“Please come out and take a seat,” said Anala, motioning her friend back to the sofa.
Vaida planted her feet firmly on the closet floor. Her face was partially covered by a pair of overalls. Anala fought the urge to laugh.
“Please,” said Anala with an encouraging nod.
Vaida stepped out and followed her to the sofa. Her anger was still carved into her forehead. Her eyes were filled with suspicion. The unpleasant experience had raised new questions about an old friend. Anala cupped Vaida’s hands in her own. Vaida withdrew them. Her eyes were cold.
“It was Edith,” said Anala quietly. “I told you she would grow angrier before she forgave you. I guess she took the time to think about what you did to her.”
“That woman is dangerous, Anala. Why do you keep her around?”
“For the same reason I remain friends with Moses. Dangerous people make good allies if you can direct their wrath against your enemies.”
“Or your friends.”
“This was a special case. Edith would do anything for my friends. She just has a few wrinkles in her personality. I am helping her iron them out.”
“Well, you will need an industrial-sized iron for that.”
“Only industrial-sized patience. Since I met Edith, she has been working on a few anger management techniques. One of them is punching the shit out of an old trailer. Tonight, that strategy didn’t work. If we had not intervened, she would have broken through those doors and ripped you to shreds. Not even I can control her once she reaches that stage.”
Vaida’s eyes softened slightly.
“So how did you calm her down?”
“We tranquilized her.”
“How long will she be out for?”
“At least an hour. You have time.”
“I’m sorry, Anala. But you should have called out when you walked back in here. I was planning big things for whoever opened that closet door.”
“Yes. I noticed that you made an eye gouger with one of my coat hangers.”
“It was all I could do at short notice. I would have used it too if something had not held me back.”
“What was it?”
“I don’t know.”
“I do. It was your gut. You were born with sharper instincts than anyone I have ever met, Vaida. Your intuition only became exceptional because you made a conscious effort to sharpen it. You embrace and learn from all your experiences, welcome or otherwise.”
“So you entrusted your eyeballs to my intuition?”
“No. I entrusted them to the judgment that flowed from it. Despite your fear, you decided that even if I was an intruder, you would rather die than lash out and blind a friend. Your greatest concern was for me, not yourself. You have always been like that with all of your girls.”
“But why test me this way?”
“To show you that your immune system has the power to overcome a disease you were unprepared for. At first, your fear tried to take over. After all, it’s an emotion that overwhelms us when we feel threatened by the unfamiliar. But you were able to ignore the danger for long enough to reason through the possibilities. Finally, you made a decision that you could accept, regardless of whether you lived or died.”
Anala reached out and cupped Vaida’s hands once more. Her friend did not withdraw them.
“Vaida, your emotional immune system is like any other muscle. It can be strengthened to overcome any disease, including the aggressive strain, which targets your will to fight it. I should know. I learned this lesson through you.”
Vaida looked to the floor. Anala squeezed her hands to prompt her into re-establishing eye contact.
“Vaida, you helped a man named Lazarus to break down my defences. Unlike you, I did not have the good fortune of being attacked by a powerful vaccine that my system could defeat. I was infected with the disease at full strength. I tried to fight, but thanks to you, it overwhelmed me. Now look where I ended up? The love of my life was murdered by rivals who were jealous of the success I helped him attain. I have more money than I could ever spend, and yet I live in a truck ‘also moving things’ for the type of clients who drove me into this business to begin with. And my love life? I am sure there are nuns who have more fun. When I hear people talking about sex, it sounds like some strange ritual practised by those tribes that are sometimes discovered in remote corners of the world. The act sounds primitive, intriguing, distant, and strictly for other people. But my good fortunes do not end there. One of my bodyguards is an angry woman who must be tranquilized like an elephant that has run amok in the market.
“As if my own problems are not enough, I am forced to call upon men like Moses to protect a friend who insists on following the very path that led me to the worst experience of my life. I should have followed my gut and refused to marry Lazarus. He was fate’s way of intensifying my misery by granting, and then revoking my happiness.
“My son James is the only sunny piece of my gloomy jigsaw puzzle. But looking at him is difficult. James has his father’s eyes and my lips. Our son’s face is the perfect mix of our features, but also a constant reminder of our frustrated promise. Lazarus left me to endure the sight of our shared face without him. Can I ever forgive him? Not when I see him smiling at me through James’ face every day. It’s impossible for me to separate his father’s genetic contribution from the man he has become without him. How I’d love to reshape James’ face. It would help me forget my love for the man I wish I had never met.”
Anala looked Vaida in the eye.
“Maybe I couldn’t have avoided meeting Lazarus. But if you had not convinced me to give him a chance, things would have been different. A constant misery is better than a life that veers between extreme highs and lows. That is every day of my life. It veers continuously between James and his father’s absence.”
Vaida closed her eyes.
“I forgive you,” said Anala. “But on one condition.”
“You want me to get over Abel Muranda?”
“That is possible and desirable, but you don’t owe me that. The most important thing is how you allow those feelings to affect your judgment. I am asking for the following: When the time comes, I want you to exercise the judgment you displayed in that closet. Realize that there are more important things in this world than the calling of our hearts, egos, or loins. I have not experienced pleasure in any of mine for some time. Since Lazarus died, I have spent fifteen years fasting from the joys of life.”
