COME WHAT MAY

CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE

Lolita woke up with a start. Her eyes fluttered open and failed to focus on a foggy image standing before her. The last thing she remembered was the thick smoke entering the boot of the car and the heat becoming unbearable. What happened afterwards was a mystery.

"Good evening beautiful." A slightly deep male voice greeted her. Lolita opened and closed her eyes, then opened them once more. A dark tall man in yellow track suits was smiling down at her. She looked around and found that she was in a small room. Her hands and feet were tied up and she was still in the dress she wore to Rachael's wedding.

"Where am I?" She asked softly. Her throat felt dry and she could feel an headache coming.

"All I can tell you is that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He laughed out loud and crouched next to her on the mattress she lay. Lolita shook with fear and disgust at the awful smell of alcohol and cigarette the man reeked of.

"Who are you ? What do you want from me ?" She asked politely.

The man raised both hands to show his innocence. "I don't even know you little Lady but you are lucky the fire didn't touch you." He frowned and asked, "what chants were you making in there anyway ?"

Lolita was confused. "Chants?" When the car became really unbearably hot she had started reciting Isaiah 43:2 ...

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

"Why am I here ? Where is Lorato ?"
"She will be here soon."

"How...how are you connected to all this? Who are you ?"

The guy stood up and sat down on the plastic chair in the room. The small room had an equally small window which was shut. The cream coloured walls reminded her of the Johnsons' mansion. They must all be worried sick by now. Her lovely mother was probably at the church praying while her father and brother will be calling the police for updates. And Ryan? Her heart felt heavy just thinking about him. How could Lorato mess with their joy this way?

"I am Tumisang; Lorato's boyfriend at senior secondary school."
Lolita shut her eyes, licked her dry lips then said,

"Let me guess...you want her back because you can't move on." She sighed and added , "this whole month must be a re-union of lost, forgotten and forsaken love. Heck, it should be added as a month of love as well. I am really getting tired of this rollercoaster ."

"We met few weeks ago at a wedding and she happily told me she was getting married to some Nigerian guy." Lolita listened attentively to the guy...maybe he can be her Knight.

"I was home last night when she called me that her wedding was called off because of a friend." The guy chuckled and continued. "I thought maybe you cheated with her fiance but I learned you were at a wedding with your fiance and didn't cheat on him."

He crossed his long legs and folded his arms across his chest. "I followed her yesterday when I realized she was a little irrational."

"Just a little?" Lolita was almost speechless. "Something is wrong with her! I did nothing wrong to her."

Tumisang smiled briefly and continued with his tale. "I saw her push you inside the boot and followed her till she set the car ablaze."

"How did you get me out ?"Lolita wanted to hear about her miraculous escape from the fire.

"She was far away from the car when I ran and got some tools from my tool box and opened the boot. I got a blanket from my car and covered you with it...and here you are unscathed."