Chapter 35

Juana rushed straight to the house. It was 7.25pm. She looked as though she had just seen a ghost. The party was over. Juana's eyes went around the living room, there lying on the couch was Selena's bag.

So she was still around? Nobody was in the living room but granny was in the kitchen, and she saw her while rushing in. She turned towards her but Juana had already entered her room before she could catch up with her.

"Sweetheart did you see a ghost?" She asked the door.

"Mama, I'm fine. I'll talk to you later please" So her grandmother left the door, in a confused state. Her granddaughter needed privacy and she'd not invade in her privacy.

As soon as she was sure her grandmother had left her door, she dialed Colin's number. He picked it at the first ring and sounded lik.e he was just getting up from bed.

Juana began to shout at him and he couldn't get any of her words right. She was literally stuttering and yelling into the phone. Colin hung up before his eardrums got blocked.

"Oh really? Colin hung up on me?" She said to herself, walking around the room. She wondered how much things Jason would have damaged in his studio because of his anger. She wondered what would have happened if she had stayed two minutes later in his house. Could he have harmed her? She thought. Now Juana was really frightened by him.

She was scared that her life is in danger. She remembered the stranger she saw by her door that day, before Colin came to her rescue. Could it be him? How dangerous was this guy? She thought. She was mad at Colin for almost putting her in trouble, so much for wanting to protect her! She tried to recollect when they hugged last, how did he manage to put a camera in her hair? Would he ever listen?

Oh yeah! It was while I was leaving during the games! Colin thinks he's smart! She said to herself fuming.

Jason, sorry Michael? Whatever, that guy was a killer even if he no longer killed people, but he still had the record that he has killed people in the past. What business have I with him? How could I be so bold as to visit him and stay with him for a long time? He could kill me! Maybe that was why he trusted me with his secrets. He might have thought if I fumbled, he'd murder me too. Maybe he actually killed Helen and was lying that he didn't? Is he as safe as he looks? But this guy looked repentant and depressed? My instincts make me feel safe with him? Or maybe I'm indeed taking risks like Colin said? Maybe my instinct is wrong this time? But the bishop said miracles happen? Like a murderer repenting from his sins, isn't that one miracle?

"Should I bring dinner to you sweetheart?" Granny's voice broke into her thoughts. She was standing by her door again.

"No mama. Don't worry about me"

"Will you tell me what's happening later?" She asked again

"Maybe" No further questions.

She waited for her granny to leave before continuing her thoughts. She tried calling Colin back but his phone had been switched off.

Five minutes later, granny was at her door again.

"Sweetheart" she began

"Granny I'm not hungry. I'll eat tomorrow, I..."

"I'm here for something different. Someone's at the front door looking for you" she said quietly

Juana's heart did a leap. "Who's that?"

"Colin. Will you come out to meet him?"

"No I don't want to see him. Send him away" she said but was relieved it was only Colin and not some stranger. "I over think right?" She asked herself and sighed.

"I can't send him away. He has something important to say to you"

"I'll not come out of this room to see anyone, I'm not in a good mood" she shouted back. Granny didn't say anything.

"Granny? Are you there?" No response. Maybe she left.

In few seconds, there was a knock on her door again.

"Granny, I need some time to myself. Please I really..." She suddenly got up and opened the door, and there was Colin who rushed in before she could slam the door in his face. He cupped her head in his hands and asked several times, "Are you okay honey? Did he hurt you? Huh?" He massaged her wrist and touched her hair. Juana's heart melted. He looked really worried. So he knew about it already.

"Did he do anything to you?" He looked like he'd cry.

"Colin, I'm okay. Why are you fidgeting? And what are you talking about?" She found her voice, and it was as calm as anything.

"You went to Jason's right?" He said sitting on her bed. Juana joined him.

"Yes how did you know? Oh never mind, the camera..."

"I had to put it there, you wouldn't tell me where you were going to"

"Colin, it almost led me into trouble. I mean he saw the camera and got angry. So angry that I ran out of his house"

"Did he hit you?"

"No I left before he could"

"Why's he angry about a camera?"

"Colin, I need to open up to you, coz I'm scared as it is right now" she sighed. Colin rubbed her cheeks and asked her to go on talking.

And then Juana told him everything. She told him that Jason knew something about his best friend who was killed.

"So Jason is Helen's boyfriend! Helen's boyfriend was called Michael not Jason, how come?"

"He changed his name" she muttered

"You must not go to his house anymore. I'll have him arrested soon"

"Colin, you can't do that to him. Do you have any evidence that he killed her?" Colin looked angry.

