BEYOND REACH…chapter 13
written by Rejoice Igbinovia Aluyi
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……Driving home, I had so many joy in me, I was very happy to see mom again after so many months, my mind went back to Mrs Ray, and I prayed de-eply I meet her alive….
Chika, you are so lucky, madam seems to like you a lot, the driver said
“yes oga Matthew, madam is a blessing to my life, she’s an angel and a God s£nt,,, we had so many conversations about the Rays, and oga Matthew told me how amazing they both are since he had been with them a longer time…..
Hours on, we arrived Enugu, mama couldn’t believe her eyes, she was very happy to see junior and I, when we brou-ght everything out from the truck she was speechless, she started praying for T, she thought they were all from him, I didn’t interrupt her, especially since we were outside and neighbour’s were around welcoming us, after all the plea-santries we went in, oga Matthew looked for an h0tel near by after eating and settling down, since mama’s place wasn’t big enough, my siblings were happy to see me too,,,,in the cool of the evening, I explained everything to mama, how my marriage to T was just a big lie, that he didn’t love me, all I had been throu-gh till that very moment,, mama was in tears after hearing all I had pas-s throu-gh in the hands of T and his mistress, she was very sad not been there to defend me
I didn’t know how to get to you, I have been very worried, if I kñew your address in pH I would have long come visiting.. It was a very emotional time for me and my family,, mama prayed for Mr and Mrs Ray, she prayed God spares the life of Mrs Ray and heal her of her disease.
Mama have you seen Tochukwu, I mean did he come looking for me here
no Chika,,,
hmmm Tochukwu is heartless, he didn’t care if I died or not, if am home or not, knowing fully well, I had no one in pH…
“Mama I am done, I had kept quiet in pains hoping Tochukwu would change and get to love me, I endured all the pains these years, but it’s obvious I am fighting a lost battle, I also thought about what people would say at the expense of my happiness, but that doesn’t matter anymore because people would always talk…
Mama I want a divorce
“my child I am solidly behind you on this” mamà said,,,
when I come again we shall return the bride price he paid on me, for now, Mrs Ray is my priority, I nee-d to be with her
no problem my child, I am solidly behind you “mama said,,
I had a wonderful time with members of my family that weekend, on Monday I was set to return to pH,,, mama was happy and proud of the strong woman I had become…
We arrived pH and I hurried to Mrs Ray’s room, thankfully she was in her room alive for me, she was very happy to see me, she hvgged me and junior so much like she hadn’t seen us for years, I had missed her so much too….
Her sister Grace, thanked me for the love I had shown her sister even though she wasn’t related to me by blood…
Madam is an amazing person, I replied, my only regret is not to have met her early in my life,,she has given my life a new meaning and definition…
” God bless you “she had said….
I told Mrs Ray about the journey, I even placed a call to mama, she spoke to Mrs Ray and prayed for her,,,,,I am very happy to meet you alive for me ma, i had said
yes,,,I told you u I would stay alive for you,,,
We had continued our normal lives, Mrs Ray was getting better, she was actually glowing, i couldn’t thank God enough for his intervention, this was my greatest wish, that she stayed alive,,,she would always talk to me,and advice me about life in general ,she was an elder sister to me….
One Saturday afternoon, i went to the supermarket to get some groceries, then I saw Mr Ben, we were very happy to see each other,,,,
“how are you doing? he asked,,
am very fine sir,,,
you didn’t wait for me to come before leaving, or checked back if I had returned,,, I wasn’t sure if Mrs B told him exactly what happened that she s£nt me away, but I didn’t want to be the cause of any problem in their home,,,
ehhhemmmm well something c@m£ up urgently and I had to leave, I am sorry sir, don’t worry I know my wife s£nt you out, she told me everything by herself, how she allowed what her sister said got to her, she greatly regrets her actions, she had been praying to God to make your paths cross, so she could tell you how sorry she is, she greatly misses you and junior,
I hold nothing against her, I know she’s a very nice woman, and she was reacting to what she heard, I miss her so much too,,,I said
“by the way, where is junior?
oh he’s home,I left him with my madam
you have a new job now
yes I do sir
ohh so there is no hope of getting you back,,he asked,
Am afraid no sir, my new bosses, are as amazing as you and your wife, but my madam nee-ds me more ,,,,nevertheless, I shall come visiting on Sunday with junior, so that I can tell madam I hold nothing against her…
oh thank you so much, that would make her so happy….
Getting home, I told Mrs Ray about my encounter with Mr Ben, she was very happy I forgave them,,,,
” you hàve a good heart, unforgiveness is like holding fire in your hands and expecting to hurt the next person, when you forgive, you be at peace with yourself and your maker, life is too short to be angry at someone…..
On Sunday, I got re-ady ,together with Junior, we went to see the Benson’s,,, Mrs B was very happy to see me, she hvgged me so ti-ghtly, and begged for my forgiveness
I haven’t been myself ever since, she said
madam, I know you are an amazing person, you are a good woman, I heard everything your sister said, and I know you reacted as a human you are, I hold nothing against you, i haven’t st©pped praying for you, and I strongly believe you shall testify soon,,,she hvgged me amidst tears in her eyes and said thank you…we ate lunch together, and the Bensons pla-yed with junior as usual,,,I told them how I got my job, and how nice Mr and Mrs Ray had been to me,,,they were very happy I found a good family, and they also prayed for Mrs Ray,,,we exchanged phone numbers, and they asked me to always come around and regard their home as my second home, they gave me the sum of #15000,,I was very happy.. Soon we arrived home…
One cool evening, about three weeks on, Mrs Ray asked me to make her favourite meal, she had her bath, wore a very nice outfit, and was in A very good mood, we talked about so many things, Mr Ray was with us, but soon he left us saying he was feeling slee-ping after k!ss!nghis wife good night… We went on talking and laughing, everyone in the house had sle-pt, except for me and Mrs Ray and we were having so much fun,,, when I checked the time ,it was 10pm, I insisted we sle-pt, but she said no, she was having a nice time with me, we talked about life experience in general, it was almost 11pm, when i insisted she had her rest, she decided to rest on my l@p, and asked me to sing any cool Christian song for her, so I started singing,,,
Haven sang for like 30minutes, I bec@m£ tired myself and I nee-ded to rest too, I woke her up so she could go inside to rest, but she wasn’t answering me, I called on her again and again, she wasn’t answering me, I shouted with a loud voice, and everyone in the house c@m£ out, the driver and gatekeeper, as well as Mr Ray, all rushed to the living room, they carried her from my l@p to the chair, tried calling her too, but she wasn’t answering,,,Mr Ray quic-kly placed call to their family doctor, and Mrs Ray sisters,,they all soon arrived, there the doctor confirmed her dead,, she is a very strong woman, to have lived to this moment, but I am sorry she has gone to rest” he said….
I dragged the doctor and said it couldn’t be true, we were talking just some minutes ago, she asked me to sing for her, that’s not true,, am sorry but she’s gone….
I felt a sharp pain in my che-st, how can the woman I was talking to just now on my l@p be dead,,,I couldn’t take it, I pas-sed out….
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TBC