The Designer's Wicked Intentions

by Yvonne Sibanda

  She scoffed, “No it’s you who has forgotten, this is my divorce settlement for having put up with you for seventeen years.” He seemed thinner and more hardened than the last time she saw him. It was said that people who tended to go to prison, became worsened in their cause and right now she was wary of him, seeing how different he looked.

  “I dropped by to see the girls and was told mommy was on a date, don’t you think Ethan is too young for you?” he mocked. Guess that hadn’t changed, he still sneered when he spoke to her. “What I do or who I date is none of your business.”

  “Wrong darling, it is my business when it concerns my children.”

  When has his daughters ever been a priority. He had been busy with other women to even get to know them. She doubted he could tell the twins apart. He was never there and now he pulled the card of a concerned caring father. “If you knew what’s good for you, you would stay away from Ethan and make sure he stays away from my daughters,” he spoke with an edge to his voice.

  “Who are you to be telling me that?” she shouted back, getting more annoyed as the euphoria she had been feeling was suddenly getting ruined by horrible Luc as usual. He stood up and menacingly walked towards her as she shifted back until she hit the wall of her living room. “You choose Aggy, him or your children?”

  He shifted and started walking towards the door. “Both” she retorted not at all phased by his threat as he turned and grinned. She had sensed something sinister in him and it had reared back its head. Whatever happened in prison, Luc was no longer the same. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you sweet heart," he stated as he opened the door. “Are you threatening me?” She could hear him chuckling as he walked out of the house and she finally slumped on the couch. She suddenly felt exhausted and sensed some form of premonition of danger looming around.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HER PHONE rang while she was getting ready for bed. “Luc is out of prison,” she blurted out before Sophie could say anything. Sophie uttered a few colorful words before asking, “How do you feel about it?”

  “I don’t know Soph; he seemed hardened and different.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  Aggy could hear the agitation in her voice. “No, no he didn’t” she finally answered after a long pause. Sophie changed the subject and asked, “So how was your date with naughty Ethan.”

  Aggy huffed since the naughty title appeared to have stuck where Sophie was concerned, she giggled before she answered, “Great and normal, apart from the décor this time that was added into the mix,”

  “Annnd” Sophie impatiently hurried her, wanting to hear the good news that her friend would share.

  “And what love. He brought me back home and left, and then I found Luc in the house.”

  Sophie huffed when she heard that and Agatha detected her disappointment, “Was they something else other than going to a date like Dom suggested.”

  Yes your marriage proposal, she nearly shouted, but instead asked, “Didn’t something interesting happen, hmmmm.”

  “Oh yes, something interesting did happen,” Aggy answered imagining Sophie pulling the phone tighter to her ear. “We snogged.”

  Sophie huffed, “As if that has ever been new, you nearly slept with the guy duh.”

  Agatha yelped and blushed realizing her blabbermouth of a cousin had mentioned the incidence to his wife. “I knew something was up your sleeve on his birthday. Acting all demure and understanding, saying you will think about it,” she muttered. Agatha giggled at the fact that to Sophie she appeared to be like an open book.

  “Susan once mentioned that you will be a troublesome person if we didn’t hold you in check.”

  “No she didn’t,” Agatha retorted thinking back to the visits she made to Sophie’s aunt before she passed on. She had been rather curious and fascinated with the woman. “So you say love,” Sophie muttered before stating, “Have to go, Greg is staring at me with laser sharp eyes for being noisy while he is trying to sleep. Good night love and sweet dreams.”

  “Same to you,” Agatha said before she hung up.

  “Aand” Greg motioned with his hand also eliciting a giggle from her. “Nothing, I don’t think Ethan asked her, she sounded clueless.” She huffed and went back to bed. So much for wishing that her friends came around and confessed their love for each other. Both of them were chicken when it came to the serious matters at hand.

