Hurdles – Episode 20

HURDLES

 

_20_

 

(Unedited)

 

VASHAWN

 

Nothing I do seems to make any sense, I have been in the office for the past four hours and yet I can’t stop thinking of the man that was with Michel. Like why would he even be carrying her handbag when she has two hands that work perfectly fine?

 

I look at the time and it’s already lunch hour, I grab my car keys and decide to drive to her office. She has to explain to me who the man is, because I won’t allow her to bring just anyone into my children’s lives.

 

‘Can I help you Mr. Acker?’ Her secretary asks

 

I don’t respond, instead I walk past her and try to open Michel’s office door but it is locked.

 

I turn back and look at the secretary who has a mocking look on her face.

 

‘Where is she?’ I ask sighing heavily

 

‘The same way you walked past me, is the same way you will get the answers.’ She responds turning to look at her computer

 

I almost think she is joking but she doesn’t give me anymore attention

 

‘I will wait in the car.’ I say and wait for her to respond but she doesn’t say anything

 

In frustration I walk to the car then sit there like a fool, this is something that I have never done before and I feel stupid but I won’t leave until Michel gives me answers.

 

I pick up my phone to call her but decide against it, I will not let her know that I am here so that she doesn’t come up with any lies.

 

Every second I look at the watch, her lunch break is from 12:30 to 14 and am wondering why by now she hasn’t yet come back to the office.

 

I try to get my mind of her but am still getting back to the fact that she is not here, after what seems like forever; I see a grey Range Rover drive in. It parks just next to my car and I can’t help but admire it. It’s a really beautiful car and I make a mental note to check for the prices on eBay, it’s high time I upgraded from the hilux I am driving.

 

Now thoughts of Michel have been disrupted because I want to see the person who owns the car.

 

When the doors open, I slightly close my window so that I am not see starring.

 

Thank God for the tint on my windows.

 

..

 

‘God your car is so comfortable.’ I say giving him back his car keys

 

 

‘You are sure you don’t want to hold on a little to it?’

 

‘Are you kidding?’ I ask excitedly

 

He smiles at me

 

‘And what will you drive?’

 

‘Your car of course.’

 

I quickly remove my car keys from the hand bag and give them to him before he can change his mind.

 

Like he promised; Jayden came through at lunch and took me out. We had our meal at John Dory’s, it was my first time tasting sea food and I must say I really enjoyed it.

 

We talked through out lunch, it felt nice being with another adult of the opposite sex having mature conversations and not fighting or judging each other.

 

‘What time do the kids knock off from school?’

 

‘The youngest at 3PM and the two at 4:30PM.’ I respond

 

‘Who picks them up?’

 

‘The driver does, if he is not able to I always ask the house help.’

 

‘And you get off work at 5PM right?’

 

I nod my head

 

‘Get yourselves ready, I am taking you for dinner at 6:PM.’

 

‘Jayden, the kids have school tomorrow I can’t allow them to be out late.’

 

‘What time is their bedtime?’

 

‘8PM.’

 

‘They will be in bed by that time.’

 

I eye him

 

‘You still doubt me?’ He asks

 

‘Okay let’s do this, tell your house help to be ready together with the kids by 5PM. I will pick them up from home whilst you can drive straight to the restaurant.’

 

‘And freshening you?’

 

‘Unless you want to keep us out late.’ He says and I just laugh ‘I will freshen up from the office.’ ‘That’s even better.’

 

 

‘So that’s set right? He asks when I don’t respond

 

‘Yes it is.’ I say

 

‘Great.’

 

‘I should be going now, work is waiting for you.’ He says coming towards me He kisses me on the forehead whilst holding me on both sides of my cheeks. ‘You are a very beautiful woman Michel.’ ‘Thank you.’ I say blushing

 

 

I can’t feel my legs, I haven’t felt like this in along time and even though I want to enjoy the moment but then again I was hurt for a very long time to just fall for any Jim and Jack.

 

He waits for me to get inside the building before he can finally drive off.

 

‘You are back.’ Bertha says standing up to go and open my office

 

‘How long has Mr. Acker been here?’ I ask

 

I noticed his car outside and the window that was slightly open, he must have been eavesdropping on our conversation.

 

‘He came through immediately you went out.’

 

‘Did he say what he wanted?’

 

‘No, except he walked past me to try and go in your office.’

 

I sigh

 

‘When he comes back tell him I am busy and won’t be able to see him. If anything call security to drag him out.’ I say then lock myself inside

 

I call Coldy on the landline and request for my door lock to be changed, I want a system where someone has to enter their fingerprint before they are allowed inside and this can only be accessed by a few selected individuals from the office.

 

Just a few minutes after dropping the line, I hear noise outside. I can only imagine it’s Vashawn there, I don’t want to see him today because I know he will only try to ruin my mood.

 

When it quiets down, Bertha calls me to tell me that security actually threw him out and he has told her to tell me that he is filing for custody of the kids. Am not surprised, right now he doesn’t have much leverage to use against me and he will use whatever tools left possible. It’s just sad that his own children have to be put on the line.

 

 

At 2:30 I call Nancy and ask her to prepare the kids and herself because we will be going for dinner later, but am surprised she tells me that the principle just called home because Vashawn has sent the driver to pick them up.

 

Now I know he just wants to pick a fight with me, but I won’t give him the satisfaction. The kids have school tomorrow so I call Valerie and tell her to ask the house help there to wash their uniforms for the following day and if at all the miss school, I make a promise that I will file for custody because if Vashawn will make them miss school every now and then he is not capable of raising them.

 

Just before I knock off, she calls me and tells me the driver didn’t drop them at their grandparents house but instead went with them to his new house. Now Vashawn is really asking for war because he knows Cassie will never like my children.

 

..

 

 

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