Returning home her thoughts were still occupied with the discovery of her sister, she was brought to see a different perspective, perhaps her sister wasn't as innocent as she thought nor the victim as she said it to be. A hard slap flushed all possibilities, no matter what she wasn't allowed to think ill about her sister. Come good or bad that was her twin sister and deserved to be trusted.
Moreover, she shouldn't let the devil Kamara get to her head,
Yes him, it is probably his doing. She said through a wary smile.
"Lisa," she called out, softly pushing on the door. Her feet led through as she scanned for her little princess, who seemed to be nowhere. "Lisa" again her voice came out relaxed, snail she walked towards the running tapmyhat caught her attention from the bathroom.
Focused she knocked at the door thinking Lisa was inside only to have her tiptoed behind the door with mischievous eyes and a playful grin. Her small hands gripped the edge of the door, her tiny fingers peeking around as she peeked out, staring at Kenita's knock on the door.
Lisa quickly pressed her hands on her lips suppressing a giggle, her excitement barely contained as she readied herself. With a quick, silent breath, she sprang out from behind the door, her arms flung wide. "Boo!" she shouted, her voice ringing out with glee.
Kenita jumped, her heart skipping a beat as she let out a startled gasp, her hand flying to her chest. The sudden jolt of surprise gave way almost instantly to a burst of laughter, the tension melting into warmth as she saw Lisa's beaming face.
"Oh, you little rascal!" she exclaimed, shaking her head with a smile, her eyes twinkled as she bent down to scoop the giggling girl into her arms. Lisa squealed with delight, wrapping her arms around Kenita's neck, the success of her playful prank evident in her wide, sparkling eyes.
"Did I get you, Mommy?" she asked, her voice full of innocent triumph.
"You sure did," Kenita replied, still chuckling as she hugged her close. "You got me good," she said. Her mind was at ease, with Lisa all her troubles seemed to vanish in thin air, and her world was in perfect shape in the girl's presence.
"Can you read me a bedtime story?" her voice poured out angelically, "Dad always reads me a bedtime story but he has been busy this day"
"Of course" There was no way She was going to say no to her bright eyes and pouted lips that dissolved every hard feeling in her. In a few seconds, Lisa handed Kenita a book from the bookshelf in her room, her body quickly hopped onto the bed on Keita's tap and gestured.
With a quick stare at the book cover which detailed the title of The Princess and the Frog, she began reading the story to her. Each word and sentence created a scene of warmth and tenderness. As she furthered Lisa nestled close, as she laid her head against Kenitas arms.
Kenita's voice was soft and soothing, with a gentle rhythm that rose and fell with the story. Her eyes were focused on the book, but there was a serene smile on her face as she read, fully engaged in the moment. The room was dimly lit, casting a warm glow that added to the peaceful atmosphere. Lisa listened intently, her eyes growing heavy as she relaxed into the comfort of her new mother's voice and the magic of the story.
"Dad" Her eyes trailed off to the door, where her father stood with eyes bewildered at the scene. His presence had been long but stayed silent so as not to ruin the moment nor interrupt the storyteller.
"Hey princess" he gently called as he walked into the room, his eyes grasped Kenita's fierce glares.
"Mom is reading me a bedtime story, you should join too" she exclaimed with a tap on t huh the other side of the bed, instructing that hopped into the bed. With no room to protest, he got on the bed.
"You should hold Mom's hand" she playfully said with a giggle that left a smile on both their faces, but just as his gaze fell on Kenuta it was met with a stone look that dared him to try it and he would soon be six feet beneath.
With minutes by Lisa's eyes slowly shut down after a deep yawn, her hands stretched in the grasp of both parents who had to wait till she was done off. In a short time, Kenita's body feebly climbed down the bed, followed by Kamara.
"Thank you for putting her to bed," he said as he tugged Lisa's hand under the blanket, his eyes warmly staring at his little girl resting. His heart was filled with joy, as it had been long since his daughter had a peaceful night like that and his repeated absence and busy schedule had him away from her.
"You don't need to thank me, she's my daughter as well" Kenita cut out with a snub. She was in no mood to have a nice conversation with him, the man was her enemy.
"Still I want to thank you". The room suddenly filled with an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the ticking of a clock on the wall. His eyes, normally steady and confident, were downcast, filled with uncertainty.
