45 DAYS
Episode 23
TWENTY-THREE DAYS
Effe turns on her side restlessly and
her eyes fall on the bedside clock.
It is 5.00 a.m.
It occurs to her that she needs to
leave her parents’ house very soon.
They had been a great help during
her ordeal, but she feels it is now
time to cope on her own.
Already the crippling pain Steve had
given her is almost a dull ache now.
She can choose to live in the
furnished apartment she owns, or
the house she has along the Labadi
Beach.
Her phone rings suddenly and her
heart skips a beat. Who is calling her
that early? It is not Chris, because he
has a special tone, and for a moment
she looks at the phone crossly.
How she wishes he will call, just call.
She sighs, picks up the phone, and
glances at the screen.
Steve’s smiling face is filling her
screen.
It is strange, but she can’t remember
when she changed the special ring
tone she had for Steve and replaced
it with the default ring tone.
Why is he calling her this early?
She drops the phone on the table
and wonders how his call would
have made her jump with elation
only a few days ago.
But not now! A lot has happened the
last days.
The phone continues to ring, and she
continues to ignore it.
Finally he stops calling.
Effe turns on her back and picks the
phone. She opens up her call log and
dials Chris’ number.
His phone is switched off.
Suddenly an uneasy fear grips her
heart.
Has she driven him away? Is that it?
Is she not going to see him again?
The thought of that possibility fills
her heart with sudden pain. She
sighs miserably.
EFFE
(in a whisper)
Chris. Please. Don’t do this!
There is a knock on her door.
She never locks her bedroom door
when she is home, and so she waits.
The door opens, and her mother
pokes her head in.
MADAM IVY
Steve is here, Sweetheart. In the
hall.
Effe bolts upright, scowling, her face
confused.
EFFE
Steve? Here? This early? Why?
Her mother shakes her head and
raises her eyebrows.
MADAM IVY
I don’t know, love. The security man
opened the gates for him. And he
kept ringing the doorbell till your
sister opened the door. You better
come and see him.
Effe gets out of bed, still confused.
She marvels at how she is feeling a
little bit irritated.
Just a few days ago she would have
jumped at the news that the love of
her life is in her home, looking for
her.
Not now, though. This dawn, she is
not happy about that news.
She gets up from bed and takes off
her sexy negligée.
She steps into jeans and blouse,
brushes her teeth and combs her
hair.
She slips her delicate feet into a pair
of feather-topped slippers and goes
downstairs.
Steve is dressed in a most
excellently-cut blue-black suit, with
a sparkling white shirt and sky dark
blue tie.
He is standing at the foot of the steps
looking up at Effe.
The moment she sees him she is
reminded of the day of their
wedding. He had been in the same
attire.
She stops three steps up and looks at
him with her hand on the balustrade.
He looks up at her, and he smiles
sadly and holds out a hand to her.
STEVE
You look more beautiful every day,
Honey.
EFFE
(puzzled)
You came here dressed like you’ve
just won a presidential election just
to tell me I’m beautiful, Steve
Hollison?
A very painful expression crosses his
face, so profound that for one
terrible moment she is scared he is
going to cry.
He shakes his head numbly.
STEVE
You have forgotten, haven’t you?
EFFE
Forgotten what, Steve?
STEVE
Jesus! I can’t believe this! Did you
ever love me, Effe?
Effe leans against the balustrade and
crosses her arms under her breasts
and regards him with very confused
eyes.
EFFE
What’s wrong, Steve? Are you
alright? Why don’t you just tell me
whatever you so evidently want me
to remember?
STEVE
I’m not bloody okay! Today is our
damn eleventh anniversary! You
always got mad when I forgot it! You
even set a damn alarm for me so that
I’ll always remember! And you’re
telling me you’ve forgotten the day
we got married? Just like that?
Effe laughs softly because she is sure
she will go mad if she doesn’t laugh.
She brushes her hair angrily from her
face and looks at him with eyes
suddenly hard with unbridled anger.
EFFE
Who do you think you are, Steve?
You still want me to remember our
wedding anniversary after you
impregnated my sister, divorced me
and married her? Who do you think
you are, Mr. Steve Hollison? You must
think you’re Superman, the best man
God ever created, too handsome for
this world, too special for women!
