21
‘Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.’
“I don’t understand father, who is getting married?” Paul asked confusedly.
“Stop pretending as if you don’t know what I am talking about, Lora here has just told me that she loves you and will want the both of you to tie the knot, isn’t that great!” Robert said happily to his son.
“Father, nothing on Earth will make me marry or love this evil witch standing with you.”
“Paul, it is my order, you will marry her and that’s final, you have no say in this.” Robert said the smile gone from his face.
“Father it is my own decision to make and not yours. I will get to live with who ever I choose and she is not the one, as a matter of fact, I love someone else.” Paul told Robert before his gaze landed on Lora who was frowning. “Don’t you understand the word No? Should I spell it out loudly for you to know I don’t love you! Whatever little respect I had for then back then seized the day I saw you pushed down that lady on the mountain.” He said quitely as he saw the surprised look evident on Lora’s face. “Yes Lora, I saw you, surprised? I saw you what you did to her and for that my hatred for you grew the more, now leave me alone and look for someone else to bother!” Paul shouted.
“Enough! Don’t shout at her Paul, whether she pushed a lady or not, she is your perfect match, you ought to be glad that she has a little of Mafia blood in her. Can’t you see it clearly written? Look, I am your father and I made you who you’re today, my decision is what you follow. You will get married to Lora simple.” Robert said in his Mafia tone.
Paul returned his gaze back to his father and stare at him hard. “Father, all my life since I woke up from my coma I have always obeyed you. I did everything, anything you asked me to do without questioning, I do everything without disobedience, but you see this one, I will not obey you. Yes, you made me who I am today, but you’re nothing without me. Do not force me dad unless you want to lose me and you…” He said facing Lora once again. “You Disgust Me, I loathe the very ground you walk on.”
Without waiting for anyone reply, he left them and climbed the stairs to his room.
“Don’t worry Lora, he is yours. How can he reject a beautiful lady like you?” Robert said, he wasn’t really interested in Lora, he was interested in her fame. If Paul agrees to marry her, the whole world will come to know about them the more, plus he really likes her songs. Why can’t his son sees this, he ought to grab this opportunity not flung it.
“I am not surprised by his behavior. I am only angry that a girl made him reject me.”
“That’s a little piece of cake my dear, I will find out whoever the girl is and deal with her myself.” Robert assured Lora.
“Thank you sir, I will be on my way now. Have a nice day.” With that Lora left.
***
Floda:
A little cough brought Nora’s and Craig attention back to the Philly as the cough increases.
Craig quickly went out to get a glass of water for him leaving Nora behind.
“Its okay Philly.” Nora said tenderly and sat down on the little space in the bed, sitting close to Philip and hold his hand.
Craig soon returned and gave the water to Philly who quickly drank it rapidly.
“Dad, am scared… they will come for me.” He said in a very scared voice as soon as he finished his water.
“Who will come after you my son?” Craig asked.
“My torturers…” He answered weakly sitting up, groaning in pains as he did so. He was looking round them frantically.
Nora hug him making sure not to add more pains to him.
“You’re save Philip, no harm will come to you. I am here for you.”
He nodded his head and buried his face in her neck breathing in her sweet scent and smiling inwardly. After a while, Nora lifted her head to meet his gaze, she smiled at him.
“How were you able to see again my Love?” Philly asked holding his head faking as if he was trying to remember something. “You weren’t seeing nor talking before I left, how did it happened?” He wasn’t expecting this, he thought Nora was still blind and dumb.
Nora smile at him again. “The universe decided to give me a second chance and gave me back what I lost…. What about you, we thought you died in that plane crash. How did you survived?”
“I was captured by the rebels when I entered the airport that very day.” Philly said.
“Rebels? Who are they?” Nora asked slightly confused.
“Dad knows who I am talking about.” Philly said as Craig remembered the rascals who made him lose everything. “The rebels were the ones who seized everything from my father because he took a huge loan from them and couldn’t pay when it was due. They throw us out in the street before we met your grandmother. They kidnapped me and made me work as a slave for them for the years that went by. I wasn’t on the plane but I over heard what happened to it from one of them. I tried to escape but escaping from that Island to here isn’t easy, each time I tried to escape and get caught, I was burned severally. For many years, I planned my escape… Until yesterday I made my mind to run away even if it means I die trying. I fought well trained men and they did this to me.” The lies rolled easily from his mouth as he gestured to his whole body. “I know you won’t love me because of my ugly scars now.”
