Hurdles – Episode 22
HURDLES
_22_
It is only after getting to Vashawn’s place that I realize Jayden wasn’t joking, it’s like I was here as a ghost whilst he drove in human form. Valerie sent me his home address and now we are parked in the parking lot not sure I still want to go ahead and do this.
‘Why have you locked your door?’ Jayden asks as I make no attempt to move
‘Do we really have to do this?’ I ask
‘Do you love your children and their well being?’
‘Of course I do.’ I say
‘Then open the doors.’
Reluctantly I unlock the doors and sigh deeply before we both go out, he waits for me to lock the car before he grabs my hand and locks fingers with mine.
‘Don’t worry I am here with you.’ He says reassuringly
I smile weakly
We get to the door and he knocks twice before a lady in a uniform opens, she looks like the house help.
‘Can I help you?’ She asks
‘We are here to see Mr. Acker.’ Jayden speaks up
‘I will let his wife know that he has visitors.’ She says closing the door on us
We wait ten minutes before Cassie comes to the door, her smile drops when she sees me.
‘And what do you want here?’
‘Is Vashawn home?’
‘And if he is?’
‘He is the one I want to talk to.’ I respond
‘I am his wife and whatever you want to discuss with my husband has to go through me.’
I shake my head
‘What is that supposed to mean?’
‘It’s about the kids, the ones I have with him.’
I see the blood on her face, she must be angry but just holding herself and I really don’t care right now.
‘Who are you talking to?’ I hear Vashawn’s voice from the inside ‘It’s no one.’ She yells back
‘It’s Michel.’ I scream louder than her
She gnashes her teeth loudly
Seconds later I hear footsteps running to the door
‘Mummy.’ Laura says coming to stand behind me, she looks really scared. I hold her and her clothes are wet
‘What happened to her?’ I ask looking at Cassie She rolls her eyes and looks the other side ‘Vashawn what happened to my child?’
‘Nothing is wrong with her.’ He says obviously not sure what I am asking about
‘Vashawn Laura’s clothes are wet and she is cold so don’t tell me that nothing is wrong with her.’
‘She was obviously playing with water.’ He says unconcerned ‘Laura what happened to you?’
She holds me a little tighter
‘Mummy Cassie made her wash the baby’s nappies.’ Shawn says coming outside ‘You did what?’ I ask my blood boiling
No one responds
‘Cassie did you ask Laura to wash the baby’s nappies?’ I ask again this time looking at her
‘I asked her to look after the baby for one minute and the next he was messing his nappies, whose fault was it?’
Without thinking twice I slap her so hard I see her head spinning around
‘How dare you?’ She asks charging towards me after regaining balance but I slap her again and push her so hard this time sending her to the tiles
‘Michel!’ Vashawn screams
‘What sort of a man are you? Your kids are being mistreated by your wife and you are just there not knowing what is happening, is this why you got them? To mistreat them? Or to allow her to do them harm?’
He keeps quiet
‘Vashawn let this be the last time that you come and get my kids, I understand I was never your favorite being but please leave that war between us. Don’t involve the innocent kids because I will not sit back and watch your wife mistreat them whilst I have breath in me.’
He looks at me wordlessly
‘And where is Marsha?’
‘She is sleeping.’ Laura responds
‘Marsha wouldn’t sleep in such a situation, what did you do to my child?’
‘Michel the child is just sleeping.’ Vashawn says helping Cassie up
‘Take me to the room where she is.’
Laura leads me into the house whilst Jayden and the rest follow behind.
She leads us to the basement.
‘She is in there.’
‘What do you mean she is in there?’ Vashawn asks but no one responds because being his house he is supposed to know
I try to switch on the light but it doesn’t go on, Jayden switches his phone’s flashlight and searches through the room before we see her sitting on the cold tiles her back pressed against the wall.
‘My baby.’ I say rushing towards her feeling my insides break
I scan the place, there is a plate with dog food laying there and some water in a urine holder.
Jayden quickly lifts her, I am too numb to process all this.
‘How could you do this to innocent children?’ I ask looking at Cassie as tears fall from my eyes
She doesn’t even look remorseful
‘When you are done with this pity party please leave my house.’ She says leaving us there
‘Let us go.’ I say lifting Shawn and holding Laura on one hand
Jayden is still carrying Marsha and we all go to the car; when the kids have been nicely buckled up, I go back to the house where the house help gives me their bags.
‘Have your children checked at the clinic, I wouldn’t trust that woman.’ She says to me in a whisper
I look at her gratefully without a word, I am too broken right now.
I let Jayden drive us to Mum’s Hospital where all three kids are checked, lab tests are done and we are told Marsha has to spend the night under observation as the results show she has an overdose of sleeping pills in her blood. She has been put on drips of water to help with that, both Laura and Shawn are fine but just need to be kept warm.
I call Valerie and tell her about what has happened then she offers to spend the night with the kids home whilst I spend the night at the hospital with Marsha.
‘You don’t have to be here.’ I say to Jayden when he comes back
‘I want to be here.’ He says handing me a bag
‘Your house help packed some things for you and Marsha.’
‘You passed through home?’ I ask tears glistering in my eyes
He nods his head
‘Thank you.’ I whisper as a tear falls
He smiles
‘You are welcome.’ He says touching my hand lovingly
I put the things away whilst he goes to the cafeteria to get us some coffee, I look at Marsha worriedly and I can’t help but wonder why a woman who has gone through labor before would want to kill a child.
..
..