  ***

  “MOOOM,” Elsie shouted rushing into her mother’s bedroom in shock and shook her. Aggy slowly opened her eyes and was met with frightened ones while the twins trailed behind wailing. Did horrible Luc do or say anything to them. She hadn’t been able to sleep properly after her encounter with him the day before as she had played his threat over and over in her head. “Sweeties what’s going on?”

  Elsie had taken the remote of her TV and switched it on. “Uncle Ethan” she pointed as Aggy became fully alert and watched. The reporter was stating that he had been mugged outside his house. Clutching at her throat, not believing it, Aggy abruptly got up from bed and comforted the distressed twins before she got them ready for school.

  She was trembling and fearful, hoping his situation wasn’t dire as the reporter had made it out to be. Reporters tended to exaggerate things; she comforted herself with the thought.

  “Uncle Ethan will be fine,” she consoled hugging her twins after dressing them in their school uniforms and fixing their hair. Elsie was already done with getting ready by the time she finished.

  “Moom!” she grabbed her hand, noticing her mother was working on automatic mode. “I will take them to pre-school. Since it’s the first day, we dismiss early so will collect them and send them to granny’s place after.”

  Aggy cradled her face, touched by the thoughtful gesture, “When did you become mature,” while the daughter rolled her eyes. The twins had quieted down hence she held each of their tiny hands as they moved to Elsie’s mini cooper and buckled them in.

  After seeing them off, Thelma was just getting in. She updated her before she got into her car and drove off the opposite direction towards the hospital, hoping and praying that Ethan was alive. Lately a lot of muggings had taken place, leaving the victims dead.

  Walking down the corridor of the hospital was tortuous as she thought the worst. “Martha,” she called and hugged the elegant woman who had been pacing around in the waiting room. “How is he?”

  “No news so far,” Martha sniffled. “Who could do such a thing to my son,” she wept as Agatha comforted her. Sophie and Greg walked into the room ten minutes later. Everyone was concerned and Greg led them in a short prayer before settling down and chatting with Joe, Ethan’s father. Brad and Dom walked in an hour later, having dropped everything after hearing the news.

  Finally Ethan was wheeled from the emergency room to the ICU. His father and mother scrubbed up and went to his bedside. Her phone was vibrating. She finally stared at the caller I.D and realized it was her ex-husband. Moving away from the rest she snapped, “What do you want?”

  “Congratulations are in order don’t you think so Aggy,” he sneered. “What are you talking about?” her heart was already beating fast, as she couldn’t breathe. “What happened Aggy, don’t you love my handy work. I did warn you after all.” Aggy gasped as the line went dead. Greg was staring at her and moved towards her, concern evident in his face. “Aggy is there something wrong?”

  Knowing Greg would knock Lucs teeth from his mouth if she told him. He must be bluffing; maybe it’s just a coincidence, she thought.

  “I am fine,” she gulped in some air and pulled a wobbly smile. “Dress up, go and see him, maybe he will wake up if he hears your voice.”

  She would have laughed and quipped back with her own smart answer but this time she was apprehensive and scared. She quickly went and changed into scrubs worn before getting into the ICU. Getting into the ward, she was shocked at the deathly stillness as the patients in the ward seemed lifeless and none of them stirred. She mo
ved silently to Ethan’s bed, feeling faint while she drew closer.

  All those tubes on his body. His whole head had a bandage wrapped around it and one of his eyes was swollen and blackened. His lip was swollen and a collar had been set over his neck. Oh my God, was her thought as she came to stand next to him and held his limp hand. The Ethan she knew was a fighter and not this lifeless man lying on the bed.

  “Ethan you have to fight this,” she wept. She was grateful that family and friends had let her come in alone, giving her the privacy she needed. “If not for you, for me and the girls, I love you” She sniffled. She settled down still clinging to his hand and willing him to give her a sign that he had heard her. Everyone had managed to see him and she was the last one. They had given her enough time before the visiting hour was over. “I love you, please fight this and come back to me,” she muttered at the same time sending a silent prayer to God for a miracle.

