The apartment seemed very quiet.
She rang the front bell and waited patiently to see if anyone was at home. She struggled to peep through the curtain on the sitting room window, but couldn’t see through. The curtain had an internal lining within making it nearly impossible to see through, she discovered.
A few minutes later, she suddenly became restless. She hesitated for a while and after a passage of a few seconds, she pressed the doorbell again. This time a little longer, and then, a few minutes later she could hear steps inside the house walking towards the door from within.
Suddenly, she heard the voice of Donnie faintly, barely penetrating the thick wooden door. She placed her left ear at the door to hear if she was right about the voice. It came again, and this time, louder. There was no missing it, she knew she was right. It was Donnie’s voice quite alright.
What was she saying?
She tried to figure it out, and then it sunk, she was asking who was at the door.
She replied quickly, “Donnie it is me!” Now she felt nervous.
Donnie shifted the curtain, and when she saw Stephnie, she opened the door. “Come right in, sure you’re okay? You looked worried Stephnie, hope nothing is the matter. Your eyes don’t look good on your face, and—please come right in!” she beacon at her to come inside.
Stephnie quickly acted, pulling Terry along on one hand, and lifting her bags in the other.
The thought of being homeless was embarrassing to her. She needs her friends now more than ever before, she thought.
Donnie looked at Stephnie, Terry, and then the bags on the floor close to her. She wondered why Stephnie was with her bags.
Is she traveling or what?
Her mind was flooded with wondering thoughts.
Stephnie could read Donnie's mind. She knew her mind was loaded with several thoughts. She adjusted herself on her chair and placed Terry on her lap. She raised her head, and stared at Donnie, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t call before coming. Honestly, I’m in a big mess. Madone and his family raided my house and did the unbelievable. They got Landus stabbed from behind with his blood everywhere and chased out Paul, Cardiff, and David. It was horrible.” Tears came to her eyes now and her stammering words betrayed the boldness Donnie had known her for. “M—Madone p—played the h—heartless king, he pushed me out of my h-home, and almost got Terry killed. C—can you imagine that they came strongly against me with ten fierce ugly looking men—Donnie I’m scared. I have never been this close to death all my life! It all happened like a flash, but the memory is still green.” She felt troubled and her lips still trembling.
Donnie watched her talk for a while, immediately she was done. She laughed out loudly.
Stephnie was perplexed; she wondered what was funny in what she had said. “Why are you laughing Donnie? This isn’t a joke; they were after my life and that of Terry’s too. Madone had completely taken over Mike’s properties, and I think, he got the support he needed from the family. I regret ever meeting Mike, and I never knew life could be this sucking—horrible.” Now, she felt her beat best increased.
The moment Donnie started talking, Stephnie held her hands to her ears. Donnie words were piercing through her ears like blazing arrows. And she could hardly believe words of this nature could proceed from Donnie, she pondered.
She was beginning to feel unwanted, she stared at Donnie as if she wasn’t sure those words were coming from her mouth, “did I hear you just say you had wanted, Mike? Donnie, you make me sick, what a world! I trusted you with my whole heart, my life. Donnie, you call me a whore? Why are you telling me all these now, Donnie? You would have told me this long ago. Is it because I had nobody to turn to in my trying moments you are saying all this to embarrass me and to push me out? Your utterance is very immature Donnie, and quite frankly you surprise me—” Stephnie’s tears suddenly increased within her eyeballs.
Donnie raised her hands high up aggressively, “please don’t start! Stop this innocent talk in my house, and don’t you ever forget you are under my roof. I hate hearing you talk. You murdered him, and couldn’t defend yourself before his family members, and in case you have forgotten there is a curse on you pretty soon. I’m sure you will join Mike. I’m not ready to host a woman with a curse on her head, and besides. I don’t want my husband to get seduced by your staying around here, and that is a risk too big for me to handle. So, I suggest you pack your bags, and take your leave this minute, just for the records. Thanks for your help to me in the past. Sorry, I can’t reciprocate. Honestly, it is beyond my power, bye Stephnie.” She walked up to the door and opened it wide, waiting for Stephnie and Terry to leave.
Stephnie felt her bones cracking; she felt heat squeezing through her bloodstream. Heat, she can’t handle it and have no idea where it came from. She knew she would never get any help from a friend, who suddenly turned a villain overnight.
She put herself together smartly, and couldn’t help, but shouted, “What? Are you throwing me out, Donnie?”
Donnie hissed loudly, “That is exactly what I’m doing, just go. I don’t want you near this house or I get you thrown out.”
Stephnie could hardly believe her ears.
