Chapter 24 — Second Chances

The first of April, falling on a Monday, Ella Bradshaw returned to work from her study leave. And there, at the crushing company, she handed Mr. Marshall a letter, requesting an increase in her salary. A letter which had also stated what would be the outcome, if, he was unable or just wouldn’t satisfy her request.

Although, he had spent Sunday night sleeping at her house and grinning her all hours of the night, she refuse from handing him the letter there. Because, she wanted this to be a professional gesture. Even more so, he would come to understand the seriousness of this situation she was quietly contemplating being her boss.

Opening the white envelope, unfolding the letter in his hand and carefully reading its content was more of a slap in the face of Mr. Marshall’s.

“Ella!” He shouted; “All Fools Day, don’t run well in every office situation, especially, mine!”

“Ronald… Mr. Marshall, this has nothing to do with All Fools Day!”

Ella said, seriously.

Soon after quickly catching herself making reference to his name without his manly title and by only using his first name.

“I’ll be graduating college in June, and I ask that you increase my salary, or else, I will just have to move on!”

Continued Ella without an ounce of grin on her face.

This was a serious matter to her and, she wanted him to realize the serious nature of the situation she was bringing forth to him.

Ruffled and in a forceful manner, Mr. Marshall shove the letter and the envelope into Ella’s bosom as he lashed out at her, saying;

“Why didn’t you ask me about increasing your salary last night when I was between your legs?”

Mr. Marshall questioned rudely.

“Wouldn’t that be the ideal time to ask me for such a thing as a raise of pay?”

He continued vexingly staring her up and down.

Not sugar-coating her words or spreading gravy over her lips, Ella angrily replied;

“You don’t want me calling you, Ronald, on the job, right! Well, for me, last night was for our sexual sins, sucking on each other, socializing and fucking! Now it’s about my bread… my pay check!”

The young girl expressed.

“And today, is all about my work and my wages… my respect and my professionalism, my time to do and want something better for myself!”

Ella continued lashing out tearfully.

“You just keep one thing in mind, I will be the one who will have to write that reference letter for you, wherever that someplace is, you intend on going to work! You just remember that!”

Ronald Marshall said, threateningly.

And with those hostile words of intimidation, spoken, he stormed out of the tiny office; flustered, heated and vexingly.

But in the back of his mind, he kept on pondering, if Ella leave his place of business, she was going to be experiencing something much better. Especially, with her degree in hand, and then would be gone from him, forever.

The enter week on the job, it was obvious that the silent treatment was in the atmosphere, and daily greetings were barely responded to. However, the once teenager, turn adult, performed her duties with pure excellence, contemplating that she would soon have to be performing like this for some other company in the near future.

Holding onto whatever little dignity she had left with this man in her life, she followed through with her task on the job while still pleasing the boss-man sexually; on Sunday nights. As though, it was some form of a holy and sanctimonious religion to satisfy him sexually. And through it all, she was constraining herself not to get her hands messy or bloody once again. But the mountain had grown high, the horses already rode, galloping through the gates, and getting her hands bloody was on the forefront of her mind.

She was seriously thinking about getting justice for herself, and not only for what, Ronald Marshall had done to her or how he was now making her feel. But also for what Corporal Banks and her father had done to her as well. And even though, he had helped her to get her feet out of some very rough waters, still, he was the one who made her felt as though, she was never going to be good enough for her aspirations.

He was the one who was keeping her as his sex machine!

He was the one who refuse from marrying her!

He was the one, telling her that asking for higher wages had to be about her satisfying him in the bedroom with every conceivable position there was in the sexual arena!

Having her seriously wondering at times, how the hell, she hadn’t dislocate her hip bone as yet. Especially, since he wasn’t any tiny-bop!

And even though, she presumable could have rest assure, he would have gotten violent and beaten the sugar cane juices from inside of her. If she rejected his sexual advances, when he came for his joy ride from her, every Sunday night.

