HER GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT

Chapter 23: When the world turns on you

From the sons of Adam side James was the first one to get up. He found Anita's good morning text and some picture of a boutique. At first he had no idea why she was sending him the picture until it hit him they had a wedding to plan. He automatically knew she had gone to find a dress. He could have asked to see her but she was superstitious with all bad luck seeing a bride in a dress before the wedding. James went to the kitchen to prepare some coffee. It was the best he could do after being served the rest of his life. Maid’s at home and cohabitation at campus. Sometimes he even had to pay for laundry and cleaning services out of Laziness.

All Collins wanted was his children to have a better life but James had misinterpreted the whole idea. At home he always got into fights with his sisters over doing some simple house chores claiming they were women roles and he was no woman. His mum loved him so much to punish him then but Oedipus complex won. Collins interfered picking on his son to learn how to do house chores hence the thought of being neglected.

"Is that coffee?" Nick asked yawning. He was bare chested in his red cotton shorts.

"Yeah there's lots of it in the kitchen", James said scrolling through his phone.

"Thanks man you're a savior", Nick said rushing to the kitchen, "Have you settled on what to wear on your big day?"

"Not yet man I don't know where to start from", James said.

"Don't worry we are the best men for the job", Dave joined in.

"You got ideas?" James asked curiously.

Nick came in from the kitchen with two coffee mugs. They sat in the dining room.

"I have a guy who can help", Nick said.

"When do we find him? I think the girls already have the dress", James said.

"As soon as Dave prepares breakfast", Nick said smiling.

He was also green in the kitchen area having been brought up like James. Dave went to the kitchen to do his thing without demur. Nick was his boss and he was his right hand man. Whatever he asked for Dave took it as an instruction and not an order. His humility had changed his life and step by step he was getting back on his feet. Not where he wanted earlier on but at least he was somewhere. His family had started reaching out to him. Perhaps because of Kyla. Dave's sister Tabitha had contacted him that week asking if they could meet up and talk about how life had been. If it was penance he already had a share of his. It was time he forgave himself and moved on. But the past can't be deleted that easily. One way or another our transgressions always catch up with us. The cruelty of the world and the wrath of fate kissed Dave on the forehead that morning. Unpredictable wind. An ocean wave of what he thought he had buried knocked at his door. Kyla was the first one to call. Then nick and James came to find him in the kitchen. The internet was breaking loose with a false r**e case that ruined his academic ambitions and entire future. Social media trolls and keyboard warriors. Their fancy fingers causing havoc and spreading hate throughout the country at the comfort of their houses. And feminists. Well feminists who had not spoken in a while got a new pair of lungs. A hash tag was already created with hundreds of thousands of followers. His heart sank. The soil beneath his feet couldn't support his weight and the breakfast was not even sweet enough. He just sat on the floor of the kitchen with his face stiff from held back tears. Replying was not an option. In fact it could have made it even worse. He read every bit of it. And the worst part Kyla and the ATHEWI was dragged into his mess. Ruth was now being called names for employing wolves in sheep's clothing.

"He might even r**e the b**tch herself who knows" someone wrote.

"You can't convince us you didn't know he is a r****t from dating women you're now dating rapists I've always know you don't care about women" wrote another one targeting Kyla.

"Men switch off your phone, James you got to go get the suit I'll handle this", Nick said.

"Did he do it?" James asked curiously.

"Of course not the hoe fixed him", Nick detested.

"Look men I can't go out there to get a suit when our friend is going through hell", James said looking sad.

"Got any ideas?" Dave asked Pacing up and down.

"Let's find her", James suggested his face lighting up.

"Then what? Force her to admit she framed me?"

"Not exactly... I haven't known the Ruth lady for long but am sure she'll know what to do. Isn't this what you guys do? Fight for the weak?"

He was absolutely right. Dave was part of ATHEWI and they ought to have stood by him through thick and thin. Charity begins at home. The ladies were contacted to meet them at Watson pent house. He had already called to warn nick against hanging out with Dave and not to give the media any information about him working in one of his night clubs. Nick just agreed without paying any attention. Dave was more than a friend. The guy had been there for him when no one was and don't they say tough times define real friends? He was real. A little rich and spoilt but a man of honor who obeyed the code.

"So what do we have here?" Linda asked curiously, "the mob has been giving us evil eyes out there I think we need disguises", She added on collapsing on the coach.

"Dave dear don't beat yourself up I personally know you didn't do it", Ruth said giving him a warm parent like hug.

"Thanks it means a lot coming from you. Where's Kyla?” He asked surveying the room.

There was silence. He got the message loud and clear in the silence. His friends didn't want to break his heart by saying the obvious instead the patted him on the back. Not everyone stays. Dave blamed himself for keeping it a secret. She had every right to be mad. His lie was almost costing her a career.

