THE LAST BLOOD (episode 8)

© Bright Daniel 

Just as Tercy remained dumbfounded, Danny approached with the expression of confusion too. Other students walked around the vicinity with or without partners. Some grade2 students could be seen acting at a corner with their lecturer standing aside to monitor them. However, Danny had not said anything to Tercy as he kept looking at the direction Stanley followed.

“Is your friend okay?” Tercy broke the silence looking at the same direction.

“I have no idea. He seems to forget everything about Rita” he replied.

“Or is like they have broken up and doesn’t want to talk about her again”

“Stanley I know cannot break up with Rita”

As they contemplated, Mr Ruben hurried to them wearing a plain trouser and a long sleeve shirt. He had been informed about Stanley’s memory lost by both parents. The two students were surprise to see him standing behind them with his hands in,side the pockets. He looked at them suspiciously without saying a word.

“Sir, are we in any trouble?” Danny asked him.

“You kids amaze me sometimes” he began “I wonder the kind of love that can make one volunteer to die if his memory is not wiped out. Before, it was Stanley and Rita and now is Danny and Tercy”

The two students became more confused because their lecturer wasn’t only trying to tell them indirectly about Stanley’s strange attitude but also referring them as lovers. That was the least thing in Tercy’s mind but Danny, if not always, had sometime wished to date her.

“Sir, we don’t get it” Tercy spoke out.

“Stanley’s memory about his love life is erased just to save his life” he brought out his hands from the pockets and took two steps forward. “Now, what I’m trying to substantiate is that both of you should also be careful before any of you get his or her memory completely wiped out too. Gush!! Kids of nowadays” he briskly walked out.

“But sir, we aren’t in love!” Tercy exclaimed to his hearing.

“I don’t see it in his eyes!” he replied from a distant.

Tercy turned to see Danny already looking at her in the way Mr Ruben described. It was written all over him even his breathing rate testified for that which brought quietness between them. Many things went through their minds at the same time but none was ready to utter it out.

“Mr Ruben is joking, right?” Tercy broke the silence with a smile.

“Hum.. I think I need to see Stanley” Danny replied contrarily.

“Okay?”

“Okay”

They remaind mute again without proceeding or departing to their various hostels. Obviously, they were pinned by the unsatisfactory information she needed to hear from him. Suddenly, they departed but Tercy called him, “Danny!”

He turned. “Yes?”

“Can you take me to Rita’s house tomorrow coz I wonna apologize to her”

“No problem” They smiled and finally departed.

Stanley looked happy in,side his hostel to the extent he was singing while arranging his clothes in the wardrobe. Danny sat down on the bed staring at him pitifully because he knew that wipping away Rita’s memories from his mind was the worst thing that has happened to him. He shook his head negatively in pity. When Stanley turned to see him, he said, “You look sad, bro”

“No, I don’t” Danny tried to brighten up. “I’m just happy to see you”

“Me too”

They became quiet while Stanley resumed arranging his clothes.

“I wonna tell you something” Danny began. “I’m in love with Tercy, though I have not told her”

“Wow, that’s a good news! Danny of all people is in love” Stanley giggled.

“What about you? Isn’t there a girl you are madly in love with?”

“No, I just meet them and.. and.. go away. You once told me that I love every girl I meet but that’s not true”

“Like how many girls have you met?” Danny was still inquisitive to know if actually what Mr Ruben said is true.

Stanley mentioned several girls even Tercy but never mentioned Rita. He looked straight to Danny and said, “But I don’t love any of them”

“Who then do you love?”

“Nobody, I’m just social to girls, that’s all?” He concluded while Danny smiled factitiously with a sad heart.

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The next day at the residence of the Hocains, there was a car parked outside with the booth open. One can see different luggage in it as Rita stood beside it with hands folded. She wore a jacket over a short skirt. On her feet were high heels shoes with its lace tied randomly on her legs in a zigzag form. Suddenly, her parents came out, the father locked the booth while the mother met her. They wanted to travel as planned.

“Are you okay, Rita?” she asked her.

“I’m fine, mother” she replied wanting to enter into the car but the presence of Danny and Tercy prevented her. She came out to see them hurrying to meet her. The parents wondered who they were when they finally approached closer.

‘Danny?” Rita called walking very close to them. She looked at Tercy surprisingly. “I hope there is no problem. Is Stanley okay?”

“There is no problem” Danny replied.

“I just came to apologize for reporting you and Stanley to Mr Ruben” Tercy said twisting her fingers.

“Is that why you came all the way from Eastwood?” she smiled then looked back to her parents. “They are my friends, father!” she said and turned again while the father nodded his head. “Apology accepted. Now, both of you need to go back to school”

“Hum.. It seems you are travelling. We heard about what happened. We’re so sorry” Danny said.

“That’s the only way to save Stanley’s life” she became sad . “Bye” she walked back to the car.

After the two students left, the Hocains also drove
out of town.

Things began to change gradually in the life of Stanley. He started developing a new love life without knowing that he had one before. Everything about Rita totally wiped out from his memory, but Rita kept him in her heart and tried as much as possible never to have any feelings for another man except Stanley.

