DECEPTION (THREE)

Angela played along since Amanda was very excited that the two most important people in her life had finally met. She introduced them ‘’Ermm….this is my boyfriend Jude and Jude meet my best friend Angela’ she was giggling now and they shook hands. Angela felt very uncomfortable but forced a smile.

Jude kept his composure and smiled back. Angela got to know through the conversation that they had been dating for four months. She could bet on her life that Amanda was really in love with the guy. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He still looked like a real gentleman.

Amanda interrupted her thoughts and told her that she needed to go out and get Jude a drink. As soon as she left, Jude knelt down and begged that she forgives his foolishness. He told her he loved Amanda very much. It was very difficult for Angela to accept it but she knew telling Amanda could break her heart as she only went in for what she really wanted.

Angela forgave him because she loved the way Amanda behaved when he was around and she also got along with him anytime he came to visit his girlfriend in the hostel. She was very happy that her friend had found a man and though her encounter with him had not been good, she believed that he had changed.

Theirs as Angela saw it was a wonderful relationship until one day Amanda came back to the hostel down-hearted.she refused to say anything to Angela. She came back another day from a date with Jude even sadder. Though she was very unhappy, she still kept to herself.Angela knew that Jude might have done something to her so went over to Jude’s place to talk to him.

 He told her they had a little misunderstanding. She warned him to keep her safe because he went on and on about how sorry he was and since he didn’t get the chance to explain things to Amanda well, he would pass by later in the evening to talk to her and apologize.

When Angela got back to the hostel, Amanda was behaving awkwardly. Angela was scared because she didn’t ask her anything and she started to talk gibberish and after a while when she was able to calm down told her exactly what had been happening between them

She told Angela she had caught Jude with a number of girls.

 He would beg her and they would get back together but never stopped the act. The last straw was when she caught him sleeping with his own cousin. What bothered her most was the fact that she was two months pregnant which was why she didn’t want to let go of him.For about a week, Amanda wouldn’t talk to anyone and also refused to eat.

Angela noticed she sometimes smiled and talked to herself. She was very sad that she couldn’t do anything about it and since Amanda refused to go home she remained silent. Then her situation became worse so Angela went to see her parents without informing her friend about it.

They immediately came for her and sent her to the psychiatric hospital on the advice of the family doctor.And now here she was, sitting next to her bed. The once loving and gentle Amanda had now become very aggressive and violent. That was what the nurses around had told her. 

It really hurt her to see her best friend in such a situation even though the doctor claimed that she was responding to treatment.If only she had made her aware of the fact that she was dating the devil. Jude had flown out of the country after he heard about what happened to Amanda. Is Angela really to be blamed?


THE END.

DECEPTION(TWO)

Both girls did well after their final examinations. They had planned to enroll in the same university and luckily for them, they both got the admission. They couldn’t contain their joy. They hugged and giggled and some people around became amused. They were finally going back to school.

Anybody who saw the two could even swear that Angela was more glamorous. Not that she wanted to show off; she was more fashionable than Amanda who didn’t care about what she wore even though she was the richer of the two.

After a year in the university, both girls proved to be of high intellectual pursuits and were still inseparable. Angela love partying and mostly went alone because Amanda would insist that she needed to study. Even when she agreed to tag along, Angela would find it difficult getting her a nice dress to wear.

  

It was either the dress was too tight or too short. And when they finally got to the party , Amanda would sit down and look on whiles the girls had fun. She was very boring but Angela loved her all the same and got her to go out when she could.

Along the line, Angela met Jude Hawkins, a very young businessman. ‘Hi pretty lady…can I join you?’ he said as he sat down and didn’t wait for an answer. She was having lunch alone in a restaurant. He engaged her in a conversation and she liked him. He offered to buy her a drink and she agreed. She was amused at his behavior.

After a while Angela excused herself to go to the ladies. Little did she know that Jude had other intentions.He laced her drink and she soon felt dizzy when she came back to finish off the drink.

Although Jude offered to take her back to the hostel, they ended up in a hotel. Angela was too weak to protest. Jude raped her, left her some money and left the hotel. Angela woke up distressed because she couldn’t fight him off and had been raped by someone she didn’t know too well. 

Angela cried till she couldn’t anymore and left the hotel.Amanda had been very worried. She had tried to reach her but her phone had been off. She became relieved only when she saw Angela coming in. ‘I slept in a hotel’ she said and refused to say anything. Amanda didn’t want to bug her anymore. Angela kept what happened secret and tried very hard not to think about it as she blamed herself every time she thought about it.

