Cynthia looked at her.
"Don't try to use my sister to get me to forgive you because it would not work. I am only here because of my sister not to see you or anything concerning you. I already wasted a lot of time standing here and talking to you so please just excuse." Cynthia said and made to leave.
Nora saw that she could not persuade her aunt to forgive her so she just shifted for her aunt to pass.
Cynthia walked past her and Nora looked at her receding figure sadly.
She finally went back to the ward.
When Ivy saw her coming in, she immediately approached her.
"How did it go?" Ivy asked.
"Didn't go well bu.. how did you know what I was telling her?" Nora answered and asked.
"You stayed too long outside so I went out to see what kept you and saw you talking with her from afar so I guessed what you were telling her and decided not to interrupt." Ivy explained.
"Did she accept your apology?" Ivy asked.
"No, she did not just as I predicted." Nora replied.
"You should not give up, try some other time, she might agree then." Ivy said.
"Okay." Nora said tiredly.
"I will go to get the book that I told you about." Nora said again.
"Okay. Just be careful and try to come back fast in case your mum wakes up." Ivy said letting her go.
Nora hailed a taxi back home. When she arrived at the house, she saw her belongings scattered on the floor in front of the house. She was bewildered, she then looked at the lock on her door and saw that the lock has been changed.
She thought of the reason and remembered that the rent was supposed to expire today.
But then, why did he have to throw her things out? Did anything happen, she would know when she meets the landlord.
She was sad and angry as she stormed into the landlord's residence.
He was at his dining eating drumstick when she came in.
"Good day sir, I came to understand why my things are outside and why the lock was changed."
The landlord looked at her, sent out a long sigh and continued with his food. Nora was angry and her patience was running out.
"Did I just talk to a human being now?" she shouted on top of her voice.
"Hey, don't destroy my ear bud with your shouts. I would have long thrown those bags out if not that I was waiting for the rent to expire." Nora was both angry and confused.
"What do you mean? I don't remember having any issues with you." Nora said with a meaningful look.
The landlord stood from his chair and pointed a piece of drumstick at her.
"I built this house with my sweat to house responsible person and not for criminals seeking refuge."
The man's expression was like that of a devil talking to its prey whom he has already caught and was planning to eat for dinner.
Nora was unhappy as a tear formed in her eyes.
'Could it be that they found Annabel and were trying to frustrate her by throwing her things out?'
"What do you mean by criminal?" Nora asked.
"I knew that all blacks were thieves but I tried to correct that impression that was formed by me and accepted you into my house but you ended up failing to represent your race well but instead smeared their reputation in the mud even more." the landlord said disdainfully.
"You think nobody knows. Well, I am sorry to inform you that everyone knows that you are a criminal who came her to hide here away from the police thinking they would not be able to find you." Nora was still confused. She wondered what they must have said about her in her absence.
"What are you talking about?" She asked.
The landlord looked at her.
"Oh yeah, guess I forgot. I should have called the cops immediately lest you escape." The landlord said and brought out his phone preparing to dial someone's number.
Nora looked at him.
"I don't know what got into your head or what propelled you to do what you did but please give the key the apartment to me now."
The landlord ignored her.
"Listen, you dont have the right to throw my things out but I would allow you to just give the key to me and end this here." She said again.
She did not have all the time to spend with this man. The landlord ignored what she said and called the person he wanted to call.
"A criminal was sought for by the police in my house yesterday and I called to inform you that she is back."
The landlord said to the phone. Nora looked at him.
"Where are my keys or should I call the cops, you are violating my rights." Nora said angrily.
"You stand here to talk about rights, what rights do you have with regards to this apartment. If you call the cops, did I rent any apartment to you? If I am not mistaken, none of Rose's property is here so what evidence did you have to prove that what I did was wrong. It is Rose that is qualified to stand in front of me and talk about my house, I was never engaged in any business with you because I don't do business with criminals." The landlord said.
Nora thought about it.
What he said was true. He did not rent any apartment to her and everything that was thrown out belonged to her. There was no evidence to defend her. The landlord can easily tell the police that the occupant of the house packed out and that he had nothing to do with her.
But why was he doing that? Nora thought.
"Didn't you agree to rent the house to me after her rent expires, why then are you throwing my things out and what's with the criminal stuff?" Nora asked holding herself in.
"Stop thinking that you are still on the blind phase where you pretended so that no one would know that you are a criminal, your true colours have even exposed." The land lord said and Nora was very more enraged.
"What proves that I am a criminal? If I am, what offence did I commit, tell me, clarify all that is happening here." Nora said frowning her face. The landlord looked at her.
"You ask the offence you committed. You know best what you did that made you to run from your house knowing that the police was going to come for you." He said.
"How did I run, was I not in the hospital where my mom was undergoing a major operation? Nora said almost screaming. "Major operation" the landlord mimicked. "Snap out from that useless thought of yours and stop lieing because your true colours have been revealed.
And by the way, I have wasted enough time talking to you, don't come to find me at my doorstep again. I dont even know why the police is not here yet." The landlord said, looked at his watch and went inside.
Nora was left alone outside. She went back to her properties that were not even much. She started trying to sort it. She saw the book that she was looking for and placed it in her bag.
Some of her neighbours came out and watched her silently, no one dared to come close.
The scene right now reminded Nora of the time that she was thrown out by her aunt.
That day, her properties were scattered on the floor even more than these and while she picked it, everybody came out and watched her in pity and no one dared to come close or take her in after she finished packing what she could and considered extremely important.
Annabel looked at Nora and the tear that has been threatening to fall finally fell from her eyes. She had been watching everything and knew that it was because of her that Nora was chased out. She was sad that she brought such pains to her but those people were still looking for her so she did not come out. She just watched.
A neighbour of Nora came down from a motorcycle, who seemed to have travelled and was just returning. She saw Nora picking her things sadly and was confused. It was the neighbour that she helped bring back her daughter.
She went and asked the situation. Nora looked at her and said nothing to avoid tearing up. She tried to gather her things.
At this moment, her phone rang, it was Ivy. She immediately took the call.
"Your mummy woke up and requested to see you. You have stayed long, did anything happen?" Ivy's voice rang out.
"No, nothing happened, I will be there in no time." Nora said.
The call was disconnected and Nora looked at the things in her front.
"Have your mum woken up, I would help you keep them in my apartment before you come back." Her neighbour said referring to her properties.
Nora looked at her. "Thank you so much."
"I did nothing special" the woman said.
"Get going, I would definitely take them all inside."
"Thanks again, I will take it as a dept. I am owing you for this favour." Nora said and turned to leave.