepped out from the table towards Margret. “I killed Lucy to protect our love. I stepped into the Casino to please you, all decisions I made both good and bad, I made it for us to be together. Please, you don’t have to turn your back on me. I never wanted any of this to happen.” he began to shed tears even though one secret was still withheld from her which is the meaning and implications of lovcilia.
As all waited for Margret to say something, her phone rang for the second time. Tommy was calling again….
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TO BE CONTINUED