9: The plan

Upon returning home from Allgrace park, Angela found what she expected. Claire had dutifully prepared for her her delicious meal for supper. Grilled potatoes and a well spiced beef stew that was to be escorted with a rich coffee. She couldn't believe at the capability of her younger sister .She sat down on the dinning table to squarely deal with her appetite.

" And your fiancee is pretty handsome. That was George that you've. always told me about?" Claire interrupted Angela when she was making her best to tear a piece of meat forcefully. "Yeah he's the one. Do we look like a match?" challenged Angela playfully to see her sister's reaction.

"A perfect one indeed! I think you should now be addressing him as husband! He's fit for that!" joked Claire.

" ooh! really? okay I will...."

"And your wedding plans?" Claire cut in while getting the lilt of the discussion.

" You will know when it is ready. You're my sister, aren't you?"

"I'd be glad that day."

That night , after preparing for tomorrow's day at work, Angela found it easy to fall asleep contrary to other days. She saw herself with George in a beautiful garden just after the honeymoon period. She was on her cloud nine when suddenly George withdrew a penknife from his coat and was directing it right into her heart. She was not sure if he was serious and she thought he was just trying to play his normal pranks. His face was still dazzling with his obvious rich smile and showed no sings of anger. As she was still confused by this, George pulled her closer and she felt outrightly a prickling pain of the stab through her heart.

She witnessed blood gashing out of her chest and slowly she started feeling an overall body weakness. She finally lost her balance and dropped on the ground. She had not yet lost her consciousness when she saw two uniformed police officers taking him away. Handcuffed and with a feeling of remorse , George looked behind as if to bid goodbye to her. She could hear one of the officers accusing him of using false currency in the nearby Supermarket. The other one accused him of murdering his girlfriend. The images were so real and Angela woke up suddenly from her sleep. Sweat dripping off from her forehead profusely, breathing like an athlete who had just had a strenuous sprint and her heart pounding loudly. This was undoubtedly one of the horrifying nightmares. A bad dream.

She sat on the bed for few minutes before going to fetch a glass of cold water which she drank with ease despite it's coldness. It was midnight and she felt hesitant to go back to sleep. She still got troubled by the dream. She tried to figure out it's meaning but failed.

In the morning , and when at work, she stayed gloomy. She was not sure of the outcome of what she dreamt during the night but she felt the dream was a premonition to an impending danger or bad lack in her relationship with George. At least that's all her subconscious mind could interpret. During lunch hour, she opted to call Susan and brief her of what was going on.

" Hello my dearest!" She started on the phone when Susan picked the call.

"Hello my Angela. How are you doing? You've kept so quiet?"

" Yeah just that I've been pretty busy these days with work. Anyway I'm doing okay. And you there? "

"I'm alright dear. Nothing amiss just trying my best here. What is there to update me? " Probed Susan while laughing playfully.

" Nothing really important but I had a very bad dream about last night. I dreamt that George wanted to kill me and was arrested for possessing false currency. It was real I tell you. You can't imagine I woke up in the middle of the night. It was really horrifying."

"What! What the hell are you talking ? That's a dangerous dream. But the way I know George and his disposition, he cannot do that Angela. Anyway it was a dream just dismiss it."

" No I want you help me interpret it. I'm not comfortable about it for real. But ... Wait I have an idea. Because You share the same work environment with him, I want you to be my spy. First I doubt his income. I now it's hard but try your best to probe his income apart from his salary. Does he do other businesses there? Secondly keep watch of his character. I think I might miss some two or three traits of him since we don't spend most of our time together. Please do it for me Susan. Its my humble request!"

"Don't worry Angela . I got Your back on this. I think you remember me from those days. I can make a good spy."

" I would appreciate so much. Remember I have even a token for you for that okay."

"Ooh! my goodness! I'm in for that! Thank you so much."

"You're welcomed Susan."

After the lunch hour, Susan returned to work with a different motive. Part of her mission was to spy on George. Contemplating about this, one brilliant idea struck her: to use Collins as a tool for this.

She could vividly remember the last time Collins had outrightly confessed his feelings for her. She would give in to his moves and after he loses himself in the intricacies of love, she would use the opportunity to delve into two or three things about George. She knew Angela was not a failure and when she promises something, it's worth considering. The mission was a dangerous one as it could rip her off her daily bread. However she was determined to do it. She convinced herself that perhaps she would find some other helpful information about George and the company. Something that she could hold on to assure herself she was in a safe company.

Angela on her side, she felt relieved. She had not unraveled the meaning of the dream but at least she had done something about. Something more promising. She could not still understand why she was still glued to George when there are better guys out there that still linger around her. Some confessing their feelings to the depth of their vulnerability. She recalled all the accounts of one specifically, who even attempted to commit suicide all because she rejected him. The guy is currently serving a Jail term for that attempt. But why George? Why does she always find herself thinking about him?

She remembered how she met him,one evening when she was desperately looking for a direction to Golden Oak Residency. A tall but built man who came with a dazzling smile. His eyes were sparkling as the evening sun rays struck them making silvery Spangles. They seemed to reveal the love that he longed to show. His masculinity was matched with his deep broken voice that made her fall for him. He was handsomely endowed. She could not resist him even when he asked her to give him a chance to prove his affection to her.

This was George.However in the recent time she has learnt things from him that still clog her mind. His alarming income and his furtive nature. He always wants to tell her something but he can't. He seemed to be having conspiracy in him and where he works. She was sure that he worked at The Big Blue but she has never been bothered to confirm it. Could there be two different companies with that same name? But no! Even Susan, her friend confirmed that she worked at The Big Blue and George was also an employee there.

She pushed the thoughts aside when she reached the gate that evening. She had never been so absorbed in thoughts like that. She even wondered how she had reached home so fast like that. She smiled at the knowledge that at least Claire was at home. She won't be so buy with house chores. She felt a renewed energy in her .She held onto the metallic door handle and swung it open. Lazily, she walked into her room to change but before she faced the hallway to her bedroom, her handbag tripped the spoon that was at the edge of the dining table and it felt down. She turned and realized that it was the same spoon and plate that she used in the morning. She also realized that the floor had not been swept since then and the sitting room was unusually dirty. She immediately knew Claire was not around.

Upset angry at her , She grimaced and started calling her name loudly. " Claire where are you? Stop your nonsense girl! " she cursed angrily. Silence answered her and she confirmed that Claire is not in the house. She tiptoed into Claire's bedroom . She was shocked that her sister had squeezed herself so that she was reduced to the center of the bed. Her right palm had covered her temple while her head rested heavily on the other palm making a deep indention into the mattress . She was in deep sleep with obvious signs that she wasn't aware of Angela's arrival.

She called her again this time shaking her gently and the anger in her dissipating. Claire strained her eyes and only muttered in a low painful growl " It's my back . It's paining terribly."

Angela was in for another trouble. she had to look for means and ways to take Claire to hospital .