Broken-Broken - Episode 20

SCARLETT

I shifted a little…as the water splashed and I was afraid, I didn’t want to get my Armani suit wet.

People by the pool were already grumbling to the idiot that must have purposely done that.

Almost immediately, the figure emerged, it was a man and he was wiping his face with his hand but I heard Franca calling me so I turned from the view and had to go back, not changing into the swimsuits again.

She and the other lady were coming towards me. She was pretty, dark with that ‘daddy’s girl’ look, she must be really spoilt.

While I walked to meet them, the lady gasped in horror and I wondered why. She hastened her footsteps and just as I thought she was addressing me…she by-passed me…

“Darling! What the hell is this and why are you all wet?”

I turned to see whoever was behind me and I realized it was the man that had fallen into the pool. He was completely soaked to his pant and he was dripping water, as he constantly wiped his face and….my heart skipped a beat and for some reason I thought I knew who this was and for some other reason, he seemed to be looking right at me as if trying to see if I could recognize him.

“How did you fall into the pool?” The lady asked, checking him all over to see if he was hurt probably…

“It ..um..it was an oversight…” The fine-wet man said, not blinking or taking his eyes off me and neither was I…I knew this man and he seemed so familiar and yet so strange…

‘Well, Scarlett and Franca, this is my fiancé, forgive his outlook, he doesn’t  always go about falling inside pool it is his first time in Kenya…”

“Hi…Scarlett…” He said to me, extending his hand forward towards me and saying in the most familiar voice.

Read " Returned " by the same author ( Tobi Loba )

. “I am Lawrence…”

It was like being resuscitated from a comma…and I extended my hand, still maintaining eye contact…I took his hand in mine…several emotions were welling inside me and I just wanted everyone to vanish leaving the both of us alone.

“Okay, off we go.  I, ladies, come, Lawrence, let’s go clean you up.”

The lady, Dafina as I could remember her name now, said hurriedly, pushing Lawrence with her….and for the same reason, he looked back one time at me…

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/broken-broken

. I knew…he was Lawrence….the one I’ve been looking for.

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“Scarlet and Larence…sitting in a tree.K.I.S>S>I>N>G” Franca sighed shortly after I came back to my senses. She didn’t have any idea what was happening.

“You both had some connection right there but sorry girl, he’s taken.” Franca continued.

“What do you mean connection?” I asked, trying to sound as normal as I could.

“The girl could be blind but I’m not. …”She stopped as she saw my face. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I inhaled sharply, signaled to the waiter behind me and gulped down a cup of drink immediately.

‘Hey! Slow down! What is the problem?” Franca asked, stopping me as I motioned for the other cup.

“You remember the person I've been looking for all the while…?”

“Hold on, don’t tell me this Lawrence is that Lawrence,” Franca said, calculating everything so fast.

I nodded.

“Wow! So why didn’t you shout or embrace each other?” Franca asked and for that, I couldn’t give any reply.

“I don’t know Franca... I honestly don’t know.”

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“I don’t like all these sketches, let me see something else,” Dafina said for the third time.

I was beginning to lose my patience, both for waiting for Lawrence to come out and meet us from wherever he had gone to get cleaned up, and for this lady to make up her mind.

“This is beautiful Dafina, do you mind looking at it again…?” Franca persuaded her, taking her through more of her magazines but I stood up, I needed a drink else I might lose my mind if Lawrence didn’t come out on time.

Well, as I took the drink from the waiter and was going back to my seat, I spotted him… and my heart began to race. He was still searching for us…

He was in an armless red polo shirt and a pair of brown shorts. Muscles rippled across every part of his body. He looked like a seasoned warrior with those cheekbones that have even grown so prominent and his nose, slightly obscured by his fuzzy thin black beard against his light skin. His hair, probably because of the wetness glinted under the face cap…his short sharp lips were so attractive and ….Franca pinched me slightly and I quickly gulped down the drink in my hand.

“Oh! Now that’s more like my man!” Dafina said as he spotted us and she stood up proudly to kiss him on the lips…. I looked away…

Damn it! Scarlet! Get it together! I screamed to myself in my head.

I tried as much as possible not to look at him…it was best to pretend that I don’t know him or remember him but it was difficult….

While Dafina shifted for him to take a seat…

“Oh..what is that, let me see….” She shouted and looking at what she was pointing at, I realized my clumsiness had made me drop the journal I had been holding and the sketch…my own personal sketch was out in the open.

I picked the journal up and handed it to her…

“No, I mean that sketch…”

Franca exchanged glances with me and I gave her.

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Well Dafina just got the man and the wedding gown...how unfortunate for Scarlet...