  She believed he would wake up. He had overcome a lot including his sexuality. He was an inspiration to those who had struggled with being gay as he talked freely about his past and not only that, but showed the graciousness of God. He lived a celibate life and with his success in the fashion world also inspired youths on both ends. She thought on how good he was to her daughters and on how they loved him.

  Just like Greg, he was the male figure in their lives that made them feel special and cherished, close to being a father figure they longed for. He had taken Elsie and Nita for a couple of dates and also spoken to them pertaining to relationships. Exhaling softly, she looked up to the nurse who was motioning towards the clock on the wall. No one stayed for long in the ICU and she respected that, even though she longed to be on his side.

  She finally stood up and felt a light squeeze on her hand as she became aware that he had opened his eyes and was staring at her. Her breath caught while he continued to stare before she heard the beeping sound on the monitor and saw him closing his eyes. Yelling out to the doctor, panicked at the fact that he might be gone, nurses rushed into the ward and ushered her out while tears were streaming down her face and she was engulfed in a warm embrace by Sophie who kept on repeating that everything will be ok. Martha on the other hand was being comforted by the husband. “Chin up love,” Sophie advised. She had to be strong, if she wasn’t what more his mother. It was after fifteen minutes that the doctor walked out of the ward to his parents. Everyone gathered where they stood and heard him informing them that he had slipped into a coma. The tension in the waiting room was palpable, capable of being cut through with a knife as his friends prayed.

  ***

  GREG’S GRANDPARENTS, Garret and Marg arrived and hugged the people present. Since the grandparents were tired they left with Ethan’s parents, Marg and Garret while the rest went back to work. Greg whispered something to Sophie before he left trailing behind Brad and Dominic. "Let's go" Sophie said to Agatha who looked at her with a question in her eyes. "Will come back at visiting hour, don't worry he is in safe hands love" she advised before forcefully pulling her to her feet. Knowing Agatha, she would wait for the visiting hour worrying over him.

  "I will drive" Sophie advised when they came out of the hospital. Shrugging her shoulders, Agatha handed the keys to Sophie and got into the passenger seat. She stared out of the window, not in the mood to make small talk, feeling empty on the inside. After driving for a while, Sophie chattering none stop to keep Aggy from worrying, Aggy commented "You just passed my house."

  Sophie giggled, came to the end of the street and drove into the backyard of Mrs. Candice, a nosy body in their hood. She came out of the car and Aggy followed. "Geez thanks Sophie, do you want to update the nosy body of the hood over Ethan’s progress."

  The woman tended to inform her pertaining to her daughter's movements over the holidays and was always on Elsie’s case. She usually wondered where the old lady would be at when she observed Elsie’s forwardness. She rather preferred avoiding her since old Candice happened to be her mother’s friend also. She had a tendency of knocking on Aggy’s door, with an apple pie in hand. Walking into Aggy’s house without being invited in while having a slight curl on her lips and looking around her home before she started gossiping about their neighbors.

  She also had the same thoughts like her mother and vehemently disapproved of Ethan being around the growing girls as if he would take advantage of them.

  Funny she hadn't seen the woman for a month or so.

  Her friend rolled her eyes and strolled to the house. The houses were of the same standard in the hood. Double storied buildings with a huge green front lawn and pool at the back. Sophie moved up the flight of steps before opening the door as Aggy cautiously followed behind. Alexander's nanny had heard the car hence was coming downstairs with him. She greeted Aggy while handing over Alex to the mother. "Soph, what’s going on? Are you house sitting for the old woman?"

  At closer inspection she noticed some major changes made in the house, renovations made, including the freshly painted walls and new taps and sinks installed not at all what she had seen when Candice was around. Some of the pieces of furniture had been in Greg's bachelor pad before while the rest was new.

  "We are your new neighbors. We bought the house a month ago" Sophie finally said with a grin pasted on her face. She had actually moved in with Greg the day before and wanted to surprise Aggy in the morning except the news about Ethan got to them. By the time they got ready, Aggy had already left for the hospital.

