Battles in the shadows

THE GATHERING

Laura wiped her tears and tried to regain composure in case the visitor is coming inside to see her (whoever it is.) Before long, Brandon came back inside with a very weird look on his face. She looked at him carefully trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

"Love, we have to go to your parent's place right now." He said loudly as if there was someone else who needed to hear the message.

Laura stood up and asked why.

"Lauretta, trust me. Wear your wedding ring right now, get your purse and let us go and please look alive." He said with a tight smile. Laura didn't question him any further because she was in the wrong at the moment and wouldn't want to widen the rift between them further. She put her ring back on, left for their bedroom, wiped her face and applied make up lightly, grabbed her purse from one of her handbags and left for the living room.

"Brandon." She called out but he was not there so she walked to the door and found the key already in the keyhole with Brandon waiting in his car for her. Laura quickly locked up and joined him.

"Brandon, why are we going to my parents? Are you going to tell them everything? You can't do that! Mama will never get over it. She will never forgive herself!"

Brandon was shocked by her words.

"Are you out of your mind? Is something wrong with you?" He was really upset at her stupid selflessness at this point. See where it landed her!

"Brandon please don't tell my parents. We can move out of the country like your grandfather wanted. I will look for another job in England just don't tell my parents I beg you!"

Brandon sent her a cold look that sent shivers down her spine. Never in her life has anyone looked at her that way except the miserable Phillip.

"Brand please. I am begging you. Should I go on my knees? Should I leave my job?"

"Shut up Lauretta! Is keeping this secret that important to you? Look at yourself for goodness' sake! You are a terrible mess! I can't even come near you and the next thing I become your enemy and punching bag! How long are we going to live like this?" Laura has never seen him this angry either. For the first time in two weeks, she was able to realize how her problems were affecting her marriage.

"Please forgive me for deceiving you into marrying someone like me. Please forgive me Brandon."

"It is done Lauretta. We are married and nothing can separate us now." He said softly as he pressed the gate's remote and slowly drove out of their compound. He was yet to fully comprehend what his wife told him and even worse, that he had seen the Watchman or (he laughed bitterly silently) the Watch Woman.

Latoya was seated reading her Bible in their living room while Mompati ate breakfast by himself at the Dining Table. Since after the incidence at the Traffic lights, Latoya had become distant and cried on her own a lot as she pondered upon the words of her assailant. He or she kept repeating she was a bad mother and that it is payback time for her foolishness and selfishness. Her mind has been running like a windmill for this period as she took stock of her life as a mother to her three children. She was a strict disciplinarian and brought them up well except that she was a little lenient on Lauretta mainly because of her tragic past and being a girl, the youngest and Mama's pet. But still that didn't make Lauretta become a spoiled brat or wayward. So where was the carelessness from? She rarely speak these days to Mompati as she often got lost in thought and ignored everything around her. 

Her leave at work was extended a whole month and her clients transferred to other Counselors. That made things even worse for her, being a workaholic and especially now that all her children were out of the Family's nest. Mompati gave her the space she needed but was dying inside because of his wife's predicament. He nearly lost her and that scared him. More than ever before, he wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on around him and his family especially concerning their daughter Lauretta. That was another issue bothering him. She looked like death when she came back from the honeymoon. What was the cause and why was Brandon too looking like he was no longer interested in his daughter?

The doorbell rang at that moment, waking both husband and wife out of their deep thoughts. Latoya stood up and walked up to the intercom. She frowned in confusion as she saw her two sons by the gate. She quickly opened so they could drive in.

"Who is it?" Mompati asked, getting up from his seat.

"It's David and Phillip." Latoya responded.

"Did they tell you they were coming?" Mompati asked as the communication between him and his wife was nearly non existent now.

Latoya nodded in the negative. 

About five minutes later, the cars were packed and the young men entered the house. They hugged their mother and father and sat down.

"Where are my beautiful ladies? David, where is my precious grandson?"

"Mum, he's fine and your precious daughter in law too is okay. I came here because of the message you sent to us to come this morning because of an emergency."

"Emergency? I did no such thing!" Latoya replied sharply as the realization that something was off hit her mind.

Mompati shook his head and picked his phone to make a call but just then the doorbell rang again. Phillip got up to check the visitor... his eyes bulged as he saw Lauretta.

"Mum, it's Laura." 

Everyone looked at each other each thinking along similar lines that someone was unto them and is out to get the entire family together.

"Open the gate for your sister." Mompati said and sat next to his wife.

"We will soon know who started this prank." David said with feeling. The near death experiences their mother went through really annoyed and scared him. Why can't the person just come out instead of hiding like a coward?

Laura came out of the car with eyes that were now puffy from crying. She was very certain that Brandon was going to spill the beans especially now that she could see David and Phillip's car parked in the garage.

"Brandon, what is wrong with you? Do you really have to go this far to humiliate and traumatize me further?" Laura said with vehemence.

"I will not answer that question Lauretta. We are here and it is not my doing."

Laura folded her arms across her chest and asked rudely, "Then whose work is it? Mine?" She rolled her eyes angrily and walked to the door. She opened it and smiled weakly at her parents.

Latoya and Mompati stood up almost at the same time. 

"Who did this to you? You have been crying? Where is Brandon?" Mompati said, almost shouting.

Brandon walked in looking tired and sad.

"Son, what happened to your wife? Why is her face swollen?" Latoya asked gently for she loves him like her other sons.

"Ma, we are in trouble." He said and wiped his face with his hand.

Suddenly the sound of a car boot closing echoed loudly through the house.

"Whose car is that?" David asked.

"I will go and check." Phillip offered and just as he was about to reach the door, it opens and a middle aged woman walked in with a bright smile on her face.

"We have more visitors for this special gathering so please Latoya serve us all drinks so we can chill while we wait for them." She said coolly.

"And who are you? How did you get in here?" David asked in surprise.

"Hold your horses precious David. I came with Mr. and Mrs. Holmes. Right Brandon?"

All eyes immediately focused on the latter.

"I told you we had trouble or rather, are in trouble." Brandon said remorsefully.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! What are you doing here?" Laura's eyes lit up. It was Brandon's turn to be even more shocked.

"You know her?" Brandon asked in confusion.

"Hello my love. Long time no seeing."