Over three weeks, the name ‘Rita’ was forgotten in Eastwood Academy. In the evening under a tree where metal seats could be found, Danny sat there with Tercy watching students playing basketball in the court. Stanley was among the players, and they could see how girls cheer him up especially the one called Joyce. She had a dark complexion wearing a short red skirt and a top like b-ra; only her br-asts were covered while her stomach opened. In her hands was Stanley’s shirt. She was a new student. At the end of the match, Stanley walked to her then she hugged him and handed the shirt to him.

“It seems like Stanley and Joyce are getting along” Tercy told Danny.

“Yeah, is still painful he has forgotten about Rita totally” he replied.

“Is not his fault. They erased his memory”

They looked at each other before Danny said, “I don’t wish to have my memory erased about you because you mean everything to me. I love you, Tercy”

She smiled. “You’re joking, right?”

Danny didn’t respond to that, rather k-ssed her with passion and all seriousness. He stared into her eyes and said again , “It’s not a joke, I love you”

At that moment, Tercy made the next move for a k-ss then both k-ssed happily to the extent they had to giggle as the k-ss went on.

****

Latisha summoned the Hocain’s family back to town, in her house. It was a sudden and a strange invitation that worth honoring. They both stood in the empty living room staring at her to let the cat out of the bad. She was on a red robe with a metal in her hand. Mr and Mrs Hocain watched as she closed the windows and doors before returning to them.

“So why did you call us and why closing the windows?” Mr Hocain asked.

“I guess I have something that can lead us to the breaking of the curse” she replied.

“What? How?” Mrs Lena queried enthusiastically moving closer to her.

“With this we can see the past, probably how the curse was laid and how it can be broken” Latisha handed the metal to Mr Hocain. “For almost a month now, I have been looking for a way to see that the curse is broken and restore my grandson’s happiness, so I found that in my secret house. It was given to me by my late parents before I got blind. Open it and tell me what you see” she added.

“You’re blind?” the couple 👫 became surprised and looked at each other because all this while Latisha never behaved like a blind woman.

Nevertheless, Mr Hocain opened the metal to see a round micro mirror where he saw his image alone, but sooner did the image disappear and a burning house appeared. He could see people running helter skelter until a pregnant woman stood before the burning house shouting, “I curse you Hocain; no man shall love any female child from your descendant otherwise killed by her. I curse you with the blood of Jelikin, my unborn child!” she died instantly after giving birth to the child. Image of several female children of the linage of Hocain that died without getting married began to appear one by one. Some committed suicide.

Mr Hocain closed the metal breathing hastily. “How can we break the curse?”

“What did you see or hear?” Latisha asked him after which he told her. “Only the descendant of that child can break the curse” she added.

“Then how can we get any of his descendant?” Mrs Lena interfered.

“Do you know the name of the child?”

“She called him Jelikin” Mr Hocain replied.

Hearing it, Latisha became surprise. “Jelikin?” she repeated thoughtfully. “That’s the name of my great great great grandfather”

“Really? then you must be one of his descendant. Please, break the curse” the couple pleaded.

“Now I see why my boy is destined to be with your daughter. Follow me” Latisha walked into another room where she lifted the curse from the family of Hocain. That rendered them powerless and It affected Rita in another town where she ate quietly in the dinning room. She fell down on the floor then became unconscious for a while without knowing the reason. The parents came back to see her lying on the bed in,side her room. She looked weak and different.

“How are you dear?” the mother entered with the father.

“I feel so weak as if something has gone out of my body. I fell down earlier today while eating” she sat up.

“That’s because the curse has been broken, and that has made us lose our magical powers” the father said with a smile.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope, he just said the truth” Latisha’s voice came from the door which she opened simultaneously. Rita looked at the direction to see not only her but Mr and Mrs Winston too. All were glowing with smiles on their faces. They told her the story on how the curse was broken. Immediately, Rita regained strength from nowhere. “Stanley” was the first thing that came out from her mouth. She jumped up from the bed. “Mother, I need to go back to Eastwood. I need to go back to Stanley!” she shouted happily.

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The Hocains went back to their initial house and Rita enrolled back to Eastwood Academy. She sighted Stanley with Joyce sitting in the basketball court and feeding each other with fruit juice. She dropped her luggage, ran to them without minding who Joyce was. She squat before him happily and said, “Stanley, guess what, the curse is broken! We can stay not only together but forever together”

Stanley looked at her strangely then turned to Joyce. He didn’t know what to say, even though Joyce expected him to say something.

“Who is she?” he asked her.

“I should be asking you who she is” she disdained him.

“I don’t know her!”

“Listen,” Rita held one of his hands .”I’m Rita Hocain, remember me now?”

Stanley stood up angrily. “I don’t know you girl, and you are embarrassing me before my girlfriend. How can you just come into the school newly and start saying rubbish to someone you don’t know, Gush!” he stretched his hand for Joyce. “Baby, let’s go” they walked out from her.

Rita became not only mad but heartbroken too. Therefore wished she had her magical power back. Stanley’s words to her dropped tears from her eyes as she watched them going out…

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TO BE CONTINUED