Isadora episode 18

Episode 18

Isadora’s side of the story continues from the last
scene of the previous episode,
Minutes later,
‘’I think you should save the story till you guys eat
something. You just got here’’ my adoptive father
interrupted quickly.
‘’noo I have waited a long time for this. I can’t wait
any longer please tell me everything’’ I urged the
hunter impatiently. He smiled, led me to a chair and
sat down.
‘’I used to work for your late parents. I was their
gateman for many years. I was there when you were
born after so many struggles and prayers. They were
just an averagely wealthy couple with a fast rising
business and I was like part of the family. The only
problem I had back then was that I was a drunk. In
fact I spent all my money in liquor. And that really was
what got me fired from my driving job before your late
father took me in. I tried to stop the addiction but
couldn’t. The more I tried the worst it got. I preferred
alcohol to food and it was so bad, yet your parents
tolerated me but unfortunately I let them down’’ he
paused, breathing deeply while I urged him to continue.
‘’The evening your family house caught fire, I was at
my duty post (the gate), very late in the evening when
your father’s younger brother came visiting. I was
surprised seeing him visit so late but couldn’t turn him
back because he was my boss’s brother. He looked like
someone with an urgent message. I allowed him into the
house and he presented me with a bottle of a rare type
of drink, saying he specially got it from Lagos for me.
It was a very attractive foreign drink and it was my
first time of having such a gift from someone. What I
didn’t know was that the alcohol content in the drink
was twice the amount I was used to. It equally had this
sweet taste that made it unnoticeable. In no time I
drained the drink and the next minute I was dozing off
like a child. I can’t really tell what made me sprang up
moments later to see the main house on fire. Perhaps it
was the heat of the fire that woke me up or maybe the
noise. I managed to dash into the house but couldn’t do
much in my drunken state. It was your cry that
attracted me when I got into the building and I
managed to get to your bed and rescue you. I couldn’t
find your parents or your dad’s brother, though I
wasn’t able to search well for them because of the
intensity of the fire and my drunken state. All I could
do was to save you before other neighbors and the
police showed up to confirm that two people died in the
fire and they were your parents. I ran away from the
house because I didn’t want to end up in prison. I felt
an investigation would be carried out and I could end up
being the scapegoat. I brought you to my good friend
who accepted to raise you as his daughter and then
fled to the outskirts of the town to live a solitary life
as a hunter. Every single day my conscience kept
punishing me. I felt responsible for everything that
happened and I really can’t tell what brought you to
me the second time. Yes after I listened to your story
I knew saving you was the only atonement I could make.
Please forgive me’’ he begged softly while tears freely
flowed down my eyes. I couldn’t believe his story was
real. It was like something that happened only in movies
but they were real as ever. I would have been a dead
person if not for him.
‘’how much do you know my dad’s younger brother?’’ I
found myself asking.
‘’he only visited occasionally. I never knew where he
lived or much about him. But I believe I can recognize
him any day’’ he replied.
‘’come to think of it, my life suddenly took a twist the
moment I stepped foot in the city, in my employer’s
house. I was firstly set up with theft and I kind of
suspected my employer’s fiancée wanted me out of the
house to save her relationship. But the day you saved
my life in the forest, the dude who was about killing me
made some startling revelations. He said I should have
remained in the village plus some other things that
made it look like someone who knew me very well paid
him to get rid of me. Then I also remember finding an
old family picture in the same girl’s bag, where a
woman was wearing a very similar pendant like mine. The
pendant that was on my neck the night you gave me
away for adoption. I’m having this strange feeling that
my employer’s fiancée and my late parents are kind of
related and she knows that. Moreover she took me to
the hospital for some kind of test’’ I breathed
thoughtfully as everything that happened in the past
came flashing back in my head.
‘’where is the picture and where is the pendant?’’ the
hunter asked curiously.
‘’they are in my employer’s house. I think I will have to
go back to the house’’ I breathed as we stared at each
other.
—————————–
Meanwhile back in Val’s family house, Jane is seen in
Isadora’s room, going through her things. The shiny
pendant quickly got her attention. She took it and
rushed to Val’s room where she grabbed two of her
bags and headed to her own room where she emptied all
the contents in search of something. She equally
brought out two other smaller bags from her wardrobe
which she also emptied. After few minutes of searching,
she smiled as her eyes feel on a picture she thought she
misplaced. It was the same picture Isadora found
sometime back but couldn’t steal.
The smile of relief never left Jane’s face as she
matched the pendant she was holding with the pendant
in the picture.
———————
Then back at the hunter’s village, Charles and five men
are seen searching the hunter’s house but they couldn’t
find anything or anyone. It was a very fruitless search
after spending so many resources in locating the house.
They had no choice than to call off the operation. They
failed once again to get Isadora who was very far away
learning the story of her life.
To be continued