She saw the evil look on Donnie's face, and with her painted red lips squeezed into cruel lines, it was enough to tell her that she wasn’t welcome in her house.
She held Terry's hand and picked up her bags from the floor. She looked at Donnie, perhaps for the last time, and then walked out.
Donnie slammed the door closed, and then leans on the door. She sighed and was pleased that she never allowed Stephnie into her home.
She was a beauty queen, and she knew Felix will always want to have her in their matrimonial bed at all costs. Stephnie was like every man’s woman, she thought, and if Stephnie had said she was jealous, then she was right, she thought once more as she licked her wet lips angrily. She walked up to a chair and sat down quietly. She knew she had offended Stephnie, but knew she had only saved her from sexual harassment from her husband, Felix, who can’t stop screwing women, whether single or married.
A few minutes later, Stephnie was back on the street.
She knew she got to do something fast before nightfall. She placed her right hand on her forehead, she felt so depressed.
The words of Donnie were still fresh in her mind. It hurt badly, she couldn’t get it out, and she wondered why Donnie had permitted jealousy to engulf her heart, and again what made her think her husband could be seduced by her. She nodded her head sadly as if trying to let Donnie’s words out of her mind, but they kept on rushing in and out.
Terry was tired now.
He was getting all the more worked up by their constant trekking, and Stephnie never acted until a few minutes later. She carried him up to her arm. She started walking along the street with her mind still busy. She was about to cross over when suddenly the thought of Janny came into her mind. She remembered, Janny. It will cost her $20 to get to her house, and that means, she will be left with $50.
She considered calling her, but only to discover she had no credit on her cell phone. She hissed in frustration.
What if she didn’t meet her at home?
What if she had traveled or she’s on vacation?
These questioning thoughts flooded her mind and made her all the more hopeless. She stood by the roadside for a while and much later, reluctantly decided to give it a try.
She stopped a taxi, and seconds later was on her way to Janny’s house. The driver drove for about an hour, and eventually stopped at Janny’s house, which was just a stone's throw from the tarred road.
Stephnie came down and helped Terry out of the taxi not forgetting her load. She dragged it out consciously, but with signs of weakness.
She paid the driver and started for Janny Hilton’s residence, and as she walked towards the house, she prayed silently within her heart to meet her at home.
Soon, she was by the door.
She rang the doorbell and waited patiently.
This time, her patient was almost eaten up by nervousness, and she couldn’t stop the anxiety that was creeping between her legs to her hands.
Donnie had been a disgrace to her, she only wished Janny wouldn’t. She rang the bell again and breathed deeply only to release it when she heard footsteps walking towards the door from within. She held her peace and waited.
Janny opened the door freely, “oh, it is you. I didn’t know you were coming, Donnie spoke about you.” She looked surprised.
Stephnie started wondering what Donnie said about her.
Could it be she knew she would come here after she had asked her out of her house?
Or was she going about spoiling her name, she reflected.
Stephnie was surprised, but tried hard not to make it show on her face, “oh, I see, and what did she say about me if I may ask?”
Janny waved her in, “please come in. Yes, of course, she told me many things, and that makes me afraid to have you around. She got me scared you know. I guess I’m taking a big risk letting you in. Well, for old-time sake. I may just ignore a little bit of what she said about you!” she smiled.
Stephnie developed an instant headache. She held her left hand to her head. She tried so hard to control her emotion. She knew Donnie had been working on Janny to get her mind corrupted toward her. She had certainly played the witch she had gradually metamorphosed into these few days, she thought miserably.
She cleared her throat carefully as she looked at Janny more closely, “I’m afraid Donnie knows nothing about me, and what exactly has been going on around me. Let’s face it; it is my life we are talking about here. I can’t certainly have killed Mike, my husband. That certainly must have been the most foolish thing to do. Yes, I agree few women may want to do that for reasons best known to them, but not me, Janny. I can’t even think of it. Mike was a lovely husband, and you know it, so why should I ever think of hurting him? Can’t you see Donnie is lying? I was at her house a few minutes ago, she asked me out and even told me I never allowed her to have Mike, and that she had always wanted him, but I had been an obstacle to her. I had no idea, she was a flirt. She called me names, can you imagine that? She even dared to call me a whore and a seducer. It wasn’t funny Janny, these were what she said, and my ears still find it so hard to believe all of it.” Her eyes were clouded with tears now.
Janny Hilton opened her eyes wide, she was shocked. She quickly adjusted herself on her chair and asked calmly, “are you sure of what you are saying, Stephnie? Did she say she wanted Mike?” Janny was shocked. She couldn’t believe what she heard.
It was evident Donnie had planted a seed of hate into the heart of Janny against her, and that Janny had not accepted it completely.