Rose's Pov
Whenever Sharon got angry, I became my worst days, the loneliness and feeling that I had annoyed her was one thing I found had to go through. She would totally ignore my calls and that was very draining. The last time we quarreled she ended up showing up when I was down with fever. The most craziest thing was that the reason we always had to fight was all because of Sammie.
Sammie was always the bone of contention ,and I wondered why this was always so. Sharon and I wouldn't fight over other serious things, because we tend to final find a way to sort things out, but when it came to Sammie, it was never so. I understood that she really didn't like him at all, she always told me she detested him so much, but I didn't like the idea that he was the reason we had to beef each other most times.
Ever since Sharon left angrily, she had not been picking up my calls.I was so sure she was angry because I had refused to take actions against Sammie, as she had expected of me. I didn't tell her my reasons for letting Sammie go Scot free despite all the abuses I had suffered from him.
i was aware that going to beg and plead with Sharon was like wanting to get involved in a marathon set of arguments which took hours to resolve, but at last she would under me and still let things sly.
I knew I had to tell her my reasons for dismissing the police the other day and make her see reasons with me. Although I knew she would be so disappointed to hear what I had to say to her, and I knew that I couldn't bring myself to tell her exactly, but it was the best thing to do. If she discovers the truth herself , then she wouldn't take it slightly.
How was I going to let her know that my father had done such horrible things in the past,and that he was the reason Sammie held me bound in this abusive marriage. The disappointment she would have on her face was what I knew I wasn't ready to face anytime soon.
Sharon was one person I knew stayed away from people with bad records, I have seen her keep away from most of our friends back in the days and I was a bit sure that she was going to do same if she found out that her best friends father was once a nuisance.
She came from a very respectful family and so many times when we visited her parents I got to hear them tell her to stay away from anything or person that would stain their reputation.
Maybe if she found out that my father had once been a drug addict and and drug pusher ,she could as well cut ties with me in order to save herself for being linked to me and Dad ,but I was sure that my father had dropped that lifestyle behind him and had turned a new leaf.
This was why I wasn't going to tell her initially ,so she wouldn't still have that thought that father was still into such business,but another part of me kept saying I should let her know about all this so she could decide what to do with our friendship.
If she valued it enough then she would stay as a friend ,but if she doesn't then I will have to let her go. I kept thinking and I knew deep down within me that I wasn't ready to lose a friend like Sharon. I had no other friend and if she happens to break our relationship then I would be in serious trouble.
She was the only one who could face Sammie and he wouldn't be able to hurt me at that time, if Sammy gets to find out that we are no longer friends then he would completely have this strong hold over me.
I took a cab to her restaurant ,which was at the heart of Greenville town ,a very popular place which I also got to work in. She spent all day in it and I was so sure she would be there when I arrive.
It was 7:30 am and I needed us to talk before it got crowded up with people who came to eat breakfast every morning.
" What are you doing here, shouldn't you be having enough bed rest?", she asked as soon as she saw me walking in through the back door at the kitchen.
" I came to see you. look I know you are so mad at me ,and that's why I'm here Sharon ", I said.
" So what do you have to say now, please be out with it fast, you know the customers would be here anytime from now", Sharon said.
" Come on Sharon, stop giving me this cold reaction, you are making me feel so had about everything".
" So what I'm I supposed to do? hug you! , clap for you ! or should I congratulate you for letting someone who murdered your child got Scot free?", she asked.
" He murdered our child Sharon, our child,not just mine".
" Is that justifiable?", she asked and tried walking out. I held her back.
" Something happened , do you mind if I tell you what it was ?", I said.
I remembered once reading on a journal that a good friend is one who tells the truth ,no bitter how bitter it might be. It immediately clicked on me that I was meant to tell Sharon everything about dad, even though I feared that she might not be a friend anymore. I wasn't going to be a bad friend by hiding a secret from her.
She had been of great help to me and it will only be reasonable that she knew what she was up against.
Sharon sits back on a seat while I joined her on another. I had to give her all the details on all that had happened that day at the hospital.
Even after father was diagnosed with his sickness and Sammie was in charge of paying all our bills , my schooling inclusive. Father went back into the business of hard drugs with some dangerous mafias.
He once stole some of those drugs in order to sell them and get his own gain when they began to hurt him . It was Sammie's intervention back then and saved him from being killed, while the stolen drugs where returned back to the mafias.
Sammie was going to capitalize on father's past life to send him to jail if I tried leaving the marriage and the fact that dad was already sick and going to jail would only risk his life further made me scared.
After all my explanations to Sharon ,I noticed that the frown on her face was still there. Although I had thought telling her would have made her understand me and ease the anger she felt , but it clearly didn't.
"Didn't you think you should have let me know about this from the on set, Rose. What's this? I thought we have been best of friends and that your problem should be my problem, just as my problem is always yours. So how come you didn't tell me about this since , we would have found a way out for your father", she said angrily.
