Chapter 21: Chapter 21
"You do not expect me to do all those things, right? Because I won't" Christy said. "I know you won't, so then I'll have a reason to send you packing. I'm going to make it very clear to you Christy, I refuse to be tied down in marriage with someone my mother chooses, I know the type of women she likes. The types that want to live a celebrity life, always partying, always shopping, too sassy, too lazy to do anything except looking pretty, I hate them all. so if my mother chose you then you're the worst of them, you just came today yet you've upset a lot of people here, I won't let you create havoc in my house. If you can't live by those rules then you can leave this house," Jade told her.
"Your mother would never accept this and you know it," she said
"If she can't accept it, she's free to leave too."
"Jade you're not even giving me a chance, you're already judging me. I am a very nice person Jade but you're making this woman too special, you know very well I dislike her," Christy cried.
"I'm aware of that and I also know that when I not home, you and mother will break my rules especially you, due to that, Juliet will be keeping watch and trust me Christy, she is really good at it. Now if you will excuse me, I need to speak with my mother." He said and left me and Christy in the hallway alone.
To avoid saying anything to Christy, I turned into my room, "stop right there!" Christy ordered. I didn't turn around, I just turned my head to the side, looking at her with the corner of my eye, "if you are talking with me at least have some decency and look at my face," she said. I scoffed, "I'm sorry Christy, I have no decency, just like you have no manners." I went into my room and locked the door.
Dinner time, Christy sat at the other end with Jade's mother while I sat at the other end with Jade and Juliet. Jade's mother was scowling at me but I pretended I didn't see it. "Daddy, I got to play a complete song today, not just a chorus. Did you hear it?" Juliet asked "no honey daddy didn't hear it, maybe you can play for me after dinner," Jade replied. "Juliet I heard what you played, it was a lovely piece," Christy chipped in.
"As I was saying, mademoiselle Joanne was really happy at my piece," Juliet said completely ignoring Christy.
"Juliet?" Jade's mother called, "Christy was talking with you." "I'm sorry grandma, what did you say?" Juliet asked, the way her face was, you'll think she didn't really hear her grandmother or Christy talk but I knew she was pretending. "Did you hear what Christy said?" Jade's mother asked, "who? Oh yeah, Christy, what did she say?" Juliet asked, leaning forward. I didn't want to watch their confrontation again, I'd had enough for a day, "I'll be going in early tonight, I'm having a slight headache. Goodnight everyone," I excused myself and left for my room, crossing my fingers and hoping nobody will stop me.
"Oh thank God I can eat in peace," I heard Christy say but I pretended I didn't hear. I think it'll be better if I completely avoid her, I'll just pretend she doesn't exist then it'll be easy to ignore her. I won't do anything to her unless she comes at me first, I thought as I kissed Juliet goodnight on her forehead and leave for my hungry. I wasn't even hungry, the jollof rice I had in the afternoon was quite much. After then, things didn't go so bad in the house. Juliet and I became inseparable, Christy avoided me like a plague, Jade acted like she doesn't exist, Jade's mother never ceased looking at me with contempt. Juliet was the devil that kept playing silly pranks on Christy, adding hair dye to her shampoo which made her go with orange hair the whole day.
10 days to my exams, Jade's mother travelled to see a friend and Christy accompanied her to the airport because Jade was preparing to leave the following day for a 4 days business trip at Tokyo. I had a feeling Christy might use the opportunity to get back at us but when we came back from the airport after dropping Jade off, things were normal. The next day, disaster came upon us.
It was a Sunday afternoon, I didn't have any class, Juliet and Hannah dragged me out of my room to stop reading and relax a bit, Juliet and I went to buy ice cream, after eating, she introduced a game for us to play called, 'tag'. She touched me and shouted, "tag. mommy UK chase me, if you catch me and shout tag, then I'll be the person chasing you" and off she went. We were running, me chasing her, when she bumped into Christy, who was walking with 4 of her friends, each holding a glass of wine. Christy's wine poured on her dress when Juliet bumped into her, seeing who she ran into, Juliet moved slowly backward.
