LET GO OF THE ROPE

When the Rains went for the afternoon visit at the hospital, they were surprised to see that Kiara was not there. She always came in first before anyone else. And every time when they left, she always remained behind. It was as if she stayed at the hospital; never leaving the place.

"I wonder why she didn't come today," Nesisa whispered, and no one responded.

They looked at Jeremy. He smiled a little when he saw his family. He was up, but did not have much strength. Half his head was still bandaged.

"You're up, my man!" Jacob took his brother's hand and shook it.

Jeremy winced in pain.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that I'm dealing with a sick man." Jacob laughed.

Sharon wept quietly, seeing her son alive. She had too many questions. She knew that it was not the best time to start asking them all, but she planned to ask them later. She looked at the young man lying on the bed, and thanked God that her son was well. But there was a question which she asked herself every day: who then did we bury? Whose remains were those? Sharon shuddered to imagine what could have happened to the man that they buried.

She looked at her son, whose arms were folded neatly on his chest, and she saw the mark. The C-shaped scar which was on his right arm. Again Sharon cursed herself. How on earth had she failed to pick that? She felt useless as a mother. Kiara had to be the one to know that, while she could not? What a shame, she thought.

***

When it was already evening, Aletha began to get seriously worried; for her daughter had not yet returned home.

"Do you think she is fine?" she asked Travis.

"The Pinkertons love her, they wouldn't harm her," Travis said while chewing on some dried fruits.

"Travis, can't you do something to check on her? I don't feel good about this," Aletha told her husband.

"She will be fine." Travis said; seemingly absent minded.

"You never do anything right for your family! Why can't you stand up for once; and act like the man that you are? Our daughter has gone out, her phone is not reachable, and all you can do is sit down and munch on those dry mangoes! Why can't you stand up and be a man!" Aletha started shouting.

"Stop shouting in front of the child," Travis said.

With gritted teeth, Aletha picked the child up and marched out of the room.

***

In another part of town, Dream was driving a car, going deep into the thick forest. Seated in the back seat was Vine and a blindfolded Kiara. None was talking to the other, as the car continued to move deeper and deeper into the woods. It finally came to a stop, and Dream came out to open the door for his young master. The two men were wearing gloves.

Kiara was ordered to come out, and she stood just next to the car. The blindfolds were removed, and she blinked several times, her eyes gradually becoming accustomed to the dark. It was not too dark; for the stars were shining brightly. She looked around and besides trees; there was nothing else in sight. The young lady wondered where she was, as she awaited her fate.

"Right, Kiara. Sign the papers now," Vine said.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, tears already falling.

"Crying won't save you. Signing the papers will." Vine mocked.

"I cannot give my son up for adoption. Please Vine, I beg you to understand me. I am a mother. I cannot possibly do this. I love my son."

"Kiara, I will ask you three times. One. Sign the papers."

"Vine please, don't do this. I will…"

"Two. Sign the papers."

"Vine, OK listen, I will sign, but will I be allowed to see him at least once a week? Only once a week, please? He is my son, Vine. I love him and …"

"Three. Sign the papers, Kiara."

"Ok Vine listen…."

Kiara did not manage to finish what she intended to say, because Vine said,

"Do the job, Dream!"

Dream opened the car trunk and took out a long thick rope.

"Dream is going to tie you on to that rope and hang you up that tree. Him and I will watch as you die, and we will not help you in any way. Tomorrow morning, someone shall surely pass through this way and see you, and report to the police. You shall forever be known as the woman who committed suicide."

"Vine, please do not do this. I am the mother of your child, remember?" she cried.

"I gave you a chance to live; and it has expired. Your chance to live was in just signing those stupid papers, and you wanted to appear like a legend of some sort. You wanted me to beg you? I don't beg anyone. People beg me; not the other way round!" Vine said.

Dream was making a knot with the rope. Soon he had a loop and he held it up for Vine to see.

"Good. Put it in her neck." Vine ordered.

