QUARANTINED EPISODE THREE

QUARANTINED

The news about James' departure hit Jane harder than it hit Romeo that Juliet was no more. Why did she push him away? The signs were smoking right on his face when he came to see her, but she didn't see it till the sad ugly manifestation.  Now she remembered why something was pushing her to call him back, but she was clouded by her "Mr. right" obnoxious ambition.

She wished she could be a time traveler, but it was too late for beggars to ride, or rather the horse was already dead.

Just when she had made the decision of agreeing to marry James, the loving and caring father to her daughter Princess, that is the time nature decided to act mercilessly. She now acknowledged the vindictiveness of nature.  She cursed it and herself too. Nature had snatched her would be ‘husband’.

 Now she felt his love more than she ever thought she would. Her love for James grew exponentially stronger; she needed him there with her for him to propose. She would have jumped up with a big fat yes to his proposition. But no, her desires had been shuttered conceivably by the permanent lock of nature. She felt as if her god had forsaken her. The whiling wind was blowing with much ooze. She wished the wind would blow away the pain and agony boiling up in her beleaguered heart. She wanted to scream, but instead she whispered James' name.

She walked outside her house to the same spot James stood three weeks ago when begging for her love. She could see his figure, just like the transfiguration; he was smiling at her with the two dimples that amplified his handsomeness, and his eyes sparkled with diamond-like glitters as his pink lips were glued together. He walked towards her and held hands. 

"Hi Jane" he whispered with a sweet heavy voice. "Hi James" she answered with her beautiful mellow voice. He went down on his knees, his big oval glittering eyes glued on Jane with a royal smile; " my love, meeting you was the best thing that has happened in my life. I transitioned from a boy into a real man. Thanks to you. With you beside me, my sense of maturity has incredibly fledged. That is why I want to be there for you all time. It is my core duty to prioritize your needs and that of our daughter. I have willed strongly that your people shall be my people and your norms shall be my norms. Your wishes shall be nothing but absolute command to me. I have yielded to your love. I want to make you my queen and be my angel for better and in acute misery. Jane, please grant me the everlasting right to walk you down our sacred isle where you and I shall be nothing but one voice, one blood, feel the same feeling, breath the same breath and be the custodian of my heart. 

Be mine and I will be yours till our last." He proposed.

Tears of joy were dwindling in her eyes; she held his head, looked in his eyes and saw her reflection in his eyes, she rubbed her finger thumb on his fluffy chicks, knelt down and to kiss him. "Yes I will marry you James son of Jerry."

"Jane, what are you doing!?" It was Brian who had been standing at the gate watching her as she benevolently built castles in the air. “Brian, what are you doing here? And for how long have you been there?" Jane asked after realizing she had been in a stupor.

Brian told her that he had come to take her out for dinner. He wondered why Jane was talking to herself. She had been smiling with tears in her eyes. He was confused. He wanted to ask her but he preserved his observation. They went into the house; Jane went straight to the bedroom. Brian followed her but she locked herself in the bedroom. "Jane, what is wrong. You are making me get scared."

"Just go Brian, I want to be left alone. Please go." Jane pleaded. 

Brian became more confused. He didn't understand what was happening. This was comical because it was almost six and the city was preparing for a shut down for the curfew. Indeed mad men are many, but only a few like Brian roam around the streets.  Jane asked Brian to leave and never come back again. However, Brian did the opposite; he sat on the couch and began watching. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. It was Grace, Jane's elder sister. Behind her was Princess, Jane's daughter.

"Mommy!" Princess called. When Jane heard her daughter's voice, she opened the door and ran to see her. She grabbed her, lifted her up and kissed her on her chins. "Hey sweetheart, mommy is here. Are you okay?" Princess looked at her mother with great conviction and innocence. She was indeed an angel. She lay on her mother's shoulder as she stared at Brian. "Mommy, is this daddy?" She asked as she pointed at Brian with little sausage-like fingers. There was silence for a while. “Mommy, why doesn’t he look like daddy?” Still there was grave silence

"Grace how did you come, there is a curfew in a few minutes." Asked Jane. "Don’t worry, we are here now, aren’t we?