"Urg! Look what you've done you little devil," Christy exclaimed, trying to wipe it off her clothes and it was a yellow dress and the wine stain was not hidden at all. "You know I've had enough of your stupid mischiefs, I'm going to deal with you very well today." She said grabbing her arms, making her yelp, "Christy let go of me," Juliet screamed, struggling to free herself. Seeing the scene before me, I rushed to separate them but here friends held me back. "Christy are you out of your mind? What do you think you're doing?" I asked, "what does it look like I'm doing black girl, I'm sorry, miss Udofia?" she asked, "I'm going to make you both suffer. Scream however you want but Jade won't be able to save you and your stupid maids have taken a nap, so it's just us."
"Mommy UK help me, please" Juliet cried. "Christy it's me you have issues with, do what you want to me but let Juliet go, she's just a child," I said. "You really are a smart girl, you know I hate your guts and don't worry, I won't disappoint you, I'll make you suffer but this little imp is not going free either. Now Juliet darling, are you afraid of the dark?" Christy asked, "mommy UK, help" Juliet kept shouting. "Mommy UK can't even save herself, how will she help you?" Christy said laughing. Juliet bit her and she left her immediately, "Juliet run," I shouted and she ran away. "You just made me mad little imp, and you black girl, say hello to my grandma for me will ya?'' Christy said as she turned towards Juliet, "nightie night black girl, knock her out." I felt a sharp pain on my head, blood trickled out, I was standing upside down, everything was blured. BLACK OUT. I woke up with a massive headache, how long have I been out? I had no idea. After few minutes, my eyes got adjusted to the dark place I laid, I recognized an old mower lying upside down, a carton box with "DAD" written on it. This could only mean one thing, I was at the basement of the house, I remember seeing these things that day I came to drop the rusted container I used in cooking.
I tried getting up but couldn't, my hands and feet were tied and my mouth was covered with a tape. Then I remembered, Juliet, oh my God where could she be? What had Christy done to her? I saw a small figure lying, please be Juliet, please be Juliet. I kept chanting as I crawled on my stomach towards it, luckily, it was Juliet. I used my head in nudging her but she didn't wake, she too was tied up. I placed my cheeks on her face to feel her temperature, she was cold and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I placed my head on her chest, her heart was beating faintly. I laid there beside her, if only I could free my hands, I would've wrapped them around her to give her some warmth.
I laid there for hours and no body came, so many things came to my mind. What of Hannah and her staff? Did anyone notice our absence? I laid there as tears streamed out of my eyes, would I die like this? Tied up in the basement. My stomach rumbled with hunger, I couldn't do anything but to lay on the floor, waiting for anyone to find us, dead or alive.
I heard a sound, it was like a puppy whimpering, at first I thought it was Juliet but it wasn't, she was still lying cold. The sound was somewhere around me, I struggled to sit up and look around, then I saw someone sitting. I moved towards the person, it was Jade's mother. I thought she travelled before Jade did but here she was, tied up to a chair. How did Christy do all these. I couldn't even say anything to her, she'd become so pale and weak.
All these while I didn't notice that I was bleeding until I felt something wet enter my eyes, it stung, I tried to rub it out but my hands were tied I didn't know if it was day or night, I started shivering, that meant it was either early in the morning or late at night. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours, after what it seemed like forever, I heard the sound of cars driving in. And then the voice I'd been dreaming to hear called, "Juliet? I'm home". He must have noticed we weren't inside because he came out again, shouting and calling our names. I crawled to the door, hitting it with my shoulder, when it seemed it wasn't loud enough, I banged it with my head. I kept hitting and hitting, even when I knew I was could feel blood trickling down my forehead to my face, I kept hitting the door with my head. The blood came out more than before, I couldn't take it anymore, but I still had to let Jade know where we were.
He didn't hear me, I faintly heard him shout that Scott should call 911. And the door opened, "Mr Kale, this way, fast!"