DOPE Episode 10 by Erasmus Ugochukwu Okafor
***The dead lives***
As Jose, Hugo, and Andre prepared for war, they got a call from an encrypted number.
Hugo was hesitant to take the call but Jose looked intently at him and said: “feel free, the chip is no more on you. Take the call. Even if it comes from Stone, he doesn’t know your location. Or, could it be that he’s killed the girl?”
This possibility got Hugo numb and shivering but with the hope that Stone’s plan is jinxed.
“I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to Larissa. I’ve fought so hard to pretend that I was following my dad’s advice but the truth remains that my feelings for her grows like grass every day and I can’t control it, especially now that I want to drop the drug business and live a peaceful life here in the US. I need Larissa to be there for me and to be the girl that I’ll take down the aisle when all these dramas are over,”
The phone kept buzzing for many times. At the fourth ring, Hugo took the call. “Hell…hello,” he stutteringly said and panted with fear and anticipation of a bad news from Stone as he braced himself for such shock.
“Is that Hugo?” a female voice asked.
“Yes…yes, I’m the one,” he replied, still quivering with fear.
“Tell me your exact location. I want to come and see you,”
“Who’s that?” Jose whispered.
“A woman’s voice,” Hugo answered.
“Give me the phone. I want to confirm something,” Jose said and took the call, “hello. Who is this?” he asked and listened.
“It’s Maria Clara,” she replied.
“Take the call. Invite her over,” Jose said and handed the phone over to Hugo,”
“Are you sure of this?” Hugo asked unequivocally.
“Bring her in,” Jose reiterated, “trust me,”
“Alright, come over to Jose’s house. I believe you know the location already since he knows who you’re,” Hugo replied to the woman on the other side of the telephone and hung up.
Silence loomed among them as they waited for Maria Clara to show up. She was the same stranger that threatened Stone many times on the phone.
In a jiffy, Maria Clara came to Jose’s house and knocked.
Andre went and opened the door slowly, still holding firm to the knob to ensure that she was who they were waiting for.
“What’s your name,” He strictly asked with a frown.
“Maria Clara,” she answered and came in.
She was a beautiful woman of about forty, looking so voluptuous and ravishing as if she’s in her late twenties. She dimpled a smile and walked straight and sat in their midst, looking at Jose and smiling.
“Who are you, woman,” Hugo asked, not having the time for long talks because they were already preparing to meet Bret and his men who were already waiting for their arrival.
“I have a substance, gaseous but very toxic,” she said, “I produced it in my chemistry lab which is used to disarm the enemy, make them weak and destroy them completely. The portion is known as ‘wiper’. I produced it with…”
“If you don’t start answering my question but creating confusion and a diversion, I’m willing to slit your throat at the slightest provocation,” Hugo barked and grabbed her by the neck.
Andre pulled him back. “Give her a chance and control your temper,”
“I think Andre is right,” Jose said, “listen, Hugo, and don’t always be too fast to act. It’s a trait you got from your dad but it’s not the best virtue,”
“Just as quick tempered as your dad,” Maria said and smiled, “anger makes human prone to mistakes,”
“You can now continue,” Hugo muttered, “I want to listen,”
“I produced an antidote for the toxic substance,” she continued, “I know you’re already going for war and I wish to contribute as part of the family. I have it here in my briefcase,”
“That sounds interesting but how can I trust you?” Hugo asked.
“Because Jose trusts me,” she answered, which got Hugo’s confusion and curiosity heightened.
“Jose, do you wish to tell us who she is?” Hugo courteously asked, looking appalled.
“I’m your mother. I’m Amanda Fuentes, who died when you were six years old,” Maria said and came closer to meet Hugo but the shocked young man pulled back and kept looking intently and confusingly at him.
Hugo felt as if he was daydreaming or hallucination as he kept looking at the woman who claimed to be his mom. His mom was supposed to be dead about fourteen years back, so it was like a staged conviction.
“Tell me I’m not hypnotised,” Hugo hollered as confusion flared in his mind.
“No, you’re not,” Jose answered, “He’s not just your mother but my wife,”
More confusion brooded in Hugo’s mind which got his thoughts more twisted thinking through the entire story. He couldn’t imagine how his late mom would be his uncle’s wife. It wasn’t just adding up or making sense at all. He was just speechless and willing to learn more as he remained flabbergasted and dazed.
