NOT GUILTY?

Love

A break doesn't have to last a long time, but a day or two was necessary. I needed to allow myself to understand what'd just happened, how I'd plan to deal with it in the near future and how I'd respond to the people who'd ask me how I was doing.

Death is a difficult concept to digest for everyone.

Incomprehensible even.

One minute they are there, the next they are not.

Shock and numbness are just as expected as sadness.

It was going to be incredibly challenging to get my head around the idea that I will never see my grandmother again but she wouldn't want me to cry the whole day and do nothing about her death.

I had to be strong for my sake and for my sister.

*******************

'You have to eat Karen. It's been days now,' said Craig.

He had been helpful lately and was able to help me with the funeral arrangements, the burial and so was Nick.

'Are you that worried about me?'

'More than you can imagine. I didn't even go to work.'

'But I didn't force you to stay. Why are you helping me? What do you want in return?'

'I want nothing from you Karen. Why do you think so badly of me? I am trying so hard to make you feel comfortable in my house but you just assume the worst out of me.'

I didn't respond, he was right, I was being too harsh on him and I didn't know why. He didn't deserve the bad treatment after all he was trying to help.

'I will leave. See you later at night. Amina will take care of you.'

I tried to open my mouth to say something but he had already closed the door. I felt guilty for disrespecting him.

I spent the whole day in my room and Amina didn't even come to my room.

I wasn't even familiar with the house and didn't have my stick with me.

I was really pressed and wanted to use the toilet. Times like these ones, I really wish my grandmother was here with me.

I got up from the bed and listened to the sound of the radio but couldn't quiet figure out where the door was.

I kept bumping my head on the wall.

The sound didn't build an image in my mind.

When I finally got hold of the door handle, I tried opening it but it was locked from outside. I banged the door crying out for help but there was no response. I was scared and nervous.

I thought of many things.

What if Craig was the one of the people who had tried to hurt me?

I couldn't control my emotions and peered on the floor. I sat down and began to call out my grandma for help. I missed her. She should have been here helping me clean up the mess that I had made. The most embarrassing part, I had started my periods and felt it that I spoiled my dress.

Minutes and hours passed as I slept on the floor with a period pain.

I finally heard the door being opened and I don't know what time it was.

'Karen, what are you doing on the floor? I am so sorry.'

He lifted me up as tears streamed down on my face. He must have walked with me to the toilet.

'Bath me,' I said to him, 'the period pain is killing me.'

'Are you sure?'

'It's just you and me in this house,' I sniffed, 'my grandma and Kate used to help me out.'

He didn't respond but helped me removed my clothes. No man had never seen me naked

before but what was I suppose to do? My grandma or Kate were not here with me. They could have helped me.

'Do you have pads?'

'Surprisingly, I bought some for you,' he said wiping me.

'You guessed?'

'I guess so. I used to live with my sister in UK.'

He wrapped the towel around my body and lifted me up. He made me sit on the bed and applied lotion on my body. I felt embarrassed but he was doing all of this with no comment.

'I will prepare you something to eat."

'I am sorry for spoiling your sheets.'

'It's my fault. I shouldn't have trusted Amina. She looked the door and left. She stole my money as well.'

'If only I could see,' I wiped away the tear

'Don't say that love. I am here for you. I will never leave you Karen. You must be hungry. Come with me to the kitchen,' he got hold of my hand.

We walked downstairs. He pulled the chair for me and helped me sit on it. I could smell the delicious meal he was preparing.

'I didn't know you were a chef.'

'I am not,' he laughed 'do you want to taste my soup?'

'Only if it's not hot.'

'I wouldn't be that cruel to you. How is the pain now?'

'I think the Indocin pill helped. I am feeling better now and thank you. You should give me the bed sheets I wash them. I will also clean the room.'

'You don't need to worry. I will take care of it. I want you to take some rest.'

He wasn't that bad after all.

He made me laugh a lot with his crazy jokes while he was cooking.

I offered to help but he insisted I sit on the chair and be treated like a princess. He finished cooking and took me to the dining room. He played soft music as we ate.

'You know I have got hands,' I said as he was feeding me.

'I want to feed you.'

'Is Nick not coming in today?'

'He is staying at his house. It's just you and me in the house. Trust me I won't hurt you.'

'I know you won't and I am sorry for always being rude to you.'

'You know I even thought that was your character.'

'I am sorry. Can I have some water?'

He helped me drink the water.

I laughed.

'The food was delicious. You are such a good cook and I am jealous. I am a bad cook.'

'I will help you if you tell me more about yourself. We are living together now and so I need to know you.'

