Before it's too late

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It was the early hours of on Saturday morning and Grace was just rounding off her chores. Her roommate Tracey just stepped out for her morning run/gym activities after returning from an all-night vigil at her church.

Just as Grace was about to go freshen up, she heard the doorbell ring. Who could that be? She wondered as she got closer to the door.

Peeping through the peephole for security reasons, she saw Andrew, Tracey's Fiancé, standing by the door post.

Quickly, Grace opened the door and ushered him in.

“Hey Andrew, come on in, so to what do we hold this visit early this morning?” Grace questioned on a lighter note as she led Andrew to the sitting room.

With a smile casually imprinted on Andrew's face, he responded, “thank you," and then questioned, "is Tracey home?”

“Oh, no! She stepped out a while ago, didn.....”

“Good! It's you I actually wanted to see.” Andrew said to Grace, interrupting her abruptly and preventing her from completing her statement.

Grace eyes shun, she was astonished and taken aback by Andrew's words to her.

Putting her right hand on her chest, she questioned, “me?” Removing her hands from her chest and opening her palm, she continued, “Since when?”

“I have some concerns, Grace, can I talk to you?” Andrew
inquired in a low spirit.

“Uhh… Sure, but is everything ok?”

“No Grace, everything is not ok, I think I have had it with your friend Tracey. I mean, God! The girl is not ok… Arrrrggggg!!” Andrew growled.

“Ok, you need to calm down Andrew, what's wrong?”

Andrew took in a deep breath and breathed out heavily then started with his narration. “Your friend Tracey is too superstitiousin fact, her superstitions will be the death of me if I eventually marry her.”

“What do you mean if you eventually marry her? Has that not always been the end point of your relationship?”

“Calm Grace, I am still talking.” Andrew paused, then took another breath and continued with his narration. “The other day, I slipped and almost broke my neck from the fall…”

“OMG! Wow. What happened, are you ok?” Grace questioned as she got up and sat closer to Andrew trying to scan for injuries.

“Yeah, I'm fine, I got lucky…. Please let me finish. Would you believe if I told you Tracey baptizes my floor morning and evening with salt water?”

“Salt water?” Grace questioned in disbelief.

“Yes Grace, salt water…. She said it's to ward off evil spirit and on that particular day I fell, I was rushing off to go bath as I was running late for work.”

Andrew continued… “One minute I was stepping into the bathroom floor, the next minute I was on the ground and I tell you I got lucky because that fall felt like death, and I was even expecting to bleed seriously from it but thank God I didn't. And when I rebuked her from such exercise, she accused me of plotting with her enemies to bring her down and that the exercise worked, if not, why did I fall? That was the question she asked me Grace. Can you just imagine?”

“Hmm mm but did you at least talk to her about it like you are doing with me now?”

“Grace I have tried, and I am tired of trying, Tracey is unrepentant, and honestly, I can't put up with her for the rest of my life. I love her, I really do, but you see, that's not enough.”

“You need to see my balcony Grace, littered with bird poop…. The front of my house is like wild life, as Tracey refused me to clean it up or even get rid of the birds and their nests there. She kept saying it is good luck, and it will bring us good fortune.”

“I get so ashamed whenever people visit, and I just feel helpless in the whole situation” Andrew concluded with red eyes.

“So what will you have me do?” Grace questioned with some concerns.

“I don't even know Grace, I don't know, I just wanted to talk.”

As Grace attempted to utter another word, the door opened and Tracey was back from the gym. Like she was eavesdropping on them, she didn't say a word as she stormed to her room to freshen up.

Andrew, on his own, thanked Grace for giving him a listening ear as he got up and left. At this point, Grace was caught in the middle, a situation she detests so much, but she resolved she won't say anything to Tracey, knowing how she could be.

Several weeks passed and Grace, as well as Andrew, was in for a shock. Andrew returned home with a cleaned balcony and Grace returned home to an almost empty house as Tracey moved out taking her properties with her.

All attempts to reach Tracey proved abortive, so Grace thought to call Andrew concerning her whereabouts, only for Andrew to tell her he met a similar action in his house as Tracey's belongings were cleaned out.

“Well good riddance” Andrew concluded, but Grace wasn't settled. The next place she thought of looking for Tracey was her place of work, of which she was told Tracey resigned. All effort to reach Tracey proved abortive, and before you know it, life started becoming tough for Andrew.

He lost his job and he was evicted from his home lacking rent.

As usual, he ran to Grace for help, who at this point was preparing for her marriage.

“I am sorry Andrew, I can't help you. Tracey is gone”

“Hey! What have I done to myself?” Andrew lamented.

He continued, “I thought you guys were friends? Don't you know of any family member I can contact?”

“Honestly I don't, all I know about Tracey is that she's an Orphan but you guys were engaged, didn't she take you to any relative?”

That was when Andrew started realizing Tracey never spoke of any family member and the situation is gradually turning to something else.

“I need to find her Grace, things hasn't been the same since she left”.

“What do you mean by that? I thought you frown at superstitions? I know, but then I can't seem to wrap all this around my fingers. Not only that, but I think Tracey is my good luck charm and I blew it.”

“Hmmm, but what could have happened to her? Because I tried searching for her everywhere, but it's just like she disappeared.”

“I don't know Grace, I really don't know, but that is a mystery we will have to unravel.” Andrew breathed heavily in despair as he made attempts to be on his way.