You must feel you have to be
worshipped, a Steve God whose fart
is perfumed! You must be very
special indeed, and I must bow and
kneel in your divine presence!
Steve climbs the steps and stands
before her. His face is screwed up
with pain, and she notices that he is
trembling with emotion.
STEVE
(voice trembling)
I’m so sorry, Honey! I’ve hurt you
beyond human comprehension. The
stress of childlessness, the pressure
of impatient parents, the taunts of
friends... I’m not making excuses,
Effe, but those things does get to a
man. I messed up big time, and I
killed your soul in the process! But I
never meant things to go this far!
Elaine threatened to take the baby
away if I didn’t marry her! I just
wanted this to be a mere formality.
As soon as she gives birth and the
child is legally recognized as mine
I’m gonna leave her!
Effe feels her fury mounting
uncontrollably. For one horrible
moment she almost reaches for his
eyes with her nails.
EFFE
Leave her? Are you saying you’re
gonna leave Elaine for me after she
gives birth? Is that what you’re
saying?
STEVE
(plaintively)
Yes, yes! I love you, honey! I’ve
never stopped loving you! I’ll never
stop loving you!
EFFE
(contemptuously)
Hm, I see. I’ve heard of a game called
Musical Chairs. Seems to me you
want to redefine it and rename it
Changing Sisters! You’re pathetic,
Steve!
Steve grabs her arms tightly, his face
suddenly filled with emotion and
engorged with the crippling love he
still feels for her.
STEVE
(speaking through clenched teeth,
absolutely emotional)
I love you, Effe! I’m sorry, Effe! This
day is our special day! It’ll always be
our special day! Our anniversary, and
I don’t want us to fight. I came to
take you to hill, our love hill, and
watch the sunrise together like we
used to! I went through an awful lot
to get here this morning. I had to
even leave my car because Elaine
took it because she remembers what
day today is. I don’t wanna be alone
today. I wanna spend it with you, my
love! Please don’t push me away!
Effe tries unsuccessfully to
disengage her arms from his. She is
feeling suffocated all of a sudden
and just wants to be away from him.
EFFE
Let me go, Steve! You’re hurting me!
I’m not going anywhere with you!
Steve transfers his arms to her waist,
holds her tightly, and clamps his lips
to hers. For a moment she is shocked
and lost.
His lips rove hers, and brings back
memories of fonder days, of loving
days, of sweeter days!
For a moment she relaxes in his
arms, feeling his anguish as his tears
suddenly flood her face.
He is kissing her with deep emotion
and crying at the same time.
But there is one thing missing!
The spark is gone! Her heart is not
fluttering, the fire is not burning in
her heart anymore. There is no
bomb, no explosion.
It is just a whisper, not a roar, not a
boom like she had felt in a certain
suite in a certain magical place
called WaterWorld.
The hands roving her body do not
have fire in their tips, or ice in their
depths... fire and ice, hot and cold,
fire and water, mixed into delicious
echelons of unbearable pleasure
that made her crave for more again
and again and again.
She sees his face, the face of that
violent stubborn taxi driver, and
suddenly she begins to fight.
She pushes her face away from his,
and pulls back violently.
STEVE
(crying uncontrollably)
Effe! Effe! Please, honey, don’t fight
me! Please! I love you, I need you! I
want you!
She pushes hard, and he falls down
to his knees. He raises his hands to
her, begging and imploring as tears
course down his cheek.
She is crying too as she looks down
at him. Oh how glad she would’ve
been just a few days ago, before she
ever set foot at a place called
WaterWorld.
She shakes her head. She is missing
a man quite badly, yes, but that man
is not called Steve.
Oh Chris!
EFFE
(with tears in her eyes)
Go back to Elaine, Steve, please!
We’re done here!
She turns from him and flees into her
room. Her tears are still falling, and
she can feel his hot lips on hers.
She smells him all around her. That
won’t do at all. She needs to shower,
to be fresh, to feel new.
She strips off her clothes and runs to
the bathroom naked. Anguished
tears fall down her cheeks as she
draws a warm bath and slips into it.
