AROUSING DESIRES

Episode 39

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Alice and her daughter stood behind the gates yet again. And Just like every other time they came, the guards had refused to let them meet anyone. Neither did they listen to anything they had to say.

But today they were relentless. They weren't leaving. They weren't stepping a foot anywhere until someone came out from that mansion to see them.
No they weren't.
Alice moved to sit under the coconut tree that stood outside the house, serving as a shade. Ella followed her mother, taking a seat beside her.

Twenty minutes later, and there wasn't anyone coming out.
Frustrated, Alice got up and walked to the gate. This time she didn't bother to ring the bell. She began to pound her fist into the large gate, eliciting a loud sound that echoed throughout the silent vicinity.

"What the f*ck?" A guard yelled, peeping through the little hole carved into the iron gate. He groaned when he realised it was the same woman who wouldn't stop disturbing they're peace of mind.
"Get out of here woman!" He bellowed.
Alice ignored him, continuously banging on the gate..
Hopefully the owners will hear the ruckus and come out to meet her.
"I would not repeat myself. Get out of here before I use force!" The guard warned again.. He was holding himself back from dragging her away but he didn't want to manhandle a woman old enough to be his mother.
"I'm not leaving until you let me see Virginia!" she yelled back, still relentlessly banging.
Not long after, Katy emerged from inside the house towards the commotion, her heels clicking against the floor as she walked.

"Roy? What's going on?" She asked the guard who stood near the gate, yelling.
Roy turned.
"It's nothing ma'am. Just a beggar"

Alice snorted at that. Her?
A beggar?.
Did she look like one?.
Infuriated at the guard's audacity, she began to pound on the gate, much louder and harder.

"What do you mean nothing? The noise has been going on for several minutes now and yet you say nothing? Why are you even here? You should be outside trying to solve the problem instead of standing here yelling" she scolded the guard who sighed in return.

"I'm not leaving until I see Virginia!" The screams came again.

Katy frowned.
"Virginia?"

Roy snorted.
"That's what she says anytime she comes"
"Anytime? Which means this isn't her first time of coming here? And you didn't deem it fit to tell me?" Her eyes narrowed to slits

"Open the gate. Let them in." She ordered.
"B..but ma'am, they must be some beggars" Roy fumbled
"I said open the gate!" She snapped.

Sighing, Roy opened the gate and let both mother and daughter in.

"Come in please" Katy gestured towards the house but they declined.
"Thank you ma'am. A lot.. But I came to see Virginia.. Uh, I learnt on the internet that she was engaged to umm Kevin Bloom. We found out he lived here so I thought I'd come in search of her here"

"Kevin is my son and no he doesn't live here" Katy told her, watching her shoulders sag in disappointment.

"I could take you to where they live.." She offered and before Alice could start thanking her, she added.
"But I'd like to know what your relationship is with Virginia and why you want to meet with her"

Alice bit her lip.
"She's my neice. And uhh she left home after uhh.." She trailed off.
God, this was so embarrassing to say out loud.

"She left home after my son, Brandon offered to take her on a tour because she'd just arrived in the country. He uhh... He made sexual advances towards her"

"Is he the same cousin who kidnapped her several weeks ago?" Katy asked after a moment of silence.
Alice nodded.
"Yes. But believe me ever since he told me he regretted his actions and went in search of Virginia, he didn't return. I never saw him again. And the next thing I heard was, he was wanted by the police for kidnapping. I haven't heard from him. Believe me I have no hand in this. In fact I'm ashamed to have birthed a son like him" she blinked, tears gathering in her eyes.
"I just.. I just want to see Virginia. To make sure she's okay. I promised my sister I'd take care of her but now I can't even answer the phone when she calls. I just want to see her, apologise on my son's behalf. I just need to see her.. Once.. just once.." her voice cracked with emotion, clogging her throat.