"Ooh it's okay so how do we go about this Linda any ideas?" Dave asked sounding jovial.

The team gave him a fighting chance. A second shot at setting his life back on track. They also gave him confidence his parents never gave him. Anita and James were there with him when they had a wedding to plan. Ruth had not seen her kids in a month or so but she was there fighting for him. Tania and Linda too. None of them were his blood relatives but they were there with him perhaps whoever said blood is thicker than water had never been in Dave's shoe that's why I think we need a new set of wise sayings. The ones we've got are antiquated. Dave retold the painful story all over again. His friends looked sad as he narrated the events that forced him to become a bar tender. Not that he looked down on the job everyone knows their worth and serving in a bar was not his cup of tea. Life might not have been a bed of rises but Dave had sworn not to settle for less. Something in him kept pushing him to aim for the stars

"Did they tell you to sign something before she dropped the charges?" Linda asked noting some stuff down on her notebook.

"Yes I swore never to open up the case again" Dave said.

"We're screwed", Linda said dropping her notebook on the table. Her hands massaging her head.

"But we're not giving up. The girls and I will go see the lecturer... James and Anita go plan the wedding we will be celebrating Dave's freedom there", Ruth said confidently.

"What about us?" Nick asked looking surprised.

"Stay with Dave he needs a friend right now", She said winking.

"If she can't be reasoned with we might have to call uncle Urdi again", Nick said in a low tone.

"Let's hope it doesn't get to that but if it does well and good", Ruth said leaving the room.

She meant it. All of it. The last part was an option too and a quick one but she was willing to solve it in a more productive way. Cutting a slack on a fellow woman who had forgotten the role of being a mother was not only giving life but taking care of it. The scandal was also tied to the competence of her organization. She had worked out all the risks and stumbling blocks to expect in her quest but they turned out to be new and unexpected. Coming from all direction blown by an unknown wind towards her. She forgot about her children for some time Ben was still not letting go of them and neither was she leaving ATHEWI amid a storm of public scrutiny. Not when the same people she was trying to help were doubting their authenticity. She could have proven them right by quitting.

A number of donors were already calling to withdraw their support and all kept telling them was to give her some time to sort the issue out. Funny how people cling to one mistake and forget a thousand achievements. No one was talking about how she saved Lisa from s****l assault. Henry was resting on the cold floor of a cell because of her and now more girls were safe from him. No one cared about that reason? She did not brag about it on national television. Blowing your own horn doesn't make you great its others blowing it for you that shows your greatness. But the netizens couldn't be reasoned with that way. She ended up releasing a press statement to cool the donors down and buy them some more time. But it was too late. As she parked her car at Dave's former college, one vital donor withdrew from her quest. ATHEWI was homeless. Of all people she never thought Gideon chestnut the third was going to bail on her. Ruth had twenty four hours to vacate the office space. A new buyer had already been found.

"Bad news girls We no longer have an office space but the good news is we are here so let's get in there and save our friend don't worry about the office we will take care of that later", She said and led the way.

Like two obedient soldiers they followed her without saying a word. She had an unyielding spirit that all of them admired. Yet everyone had their breaking point. As she walked through the hall way Ruth was revisiting every choice she had ever made. She could see her mentor the sister of a children's home she grew up in stating blankly at her. Whispering in her ear. She could see her children crying for their mother and her husband Ben too begging her to back down. The wind was obviously stronger than her. The therapist telling her "you can't save everyone" was on repeat mode in her Mind. Shutting it all out was almost impossible.

The same people she wanted to protect had turned against her a few months after praising her bravery and boldness. Was it worth it? Her next choice depended on what Mrs. McAllen Dave’s firmer lecturer was going to say. Despite the world turning on her she had Urdinof. She did not want her killed no. It was both wrong and unsettling. There are many ways to bring down a tree. You can use an axe. A saw or you can also tie it to a tractor and uproot it from the ground.

"So Dave Whitaker don't you think he has suffered enough?" She asked after the three were welcomed in.

They were unlucky. Mrs. McAllen was already surrounded by an army of lawyers. The next thing they heard was security being called to escort them out of the vice chancellors office. She was not the same woman they thought. She had amassed wealth and power. But by all means the tree had to fall down. Ruth was giving up. To hell with being nice what was the point when the world was misusing it. Mrs. McAllen was going to be tied to tractor no one ever wished to. But she didn't know. Everyone thinks they are untouchable until they meet someone with bigger hands. She was no match to Uridnof.

"I was hoping she’d do that", Ruth said as they got to their car.

"Where do we go from here?" Tania asked.

"Yes what’s next?" Linda asked.

"Let's just say it's time to call in the big guns", Ruth said and drove off.