"The past is never dead. It's not even past." - William Faulkner
NATHAN
"Not again," I sighed, rising from my bed after Annabelle's father-Mr Martin's persistent calls had woken me up at five and alerted me of Annabelle's attempted suicide.
That explains the continual calls from her family yesterday. All the time I ignored, thinking it was wedding-plans related, she'd been in the hospital. I couldn't help the guilt that rose in my chest. What if she did it because of the way I'd been treating her. Lord knows it wasn't intentional. Lifting my head from my head and pushing myself off the bed, I quickly put on a T-shirt over the sweatpants I had on. With my car still at Shiro, I picked the key of the abandoned car in my garage-the one Ivan's boyfriend had transferred the trackers to and headed out.
****
The cool morning air and heavy smell of disinfectants had wiped every trace of sleep from my eyes by the time I walked into Annabelle's hospital room. The nagging headache from my drinking bout last night still there and I tried to keep my mind off Enitan or her date with the doctor-and the fact that she refused to change her mind about letting him into her life.
Mrs Amara Martin's bulky frame rested on the single armless settee in the middle of the room-beside the bed while her tired eyes stared at me without any expression. I knew she was angry that I ignored their calls and just showed up many hours after her daughter had tried to kill herself. But she could conceal her emotions, unlike her stout husband who's wicked grin was permanent on his obese face. Thankfully he was no where in sight. One Martins was more than enough for my hungover self to handle at six am.
"I'm sorry, I just heard. Yesterday was too much to handle-at the office," I blurted. "And I was too tired for my phone by the time I arrived home."
"Of course," she nodded with pursed lips while her large eyes scrutinized me from head to toe.
"What happened?" I asked, hoping to take her attention off me.
"Martha found her unconscious on her bedroom floor yesterday," she sighed, lazily standing up from the settee and walking to Annabelle's side. "Doctor said she overdosed on Morphine and we're lucky to have found her on time."
I pitied Martha, Annabelle's younger sister who had somehow become the older sister over years.
"But how? This wasn't supposed to happen again."
She'd been diagnosed of Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder years ago. She'd get overly excited and hopeful during her manic episodes, that. But during one of her depressive episodes, she tried to slit her wrist out of guilt for almost pushing me over the balcony of her house during an argument, that I couldn't handle. The doctors said things were going to get better with continuous medication and therapy.
"Well, her sister found untouched packs of Latuda and Valproate in her night stand drawers. Apparently she'd stopped taking her meds-" she sighed as she adjusted the pillow under Annabelle's sleeping head. "I guess she got overwhelmed with everything."
My heart fell, I knew how difficult the previous years were for her, her family, and me. My eyes travelled to Annabelle. Was I so terrible that she gave up trying. She wanted to get better-well enough to be in a perfect frame of mind for the press and glamour life.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered. Strolling to Mrs Martins side, I placed my palms lightly on her hands. "You should go home, have some rest and change of clothes, I'll stay here for a while."
She nodded weakly, kissing Annabelle on the head. She walked to the chair and picked up her scarf then turned back to me. "Please take care of her."
I nodded and she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. I sent a quick text to Miss Maria to hold things down at Avalon while I stayed away.
Remembering the first phase of my plan to keep that opportunistic Jameel away from Enitan's life, I stepped out and called Dr Helena, Enitan's Gynaecologist to register as the babies' father and schedule our private appointments but she didn't pick up, I guess it was still too early for official calls.
Stepping back into the room, I dragged the settee across the tiled floor, closer to Annabelle's bed. Lowering onto the chair, I carefully lifted her hands and placed them in mine, silently praying I wasn't the reason why she tried to take her life. Hours of me guilt tripping and staying by her side went by, until an elderly doctor walked in.
He looked at me then back at the door. "Are you a relative?" He asked with furrowed brows, obviously surprised to find someone other than the Martins.
"Fiancé."
"Oh! The Fiancé." His hands dropped from where it was pointing at the door. "Sorry about that. Dr Noah," he said, stretching out his hand.
I gripped it in a firm handshake. "It's fine. How is her situation?"
"We've pumped her stomach and administered Nalaxone, but still had to place her on Diazepam so she could rest. The worst has passed and she'll be ready to go home by tomorrow."
I nodded. His frown and sceptical expression didn't reflect the good news he just passed. "But?" I urged.
"But I'm afraid for the future. She'll need lots of care and observation. Someone to keep an eye on her. Since you're her Fiancé, you're in the best position to do that."
"Okay?" I knew where this was headed, and it bothered me. "How?"
"I know it's out of tradition- and out of my place to ask, but as her doctor, it will be best if you two moved in together."
What the hell?
He must have noticed the dread on my face. "I can't mention how important this is," he continued immediately with a serious look on his face. "Being around her family hasn't helped much, so I believe love can save her."
'Love can save her'? What is this? Doctor Phil's counselling session? 'Are you even a real medical doctor?' I almost asked.
"Thanks, doctor, for your concern but I'd have to run this by her parents first."
"Oh, we spoke at length after she was brought in yesterday. They both agree it's the best step."
"I see," I smiled.
***
I silently watched her as she stared into empty space and ignored my presence. It didn't surprise me, I had a new penchant for pissing off the women in my life.
"You're going to have to talk to me sooner or later, you know that."
"Where's Ma?"
"I sent her home to rest."
"Why!" She asked. "We both know you don't want to be here."
"I'm not a monster!"
"Yea, right," she scoffed, "I don't need you to stay here to satisfy your conscience. I don't want your pity."
"Anna," I said perplexed. It had been a while since I called her that, she noticed too and stared at me like I'd grown horns. "I want to be here. Before any of-this, we were friends, and I cared."
