WEB OF DECEIT.

Camille blinks twice in shock to process the news her friend just delivered.

"Don't toy with me, Foyinsade; how can you say Michael is alive? He died before I traveled."

"You must have gotten it all wrong; Michael is alive, though I wouldn't say well. At least he was alive when I went to visit him with Eben last week."

"No! It can't be. I heard it correctly;" I heard he was dead. How come everywhere I turn, someone is always trying to make me relive the pain of losing him?"

She leans on the table, holding her head in her hands for support.

Foyinsade leans closer to her, softly patting her arm.

"Look into my eyes; Michael is alive. Whoever put the notion in your head that he was dead?"

She raises her head to look into her friend's eyes, searching for signs that she is telling the truth. Seeing that she was, she burst into tears, asking in a shaky voice,

"How come no one told me?"

"I told you I tried to locate you, but I was unable to. He's in a coma;"

"He's s been that way since his accident; his parents kept everything quiet; and he's in a private hospital run by one of his family friends."

"It makes no difference to me; he might as well be dead."

"It makes every difference;

when there's life, surely there's hope. You, as a doctor, should know that."

Shaking her head as tears flow freely down her face,

"that's merely a distinction without a difference. He has been in a coma for over ten years like you said, what does it matter? There's a thin line between coma and death."

"Don't be like that, you should go visit him at least that way, you would be able to see him again."

Spitting furiously,

"Why would I want to see him? Nobody told me anything about his condition, especially his parents, they probably saw me as one of their son's numerous conquests. Not even his Mom that knew about us. Michael was always telling me how eager she was to meet me, she couldn't even try to contact me just once to apologize for what I went through. I was left to deal with it all on my own. At least I made the effort to inquire about him, Lara went to their house to......"

Pausing mid-sentence as she remembers something, her mouth hangs wide open.

"What's wrong?"

Foyinsade asks as she takes in the look on Camille's face.

She closes her mouth as she seems to regain composure.

Nothing, I just remembered that it was Lara that told me he was dead. Maybe she didn't know or got it mixed up somehow. The fact remains they didn't try to get across to me for anything."

"That's not true."

"How can you say it's not true? I even wrote a letter to his parents, I never heard back from them. How can you defend them?"

"Calm down and listen to me, I know for a fact that his mother made efforts to reach out to you. The moment she learned through Eben that you and I were friends, she begged me personally to locate you for her. She told me everyone she sent to your house was turned back by your parents, I know that to be true cause that was the same experience I had. The doctors told them that Michael's body was unconscious but his mind was still very sound, and he was aware of happenings around him, he just needs familiar things and people to trigger him and that he might wake up. She begged me to tell you all that, but I was unable to get through to you. Remember I told you I called Lara, I told her everything and she just shut me down telling me he was better off rotting wherever he was. His mother tried, she did but it was all to no avail."

Sighing deeply, she regards her friend.

"Are you telling me that my parents and Lara were aware that Michael was alive and didn't bother to tell me? I was in contact with Lara for many years after I traveled and never once did she mention it. My parents too didn't deem it fit to tell me too knowing what I went through all those years, I kept thinking of the 'what if's'. I was miserable and frustrated and they didn't tell me."

"Your parents were probably trying to protect you, you shouldn't blame them. As for Lara,"

She shakes her head.

"I don't know what possible reason she could have had for not telling you, she was really nasty to me when I spoke to her. It's not too late you know. He might never wake up but you can take comfort in the fact that you can see him again to tell him all you want."

"Don't make excuses for my parents, what they did was selfish and cruel, I wasn't the only one they robbed of that knowledge. How could they have been so wicked? It's still my fault he is in a coma."

"Don't dwell on that, all you have to focus on right now is the next course of action, you need to see him. How is it your fault?"

"He called me that day to say he was coming to meet me to explain, maybe if I wasn't so angry and dropped the call, he wouldn't have had that accident."

"It's not your fault at all. Eben told me that when his car was recovered, they discovered it was sabotaged, I already told you, It's not your fault at all."

"I know but I still can't get over the fact that his car was tampered with. I can't help but wonder who could have as much as I try to get it out of my head."

Shrugging her shoulders,

"I don't know, it could have been anybody. He did a lot of bad shit to people and his father is not exactly innocent, I guess we would never know. You just have to see him."

"I would I promise but first,"

She stands up to her feet and snatches her bag from the seat.

"I need to talk to Lara and ask her what reason or reasons she had for not telling me. I also need to talk to my parents cause there would be hell to pay."

"Just take it easy please."

She beseeches her.

"When do you intend to see Michael? I can talk to Eben as soon as I get home and make the arrangements."

"I would call you for sure, thank you so much for everything you just told me, I am grateful. Here, let me have your number."

She hands over her phone to Foyinsade who quickly inputs her number before handing the phone back to her.

"Thank you."

She says accepting the phone back from Foyinsade. Rummaging through her bag impatiently for her wallet, Foyinsade stops her with her hand reading her intentions clearly.

"Never mind about the bill, I got it covered."

She murmurs her thanks and dashes out of the restaurant running straight to where her car is parked in the front of the supermarket. She gets into it and drives off furiously making her way to Lara's house, the address in hand.

She arrives at the address in her hand, parking her car at the side street and heading towards the simple bungalow painted blue. She looks at the address in her hand for confirmation that she's in the right place. She pauses at the door upon hearing shouting from inside the house, she couldn't make out the voices except that it was a male and female shouting angrily at each other. She knocks twice and soon hears sounds of footsteps coming to the door. The door is opened and she steps back in shock when she sees it's Kay, her ex-boyfriend. He closes the door behind him and regards her in shock.

"I must have gotten the address wrong."

She checks the address once more for confirmation.

"What are you doing here, Camille?"

