Continued from chapter twenty one.
I hastened toward the house in fear and as the tinted windows of the car began to roll towards me. He called out my name again.
“Ebun, wait!”
I ignored the call, walking towards my house as fast as I could. I heard the sound of the car door open but before anyone could get out, I was in the house. I locked the door behind me and turned off the lights. I was terrified. I peeped through the window to see who it was and unsurprisingly, my stalker was already approaching the front door. Collins was back and this time there was nowhere to hide.
I contemplated calling the police station where I made a complaint earlier in the week but what was I going to say? There was no crime committed yet. In a rare display of courage, I decided to confront him and put an end to this misery once and for all. I took a deep breath and opened the door as he was about to knock.
“Hi Ebun!” he said with a very warm smile, “I have been trying to reach you for a while now.”
He reached out to hug me, catching me off guard. I wasn’t sure what to make of it and so I ignored his gesture. Although, I noticed he looked genuinely glad to see me.
“What do you want and why have you been stalking me?” I asked agitatedly.
“Stalk you? I haven’t been stalking you; I have missed you and was here to see you the other day but only met your mum.”
How dare he miss me after all he put me through? I was livid, to say the least.
“As you can see, I am doing okay, so bye!” I attempted slamming the door on him but he held stopped it with a foot.
“Ebun wait for a second! I want to explain everything about that night at the party, there is no amount of apologies I can give that would make up for the trauma it must have caused but just give me a few minutes,” He pleaded.
“Keep your explanations and apologies; I am not interested, I have moved on,” I replied.
“No you don’t understand, I was beaten, shot and almost killed that night for something I knew entirely nothing about, only to find out later it was because I wore cult colours to the party. I have been suffering from guilt ever since because I thought you had been killed. Chioma pleaded with me to reach out to you on behalf of both us. She said you haven’t spoken to her ever since and we both feel really responsible for everything that happened to you.”
I was calm and also surprised at how differently things were turning out in contrast to my initial perceptions.
“Please leave me alone! I am a different person now and I don’t want anything to do with you or Chioma ever again,” I reiterated.
Collins continued to plead as I shut the door in his face. I felt no remorse or pity; I was ready to move on with all the help I was getting. I was also relieved he didn’t pose a danger to my safety anymore. Somehow, he had managed to convince me that we were both victims of mistaken identity.
He left an invitation to Chioma’s wedding at the door in a white envelope with a letter attached to it. Chioma was getting married and in the letter, she explained how she found it difficult to forgive herself for putting me in harm’s way and how it would be her unreserved pleasure to have me as her chief bride’s maid. I turned it down without hesitating, I wasn’t about to be dragged back into that circle.
Doctor Obi arrived a few minutes afterwards as earlier arranged and we were set for a lovely dinner date. I told him all that happened with Collins and he was happy and relieved I was finally getting some closure. After dinner, we proceeded to see a movie. Things were really going well with doctor Obi and it was all a new experience for me.
Two weeks passed and we didn’t say a word to each other, my relationship with Tola was strained. She avoided me like a plague but I was eager to sort things out. I stumbled on the card Lekan had slipped me at the lounge while sorting my laundry and as I looked at the information on it, an idea popped into my head.
To be continued next week.