I didn't kill her (3)

One fateful afternoon, I was coming back from my father’s office in Saint Elizabeth,  driving along in his bluish-black Jaguar when I saw Amie standing by her Mazda 626.  Looking quite stunning, the poor thing was sweating profusely.  I pulled up on the roadside in front of her car.  She was powerfully dressed in a black Perry-Ellis three-piece-suit matched with ‘Rafeli’ black suede brogues. Her hair was beautifully braided and on her neck dangled a 21 carat gold necklace.   On each hand she wore stunning rings.  One a flat gold plated ring and a topaz shielded silver ring (Both made by Lagos).  She could have passed for an excellent model.

I quietly disembarked from the Jaguar and walked close to her without noticing me, or she pretended not to see me until I called her name “Aminata Bangoro.”

“Oh it’s you DDT.”  She said smiling.

“Why are you sweating like a Christmas goat?”  I asked jokingly.

She took a face towel, wiped the sweat off her face and said, “I had a flat tire.”

“Oh sorry little darling… what can I do to help you now?”

“Help fix the tire …”

“Why should I help you?  You don’t even respect me.  And now you want me, managing director of Royal Farms to bend down on the roadside like a mechanic fixing a tire for a baby lawyer!”  I stylishly said NO to her request.

“Are you claiming to be better than auto mechanics?”  She queried angrily.

I realised she was angry with me and not wanting the issue to degenerate into something else, I smiled and said, “Don’t take this issue to be something else… I was only joking. After-all, my fiancée is your friend, and you know she’ll soon become a medical doctor.”

“O’ I see! Bloody megalomaniac … will you please excuse me?”  She pushed me aside.

“Sorry darling, that’s not pomposity!” I said, pretending to look at the flat tire.

She hissed and forced a smile as she asked, “What did you just call me?”

“Darling”

“Please don’t darling me.  And if you must feel sorry for someone, it should be for yourself.”

I looked straight into her eyes, reached for, held her hand and pulled her toward my own car.  “I know you enjoy it when I call you my darling.”  Shrugging my shoulders I said, “If you were not such a naughty little thing, I would be sincere when I call you darling.”   As I opened the front door of the jaguar and ushered her in, I couldn’t help but smile at the look of shock on her face. 

“Who is a naughty …” She wanted to make a statement when I cut her short.

“Just sit down and don’t talk as I get a mechanic to fix the tire.  Expecting her to say thanks, I soon realized it was not forthcoming.  I said. “My goodness,   you can’t even say thank you!”

“How can I say thanks to my darling?”  She responded jokingly.

“I’m not your darling.  I have my own candy Sally at home waiting for me to darling her.”  I moved to the driver’s side and picked up the satellite telephone that was installed in the car and called my dad’s mechanic.

While waiting for the mechanic, I continued to mock her.  As I did so, she grew angrier with me.

Shortly after, the mechanic arrived and replaced the flat tire with the spare.  When I asked her to pay him, she asked, “What?  Are you telling me you who are making millions can’t pay this man just one hundred Dalasis?” 

“Am I making the million to spend it on repairing your flat tire?”

“You are a magpie… You only want to make money without spending it.”  “Ah!  And to prove I am a spender, I should waste my funds on you?”

By this time, she was so mad with me, she shouted, “You mean paying to repair my tire is a waste?”

“Don’t make a scene.  The way you are shouting would make one think there is a change of government or some type of probing and your father the minister is about to lose his job!”

She fumbled with her handbag to bring out money to pay the man when I reminded her further, “You should try and let this man inflate the pressure in that flat-tire before it is too late.  You never know when this is going to happen again.”

“Nothing is gonna happen…” She said as she rushed toward the mechanic, handed over a two fifty Dalasis notes.  When he would not take the money, she screamed at him, “Take your money!”

“Why?” The man asked.  Pointing at me he said, “He has already paid.  The only thing left for me to do is to follow you into town so that I can increase the pressure in the tire.”

I was laughing seriously as I watched her rage over the issue.  She wanted to say something but every word escaped her. I laughed more, asking her, “Will you come to lunch with me while the man goes to fix the tire or do you want to go with him?” When she didn’t respond I added, “You have no idea what you look like whenever you are angry.”

With a sharp bark she replied, “What do I look like? 

Laughing I said, “Exactly!  You look like, a dog … U-g-l-y!”

I piloted her into my car, closed the door on her and crossed to the other side.  Starting the car, the engine purred and we were soon racing on the highway, maintaining a speed of 50km/hr. I slipped a Michael Bolton CD into the sound box.  As the song ‘Lean on me’ was coming to an end, she broke the silence.  Turning to look at me, I could see the anguish and emotions on her face.  “Tell me Dennis, what did I or my father ever do to you that you never stopped insulting us.  Please, if there is any way we have offended you, show mercy and let us iron it out today?”

Hearing her say this, I could only feel sorry for all my gags about her father being a minister. 

I smiled a sober smile and said to her, “God knows my mind and my heart.  I’ve only been joking … I did not mean a bit of whatever I said.”

“God may know your mind and heart, but do you know what it is like when you joke about this matter in the midst of your friends in town, your mates in college.  You even do it in the presence of your so-called fiancée.”

