Shades of Lust Season 1 Episode 42-43

Episode 42

jude’s side of the story continues

I was so terrified after Pamela’s strange call. I just didn’t know what to think or believe. I had no option than to go down on my knees and ask for God’s help.
Prayer was the only thing that came to my mind that moment and I did a very good job of it, not minding that I was a big sinner.

I prayed, asking for God’s help, protection and mercy. He really was the only one that could help me out without asking for anything in return. It equally was my first time of praying so intensely.
As soon as I rounded up my prayer, a heavy downpour took over the night. It was as if God sent the rain as sign that my prayers were accepted. I suddenly felt so relaxed. In no time, I was fast asleep and a very cold night it was.

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Kelvin’s side of the story continues

Jessica returned from the bathroom smiling down at me.
‘’it’s raining heavily outside’’ she breathed, settling beside me. I closed my eyes, saying nothing.

‘’the rain will help wash away any evidence we might have mistakenly left behind on her body. Hmmmmm this life’’ she sighed, placing her head on my chest.

‘’I think we should give each other a little break. I just want to be alone for a week to put my act in order’’ I suddenly informed her, biting my lips. She quickly sat up with her eyes on me.

‘’come on, I think we agreed on sticking with each other?’’ she asked quickly.

‘’yes of course but it still doesn’t change the fact that we did a very terrible thing today. I need a little space to battle with my conscience’’ I replied. She shrugged with resignation.

‘’very well then. If that’s what you want’’ she muttered slowly.

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Early the next day, I woke up to find myself alone in the room. I slowly dressed up before searching for Jessica. I found her at the backyard, burning Cynthia’s stuffs.

‘’what are you doing?’’ I asked curiously. She turned to face me with a smile.

‘’we forgot disposing her handbag and phone. I’m burning them’’ she replied. I silently watched the stuffs burn for a while before turning to leave.

‘’we will see by next weekend’’ I muttered and walked away without looking back.

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I arrived at my apartment that Monday morning to meet Jude waiting for me. I never expected to meet him in my house and I equally wasn’t ready to meet him in my current condition. Yes I failed answering his calls the previous day because of the situation I found myself in and I equally wasn’t in the mood to answer the questions I knew he would ask.

‘’good morning bro’’ Jude greeted a bit coldly. I forced out a smile, breathing deeply.

‘’I’m sorry about last night, I was very much engaged and drunk’’ I lied. He shrugged, scanning me with his eyes.

‘’so how far with Jessica?. How did the date go on Saturday since I failed to show up?’’ he asked curiously.

‘’Jude my brother, i advice you stay away from Jessica. I know I sound weird but believe me its better you stay away from her. You are still a young man and you still have a long way to go in life. I don’t know how long I have left in this world, so let’s make use of the little time we have to pull off as much deals as possible instead of wasting time chasing shadows. Believe me you will need the money’’ I said to him with a serious look, leaving him totally surprised and speechless.
The way he stared at me showed how confused he was. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind that moment.

Yes he was still a young man and my brother. I vowed to protect him and even though I was failing in many things, it was still in my best interest and his to stay away from Jessica. Deep down I knew Jude wasn’t pleased with what I told him. I knew his young mind was totally suspicious with my movements with Jessica but I cared less.
He had to stay away from Jessica and forget about his father’s death.

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Jude never asked any other prying question and it was just as if he bought the advice I gave him. We spent the new week setting up a deal worth over thirty five thousand dollars and by Friday we took a rest and waited for the deal to click.
Jude was just a fast learner, so intelligent and innovative. He took the work with a zeal he never used in the past and it was as if he had his own target.

Throughout the week, I buried my fears with my work while waiting for the police or Cynthia’s friends to come asking questions about her disappearance but surprisingly no one confronted me about the poor girl and the more I waited for a confrontation, the more nervous I got.

Finally on Friday, after rounding up the project with Jude, something came into my mind and I felt like dialing Cynthia’s number even though I witnessed as Jessica burned the girl’s phone the previous Monday. But to my surprise the number went through with a beeping sound which clearly showed that the line was in use and ringing.
I froze with shock and disbelief, instantly ending the call as I stared at my phone as if it was a ghost.

‘’no this can’t be’’ I stammered as I courageously dialed the number again but this time around an automated voice message told me that the number was switched off. I fell back on my chair with relief.

