Chapter 3 Suspense in motion

Smith really miss home. He can feel it. But his parents frustrating him about getting married is what really pushed him back away for a while but he knows he can't escape it. He increased the volume of his favorite track. He loved this line alot. '' I can never loose what your thoughts''. He hate to be a loser alot. Instead he is ready to give it what it takes to win.

He parked the car and perform his daily car check in before shutting the door.

" We're here already" he announced.

Vivian coming out of the car. " This place is beautiful" she exclaimed.

" I know right"

" Your parents place?"

Silence.

" But you didn't tell me, we are coming to your parents place" Vivian added feeling dejected.

"Now you know" he shrugged

Lisa checked her dressing through the car mirror looking unsatisfied." I would have dressed better"

" Yo, what's up man"

Smith knows that voice really well, his brother, Phil. He looked back as they had their usual boys handshake like then in high school. Phil is actually more reason, he ain't getting married. He remembered how happy Phil was on his wedding in his suit unknown to them that the marriage will only last for three years. He got another woman again, same thing. Marriage nowadays especially in Los Angeles is just for the business of it. And him Smith, ain't ready for all that.

"And this is?" Phil asked referring to Lisa

"Lisa" Lisa quickly cut in . She was afraid how Smith is gonna introduce her.

" His girl or what?" Phil asked again with a curiosity.

Smith knew this is when he comes in if he doesn't want Lisa to say something he is gonna regret " Can you just let us breathe?, We just got here, man"

"Aight aight, I get" Phil replied, backing off. " Let's do this" he replied smiling, ushering them to the main house.

Looking at his mum smiling and his heart beat rising. He knew he really missed home. He ran up to her and hugged her tightly. " I miss you mum"

Mrs Julius looked at him , trying to save herself from his embrace " well you don't" replied disagreeing. " Because if you did, you will...." She couldn't complete her statement when she noticed Lisa. She left him and walk up to her.

Smith knew he is fucked up already if Lisa get to do the introduction. He ran to them.

" Mum, let me introduce you to...."

His mum interrupted him. " Let me do the talking here"

" Good evening Mrs Julius" Lisa greeted smilling

" Evening beautiful, you're his girl?" Mrs Julius asked back teasingly.

Lisa knew this is her chance to make a statement, atleast if she get his mother's approval, she get him too and finally shut everyone up in the hospital, a good come back against Joyce. She nodded her head in affirmation.

Oh God! . Smith couldn't believe his eyes. What the hell is Lisa playing at? . Whose girl?. Definitely not him. He is not gonna settle down with a slut in high school. He left them angrily .

" Hey brother" Phil walked up to him. " Not really the family dinner you're expecting right?"

" Like bro!, What the hell was that?"

Phil opened the wine bottle, poured a little inside the glass cups , gave one to Smith while he held on to one." Why did you bring her in the first place, is she not acting what you want her to?"

Smith sipped a little. " That's not the script"

" I'm a detective you know, I saw it in her eyes, the hunger, passion, sexual tension for you" Phil stopped to see if he was following. " Don't tell me you didn't noticed"

Smith grunted. " That's not the script"

" So what's the script then?"

Smith stood up at the arrival of his dad. " Good evening dad"

Mr Julius moved closer to them. " Tell me the script then or are you too young to get married?"

" Dad, I'm just twenty six!"

" That's not too small to build a home!"

Phil took the wine and set to leave. "I think I'm going to leave you two to it"

Mr Julius pointed back at him. " Hey you, come back here". He watched Phil taking a step back.

" Aren't you suppose to talk sense to him huh?"

Phil shrugged his shoulder. " It's his business, I don't know"

" Exactly! My business" Smith replied back in affirmation holding his hand to his chest .

" Well I'm telling you , before this year ends, you're gotta get a wife to this house or.."

" Or what dad?" Smith cut in.

"I and your mum will decide to disown you." Mr Smith revealed." You two can't be irresponsible and having our name, we need grand children, we are not getting younger anymore" he left.

Smith fell down into the sofa near him, staring at his brother like telling him it was his fault.

"And don't look at me that way" Phil said , pointing at him.

" If you actually married right, I won't have to bear all these".

Phil shrugged his shoulder. "The women left , I didn't chase them". He replied nonchalantly. " We're on a mission to get a wife then" . He moved closer to him. "why not marry the girl you brought home?" He said teasingly.