'There is nothing exciting to know about me. I am the most boring person who ever lived on earth. I love reading..well of cause using my hands. Sometimes my sister used to read for me.

I love going to church and playing with the sunday school kids. I was currently enrolled at a teachers college but I have decided to study law.'

'Interesting but why study law? Did I tell you that I was a lawyer by profession?'

'First day, you did. I want to get my sister out of prison. She was arrested for murder and she is not guilty. Maybe she is kinda guilty for sleeping with a married man but she didn't know that he was married. I suspect that the wife might have found out about it and killed her own husband framing my sister in the process.'

'You think she followed her husband?'

'I don't think so but the fact that she had hired someone to follow him. He was a womanizer but the fact that he had loved my sister and even bought her an apartment. This should have made the wife angry and jealous.

He got serious with my sister than the other girls. The husband might have left home that day and she wanted to confront him.

A woman in her right state of mind, should have walked away but I think he said something that pissed her off. She lost control and after grabbing the knife at the kitchen, she stabbed him several times. If my sister had stabbed him, she should have had scars on her body. Maybe they had had a fight but she had none, meaning they never had a fight with Jason,' I paused,

'So after stabbing her husband wearing gloves, she knocks my sister down on the floor and make her hold the knife.

Already the knife have got her fingerprints because she uses it in the kitchen.

The wife walks out of the house and calls the police pretending to be the neighbor that heard noise. My sister wakes up next to the dead body holding the knife and the police badge in the house and found her holding it.'

'Tell me more.'

'I did some investigations.

The neighbors were not around that night.'

'Meaning?'

'Meaning someone who was present at the scene might have tipped off the police. Jason's gateman at his house is the eye witness who saw the wife driving out of the compound.'

'Wow!'

'What?'

'I mean you so intelligent that I envy you. I am a lawyer but you easily solved the puzzle. You think the wife wants you dead?'

'This is not about my sister anymore.

I think Jason left something for my sister in his will.

Think about it, Rita invested a lot in their marriage.

If he was stupid enough to add my sister in his will, then he placed my life in danger. You know about wills.'

'Yes when reading the will, all members should be present. If your sister's name appeared in that will then you should have been there. Your absence means they can't read the will.'

'Then I should die in order for her to inherit everything. Kate what have you done?'

'I have been listening to you right now and I think you will be a good lawyer. I will help you but this will be my first case.'

'Your first case?'

'I will help you. Do you trust me?'

'Well....'

'We need more evidence and witnesses.'

'She is set to appear in court after 2 months.'

'Why so?'

'I don't know, new law I guess.'

We talked for a while until I decided that I needed to get some rest.

I was actually scared to sleep alone after grandma died. I wasn't even at the funeral. I wondered how my sister was holding up. I needed to pay her a visit, Nick might have told her about granny.

I shyly asked Craig to come sleep in the room with me. The guy might have thought that I was throwing myself at him. He didn't say no but let me sleep on his chest. I slept well that night and didn't have any nightmares.

I woke up the following day and Craig wasn't on the bed.

I screamed out his name in tears.

What if they had killed him?

'Karen, what's wrong?'

'Why didn't you wake me up?' I cried.

'You were sleeping.'

'I thought I had lost you.'

'Don't cry,' he wiped my tears and hugged me. 'I am sorry, I was preparing you some breakfast.'

'I don't want to lose you. What if they hurt you? I have placed your life in danger now.'

'You my blind girl worry a lot. No one will hurt you or me. I am your bodyguard now.'

He kissed me on the forehead.

I have grown fond of him lately. I went to take a bath and he walked with me downstairs to have breakfast.

We were having breakfast when a knock came at the door.

'Let me get that.'

I continued eating when I heard him say,

'Mum, what are you doing here?'

'Are you going to let me in or what?'

My heart beat at an increasingly rapid race.

'What was his mother doing at his house?'

'And who is this lovely lady?' I heard her ask.

'Her name is Karen and she is my fiancée.'

'Is she blind?'

'Mum!'

'No!'

'What?'

'You are in love with a blind girl?'

'Mum I love her and...,' he sounded so defensive but was cut short.

'No, I am happy for you,' she cut him.

'What?' he exclaimed in surprise.

'You thought I was going to disapprove.'

'But I am not his f...' his mum didn't allow me finish my sentence.

'She is so beautiful,' she held my hand and I could smell her scent.

'when are you getting married?'

'Getting married?!' we exclaimed in unison.

************************

Hello lovely readers

was this nice?

what do you think?

kindly leave your comments and suggestions

*much love*