Must Read: Before She Dies

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Before She Dies

Inside Anabel’s apartment at No104 Shelma Street, Stella lay worn out on a couch. She was putting on a long blue blouse and a black sweater Anabel had given her. Her brown wavy hair looked unkempt and her feet were covered in blue stockings. She looked pale and her stomach felt dry. She had had nothing since two days and was breathing with difficulty. As she listened to the sound of the night wind, her entire body was burning but she was still thankful Reagan hadn’t killed her. She couldn’t believe how bravery she had acted.



That was the first time she was holding a gun let alone killing a being. The thought of how she had pulled the trigger at Reagan’s head sent a wave of panic through her. She remembered how Reagan raped her and suddenly became nauseous. She got to her feet, turned and stumbled to a door at the far end of the room.



She pulled it open and it was a toilet. She vomited, flushed the toilet and staggered back to the sitting room. She sat on the couch and went thinking. Why was Anabel being kind to her? She tried to reason. She was aware of the closeness that existed between her mum and Anabel and couldn’t understand why she was protecting her. Why had Anabel suddenly turned against her mum and decided to help her? Had her mum sent Anabel to find her and kill her? She quickly dismissed the thought. If Anabel had been sent by her mum, she wouldn’t have shot the lady that tried to kill her. May be Anabel had got fed up with her mum’s wickedness and had fled from her.




Was Anabel in danger too? She considered the thought a moment and ran a palm down her hair. Had Anabel come to realize her mum killed her dad? Did her mum find out Anabel knew what was not meant for her and had decided to kill Anabel as she would’ve killed her? Was Anabel also trying to expose her mum? Was she safe in Anabel’s apartment?
Was _
She heard footsteps, raised her gaze and watched Anabel as she entered with a tray.



Anabel reached her, lowered the tray and removed a plate of rice and beans from it. She handed her the plate. Stella smiled her thanks, took the plate and quickly emptied it. Anabel gave her a glass of water and she gulped it down. Anabel took the tray back to the kitchen and returned to the sitting room. She sat on a couch next to Stella and said, “Why not take a shower?” She smiled, “You’ll feel better when you’re done.”



Stella nodded and smiled. She stood and Anabel showed her to the bathroom. In few minutes, she was through with her bath. As she walked into the sitting room, she looked attractive and healthy. She sat, relaxed her back on the couch and took the scatter cushion. She placed her elbow on it, supported her jaw with her palm, looked at Anabel and said, “Why did my mum kill my dad?”


Anabel locked stares with her, thought for few minutes and sighed. She dropped her eyes, raised them again and reluctantly started off.



It was one month to the gubernatorial election.



The atmosphere of Laudi State had become tensed, with citizens resigning themselves to prayers and exchanges of best wishes for the individual candidates they were aligned with.



Political analysts were already making predictions about the possible outcome of the forthcoming election. 75 percent of them believed that Williams’ widely acclaimed integrity was enough to make him easily pull through in the polls while the remaining 25 percent predicted that his reserved nature would be his Achilles heel. The statesmen of the political parties of the state were putting finishing touches to their preparations and the stakeholders of Social Revolutionary Party like other parties were having series of meetings and intensifying their campaigns across the state.



Williams was being driven home from a rally he attended in Jentrakata, a suburb of the state.



When his convoy got to the gate, a guard opened the gate and the convoy pulled up before the gigantic building. A soldier pulled the back door of a black Hummer Jeep open and Williams stepped out of the car and walked into his apartment. He got to the sitting room and saw Thelda running down the stairs to meet him. He hurried towards her, threw her arms around her shoulder and kissed her. As he carried her to the sitting room, Thelda who was chuckling said, “How was the rally?”
Williams sat and dropped her gently on his lap, “It went well. I think we’re making progress.”


Thelda started loosening his striped blue tie, “I know that when the result will be announced in a month’s time, you’ll emerge as the governor of this state.”


Williams pulled her head calmly and kissed her, “I love you darling.”
She smiled, “I love you too.” She placed the tie on the couch, “Did you later meet with the senator?”