Hush Hush

chapter 5

Being wrapped around in his arms was what I needed but it didn’t erase the satanic encounter I just had nor did it stop my heart from trying to break out of my ribcage.

"I'm scared. Please don't leave me alone," My voice corresponded with my feelings. My hands had gripped his shirt, and left it creased like a cow just spit him out . Fear had consumed me to my bottom.

"He was here… I saw him," I said, almost weary.

"Who? Who did you see my love," He tightened his arms around my waist like the belt he was wearing and pushed me softly from his chest to look at me.

"A man. A shadow, a ghost I don't know okay, " I rambled. I was too frightened to talk and too scared to understand what was happening. Our hands still clasped, I tried backing away, taking a step back but Paul tugged at me.

“Oh,” Paul said, dumbstruck by my words. Was that all he could afford me?

“Oh? Did you just say a lousy ‘Oh' Paul,”

My mind was wrapped in a fog, denying me access to reason. I looked around once more and indeed there was no one, it was just the two of us. But where did he go? Paul would have passed him on his way up. What would happen if decides to return? No! He can't find me here. We needed to leave this demonic flat.

"Rose I don't understand. You're talking in riddles. What exactly happened. Talk to me,"

My face and Paul’s back reflected on the mirror in the wall. My eyes felt heavy and looked shadowed. One blink away and back to the mirror, blood red words formed on the mirror, letter to letter. Word to word, in thick bold style ‘He has to die. He will die’

My heart stopped beating, and my breath stuck on my throat, no way in or out. My vision blurred as I tried pleading with my body to corporate.

“I… I can’t breathe,” My legs trembled, just as my hands did.

“Baby… My love listen to me. Close your eyes and breath,” he added “Damn it Lindiswa. Focus. Breath baby, breath. Slow measured breaths,”

His voice sounded distant, I couldn’t feel his touch even though his arms were tightly holding me from falling. What was happening to me?

I tried focusing to his voice, my lungs felt pumped up and refused to receive anymore oxygen. My breath came out in short panting as my chest heaved over and over.

“Yes, that’s it baby. You’re doing great,”

I Finally got the hang of it, but my body felt tired like I had been working Paul up the whole night.

“Come now, let’s get you to the couch,” He helped me up, gently holding me. One glance at the mirror, it was as clean and new as a virgin.

“They want you dead Paul. They are going to kill you. We have to leave,”

My mind darted back to what happened before Paul entered the house. That man wanted me to join them. But join them where and why? What could that be? I can’t lose him. I know I said 'till death do us apart' but that’s what the pastor said and I recited after him. We still have so much to do... I still had to bear children for him, try out the doggy style and travel the world. I was not going to let anything happen to my husband. I was going to temper with nature or demons should I have to, to save either of us.

I hated the look he gave me. I wasn't crazy. I knew what I saw, at least I thought so.

"What Ghost Lindiswa? " He asked holding my chin up to look at him in the eye. I had to protect him from evil.

"You can't die. I still need you. I love you," My hands only covered his cheeks. I needed him to see the seriousness of it.

"I'm seeing things beyond human comprehension Paul. A few minutes before you entered the house a man was here. Asking me to join them. More like commanding me to," I tried shedding some light to him but confusion and frustration reigned.

"Join them? Who? "

"That's the thing, I don't know. He looked like a human, he had a body, eyes and was wearing clothes but he was different from human beings at the same time," I didn’t make sense to my ears also.

"Stop Lindi! Just… Stop, okay," He just shouted at me. I think we just had our forth if not fifth serious argument since we married. But I wasn’t fighting.

"No, no. You need to heed my advice. We have to leave. They want you dead,” I couldn't bear to look at him in the eye after saying this. Putting death and him in one sentence felt wrong. A sin.

"He said I needed to die?"

My head was now bowed.

"Well he did not really say it in words, he wrote it down. Maybe I don't know. I don't even make sense do I?" He nodded yes

"You're joking about all this right? I know you are. What day is it? Tell me, April fool?" His laughter filled the room like great aroma. I swear I punched him a numerous times in my mind for not taking me serious.

"Paul I'm serious. I can't leave without you. You can't die. Promise me you won't die. Promise me," I knew I sounded crazy but it was of great importance for me to hear him say that.