She remained silent.
"Just why in God's name would you do this to yourself again?"
"Look at me," she said quietly, her head lolling and dull eyes meeting mine. I could tell she was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Former 'most beautiful girl Nigeria' and I can't even get the man I love to love me back," she dragged the words and let out a short laugh.
"What are you talking about? You broke up with me and made it clear you were done with feelings." This had nothing to do with feelings, this was about her family's greed.
"Why do you think I was part of the deal?" She asked.
"Let's see. Because your father wants his grandchildren to become heirs to the greatest establishment in Africa? Because it's the only way you can own four-percent shares at Avalon without drawing attention. You tell me."
"That's not true!" She sniffled. "It's because I still love you," she said in a quiet tone. "I wanted a breakup because I couldn't stand myself. I thought maybe if you left I wouldn't feel guilty about how I flipped on you some times or think you were with me out of pity."
"But you knew it wasn't out of pity! You knew I loved you."
"Did you? Because not long after our breakup you moved on to another woman like you'd been waiting for the glorious opportunity."
"Come on! Anna," I muttered. "Did you expect me to stick around and cling onto you like a suckling child?"
"But you promised!" She yelled. "You promised to never let me go even if I wanted. But when I broke up with you, you didn't fight it."
"Does it matter now? You have me right where you want. So why try to kill yourself and put the blame on me!" My voice grew louder than I projected. What else did she want from me?
"Do you know how frustrating it has been? Despite my efforts to make things work."
"It's not my wish that things play out like this. I love someone else now and you know it."
She wiped a strain tear from her eyes then put on a straight face. "Do you know the things I've done to get you back-the things I'll do to keep you?"
"You did nothing to get me back. You took advantage of my father's mistakes and laxity."
"Advantage?" She scoffed. "How do you think a so called whist blower appeared after all these years and claimed to have evidence of Avalon involvement in corruption?"
My shoulders unconsciously lifted from where it was bent towards her, I sat straight on the chair. My eyes squinted inquisitively at her while I shook my head. We knew it had to take someone high at the agency to know such documents even existed, but the Martins?
"It can't possibly be-" I laughed, hoping by some miracle her trash talk was the effect of the sleeping medication.
"I thought If he had something on you or your family, he could use it to pressure you and I'd still have the man I love. He accepted," she said, biting on her bottom lips. "I knew he wanted to get rid of me-the psychotic daughter," she laughed, "he wouldn't need to constantly buy medications worth hundreds of thousands of Naira or pay for therapy, and he'd gain more money. I didn't care because it was a win-win for me."
"Stop," I breathed. I feared the new surge of hatred boiling in my chest. I fear it was going to spill if she continued speaking.
"I changed my mind sometimes. But, he remained adamant to follow through. He said he found a way to shake the 'Almighty Williams Adakole' but I still couldn't believe it. It was just a floating idea until he told me there was another woman. I knew I had to act before I lost you forever,"
"So, the Independent Financial Crimes Agency suddenly ordering an investigation into Avalon construction and oil, over deals that happened in the past administration? That was all your doing?"
She shrugged, "Well, my father. I don't know how he did it but, he got your father really spooked and willing to compromise."
"Your father specifically targeted me, found dirt on my father-used his position as the IFCA chairman to blackmail my family! All because I didn't run back to your arms after you broke up with me?
"All because I love you!"
God! She was really sick and needed help.
"You said you were doing us a favour-" I said distant minded. "You have no idea what you've done. You pitched my father and I against each other!"
"I went overboard. But I want to make amends now." She held onto my hands and I was surprised at the strength."
"Make amends?" I pushed her hands off me and lurched off the settee. "He almost killed Enitan-my children too," my voice became a low whisper. I intertwined my hands to stop them from shaking.
"It was supposed to be a scare but you resisted for months, my father had to order an official investigation. I didn't know you were going to be such a hard head for her. God! What is with you Adakole's and baby mamas."
W-what did she mean by that? I was certainly the only Adakole with a child out of wedlock. My brother, Kelvin was way too busy with his medical profession to pay attention to any woman. Father had to hire private investigators to make sure he wasn't gay. Maybe the drugs had effect on her-made her tongue loosed. This part was certainly trash talk.
"You and your father threatened my father's freedom, our livelihood and legacy. Not that you'll understand, because all you do is make money off people you label corrupt." I ran both of my palms over my face. "But you don't get to make amends. You want love in return for destroying my life? It's never going to happen." I paced the room and turned back to her. "The pity you detest, is all you're going to get."
"Understand why I did it, please!" She sobbed.
"Your doctor and family think you'll become less suicidal if you move into my apartment," I laughed bitterly. "Your driver can drop you off at my place after the doctor signs your release papers." I walked towards the door and opened it then turned back to her. "Apologise to your mum on my behalf. Tell her something urgent came up," I said before walking out of the room and slamming the door.
***
"Can the penthouse suite be ready for me by tomorrow?" I asked the Avalon homes manager on the phone as I walked out of the hospital building into the sunny car park. I'd spent my morning and afternoon for nothing.
"Unfortunately, sir, your sister-Miss Ivan is currently resident in the penthouse, but we can make arrangements for any of the other top notch suites in a short time, sir."
Leaving home to camp away in a hotel? It had to be because of that bodyguards of hers. Can't believe she was still sleeping with him after she found out he placed trackers on my car-and participated in Enitan's elevator accident.
I ran my palm across my face. The penthouse was part of the apartments under my management, which made it the best place to lay low without any attention from the press or my father. "There'll be no need for that. Thank you, Jack." I said and ended the call.