Nonetheless, June tenth came along! It was a bright and beautiful Thursday afternoon, with the skies looking exceptionally blue and peaceful in the atmospheres. As if, the heavens were sending forth some form of spiritual messages onto the earth. Good or bad, that was to be interpreted or learned in the hours and days ahead.

And without any form of support to cheer her on… inviting neither family nor friends to this dignified and honorable occasion; Ella Bradshaw, uprightly, stride proudly upon the stage of the Monroe National College like super woman. And there, she received in hand her well-earned degree, folded with brightly pink ribbons accented with a neatly tied bow placed on the top of it. And with scribes boldly printed on the decorated surface of it stating; Degree of Business Administration.

It was a degree that was received with a very pleasant smile but with vengeance in the heart.

She had made it this far.

Accomplishing what she had set out to achieve educationally and for improving herself as a human being. However, the raw blood of wickedness and un-forgiveness boiled on her heart and were still running through her strong veins like high pressures of water in a kitchen facet.

Enduring a quite tedious trip, the newly graduate, returned home from her graduation ceremony in the wee hours of the night, and collapse on the sofa chair before putting her credentials away. Six hours later, she made her way to the crushing company, open the gates there and started carrying out her duties as if, nothing special had not just occurred in her life. But close to midday when Ronald Marshall had arrive to work, settled himself around his desk, she reminded him about receiving an increase in her wages. Which had now caused the entire atmosphere to changed and erupted.

“Wherever you went to sleep last night, let them or him offer you a fucking raise of wages!”

Lashed out, Mr. Marshall, with eyes jutting out from their sockets and face fuming with anger like a bull in a ring seeing red.

Ella standing firm in her position, had no intention of granting him any explanation about her whereabouts from the last evening. Although, she had left the office early Thursday afternoon and told him, she was going keep a doctor’s appointment that she had a week ago. But, instead of visiting a doctor, she had hitch a ride into the city where she attended her own graduation ceremony.

But Ronald, who went visiting her house three times for that same night and found her not to be there. Decided, he would go circling all of the office buildings operated by doctors in town, including the hospital. And in doing so he found out that neither one of them had her name down for an appointment, or had seen her attending any of the facilities.

Unable to locate her in any of the doctor’s offices situated around town, he soon came to realize, she had given him, a six for a nine.

The ferocious heat engulfing the tiny office space needed some ice to cool it down. He was a roaring forest fire and she, more of a small campfire. So, instead of fighting fire with fire, Ella, nonchalantly said to him;

“Just keep in mind, Mr. Boss-man, one of these mornings, I won’t be showing up to this office to carry out your precious office duties for this money.”

“If you think, you can go about skipping ship as you like, then I have something in mind, waiting for you!”

Mr. Marshall said, threateningly.

Even though, Ella had not responded to his threat, it hadn’t gone on deaf ears. Because, just like him, she too had something up her sleeves and cooking in her mind, waiting just for him. And she told herself, one of them soon won’t be seeing the glory of the sun or the pressing on each other’s flesh against each other’s body; come one these mornings.

That Friday evening, Ronald Marshall hadn’t come by Ella’s house dropping off Dion and Devon. And neither had he come by the house Sunday night for his moment of sexual pleasures, either.

A sense of worrying came over her for a moment. But her intuition told her, Ronald wouldn’t spite her and hurt her siblings just to get back at her, just because he was furious with her at the moment. Hence, Ella, gladly welcomed the weekend and her Sunday evening of quietness, enjoying some well needed rest and started thinking about her life without her former Good Samaritan.

One thing was for certain, he wasn’t going to marry her, and neither was he about to allow her to go from him freely. And wherever he was presently, she knew deep within her heart that he was seriously planning her demise. Especially, since all other times of them being in heated exchange of words, or, battling cussing tongues, he had never missed out on his Sunday evening of sexual satisfaction and delight. As though, it was a ritual or his holy communion.

Early morning sun blazing through the cloud, giving a message that it was indeed going to be a very hot day. And out of bed and reading herself for the office, Ella then left home. Arriving at the crushing company by foot, her usual time, just a little after seven o’clock. Ella climbed the steps to the tiny office and decided she would proceed with work for the day.