"Baby I think you are tired. You must go and sleep I will cook or go buy takeaways," he got up from the couch but I held him for dear life.

"Paul please believe me this once. We need to move out as in yesterday from here. I don't want to spend another night I'm here," I requested holding either side of his shoulders. He was taking me to our bedroom.

"You're exaggerating now. Why would we move out? "

He clearly thought I was making up a story.

"I told you why, damn it,” I yelled, I didn’t mean to. He was making me so angry for not believing my revelation.

"Don't yell at me ever again. I'm not your friend and we are not moving out. Where would I even find us a place to live? " I haven't thought that far, but what I was sure of was that we need to evacuate the place like yesterday. I cared less about where we would hide our heads, but the flat was out of the question, flat number five had to be ruled out.

"I don't care, but are leaving today, " I grabbed my bag and pulled out clothes from the wardrobe in hangers, furiously putting them in.

"Don't be crazy. Where will we find a place to stay this late? Do you even remember how hard it was for me to get this place? " He asked, clearly irritated. I was going to deal with his irritation later, after we have gotten a place to sleep just not now.

"Of course I remember. But we have no choice. What if something happens to you while we are asleep? " I wish I could make him understand my reasons. I know they are real...they feel real no doubt. He just had to trust me.

"You better discard that thought soon my wife. We are not moving out just because you feel like it. I'm going to get food," he walked towards the door. I strode to the door and blocked him.

"Please Paul trust me on this one. We need to move. Even if it’s to flat number six," I was desperate. He released a deep sigh and held my hand in his.

"I don't understand what your problem is but I will think about your suggestion. When I get back, you’ll tell me how the interview went," The interview. I didn’t feel like an interview but like a meet up with a friend. I understand that we went to training with our agent just last week but for them to actually asked us one question wrapped In a tell us about yourself question. I was grateful though because my heart kept threatening to come out while I was waiting for my turn. Well fine, it was not one question. After the tell us about yourself question, they asked if I had any questions for them. But our agent representative did mention that it was just a formality. They addressed us after the last interviewee and told us that our agent will call us with regards to the starting date. I was so excited, I even offered to pay for this girl’s taxi fare.

I couldn’t wait to start, a document explaining our duties was sent and we fell under general worker category. I’ll tell him all about it tomorrow but tonight I was packing.

I hurried to the wardrobe and took out my sleeping outfit.

"And then? What's up with that? " He asked pointing at the clothes I held in my hands.

"I'm not sleeping here tonight love. I will sleep at Ms.Miggings for the night and you’re coming with,”

He was shocked, so was I, the idea just popped to my mind, just like Mom Susie’s chewing gum.

-

"Strange things are happening in my house Ms.Miggings you know" I said as I sat down to drink my coffee. I needed it, strong and black. I had left the flat same time as Paul left to get food. He was not happy that I was leaving. He refused to come with me, he told me straight up that he wasn’t going to sleep at another woman's home while he had his.

"Ghost?" She asked. Wait how did she know I was talking about ghost? I had not told her about that, have I?

"How did you know the strange things happening at my house are ghost?" I asked perplexed about her reaction.

"Oh no I just took a guess. I’m very good at that," she said.

"Some scary things happened today. A man just barged in my house and started blabbering nonsense. He said I should join them and that my husband needs to die," I revealed. She got choked on her tea and coughed so hard, I nearly called an ambulance.

"Are you okay? Do you need water?" I asked as I couldn't understand the reason for her sudden choking. She coughed for a few more minutes before she settled again.

"So I asked my husband that we should move out to at least flat number six," I said thinking about Paul if he will or not agree to my suggestion.

"Flat six?" She asked as she swiftly got up from her chair.

I couldn't understand her reaction nor her face. Her face portrayed so many emotions.

"Yes. Is there a problem? "

"No. I just don't think you should move to flat six. I'm with your husband on this,"

"Why not? I can't live in that house any longer. I need to move out,”

" But not to flat number six sweetheart. Don't," Her tone was harsh. She was just strange, if I didn’t know better, I was going to think Paul got to her.

"I need a favour, can I sleep over here today? I promise I’ll behave,” I had never had a sleep over here before, there was no reason to.

“Here. In my house? What about your husband?”

“He’ll be fine. He didn’t want to join me,”