Open Heart

48: Despite Everything

            KUNLE LEANED CLOSER TO me and whispered, "You're telling me that the CCTV the detectives showed you proves that Luna was behind all this, right?"

He whispered this to prevent Samuel from hearing our conversation, but Samuel was asleep in the room. And even if Samuel was next to us sleeping, Samuel was a deep sleeper nowadays.

I filled two glasses of wine with disappointment and said, "It helps, but it doesn't prove everything."

As much as I wanted to seal this matter and get it over, I feared the finish line. There was already so much damage along this path of betrayal, and from the looks of it, there was much more to come.

The truth hurts, indeed.

Kunle frowned as he accepted the glass of wine I handed to him. He didn't drink it. He simply swiveled it as his frown grew deeper by the second.

Immediately when I arrived home, I informed Kunle of the interactions between the detectives and me. The detectives told me they could only take Luna in to ask questions and hope she breaks, but that was about as much as they could do to her regarding the accident. There wasn't any evidence to prove that she had a hand in Samuel's accident.

Kunle wasn't having it. "And the false impersonation? There must be some punishment for that."

"Yes, Luna falsely impersonating a nurse is, in fact, a violation and looked at as a third-degree felony. Regardless, she could get up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5000."

There was no running away from that, but I needed to know for sure about Samuel's accident. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life looking behind my shoulder.

"I thought hospital rooms don't have cameras," Kunle brought up.

Typically, for the patient's privacy, there was no camera, but certain rooms did have it to monitor a patient's behavior. I explained this to Kunle, who nodded in understanding.

We didn't utter a word after that for a while as we were sipping on our wine and deep in our thoughts until Kunle broke the silence with a dreading question. "When will you be informing Baba?"

That question was necessary. The when instead of the will you is what bothered me because I didn't want to tell Baba about any of this. Not yet, at least.

No parent wanted to hear that their child's life was in danger. Samuel was his son and had every right to know what was happening. However, I needed to be sure before I told him. I didn't want to give him any news based on a hunch rather than what was the fact.

Stressed, I rested my wine glass down to rub my eyes with the heel of my palms. By the time I was done having that little moment of reflecting, Kune was still staring at me with a ruminative expression.

"I'll tell him, okay!" I eventually answered.

"Yeah, but when?"

I refilled my wine glass and chugged it down in three gulps. "After I speak with Luna?"

"Fatima?" Kunle pulled on his ear.

"Yes?"

"Fatima?" He pulled on his ear again.

"Yes, Kunle," I mumbled as I rolled my eyes.

"How many times did I call you?"

"If Samuel had done to you what Luna did to me, wouldn't you have wanted to know why?"

Kunle snapped his fingers over his head and said firmly, "God forbid!"

If it weren't for the seriousness of the matter, I would've smiled-maybe even laughed- at this because Samuel used to do that a lot.

There were a lot of things Samuel used to do that he didn't do anymore. He didn't remember how to anymore or why he did them. All he had to live off was the memories of what we told him.

This would've never happened if he didn't have an accident. This would've never happened if we weren't together. This would've never happened if I weren't friends with Luna.

I've always believed that everything happens for a reason, but what was this punishment that fell upon us? Was loving each other such an abomination? Did we individually or collectively hurt someone in the past that we knew nothing about?

"Do you think this is some sort of karma, Kunle?"

Kunle crossed his legs at the ankle on the coffee table. I liked that he was comfortable here. I also liked his traditional wear. The colors were so bright, and the fabric so light.

I'd like to see Samuel in one of those someday.

"I've never believed in this thing called karma," he confessed.

"Why?"

"Because bad things happen to both the good and bad. Yes, I do believe that you reap what you sow. Sometimes though, the bad get away with a lot of stuff. Are we to sit around and believe that this karma will bite the person who has wronged us in the ass one day? I believe in justice. I also believe in forgiveness, not for you but for the person. Now, when will you talk to Luna?"

Without having time to reflect on Kunle's words, I checked the time. "Right now. I promised to call her today."

With that said, I called her and put the phone on speaker. Luna didn't deserve the privacy. But when she eventually answered the phone after a few rings, she was hysterically crying.

My heart broke.

"Loons-" I stopped myself. "Luna, what's wrong?"

"I think-I think I need your help, Fafa."

"I'm on my way." Almost instinctively, the words flew out of my mouth, and I felt myself moving out of my seat. Swiftly, I grabbed the car keys and headed towards the door, but Kunle stopped me.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, stay with Sam."

Kunle bit his lips, and then he snapped his fingers. As much as he wanted to go with me, he knew Samuel was not in the right state to stay alone. "Then inform the detectives," he told me.

"I'll be fine, K."

Kunle stopped me from moving further with a firm grip on my wrist. "Sam will be much safer here alone than for you to go there by yourself."

I wasn't thinking as someone whose friend betrayed her. All I could think about was how the worse I had always feared for Luna would come to pass. Maybe by the time I get there, Pablo will finally do it.

Uncomfortably vivid images were flashing through my mind. Blood. I saw plenty of it—a body. A lifeless body sprawled on the floor.

Despite everything, if Luna was indeed in trouble and I was the only one that could save her, then I would.

I wasn't thinking like someone whose life was in danger from her best friend. I was thinking about helping her, but I'm so happy that Kunle is here to prevent me from strictly acting on emotions.

"Okay, I'll call the detectives and go to her, but you stay here with Sam."

Despite his worry, Kunle reluctantly released his grip from my wrist and stepped back. He held up a conciliatory hand.

"Just..be careful, Fa."

🤍 🤍

We're almost to the finish line 🏁☺️ Just a little under 5 chapters. I'm still debating on how much, to be exact. I don't want to drag the story any further, but I also don't want to rush it simply to finish it either.

Thank you once again for reaching this far. Comment your thoughts; I wanna hear them all (as long as it's respectful ofc.)

It's Jan 15th, so how's your 2023 going so far? I hope that you accomplish your goals for this year and stay safe. ❤️❤️