“Mommy, I want to see my daddy!” shouted Princess. There was silence for quite long this time. Grace looked at Jane as Jane stared at Brian who at the time was staring at Princess. Grace wondered why Jane was silent. “ Siz, have you been crying?’ Grace asked. She turned to Brian. “ Hey, what have you done to my sister?” Brian was surprised. “ I didn’t do anything to her, ask her what the problem is. In fact I am as shocked as you are. I whimper that she doesn’t want me here!” Brian explained.

Jane was still holding Princess in her arms. Grace begged her to say why she was behaving like a widow. Jane did not really know how to break the sad news. But she had to. “ James is dead!” she said. Grace moved closer to her. “ Sister, that is not possible, tell me you are joking. Or is it a way of pushing him away? Look, I know you love Brian, but for heaven’s sake Jane, that is the father of your child that you wish dead!” Grace shouted without considering the presence of the child. “Grace, I can never wish death to the father of my child. James is dead. I called his number and someone picked the phone and delivered the news to me.  I am sure it was his sister.”

This put Brian in a more confused state. He did not know whether to celebrate that nature had knocked out his rival, or moan with Jane. ‘So this is how the law of natural selection takes place!’ he thought to himself. He knew he was the champion. Nature had helped him emerge the champion. He moved towards Jane, held her shoulder and held Princess’ little hands. “ I am really sorry about this. I know he meant so much to you, but please find peace in your heart. I am here for you; you have my shoulder to lean on. I know the good Lord will rest his soul in eternal peace.” These words radiated Jane with some consolation, she did not expect to hear such from Brian. She held his hands and hugged him while Grace took back the child who had begun to sob. “Sorry baby girl, don’t worry mommy and aunty are here for you.” Said Grace.

“So what are the plans? Have you tried to reach out to the family?” Asked Brian who was confident that come rain of any storm come sunshine with any drought, Jane was his. “No I have not called anyone,” Jane answered. 

She was just about to call James’ sister when they heard a knock at the door. Brian offered to get it. He opened the door and he seemed like he had experienced the first confirmation case of coronavirus. “Hello, can I come in please?” Asked the guest. ”Yes you can. What are you doing here?” Brian asked. “ I should be the one asking you what you are doing here. My niece lives here and I came to see her.” 

It was Rose, James' sister. “ Beb who is that, please let the guest in.” Said Jane. Rose pushed Brian away and got into the house. “Who is that calling you beb?” she asked as she headed to Grace, “so you are the boyfriend snatcher right?” She grabbed Grace’s blouse and slapped her. Jane tried to stop her but Rose was way too strong for her. Princess began to cry. Brian assessed the situation and decided to escape, but Rose followed him and held his shirt. “So this is the stupid girl you have been cheating on me with? Brian, you could have searched for a more beautiful girl, younger than me. What did you see in this old wretched example of a woman species? To think that I was planning the right time to tell you that I am three months pregnant for you. I bet this is the right time?” shouted Rose as she still held Brian’s shirt. 

“Stop it!” Jane was now boiling up. This lady you accuse is my elder sister. She is the one who has been taking care of my daughter. If there is anyone you are supposed to ask questions is me, and you,” she turned to Brian. "So you could cheat on me with my baby daddy’s sister? This was a joke of the century, which shocked everyone in that leaving room except the child that Brian was dating both Rose, James’ sister and Jane. Suddenly there was another knock at the door. No one wanted to open it because definitely it could escalate the conflict to another level. The knock persisted and the knocker decided to enter. 

It was James. He had come to tell Jane that the dog that she named ‘James’ died last night. “But I called your phone and someone told me you are dead!”Asked Jane. James smiled, “I am sorry that was my house help who answered the phone when I was asleep. She told me you called and asked about me and she told you I was ‘dead asleep’ but you hung up the phone before she could finish explaining.”Said James. 

“What about your heart condition?” Jane asked as she tried to move closer to James. “Oh, sorry, thanks be to God, I found a hospital that has offered to conduct the heart transplant. That is also the main reason I came to let you know and also ask to take my daughter before I head for the surgery tomorrow since it is my turn to be with her this week. Unfortunately, I just interrupted your crucial meeting!” He said as he carried Princess. “ You guys can continue with what you were doing. Please keep some distance apart and ensure you sanitize as you enjoy your QUARANTINE!!!"