Surprisingly, though, Mr. Marshall showed up at work that Monday morning, just after nine o’clock, and not at his usual midday hours.

Ella studied his face carefully and notice that he seemed well rested and pleasant, but she still couldn’t read what he had on his mind.

Testing his mood, she ask, staring into his eyes;

“How is Dion and Devon doing?”

Suspiciously staring down into the work yard, he answered;

“Your brother and sister are doing just fine! They just didn’t feel like making the trip to see you this weekend, therefore, we all just stayed at home and chill the whole time!”

Ella kept her eyes steadfast on his face, trying to detect something… something that wasn’t there before. But her suspicions came back empty handedly… there was nothing about him that was different, away from him looking like he had gotten some very good rest. And no further conversation continued, referring their personal affairs.

His only dialogue with her was about the business aspect of his company; wanting to know who had paid for what truck load of gravel, who owed money and when such payments would be collected. And he also wanted to find out from her who had ordered gravels for the present week, the week ahead, and when they would be coming by his premises to obtain their stony product?

For the most part, the office was quiet as a graveyard. Only the men shovels against the crush stones could be heard in the yard. Ella making an educated guess, strongly believed their relationship was now over and done with. But a sense of intimidation was surely lingering in the air. Especially, since Ronald with quiet lips, still did not make any mention as yet to her, about increasing her salary. Or, had decided on taking away the keys to his company from her possession.

Eyeing him every chance she got, she wondered what was playing around in that unseen skull of his. And desperately, she wondered if anything strange or bizarre was displaying itself on his person. One other thing she had observed about him, was that he wasn’t dressed in his usual working attire, but that he had on something more sporty and casual.

“Was his sexy dressing up designed to make him feel younger about himself, resulting in him making up with her and alluring her back into his arms?”

Thought, Ella to herself with a giggling sensation in her chest.

Clocking out time from work that Monday evening, Ella said her goodbye to her boss, Mr. Marshall and left the office for the day. Upon reaching home that evening, she decided on making another contact with her taxi driver and friend, Leon. Because she wanted him to drive her by Ronald’s house, to see if, everything there was on the up and up, with her brother Devon and her little sister, Dion.

Filled with concerns and fingers crossed, she sat on the large piece of coconut log, resting near to the entrance of her yard gate. Eagerly anticipating and praying for Leon to drive by the gate, so she could make her request known to him. Sadly, there were no signs of him going or coming that evening.

But, at the dimming of the evening sun behind the horizon and with foggy darkish clouds appearing all around the heavens, A big red truck came rocking back and forth at the sloped entrance of the yard. Causing Ella, to immediately stand to her feet.

“What the fuck is he here for now?”

She could hear herself saying.

Without any grin on his face, the tall heavy-set man stepped from his vehicle, slammed the door behind him and then stated to Ella askingly;

“Why are you sitting outside here on the street side like a damn fish vender; you have something selling these passerby; going to and fro by here?”

The tone of his voice sounded shameful to her. But instead of retaliating with raised voice or even lashing back at him with any profanities, Ella responded not. Instead, tough, she walk to the veranda and sat on one of the chairs there.

Seeming to be somewhat jealous or just felt the need to terrorize and harass the young graduate, Ronald roughly pulled her up from the chair by her arm, and began hauling her towards the bedroom door. As if, she was some stubborn goat or live-stock from a farm he had difficulty managing.

Angrily, Ella resisted his grip to her arm, while demanding that he let her go. But the more she resisted, was the more Ronald held her tighter, and began manhandling her, as though he held office under the law and she were an unruly criminal.

“Let me go!” Ella shouted at him; “How many times must I tell you to let go off my damn arm!”

