COME WHAT MAY

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The Present...

"You are not making sense Desire! How is this your doing?" Lorato asked softly.

"I brought you into our circle Lorato when you rescued Darren from drowning that day at the youth camp. I was grateful to you. But you made it your mission from that moment to become his fairy god mother. He made up all sorts of excuses to spend time with you. His love for me suddenly shifted to you and the picture this idiot was supposed to destroy was found by her mother who in turn confronted my parents."

Lolita gasped! She was not aware about this! Why didn't her parents say anything?

"They probably heard our conversation that afternoon and decided to fix things without your knowledge." She stood up and glared at Lorato. 

"You did me a great harm when Darren broke things off with me and began dating you."

"But Desire, she did not know about your relationship with Darren!" Lolita protested.

"Just as you did back then Lolita, you are defending her right now. I was the one that seduced and slept with Darren during our third year not Lolita." Lorato felt blood drain out of her face. This can't be true.

"If your memory served you well nosy Lolly, you will remember my parents' divorced and at that same period, Lorato snatched Darren away from me. In the end both of you ruined everything ...my family and the guy I love more than life itself."

Lolita and Lorato were too shocked to speak. It all seemed like a nightmare.

"What? You don't have anything to say? I made sure Lorato believed it was you that destroyed her relationship with Darren and I also made sure that Chidi did not approach you and tell you of his feelings."

"Stop it Desi! You are making this up!" Lolita shouted. Desire's sadistic laugh convinced her otherwise.

"I made sure he was aware of the breakup of Lorato and Darren and made sure he was there for her." Lolita realized then that the growing fondness between Chidi and Lorato at the time must have been brought about by the break up. And Chidi in his innocence took the bait and tried to console Lorato.

"He did not fall for her but surely that seed of love had been planted. I was determined to take away from you all your joy and those you cherished."

"What did you do?" Lorato asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Just like she found out about my parents' affair, I found out from a phone call Prof. Badmus made to Uncle Dele that she might not be his daughter. I could not believe my luck." Desire paced around the terrace slowly. Her pretty face was lighted with vengeance and she was not going to apologise for any of the things she had done.

For the past three years she had being sending typed letters all supposedly coming from Nigeria from Uncle Dele demanding for a relationship with his daughter and claiming that Lolita wanted to come home to Nigeria. She even went as far as approaching the Professor and confronting him about his evil behaviors towards Lolita. But as usual, when the Professor confronts Lolita she denied ever telling anyone about the situation at home because she really did not do it.

"You poisoned my dad against me? Why? What did I do to you that was so wrong?" Lolita felt like giving her a hard slap across the face. What evil possessed Desire to turn everything upside down?

"My family got ruined because of your carelessness! I lost Darren because of that slut over there! My marriage is near falling apart because I can't forget about Darren! I should be married to him right now if not because of you Lorato! And you!" she pointed a finger at Lolita and gave her a shove which landed the latter on her bum.

"Desire!" Lorato called with a warning tone as she tried to help Lolita up.

"You knew how much I loved Darren and yet you encouraged this slut to follow her heart and did not even bother about how I felt! Lorato came between us and a friendship that existed long before she came crumbled. I became the third wheel...in fact the extra wheel. I watched you bond with her while you left me in the cold."

"That did not give you the right to turn us against each other and ruin my relationship with my Dad!" Lolita shouted.

"None of you deserved to be happy! You stole my joy and so you must surely reap what you sowed." Desire shot back with fury flashing in her eyes.

"I did not make your parents betray their marriage vows Desire. They did that on their own and I am sorry but have you forgotten how unbearable you became after Darren broke up with you? I did not even understand why he was with Lorato but ..."

"What? You maintained friendship with her even after finding out Darren left me for her! You betrayed our love and friendship Lolita. You are a traitor and just you know...Christine Fani has taken up your case to the church committee. You will get demoted and removed from your post as the Sunday school teacher and I plan to make sure your last days here in Botswana will be miserable." With that she went back inside.

Chidi knew it was time to get in and show himself but he could not bring himself to do it. He would wait it out and see if Lorato would give herself in and tell him everything. He got inside the car and left.

Lolita and Lorato sat outside at the terrace and stared at the stars. How did things get out of hand? Where did they miss it? How could they all have been so blind to what was happening? Lolita blamed herself for being indifferent to Desire's pain and she should have destroyed the pictures but she also knew that the marriage would have crumbled under the lies and betrayal surrounding it. What baffled her the most was that her friends were holding grudges for so long and did not once confront her about their ill feelings towards her? Why didn't Lorato ask about Darren but believed Desire? She cringed at the thought of her friend labeling her all this while a slut and a killjoy; laugh with her , pray with her and even pretend to share in her joy. What kind of people was she surrounded by? She stood up and gave a small smile to Lorato. Their lives will never be the same again.