★ ★ ★ ★
She dropped a rectangle shape, number 1 but Gavin shook his head.
“I don’t have that. either the shape or number 1” He said.
She nodded and dropped another rectangle shape, number 6.
Gavin sighed and looked at his cards. He actually had the number 1 but he didn’t wanna admit since he wasn’t Helen to check out of the game instead.
“I love you, Helen” He muttered.
3 MINUTES LATER**
“Check out. I checked out first. I won” Helen said, giving him a strict look.
Gavin smiled sadly with teary eyes and dropped his cards on the table.
Helen looked at it and blinked her eyes fast.
“You…you have the numbers? The shapes. You should have won instead. Why…
“Because I love you, Helen” He muttered his tears dropping.
The game conductor raised her gun.
There was deep silence for a while plus tensed eye stares.
“No! You…you don’t love me. You always hit me. You always had brutal s*x with me. You always find fault in every little thing I do. You always pulled out during s*x. Like it was always me that wanted a child. You made life miserable for me. You!!! Gavin!! You!” She cried, like a toddler.
“I’m…I’m sorry” Gavin’s voice vibrated.
“I’m really sorry, Helen. I really made you hurt. And I’m sorry”
“You don’t have to be sorry. You are gonna díe anyway” Helen sniffed her tears.
“Yes, And that why I need to say the truth now” He muttered, his eyes pouring down tears and his nose letting out its inflammation.
“Say what truth?” She asked.
“Helen? I was never fired” He shook his head.
“Huh?”
“I was never…fired from my job. My company never faced bankruptcy in the first place” He stammered.
“But you-
“I lied”
“Why?” She asked bitterly and a tear left her eyes in a lean way.
“My boss wanted to sleep with me. She placed my job in the line. When…I saw she was serious, I warned her. That was when I lost my job”
Helen swallowed hard. She knew that, that didn’t justify all the b@d things he had been doing to her.
“As if that wasn’t enough, She had my name in the blacklist saying I embezzled her company funds and cause of that, I…I couldn’t get any jobs from any other company. I was dejected and down casted”
Helen swallowed hard and listened carefully. The game conductor was simply waiting for his last goodbye words.
“It didn’t stop there. I found out I was…. impotent”
“Wh…What?” Helen whispered.
“I’m impotent, Helen. I can’t cause you to bear children.I always pulled out during s*x so that you would think why that’s the reason why you couldn’t get pregnant. I love kids, a lot and my words back then saying I didn’t want a child, and they were obstacles to my life,, was just to make you leave. I wanted you to divorce me without me asking you”
“So, I started doing bad things. I wanted to be a bad husband so that you would end things with me. But you didn’t!! You didn’t ask for a divorce! Why!! Why!!” He screamed out, tearfully, beating his chest hard and loud.
“Gavin?” She muttered, with tears dropping down helplessly.
“Even when I advanced to hitting you and faking that I slept with other women, faking being drunk, going to clubs. You acted fine. You…never left me. Why! You stayed with me, Helen and made me look like a fool. Each day, I cry. Each time, I pray, hoping that one day you would slam a divorce file on my face…but you didn’t. You never. I was even beginning to grow crazy”
“You stood by me, feed me, clothed me, paid the rent and did more! To a be@st like me!! Helen!! Why? Why do you love me despite everything I did to you? Why!!”
“I knew I couldn’t live and do without you but I didn’t want you to suffer. A husband without a job? A hushand whose spérm can’t even fertilize your eggs? Tell me…Is that what you wanted?”
Helen coughed and more tears rushed out. She cried so loud that quickly used her palm in covering her crying mouth.
“I thought doing all those bad things to you would make me not to love you anymore but was wrong.
“I also didn’t want to divorce you. I just wanted you to do that yourself. So, I became a bad husband so that…you would live well. So, that you would be happy you were free ftom a toxic marriage. So that you would happy you left your cruel husband without regrets.. but Helen, you stood by me, protected me and loved me the more. Why!!”
“Cause you were in my heart!” She screamed, still crying.
“How…how did you expect me to end things with you when I so much loved you?? How!! I guess I must have been out of my sense then”
“But I was a cheater. Even if I faked it, I made it look real in your eyes and you thought it was so…” Gavin said.
“So, Did you fake the one you were doing in the toilet?”
“Huh?”