The shoving and pushing continued on for a while longer, resulting in Ella anxiously standing at the entrance way of her bedroom door. Her breathing had become heavy and so were the balls of sweat dripping from her skin because of the hackling between the both of them. Meanwhile, Mr. Marshall, indignantly began directing her to get on top of the bed while he went about unzipping his pants front so he could pull out his manhood and have his way with her.

Ella, desperately wanted to get rid of him, especially now that his treatment to her became unpleasant and unhealthy for her. But she wasn’t quite ready to dismiss him from her life, just yet. Plus, she was afraid of acting in a dreadful manner then and there; knowing fully well, she wasn’t quite prepared to execute such a serious task without ever being caught. Jail-house or prison was just not on her itinerary.

Certainly, she now wanted this man, her lover, her boss and the man who had manipulated her in her youthful days; dead. But she knew, she needed first, to have her getaway plans in order; so when she was done sending him back to his maker, she could walk away from this act of crime, scotch free!

Therefore, she refrain from resisting his hostility towards her and gave him whatsoever, he needed from her… uninterrupted raw sex.

Sex of control and power!

Sex without any love attach to it and only the lust of a young girl’s firm skin rubbing against his aging body.

Sex that was only duty to her and pleasure for him.

Refusing from having him pushing her dragging her by the arm, or any other body parts, Ella violently ripped the blouse from her body which had the buttons flying left, right and center, all across the bedroom.

Unexpected to him, she had her skirt and underwear completely off her body in minutes, and legs spread wide apart to receive him, while her face remained motionless staring into his exciting eyes. Motionless, like a poor mother in shock after losing her only child before his time. And eagerly, Mr. Marshall had his way with Ella, entering her and thrusting into time and time again her until he was totally satisfied. This time however, most of the work was on his part, she didn’t feel the need to ride him like a subway train anymore. At least, this time around.

Oddly, upon reaching his climatic peak, he didn’t went for the door like she was expecting of him. But instead, he went on to finish undressing himself, pulled her next to him into his masculine embrace and then threateningly whispered in her ear; “Don’t let me hear that another man touch my sin-thing!” before falling off into a deep sleep.

As if, they were and would always be permanent bedroom partners.

“I see, I should just lay here, and keep on being your silent whore forever!”

Ella, kept thinking to herself.

Hearing him snoring, Ella felt he was gone way yonder, so she tried making her way out of his arms. But he felt her drifting away from his body, and swiftly pulled her back towards him while asking;

“Where the fuck, you think you’re going?”

Ella frightened that he was still awake responded;

“I’m just going to use the rest room!”

Releasing his grip from around her body, he allowed her to go. And when such had been accomplished, the young graduate went and sat herself inside of the living room and began pondering on how she should make her escape from this man. A man she deeply was thinking about eliminating from her life and the earth. A man… a human being who presently wanted to be in full control of her existence. But yet still, cared noting about putting a ring on her finger.

Her mind went running with all sorts of crazy thoughts. And she even, actually began thinking about reentering the bedroom, hop into the bed and start with appeasing him sexually. So she could go about biting off his dick and swallowing it – forever consuming the evidence.

However, his truck was still parked in her front yard, indicating to everyone passing by that he had been there with her at some point in time that evening.

Her thoughts were now on having Leon removing the truck from in the front of her yard, since, she hadn’t yet learn to drive. But doing so, would be adding him to the narrative which she wanted no one else to ever know about. And he might start asking questions she wasn’t prepared on answering at all. Furthermore, he might be quick to volunteer his information to the authorities whenever they came investigating about the prominent business man in town who has turned up missing.

One thing was certain in her mind though, killing Ronald Marshall had to be done!

He wasn’t going to chew her up then spit her out like cane trash or wriggles gum!

There were plenty of places on her land for hiding his lifeless body, but the big red truck, parked in front of her yard, remain to be a very big problem!

How could she ever snuff out this man’s life whom she felt was using her and now leaving her to be the town’s damaged goods?

Removing herself from the sofa chair, Ella went and stood under the shower, hoping to wash away the disgust she felt on her body. Moments later, she returned to the bedroom, carefully crept into bed beside the man whom she perceived to be her villain. And pretty soon, she fell fast asleep beside him with her murderous plot all cemented in the back of her mind.