"I know he killed her. She's not the first girl he killed. He rapes them before killing them, according to what I heard"Please Colin, don't do anything yet. This is dangerous. I actually do not believe he killed her. He sounds like he loved her so much, he kept her pictures and talks about her everyday. He even said I looked so much like her"

"Why do you believe him this much? You don't even know him"

"Colin, my instincts says he's innocent. Don't do anything you'll regret"

"I promised Helen to fight for her, and have her killer brought to justice. This is the moment I have been waiting for"

"Nooo, you find out who the killer is first, the fact that Jason has killed people in the past doesn't mean he killed your Helen. Come to think of it, she was his girlfriend! How could he kill the innocent girl? For what?"

"Serial killers are not considerate"

"Colin, you need to listen to his past, he's suffered emotional abuse too many times. He's miserable, he lives alone. He's depressed. Don't punish him for an offence he didn't commit. Don't use your pain to hurt the innocent. Please"

Colin was silent. He looked sad.

"Dr Paul asked me to see him today in the morning. So I have to go back home now so I'll sleep early" he stood up. He was changing the topic.

"Who's doctor Paul?"

"The man that saved your dad from alcohol poisoning"

"Oh I don't even know his name. Can I go with you in the morning?"

"Okay" he said and walked out of the room.

As soon as Colin walked out of the room, her granny came in, perturbed. She sat on her granddaughter's chair and waited for her to start the conversation.

"Where's Dad?" She asked her granny in order to break the awkward silence.

"Out with Selena"

"Is she coming back here?" Juana raised her eyebrows.

"We asked her to sleep over. If possible, I'd like her to spend the whole weekend with us. She wants to get to know us better"

"Granny, don't you think that's somewhat odd?"

"In what way?"

"I mean isn't Dad planning to marry her? It looks like they are dating"

Granny looked shocked at her words "How can you say that? Why would he think of doing that when Dawn is still there lying on her sick bed? No, honey, they are just bosom friends. She's been friends with him since his high school days but they sort of disconnected for a long time. So, this is a type of reconnection, okay?" Juana nodded but she did not believe it. She wondered why her granny was blind to reality; what those two shared did no look like ordinary friendship.

She was angry but did not show it. She bought of the time she found her Dad in an unconscious state in a bar. First, she had never seen him drink alcohol until then. Second, she's never seen him with another woman except his female ranch hands. Until when she discovered the chats he had with her on phone, she never knew he had had a bosom female friend.

Why did she resurface all of a sudden? Who contacted the other first and why? However way she thought about it, Juana knew for sure that they wouldn't be so close as hey were if her mum wasn't sick, and that was the part that hurt her the most. Mum wouldn't cheat on him if he was he o e lying sick in bed, even if he was in coma for a century, Juana strongly believed that her mom would never give up on him; she had proved her love for him many times.

"Honey,will you tell me now?" Her granny's voice catapulted her back to reality.

"What?" She had completely forgotten that she was in the room with her.

"Why you came home looking frightened, why you rejected dinner, why you didn't want to see the young man, and why he left this place looking disturbed. I wanna know what's wrong"

Juana didn't speak. Her granny came over and sat beside her, putting her hands on her shoulders.

"Honey, you don't have to tell me now, I just hope you feel better. You do look worried"

"I'm fine granny, it was just a little disagreement"

"You'll get over it, honey. Let's talk about your birthday. It's on three months' time you know. What'd you like me to get you? And how'd you like to celebrate it?" She was smiling but Juana was not

"I want mom, nothing else" She said. Granny's smile disappeared. Juana wished she'd just leave so that she could have time to herself. Then it happened.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight honey" She patted her back and left the room, but no without her replying "Sweet dreams, mama"

Finally! She whispered to herself.

Alone in he comfort of her room, she turned her lights off but left the bedside lamp on. The atmosphere was cool and conducive for meditative rumination. She thought about her best friends - Ivy, Alicia and Ella. She felt like having them with her that moment, cuddled up together in her bed, but she was alone. She did not feel like talking to anyone, not even Colin.

She was worried for her friend, Ivy. She had made Alicia promise to inform her about Ivy's pregnancy test results, but she had still not called. Juana picked up her phone and dialled Alicia's number with shaky hands. It was answered at the second ring

"Hello..." She began

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The next day as early as 6:45am, Juana was at her boyfriend's. She left home very early to avoid answering questions and more importantly, facing Selena. Both of them had returned late the previous night and retired to bed after discussing the necessary and the unnecessary things in the living room. She could hear them talking about her that night. They both sounded drunk, because each of them laughed at everything the other said and Juana could almost see them staggering. Her Dad was a different man now and it was not for good. For these reasons, she had sneaked out of the house that morning without even bidding her grandmother goodbye.