Dream swiftly threw the rope around Kiara's neck.

Seeing that things had cascaded way faster and heading in the complete opposite direction to what she had anticipated, Kiara was left with no other option but to say,

"I will sign! Give me the papers and I will sign them!"

Dream looked at the young master, waiting for his approval.

Vine tilted his head slightly to the left, and tucked his hands into his trousers pockets.

"It's a bit too late for that, I'm afraid," he said. "The way you are so stubborn, I believe that if I let you walk tonight, then my son and I will never have peace. You're the type that will want to visit us every other day, disturbing our peace. Vincent Lisandro and I can do perfectly well without you, Kiara."

"Vine, I swear I will never come to disturb you. You will never hear from me ever again. Please let me go."

Kiara was having a serious debate inside her head. Was it the proper time to announce that Vincent Lisandro was not Vine's son? Isn't the only reason why Vine spared her life for so long was because of the boy? But now, since he had decided that Vincent Lisandro could do well without his mother, it meant that she could not use him anymore to save her life; could she? If she were to tell him at that moment, was he not going to get very furious, and kill both Kiara and the child? It was difficult to predict Vine's reactions, for Kiara had never gotten used to the man's way of thinking.

Looking at how things were going, he surely meant to have her dead. He wanted it to appear as if she hung herself? How ruthless could Vine be, really?

"I promise I will not be a part of his life. You can have the child!" she cried.

"Enough! I have already made my decision!" Vine said.

Kiara felt a hot liquid running down her legs; and she immediately knew that she had wet herself. But that did not matter at all; for at that moment was mattered was her life.

"Should I tie her hands?" Dream sounded excited.

"Tie her hands? It must look like a suicide, silly! How can she commit suicide with her hands tied?" Vine retorted.

"Oh!" Dream said, and continued to smile as he climbed up the tree and started tying the rope.

Kiara wanted to run. She needed to run away; yet her legs remained firmly rooted to the spot. They refused to move at all. And besides, she had told herself that even if she did run, the two men were going to easily catch up with her. Actually, Vine did not even need to run after her. Dream, on his own, could have easily run after and caught up with her.

She saw Dream securing the rope on a strong branch, and she watched him smiling like a person who has just won a gold medal.

"It has to look like a suicide." Vine reminded Dream.

"Yes, young master," Dream said.

He jumped down and started testing the rope.

"It's firm," he announced with a grin. Dream seemed to be really enjoying every moment of it.

"Right. Secure the loop and pull her up." Vine said.

Kiara could not believe her ears. "Secure the loop and pull her up?" Vine said those words very casually, as if he was talking about the score line of last night's game.

Kiara had to think fast. Mentioning Vincent Lisandro had failed to save her. What was her other option? If Vine knew, was he going to let her go? Why would he? Vine was most likely to want to kill both mother and son, once he knew that the child was not his. He could have wished to kill the father too; who knew? So, in her mind, Kiara told herself that either way, she was going to die. She brought her hands up and held tightly to the rope which was on her neck.

"Let go of the rope. It will cut your hands!" Vine spoke as if he cared.

Before she knew it, Kiara felt a sharp pain in her fingers. The rope had tightened. Dream was pulling it. Her legs steadily left the ground, and she felt that she was already hanging in the air, on her way to death.

She was dying? No way! Why should she die; while Vine remained living a happy life? If she had to die, then he too needed to be stabbed where it hurt the most. Kiara knew that Vincent Lisandro meant more than life itself to Vine. She told herself that if she was dying, then he too had to suffer.

"He is not your son!" she cried, her voice chocked; for the rope had begun to cut through her neck.

"What?" Vine was alarmed.

"Vincent Lisandro. He is not yours!" she said.

"Liar!" he barked.

"Go have a test! He isn't yours!" Kiara was already failing to breath, but she managed to say those words. Dream, who all along was slowly and carefully pulling the rope, stopped and looked at Vine.

"Let go of the rope!" Vine gave an order.

Dream swiftly obeyed.