“My death was assumed real but I remained in the secret bunker at the basement of the white estate where professional doctors revived me after being in a coma for eighteen months,” Amanda delved into explanation while Hugo listened with a tinge of conviction and doubt, “Ramon thought I was dead but when I was revived, he vowed never to come into my life anymore because I almost lost my life because of the vendetta that exists in drug business. He also vowed to make sure that I stay happy and out of drug business. He then forced me to marry Jose who was already living a peaceful life here in Florida. It was the hardest decision I ever took, but being that Jose was always good to me and has a close resemblance with my hubby, I accepted. I was taken over to here to wed Jose just to make Ramon happy. At the end, I discovered that Jose is a wonderful man, not as ruthless as Ramon, which made me enjoy a peaceful life. I then remained here and furthered my education. I’m now a renowned chemist. Being that I couldn’t stay without you, my son, I kept disturbing that you be sent to me to take care of you and make you feel the motherly love, if not, I was ready to file for a divorce and go back to Brazil and remain the wife of the drug dealer just to make you feel my role as a mom,”
“Are these stories true?” Hugo asked Jose and nudged him but the man listened to his wife and never reacted.
“Because of the affrays that I caused for both Ramon and Jose just to bring you to me.” Maria went on as she remained poised to explain everything to Hugo, “they connived and lied to me that you died at the age of eight, which got me shattered. It took me about four years to convince myself that you were really dead. I was so glad when Jose told me the truth that you were alive, but that was after you came to Florida in search of the money that your dad kept away for many years,”
Hugo was just stunned as his mother narrated her story. His face was blemished with tears as he looked into his mother’s eyes that he never had the opportunity to have the clear view of.
“Ramon is wicked,” Hugo voiced angrily, “how could he be so vicious, nursing perpetual hardheartedness and still be comfortable with it?”
“Yes, he could be ruthless but he had conscience still,” Jose said, “If not, he wouldn’t have made this fortunes for you. He wouldn’t have thought of leaving the drug business and have a peaceful life with you, even though he didn’t achieve that before his sudden death. He wouldn’t have thought to make you the heir to his business and he wouldn’t have been there for you as a father,”
“How could he lie to my mom that I was dead? Not just that, he also made me to believe that my mom was dead too,” Hugo yelled angrily with tears, “That’s wickedness and it will be hard for me to be convinced that he meant well for me. I abhor knowing him and wish he was never my dad,” he growled with anger, fury and sorrow as the gloominess and overtook him.
“Can I feel the warmth of your body, which I was denied of many years ago?” Amanda said and opened her arms for Hugo. “Please, be my son again. I thought you were dead, but alive again, lost, but found. Come to mom, please,” she said with tears and heavy inextinguishable sobs.
Hugo filled her arms with his embrace and wept bitterly, with mixed feelings of joy for having his dead mom back and anger for not being with her all those years. “I really missed you so much, mom. I’m happy we’re united. For this reason, I’ll do everything humanly possible to see that I come back from this war alive. I lost my dad and he’s here again fully personified in Jose. My mom is back to me, so what next am I lacking? I even feel like giving up the money and enjoy a lowly life than living in affluence but in a warring life,”
“The money is your heritage, so go after it and recover it, my son,” Jose urged, “but be careful about it,” he cautioned.
“My request is that Andre and I will go for the fight, while my new dad stays back to take care of my beloved mom,” Hugo requested.
“If that’s what makes you happy,” Jose said and joined them in the embrace.
“It will make me so happy to feel free and fight than to keep thinking of your safety on the battlefield which would definitely dislodge my attention from the ongoing war,” Hugo explained, “dad died trying to save me, I don’t want such to repeat itself,”
“Can we go now?” Andre asked and stood on his feet, ready for the battle ahead “Bret is already calling,” he added and handed the phone over to Hugo, “Your call, sir,”
Taking the call, Hugo didn’t wait for Bret to say a word but replied him forthwith saying: “On my way, please”
Hugo and Andre left immediately to the warehouse while Jose pulled his wife closer to give her comfort as they wished their son luck.
In a bid to kill his rival, Stone and his men stormed the deserted building where the chip was positioned without knowing that it was a hoax, thinking that Hugo was camped there. He felt so bad for being misled; making him acknowledge that Hugo was smarter than he thought. He was so infuriated and disappointed because of their failed attempt to track him down.
With anger, they headed straight to the warehouse where the money was kept; with a vow to fight until death except they recover the money.
To be continued…
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