The Open Road

Chapter 6

Flashback

Bob

"Okay so you are sure? A hundred percent?" 

I stifled a laugh as I pretended to be serious about our current situation. Sue, my fiancée, had woken up with an outrageous idea. Apparently it had just dawned on her today that she had always wanted a tattoo. The most absurd part is that she wanted the tattoo to be my name.

"You know I can see the laugh lines on your forehead right? And yes for the umpteenth time, I want a freaking tattoo!" 

I felt my lips tug upwards at her determination. I scarcely wondered if it was possible to feel this much love for one person. We were currently in our enormous bedroom in our flat at Kileleshwa. Sue had grown weary of kneeling on the bed and pouting her mouth; now she was pacing about, flailing her arms and frothing at the mouth. She was throwing a fit against me fighting her idea. 

It was my birthday today and although she insisted that her decision had not been influenced by the occasion, I was pretty sure it had. Last year, I had gotten a tattoo of her name on my upper right arm and she has been ogling at it ever since. Despite her admiration, however, she had never brought the subject of tattooing herself up.

Sue was terrified of needles, she was even more terrified of seeming weak.

"Let's be reasonable. You know your mother hates tattoos, right? And that she notices anything out of the ordinary? I don't want her denying me my bride before I get her you know."

I yanked the covers off me and planted my feet on the floor. Sue was barely looking at me, she was too busy concocting another argument. Her beautiful face was red with frustration, her full chest was heaving in anger. Deciding to be bold, I ambled towards her. She stiffened when she felt my presence behind her. I proceeded to dip my fingers in her hair. She loved it when I untangled the stubborn knots in her unruly hair. Usually this action instantly calmed her. It seemed that today the action only pissed her off further.

"My body my choice, I'm getting a tattoo whether you like it or not!"

Susan was hot-headed in every aspect of the word and this attribute was even worse when she didn't get her way. She huffed in annoyance and pulled away from my magical energy (as she fondly refers to it). Defeated, I slapped my hands against my hips and wracked my brain for my next move.

Now, what was it the bird from the animation Rio usually says? Ah, yes.

Happy wife happy life.

"Fine, you’ll get your tattoo under three conditions. No whining, no yelling from your mother and kisses on command."

I watched as the angry lines on her forehead disappeared and a mind blowing, gorgeous smile formed on her lips. Years ago I had instantly fallen in love with that smile. What followed after my announcement was a flurry of giddy actions. I amusedly stared at Sue as she ran towards the bed, climbed it and jumped on it successively. I made a mental note to buy her a trampoline for her birthday.

Exhausted, Sue proceeded to clamber off the bed and head towards the telephone. She probably wanted to tell Marie that she was going to get a tattoo. If you thought Sue was calculating, you should meet her sister; the girl had a notorious reputation of conning anyone she deemed as a target. I sighed, the conversation would go on forever. Dragging my feet towards the bed, I began picturing Sue’s tattoo. A smile played on my lips, that tattoo was binding. It meant she would remember me for the rest of our lives. My phone blasted into life with an unknown caller ID showing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Mr. Obare? I am afraid I have bad news for you..."

A pit of worry began burrowing itself in my stomach as dread constricted my chest.

“I am sorry, your father is dead…”

End of flashback

"Sue?" 

That woman had hit me so hard I was afraid one of my ligaments had torn itself, but what had I really expected? This was Sue! Hot-headed Sue. I winced in pain as I struggled to steady myself against the wall. 

Five years, five years since the police had barged into my flat and ripped me from my life. Five years since I heard Sue's angelic voice. Five years since I held her in my arms.

"I see you still hit like a man."

I hoped to break the ice with the sentiment, maybe I could even get her to smile. God knows I had missed her smile. That smile which always made me heartbeat accelerate.

"I see you still whine like a girl."

I leveled my eyes with hers as I limped towards her. Upon reaching her vicinity, she embraced me. I felt rejuvenated, ecstatic even. I embraced her, squeezing her with the same amount of energy she was giving to our hug. 

I had missed her so much. 

We pulled away from each other, both of us full of questions yet none of us wanting to ruin this moment by speaking. I held her face delicately in my hands as she did the same to mine. That was when I saw it. She had attempted to hide it under a ridiculous amount of make up but it was still visible. A big purple bruise covered half of Sue's face running all the way from her left eye up to her cheek. I instantly deduced that Darren had done this. 

I would kill that bastard the minute I laid my eyes on him. How could he hit a woman, especially Sue? How could he hit my Sue?

"I know what you are thinking Bob but now is not the time. Prove your innocence first-"

A shrill ringtone emanated from Sue's cellphone cutting her off. Darren was calling her.

"Hello? What? Slow down. Okay I'm on my way. Yes Darren I’m coming…”

Sue's face paled as she began pulling away from me. Whatever Darren had told her had alarmed her, deeply.

"Talk to me Sue, what’s the matter? What did Darren tell you? Is threatening you?”

"No no Bob. It’s Kimberly, she’s having an attack, she is epileptic."