  Aggy grabbed Alex from her and threw him in the air while he made gurgling sounds of delight. "You are my neighbors,” Agatha giggled and hugged Sophie with Alex in her other hand. "You have grown big," she sighed, returning him to his mother. At seven months Sophie's son was chubby and cute. "When did that happen," Aggy asked still marveling at the fact that Sophie and Greg were now her neighbors. A sudden thought came into mind when it dawned that the house belonged to them from a month back.

  "The last time you were here, you could have slept at your house," she stared at Sophie accusingly who winked at her in return.

  "The house was still a work in progress and besides Greg wanted to keep a closer eye on you." Aggy slumped on the couch while Sophie handed Alex to the nanny and another maid followed with tea. Sophie filled the cups with tea after nodding to the maid in dismissal and handed one cup to Aggy before settling down. "Stuffy Greg took away my fun."

  Sophie scoffed, "Stuffy Greg prevented you from doing something you would later regret."

  Taking a sip of the tea, Agatha rolled her eyes before replying, "Greg acts all pristine and noble."

  Her cousin had married a former prostitute after all.

  Sophie was laughing at seeing Aggy’s frowning face. She knew the older woman thought that she had been involved with him before marriage. Who wouldn’t since all assumed that having met Greg again at the brothel. Heaving a sigh, she motioned for Aggy to drink her tea before saying "I slept with Greg after we got married." Agatha choked on the tea and started coughing as Sophie giggled. She knew she had dropped a bombshell.

  "He told me, Soph I can’t have you any other way" she continued, mimicking her husband's voice to perfection and had Agatha laughing and holding her poor ribs. “You can’t be serious. Especially in this time and age. People including in church are sleeping around. Then you say you didn’t.” She stared at Sophie full of disbelief in her eyes while Sophie giggled as if it was a rather normal thing for a prostitute to wait for marriage before they carried out the act.

  "Let me let you in on a secret my love. Greg and his friends are very particular when it comes to their faith and sexuality. Ethan and Garret took vows to stay chaste till they got married. As you know their first encounters were not favorable while Greg was a virgin, I was his first; Dom and Brad are still virgins’ love. The only time I felt Brad would do something silly was when he found out Susan was his biological mother and he questioned who he was." Agatha's eyes where now wide open like saucers. "You can’t be serious, Dom and Brad, especial
ly Dom, it’s impossible. Then you say Brad would have lost it over the Susan issue, how do you explain the string of girlfriends then."

  Sophie shook her head, staring at her pityingly as the guys had managed to live up to the playboy persona fooling even Aggy. "You better believe it girlfriend. Don’t be fooled by how they act. That’s why Brad gets dumped or dumps the women; he isn’t sleeping with any of them." She giggled as her friend gaped her mouth open. "The latest one, Sheila was meant to attend the party with him. He had left her at his house before attending to something at his workplace, went back home to get her thinking she was ready to finally meet his friends. I guess she thought she was surprising him with something sweet, not having taken him seriously when he told her they would share intimacies after marriage. Well he got home and found a naked woman lying on his bed. According to him, he picked up her discarded clothes commanded her to dress before he locked the door of his house, dropped her at the bus terminus and came to the party.” Sophie chuckled at that fact, since she thought that her cousin Brad had peeked at the goodies while pretending to be uninterested.

  “He informed us it will not work. They don’t share the same values. The rest is history; you found him swimming in alcohol like a fish."

  "But the brothel"

  "Dom thought Greg would not do the dare. They were all shocked, never the less none was willing to back down and Greg found me. They might get drunk once in a while but they don’t play around with women in that manner. They are all waiting for marriage. I suspected it when Dominic, yep the one we think is a Casanova wept like a baby after he got prepositioned by his ex. I asked Greg why he didn’t give in, that’s when I heard about their pledge to wait.”