BELINA (Tender Beauty)

CHAPTER 9

Everyone seemed to have had a very long day because everyone got home late. I had prepared white rice and beans before they arrived. I saw meat and fish in the fridge and I used it to prepare stew with the already defrosted pepper.

Prisca arrived first and then Mum followed by Dad later and they were all happy that I had made dinner and they told me that. Everyone felt tired one way or another and I did not have the heart to bring my own problems to bug them again, besides, they had already done enough for me and I did not want to overstep my bounds.

"Belina", Mr. Jegas called

I turned round, "Sir?" I answered.

"You have been quiet for quite a while now, is anything the problem?" he asked looking worried. Mum was busy in the room and Prisca had gone to take her bath, if my guess is right, she would be busy chatting with Tony now on the phone so there had been nobody to keep my mouth running.

"No sir, I... I am fine" I answered.

He stared at me for some seconds and finally said, "I don't buy that, come" I stood reluctantly, went to meet him and sat beside him on the couch.

"Now tell me, did anything happen at work? Talk to me", he said giving me audience.

I sighed, remembering my day at work but said, "Nothing bad happened at work, Sir".

"So, what is the problem?" he asked.

"It is my... my dad. He has been released and -"

"Released?" he said and stared at the TV probably wondering why he had not listened to today's news, I had wondered the same earlier. "How come?"

"He was actually innocent, Sir. The real murderer was caught" His eye brows raised in surprise. "But that is not the problem. He called me just as I got home seeking forgiveness and wanting to know where I am", I said.

"He what? Haaa, people have no shame. So, what did you tell him? That you would be going back there?" he asked not even giving me the chance to answer it one at a time.

"No, Sir. How could I? I told him never to call me again", I said.

"I wish I could strangle him for what he did to you", he said as he jumped up angrily.

"Strangle who?" this came from Prisca's mother and she had a worried look on her face. Before I knew it, Prisca was already in the sitting room looking puzzled and I knew I was the topic once again and sighed internally.

"Can you imagine? Belina's father is already out of prison because they found out that he really did not commit the murder and he had the guts to call Belina asking for forgiveness", Mr. Jegas said looking like he was about to search my father out and beat the living daylight out of him.

They were both quiet but their facial expressions were not palatable. I quickly lightened up the situation. "It is not really a big deal, I told him that I don't want to see him again and I meant it", I said.

Prisca looked white suddenly, "Hey, someone called me today and asked of Belina and I said you were at work, before I could ask who it was, he had hung up. What if that was your father. He could trace you here", she said and while we were still processing that, we heard a knock at the door. We were all puzzled because no one should have been able to get to the door without us opening the gate. We were so scared and so we all went to the door even though Dad told us to stay behind. We opened the door and speaking of the devil, we all stared at the plastered face of my dad. ********** **********

Richard turned around on the bed thinking about the one person that had stuck to his head like a virus. Try as he may, he hadn't been able to purge her out of his brain. He thought about what she had been through and found it hard to believe that someone could go through all that and still be able to carry herself with dignity like nothing had happened. He admired her courage and determination to bring the best out of her life and still found it amusing that she could look exceptionally pretty even when she was going through hell. He had felt at ease with her so much that he felt a part of her instantly.