“You have always been disciplined, Anala. Your fasting is a choice.”
“Discipline has nothing to do with it. It’s called responsibility. Yes, it may seem like a choice, but not when rejecting it turns you into someone you hate. Again, I learned responsibility from you.”
“Maybe. But I am not sure how that applies to my case.”
“It means that if you ever succeed in getting this man into bed, do not let things progress beyond that. One day, you will be forced to make a tough decision. When that time comes, have the courage to step away and let the spiders descend to do their job on him. Trying to protect Abel Muranda will only create a buffet of victims. Please do not be among them. You owe it to me. You also owe it to your girls. They will not be off-limits to the people who will lash out at you.”
Anala released Vaida’s hands and walked to her refrigerator. She returned to the sofa with a syringe and a small vial.
“What is that?”
“Another condition for my forgiveness. All I can say is that you might need it one day. Please give me your arm.”
Before Vaida could protest, Anala plunged the needle into her arm. Vaida winced.
“It’s probably too late to ask, but I hope you are not trying to kill me, Anala?”
“I am not trying to kill you. But there is a chance you might die,” said Anala. “Of course, I hope it doesn’t happen.”
She was not joking.
“Get used to it, Vaida. From now on, your life will be a complicated exercise in risk managemen
t. You will be forced to decide between terrible options. This time, I made a calculation and decided on your behalf. I chose the low probability of an unacceptable danger over an unknown probability of a significant one. If you are sill alive in three days, then I would have made the right decision.”
Vaida’s eyes widened.
“What did you put in me, Anala?”
“Something I also injected into myself before the formula was perfected. I would never give you something more potent than I was able to endure. Luckily, the version I just used on you is more refined. It is less likely to lead to death. It will also spare you the gas. I was not so lucky.”
“But—”
“You are welcome. Now, if your mission to save Abel Muranda goes awry, no one can save you. Moses will not come to your aid again. He is professionally promiscuous. He never saves or kills the same life twice. Of course, the principle is redundant in the latter case, but Moses insists on stating it.”
“Why won’t Moses save my life again?”
“His non-Biblical name should give you a clue. Moses is also known as ‘The Reinsurer’.”
“Reinsurer? Like an insurance company that insures other insurance companies?”
“Yes. Moses insures other killers. If they mess up an assignment, he takes responsibility for their loss.”
“How?”
“He finishes the job. That is why you must be careful. If another assassin is sent after you, Moses will not protect you. He cannot afford to kill too many from his pool of clients without losing his standing in the profession. It’s bad for business. In fact, if your next assassin fails, Moses would be compelled to reinsure the job.”
“That is disturbing, Anala. Goodness …”
“There is no goodness in any of this, Vaida. Moses killed your assassin tonight. Creatively. You have already used the biggest knife in the drawer. Try not to turn it against you. Your survival now depends on avoiding problems that can only be solved by a weapon such as Moses. An eye gouger will be useless in such cases.”
“Thank you, Anala.”
Anala eyed her friend’s profile. Vaida was debating whether to tell her something.
“I seriously considered drugging his food,” said Vaida.
“Abel’s food?”
“Yes. You will remember that I keep a stash of Vigoroni for the clients who need encouragement.”
“But you didn’t drug him, right?”
“No.”
“Good for you, Vaida,” said Anala, squeezing her friend’s shoulder. Vaida shrugged and fell silent once more. Anala waited.
“When Abel walked out of my house the next morning, I kept hoping he would change his mind and turn back. My heart leapt when he froze at my front gate. He was conflicted about something. I was trying to think of a subtle way to encourage him back inside. I was about to suggest that he eat something first when he turned to me said, ‘Do you have a gardener?’ I told him I did.”
“What did he say?”
“‘Your gardener is useless.’ He then walked over to my shed and took out a stack of garden tools. Abel spent the next three hours weeding, digging, planting, and watering. When he was done, my yard looked amazing. It looked even better when the bulbs and shrubs he planted took root and started growing a few days later. I now have an immaculate garden filled with vibrant colours.”
“What happened when he finished working?”
“He left.”
Vaida was hunched over, her face buried in her hands. Anala realized that she had never seen her friend crying.
“I see. So Abel Muranda left without eating?” asked Anala.
Vaida slapped Anala playfully on the shoulder.
“I can’t lie to you can I?”
“Well, when I asked if you had drugged him, you simply said no. I knew you were hiding something because your answer did not foreclose on the possibility that you tried to do so. I know you well, Vaida. You never leave room for doubt when answering such questions. I can only conclude that you sprinkled the Vigoroni onto the food you were trying to feed him. It was his refusal to eat, and not your conscience that saved him.”
“You are right. I tried many things. Drugging him was one of them. In hindsight, I am relieved I failed. What I was thinking? You know I’m not like that, right? I will never do it again.”
“I know. The experience was your vaccine against that particular urge.”