Kay asks, mouth open..

Finding her voice, she mumbles.

"Um, There must be a mistake somewhere, I am actually looking for Lara, I thought she lived here."

He has an uncomfortable look about him and is about to respond when the door is jerked open forcefully from inside. Lara steps out of the house regarding Kay murderously not taking note of Camille's presence.

"You are at it again, Kay. How many times have I warned you to keep your hoes out of our house? I know you have refused to make me your wife because of the sluts you keep around you."

Camille clears her throat to draw Lara's attention to her.

"It's me, Lara."

Lara spins at the sound of Camille's voice and almost loses her footing. Staring awkwardly at her, she tries to salvage the situation.

"When did you get back in town? I would have loved to come to pick you up. You know I lost my phone and I......"

Camille laughs mirthlessly cutting her off.

"Oh! Save it. I get the picture, you are now living with Kay, my ex-boyfriend. How could I have been so blind? I gotta say, I didn't see this coming. I clearly understand why you have been avoiding me. Did it have to be Kay though?"

"It's not what you think Camille, why don't you come inside and let's talk about it?"

Making a stupid excuse about cleaning the house, Kay runs inside leaving them to it.

Camille regards his departure with fury in her eyes.

"The coward has turned tail. I actually thought we had a lot to talk about, it turns out I don't have anything to say to you anymore. You both deserve each other."

She turns around and walks away leaving Lara standing at the doorstep, mouth wide open.

Camille enters her car and slumps her head on the steering, letting the torrents of tears flow freely down her face. Her heart shattered into a million pieces at the betrayal she just witnessed in Lara's hands. She stays in that position, crying for minutes and blaming herself for her stupidity and being too trusting.

She lifts her head off the steering wheel with a look of determination on her face, she inserts the key into the ignition to start the car and drives home.

"You are back. Didn't you stop by the supermarket anymore?"

Mrs. Williams asks as Camille enters the house dragging her feet tiredly. She slumps into the couch and cries out from her emotional pain.

Her mother rushes over to meet her in alarm.

"What happened? What's wrong with you Camille? Talk to me please, you are getting me scared."

Getting no response from her, she runs up the stairs to call her husband. They both come rushing down the stairs, sitting on opposite sides of her trying to get her to talk.

"You are getting us worried, Camille. Talk to us please."

Her father pleads.

"You are wicked, both of you. I wish I was never born into this family."

She fires at them, wiping her face with the handkerchief in her hands.

Her parents exchange confusing glances.

"What did we do? Talk to us."

Her mother urges her while her father looks on in confusion.

"For years, I suffered, I suffered because I thought Michael was dead. I kept blaming myself for part of what happened. I blamed myself cause I felt he would never get the happiness he deserved because I was too angry to listen to him. I went through all my journey in grief and heartache and you knew."

Pointing an accusing finger at them, she sniffs.

"You knew Michael was alive and you didn't tell me, you made me suffer needlessly cause of your wickedness. How could you? How could you betray me like this? His mother sent people to the house and you turned them all away. You didn't even inform me, what made you do that?"

"I don't understand Camille, we never turned anyone away, the only person that came looking for you was Foyinsade and I told her you were not to be disturbed cause you were just recuperating. What are you talking about?"

Her mother asks in confusion.

"You don't have to lie, I know everything that happened. You both disgust me."

Mr. Williams sighs heavily and bows his head.

"Your mother didn't know about it, I turned them away. I did because I didn't want you to have a reminder of him, I thought it best that you should move on with your life. I was told he was in a coma, I didn't want you to be burdened by that again."

"That wasn't your decision to make, it was my choice to decide if I wanted to see him or not and you took that choice away from me."

She howls in agony.

Mrs. Williams looks at her husband of many years disdainfully perhaps for the first time since they got married.

"Honey, how could you? I am disappointed in you. What you did was cruel and selfish."

Turning to Camille, she hugs her fiercely.

"I am sorry, I didn't know. I would have told you if I had."

"You played your part in this too, Mother."

She snaps.

"You have to understand, I did it for you, Camille. If you had known, you wouldn't have focused on your education. You knowing wouldn't have made any difference except derail you from the path before you."

"How can you say that? You know fully I wasn't the only one that information affected, I wasn't worried for me alone and you know it. I can't believe you have the guts to call yourself a Christian. You are wicked and evil."

"Don't talk to your father that, he loves you and was only looking out for you."

Mrs. Williams intercedes.

"I can't believe you would defend him after hearing what he had to say."

She shouts angrily at her mother slamming her fist on the table.

"The boy in question nearly ruined your life. I made that decision based on what was good for you at the time. You were not thinking clearly like now, you would have thrown it all away for him."

"Where's Mitch?"

She asks calmly.

"He's in his room sleeping. Why do you ask?"

Mrs. Williams asks.

She stands to her feet,

"Because I can't bear to spend another minute with both of you under the same roof. We are leaving. I am afraid I might do something I would regret later."

She responds calmly.

"Jesus Christ! What has gotten into you?"

Mrs. Williams jumps back and shouts in alarm.

"Don't leave us please, you are merely making this decision based on what you are feeling now. We are your family and we always want the best for you."

Mr. Williams stands up to try to reason with her.

She ignores him and walks up the stairs to wake Mitch up.

Dragging her luggage behind her with Mitch in tow, leaving all his questions about why they were leaving unanswered, she promises to explain to him later. She is confronted once more by her pleading parents.

Her mother drags her box with her begging her to stay with tears in her eyes.

"Please don't leave us, your father made a mistake and he knows it, we are willing to do anything you want to atone for what he did."

"Listen to your mother please, where would you go if you leave us?"

Their pleas fell on deaf ears as she succeeds in wrenching her box from her mother. She walks out of the house with Mitch, not looking back for once.