The roosters started crowing awaking both Ella and Ronald from their deep sleep. It was also an indication that a new day was here. And Ronald wanted that early morning of shacking-up which made him felt energized like he had just had three cups of Blue Mountain Peak black coffee. And Ella not having any intention of denying him of such, gave him all of her best… enticing him with her sexual moves until he was totally satisfied.

As usual, she left him in bed, fixed herself a morning meal, dressed and left for work early that Tuesday morning, after a long shower. With all she needed inside of her handbag for the day she made it to the company. Giving no inclination of her evil intentions, the manger’s assistant to the crushing company carried out her work with much precision for the entire day until her boss showed up there for work. And with a mood of happiness, he greeted her.

“Good day, my darling, Ella!”

Ronald Marshall, said, leaning over her desk and whispering in her ear while caressing her face.

“Hi!” Ella, responded with lit eyes, but in a very dry tone of voice.

From then on, she carried out her daily duties without a glitch… shuffling papers, making calls and running the office as smoothly as could be. Without even lifting her eyes to the only other person in the room with her, Ronald Marshall. And hours later, the time came for her to clock-out from work, and so she did. However, not before making sure that other workers heard her shouting goodbye to the boss-man and to some other persons working in the stone yard as well.

Hiding in the only female bathroom on the premises, Ella could overhear when the very last person exited through those iron gates at the front of the building. The drawing of the thick chains against the poles gave off a unique sound, while being wrapped around the iron pole at the gate, making sure potential customers would know that business was close for the day. Ella, now knew, it was the ideal time for her to make her move.

She knew with sex, Ronald Marshall would have let down his guard. And so, she presented herself to him in that manner; cutting two large holes in the large plastic bags she had for covering her body. In which she would be using for exposing her breasts to him and tantalizing him with her protruding nipples.

The gigantic black and shiny plastic bags draping her body like a plus-size runway model, Ella climb the stairs to her office with both her voluptuous breasts dancing, dangling and draggling in front of her. Anticipating that that such would quickly entice her rival and have him letting down his guard about what she was about to do with him next.

A pair of thick bobby-socks covering both her hands, helped with securing the heavy orange handle hammer in her hand behind her. Strides like a tiger and smiles as wide and bright, as an arch angel, Ella made her way towards Mr. Marshal’s office desk.

Looking up at her with a smile, he surprisingly asked;

“Ella, what are you still doing here?”

But her smile continued while she made a quick gaze at her breast.

Immediately, he dropped the pen from his hand and was about to arise from his chair. But with a firm hand, she quickly pushed him back down into his seat.

Leaning into the curve of his neck, she licked the lobe of his ear and whispered to him; “I’m here to give you the time of your life!”

“I can see, you’re working extremely hard for that pay raise!”

Uttered, Ronald Marshall, in a half-smiling manner.

‘Ummm-Ummm!”

Ella quickly responded, while stroking the curve of his neck with her covered hands.

Mr. Marshall, could then feel the flesh of her beautiful voluptuous breast, rubbing against his ear and the warm of her breath on the skin of his cheeks, allowing his manhood to eagerly arouse and ready for pumping it forward in eroticism.

Then, suddenly, her touch was no longer upon him, and soon as he was about to turn his head to see what sexual tricks she had up her sleeves and was about to demonstrate them on him. An extremely hard blow came to the side of his face, landing at the temple of his head, causing his hands to reach for his face. Soon afterwards, there came another heavy blow, and then another, and another until his head filled with curly hair, finally collapse onto the desk in front of him; as blood began seeping and chinning from the side of his cranium like an automatic garden house.

Looking at the lifeless body of her once lover, Ella somehow, feeling triumphantly, boldly said;

“I bet you, any money, you’ll never use another woman, much less a wretched teenager like myself!”