Vaida’s face darkened. It dawned on her that the immunity she was building would probably never be tested. If Abel Muranda got the job, he would be impossible to access. Consolidated would spin a thick cocoon of isolation and surveillance around him. Mr. Gejo would make sure of that. If Abel did not get the job, the aspiring hangman would return to his family in some remote rural area. Either way, Vaida’s likeliest exposure to her beloved illness would be the memory of the night that Abel Muranda refused to plough his callused fingers through the fallow skin of her back.
“There is something else you may want to know,” said Anala. Her face was pensive. She was bracing herself to deliver bad news that her loyalty demanded she disclose.
“What is it, Anala?”
“Kristabelle Sibanda.”
Vaida froze.
“What about her?” she asked. Her casual tone failed to mask the trepidation in her eyes.
“She was on Abel Muranda’s interview panel,” replied Anala.
“Really? I didn’t know that. Tongai never mentioned this to me. So why does it matter?”
“I think you know why. Kristabelle has a history. Furthermore, the two of you have a less friendly history of your own.”
“I feel like the first history you mentioned is about to worsen the bitterness of the second.”
“I’m afraid so. A few weeks ago, Kristabelle received a secret visitor at her home. The guest was dropped off by a man named Rhesus: a dog-like character who is skilled in the art of finding people who are absent from the obvious places.”
Anala paused. Vaida remained still. Silent. Attentive.
“So if Kristabelle hired Rhesus to find this man, it was probably because the visitor did not have a permanent address.”
“But –” started Vaida. Anala interrupted her.
“No one hires Rhesus to find people with fixed home addresses, Vaida. Such people can be found without professional help. You just look in the phone book.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean anything,” said Vaida defensively.
“It wouldn’t if that was the end of the story.”
“There is more?”
“You know there is, Vaida. The mystery man stayed the night.”
“Maybe this visitor had come to see her husband.”
“Mr. Sibanda was out of the country … He was on assignment in Kisangani.”
“Okay?”
Anala sighed. “Come on, Vaida. Please don’t make me say the obvious.”
“There is nothing obvious about what you are telling me. First, there is no reason to conclude that man was Abel. Second, even if it was, Abel also spent a night in my place, and I have nothing to show for it. Trust me, it wasn’t through a lack of effort. So even if this mystery visitor was my Abel, he wouldn’t have touched that woman with the dullest corner of his rigid imagination.”
“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”
“Neither. It’s the truth.”
“I think it’s your jealously speaking. You are finding it difficult to accept that Kristabelle could have succeeded where you fai … didn’t.”
A flicker of rage passed across Vaida’s eyes. She quickly restrained it.
“Abel’s resistance had nothing to do with attraction. It had everything to do with his family and that stupid job. Free healthcare and all that nonsense. So even if the gods of comedy had made Kristabelle more attractive to Abel than I was to him, he still wouldn’t have touched her.”
“Well, I am sure the gods of comedy are not that powerful, or spiteful. But Abel’s reasons for succumbing
may have been driven by the very job and family you mentioned. Kristabelle was on the interview panel. She has something Abel needs: a voice in the decision-making process. Such influence can be a powerful aphrodisiac, even if it only arouses Abel’s pragmatism.”
“No. Abel is too smart to fall into such a trap. I’m sure he knew that Kristabelle’s influence on the final decision is minor.”
“Is that why he didn’t leave the house as soon as he discovered her agenda?”
“Well he didn’t leave my house when he discovered my agenda. I showed it to him from different angles. I whispered it to the soldierly part of his male brain that should comply with commands of a reproductive nature. But what did I get? A Bible, a prayer, and the rest of the night to agonize over my sexual frustration. I have no reason to believe that Kristabelle’s experience was any different. Her position on the interview panel means nothing. I know this. Abel Muranda is a man of values!”
“Well, values come in hierarchies, Vaida. Abel Muranda’s family is his top priority. He will do anything that he believes may save them. Kristabelle did not need to persuade him that she could cast the decisive vote. All she had to do was convince him that her voice would be seriously considered by the decision makers. The stakes are too high for Abel. He will grasp at any opportunity that will increase his chances of getting the job. And believe me, Abel grasped a lot of things with both hands that night.”
“That’s not true!”
“It is. Kristabelle made no effort to restrain her vocalization. She gave a live narration of the proceedings as she was experiencing them. She described his every action, and expressed her own sentiments as the experience unfolded.”
“You can’t possibly know this! You weren’t there!”
“I didn’t have to be. Kristabelle asked Rhesus to remain outside. His car was parked in the back yard. If Kristabelle’s husband had arrived at short notice, Abel was supposed to jump in and make a quick getaway with Rhesus.”
“And Rhesus told you all this?” Vaida was no longer yelling. The last word crackled in her throat.
“Yes. He told me that Kristabelle sent him to find a ‘vagrant’ who was last seen under a bridge along Mutare Road. Rhesus is a low-ranking contractor in the Gondo network. As someone stuck at the base of the pyramid, it was natural for him to seek the appreciation of someone at the apex. Sharing this gossip with me was one way of doing this.”
The Hangman's Replacement: Sprout of Disruption (BOOK 1) Page 29