Life went on smoothly for both girls till they got to their final year. Angela remained herself but noticed some changes in Amanda who had all of a sudden become very interested in fashion. She had stocked her wardrobe with very expensive clothes and perfumes and to Angela’s amazement; it took Amanda almost an hour to dress up for lectures.

Angela confronted her about the latest development and was even more shocked when Amanda told her that she had netted a boyfriend and that she wanted to surprise her by bringing him to see her that day. She couldn’t believe her ears.

Angela who had already introduced her boyfriend Mike to Amanda had waxed her into finding a boyfriend but then again thought it was too soon. Moreover, Amanda didn’t want to date any student and since she rarely went out, Angela wondered how and when she was able to get somebody.

She waited anxiously for them that night. She never believed that the world was very small as some people said till she met Amanda’s boyfriend. It was Jude Hawkins. It had been two years and Amanda had been the one to bring him back. What really shook her was the fact that he pretended not to know her.

DECEPTION(ONE)

Angela ascended the stairs of the psychiatric hospital to go and see how Amanda was faring. She remained deeply pessimistic about the whole situation. She finally got to the ward and found her looking frail. Amanda had been tied up to her bed because she had become violent. Her eyes were closed but she kept on muttering something that she couldn’t make out.

When she saw Angela, she tried to set herself free from the rope that had been used to hold her down. Amanda who was then six months pregnant stopped struggling for a while and started to cry. Tears began to flow from Angela’s eyes as she couldn’t hold back anymore.

When she sat down to recollect the past events, Angela realized that she was partly to blame. If only she had advised Amanda against that charming scoundrel. 

She knew that he was a sleaze bag but she didn’t know why she didn’t stop him from seeing her.Amanda had been unsophisticated; she was simple and plain. And just when she decided to be lively disaster struck. The two friends had grown up together since they met in high school. They became close, very close.

 Angela could vividly remember how they became friends. Amanda and Angela were two different people. Their worlds were apart. Amanda was very calm and preached peace even though she was from a very rich family and could afford to be arrogant.

  

Angela on the other hand was hot blooded and made sure nobody got away with anything offensive to her. Her parents didn’t have much but survived the hardships anyway. She was always being punished because she never stopped fighting the other girls on campus.

That fateful day Amanda had bumped into Angela who became very furious and pushed her. As if that was not enough she rained insults on the poor girl ’oh what!...are you some  blind bat? Did you not see me coming? How dare u stupid girl’ she ranted. Amanda stayed quiet and just looked at her. After a while she turned to leave but Angela pulled her back and said ‘I am not done talking, you fool’ then slapped her.

Instead of hitting back like the other girls would do, she apologized and went away. Angela became ashamed and went over to her dormitory to apologize. ‘I am very sorry about what I did earlier…I didn’t have any reason to be upset because you apologized. Please forgive me’ she told her. That was how their friendship started and Angela always came to the defense of Amanda when there was any altercation.

Amanda was an exceptionally brilliant girl who had no friends because the other girls thought she was too dull so Angela became her best friend. The two shared everything and was seen everywhere together. Most students shied away from the two girls as Angela was very much feared.

 Soon some students began to spread false rumors about them. While some said there were witches, others said there were lesbians. Amanda would laugh whenever she had any rumor about herself whiles Angela would fish out the person and deal with her. This however did not stop them from being friends.

FORBIDDEN(SIX)

          Stella was shocked. Seeing him again brought back so many memories. As she turned to leave, Rob followed till he caught up with her in the hall and held her hand. Tears began to roll from his eyes and he knelt down. She turned to look at him. ’Can you ever forgive me?’ he asked sobbing. Stella took in a deep breath. She thought about how harboring the guilt and pain made her feel.

      She was still very hurt because looking at him made her think about the fact that she may never be able to make babies but then again felt the need to forgive him so she moved closer and helped him up on his feet then hugged him.

     ‘I forgive you’ she told him. After holding on tight for a while she then whispered to his ears ‘Did you ever feel anything for me? ‘He was astonished that she was asking that question after so many years. The truth however was that during his stay in London, he always thought about her but though his feelings for her never changed so was the circumstance.