"Good night then," Kenita said evading his gaze that was attracting her, her feet hurriedly walked through the door, not wanting any more awkward moments. She was still to prove he was the culprit and getting close with him would do her more harm.
"Kemidia" Her feet froze, a sudden chill sprinting through her veins as she twirled to look at Kamara, whose voice had stopped her halfway. Her head was still in a dilemma as it was the first in the last weeks together that he had her call by her name, well her sister's name.
"Umm," his lips stalled through "I, well, umm" he scattered through, his brain in confusion on where to begin or how to construct his words. His hands, large and calloused, hung limply at his sides as if they no longer knew what to do.
Kenita stood on her edge as she looked at the man unsure of himself, her thoughts ran through on what he must be thinking or best plotting. Why was he in such a state? he wasn't a dull type nor an introvert so why was he in such an 'I don't know what to do' state?
"Do you need anything?" she asked a little bit concern
He took a hesitant step forward, his voice low and strained. "I'm so sorry," he said, the words caught in his throat. "I… I shouldna have lay my hands on you, am deeply sorry"
Silence filled her mind as she tried to process what was happening. Why the sudden apology? was he playing her?
Yes, it must be, it was his way of getting her to weaken her guard. Damn, he's one devil at mind games, she said through the walls of her brain.
He swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his actions like a stone in his chest. "I lost control," he continued, his voice shaken and hesitant. "I never meant to hurt you. I never should have…"
His words trailed off, unable to capture the depth of his remorse. That night he was just so angry that he could not contain his rage and he was aware his actions weren't justified but he hoped to make it right to her.
Fine, if it game he wanted then she was going to give him one. She would gladly play along with him, a flat scoff escaped her lips as she set on her most hurtful looks "You can't just say sorry and expect everything to be okay," she softly poured out while she masked her voice wavering. "It's not that simple." she continued.
"I know," he nodded, "Since everything has been settled, I want us to start over, let's leave the past behind" he genuinely proposed, the constant fights and negative media attention were doing good to him and the best to his plan was peace. He knew she wished him bad and likely suspected him as the one who planned the attack on her but he didn't mind, for as long his image was cleaned and positioned in his grasp.
"Start over" A corny rage lingered in her voice, and her fingers crunched in a hard fist tempted to punch the pretense off.
He got some nerves, standing in front of her talking about peace and a fresh start. She was no fool to fall into his trap, there would be no fresh start till her sister's murderer was caught.
"Good night" giving him no more than those words, she turned on her slippers, leaving him staring at her as she walked to her room.
Perhaps he was not all faking it, maybe he seeks peace as well. He desired a fresh start where he was to be a good husband, he wanted to bring back their old family back. Though it was hard he planned on it and the only way to a fresh start was never to let the truth come out, he needed to bury the past mistakes.
Kenita woke up to the sharp, insistent buzzing of her phone, dragging her from a restless sleep. Her heart halted before she even opened her eyes, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach warned her that something was wrong. The soft, early morning light filtered through the curtains, but it did little to calm the unease that quickly flooded her senses.
Her mind was still on Beth's words, what did she mean by 'she is going to gift her?
Forget it, she isn't worth it' she cautioned herself as she led her body to the bathroom. She is a crazy woman and should not pay attention to her, Kenita continuously eased herself from Beth's crazy text from last night.
She had no time to waste on her, at hand was to take Lisa to school and prepare for the day.
"Lisa" her voice rang through the walls of Lisa's room. Out she came all dressed in the blue checked uniform that was styled in a plated round skirt. The color was a good match to her sucks.
"I'm all dressed" she proudly informed getting her black bag on one shoulder.
"Of course you're sweetheart" she cupped her cheeks before fixing her hair in two braids that outlined her small face and concealed her broad forehead.
"Shall we" With Lisa's hand in her grasp, they walked out in meet of the driver that had been on their wait. As claimed by Kamara, it was rather safer to have her driven by a skilled driver than to hire cabs, yet she sensed he did that to spy on her.
With a twenty-minute smooth drive, they were at Lisa's school. "Okay were here" She glanced over at Lisa, who gave a soft smile on her face, a mix of reassurance and a touch of wistfulness. She clutched her backpack and seemed both excited and a little nervous, ready to face the day but still appreciating the comfort of her Kenita's presence.
