Chapter 55

His sins has caught up with him, I pray he is sentenced to death, Kimberly said after I told her about David.
I feel for him...
You feel for who? Get out of my sight, Kimberly ordered.
I shook my head.
Don't try helping him. He must suffer for his crimes, Kimberly replied.
Ok I need to get some sleep, I said.
David in prison for a crime he didn't commit, that's the best news I've heard today, Kimberly said with a satisfied smirk.
I could feel how happy she was.
I went to my room and laid on my bed, hard as I tried to get David off my mind I couldn't. I kept remembering him crying and begging me to help me at the police station.
He wasn't a good man but he was once your husband. You married him, my conscience pricked me.
I slept off thinking about David.
Very early in the morning, I called my lawyer and asked her to link me with a good colleague of her's. She gave me the office address of one of her male colleagues.
I drove to his office and luckily for me, he didn't have any engagement.
I spent?$500,000?to hire him for David. I drove the lawyer to the police station to meet David.
Please do your best for him, I said.
You can trust me, he replied.
I need to go now, I said.
That's the only help I can render to you, I said to David who kept his face down in shame.
I shook my head and walked out of the DPO's office leaving the lawyer with David.
I've done my best, I thought as I left the police station and drove to my office.
In the afternoon, Chris called and told me that he was ready to take me to his village for our introduction.
I thought it was a joke but got the shock of my life when I returned back to Kimberly's house in the evening and Chris was waiting and ready to leave for his village with me that night.
I was even more shocked he told Kimberly everything including my pregnancy. Kimberly sided Chris that I should go with him and do introduction so that our marriage can commence before my tummy protrude.
I had to beg that the introduction should wait until weekend because I had a lot of work to do.
Weekend came, I took few clothes and traveled with Chris to his village.
We spent the weekend in his?hometown, I was made to meet all his relatives and was taught how to prepare their local meals.
We came back to the city on Sunday evening and Chris demanded to meet pastor?Charles?so our marriage preparations can start.
The rush was too much and I felt stressed with it but I knew Chris was doing that for my good. He wanted me to have a wedding with a veil over my face.
I regretted telling pastor?Charles?that I had sex with Chris. With his strictness, Even when he didn't know I was pregnant again for Chris, He will never allow me cover a veil.
Pastor?Charles?accepted Chris the moment he saw him and prayed for us.
I gasped when he told me it was time to?revoke?whatever David?did?in my house to kill me.
That same day, Pastor?Charles?called the church ministers and directed them to my house. I went with them but didn't enter the compound with them.
I stood outside with Chris and joined them in prayer.
A red fetish pot was brought outside the compound and burnt to ashes.
Pastor?Charles?held my hand and walked me into the compound. My heart was beating fast in fright but nothing happened.
I was scared that I will die that night, I decided not to sleep in Kimberly's house. I spent the night at church, I wanted to keep night vigil and pray but I slept off while praying and woke up safely in the morning.
The next week, Chris took me to meet his pastor, I couldn't hide my joy that he accepted me after prayer.
Our wedding date was fixed and preparations began...
I wanted an in-house?wedding but Chris would hear nothing of it. I had money and he had money too so there was no excuse for not having a big wedding.
Chris suggested our wedding should be at Dubai so we could start honeymoon after the wedding, I had no choice than to go his way.
I spent much money on getting Visas and reservations for Kimberly and her family, Jeremy and Martha, and pastor?Charles.
My marriage was held at Dubai and it was like a celebrity wedding.
My friends went back to?America?the morning after my wedding.
I and Chris spent two months in Dubai for honeymoon. On coming back to?America, I moved back to my house with Raymond to start a family with Chris much to my joy.
Present day
Kimberly had flown into Mississippi on impulse to talk to her parents and unleash her anger. She'd been so set in her anger that she'd hardly finished speaking with Blakes Oxnard before hanging up.
When she'd arrived, she'd been insistent on knowing why they made people watch her every move. She threatened to sue them, she was an adult and she deserved her privacy to the fullest . Her parents had then become remorseful, apologizing and promising never to do it. She'd made to leave but they wouldn't let her until the next day. She called to inform Hailey but the call was not taken. Kim did not know about Hailey until she was back In New York and the police woman had called to say thanks for informing them just before it was too late. Hailey was in the hospital taking treatment. She'd been beaten and battered by her boyfriend whom she shared an apartment with.
He kept her under threats, promising to eliminate her If ever she spoke up about the abuses. For a few months, she'd refused to speak out. When the police arrived her apartment, she was laid sprawled on the ground, her left hand bleeding from a gash he'd made with a kitchen knife.
He'd been arrested and would be charged to Court. Kimberly was crying when she dropped the phone. She wished she'd reported the very first time Hailey had appeared with an injury. Maybe the gash wouldn't be on her. Maybe she woul have helped avert whatever pain she was feeling lying there on the hospital bed.
She sighed. A call came from Tessy.
"Kim, how are you?"Tessy asked .
"I'm fine", she replied In a croaked voice.
"Have you been crying? What's wrong?"
Tess asked. Her concern was evident In her sudden alarmed tone of voice.
"It's about Hailey".
"Your secretary?"
"Yes. She's in the hospital. She was assaulted by her boyfriend with whom she shares an apartment",
" Oh,.dear.. how's she now?"
" From what I've gathered, she sustained a severe injury on her arm only. I'm optimistic she'll be fine..right?"
" Of course, babe. Hailey's gonna be fine okay? Joe's fine now..could you believe the first thing he said when he saw me?"
" No, what did he say?"
" He said he was happy I was around for him. His sister had to move to LA too to take care of him but it seems his Korean woman isn't coming back anytime soon. Well, he said he'd like us to get back together when he was discharged from the hospital", Tessy said. There was a long pause and then Kim asked
" What was your reply?"
