James wished for distraction and distraction he did get. Silently, he prays for whoever is calling him on the phone. Dave’s questions are getting so disconcerting and he needs time out to get himself together and hopes that Dave will come off that inquisitive mood by the time he’s off the phone. He sighs deeply as he picks the call…an unknown number.
“Hello….” he says. This is most unlike him. For unknown callers, he usually waits for the caller to speak first. But he’s so grateful for the call that he is off guard for a moment. “Good morning sir. I’m sorry for calling at this time but…” the voice at the other end says hesitatingly. “Yes, who are you?” James says gruffly into the phone.
“I’m Samuel, manager, Tuckaway Hotel. I guess you’re Mr. James, the occupant of Room C209. Another lodger here said your visitor rammed into his car and you said you would take care of the damage. We’re just worried that you aren’t back yet,” the voice says. James stiffens and glances at Dave who has his eyes trained on him. Oh no! He has totally forgotten about that. He glances at his wristwatch. It’s almost 4.30am. It’s more than 12 hours ago that it happened.
He should have called the hotel! “Hello,” the hotel manager says again, barging into his thoughts. “Yes…yes…er…er,” he stutters into the phone. “Am I on to Mr. James?” the hotel manager asks. “Sure, sure,” James replies. “Do you remember the incident I’m talking about?” the man asks. “Yes…yes,” I remember. I’ll take care of that,” James says. “When? The owner of the vehicle is worried that you didn’t come back last night,” the manager says.
“I’m still in the hospital,” James says and glances at Dave. “Oh sorry. How is she?” the manager asks. “She’s okay,” James says, adding, “I’ll be back to take care of that issue later in the day.” “Are you still keeping the room? From the record here, you are to check out today,” the man says. “Yes…I mean, I’m keeping it…” James says. “Are you okay sir?” the manager asks. “Why not wait until I get back,” James says. “I’m sorry sir. I just wanted to be sure as the man has been calling to find out if you are back,” the manager says apologetically. “My things are still in the room.
That’s enough to assure you that I’m coming back,” James says. “Okay sir. We’ll wait till you’re back,” the manager says. James ends the call abruptly. Dave is looking at him inquisitively. James realises that he must say something but doesn’t know what to say. “Is everything alright?” Dave asks. “Er…er…yes,” he responds, sounding anything but alright. Dave looks him straight in the eyes and says, “James, nothing is alright and you know it. It’s none of my business. I know, but I just have to say my mind. There’s no point pretending.
You are looking so distressed. I ain’t gonna ask you again if you’re not ready to talk about it, but your behavior since yesterday is strange. You look haunted since yesterday and it’s making me feel uncomfortable. I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable with you.” James sighs deeply, slides off the stool and walks away. Dave watches him leave. Then, it occurs to him that James still has Kathryn’s car key with him. Well, he will find out from Kathryn how her keys got into James hand. Enough of this monkey business.
I need to find out what is going on between my wife and James. A few minutes later, he pays the bill and goes back to the hospital. Everywhere is so quiet. Except for three people and a nurse on duty, the reception is empty. “Good morning sir. Congratulations, once again,” the nurse says cheerily. “Good morning nurse. Hope I can see them?” Dave asks, striding towards the private wards. “Yes sir,” the nurse says and yawns. *** Kathryn has been awake for a while and is feeling much stronger.
Alice sleeps peacefully on. Kathryn goes to ease herself and stops by Alice’s baby. She stares intently at the bundle of joy for a while, eyebrows creasing. She stares and stares then goes to her own baby, picks her up and looks intently at her. She then lays her gently back on the bed and goes back to her bed.
Unless she’s going out of her mind. Alice’s son and her own daughter look so much alike. They can pass for almost identical twins. She is so sure of that, unless she’s going blind. Is that possible? There’s is only one explanation… could the doctors be wrong? Could it be that they misdiagnosed James and he has been fretting over nothing? That must be the explanation. But if that is the case, why is Alice so certain that James isn’t the father of her baby? No! Alice’s baby is fathered by a member of the family, that is certain.
That means James is medically okay. Is he? A voice asks her. She looks around and freezes. When James was so into her and was toying with the idea of making her a permanent mistress, they had been stupid enough to engage in skin to skin for about three months after they were medically certified that they haboured no viruses in their bodies. She had taken those three months off work as they tried to see if they could live together. She only went back to her hustle after she realised that James could not maintain her for long.
She had worried for the whole of three months as James ensured they mated more at the peaks of her ovulation period. She had heaved a sigh of relief when the red flag appeared on the expected day and she realised that she couldn’t live with him then. She shakes her head. James had been so shamelessly in love with her then. He claims he’s still in love with her now. She shakes her head again to clear the cobweb in her mind. Back to the issue at hand.
If James is not responsible for Alice’s pregnancy, who is? Going by his facial feature, whoever fathered Alice’s baby is from their husbands’ family. Who can that be? Her mind roves round and comes back. Could it be her husband? She almost screams. With icy hands, fear clutches at her throat. Suddenly, she turns to Alice and shouts! *** As Dave gets to the door of the ward, his phone beeps and he halts to pick it.
He doesn’t want to disturb his sleeping angels and their moms with his call. He looks in the glass panel of the door and is just in time to see his wife come out from the loo and goes to bend over Alice’s son. He stands, his eyes riveted on the scene inside. He watches as Kathryn goes to pick her own baby from the cot examines hers curiously and lays her back in the cot, goes back to her bed and sits, moping at nothing.
His heart lurches as Kathryn turns towards Alice. Is his sin about to find him out so fast? He turns to leave…but…is it not better to make his presence known and delay whatever Kathryn plans to say? As he hesitates, he sees James turn the corner, marching towards the ward. Oh no! This is not the best time for James to appear. How can he get him to go back now? ********** Indeed, are their sins about to find them out? Let’s find out here on Sunday!
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