ARRIVAL_AT_FADBAS

#AFTER_THE_STORM

© jossyfrosh8

EPISODE 5

*2 years later…*

"We are here." Officer Paul said as the car stopped infront of a two-storied building. Largely printed on the signpost adjacent to the house was.."FADBAS HOME FOR THE UNWANTED."

I sighed and got out of the vehicle, after the officer and together we walked to the front door which opened almost immediately.

"Hoo! Hello officer Paul!"

The lady that confronted us couldn't be more than 35 years, she kept chewing gum incessantly and blowing it at the same time, sticking her tongue at the officer intentionally. Some gums were sticking on her red painted lips . Half of her breasts seemed to be popping out of the tight spaghetti she was wearing. One hand was pocketed in her pair of rugged jeans while the other was on her waist. She was giggling for no reason and it seemed to be having a bad effect on the officer.

"So who do we have here…?" She asked, now looking at me…and her smile widened. "A pretty girl, wow! How sweet. What's your name?"

"Scarlet is her name Maggie. She will be staying here from today." The officer said sternly.

"B..but officer..I and the boy you brought the last time barely have enough to last us, why would you bring someone else? Another teenager?" She cooed, her pointy fingernails going upwards towards the officer's cheek but he backed away.

"Stop that nonsense this minute Maggie. We still brought some food and gave you some money last week, that should be okay for this month. You will hear from us next month. Have a good day." Without further ado, the man adjusted his cap and went back into the taxi which was soon out of sight.

Then I turned around to face the woman. I could tell she didn't want me here, her face said it all. She hissed, went inside and banged the door after her. I was confused. Should I just knock or wait till she comes out again. I had no idea so I just spotted a comfortable place by the steps and I sat down.

It was already two years since I was taken to the correctional facility and now I have been brought here.

The facility was like hell for me, with the struggle with my inmates, I was just so glad it was over. No one had come for me during the two years and no one showed up either when it was time for me to leave, so as the policy of the facility, they would need to find me a place to stay till someone comes…I knew no one would come and now that I thought I could start over in another place, the woman doesn't even want me.

I stood up and decided to check out the house, as I moved to the side of the house, I caught my reflection on the sliding window glass. I was staring at myself and was wondering why I was still alive up till this moment, then the window moved and I saw myself face to face with another teenage boy in a very dirty ugly facecap. Neither of us spoke, we just kept starring at each other.

"Were you planning on coming through the window?" He finally asked.

"No, I was just wiling away the time until she comes to open the door."

"She won't come and open the door." He replied emotionlessly.

"okay, would you be so kind to come open it for me?"

He scoffed. "Why should I?"

"Because I'm just back from the facility and I need a place to stay?"

"You are a pretty girl , don't you have a boyfriend to come pick you?"

"He's dead." I replied without thinking.

"Outch well, life sucks. That still doesn't prove anything." He replied again.

I was getting angry and uncomfortable. I have been longing for a warm bathe and a soft bed to lie on ever since I left the facility and this hippo was making it impossible for me..

"My mother is a whore…she killed my boyfriend and made me take the blame." I said, hoping that would make him sympathetic.

"My mother died before I got to know her…. My father remarried, disowned me cos stepsister lied that I raped her and now I'm an orphan…"

I was getting frustrated….

"My mother named me scar…said she wanted to abort me…cos I brought her pain." I replied.

Instead, he yawned. "My father thinks I'm a bastard and now he…" The boy stopped and looked at me…"Your mother really wanted to abort you? Named you scar?"

I nodded.

"Wow! That is so fucked up in the list of everything, really fucked up….i will come open the door for you."

I sighed in a big relief and scurried towards the front door.

******

*weeks later*

"It's been two years since it all happened and here I am, still a nobody and still trying to find where I actually belong…."

" Wow", Lawrence said with a sigh. " Are you sure that woman is really your mother?"

I smiled and nodded. "Sure she is . I mean, she actually confessed to wanting to abort me away."

"That is sick, really. So you spent 2 years at a correctional facility before you were brought here?" He asked again and I nodded. "How was it there?'

I inhaled a sharp breath as my mind wandered to two years ago..the pain, the struggle for superiority with my inmates flashed through my mind and I shuddered at the memory.

"I do not want to talk about it." I replied.

"I was sent to Fadbas Correctional Facility . I spent three years…my step sister said I raped her…" He said almost immediately.

I gasped as I listened to his story. "Did you?"

He gave me a deadly glare. 'Ofcos not! It is just a means to steal my father's property for her and her whore mother!'

'Was there a proof?"

He shook his head. "No need for that, Lucy-my step mother was sleeping with the judge so...you can figure out the rest by yourself."

He was wearing a sleeveless shirt so I could see some scars all over his huge arms. He looked my age but he worked out regularly.

"Were those scars from the facility?" I asked, moving to take a closer look but as I heard footsteps, I quickly grabbed the basket and threw the dirty clothes into the laundry machine.

Lawrence sprung up too and tiptoed quietly to the bathroom to finish the plumbing work.

Mistress appeared by the doorway, her huge pair of glasses fixed steadily on her nose while she gawked at us from behind the glasses.

