Roses and thorns episode 14 – 15

Roses and Thorns – Episode 14
By Jennifer Godwin
Joel got to Ebube’s apartment around 7pm, he knocked and Ebube answered the door almost immediately. Joel sighed heavily and went straight to sit on the sofa breathing hærd.
“Yo man, what happened? you left in the morning and you are back by this time? i have been calling your phone” Ebube said all at a time.
“Chidiebube, if i tell you what i passed through today, you will pity me” Joel said with a sigh.
“What happened bro?” Ebube asked sitting down.
“I went to see Melody” Joel replied scratching his head.
“Who is Melody?” Ebube asked confused.
“The lady from the funeral, she is now with my parents”
“Wait, i don’t underground, you took her to your parents or what?” Ebube asked with his eyes opened wide.
“After my meeting with the detective, i found out that she is next in line to be killed by the killer, so i rushed down to her place, you know i don’t know her house, i had to hang around at the junction for some hours before she finally came out and bro? I spent almost 20 hours trying to convince her to go with me, she was so stubborn and adamant” he explained with a hiss accompanying his explaination.
“Oh my God, this killer is really biting more than he can chew” Ebube said shaking his head. “but wait a minute, what are you doing here then?” he asked all of a sudden.
“What do you mean by that?” Joel asked.
“Listen to me man, that killer is smart and am sure by now he knows that you have taken that lady, i suggest you move to your parents’ house for now, that lady needs protection from you and not your parents and moreover, you just endangered the lives of your parents too” Ebube said after thinking for a while.
“Oh yeah that’s true, i never thought of that” he said jumping unto his feet.
“Yes man, do everything you can to protect that lady, she alone can lead us to the killer, just go home first, we will talk about our plans tomorrow” Ebube said going to the room. “Come, i will help you pack” he added simultaneously.
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The doctor’s phone rung, he picked up almost immediately, a baritone voice sounded from the other end, the doctor stood up, locked the door very well before going to sit down.
“Hello doctor, how is everything?” the person asked.
“Everything is fine sir” the doctor replied.
“what of Okenwa?”
“He is fine sir, i only feel nothing but pity each time he pleads with me to let him go, i feel so troubled keeping a sane man in a place like this” the doctor explained.
“We have no other option doctor, until his brother is being caught and prosecuted, there is nothing we can do other than to keep him (Okenwa) there, because once Okenwa leaves the psychiatric home, consider him dead.” the person at the other end said.
“I know very well, my life is also in danger because if I make any mistakes, am sure he won’t spare me too” the doctor said with a sigh.
“Just continue to make him believe that you are feeding Okenwa with harmful drugs while we wait for their father to wake up from coma” the person said calmly.
“No problem sir, i have heard you” the doctor replied hanging up.
Episode 15
Melody woke up with a yawn, she stretched herself and felt the bed for her phone but no sign of it anywhere, she sighed and opened her eyes fully, at first, she wondered where she was as the room didn’t look like her own but almost immediately, she remembered everything that happened the previous day and then she sighed again as she remembered that she didn’t go out with her phone the day she left with the captain, she got down from the bed and planned to go get her phone later in the day.
She walked down the stairs and met Joel’s mother already setting the dining for breakfast, she walked towards the dining room and greeted her with a smile.
“Good morning my dear, hope you slept well?” the woman asked.
“Yes ma, i did, what of you?” Melody asked and then added “What can i help you with ma?”
“Nothing my child, just help me call Joel, tell him to come and eat” she replied.
“Joel? who is Joel?” Melody asked a little confused.
“Joel my son, the captain” she said going into the kitchen.
“Oh, his name is Joel? but i thought he left last night?” she asked yet again.
“Yes my dear, but he came back while you were fast asleep” the woman said all smiles.
“Okay ma” she said heading upstairs but then turned around and asked “Ma, what is “come and eat” in your language?”
“Bia rie nri” the woman said with a chuckle
Melody’s heart beat loudly as she climbed the stairs, for some weird reason, she was happy she was going to see the young soldier again, when he left the previous night, she was a little sad. she got to his room and knocked, her heart fluttered and she smiled. She knocked again and when she got no response, she decided to go into the room.
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Joel came out from the bathroom with a towel tied around his wa-ist, he almost scre-med when he saw her staring at the pictures hung on the wall. “whatever happened to knocking”? he wondered.
“Melody any problem?” Joel asked holding tightly to the towel.
“Good morning sir, i didn’t know you were in the bathroom, i knocked before i entered but didn’t get any response” she said trying hærd not to look at his body.
“Alright then, i hope there is no problem?” he asked again.
“Uuuum, no problem at all, bia rie nri” she said wondering if she got it correct.
“What did you say?” Joel asked with a smile.
“I said come and eat, your Mom sent me to you” she said concluding that she got it wrong.
“Okay, i will be down in a minute” he said still smiling.
“Okay sir” she said turning around to leave.
“You know if you want to learn how to speak Igbo, you can tell me, we can start up a class” Joel said with a chuckle.
“I would love to learn” Melody said with a bright smile. His heart skipped a beat, he turned around and opened his wardrobe to look for something to wear and when he turned back, she was gone, he let out a full breath.
Tbc