     Instead  He in turn whispered back’  I had always loved you Stella ,from the moment I  laid my eyes on you but… he paused then continued’ you should know that our love is impossible…if only your parents would agree to our relationship I wouldn’t mind being with you’. Just then Mrs. Quartey walked in on them and exclaimed ‘Praise be to God…My two lovely children are talking again’

      Mr. Quartey who heard his wife also joined them in the kitchen beaming with smiles, also made a remark ‘I am happy you both remained as brother and sister…I must confess that I was a little dubious about whether or not to trust him when he first came to live with us…Rob you have proved yourself to be of good character and I’m glad that I can call you son ‘he said and tapped on his shoulder.

     Rob cleared his throat as if to say something but he couldn’t find the right words so forced a smile. Rob shot a glance at Stella and looked away almost immediately. It was so obvious that her parents wouldn’t accept their love. They were use to him as their son and bringing up things like that would only bring up questions like when and how it started and though they were not related by blood, they didn’t want to hurt their parents since Rob was part of the family.

     Stella however felt at ease around him because she had been able to forgive him. They sat together to eat breakfast, and Mrs. Quartey asked that they should hold hands in order for her to pray over the meal. Stella stretched her hand towards rob and her father held the other.

He quivered when he felt her soft palm then closed his eyes.rob opened his eyes again to peek at Stella but when he did, she was already looking at him. He swallowed his saliva and she smiled. He was happy that she smiled at him and he closed his eyes. The day marked a new beginning for them.

  

     They both lived their lives separately and Stella got married to a man she worked with after they had dated for a year. Rob also got married a year later. Mr. and Mrs. Quartey was happy for them and they on the other hand kept the secret and tried so hard to forget the love they once felt for each other because it was love that was forbidden.

THE END.

FORBIDDEN(FIVE)

         Stella just smiled and helped herself with the toast that he made for her. He sat down and watched on with anxiety in his eyes as she ate quietly. She felt that he was still not happy but was just trying to make up for the way that he has treated her. 

       Moments later, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She looked at him with disgust and asked ’what the hell did you put in my tea?’ the pain became unbearable. She had started to bleed. All he kept saying was ‘I am sorry….I’m very sorry’. Stella cried her eyes out.

      She felt violated because he didn’t ask her to abort the pregnancy but did it on his own accord. She cried till she couldn’t anymore and slept off. When she woke up a few minutes later, the pain had subsided and she found him still sitting close to her bed. He was dozing off. When 

     Rob realized that she was awake, he began to explain why he did what he did but she wouldn’t listen and ordered him out of her room. ‘Get out…..I said get out of my room. You disgust me!’ she yelled Rob immediately left the room. She showered and went to a nearby hospital to check if she was alright

    The doctor who took care of her told her that what she had done was very dangerous and that it had affected her womb. Her chance of getting pregnant again was 50-50.she started to cry again. He had destroyed her womb with his act. The doctor consoled her and said that all hope was not lost because there was still the 50 chance that she would give birth.

    Stella was not satisfied with the news and left the hospital heartbroken. When she got back to the house, she found Abigail there which fueled her anger. Rob escorted Abigail out the house immediately when he saw the way Stella looked at her. When he got back she angrily told him how he had endangered her life by giving her that drug. He didn’t know how to console her and just looked down.

    A friend had given him the drug thinking that it was for Abigail.They didn’t talk much for the rest of the semester but continued to live under the same roof. They soon completed with first class degrees. Mr. and Mrs.Quartey was more thrilled because both did so well but noticed that they didn’t relate well to each other. Mr. Quartey however told his wife that it was because they were grownups and had probably grown apart and therefore dismissed the thought that something was amiss.

    A year later, Rob got an opportunity to work in London. He left a month later. Mr. Quartey was pleased with the outcome. Stella was working in a bank. She had not forgotten about the incidence and still hated him for deceiving her into drinking the tea that morning. She remembered it vividly as if it happened yesterday. Rob came back to Ghana after three years though he kept contact with them. Stella had moved out of her parents’ house and lived alone in a rented apartment.

    Apparently Mrs. Quartey had been pressurizing her daughter to bring home a boyfriend for a change but she never paid attention to her. Rob couldn’t believe that she had stayed single up to date and became worried. He had dated two girls in the course of the three years he lived in London but none worked out.

    Now here they were again. Stella came in to visit her parents a night after he had arrived. They had wanted to surprise her but she came unexpectedly very early in the morning when the parents were still in bed. Rob was up early though he was tired from the trip and headed straight to the kitchen for some juice when he saw her. His heart began to beat like the first day they met.