(Continued from last issue)
David and Diane have been married for years; then there is Julie, the young secretary whose axis collides with the couple’s in ways none of them saw coming.
DAVID
From the severity of Diane’s injuries, I had already gathered that the accident had been serious, but I had not realized just how serious it was until I got to the police station and saw Diane’s car.
It was a wreck, and a miracle she had gotten out of it alive! Thankfully, because the other driver had been in a truck, the OC informed me that he had not been seriously injured, but was still seeking compensation for the damage to his truck, as well as for the earnings he would lose while it was being repaired.
I was certain both figures were vastly exaggerated, but since Diane had been at fault, I was in no position to argue and grudgingly agreed to pay what he was asking.
With that out of the way, the OC then made his own demands in order to close the file, and not forward it for prosecution; and once again, I had no choice but to meet those as well.
By the time I drove out of the station a few hours later, my bank account was a few million shillings lighter, and I was not feeling as gracious towards Diane as I had been earlier, especially since I now knew she was going to be fine, and I no longer had the fear of losing her to contend with.
If anything, I was actually really irritated at how much trouble she had caused, and how much her carelessness had just cost me, and with the way I was feeling, I decided to head to the apartment rather than back to the hospital.
Now that I had settled Diane’s mess and still had the rest of the day off work, I might as well take the opportunity to settle my issues with Julie as well.
JULIE
While the news that Diane had been in a bad accident caught me totally off-guard, once the initial shock had worn off, the sense of karma it brought was totally exhilarating.
Although I had never been able to prove it, I was certain it was her who had poisoned me while I was pregnant with Junior, nearly costing both of us our lives, and ironically, it was that stunt of hers that had led to me to meeting Kenneth, when I was admitted at the hospital.
Now, not only was she admitted at the same hospital, but she was also being treated by Kenneth, who because of the meeting that she had unwittingly engineered, was her husband’s archrival, as well as her rival’s (my) true love.
“How badly hurt was she?” I asked curiously.
“Ever heard of doctor-patient confidentiality? I can’t discuss her condition with you,” Kenneth answered dismissively.
“Oh, come on! You can’t drop such a bombshell, and not give me any details!” I protested.
“Did you come to talk about us, or my patient? Her medical records are privileged information; so, if that’s what you’re interested in, you might as well leave now,” he answered coldly, his tone growing irritated.
For a few seconds, I did not respond as I looked for some indication that if I pushed a little harder, he might cave in and give me a few more details, but his gaze was cold and unwavering, and I sighed in a mixture of defeat and frustration, then raised my hands in mock surrender.
“Fine, let’s talk about us; can we sit down?” I asked, my tone conciliatory.
Visibly still irritated, Kenneth shrugged and indicated the couch.
“Sure, have a seat.” He waited till I had sat down, before sitting down too, and then went on: “You wanted to talk; so, go ahead, I’m listening.”
DIANE
With David gone, there was no longer a buffer between my parents and I, and they immediately closed in.
“What happened? Didn’t you see the truck?” my father asked in confusion. “No, I didn’t; it looks like I’m as bad a driver as I am a wife,” I answered sarcastically, in obvious reference to the argument we had had just before I left their house the previous night.
An awkward silence followed my pointed remark, and ever the peacemaker, my mother quickly tried to break it.
“Accidents can happen to anyone; we just thank God that you survived,” she said honestly, her tone soft and placating.
It was the perfect opportunity for me to drop it, but I didn’t; I was in pain and desperate to lash out at anyone, and since I privately blamed my parents for the accident, they were the most logical target.
“True, accidents can happen to anyone, but they’re more likely to do so to someone whose parents gave them an earful about what a terrible wife they are right before they got behind the wheel,” I answered cruelly.
While my mother was by nature the peacemaker, my father, on the other hand, was not having any of it.
“I won’t let you blame your mother or me for the accident; if you were too distraught to drive, you never should have gotten behind the wheel! That was your decision, not ours; so, it’s all on you! In any case, I stand by everything we said yesterday; it might have been difficult to hear, but it was the truth, and if your parents can’t tell you the truth, then who can?” he argued angrily.
As usual he was right, but I was not about to admit that and let go of my anger, whether or not it was justified, and so in response, I simply snorted and turned my back to him and my mother.
margaretwamanga@yahoo.com
Source: The Observer
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