I didn’t like her bringing Sally into the matter.  “I beg your pardon.  Don’t bring Sally into this!  She and I have never for once discussed you.  Quite frankly, I’m too busy to worry about your shortcomings.  Don’t take my joking personal.  I did not mean any harm.”  I bluntly declared.

“But you always harm me.”  She said sobbing.

I had wanted to say, ‘The rich also cry’ but all I could utter was, “Sorry”.  Looking at her now, I didn’t see the beautiful bold woman I had picked up earlier.  What I saw was a frightened young woman, bruised and broken.  Lost for words, I thought to myself, for such a long time, I have been hurting her with my callous jesting.  And all these years she has endured it, never saying a word.

*****

I turned onto a service lane.  In silence I negotiated a turn, heading to a good restaurant, thinking a nice lunch was just what we needed.  I parked in front of Lobster Restaurant.

Feeling quite ashamed of my past behaviour, I decided to play the role Mr. Nice Guy.  I quickly jumped from the car and ran to her side to open the door for her.   As I gallantly extended my hand out to her, she smiled and placed her hand in mine.  I was surprised to find myself suddenly remembering an event that happened during our third year in secondary school.  We were running and playing and I mistakenly touched her bottom!  Despite all my pleading, she reported me to our tutor.  For my punishment, the tutor flogged me like a thief.  The pain was so excruciating, I couldn’t walk after I was released at the end of the day.   I was also made to work on the school plantation for three weeks for an offence I did not commit intentionally.

Suddenly, the scene felt so fresh in my memory.  It was such a long time ago.  I have long forgotten the matter.  As I struggled to understand what had brought on this memory, I found myself lost in another long forgotten scene. 

In our year four we were to represent the school in a drama competition.  She was asked to play my wife but I pulled out of the drama team. In my childish mind, as much as I loved acting, I chose to give it up, to avoid having anything to do with Amie.  On another occasion, I candidly rejected a gift her father gave me and told her to her face that I would rather befriend a stray dog, than have anything to do with her!

Surprisingly in our final year, I was in the same group with her and Sally for our Agric Science practical. The period during which Sally contributed to our settlement and we became friends again.  Although the scar remained in my heart but I’ve ever since forgotten.

I held her left hand, led her into the restaurant, helped her onto a seat and took mine opposite hers.  Finally breaking the silence, we ordered our meals (fufu and melon stew).   As we were eating in silence, I looked at her, saw   that she was only picking at her food.  I lost my appetite too; I pushed the plate aside, washed my hands, and dried them with a napkin.  I leaned my head on my two fists with my elbows resting on the table.

“I realised what you mean…” I began my statement.  As I spoke, she would not look at me.  I chose my words carefully.   “God bear me witness.  These things that you are carrying in your heart, I’ve long forgotten.  It was a child’s play!”

“I know; but whenever you make fun of me, you remind me of my childishness.  I made a mistake that made most people hated me, rejected me and isolated themselves from me in high school … please forgive and forget the matter for God’s sake.”  She said with a shaking voice as she struggled holding back the tears dropping from her eyes.

“I don’t seem to remember any-th-ing like tha-t again.”  I said stammering. She felt like crying that I blamed myself for meeting her that afternoon.

I reached out and touched her arm to comfort her.  Very abruptly she said to me, “Can you take me home and ask the mechanic to bring my car to my house tonight?”  Because I felt we had not resolved the matter, I wanted to say no.  Not sure of what else to do, I reluctantly agreed to take her home.   As we were leaving the restaurant, I noticed that she lingered, and walked farther behind me.

When we were situated in the car, I said to her, “Do you realize I don’t know where you live?”

“G.R.A” She announced.

I called the mechanic on the mobile phone and after speaking with him, turned to asked Amie for her address.  “Plot 14b, Ministers crescent.”   I relayed the address to the mechanic, and then ended the call.  Feeling heaviness of our situation, I thanked God that it was close to where I was going.

I started the engine and pedalled back to the highway, sped along in silence except for the sound of country music collections disseminating from my car’s speakers.  By the time I got to her compound, the sound coming out was that of Kenny Roger’s ‘Through the years.’

I drove into their big compound, and parked the car at the curb.  I quickly got out of the car and went around to the passenger’s side to help her out.   To my surprise she asked, “Are you coming in to meet my mom?”

“I’m sorry I can’t.  I’m almost late for an appointment and I still have to take my dad to the airport.”  I quickly got back into the car and started the engine.  “I’ll see you next time.”

She walked around to the driver’s side of the car, reached and locked the car’s door.   Leaning into the car, she looked at me and said, “I’m highly sorry for all everything I may have done wrong, the pains, the embarrassment and shame I’ve caused you.  I’m … I’m … rea-dy to make things well.” She fell silent and choked back a sob. 

Dumbfounded, I said the first thing that came to my mind.  “See you later.  Let’s rest this case.  It’s gone forever.”  I said emphatically.

“If you mean it, come and pick me in school tomorrow at 3pm and take me to your house.”  I didn’t know what to say.  My only thoughts were to find a way to escape, for my dear life!  So, I replied, “Okay!”

“We have a deal.”  She said quietly.  I was turning the wheel, pulling away from the curb, when I heard her said, “I love you.”

Not really giving the statement much thought, I said thanks and drove away.