LASTING MEMORY.
Episode 23
© Amah
“What can I offer you sir, while you wait for Doctor to come and attend to you…
Kane waved his hand at the woman without looking up at her, Agnes went to the kitchen and after sometime she c@m£ out and Kane was not in the parlor again. she looked round the house but the man was not anywhere around.
Agnes wondered where the man she just left in the sitting room could be, after sometime she went outside to the gate and asked the security if he saw the man that c@m£ in with a walking stick.
The security replied her that the man just left and drove off in his car.
Agnes returned back to the house as she wondered why the man will leave in a hurry without seeing Doctor which was the main reason why he c@m£ at first.
Olivia sat beside the be-d as she listen to Mark about how he has always dream of being a doctor and finally he is one.
Olivia checked the time and stood up.
“all the stories are all wonderful, your childhood was awesome except for your Mom pas-sing so early…well, we are a bit related with that…I’m glad to know you more than just my “doctor friend” you are a nice person and you deserve someb©dy that will truly love you…i value our friendsh!pand that was the main reason I drove down here to make amend what was torn…and to explain myself in a very clear way…we can’t be together…I know I have said that alre-ady…if I end up with you it will be out of pity and not love…I see you as a great friend but I have not being able to develop mutual feeling for you…Kane was the only one I have loved so de-eply until I discovered that he was the Kaka I have dre-aded all this years, sometimes I wish i have never found out…maybe by now we will be married and happy together…and at same time I’m glad that I found out…. to avoid future crisis…I’m sorry Mark that I can’t love you the way you deserve…and I don’t want to imprison my emotions just to plea-se you…
“you don’t nee-d to be sorry Olivia…rather I’m grateful for your boldness and clarity on this…I don’t want to be loved out of pity…no…that will be too dangerous and emotional disaster… Thank you for coming…I feel so free now than before…and thank you for listening to all my boring tale…you were calm all throu-gh…and never interrupted me…that makes me feel special…I just wish you can come once in a while…I will never pest you over a relationsh!p…I respect you and I respect your wishes…we can just be cool friends…even after you probably get married or I find someone and settle down with…I will remain your “doctor Friend” and maybe a family friend too…
“Thank you for your un-derstanding Mark…I also wish to be there when you will find that special someone to settle down with, she will certainly be a lucky one and I pray your paths will cross soon. I will be leaving the country soon… me and Emerald are set to travel out…and by next week we will be flying out…I didn’t want to tell you before but I feel is necessary now that we un-derstand ourselves better…
Mark pause for a while as Olivia face the door, he stood up and join her as they walk to the door.
“wow…wow…I just don’t know what to say Olivia…I guess is for the best…leaving the country….wow…hope I’m not the one pushing you away to another country with my constant trouble on relationsh!p….
“No…no…that is what I want…I just want to breathe in fresh air outside here…we can always speak over the phone…I will be one of the happiest people if I get the news of your settling down with a good and kind woman just as you are…
“Thank you for everything…you are ma-king me to feel teary like a little boy…uhmmm…but is all good…I will miss you but we can always comunicate over the phone and I will certainly inform you when I get that special woman…you will be the first to know…
Olivia hvgged him and when they loos£ned up, they were both teary as Olivia pe-cked his cheeks before going down.
Ms Agnes c@m£ out to inform Doctor Mark of a visitor that c@m£ earlier but later left. She describe-d the person as a man on a walking stick. Mark and Olivia knew that it was Kane.
They wondered what Kane c@m£ for and couldn’t wait. Olivia waved Mark goodbye as she crosses the gate and drove off.
Kane has planned taking Emerald to his house but she refused to go with him because her mom with not be happy if she does that and she doesn’t want to get into more trouble with her and also the security will not allow him to take her out without her mom’s knowledge.
Kane has no choice than to sit outside and wait for Olivia and after sometime she drove in.
Olivia wasn’t surprise to see Kane sitting in front of her door step, she approached him. Before she could even get close Kane began to rage, calling Olivia names. He was so angry with her thinking Olivia sle-pt with Mark but she never did.