Her response was one of the most shocking thing I had gotten all day. Here I was thinking that she was going to break our friendship as soon as I told her what father had always been into, but my friend sat down there ,looking at me angrily and asked me why I didn't tell her all this while if I valued her as a friend. Sharon was always unpredictable when it comes to certain situations but I never knew she would be like this.
I tried explaining to her that I didn't know there would be a way out for father and at that point all I could think of was to remain in the marriage so that Sammie wouldn't file any case against him.
" That's rubbish Rose,the day we agreed to become best of friends back then I'm school, your family became mine and mine became yours. No matter what you think was right, you should have let me know all these", she said so unhappily.
I could tell how she felt, that feeling of neglect when you friend hides certain secrets from you, but I knew who Sammie was better than anyone and how strong-willed he could be at times. He wasn't a man to be toiled with and if he meant to deal with his enemies, he did it with his full chest and without looking back at whatever consequences might be birthed.
Sammie was so obsessed about me and even if I left and he got father into prison ,he was never going to let me go. The fact that he was a very wealthy man and he had spent alot on i and father would place us under his control forever.
He had already told Dad and I that he had evidence to proof against him, and one last thing I would ever do was to try Sammie's patience, he could be the worst nightmare I would ever have. I wondered what Sharon thought she could have done to remedy the situation if I had told her. I guess I would have to listen to her ,to know what she had in mind, if it was something that was going to work out ,then maybe I will be having something to hold up against Sammie.
" That's a big lie Rose, stop having this mentality, it makes you look so caged and this is why Sammie thinks he can do whatever he wants with you and get away with it. You feel he owns your life", Sharon yelled.
" So what do you suggest we do ,if I break loose from Sammie, how do we save my father from going to jail", I asked.
" Already, things have been messed up, if you had told me about father long before, I would have stopped father from confronting him at the hospital, he wouldn't have had the chance to say he had any evidence against him. Right now we can't do anything, go with the flow, act like you wouldn't do anything to him, we must find out the evidence he claims to have and get hold of that evidence", Sharon said.
I knew that Sharon always wanted me to take charge of the marriage and stand strong, but she failed to understand that it was not an easy thing for me as it would be for her. Father and I had nothing and on the other hand Sammie had all he wanted. I took care of my clothing and all I needed to keep living.
Sharon came from a middle class family which can afford whatever she wanted ,so I wouldn't be an issue for her if she was on my shoes for her to leave without being held back. The only usefulness Sammie said I was to him was that I kept him company when he had a rough day and for the fact that I always warmed his bed at night.
I could never see myself in Sharon's class and I knew that the way she saw what I was passing through was from her own perspective and not from what I was going through.
I begged her not to be angry and that we should rather come up with a better plan to kick Sammie out of my life. Sharon said the only reason which would have been most suitable was if I had allowed her to push the case of assault and murder a bit further.
" We would have been so happy and so sure that you'll win the case in court, but now I don't understand what this is and I can't seem to figure out any other way that wouldn't be dangerous", she said.
This was exactly why I had refused telling her anything, she might not know how to handle the case after all. Now I had to still pull up with Sammie for God knows how long it would take me to get off this marriage.
We both agreed to figure out a different way once it clicks. I had to help her out on the kitchen with the cooking and then the restaurant was opened for the day.
I had to let he know that I didn't like the idea of having to pick up a fight which would lead to our not talking for days all because of Sammie and Sharon immediately exploded in anger.
" What do you even mean by that! You know very well that I can't put up with that guy and the idea of you stopping me from taking actions at all times ,is the only reason we fight Rose. That man doesn't love you ,he is only obsessed about you and that's what I always want to make you see", she shouted.
" You don't need to tell me that ,I already know really well that he is obsessed about me but the idea of picking up a fight because of him all the time is what I detest so much. please Sharon, could you try as much as possible to stop fighting me because of Sammie, it really makes no sense. You of all people know very well that I am trying my very best to break up from this and you fighting me isn't helping at all, you will only end up hurting my feelings badly.
" So are you trying to say that I am the reason why we always fight? I can't believe you are saying this. look i try my best to make sure that Sammie doesn't hurt you or stop you from doing what makes you happy, how can you put the blame one me?",Sharon said.
I didn't like the way the argument was turning ,it was already looking like she was about to explode. I tried explaining to her that I never said she was the problem ,but only tried telling her not to pick up fights against me all because of Sammie , who we both knew very was the enemy.
Whenever Sharon got annoyed , it was hard to stop her at that point, she immediately left the kitchen and burst out into the hall where the customers were, shouting at the top of her voice. The employees were all startled,but I guess they knew that was how our relationship was always. The scolding and fights , I followed her immediately, as she stepped out of the building still blabbing.
I must get her calm ,so people don't end up thinking she had just lost her mind on the streets.