The Grudge

13

Bode

       Sleep had eluded him all through the early hours of the night. Ever since Zika left his apartment, that same pain her felt twelve years ago, when Gloria died, came rushing back. He couldn’t seem to find the barrier he had erected around himself to block the memories of his past. Désirée coming into his life had thought him how to move forward and never look back. When he set out to start over, the first thing he did when his businesses began to bloom, was to ask his elder brother to get a house for his parents which he would pay the rent, pleading with his brother to pose as the one paying the rent. Then he got a land and built his own house. He was currently building one for his parents, but wanted to keep Leye’s cover closed by not letting his older brother inform his parents. His second girlfriend died, – shortly after his younger brother, Olamide died – through an accident on her to meet him on the day of her birthday. He was going to make a memorable day for her and she deserved all of it. Tanwa had been the best of all he ladies he dated. He hadn’t settled much after Gloria, it had been hard. But he had engaged in flings and Tanwa had been the only one he connected with. She had given him a reason to fall in love again. She had taken good care of three year old Désirée as her own child. Nothing had gotten to him than that and her death. It seemed like a coincidence to him until Eno had died on his kitchen floor because she slipped. The same way Twist had died. He got scared that he could be carrying a bad omen that murdered women. He had been unable to move away from that past and had shown his fear for change, by locking all of Gloria’s things in a separate room at the new house he built and was now living with his daughter. The same room Zika had taken for a secret occult chamber. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to take everything away when he walked into the room thirty minutes ago, now sitting on the bare cold tiled floor with his head leaning against the wall and trying to stop the tears that now rolled down. He looked at the little box of clothes that Gloria had moved in with. The hinges she bought for their daughter. The things she never used.  He had prayed to God hours ago and he knew that they only way he could break free was when he took a step. Standing on his feet, Bode walked to the bags, opened the wardrobe where he had carefully hung her clothes and packed them into the bags. He spent the rest of his night praying and hoping that there would be a change.

         He had taken them to the back of the house as soon as it was daylight and burnt them all. As he watched the smoke go up in the air, he lifted his face to the sky. “I need peace, oh Lord. Please, I need peace.”

       Bode didn’t call Zika after that. He only hoped that something different would happen to dissolve this issue they both had. “I am keeping an open mind to your Will. Whatever you want.” He said.

✓✓✓

Zika

       The door opened to welcome the smile she had on her face, which couldn’t go off. The day had started for her, with a peace she could never imagine. Speaking to her mother last night had helped as well as speaking with her godmother. Years and years of being a successful Lawyer hadn’t paid off when it came time for her to decide on what to do.

       Bode stepped aside, wearing a mixture of hesitation and uncertainty on his face as she walked in. “Where is Désirée?” She asked, looking around the living room. Bode walked in after her, hands clasped in his pocket. “In school.” He said. She glanced at her phone and groaned. “I wanted to say hello to her. I thought I would be able to meet her at home by now.” It was already 7:30 a.m. “I rushed over because of her.” She pointed out. Bode shrugged. “If you want, you can stay until she is back.”

“Or, perhaps” She stepped forward. “we can talk.” She took a spot on the sofa and tapped the space right next to her for him.

He hesitated again. “Okay. Would you like to have anything? There’s–”