"Have a great day at school" She leaned in and gave Lisa a quick hug, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and whispered some final words of encouragement. Her voice is warm and steady, masking the subtle ache of letting go, even for just a few hours.
As Lisa opened the door and stepped out, she followed with her bottle which she had left in the car.
"Lisa, your water bottle"
Lisa returned her steps with a chuckle, she grabbed the bottle and gave a brief wave to which Kenita returned the gesture, her smile bright but with a hint of lingering concern. She watched until Lisa disappeared into the building, then took a deep breath, letting go of the moment.
She was a proud mama bear.
And as that, her legs were on the return to the car when all of a sudden, the calm air erupted into chaos. Her breath hitched as she felt a presence looming behind her, but before she could react, a hand grabbed her hair with unexpected force. Her body tensed in shock, and her heart raced as a shiver surged through her veins.
Her mind scrambled for clarity, instincts kicking in as she struggled against the woman holding her. The world around her narrowed to the sensation of the attack—the quick, jerking motions of her body trying to break free, the sharp sounds of a struggle, and her breath coming in panicked gasps.
"You home wrecker, how dare you show your face" the woman against her neck scolded, her in her thirties threw fingers at her, causing sharp pains on her neck.
"Let go of me you lunatic" Her hands desperately ragged the woman's hands off her body. Her eyes raged at the unfamiliar face.
"I'm the lunatic?" the woman scoffed as she set her knuckles into hard fists "You are a home wrecker, a slut that destroys others' families" her voice screamed out in fury, attracting the attention of others.
"I don't know you, how am I a homewrecker" Kenita's voice barely held her displease to the woman's accusations. She could never hurt others less said be a home wrecker, what nonsense was she babbling?
"Go on act, act all you want but I know who you truly are. You slept with my husband" the woman shouted, gritting her teeth as she glared at Kenita. A surge of fury sprinted through her veins as she recalled her husband in her hands, the urge to rip off her face which she used to seduce her husband.
"I honestly don't know who you are" Kenita scolded tirelessly, her hands rubbing through her face as she grasped the whispers of bystanders.
'Goodness,' what was happening?
Wanting to have less to deal with her, she turned and headed for the car. Just as she was pulling the car handle, her feet suddenly lost control, and her eyes widened in sheer panic. The ground below seemed to fall away into a dark abyss. With a sudden, desperate lurch, her body felt weightless as it headed for the rough ground. But before she could plunge into the void, a strong hand grasped her waist and pulled her into his protective embrace, her breath came in shaky gasps as she looked up at him with a mix of gratitude and shock.
"You okay?" Kamara asked as he soothingly put her down, his eyes staring at her red eyes and bruised neck. "Don't worry sm here, I won't let anyone hurt you" he assured taking a stand in front of her.
" I did nothing wrong, you are aware of the slut she is" The woman's eyes were met with a darkened gaze from Kamara, his knuckles had hardened as well as his jaw that clenched. He would tolerate anything but have his wife being insulted, to him family was everything, and his wife's honor was a must to protect.
"Did you lay your hands on my wife?" he coldly asked as he stalked his feet forward,
"I, I" the lady stuttered while taking her step back. "She ruined my marriage"
"I don't care the fuel you have with my wife but when you caused her harm, you've messed with me. I'll make sure you don't only pay for it but you'll regret it as well" and he meant every word said.
"How funny, she cheated on you with several men and you defend her. Am sure the reason why you are here is because the news of her affairs is everywhere"
"Bullet, take her away" he ordered the man in a dark suit behind to take the woman away. Within an instant, her body was carried away reluctantly under the watch of others who dared not cross paths with Kamara. He was famous for getting back at those who defied or opposed him, so none dared offer aid to the woman.
"What was she talking about? How are you here?" Kenita asked, baffled at his sudden appearance. Wasn't he at the office?
"That's not of important, sm taking you to get treated" he evaded grappling her hands for the car but was held halfway, as she jerked off his grip on her.
"Who was that lady and what did she mean by being a homewrecker?" her voice nervously stormed out, her ears unsure if they wanted to hear the truth. Somehow she could tell words were meant for her sister, was she a home wrecker?
Did she cheat on her husband with several men?
"Trust me you don't want to know, just forget whatever you heard," he said brushing off any continuation of the conversation but she was relentless, her will for the truth was firmed than his urge to shield her from the past.
"I want to know, did I cheat on you with several men?"