LATE NIGHT PHONECALLS

Kevin failed to wait until he got home; he just had to talk to Kiara. It was six days later, yet he had not heard anything from her. He had just finished work, and it was around 9PM. Although part of his mind was telling him that it was already too late to make the call, he ended up just making it anyway. He was sitting outside, near the hotel parking area.

"Hallo?" a sleepy voice answered.

"You're already asleep?" he was surprised.

"Who's this?"

"You still haven't saved my number? It's your best buddy, Kevin!"

"Oh," there was silence.

"What, you have one day to do. Do you have my phone now?"

"Hold on, Lee-Anne," Kiara said.

Kevin laughed. He immediately understood that Kiara was not able to talk, so he waited for a while and then Kiara's voice came as a whisper,

"I told you that I don't have that kind of money!"

"Come on junior lady Pinkerton…"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Ok, if by end of the day tomorrow you don't get me the phone, you and I both know that Vine is just a phone call away. I will call him, and I will inform him that someone is carrying a bun in the oven, and that bun happens to be a Pinkerton bun."

"It is not…"

"Of course it is, buddy. Deliver the phone tomorrow. You can bring it here at Two-Sons, or if you can't, call me and tell me where we can meet."

"Kevin please…" Kiara began to plead.

"And by the way, save my number. We're best friends. I don't like it when you always ask, "who's this?"". He laughed and said, "bye!"

On the other side of the line, Kiara was still clutching on to her phone, trying to find words to persuade Kevin, when she realised that the line was already dead.

She slowly walked back into the room, for she took the call while standing at the balcony.

"Who was that?" Jeremy asked.

"A workmate. It's all work issues." She sighed and threw her phone on the bed.

"You're not being honest with me again, my love. When you were on the phone I heard you saying Lee-Anne's name? What exactly is happening, Kiara?"

"I…its work." She stammered.

"Is work stressing you?"

"Not really. I am coping." She assured him.

Kiara started to talk a lot and appear very happy, but Jeremy was starting to sense that something was seriously wrong. However, he kept his thoughts to himself.

That night, Kiara failed to sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, wondering what the solution was to her problem. She sat up in bed and lit her bedside lamp, making sure not to make any noise.

Dear Kimmy

I don't know how to handle Kevin. Should I tell Lee-Anne about this? She might have a way of making Kevin silent without him making this ridiculous blackmailing.

I….

At that moment, Jeremy turned in bed, and he mumbled something in his sleep. Not willing to risk anything, Kiara quickly tucked the diary away, and she switched off the light.

She totally failed to sleep. Her baby was kicking wildly, and she enjoyed the kicks while at the same time trying to come up with a way of dealing with Kevin.

In the end she woke up and tip-toed to the balcony to make a call.

"Hey best friend," Kevin answered immediately.

"You're awake at this hour?" she mocked.

"I was sleeping, but for my best friend, I always answer the calls in time."

Ignoring that statement, Kiara went on to plead for more time.

"I gave you a whole week," Kevin said.

"Please Kevin, may I have two more weeks."

"What! Impossible, junior lady Pinkerton. Two weeks is too long."

"Ok, may I have ten days? If you can't give me two weeks, please may I have ten days? I will do my best to deliver within the said time. And after that, you will have to promise me that you will never call me ever again."

"I cannot make such a promise," Kevin laughed.

"That's my condition and it is not up for negotiation."

"If you say so, Mrs Pinkerton. So, when am I getting it?" Kevin sounded proud of himself. He spoke as if he had achieved a trophy of some sort.

"Two weeks." Kiara said.

"Make it less than that."

"Please give me ten days."

"Ten days it shall be. No negotiation after that."

Kiara tip-toed back into bed, and as soon as she lay down, Jeremy put his hand on her tummy.

What! He was awake? Did he hear anything? How much did he hear?

"Who was that" he asked.

"Oh it was no-one. Just someone marketing a new product." Kiara said, wondering how far she was going to proceed with her lies.

"At this hour?" Jeremy asked.

He sat up and switched on the light.

"Let's talk, babe. I heard you asking for ten days? What's going on? Why were you asking for ten days? What's going to happen in ten days?"

Kiara slowly sat up and at that moment her child kicked. She grabbed Jeremy's hand and placed it on her tummy.

"Someone is wide awake at this hour," Jeremy smiled and stroked his girlfriend's tummy.

They both placed their hands on the tummy, feeling the child's wild kicks.

"The child is full of energy, just like me." Jeremy commented.

"No, the child takes after me," Kiara said, praying in her heart that the man was going to forget about the phone call.

But luck was not on her side, for after the child had stopped moving, Jeremy asked,

"So what was the call about?"

Kiara was silent for a while, trying hard to think of something.

"It's about a phone," she found herself saying.

"What about a phone?"

"I…I owe someone a phone. The latest Samsung phone, to be specific," she said.

"Who? How did you come to owe them?" Jeremy asked.

"I…its….i….it's a workmate." She lied.

"What happened?"

"I...my workmate had a new phone and I accidentally dropped it. I pleaded for mercy but it was all in vain. And now I have to replace it."

"Did it get damaged from the fall? Was it not insured?" Jeremy asked.

"No, the phone wasn't insured. And it's expensive; it is the latest Samsung model."

"Which one?" Jeremy frowned.

"I…I don't know their proper names. But I know it if I see it in the shop."

Jeremy was silent for a while, then, "when did this happen? And where is the broken phone?"

"I….it happened umm…a week ago."

"You should have told me, Kiara. We agreed not to keep secrets from each other."

"I know. I felt bad, because it will cost a lot of money. I'm sorry."

"You should be free to talk to me, Kiara. When you keep things from me like this, it makes me wonder what else you are keeping a secret."

"There is nothing else, I promise." She said.

"We used to be very close, Kiara. We used to tell each other everything. What happened? Is it me? Have I changed, such that you feel scared of me? Or I am not that much loving anymore?"

"You're very loving, Jeremy. I promise you, you haven't changed a bit. You have only changed for the better, you're much more sweeter now," she pulled him into her embrace.

Jeremy looked at her and told her,

"You don't need to carry burdens on your own, babe. I'm here to help you, just like you also help me out. We will have to find a way to get the phone."

"Don't worry much about it. I had planned to get a small loan from work, and then I can…"

"No babe, you really don't need to get a loan. Give me time, I will make a plan. Remember I have those old photography items that I am selling. And I am taking pictures this weekend, those two weddings. The money from that should be enough."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to strain you. We still have the baby preparation to take care of."

"I think we will manage…oh, I was saying, where is the old phone? Ask your workmate to give you the broken phone and we sell it in order to raise more money for the new one."

"Oh that…the…the phone is useless, completely. I dropped it and I…I made a mistake of…I mean, I stepped on it cannot be sold."

"Just ask for it, Kiara. We can sell some parts from it."

"No Jeremy, the phone is completely ruined. My workmate threw it into the trash and it can't be retrieved now. Sorry about that. if I had known earlier, I would have asked for the phone."