She is shaking, and afraid, as it dawns
on her that in a moment of craziness
she has unconsciously made a
choice... and it is not Steve she has
chosen.
Steve falls to his knees on the stairs,
and his tears fall silently,
agonisingly.
Madam Ivy emerges silently from the
recesses of the living-room where
she had been standing and listening
and watching.
She is in a belted robe, and has a
scarf around her grey hair. She is
middle-aged, but she is a strikingly
beautiful woman.
MADAM IVY
Are you going to sit there and
behave like a weasel or you’re going
to go up there and fight for her?
Steve looks round, notices her and
quickly gets up. He looks at her,
puzzled.
STEVE
Pardon? What did you just say?
MADAM IVY
You heard me.
Steve comes towards her slowly,
haltingly. His desperate eyes search
her face.
He runs a dry tongue over his drier
lips and wipes tears from his eyes.
STEVE
You don’t hate me?
MADAM IVY
Oh, I detest you with every fibre of
my soul. I think you’re scum, and I’ll sexy beach wedding dresses
never forgive you for the pain you
gave my baby!
Steve stares at her, puzzled.
STEVE
Then why? Why’re you encouraging
me go after Effe?
MADAM IVY
Because I believe she’s making a
fool of herself. She’s still hurting
from what you did to her, and she’s
vulnerable... so vulnerable that she’s
making a stupid mistake without
realizing it.
Steve nods, and his jaw sets hard.
STEVE
That damn taxi driver, right?
MADAM IVY
Yes, that damn taxi driver. I’d rather
have her back with you, no matter
how much I hate you, than with that
leech who is way below her, and
who only want to use her as a
fulfilment of his perverse fantasies. I
think he might’ve made love to her
already.
Steve reacts as if he has received a
physical blow in his belly.
The air whooshes out of him and his
knees wobble. He reaches out in a
daze and grasp the balustrade for
support.
He can barely breathe, and his face is
screwed up tightly with pure
unadulterated pain and high grade
agony.
STEVE
(in a whisper)
What? Effe? No, no! She wouldn’t do
that! She barely knows him! She’s
not that kind of woman! I can’t
believe that!
Madam Ivy looks at him without pity.
MADAM IVY
Then you’re a fool, and it serves you
right, of course. If you have any
sense in your head you’ll go up
there and make her see that you two
can still have a future together. If
you allow that boy to be with her,
from now, you’ll lose her forever.
Steve, filled with furious jealousy,
waits no more.
He bounds up the stairs three at a
time, makes the landing, and enters
Effe’s room.
He looks around and sees she’s not
inside. He hears the splashing from
the bathroom and tiptoes forward to
peep into the crack of the slightly
open door.
He sees her lying in the bath, her
head resting on a raised upright, her
chest bare, her lovely breasts
standing proud, her nipples taut.
Her amazing skin is glowing, and she
is the most beautiful woman he has
ever seen.
Desire rips through him like an
earthquake, and in a flash he rips off
his clothes.
Naked now, he reaches for the
handle of the bathroom door…
Meanwhile, down in the living-room,
Mr. Ken Kedem emerges from his
room.
It is now 6 a.m.
He is dressed in a beautiful African
top and crisp black trousers.
He is going to meet some business
partners at eight in the morning.
KEN KEDEM
Thought I heard voices.
MADAM IVY
Oh, nothing, dear. I was watching
television. Are you sure you don’t
want any breakfast?
KEN KEDEM
Will take breakfast with Mr. Duncan
and Crankson, darling. Have to rush.
Will meet you at the office.
MADAM IVY
Alright, Champ.
She puts her arms around his neck
and kisses him briefly.
She accompanies him outside to his
car.
He opens the back door and tosses in
his little attache case, closes the
door and approaches the driver’s
door.
The gate man has just opened the
main gates for him, and that is when
a man emerges through the gates.
Ken Kedem’s face lights up with
surprise and delight, and he waves
to the man.
KEN KEDEM
Chris! My boy! Come here!
Chris is wearing black jeans, white
Nike sneakers and a white Lacoste
polo shirt and he looks incredibly
handsome.
He greets them and takes Ken
Kedem’s outstretched hand.