" Of course I didn't agree to that! Such pathetic buffoonery! I don't fancy him anymore. I see him as a friend now. Just like you".
Kimberly sighed for relief. They talked more about coming movies and the casting calls they would attend. By the time Kim was ready to go to bed, she got a call from Walker. He was leaving town and would love to see and talk with her again. They fixed a dinner date and she went to sleep peacefully.
?????
Nora's part was pretty exotic. About twenty people were in attendance. Friends of Hector and Nora and a few colleagues from work.
Warren and Abbie come too. They walk hand in hand and say hellos to other guests.
"You look so beautiful, Nora, I can't believe it! Look at you, girl, all this beauty you carry alone!" Abbie gushed.
"Thanks, Abbie. You do look good yourself",
" Thanks a lot".
Nora teased Abbie for having given Warren a hard time while he was trying to woo her. They laughed over it and moved to say hello to other guests.
" A remarkable setup, nice spot ", a woman who Nora didn't know was saying to Lennox. Lennox simply nodded and continued to sip his wine. Maybe she was one of those many people Hector knew from work. The evening was trudging to an inevitable end when Hector sought the attention of all present and being in a circle alone with Nora, he went on one knee and proposed to her .
"Will you marry me, Nora?"
He asked,. holding out the ring. For a few seconds, she held her hands to her mouth before beginning to nod. Her eyes misting up as she murmured yes and stretched out her finger. There were cheers and congratulations said to both people and Abbie couldn't hold her tears as she buried her face in Warren's sleeves. He held her and consoled while his smile at the couple widened.
Lennox was glad he hadn't gotten drunk and could drive clear headedly. The lady who'd sat next to him had refilled his glass countless times and urged him to drink up while her lusty leery eyes roved over his body. When he'd begun to feel a bit lightheaded, he'd stood up and went to another table where he ended up alone. She kept looking at him, his silent treatment infuriated or embarrassed her, perhaps. He didn't really think anything about it until he'd left. Too many women wanted his attention all at once, he thought.
Kim was dressed yet, in a turtle necked shirt but this time wit a pinafore dress as she made her way out of her apartment. Walker's car was only a few feets away and his eyes pinned her from the moment he caught her figure coming towards him. She reached the car and opened the door. He was watching her still as she sat.
"Hello, Walker".
"I'm sorry, I got lost looking at you. Good evening, Beauty", he greeted. Kimberly blushed and adjusted her coat. An unnecessary act to keep her discomfort from being too evident.
"You look incredibly gorgeous this evening", Walker said as he started the car. Kimberly was used to hearing compliments on set and in her day to day life but having him seat so close and saying it in all sincerity warmed her.
"Thank you, you're incredibly good looking too, Walker", she said. He chuckled.
"Thanks a lot"
"How's Cindy?"
"She's fine..she wishes I'd never leave New York!", He said with a short laugh. Kimberly smiled with an effort. The warmth between him and his widowed mom reminded her so much of Lennox and his Widower father. Lennox. She missed him everyday.
"It's like that. Once you grow older and live away from your parents so that they see you once In a while, they begin to get ideas of keeping you with them when they see you!"
They laughed again. She was warming up to him and it delighted her. She was sure she'd never have anything to do with him other than spending a few hours together and going their separate ways but the way he spoke suggestively soon began to give her ideas and she scorned at it. They arrived the eatery and took their table.
The waiter recognized Kim and asked for an autograph. She was relieved that it was not day but night and only a few people Would recognize her.
She had a hearty conversation with walker. He talked about work and a little about his personal life and he encouraged her to open up and talk more about herself. She did. She talked about her career journey, her childhood and also told him she was in a relationship with a man who was in Florida for the mean time, for work
"Wow. I didn't know that. That's beautiful"
He said dryly. Kim didn't know why she'd told him that and she didn't regret it. Not even his sudden standoffishness made her regret it or shout that it was a joke. Which in her heart, felt it was not a joke.
The evening ended in a different way..not as hearty and chatty as it had initially been and she didn't care much.
"Goodnight, Kim. I'll be out of town tomorrow but I'll keep in touch with you. As an impresario, we might be working together soon", he said in a businesslike manner.
"Thanks again for dinner. I'd look forward to working with you, Walker".
He left. She took the stairs to her apartment. It was cold out and she needed above all things, to break a sweat. She reached her apartment and felt the sudden surge of heat in her. Her fireplace had gone cold since the last time. She'd not had a help clean and set up a fire for her..
She reached ?her bed and plopped on it. She kicked off her shoes and undressed quickly before slipping under the heavy covers. As her eyes drifted close, the thought of Cindy came to mind. The ebullient woman who suspected she was single and had match made her with her son. Kim hadn't been told but she was not dumb. She had an inkling that her meeting Walker was Cindy's handiwork. ?She wanted to see if there might be the possiblity of a relationship between them which was now impossible_ she'd made sure of that.
It baffled her now that Cindy was so receptive, took a liking to her the very first time they met and invited her over.
Kimberly let her mind drift to her parents. Again, she didn't know what to make of their supposed kind of protection. She wasn't mad at them anymore and she wished earnestly that she'd known all along. She fell asleep still in deep thoughts.
?????
The ringing of Kimberly's doorbell woke her up. She wasn't expecting anyone to call at her place so early and of course it couldn't be Hailey. She lifted herself up groggily. It was few minutes past Eight in the morning. She reached the door, her robe hastily thrown over her nightdress.
Right on her doorstep was Lennox.
"I secured a property around her, Kimberly Foster and it only felt natural that I should stop by and see you. We'll be married soon, ma'am. How do you like that ?"
He asked as he walked in. Kimberly was surprised and excited. A tear ran down her left eye as she threw herself in his arms.