"I wasn't expecting you here, especially not this early. I thought we agreed to me coming to pick you up instead" Colin said after ushering her in. He looked sleepy.

"Does your family know you're here?" He yawned. He was still in his pyjamas and he really looked like he could do with more sleep. Juana sat on his couch and stretched. She didn't say a word.

Don't tell me you sneaked out of the house. You..." She cut in by covering his mouth with her hands.

"Is that how to say good morning, huh?" She whispered. Without uttering a word, he pulled her up and embraced her tightly. Then, she began to cry.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything"

"Talk to me"

"My best friend is pregnant. Dad is cheating on mom and granny is blind to it. Mom is not ge..tting any better, my birthday is..is just three months away... L..looks like everyone's given up on her...Colin, I wan..want her alive". She was stuttering amidst sobs

Colin sighed.

"Everything will be okay. We'll talk it all out when you stop crying" he let her cry and she only stopped after six minutes. Colin gently took her head off his chest and laid it on the couch.

"Don't leave me here" she mumbled sleepily.

"I love you honey. I'm not leaving"

"Hold me" she begged. He practically held her hands and kissed her softly.

Thirty Six

As soon as Colin walked out of the room, her granny came in, perturbed. She sat on her granddaughter's chair and waited for her to start the conversation.

"Where's Dad?" She asked her granny in order to break the awkward silence.

"Out with Selena"

"Is she coming back here?" Juana raised her eyebrows.

"We asked her to sleep over. If possible, I'd like her to spend he whole weekend with us. She wants to get to know us better"

"Granny, don't you think that's somewhat odd?"

"In what way?"

"I mean isn't Dad planning to marry her? It looks like they are dating"

Granny looked shocked at her words "How can you say that? Why would he think of doing that when Dawn is still there lying on her sick bed? No, honey, they are just bosom friends. She's been friends with him since his high school days but they sort of disconnected for a long time. So, this is a type of reconnection, okay?" Juana nodded but she did not believe it. She wondered why her granny was blind to reality; what those two shared did no look like ordinary friendship.

She was angry but did not show it. She bought of the time she found her Dad in an unconscious state in a bar. First, she had never seen him drink alcohol until then. Second, she's never seen him with another woman except his female ranch hands. Until when she discovered the chats he had with her on phone, she never knew he had had a bosom female friend. Why did she resurface all of a sudden? Who contacted the other first and why? However way she thought about it, Juana knew for sure that they wouldn't be so close as hey were if her mum wasn't sick, and that was the part that hurt her the most. Mum wouldn't cheat on him if he was he o e lying sick in bed, even if he was in coma for a century, Juana strongly believed that her mom would never give up on him; she had proved her love for him many times.

"Honey,will you tell me now?" Her granny's voice catapulted her back to reality.

"What?" She had completely forgotten that she was in the room with her.

"Why you came home looking frightened, why you rejected dinner, why you didn't want to see the young man, and why he left this place looking disturbed. I wanna know what's wrong"

Juana didn't speak. Her granny came over and sat beside her, putting her hands on her shoulders.

"Honey, you don't have to tell me now, I just hope you feel better. You do look worried"

"I'm fine granny, it was just a little disagreement"

"You'll get over it, honey. Let's talk about your birthday. It's on three months' time you know. What'd you like me to get you? And how'd you like to celebrate it?" She was smiling but Juana was not

"I want mom, nothing else" She said. Granny's smile disappeared. Juana wished she'd just leave so that she could have time to herself. Then it happened.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight honey" She patted her back and left the room, but no without her replying "Sweet dreams, mama"

Finally! She whispered to herself.

Alone in the comfort of her room, she turned her lights off but left the bedside lamp on. The atmosphere was cool and conducive for meditative rumination. She thought about her best friends - Ivy, Alicia and Ella. She felt like having them with her that moment, cuddled up together in her bed, but she was alone. She did not feel like talking to anyone, not even Colin.

She was worried for her friend, Ivy. She had made Alicia promise to inform her about Ivy's pregnancy test results, but she had still not called. Juana picked up her phone and dialled Alicia's number with shaky hands. It was answered at the second ring

"Hello..." She began

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