ISADORA
The Homeless Girl
Isadora-Episode 6
Isadora’s side of the story continues from the previous episode
Seeing Val once again really made my heart blow in an unimaginable way but unfortunately we met the second time in a much tougher circumstance and I had no choice than to pretend not to recognize him, wishing he did the same but no he came after me with the slightest opportunity he got. I liked him, yes I felt something for him but the last thing I was ready to do was fall for him. I was in his house to work and nothing else moreover he was engaged to the daughter of the woman that rescued me from uncertainty and the last thing I wanted was paying her back with evil.
After telling Val my mind that afternoon I had hoped he wasn’t going to disturb me again but I was mistaken because he came right back for me again later in the evening, showing up at the kitchen as I was doing the dishes after dinner .
‘’what again’’ I breathed with despair as I turned to face him. He smiled and drew close but unfortunately and unknown to him, his fiancé Jane was following behind and if not that she was talking on phone as she walked in, perhaps she would have caught him off guard. Something I never wanted to experience.
‘’hmmm sweety what are you doing here?’’ Jane asked suspiciously, pocketing her phone.
‘’ I came to drop a glass that needed washing’’ Val effortlessly lied, smiled and left, leaving Jane and I alone. I nervously continued with my work as she stared at me for some seconds.
‘’you know there is something about you that makes me a bit uncomfortable but please don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against you’’ she breathed politely, trying hard to be friendly. I forced out a smile.
‘’I hope we can be friends. So tell me about yourself’’ she demanded curiously while I shrugged.
‘’come on’’ she insisted.
‘’seriously I don’t know much about myself. I grew up in Nsukka with my adoptive parents. I was rescued from an inferno that killed my biological parents. They died in a raging fire that destroyed my home when I was barely few months old. Some neighbors rescued and gave me away. I don’t know much about myself for now but I believe in due time I will find out the truth. For now I’m just trying to survive.’’ I softly answered, turned to throw a look at her and noticed she was very much colored up. It was as if she had great pity on me or something. I instantly liked her.
‘’how old are you now?’’ she softly asked.
‘’I’m nineteen’’ I replied, watching her reaction.
‘’aww so the incident happened approximately nineteen years ago?. I’m so sorry. I have to go now. I can’t bear such touching story’’ she breathed, tapped my shoulder gently and quickly away as if my story reminded her of something which kind of left me totally surprised. Yes she couldn’t hide her emotions. It was as if she connected with my story like a sister and deep down i liked her more.
________________________
Jane’s side of the story continues from the last scene above
Listening to Isadora’s plight brought back the darkest memory of my life. A family secret I had carried all through my young age. A scandalous story of betrayal and survival. A very terrible deed my family orchestrated. The memory of how my father razed down the house of his elder brother in the middle of the night, killing him and his family and taking over his business. It was a desperate action he pulled back then for us to survive and every one of us in the family knew the story. Yes he was virtually talked into it by my mother when things were so bad that we couldn’t even afford two square meals. I was so little back then but old enough to understand things. We all watched as dad left home that night to perform the deed and he returned a different man. Things changed overnight for us but the only problem we had was learning from the police that my late uncle’s baby girl wasn’t in the fire. A puzzle no one could solve and we all lived with fear that she could return one day to reclaim the empire my dad built with her parent’s blood. Nevertheless only my dad really could tell the exact story of how he was able to gain access into his brother’s vast compound that fateful night to perform the dastardly act.
Listening to Isadora’s story brought back the agonizing memory but then I felt she could never be my late uncle’s missing daughter because such magic only happens in movies. Nevertheless I knew I had to tell my mother about my fears and discovery.
I couldn’t sleep that night. I kept tossing around on the bed but Val never noticed. He slept like a baby giving me less to worry about him.
Early the next morning I headed home to talk to my mother who looked overly surprised to hear that the young girl she helped the previous day could be the missing daughter of her husband’s late brother.
‘’this is serious. You know I felt something about the girl when she approached me for help. I hardly helped strangers but she got to me. Now I see’’ mum breathed after listening to all I had to say.
‘’we have to inform your father and brothers and then look for a way to carry out a DNA test to be sure’’ she added.
‘’so what if she turns out to be the missing girl?’’ I asked curiously.
‘’we will then have to get rid of her immediately. She’s now in Enugu city and if she’s really the one someone might offer to help her find the truth and that could be disastrous if we delay’’ mum replied while my heart instantly went to Val.
‘’mum I noticed Val is slowly getting close to her and I don’t trust him. If she tells him the story he might offer to help her’’ I complained.
‘’I pray that doesn’t happen or we might equally be forced to get rid of him too’’ mum replied fearlessly while I gave out a sigh as I wondered the kind of chameleon my mum was.
‘’Isadora trusts me and I will exploit that to the full’’ I assured her. She smiled with satisfaction.
‘’if she’s really the girl then I believe God played her into our hand for a reason. So play your role well’’ she muttered while I nodded even though deep down I was a bit scared things might never be same anymore. Moreover I wasn’t ready to be part of another murder. But then my family comes first before anything.
To be continued
