"Are you ok?" Mary asked Raymond.
"Anything, but ok" Raymond replied honestly.
"It's going to be hard on Aida tomorrow. Vanessa won't have an easy time either. Did she tell you why she was coming over?" Mary asked.
"Not a hint" Raymond replied. Raymond's short answers, didn't bother Mary but it made her realize he wanted to talk about a different subject.
"Go on, I'm all ears" Mary said and fixed her gaze on Raymond.
"I want you to tell Aida. I want you to tell her what happened." Raymond replied.
"I thought we talked about it, Raymond?"
"Yes, we did. But i can't bring myself to tell her. There are a lot of 'whys' i can't answer. And I think it'll be better to have her hear it from you than from any other person. Please do me the favor, and tell her"
"Do you want me to tell her everything?"
"She'd come to know everything, sooner or later."
"What if she hates you after hearing it?"
" That's why I want you to tell her, mom. Please do. I won't around for dinner"
Mary only nodded as Raymond walked out of the room. The moment she's been dreading was finally here, to make it worst she was the one chosen to spill the truth to Aida. Raymond knew Mary didn't know the entire truth, like he did. Mary knew only what Maxwell, his father, had told her.
****
"She hates me, Kay" Vanessa said shruggingly as she twirled the wine in the glass Kay had offered her.
"Slow down, baby girl" Kay said as she patted Vanessa. Kay knew very well, Vanessa's shrugging acts, were never her true intentions. They were only cover up attitudes to conceal her real emotions. She knew deep down, Vanessa was really hurt.
"Her hostility baffled me. I don't know why she acted that way but i guess it's all my fault. Perhaps, I'm too late." Vanessa said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I don't think you have to be sad. After all, you did what was best for both of you" Kay replied and sipped her wine. They remained silent for a couple of seconds and Kay felt awkward because she felt the silence was just like the calm before a destructive storm.
"Khelan" Vanessa called.
Kay knew the conversation was going to be steered towards seriousness, not because of the how Vanessa called her name out, but because of the danger laced in her voice.
"Vanessa" Kay replied and propped herself with her elbow to limit the uneasiness she was suddenly feeling.
"We've been friends for a long while. For more than twenty years. The last thing I want from you is lies. I want only the truth. Tell me the part you played and what you were offered" Vanessa said while she looked Kay in the eyes without batting a brow.
"I'm afraid, i don't know what you're talking about" Kay replied nervously.
"I think you do, Kay. Tell me how you were involved, fifteen years ago. I don't think it was a coincidence, sweet heart. I think your part in it was well played because you had me fooled all this while, Kay. You should be an actress instead, don't you think so?" Vanessa asked.
Even though Vanessa had a good composure, they both knew she was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Truthfully, Khelan had not seen it coming. She would have prepared, she never thought Vanessa would find out.
"Vanessa, if there's anything, any misunderstanding let's resolve it now. I don't understand you"
"Oh, Kehlan my dear friend! What am I trying to do now? Isn't 'resolve' what i am trying to do?" Vanessa asked wearing a sardonic smile.
Khelan kept her lips closed as she looked at Vanessa. She felt like a mouse trapped in a lion's den, yet, she hoped to wriggle out of it unscratched.
"Ten... nine...eight" Vanessa began to count down which made Khelan heavily uncomfortable.
"What's the count down for?" Khelan asked perplexed.
"Let's see, what happens at the end of the count down. Five...four...three...two...one"
Khelan felt her body temperature rise suddenly. Blood began to trickle down her nose. She felt uneasy around her neck, like she was been throttled.
"What did you..." before Kay could complete her sentence, Vanessa interrupted.
" This is the antidote. You have only three minutes to spill it. Go on, do it." Vanessa said as she lifted a syringe filled with a plain content.
"You can't do that. My family is here. They know you are here with me. Autopsy will even prove you guilty"
"My dear friend, you seem to forget i am a doctor. Your de...ad body" Vanessa replied stressing on the 'dead'; "will only bear evidence of wine allergy. Who would arrest me or put me behind bars because you're allergic to wine?"
"Vanessa, you're mean."
"Go on. You have only a minute and thirteen seconds left"
"It was Arnold! He told me to do it! Please Vanessa, i don't want to die. My children are too young to lose me. Please" Khelan said as tears trickled down her eyes.
Vanessa injected Kay with the content. After a few seconds, Kay felt all the pain she felt had suddenly vanished.
"Arnold, told me to do it. I was promised a sum of money but i rejected it because I was fooled. I was told I had to take you there because a surprise 'congratulatory' party was been held for you to celebrate your success. You had won a scholarship, so i was convinced. I didn't know they had a different agenda and it was never a congratulatory party." Khelan confessed while she teared uncontrollably in the sofa. "I swear, Van. I swear. I was fooled"
Khelan looked at Vanessa who looked composed in the sofa and she became more confused.
" You're not surprised? You knew it all along?" Khelan asked.
" Khelan, Khelan, Khelan" Vanessa said with a smile. " Guess what? I've risen to a stage in my life where nothing actually surprises me that much"
"I see" Khelan retorted.
" I need a favor from you, Kay" Vanessa said and looked intently at Kay. "Come closer" Vanessa said and Khelan moved closer to her. Vanessa whispered something to her and Khelan looked shocked "Can you do that for me?" Vanessa asked.
Khelan nodded wryly.