“I am so sorry you went through all these alone. I still love you Philip regardless of your scars. I cried and couldn’t find myself loving anyone all through the years, somehow I knew you were still alive.” Nora said crying.
“I am sorry I didn’t contact you. The thought of seeing you again kept me sane. You have grown so much…. into a beautiful lady, I am so glad you still love me.” Philly said and kissed her forehead.
Kate came in and sent a smile at their direction.
“Nora, David is here to see you to explain things to you.” Kate said coming towards them. “And the doctor said you shouldn’t move for a day or two, so stop talking son.”
Nora excused herself as she left the room to answer David.
“Who’s David dad?” Philly demanded immediately Nora was out.
“Don’t be jealous Philip, David is one of Nora’s admirer but she has told him repeatedly that she doesn’t love him.” Craig answered smiling at Philip as he and Kate shared a knowing look of how Philip looked in his jealous state.
But what they didn’t understand was, behind that jealous look, lay a deadly plan.
“Rest now son.” Kate said lovely and left with Craig.
As soon as they were gone, Philly texted someone.
David was a goner.
____
Nora greeted David who looked surprise that she knew where he was standing. Seeing his looks, Nora laughed at him and went to stand directly at his face.
He was truly handsome as he had boasted, but she isn’t interested in him.
“To confirm your suspicious, yes I can see and talk.” Nora told him.
“For real? How did this happened?”
“Well the universe decided to favour me.” Nora answered with a smile.
David laughed with joy and hug her. “I am so happy for you Ora, words can’t explain how I feel right now.”
“I know right, I too was surprised. I was pushed and when I woke up, I realized I could see and talk.”
“Well, I came here to tell you that I wasn’t the one who took out to that mountains.”
“I know you weren’t the one. Who ever did that, even helped me by returning what was taken away from me in the first place.”
“Ora, when would you return my love, I have been patient enough. Can’t you reconsider me, please.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Philip is back and he is alive.”
“You don’t mean that. He’s alive, how come?”
“Well he was kidnapped inside the airport by his father’s enemies. What they did saved him from been burnt alongside with the rest passengers. So you see, I can not return your love, I have always told you that I only see you as a friend, nothing more.”
David breathed a sign of defeat, what Ora told him had just weaken him. Philip was a very good friend of his back then and fighting him over Ora…. He wouldn’t win against Philip, the best thing is to let her go.
“I hate to say this Ora, but Philip is my best friend, so for him resurfacing again into your life, I am happy your believe brought him back to you.” David said sadly. “Tell him I say hi.”
With that he left a speechless Nora behind.
As the driver drove out of the premises towards the airport, David kept thinking of Ora and Philip being together.
He was about booking his flight to Casala when he changed his mind and decided to go to Valten to visit his nephew. It has been long he had seen him and also to tell him about his sad love story.
He was so engrossed with the thought of Ora in Philip arms that he didn’t see the black Honda following him.
Getting down from the car, he entered the airport and paid for his flight ticket going to Valten.
The black Honda also parked and two guys in all blacks came down from the car and entered the airport, the Honda drove off.
He called Paul’s number which was picked by the second ring. “Hello brother.”
“Hi David, did someone looked for your trouble?” Paul asked, whenever his nephew calls it means someone looked for his trouble and he wants his help.
“Are you home?” David asked instead.
“Yes I am.”
“Okay, I will be coming over to Valten in 2 hours time, come and pick me up at the airport.”
“Anything for you little bro, see you in 2 hours time.” Paul said.
David entered the plane going to Valten, still thinking of Ora.
The guys in black sat opposite him.
TWO HOURS LATER:
Paul saw David walking out of the airport with his suitcase, he was about to shout his name when he saw the two guys. He looked closely at them and know what they were, he noticed they were following his nephew, he quickly texted David.
David phone vibrated, he opened it and read the text from Paul:
I can see you David. There are two guys in black following you. Take them to that isolated building we normally hang out, I will be following you closely. This two fishes will be roasted.