Must Read: Fighting Back! - Season 1 - Episode 47

7 years ago

Must Read: Fighting Back! - Season 1 - Episode 47

Franklin walked alongside Hester with a arm
around her shoulder. ‘Hester we love you and
believe in you.’
‘I love you two, about believe, I’m unsure of
myself. ‘ She swallowed hard. ‘Sometimes I
can’t grasp what is happening to my world. ‘
‘Experience like we all say is the best teacher.

Experience has taught me that the journey of
life is not a smooth one, it’s up and down.

It was down for me when I lost my first love to a
brutal death and also my baby girl. It comes in
different package for everyone and it’s
inevitable. Be strong …’ He smiled at her.’Stand
for what you believe in, fight for what belong to
you and never try to relegate your Creator to
the background. ‘

They strolled behind them.

‘I’ve know Hess since she was eight. I’ve seen
how she had reacted to various situations. She
is unlike her now, the cheerful, lively, charming
and influencing Hester is now disturbed,
worried and all. I feel her, I can imagine how it
feels to be chased by a ruffian. There is
something I want you to know Ethel …’Akudo
stopped for few seconds to look at her son.

‘There is something Victoria would love you to
do, do all you can Ethelbert …do all you can to
protect her.’

Ethel looked away from her and stared at the
flowerlawn. A memory of the last time he
shared with Osagie came back to him. How
they teased each other. Eventually he chased
Osagie and Osagie had bumped into Hester that
she lost balance. Osagie had swept her off the
floor into his arms and rocked her like a child
while he apologised to Hester. That was when
he knew his friend would do anything for …

‘Ethel? ‘ Akudo called.

He looked at her. ‘I am a person who do things
not because others need me to but majorly
because I am convinced to. Right now, I have
enough reasons to protect her and you just
gave me more mum. ‘ He took her hand. ‘I will
do all I can to protect her.’

She embraced him relieved. ‘I feel better dear,
she is my baby girl.’

They finally said goodbyes before Hester and
Ethel entered the Jeep.

Akudo and Franklin waved until the vehicle
went out of the gate.

++++
****

Don’t tell me you’re going to start crying. ‘

Hester looked up at him from all the papers and
documents she had spread out on the bed.

‘How will you feel if you’re were informed seven
months after you lost your best friend, that you
that he willed everything that has his name on
it to you and the shared dreams you two had.’
He was seated across her. He placed both
palms under his chin and shook his head slowly.

‘It is pretty difficult Hess …it is hard to process.
‘
‘Tears can express the way I feel. I am not
happy because we don’t hide things from each
other and she had a will and never told me.

That makes me feel she knew she was going to
die.’ The dam in her eyes let loose. ‘
‘Don’t Hester, I supposed she must have her
reasons. She probably didn’t want you to
dissuade her.’
‘I heard so much about you from Dad, Mum and
most especially Vicky . I have always wanted to
meet.
She couldn’t help but smile in fond
remembrance of her how Victoria had went on
and on about him . ‘Same here.’
‘There was a time, I called Vicky from Belgium, I
asked to speak to you but she came up with an
excuse. ‘

Hester laughed as she remembered. ‘That day
we had what Victoria called our greatest fight.

I was like -never ever talk to me again, I don’t
know how I got stocked with an insensitive
human like you! She was like -You are
thoughtless, you’re so thoughtless, it is written
on your forehead! ‘
Ethel chuckled.

‘Come tomorrow, I’ll move out, you hear me,
very very far away and I cross my heart,
anytime, I set my eyes on you, I will flee! I
retaliated. Eventually your call came through
and when she said to me -my big bro wants to
talk to you. I gave her a cold glare and stormed
out of the room.’
‘ I understand. ‘ Ethel grinned.
‘You do? ‘ She raised he brows amused.
‘Sure, how long did the fight last? ‘ He beamed.
‘Guess.’
‘Two months, Five months, one year? ‘ He
shrugged.
‘Twenty four hours. ‘ She said and burst into
laughter as his shocked expression.

He kept looking at her and spoke up after few
seconds. ‘You two were close. ‘
‘Yeah.’ She nodded and became serious. ‘We
were so close that many believed we were twin
sisters, I go by the name Hesteria. ‘
‘Hesteria …Victoria, that is perfect. ‘ He said

‘Yeah.’ She nodded and became serious. ‘We
were so close that many believed we were twin
sisters, I go by the name Hesteria.
‘Hesteria …Victoria, that is perfect. ‘ He said.
“Hi girls, I’m John, what are your Lovely names?
”
“Hi am Victoria and she is Hesteria. ”
“Wow! Are you twins?”
“Isn’t it obvious? ”
“Yeah! Yeah! sure. ”
She gave an instance. ‘Most of everyone we
knew thought we were twins. ‘Hester smiled.

‘We celebrated together, bore our shortcomings
together, we supported each other, we raised
dust together, together we were unbeatable,
we shared, cared and loved each other like we
knew it wasn’t last for long. ‘Hester shook her
head.

Ethel felt his chest tightened in pain in fond
remembrance of his departed friend. He could
say Same for both of them but he wasn’t going
to let the emotion linger. ‘I know your university
is more populated with white than black. How
were you two able to cope? ‘
‘We represented Africa and Nigeria to the full,
who are you to come around us with the aim of
making us feel inferior, we sit you and school
you. Victoria and I topped the class so it was
difficult for our course mate to try it.’ She
paused momentarily. ‘There was a particular
day one of my Prof in the course of his lecture
said derogatory things about Africa. Victoria
and I kept exchanging glances. ‘
‘like what in the world does this guy think he is
talking about. ‘
‘Thank you.’ She acknowledged his input. ‘At a
point, Victoria couldn’t take it anymore because
by then students from other continent were
grinning from ear to ear. She raised her and
stood. “With all due respect, I object to
everything you’ve said hook, line and sinker.

If you will, I like to give give reason to buttress my
objection. ” He allowed her and by the time she
was through, I asked for permission to support
her with five reasons. We were applauded, our
Prof acknowledged our points, afterwhich, he
called us Queen of Africa. Hence, we were
popularly addressed as Queen of Africa. ‘
On and on she went about the times she had
shared with her bf.
‘I happened to be first that was called after her
accident. ‘ Tears formed in her eyes. ‘I guess
my name happen to be dominant in everything
the rescue team could find after her identity.

When the call came I was shocked because we
spoke an hour prior to then and we planned on
meeting later in the day. I ran to my car and
head for the hospital, I couldn’t be stopped by
the nurses because I used my psychological
instinct to find her. God …’ She closed her eyes
as the memory flashed back and her tears
flowed. ‘When I set my eyes on her …I just
knew she was dead , I just knew I had my
greatest friend and confidant for fifteen years.
An emptiness engulfed me, I cried, I screamed
into instant unconsciousness. Her burial was
delayed because of me. It is only God that know
how I was able to …’ She looked up. ‘to watch
her being buried. ‘
‘I saw you, I saw your reaction and action. ‘
Ethel took her hand in his. ‘I asked my dad and
he told me who you were. Ever since, I’ve
wanted to meet you.’
‘No amount of emotions can express the
absence of a love one that can never be present
like ever before. I felt that with Osagie and I felt
same with Victoria. They are irreplaceable. ‘
‘That is because we love them very much. ‘ He
embraced her as tears welled in his eyes. ‘I pray
God heal our heart.’