Try me.
"You've been staring at the wall awfully Cleo, everything ok?" Sandra inquired but Cleo was too far gone to hear anything for a response. After several calls and no response, Sandra became worried. She has received a distress call from Cleo and had asked her to come meet her up at home to talk. Seeing how tense Cleo was when she arrived, Sandra decided to get her something to drink from the kitchen. It was a quick one but long enough for Cleo to lose touch with reality.
"Cleo? Cleo?" Sandra continued to call, moving closer to where Cleo was seated. By now she was thrown in panic mode as Cleo just sat there, gazing at the wall without batting an eyelid. Standing beside Cleo, with one hand on her shoulder, Sandra shook with all her might calling on Cleo repeatedly. Sandra had concluded on running out for help if Cleo does not respond to how vigorously she shakes her.
"What! What is it? Leave me the hell alone!" Cleo screamed. With both her hands up to her ear level, Cleo stormed out of Sandra's house slamming the door so hard that the picture frames fell off the wall it was hung.
"Cleo? Are you ok?" Sandra called out softly to a raging Cleo who was already far gone. Everything that had transpired in such short timing sent Sandra into a state of confusion because not once has she seen Cleo act the way. They've been friends since their intern days, In fact Sandra, Cleo and Phil were a pair. They got interviewed and recruited simultaneously due to how excellent their performances were. Their bond and loyalty was so solid that it was quite difficult for other colleagues to believe that the three of them didn't already know themselves before the internship program..
For the duration that both girls have been friends with Phil being the third wheel in the friendship, not once has Sandra seen Cleo in such a foul mood. It's even more shocking because Sandra believed that Cleo had gone through worse ordeals but not one ate her up like whatever it is that she's going through.
Looking at her wall clock and seeing that it's almost at the close of work and Phil will be home any moment, Sandra took a quick dive at the deep freezer. She sourced for a quick food that she could leave to thaw for Phil’s dinner and a plate of Jollof rice with some proteins won. Grabbing the frosted plate and leaving it to thaw on the kitchen island, Sandra also picked up her baby's puree from the refrigerator and left Phil a note to serve himself while she runs off to Cleos.
Knowing how Phil loved to be treated and served like a king, Sandra panicked a little over her absence but unfortunately, her friend needed her and she needed to know what's up. She grabbed her baby and placed him in his kangaroo. Her baby bag is always neatly arranged so she had no need to look for anything that her baby might need while they were away.
Sandra drove to Cleo's house and just as she was about to park by the roadside, she saw Phill drive off angrily from Cleo's garage.
"Whoa! What's going on today? Is there something they put in the water at work? Everyone is just angry." Sandra lamented while struggling to park.
When she eventually parked Well, she concluded by saying, "God knows that I can only deal with one mad person at a time." She got out of the car, hung her baby by the side and walked to Cleo's home. Without knocking, she let herself in and was taken aback with the chaotic setting she saw in Cleo's living room. She quickly put one and two together and suspected that might be Phil.
"But why would Phil trash Cleo's house?” Sandra thought in her mind as she called out hello in search of Cleo.
Immediately Cleo heard Sandra's voice in the living room, she came out in the most creepy of ways wearing a frown .
"Babe what's going on? Why was Phil here?" Sandra questioned while approaching Cleo.
"You really want to know why your husband is here? Cleo fired, standing face to face with Sandra.
"Cleo what's going on? What's happening, you freaking me out. One minute you are having a melt down, the next you are getting confrontational. What's happening with you and why did I see my husband drive off angrily from your garage.”
“Oh wow! Your husband? Ok Sandra, are you aware that your husband has been blackmailing me?”
“Wait what?” Sandra questioned with bulgy eyes but got no response from Cleo who was busy with her narration.
“Are you aware that I stole some money from the company's account because your husband claimed that you were having a between life and death situation?”
“Ha! Cleo? What are you even saying? Phil, my husband duped you? Or…. I don't even understand this narration that you are giving me.”
“And oh, it's a huge one.” Cleo chuckled briefly and then continued to the horror of Sandra.
“I helped your husband and what did I get in return? He wants us to have an affair or he rats me out to the authorities”
“Affair? No no, Cleo you are lying. I'd assume that Phil was here because he noticed your troubled state and you trashed your house yourself. I'd suggest that you get some help because you are sick!” Sandra made an attempt to leave but Cleo wasn't backing down as she continued to speak and expose Phil.
“You know something Sandra? I should have seen Phil for the monster that he is. I mean, with what he did to you and all, putting an end to your career, forcing you to become a full time housewife. Open your eyes my friend, this man is the enemy.”
Cleo's trick worked because Sandra became glued to the ground and even speechless to speak in her husband's defence. But not for long as she snapped out of it, kissed her teeth and exited Cleo’s house with her baby.
Sandra got home a wreck as she couldn't believe all what Cleo had said to her. She has never been one to confront Phil before but she knew in order to save her marriage, she needed to be tough and not back down.
She got into the house and saw that Phil had just finished with dinner. She watched as he pretended all is well and in her head she wondered if to ignore. “but that would just give him and Cleo power to mess with me.” Sandra thought. She knew that in all what Cleo said to her, there was some truth in it because Phil had always been more fond of Cleo. Sometimes, she felt the only reason Phil married her was because Cleo was too hot headed for him.
Seeing her marriage and all the sacrifices that she has made to keep her family going get thrown in the dust, Cleo was filled with rage. Holding on to that rage, she matched straight to Phil, stood in his face, eyeball to eyeball and gave him a serious to stop whatever sick game that he has going on with Cleo else, she goes to the police herself and gets both him and Cleo put away for life.
Roaring like a wounded lion, Phil thundered, “you wouldn't dare”.
And for the first time, Sandra discovered that she was no longer afraid of Phil. She stood her ground, looked at Phil in the eye again and responded, “try me”.