“I caught you, Gavin. I saw you! Kissing some lady…who isn’t a player judging from her clothes. You were kissing her! Deeply! Despite our reconciliation, you still went ahead to-
“Was that why you were being so cold to me, lately?” He asked.
“Glad you noticed” She said.
written by sommy pearl f.
He sighed.
“Look. This is what really happened”
★ FLASH BACK ★
Gavin slowly left Helen who was sleeping. He looked at her and smiled.
He gave her forehead a gentle peck.
“I’ll be right back. Lemme go visit the gents” He whispered and left.
While passing the passage way, he saw Ava instructing some game conductors
“Hmm..Her voice sounds familiar for some reasons. Oh!! Wait. The loudpeaker lady?” He thought.
Ava was soon passing by him and he stopped her.
“Excuse me?” He called.
She looked and smiled, seeing he was handsome.
“Yes? How may I help you?”
“Are you the background lady?” He asked.
Ava touched her neck and nodded.
“Well, You caught me. I guess I also have a nice voice like Eunice”
Gavin looked at her, confusedly.
“Well,,, Please…” He whispered and came closer.
“Do…do you know the next game. I need a tip if you don’t mind”
Ava nodded with a mischievous smile.
“Follow me. I’ll tell you”
“Hmm…Okay” He nodded.
Ava entered the toilet and he also did.
“So,,, What’s the-
Before he could complete his statement, Ava pulled him closer to her and leaned on his lips, devouring it.
He finally pushed her off, after much struggling and humming
“Have you gone crazy??” He asked, furiously.
“Wanted to give you the game and my body but too bad. You spoilt it yourself”
“I don’t want your body!” He growled.
“I have a wife whom I love so much! So, to h*ll with your irregular shaped body!!”
“And I don’t need the game either” He snapped, wiped his lips and left.
Ava scoffed and folded her arms.
★ FLASHBACK ENDS ★
“What am I gonna do? I…I
Helen shaky teary voice and hiccups filled the room where they were.
“I thought… I thought…you…Gavin. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…I-
“Its fine. I’m fine now as long you understand me” He smiled sadly wiping her flowing tears with his thumb.
Helen looked at the game conductor and held his hand which was on her face.
“No! Gavin! Please…Please…I don’t want you to go. Please, don’t go! Please. I love you Gavin. I love you so much so…don’t go! You promised me when you married me…You said you won’t leave! You said you would stand by me. You said you would stay with me!! Gavin…” She said shaking her head.
“I love you, Helen” He could only whisper with tears.
“I always did. And I’m gonna do that even in h*ll. I’m sorry for being a bad husband. I’m sorry, Helen” He continued.
“No…No…Stop. Stop saying you’re sorry. I’m sorry. It’s me” She hugged him close and the table fell down pouring the cards away.
“I’m sorry, Gavin…I’m-
*Powww!* The gun shot came from behind.
Helen heard his soft Mõ@ɲ.
“Gavin? Gavin?? Gavin? You there…you there, right? Gavin? No…No…No…Please!! Gavin!! Don’t…don’t leave me!!” She shouteds still hugging him close and refusing to look at his face.
Her face was already bright red.
“I…I…love..you.. Hel…Hel…Helen” He softly whispered and his hand dropped.
His eyes closed immediately.
Helen cried hard and loud like never before. She remembered their good days and times together.
*Player 8 has been eliminated* Ava voice came out via speakers.
***
“Helen? Will you marry me? Please? I promise to always love you. Stand by you. Stay with you. Live for you. I could even díe for you. so…say…Yes” Gavin had asked, with a knee down and a ring in the box in his hand which he brought to her face
***”
“Yes! Yes! Gavin! Yes!!! Even in the next life, I’ll still say yes! So, Please wake up! Stay with me. No…Please! No! Just a little more!…Huh!! No!” Her voice rang in tears.
*INSERTS LITTLE MORE(MUSIC) BY CHRIS BROWN*
Wake me up before you go
Ooh, I need a little more
Just a little more, a little more of your love
Wake me up before you go
Ooh, I need a little more
Just a little more, a little more of your love
Oh, I need a jump-start
When you call me, I’m running to ya
Gimme a headstart
Thank God, gonna have me like hallelujah….
*MUSIC TRAILS DOWN*
“I love you…I love you…I love you…I love you” Gavin’s voice continued echoing in the background.
TBC