And with those words spoken from her lips, she hastily made her way back to her hiding place, where she undressed herself from the bloody plastic bags. Carefully stuffing them into another plastic bag before returning to the spot where she had just carried out the most gruesome act. Hands tied up in plastic bags, she began removing some of the most important folders Mr. Marshall had obtained over the years with his best customers, placed them into another plastic bag and then stuffing them down into her handbag. Her handbag which she then rested at the door downstairs, so she could easily make her swift getaway as soon as her criminal endeavors had been completed.

Wanting to safeguard her own skin, the folders which were lying dormant or had very little activities attach to them, she threw them up in the air, as if, they were piles of colorful confetti, allowing them to fall in the office; wherever they will. Because, she thought, they would soon come in handy for her next plot.

Still, bent on covering her wanton deeds, Ella quickly made her way to the storeroom, which was also housing a medium-size generator for the company usage. And also where other flammable solutions were being stored there in bottles as well. In her eagerness and desperation to disguise her criminal behavior, she took one of the bottles of flammable liquid, brought it back to the office space where Mr. Marshall laid slumped over his desk. Franticly, she then began sprinkling the flammable solutions all over the tiny office, as though, she was shaking black-pepper and salt on raw meat.

Bracing her back against the wooden door-frame, distance away from her dead troubles, Ella stroke a match, carefully threw it, as if, she was scoring for a basketball loop and had it fall where a heap of papers settled together on the office floors.

Soon a flame of fire ignited and smoke began looming about the tiny office. And instead of running for the doors, Ella ran towards Mr. Marshall’s lifeless body, and started trying to remove it with all desperation while screaming out for help!

Help she knew would never come, but just in case it was nearby, she would seem to be a heroin… on trying to rescue the dead man.

Repeatedly, she tugged and pulled at his body while screaming out for someone to come and aid her while the fire grew more and more intense around her, and began spreading.

He was weighting a ton, and that her frame could never manage. The heat from the flames coming upon her, she bolted through the door of the office and down the flight of stairs. Ella then grabbed her bags with her murder evidence and began running towards the main streets, still screaming on the top of her lungs for someone to assister her.

Clutching the evidence of her criminal acts underneath her armpit, she made her way to the main streets and continued onto the path to her house, frantically screaming. Hoping, to get some attention from any of the vehicles pasting by, so she could give them word to past onto the fire station in town. Meanwhile, her cruel heart kept on rejoicing of her bed partner’s demise; his husky body turning into human Bar-B-Q.

It was already dark, creeping into the seven o’clock hour, and during the five minute walk to her house, not a single vehicle came along. But just as she was about to set foot onto the door steps of her veranda, there came bright headlights shining in the distance.

Throwing the bags under her arm onto the veranda floors, Ella ran back into the streets, stood in the middle of it and franticly began waving down the vehicle coming towards her.

Bright lights blinding her eyes and hand swaying left to right and right to left, with much urgency, she shouted numerous times;

“Stop! Stop! Stop!”

Soon the big black truck, as black as the night skies surrounding them, came to a screeching halt.

“There’s a big fire down by the crushing company!”

Ella shouted.

“Get word to the fire station for me… tell them to come quick… the owner is still inside!”

She continued to bellow out with much desperation in her voice.

“You know what caused the fire?”

The stranger ask.

Taken aback by the question, surprisingly she responded;

“How the hell must I know what started the damn fire… do I look like an expert in Arseniy?”

Losing his interest in asking her anymore questions, the stranger pulled a talking device from his dash-board and right away, he began speaking into it.

“123 at Duckens Field! I repeat, 123 at crushing company! I repeat, 123 at Duckens Field… the stone company… the owner is said to be inside! Duckens Field crushing company; Over and Out!”

Realizing that the stranger whom she had stopped was indeed a fire fighter, Ella quickly expressed to him that she was worker at the company. And how she had gone there soon after coming in from the town and how she had seen the fire blazing from the windows. And the fact that her boss’s truck was still being parked in the yard she knew without a doubt, that he still had to be inside the building since he didn’t go anywhere without his truck.