Madam Ivy does not respond to him.
CHRIS
Good to see you again, Mr. Kedem.
KEN KEDEM
I haven’t been able to express my
thanks and gratitude to you, boy!
How have you been?
CHRIS
(smiling)
I’ve been better, sir. Had a little
misunderstanding with your
daughter, and I’ve been feeling very
blue.
Ken Kedem laughs and slaps Chris’
back.
KEN KEDEM
The women in my pen have that kind
of effect on men, boy! Drop by for a
dinner this week, and let me thank
you properly!
CHRIS
No thanks needed, sir. It was a
pleasure.
KEN KEDEM
Thanks again, son. I have to run now.
Effe is in. Go and see her.
They watch as he gets into the car,
waves, and drives out of the gates.
Chris turns to Madam Ivy, whose
poisonous eyes drive into him, and
her jaw line is set in an angry thin
line.
MADAM IVY
You damn, sleazy bastard!
CHRIS
Wow. That’s descriptive, I think. I’m
going to see Effe.
Madam Ivy smiles mirthlessly.
MADAM IVY
She’s sick, and in her room. You can
go right up. Come, let me show you
her room.
Chris scowls at her. He is surprised
she is not stopping him from going
inside.
They enter the house and he follows
her up the stairs to Effe’s door. She
indicates it to him, turns, and heads
back down to the living-room with a
cold, satisfied smile on her face.
He knocks on the door, and calls
Effe’s name softly.
Steve hears the door, and hears his
voice just as he opens the bathroom
door wide.
Effe sees Steve naked, and she gasps
with a mixture of surprise and anger,
and quickly stands up in the bath.
Water cascades down her beautiful
body.
Blindly she reaches for a huge towel,
and just then Chris opens the door
and steps inside the room.
He sees Steve naked, still with an
erection, and he sees Effe standing
naked in the bath.
Effe’s face breaks down with total
pain when she sees the sudden
agony on Chris’ face.
Their eyes lock, and she shakes her
head numbly.
EFFE
(in a pained whisper)
Chris!
She sees Chris shaking, and feels his
agony, his pain, his tortured spirit
plainly on his face.
CHRIS
At least you should’ve locked the
damn door!
He turns quickly and leaves the
room.
Effe snatches the towel and drapes it
around her body, and comes out of
the bath.
EFFE
(shouting)
CHRIS! WAIT! OH LORD, OH NO! WAIT,
CHRIS!!!!
She tries to go past Steve, but he
holds her tight.
STEVE
I’m here, honey! Let him go! I’m
here, and I love you!
EFFE
(screaming)
Let me go! Let me go, Steve! Damn
you! CHRISSSS! OH PLEASE WAIT!!!
She pushes Steve away, but he is still
holding her towel, and it comes off
Effe.
She does not stop.
Still naked, she opens the door and
races down the stairs.
Eyram’s door slams open and she
emerges, still in her nightdress and
with Junior clamped to her shoulder.
EYRAM
Effe! What’s wrong, Ef?
Effe reaches the front door and tries
to open it. Madam Ivy comes out of
the kitchen and pushes Effe back,
blocking the doorway.
EFFE
MAMA! LET ME OUT!
MADAM IVY
You’re naked, dear. The house staff
are outside, you sure you wanna go
out naked?
EFFE
Let me out, Mama! Let me out!
Madam Ivy holds her as she begins to
cry. Eyram enters Effe’s room and
sees Steve putting on his trousers.
EYRAM
What the hell are you doing here,
Steve? What have you done to Effe? I
swear to you if you’ve hurt her I’ll
personally castrate you!
She picks up the huge towel from
the floor and descends to the living-
room where Effe is being held in her
mother’s arms.
Effe is crying bitterly as if her heart is
being torn out of her chest.
Eyram hands her baby to Madam Ivy,
and then she covers her sister with
the towel and hold her close.
The agony on Effe’s face sears Eyram
to the core.
EFFE
I lost him, Rammy! I lost him!
Eyram, who doesn’t know exactly
what is going on, smiles reassuringly
at her tortured sister and holds her
tight.
Steve appears on the landing.
He and Madam Ivy look at each other,
and both nod in victory.
To be continued