‘’perhaps the line never rang in the first place. My head just played tricks on me. It was nothing but my imagination’’ I reasoned as I dialed the number again and again, getting the same voice response.

To be continued

Episode 43

Jude’s side of the story continues

Early Saturday morning, I headed to Enugu to see my girl (Tracy). It really was a long week without her and I couldn’t help but think about how my life would be without her. Her damaged leg equally was something that worried me a lot. She was too beautiful to live with a disfigured leg.

As I sat alone in the bus, my thoughts wandered restlessly. I thought about many things ranging from Kelvin’s double life to the way he was desperately trying to keep me from meeting Jessica without any tangible reason. There wasn’t any doubt he was working for both Jessica and I at the same time, something I really found hard to understand.
I already made up my mind not to bother him with my problems anymore. I was a man just like him and so was capable of taking care of myself. All I now desperately wanted was to make enough money, graduate from school and investigate my father’s death without answering to anyone. I swore to bring his killers to justice even if Kelvin was involved; I swore to give him the same treatment.

I equally thought about Pamela and her child. It really was an affair I knew would come back haunting me at the wrong time. I just really was confused on how to settle that issue. Pamela already was playing the script she prepared for herself and nothing on earth would stop her from playing it to the end.
Somehow I felt I would lose Tracy at the end. I felt the poor girl would never marry me. I knew sooner or later my affair with Pamela would be exposed and Tracy won’t have any choice than to quit our relationship.

As I thought about all these, tears slowly appeared in my eyes.

‘’Lord help me’’ I breathed as I looked out of the window.

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Kelvin’s side of the story continues

By 9am that fateful Saturday, I drove out and headed towards Cynthia’s shop to see if it was open. Of course I still was scared over what happened the previous day when I dialed her phone number. I just wanted to be sure of myself. I just wanted to know the situation of things at her end.

‘’how come no one is yet to ask about her?. Why haven’t I been questioned about her disappearance?. None of her friends has even bothered to call me’’ I wondered as I made my way to the shop.
I really was dying out of guilty conscience and couldn’t help but wonder over and over if Cynthia was actually dead even though I witnessed how everything happened the previous week.

On getting to her shop, I found it firmly locked. I Slowed down my car, looked around for some seconds before speeding away. A part of me felt like driving over to her house to verify as well but another part of me kicked against such idea.
After driving around for a while, I turned back and headed to my house where I met Jessica waiting for me.

‘’where went you?’’ she asked curiously as we hugged tightly.

‘’I tried calling Cynthia yesterday and her phone rang to my surprise. But after the first attempt the line stopped going through and so I had to drive to her shop this morning to check if anything unusual is happening’’ I explained like a terrified child. Jessica broke away from me and smiled.

‘’you see the reason I asked for us to stick with each other?. You are slowly losing your mind. You called a dead girl’s phone number yesterday and it rang in your head huh?. I suggest you move over to my place before you totally lose your mind’’ she said with a smile. I shrugged and breathed deeply.

‘’I guess you are right. We have to start living together’’ I finally accepted.

‘’I was on my way to market before I stopped over. I will be expecting you at my house before 1pm’’ she breathed, kissed me and headed to her car.
I watched her drive away before heading to my room to think.

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I barely had settled down in my room when I began hearing strange sounds coming from the place I hid my late uncle’s suitcase. I quickly brought it down, searching for the rat which I thought was behind the noise but couldn’t find any rat, instead a cockroach fell off the suitcase, leaving me with no choice than to open up the bag and pour out the contents.
After taking out the contents, I headed outside to dust and shake the suitcase in case another cockroach was still inside but to my surprise a very small diary fell off from nowhere.

I slowly dropped the suitcase, picked up the diary and went through it but unfortunately the diary had nothing in it. The first few pages were totally empty with no write-ups but something pushed me to continue going through it until I got to the sixteenth page which had the date January 17 and on the page was a boldly written sentence.

‘’ I finally secured a red bungalow today at Worldbank housing new Owerri. I can’t wait to furnish the property ‘’ were the words written on the diary. I read it over and over as my thoughts quickly raced to Jessica’s bungalow which has the same color as noted in the diary.

‘’could it be the same house?’’ I wondered deeply.

To be continued