CHORALE SANDERS

CHAPTER 7: FORGET

Kay had just returned from his girlfriend’s parents’ home and did not know what to make of all that he had heard.

 When he got there and Valerie saw him, she burst into tears. She just kept saying “I told her not to go but she wouldn’t listen!”

Her dad managed to calm her down then she told all of them that, a day before Chorale left, she had been on the phone with her and Chorale told her, that she had just gotten back from the mall. Val loved shopping and so anytime Chorale had had to go to the mall, she always invited her along. Every single time.

She feigned offence and asked why she had not called her to come along with her. The answer Chorale gave both confused and scared her: “Relax Val, I just went suitcase shopping. I’m trying to see if I can manage shopping on my own because when I leave, you won’t be there to help me.”

Val said she tried to ask her where she was going but all Chorale told her was that she had to go out of the country for a long time. She had begged her to not go but Chorale just made her swear to not tell anyone about this, especially Kay, and then she hang up. 

But the moment she saw Kay, his tired features and bloodshot eyes, she could not keep her promise anymore. She had to say what she knew. For the past two days, she had not had it easy. She saw how devastated their mom looked, how much Kay was suffering because of her sister’s disappearance and how bad he was being at trying to hide it, she couldn’t help but let her guard down and tell them what she knew.

“I’m so sorry mom and dad, and to you too, Kay,” she cried, “I didn’t mean to hide this from you. I was just really confused.”

“It’s okay, love. Your mom and I are not mad at you. You were just being a sister to Chorale and that’s natural. Now stop crying and thank you for telling us now.” Dwayne comforted her.

She lifted her head up to look at Kay, pleading him with her teary eyes to forgive her. He really wasn’t mad at her. He knew the closeness that the three siblings shared. He was just surprised that Chorale had left the country. Why?

As if to say he had forgiven her, he helped her up from the chair and side-hugged her. He playfully pulled her cheeks and her ears and that did it. Everyone knew Val didn’t like it when that was done to her. She didn’t like being treated like ‘a small girl’. She slapped his hand away and they all managed to laugh, despite the confusion.

Dwayne called his friend, the IGP of the police and told him what they had found out. The IGP was helping from Dwayne’s end and even though they had not made any headway, Dwayne had hope in them and Kay could not crash his spirit so he just let him carry on. Kay took his leave and promised to get back to them when he got more useful information. He did not tell them what he had found out that morning for he still could not believe it.

Mama Rica had insisted that Chorale was actually pregnant but he didn’t want to hear it. They were not the holiest of couples but he had always been careful so that something like this wouldn’t happen. He always used protection….or?

When he got home, Mama Rica wasn’t there. He saw a note from her on the fridge saying she had to go home to get some things. She promised to be back early morning, tomorrow.

He didn’t have the energy to do anything. He hadn’t gone to work these few days. He asked his vice to step in for him but there were still a few things he had to do himself. John had mailed the many documents that needed checking and approval to him. He had tried to concentrate on them yesterday, to escape the hurt and confusion, but that only proved futile. He just ended up thinking more and more about her.

That's when he noticed the new suitcase on top of the closet and brought it down. Chorale would’ve needed a stool to help her bring it down and that thought made him smile.