HIS NAME WAS BRUCE......PART 4

 “You don’t know your ‘man’. He is fire. How many women does he have? More importantly, where is he this weekend?”

“He went for a vacation with the boys.”

“And you believe that?”

“I have no reason not to,” Becky said as she became more interested in the conversation.

Everyone else had fallen quiet when Bruce’s name was brought up. Becky looked at Leleti inquisitively but she avoided her eyes.

“Let me now tell you, gal. I see you hanging out with him and I feel pity for you. Though this is the first time we are closely interacting, you seem like a nice girl to me. Bruce is not what you think he is.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know him from way back. He has this way of presenting himself as a good man. Charming, even. He is far from that. Bruce has left a trail of broken hearts in his wake. My cousin is one of his victims. Elsie fell into depression because of this man. Not only that but he also has a string of children he does not take care of with different women. He is a deadbeat father,” Ruth went on a barrage of words.

“Surely, not the Bruce that we all know,” Leleti quietly said. She seemed as shocked as Becky was.

“Isn’t it Bruce Lelo we are talking about? Yes, he is the one. I see you are all shocked.”

“I am lost for words,” Pam said.

“Are you sure that this is not just one of your emotional spillage against the male gender,” Mary asked.

“You think so? Okay. Let me show you something. Where is my phone?” Ruth asked as she rummaged through the pile of blankets where they were seated.

She switched it on. They had agreed that that weekend was a ‘no-phones’ weekend. All their phones were off. As she switched it on, there was a sense of uneasiness in the room. It felt like everybody hoped that what Ruth was telling them was not true. Bruce was a darling to people he came across with. His enigmatic aura easily rubbed on people. She gave Laura the phone.

“Go to my Instagram and search for Nee Lily,” she said.

With apprehension, Laura did as she was instructed. She was shocked by what she saw.  Every one of them scrambled to see what was on the phone. It was a picture of Bruce posted a few days ago with a woman holding a child. The caption read ‘My people. I love you.’

“See? Laura, search for Ketura Lynne,” Ruth said.

One after another, they were shown pictures of women with children who were supposedly Bruce’s. Some of them were with Bruce. Others were not. The pictures were posted a few days apart to suggest that he was still actively involved with some of the women. Becky took note of some of the dates and noticed that they were taken during the period they were dating. How was that possible? Who was Bruce, really? All colour fell from her face. Her heart sank as reality dawned on her. Bruce was a love swindler.

“Do you believe me now?”

“Where is he now? You seem to know….”, Pam asekd.