As always, her lipstick was smudgy, she must have been making out with the guard again….

"I thought I heard some noise in here!" She screamed at us. "Were you two talking?"

"No mistress." We said at the same time before she eyes us suspiciously and went back the way she came.

I and Lawrence exchanged glances, laughed quietly and continued with our work.

I met two other kids here but they were already taken by new parents. I was told I have become too old to be adopted by any one and the more I age, the little my chance of being adopted reduces..

Lawrence came out, carrying a heavy metal on his shoulder and while he passed, I couldn't help but stare… He looked like someone that must have been from a wealthy family but who was badly treated and who probably had a rough upbringing. He was very fair and his lashes were prominently black and long like a girls. He had a snake tattoo on his upper arm alongside lots of scars.

He was tall but not as tall as Francis, instead he was more built and his plaited hair was hidden inside a dirty faded-Gucci face cap. His English was also refined…he must have gone to a very good school but later dropped out…

"Would you stop checking me out and finish with what you are doing?"

His sudden statement got me so suddenly and I flushed in embarrassment. That was when I realized that the machine had stopped working. I pulled out the plug and inserted it again…still dead.

"Move, let me fix it princess." He said behind me, dropped the pipe in hand and squatted behind the machine….

While he bent, his ragged-rugged-sleeveless shirt kept jumping up as he did whatever he was doing, exposing his waist… I swallowed and looked away…but the Gucci logo on the cap got me talking…

'Your family must be rich."

"yea? Why did you say that? Cos I told you?'

"No , cos of your cap, it's Gucci."

He chuckled. "What's a Gucci. This cap was my tenth year gift from dad before he died."

"Well, your dad had a good taste."

He stood up and plugged the machine again and it worked.

"You are welcome." He said to me ,picked his pipe and went back to the bathroom.

"So you love fashion…" He shouted from the bathroom.

"Yea, I do. Just that, it's been a while I watched the show, I am so out of the loop, I am not current anymore."

"Well, I can fix the TV in our room if you want." He replied, grunting as if pulling something heavy…later I could hear a loud splash.

"Really? Will mistress allow that?"

"Well, only works if you can keep a secret and if you are smart enough." He replied, coming out of the bathroom. I could deduce he was through with the plumbing work.

'I can keep a secret.' Taking the cloths out of the drier. I replied with a smile.

********* ******** ****

It was already a month since I got here and Lawrence and I had become really close. He was always looking out for me. When I got here, there were lots of errors I made, like, mistakenly dropping a cup when mistress was sleeping, waking her up abruptly which could probably earn me a slap or, no food for 24 hours and worse, sending me back to the facility. Anytime I make the mistake, Lawrence would take the blame so he got the punishment several times.

With his help, I was able to get the TV in our room fixed.

Well, we shared same room, mistress said she hoped we would sleep together, get pregnant so she could finally get rid of us. She wanted children and they brought her teenagers. She liked Lawrence but disliked me, said I looked like a slut.

With the TV fixed, I could keep watching my Fashion shows and so many things have changed since I last watched it. Mistress never knew this, she was always too drunk in the night whenever the TV is on. Lawrence was all about sport, I used to wonder why he just never liked fashion at all. He said it was stupid.

Most times, we would go for social works and get paid but Mistress would collect the money, somehow Lawrence was able to keep part of his, this he used to buy us body cream and sometimes, sanitaries for me.

Tonight, as usual, we knew Mistress would be drunk as always, I was on my bed which was the top bunk while he was below….we were busy watching the TV when we had a loud explosion.

We sprung up immediately and we perceived something was burning. Still reluctant to find out what it was….we heard Mistress screaming and cursing at the same time. I jumped down from the bed, panicking…

"Chill, let me find out what it is okay?" Lawrence said to me quietly and nodded. He quickly left the room while I waited. I could hear more noises and things breaking…. Lawrence rushed in , looking at me in horror…

"You didn't switch off the gas….?"

My heart skipped a beat… "I..i did."

"Are you sure?" He asked again and I nodded though I wasn't sure.

"Mistress will definitely kill us both tonight…the whole house is on fire…you need to go out now! She is already calling the facility to call fire brigade."

My chest was rising and falling and I could hear Mistress screaming and getting closer to our room.

"You need to leave this place right now..I need to stay and help her…."

"No,no,Lawrencem she will punish you..she will take you back to the facility if she knows you helped me escape…."

As we were talking, Lawrence was tying ropes together. Then he went to our window..our room was upstairs…

"You need to start climbing down, she is getting close." He said to me, Mistress could enter any minute from now.

I went to the window quickly, holding him by the shoulders while he held onto the rope…

"Start climbing." He ordered, he was so afraid of me and for the first time, I could tell he really cared for me, without think, I plastered a kiss on his lips, grabbed the rope….

"I will find you." He said as I finally jumped down.

I rolled on the floor and looked up. He was looking down at me and we were waving at each other. Just then I heard a sirene noise coming closer to our house…taking a further look at him, I realized he was no longer there, instead, I saw Mistress's face, burning with hatred for me…

"Get that wrecking slut!" She screamed at the officers who were now climbing down from their vehicles…I did what I could do…I ran.

WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 6

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