“I assume this is where you’re living?”

The first responder captain inquired.

“Yes!” Ella responded nodding her head.

“If I and my men care to obtain any further information we can find you here, then?” The stranger inquired.

Once again, Ella nodded her head indicating a; “Yes!”

The sirens could be heard blasting loudly in the air and coming closer and closer to where Ella and the stranger stood talking for a few minutes.

“Take care… we’ll talk again!”

The stranger said, hurryingly.

And before Ella could respond to his kind words, his foot went pressing on the gas pedal and he was then gone!

Did Mr. Marshall made it out of the blazing inferno, or was he chard and burned beyond recognition?

Relief that the fire chief had left her side, Ella raced into her house and then behind the house she started her own fire. Burning away the bloody plastic bags she had used for covering herself, to prevent the blood from splattering onto her clothing while she was literally hammering the life out of Ronald Marshall’s body.

Having all her evidence to the crime, complete burned to ashes, Ella walking around her yard stripped herself in the nude, placed all her clothing in the wash under the sink. And then went and stood under the shower to wash away any further evidence from her being. And without guilt, she dressed and went relaxing on one of the sofa chair inside of the living room, wondering what the firefighters and police had found at the scene or if there was anything there that would lead them back to her. But midnight came along and went, and not one official from the crime scene came knocking on her door.

A revelation which had Ella pouncing up and down with joy like a hen who had just hatched her eggs.

Needless to say, even though none of the officials had found her to be a suspect or guilty as yet, Ella decided to join the moaning crowd at the site of the fire. Robing herself in black, she went by the crushing company to join the other employees there who were in total disbelief to see the place where they were making their living tar black and burn to the ground. And even worst, to learn the heart wrenching news that their boss, Mr. Marshall was found burned beyond recognition in the rubble.

The big red truck, parked in its usual spot was still there on the company’s grounds, and Ella couldn’t take her eyes from off of it. In this atmosphere of sadness and sorrow, she fitted in perfectly. Commenting on what a good man, the decease, was to her and her family and started making comments about what she was going to do differently to make a living since she had her two younger sibling to care for.

But for those who knew of her history, had their eyes hard on her and wouldn’t let go from the fact that she had something to do with this fatal catastrophe of Mr. Marshall and his business place. And many persons, especially from among those with whom she was working with, had started showing her the evil-eye and giving her the cold shoulder. Which in my opinion was more of the frozen shoulder. But there simply weren’t any good proof in the pudding to have her sent off to the slammer for good.

Returning to her house from this horrific and tragic site, Ella arrive home in the boiling heat of the sun to find two men suspiciously lurking around the grounds of her property. They were men whom she had never seen before. Needless-to-say, their appearance told her, they weren’t any ordinary fellas.

“What do you want… what can I do for you?”

She asked nervously.

Hands on hips, the two men stood there silently, only staring at her for a while. And when the silence was broken, she came to learn, one of the men were Mr. Marshall’s attorney and the other a good friend of his.

“I’m Ira Hamdan, my friend here is Michalis, and I have some interesting information for you… some of which you already might know about.”

The attorney said to her.

Concerns fully showing on her face, Ella invited both men to have a seat on her veranda where she paid close attention to the words that were spewing from Mr. Hamdan’s mouth!”

“I don’t know how much of this topic, Mr. Marshall, already had discussed with you. But, he was drawing up legal papers with me to have another company opened in Springfield which he wanted your name on it; to totally be in control of… own and operate after your graduation from college.”

Stunned to hear the wonderful news, Ela stood to her feet shaking. She just couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“He was creating another company with my name attach to it… which, I would own and operate for myself?”

Ella question looking dead-straight into the attorney’s eyes.

The attorney nodded his head and gave her a pleasant smile.

“Oh, my God, what is this one me?”

The young woman bellowed out with complete disbelief.

“You can put this company into operation next month, if you want to; only one set of papers is left for you to sign.”

Came the starling information from the attorney’s mouth.

