Happy Never After - Episode 6

 

She checked the time and realized it was almost evening. She had spent the entire day, doing nothing but watching a movie and getting bored.

She opened her eyes, staring at the beautiful chandelier. She was still lying on the couch. She didn’t really enjoy her sleep as her mind kept circling around the stranger that had come earlier. It was really strange.

She stood up and walked to the kitchen, she wondered when Daniel would be back . Realizing how hungry she was becoming, she decided to make some food. While she did this, her phone vibrated,  she frowned as she saw Faith’s call. She could still remember everything that had happened at her wedding party and they haven’t talked about it.

She picked the call.

“You really had the motif of ruining my wedding didn’t you?”

“What are you talking about? The wedding was a success, thanks to God.”

“So, what about your friend? Has he stopped calling or he has finally accepted to let me be?” Alicia asked.

There was a long pause.

“Faith are you there?”

“Fabian is dead,  Alicia.”

The knife in her hand dropped as Alicia heard this. “What did you just say?”

“Oh, so you care about him all of a sudden?”

She swallowed and picked up the knife

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/happy-never-after

. “I don’t but he called didn’t he? How could he have died like that?”

“I do not know, that’s why I’m calling you. It is so strange.  When are you coming back? I cannot go to his house alone.”

“Why do I need to go with you?” Alicia asked, as she continued cutting the onion.

Faith gasped. “You dated this guy for some time, Alicia, you should care about him, how can you talk like that?”

“I didn’t want to date him in the first place, and whatever happened to him served him right. He ended up in prison where he should have been in the first place and now he’s dead. Good riddance!” she said and ended the call.

As she slammed the phone on the table, she kept on doing what she was doing, Fabian’s face flashed through her mind and she cut herself by mistake.

Taking a deep breath, she hurried to the tap to wash the blood away. As she stared at the stained water, memories began to unfold….

**

FLASHBACK

Alicia sat on her bed, covered in a blanket and staring at her phone as if waiting for a message, or a call or anything. She was in her nightgown with no intention of leaving the house. Her eyes were puffy, she hadn’t been sleeping.

A knock sounded on her door but she gave no response. Finally, the door opened and Lydia stepped in with Faith. They looked quite concerned about her.

“Babe, are you not going to work?” asked Faith but Alicia said nothing.

“Camil has been calling me, said you guys have a presentation today. She said you are not picking your call,” Lydia replied, handing her sister her own phone.

“Have you gone nuts, Alicia?” screamed Camil’s voice from the phone. “You need to get your ass right here, the meeting is starting soon!”

Alicia said nothing, collected the phone and ended the call. Both her friends stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Is this about that prick of a guy, Daniel?” asked Faith in disgust. “He hasn’t called you since his secret was out about the Prank show has he?”

“His secret was not out. We talked that night if you want to know,” said Alicia.

“So, why has not called you in three days?” asked Faith, arms akimbo. “I think you need to accept the fact that he scammed you.”

“Shut up! I do not need this, okay? I am sure he has a good reason for not calling, I just hope he is alright.”

“Or maybe his wife found out and disconnected his social media account,” Faith retorted but Alicia stood up.

“Leave my room right now!”

Her friend shrugged and walked out of the room.

Lydia stood up. “Well, I am still having issues getting a place for my internship.”

“We will find a place for you, first, I need to get to dress up and get to work…”

Bryn and Ben’s Hospital

Alicia waited for Fabian with her sister, in his office. The presentation had turned out rather poorly and the project had been taken from Alicia’s team but given to another. She and Lydia had left the office to go for her appointment.

Fabian was her doctor and she had an appointment with him, nothing more. Lydia shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“What is wrong with you?” asked Alicia, frowning at her sister.

“Look, it will really make a lot of sense if I can have my internship programme here, Alicia. No other clinic will have me, let me talk to Fabian.”

“No,” Alicia said sternly. “I won’t allow that, I do not want anything that will make me indebted to that man.”

Lydia frowned. “Please, this is about my own future and I am running out of time, besides, it’s closer and…”

“I am so sorry for keeping you waiting,” said Fabian as he entered. He was in his white jacket with some medical instruments in his hand.

“Hello, Fabian,” greeted Lydia, all smiles.

“Lydia, it’s been a while,” said Fabian. Alicia ignored them both as they hugged and exchanged pleasantries. All her friends liked Fabian except herself, she had no idea why they did.

“Hi, Fabian,” she replied coldly. “I came back for my result.”

“Oh, yes,” said Fabian, bringing out a letter from his drawer and handed to her.

“Something happened that is causing you a lot of stress; you need to work around it. Your B.P shouldn’t be this high at this time. Could it be work?”

Alicia said nothing. She waited as she went through the result. She couldn’t say anything. The truth was, for some days, actually for some weeks, she hadn’t heard from Daniel at all and he was supposed to be coming to Nigeria in few weeks’ time just as they had planned.  Not hearing from him was messing up her day and everything, including her work. They were supposed to be planning his coming together and now…nothing. No word!

“You do not need to worry about me,” she replied, standing up.

“I need to. I am your doctor,” replied Fabian sternly.

“Then, maybe I will find another doctor,” she replied angrily.

He inhaled. “Well, you can do as you wish, Alicia but, I am concerned for you. You need to take care of yourself more. The next doctor will tell you a similar thing.”

Alicia said nothing but left the office with the prescription he gave her. She was on her way to the pharmacy when she realized her sister didn’t follow her.

She frowned and was about turning back when she saw her giggling excitedly, with Fabian. They were both coming to meet her.

“Good news! Fabian had just accepted my internship here,” Lydia announced.

Alicia couldn’t believe this. “I told you not to ask him, what is wrong with you?” she shouted at her sister.

Lydia frowned.

Read " Second Chance " by the same author ( Tobi Loba )

. “Please, Alicia, this is about my education,” she wined but Alicia faced Fabian.

“I am tired of your acting like a good person. I do not like you, I do not want you acting nice to my sister just because you want to get in between my legs!”

Lydia flared up and came in between them.

“Don’t shout at him okay? This is not about you. You may have a problem with him but I do not. If you are too blind to see that he is a good person, which is your problem! But I will not allow you to disrespect him because of Daniel!” After this, she faced Fabian. “Thanks Fabian, I will start work tomorrow…”

After this, she walked out on her sister.

Alicia blinked her tears of embarrassment that were coming up.

“I hope you are happy, that you came in between me and my sister…” after this, she threw the prescription at him and walked out…

**

PRESENT DAY

The whistling sound of the kettle jerked her back to the reality and she stood up to make more tea for herself.  As she turned off the gas, she sighed. She shouldn’t get herself worked up about the Fabian thing. But could he really be dead? Was it possible?

She shook her head and advanced towards the chair she had been sitting on earlier. As she sat down, she realized she hadn’t washed the cup she had used in the morning.

She decided to do that and began to wash the cup. She turned the bottom up to drain the water but stopped as her eyes caught the inscription at the bottom…
She couldn’t see it clearly so she traced the lettering with her finger….

“With Love-H. Johnson.”  

**

AND LADIES AND GENRUMEN, LOL...WHICH NAME STARTS WITH 'H' AGAIN?