Episode 4

THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER

(Based on a true story)

By Luke, Prim and Jackline.

EPISODE 4.

Another letter at my doorstep was a blow in the stomach that I couldn’t embrace. Its color alone had a silent punishment that freaked me out. I took it but didn’t open it at once. The fear of it bearing terrible news got the best of me. I hid it and opened it the following day. Upon opening it, a sharp cold draught went through me giving me a shiver and goose bumps because it was from Edgar. "I heard about what you went through and I’m sorry it was that terrible. Thank God you're alive and well." As if possessed, I immediately dialed his phone number that he had added to the letter with a caption, “If you wanna talk man to man, don’t hesitate to call.” I didn’t know how I would start talking to him or what I was going to say to him but something kept telling me to just hear how he sounded. I was so offensive while assuring him that I knew he had been behind the gang that almost took my life. He denied having a hand in it but I still remained stone convinced he had. Despite his friendly tone, which to me was ‘a wolf under a sheep’s skin,’ I told him off to leave me alone; after all, Emerald would be the one to make the choice. That must have rubbed salt in his wound because he sturdily warned me that Emerald would never be with me, not on his watch.  I didn’t hesitate to hang up on him because I had a feeling I held his fate. Besides, I had Examinations to prepare for other than wasting time in a heated conversation that simply pissed me off.

The following day, I started having some soreness while peeing which escalated with each day that passed. The Exam timetable didn’t have any of my course units for the first week so I battled the pain with pain killers hoping it would go away but it never did. Two days to my first paper, the pain became so intolerable and I had to go to the University Hospital where I was diagnosed with kidney failure. I realized that it had been due to the beatings from the kidnappers. The doctors told me that I needed an immediate surgery in order to save at least one of the kidneys. I called Emerald and explained everything to her. I was surprised to see her the following day at the hospital as I was getting prepped. I couldn't imagine how she had rushed to come yet she had exams the following day. I was so laden by her love for me and abandoning her exams just to be there for me during the operation was the most unmerited thing. My life mattered great a deal to her and in return, I owed it to her.

I never told my parents about the surgery because my sponsorship included medical insurance so they would not be bothered with any bills. Besides, I had no way of explaining my turmoil to them.

The operation was successful and I made it out with one kidney since the other, being completely damaged, had been removed. Emerald signed my next of kin forms and took care of me in the hospital for I was kept around for observation. After about a week, I was discharged from the hospital and we went back to my hostel. My body’s frailty couldn't allow me do the remaining papers so Emerald and I resolved to apply for a dead semester in our respective Universities. Emerald took care of me till the semester ended and she went back to Kenya as I also traveled back to my village. 

Life became so hard for me during the holiday. I couldn't put up with the pain of missing Emerald in addition to the secrets I was keeping from my family but I prayed that it would all be okay and some day, there would be no secrets, like a dead a semester or being kidnapped because of love or a surgery or fatal threats from a stranger. I was meant to be an example to my siblings, not a disappointment to my parents.

On Emerald’s end, she was going through a much worse turmoil than mine. Edgar had given up fighting me so he was fighting her instead since he realized she was head over heels for me. He promised to tell her parents that she had missed lectures over a poor and deplorable guy in Uganda. He also made many more attempts to make her life miserable so she can give up on me but every time he went to her home, she refused to come out of her room to see him even when her parents pleaded with her to. Her parents certainly knew something wasn't right between them but neither Emerald nor Edgar wanted to bring it up first. Being a minister, Emerald's Dad would never tolerate a saga so Emerald kept avoiding the subject until Edgar couldn't bear it anymore. He had tried being nicer, buying gifts and proposing vacations but she had never accepted any. He became angrier than ever though he played it cool with her parents. He threatened to hurt me so badly that she would regret having met me but she never heed to any of his threats. She actually told him that if he laid a hand on me, she would be lost forever.   

One evening, as Emerald was preparing to go for Softball training at her usual training ground, a certain guy appeared from nowhere and intoxicated her with some strange spray in her face. In her words, she told me that the guy smilingly said, "Hi there, have a nice game," sprayed the toxin into her face and went away. Few minutes later, as she was just stepping into the pitch, she fainted. According to eye witnesses, Edgar came around driving and, as if he knew her, asked to rush her to a hospital across town. Later, he alerted Emerald's parents who wondered why he had taken her that far yet there were nearby hospitals he could have opted for. Anyway, they didn’t argue with him because being a doctor himself, he knew best what was to be done.

Later after a few hours, Emerald regained her consciousness. She was so shocked to find herself in a hospital and worse, Edger besides her. He explained to her that he was just driving by when people called for his help and that before getting there, he didn't know it was her that had fainted but Emerald insisted that surely she had been drugged by a guy hired by him and that he had planned it for a malicious gain. She was discharged from the hospital and according to the medical report, nothing toxic was found in her blood. It had just been a mild concussion. Edgar cleared the hospital bills and drove her back home. Her parents were so happy and praised ‘their loving and caring son-in-law.’

Emerald called me and explained everything that had transpired and I also believed that it was a well planned game. I figured it in my mind that being a medical student, he knew the perfect drug to intoxicate her with and that he left all the nearby hospitals because he wanted her to be treated at a friend's hospital where the medical examination results would be easily falsified and all this was to impress her parents by showing he cared. I wondered how I would impress the same without hurting her.

I knew I had won Emerald, but it had already proven hard for me to win her parents. I had not even tried but I was so petrified that maybe, in due course, I would lose her but each time I explained my fears to her, she assured me that she would never leave me. This was accompanied by her continuously locking herself in her room every time Edgar showed up at her home. She kept on doing this for a while until one day Edgar openly told her mother how she, Emerald, had been avoiding him. Emerald's mum got so concerned and asked her about it in private but Emerald wouldn’t say more than, “He’s just not the man anymore.” The mother tried to explain how good Edgar was and that she should discuss whatever was making her avoid him but she wouldn’t. She just told her mum that she never wanted Edgar anywhere near her at any time and being someone that had tried to hurt her severally, she had already called it quits and she was sorry to disappoint them (her parents).

A few days later, Emerald’s mum tried talking to her, as a mother would, about reconsidering her decision that was putting the family’s name at stake but Emerald didn't listen to her.  Being afternoon, she just picked up her sports bag and as she opened the door to leave for training, she got Edgar eavesdropping at the door. She pushed him aside and walked straight to the gate. Being too perturbed to drive herself, she chose to use a motorcycle for a ride to the pitch.  

Edgar was left in tears in front of Emerald's Mother. Emerald rejecting him in front of her mother triggered his anger the more. His ego and pride had been trampled on under dirty feet. He furiously left and drove off in haste to follow her. 

He drove dangerously fast and found her on the way. He tried to overtake the rider so as to stop them but this blinded him from seeing the branch off road slightly ahead which the motorcycle rider was intending to take so as to get to a fuel station and refill and as the motorist branched, Edgar was at such a lofty speed that he couldn't stop consequently knocking them down. It was nasty an accident that left the motorcyclist dead at the instant. Emerald was all covered in blood.....

(To be continued in the final Episode)

Catch us again next Thursday 

with Episode 4

The Rich Man's Daughter.

Written by:

Luke Davis

lookndavis@gmail.com

+256770391771

Edited by:

Prim Nabwire

primnabwire95@gmail.com

+256786852800

Jackline W.Kabura Adams

jackykabura@gmail.com

Tel: + 254742386914

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have been blessed by this story, and also in case of any question.