“But what about his family… his wife, now that he has pasted. Wouldn’t she want to make claim to her husband assets?”

Ella inquired with a worried look on her face.

“What wife?” Ira lashed out asking.

“My client don’t have a wife… he has never been married as far as I can tell! And I know he would have mentioned her to me the ten years since we have been friends!”

Ira assured her.

“Are you sure about that?”

Ella went asking as she stood back on her feet.

“I’m quite positive about that; as a fish can’t live out of water! A housekeeper yes, but a wife, no way!”

Ira said, convincingly.

Hearing such shocking news, Ella’s bowels jerk within her being, and quickly she held onto one of the columns holding up the roof to the veranda, in complete disbelief.

“What the fuck have I done?”

She wanted to scream loudly. But, she kept her failing composure, allowing the concrete column to be her comfort and strength as her thoughts wondered off into the unknown.

Eager to have the outcome of this business deal be realize, which somehow would be honoring his client and his friend; Ira noticing that Ella’s thoughts were drifting, drew her attention back into the conversation.

“Would you like for me to bring the papers here for you to sign, or would you like to come to the office and have it done there?”

The attorney went on to ask.

Bring them here and I will sign all of them!”

Ella responded with a sense of excitement in her voice.

My friend Michalis would be more than happy to help you get started with the setting up of the new company. That’s why I brought him here with me! He’ll get you running this new company like a well oil machine in now time!”

Ira expressed with much enthusiasm.

Partially hearing what he had just said to her, Ella responded with the nodding of her head and a faint smile. But her brain had already made a serious indentation inside of it, and slowly and surely, she started losing her marbles. And as the both men stood their feet to leave her presence, she shook their hands and repeatedly told them to please come and visit here again. Unsure, if she understood what they were making mention to her, they too repeatedly told her that would be back for her to sign the papers for starting the new company, Mr. Marshall had started putting together her. But all their words seems to actually travel onto deaf ears.

Because, repeatedly she kept on telling the men that they should come back and see her again. She also continuously inquired from them if, Mr. Marshall was actually an unmarried man as they walked away from her and back to their waiting vehicle.

Settling into bed that night, Ella began singing a song she made up in her head. It was a result from the crack that had just shocked her brain, discombobulate all the wirings in here head. And now she began singing about;

“My old Marshall Man was truly an unmarried man!”

As the hours of the night continued on, she fell asleep humming to that same tune for hours and woke up the following morning, doing the same thing… bellowing out the words of; “My old Marshall Man was truly an unmarried man!” as though, it was some well-known negro spiritual.

Riddled with guilt, this young woman was found to be completely out of her marbles now. It was totally clear to everyone around her community, in the bustle of town, to Ira and Michalis, that Ella Bradshaw was now a fully fledge mad woman. Falling deeply from grace, frequently teased by many in and around her surroundings about losing her boyfriend, the kind hearted businessman. Causing the young woman Ella Bradshaw, to repeatedly lashed out at her provokers, saying;

“My boyfriend wasn’t a married man, but a lying Good Samaritan!”

Will her troubles last for an eternity?

But her mental struggles wouldn’t carryon for too long, because the divine one would send her another Good Samaritan. He had come in the form of Leon Maurice. The same taxi driver Ella had paid a very handsome sum of money, to help her scoop out Mr. Marshall’s private residency; wanting to learn if he was actually married, or not!

Now invested in a brand new vehicle and making very good money on the road, Leon’s heart was moved to bring Ella to a psychiatrist – a shrink, in order to get her brain back on track once again.

He had seen her as a blessing to him, and now his blessing was in trouble. And there was no way, he was going to stand by and watch her suffer from the mental crack which had caused many to be mocking her. And four months after faithfully swallowing her pills and sleeping away her time, Ella Bradshaw was back in alignment with reality and ready to face the music.

And soon after her recovery, she was calling and demanding from Ira Hamdan, Mr. Marshall’s attorney; all that was rightfully left for her by him. A large crushing company which he had slated out; just for her.

The End