Smith threw one of the pillow on the sofa at him as they continue the battle with the pillow, laughing really hard at each other.

*************

Joyce couldn't believe her ears after the result she heard from the doctor. Narcotics? In her system? how? where?. She is not this party person for her to even think of being drugged. She was so perplexed. Due to her disbelief, the doctor had to re-do the test thrice before you believed the laboratory results. Her dad mustn't hear about this. She has been making him proud all these years and this is not the time to bring out any drama considering the fact that she just came home to settle down of recent.

She sat down on her bed. Or could this be her step mum and sister devise to clear her off of getting the property?. Why will they possibly do that?. What for?. She is not even interested in these gaining wealth of a thing for someone to had done this to her. Oh God! She checked the time, almost evening.

She took her journal and started writing out ideas of how possibly she got hard drugs in her system. Probably if this person has been drugging me with narcotic, definitely he want me to run mad.

"How about I actually run this mad and get to know the culprit?". She asked herself facing the mirror and this idea struck to her to be the best decision. "Yes! I will act mad for a while and then definitely, the culprit will show up, I'm sure of that" she concluded.

The door opened. " And who is running mad?"

She looked back. " Dad, how many times will I tell you to knock?"

Mr Will moved closer to her as he patted on her on her head. " You're still my little girl, you know that"

How about I start acting it right now? The faster the better. Especially Infront of people close to me so as to look real . She thought. She moved to the flower vase on the shelf and threw it on the floor. There were splashes of glasses on the phone. I'm sorry, dad , she cried inside her.

Mr Will was shocked. He stood up immediately. " What is wrong with you?" He shouted.

Joyce moved to the mirror, started punching it with her fist, lot of bruises on her hand and she didn't care. It's all for the best . She said to herself again.

"Oh my goodness, I need to call 911" Mr Will picked his phone, dialed the number.

"Please, my daughter is acting irrational and muttering some words, I think she has ran mad or something, I need help"

"On it sir, stay calm and stay with her, we have to track your address and get to you in a jiffy" the other end on the call.

" Please do" Mr will replied almost to tears.

Joyce continud to destroy everything in her room and saying irrational things. She is a psychiatric nurse after all, she knows her patients well. She saw the fear and care on her father's face. How she wish he was always around to actually show her that care she needed from her step mum and step sister. She is not going back on this mission.

Some minutes later, they heard the ambulance siren. The rescue team made their way inside, she pretended to struggle with them while they were carrying her to the car, looked at the house again, atleast she is ready to face her fears. She watched as her dad kept sobbing with no one to comfort him, felt sorry for him.

The car zoomed off.

***********

"Well I don't know what has been happening in my absence and I need answers" Mr Will shouted back at his wife while taking a step back from her.

" But you couldn't be putting the blame on me and my daughter for what happened to her" Mrs Will replied

" Oh really?," Mr Will moved to the dinning table, " aren't you living together? Or the two kids aren't they under your watch?".

Mrs Will moved towards him. " And I only watch what want to be watched".

Silence.

The door opened . Lisa came in surprise to see Mr Will inside.

"Hey dad" she wanted to hug him but got stopped.

"I'm not in the mood for that" Mr will removed her hand from his neck.

Mrs Will couldn't hold back her anger. "So you're gonna be giving us cold treatment because of your wayward daughter that ran mad?".

Mr Will stood up. " Oh really, who is the wayward huh?" . He pointed at the wall clock " look at the goddamn time, past midnight and your daughter is just coming back home?". He took a breath. " Has Joyce ever done that?"

" Atleast, Lisa is not the one who ran mad" Mrs Will shrugged back .

Lisa felt like a fool in the whole drama. She took a glass of water left on the dining table." Wait, what the fuck is going on?"

" Hey, watch your language, young lady". These are manners your mum should have taught you" Mr Will shouted angrily and stormed out.

Mrs Will moved closer to Lisa, held her down. " Don't mind him, honey bee. He is just passing aggression".

" But, who is mad?".

Mrs Will laughed. "Who else will?, His over righteous daughter".

They both laughed.

" Our plan is really working well. She now have a defect and you got to grab your chance to prove worthy" Mrs Will said whispering to her while playing with her hair.

"I understand ma'am" Lisa replied back making a salute.

They bursted out into laughter again.