Battles in the shadows

HEATED CONFRONTATIONS

Few hours later, a large crowd filled the dumpsite staring at a pink basket. A baby's cries came from there and people were perplexed. A man finally went forward and took a look at the baby. He brought Lauretta out of the basket. "People of God!" Someone exclaimed with shock. She was taken to the nearest clinic immediately. The nurses were not shocked as it was not a new thing.

"She is going straight to the orphanage" one of the nurses said nonchalantly.

"Men are all the same!" another nurse commented bitterly, obviously a victim of some bad relationship.

"And women? We are very naïve and foolish to listen to them and accept all their lies!" the first nurse said casually. Just like any other teenage pregnancy case where the child born was abandoned; the baby was destined to grow up in an orphanage.

Three months on, Koketso was an eager student of the Faculty of Business at the University of Botswana. She planned to finish her degree then go for her Masters and come back and find her daughter. Her mother suspected something strange had happened but she remained silent. And Koketso was glad her mother minded her own business for once. Unfortunately for Koketso, she sees Vincent every day and it was completely annoying.

On one occasion, Koketso was coming from a lecture when she collided with him.

"Hey sugar. Looking good." He said flirtatiously. Koketso felt like throwing up each time she seems him and today was no different. She did not respond, she looked at his stupid Afro she naively fell in love with years back. What a shame. A handsome man who lacks the most important thing any girl would kill for; a good heart. She smiled and walked past him. It has just only begun. He has a weakness and that was Koketso herself.

"No matter how much you run Vinny, you belong to me heart and soul."

Few hours later, Koketso smiled as she put her plans of destruction together. She walked to the male hostels where Vincent stays. His latest victim would be there in less than ten minutes. Koketso wore a short alter neck dress revealing a great deal of cleavage; enough to blow any young man's mind away. She also wore red lipstick and a black high heeled shoe she borrowed from her room mate. She knocked at his door softly. Her plan must work otherwise it meant plan B must come into operation. The door opened and Vincent came out.

"You cannot fail." She scolded herself.

"May I come in?" she asked softly. Vincent was mesmerized.

"You can" he replied. Koketso walked in. Her brain had planned and calculated everything.

" I refuse to end up like my mother. No man will dare use me again. And for you Vincent darling, you can never get away. You will dearly pay for all your sins against me and my daughter!" she thought happily.

"Looking as great as ever" he commented. Koketso's face became serious.

"Vincent do you still love me?" she asked quietly, looking down at the floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Player!" she thought angrily.

"What are you saying Vinny?" she asked innocently.

"Come back to me Kukie and you will never regret it." he replied. Koketso broke loose from his grip.

"What about our baby Vinny. And oh! It's a girl. I named her Lauretta."

Vincent's face turned hard and angry.

"Koketso stop this madness!"

"Vinny don't you want to see your daughter?" he looked at her with intense anger.

"You can leave now if you don't mind. My girl is coming soon and I wouldn't want her to find you like this." Her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She clapped her hands and smiled.

"Bravo! Bravo!" she slapped him hard across the face. "You hideous pig!" he looked at her shocked.

"You want to use me all over again? You make me sick! Men like you deserve to be locked up in an asylum. Goodbye Vincent. But as I said before; I promise you, you will regret what you've done to us!"

"Really? What are you going to do?"

"Remember Vincent, he who breaks a hedge, is the one that gets bitten by the serpent!" with that she walked to the door, her head held high. The door opened and a gorgeous slim lady came in.

"Who are you?" she asked with suspicion.

"You are the new one?" Koketso laughed

"If I were you darling, I will run as far as I can from that pig!"

"Who are you? Vinny what is this?" the new love of his life was obviously upset.

"You call him that too? If you last long, that will be your luck and your destruction. I will be back and when I do all hell would break loose. Ciao!" she walked out with a mischievous grin on her face.

AT MIDNIGHT...

Koketso yawned as she closed a textbook she had been studying. The time was 2:50 in the morning. She had for almost five hours.

"Time to go to sleep" she told herself. As she lay down on her bed, her door was making some squeaky noise. She got up immediately. Someone was trying to break inside her room. Her room mate was not in as she had gone home to visit her parents. Her heart beat rapidly in fear as the noise continued. Suddenly the door flew opened and three guys came in led by Vincent.

"What is this madness?" Koketso yelled. Vincent slapped her hard across the face.

"Stay away from my life." Koketso fought back her tears.

"Coward! Looser. Your daughter is in the orphanage. If you care, look for her. Otherwise, you will never see her. And I promise you Vincent!" she spat out his name with venom. "She will come back to haunt you." Noises were coming out from outside.

"It's security Vinny." One of the guys said.

"Run Vincent! You are good at that. Don't come back or you will regret it. Our paths should never cross or you will fart fire!" Vincent looked at her angrily and left.

Burning tears of rage and bitterness ran down Koketso's face. How dare he come in here to assault her? He is indeed a good for nothing human being!!! He discarded her after years of being his only girl. If I don't get back at you Vincent, your daughter will!!! If you think you will get away with your foolishness, you have got something else coming. Time flies Vinny dear and it will catch up with you. You better watch your back from now on.