TASTELESS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MERCY; things have escalated. I will tell you. I can't stay here anymore. See you at 4 pm.

KAYLA; Okay

Kayla puts aside the phone and continues to work.

****

Orori is walking back home from the local market when he meets Naomi, who is dressed to teeth.

"Have you decided to follow your friend in the City?" Orori asks.

"No, I'm going to church. How is Kayla?" Naomi responds while smiling.

"She is good, we talked this morning and she said that she moved to her place. You can now visit her in the city. I am sure she misses you people." Orori says.

"That is great, we will visit her soon," Naomi says and continues walking. Orori seems stuck by Naomi's beauty, or maybe her way of dressing.

'If she is going to church, she could have dressed modestly. Nowadays these children cannot be understood.' he says and continues walking back home. He is right. Gone are the days when ladies used to wear ground-touching robes. Then, it was taboo to show up in church with funny-looking clothes.

'but nowadays, no one cares, interesting. Very interesting.' he tells himself. Orori is happy now that his daughter is leaving on her own. That is what he wanted.

'She is out of danger.' he says to himself and enters the gate. His wife is busy sewing a kyondo while seated on a flat stone. Kayla's mom is very good at making beautiful kyondos. She has been making them for the past 17 years and selling them to neighbors.

"Have you heard about Yoana?" She asks her husband.

"No, what about him?" Orori responds. Yoana is a pastor to a church in the local market. His popularity, however, rose when two of the congregation got 'healed' from an incurable disease. News spread like a bushfire through the entire village that Yoana is a miracle performing prophet. Since then, people started shifting from their churches and joined the now popular ministry of Yoana. If it were not for his wife though, Orori could have joined Yoana. He is a man of little faith and chooses the most followed path.

"He is in police custody." Orori's wife says.

"What has he done?" Orori asks.

"He has been accused of money laundering and deception. I told you." His wife responds. It started when one desperate person from a distant village complained that Yoana's 'powers' were defunct and demanded a refund after his situation failed to change. The person's marriage had failed to work, but Yoana promised that everything would be back to normal after getting a payment of 1000 USD. Three months later, the situation had worsened to the extent that the person's wife had filed a divorce case. After the divorce process was over, the person went back to Yoana and demanded a refund. An argument ensued thereafter and Yoana was reported to the local authorities. Police showed up for questioning, but his arrogance had him arrested.

"I am not amused, I saw it coming," Orori says. His wife looks at him and laughs.

"You saw it coming, yet I am the one who stopped you from joining them?" She says amidst laughter. Orori looks at her and also laughs.

******

"Are you busy this weekend?" Andrew asks Kayla while they are walking downstairs after the job.

"No, why?" Kayla responds.

"I needed to have a date with you," Andrew replies.

"A date? That was fast." Kayla responds. She was expecting this from Andrew.

"Yes, I need to spend more time with you," Andrew says.

"More time with me?" Kayla asks. She is pretending to not understand what Andrew means.

"Kayla! I have been admiring you. The last few days you have made my life at work easy and enjoyable. You are such a wonderful person, and I like you a lot." Andrew says. Kayla pauses and looks at him.

"Are you sure of what you are saying? Or you are just flirting and trying to play with me?" Kayla asks again.

"Kalee, we are all grown-ups here, we don't have time for jokes and games. This is one hundred percent sure. I mean it." Andrew replies while looking directly into Kayla's eyes. She looks back. They stare at each other and Kayla notices the glow in Andrew's eyes. He has big brown eyes which blend so well with his handsome face.

"Are you married?" Kayla asks.

"I am not married Kalee," Andrew says.

"I can't believe you," Kayla replies. How can he be single? He looks old enough to have a family.

"I am single, trust me," Andrew says and unlocks his car using the remote key.

"I will think about it," Kayla says. She does not want to sound rude, given the fact that Andrew gave her money. One thing with being helped by someone, especially if you are a lady, is that you somehow become vulnerable and unable to resist advances.

"It's okay, do you need a lift?" Andrew asks while diverting to the parking towards his car.

"No, I am good," Kayla replies. She and Mercy had agreed to meet after work.

"Okay, see you tomorrow then, waiting to hear from you about my request," Andrew says and gets into his car.

'He is not a bad guy anyway,' Kayla says to herself.

****

"Thank you so much," Mercy says after meeting Kayla later that evening. She is with little Vincent, who looks sad and quiet.

"Are you sure Joe will not find out that I am hosting you?" Kayla asks.

"Yes I am sure, he won't know. Let him handle his issues alone, I am not ready to lose my child because of material things." Mercy says as they walk to Kayla's house.

"What about your car?" Kayla asks.

"That car was not mine. He bought it for me. And it is not even the car alone, I can't withdraw money from my bank. I've got a lot of money there but the white bastard said that we would not have access to the money until Joe fulfills the required conditions." Mercy explains.

"And the conditions are divorcing you or killing Vincent, right?" Kayla responds quietly. They have entered Kayla's plot

"Yeah, this house is beautiful," Mercy says after entering.

"Yeah, I am glad. Feel at home here. I hope everything will be okay for you." Kayla replies.

"I hope so too." Mercy responds with a sarcastic tone. Kayla notices it and looks at Mercy. She immediately remembers yesterday's dream.

"Bytheway, why couldn't you find your own house?" Kayla asks.

"Really? But I didn't have money. I can't access my bank account." Mercy answers.

'Let me just understand her.' Kayla tells herself.

"It's okay, we are going to stay here until you find your place," Kayla responds.

Later that evening, while they prepared to sleep, a message notification popped up on Kayla's phone. It was almost eleven at night and Kayla never expected people to chat with her that late. On inputting the screen password, she notices that the message is from Andrew.

ANDREW; Who are you with? Something is not right.

"A few minutes please." Kayla excuses herself and goes to the washroom to reply to the message.

KAYLA; What do you mean?

ANDREW; I know this is not right to do, but I have just seen a vehicle parking outside your plot. The car is familiar.

'How do you know my plot, Andrew?' Kayla asks herself, but this is not the time to ask questions.

"Whose car?" She asks Andrew.

"It is Joe's"...