“you are so wicked Olivia…so damn wicked…it would have being better if you have killed me when you had that gun than to spare me and continue taunting me every day…you have broken me into pieces and I wish I was dead than to watch you do all this to me…you chose Doctor Mark because he is a perfect man and has no terrible past…and you hate me and never st©p hating me because I had a past…Mark is a perfect man to you and you were at his place and he made love to you…I guess his care-sses and loving ma-king is far better than mine…and you are happy now right…he got what he has always wanted isn’t it…Olivia you are so heartless…what kind of woman are you…your hatred for me burn like a flame…all because of my past…you abandoned me on our wedding day…and totally to-re my world ap@rt…you wanted to kill me in revenge for your parents death…now you are planning to take my only hope away. Emerald…is also my daughter…despite everything she is still p@rt of me…you were planning to going to abroad with my daughter….i won’t be able to see her again until I breath my last…aren’t you so heartless…tearing me ap@rt and kicking me out of your life with everything you got…Kaka was my heartless past but he never deliberately killed your parents…he only caused their death and has suffered too much alre-ady for all his sin…far more than those who went to prison…what else do you want me to do…I can say sorry everyday of my life just to prove to you that am truly sorry…but even if I say sorry everyday you will still not be satisfied and will keep hurting me… I was at Mark’s place earlier and both of you were up there in his stupid room ban-ging each oth…
Olivia angrily sl@pped him before he will complete the word, Kane held his cheek and stare at her, he ti-ght£ñs his fist while breathing ha-rd . Olivia stood right in front of him boiling even more. They stood that way without word as Olivia breathed down moved back.
“I don’t have time for you Kane…I’m going to be-d…you nee-d to leave when you are done raging…
As she tries to cross Kane held her hand from walking past him and quic-kly loos£ned up.
He battles with the emotion building in his che-st, Olivia walked inside her house, leaving him alone outside. She checked on Emerald who wasn’t really aside but pretend to be.
Emerald has not being able to sleep but she pretend to be asleep as her mom checked up on her. Olivia covered her properly, k!$$£d her forehead before leaving.
Emerald thought within her. “If mom could do all that it means she wasn’t so mad at me as i have expected… i will find out if she is angry me by morning.
Olivia changed to her nightie, she looked outside and saw Kane still sitting outside there her front step.
She breathed as she put on a long robe before going outside and quietly sat beside Kane who still did not say anything.
They stayed quiet before he spoke out still without looking at Olivia
“I am not a bad person but my past man was…I am Kane and will never be Kaka…you are fighting and hating the wrong man…maybe it was better if I have died with others or locked in prison than to watch you do all this to me…it would have being better if everything was different…I regret not listening to my father in the beginning of my youth, I would have focused on building a career than becoming Kaka…ever since you walked out of my life…I die slowly everyday…and just knowing you were with Mark in his room…I almost had a heart attack just realizing that you will never be mine…I couldn’t imagine what was happening between you and Doctor Mark…it was almost snuffing life out of me…leaving the country with Emerald was another thing I don’t know if I will survive…
“Kane, I know I don’t owe you or anyb©dy about what I do with my life but I do want to let you know that nothing happened between me and Doctor Mark…it was more of talk and then a goodbye…I can’t be with Mark because I have never being able to love him the way he deserve…and you don’t have any right to trail me to Mark’s house…that was so stupid of you…what were you thinking driving down to Doctor Mark’s house… Kane? when I said I have forgiven you I meant it that way. st©p taking our conversations back to unforgivness or how bad I am…forgiving someone doesn’t mean you must be in the person’s life…we had a wonderful memorable time together…and I nee-ded to move on so do you…it doesn’t make me unforgiven or a bad person. I know the kind of person I am…I may chose to accept you and we continue our love affair and I end up hurting more than I have ever being or end up hurting you…you are the only man I have ever loved…and still love…I can’t move past that but I won’t move back into your life because I will end up hating you everyday…being a distance away makes me still retain the love we once share…I don’t want to loose it all and I am not denying your pres£nce in Emerald’s life…she is equally your daughter and you have being a great father to her…she will be the only thre-ad that brings us together…moving out of the country was the best thing for me to do right now…everything here is suffocating me…you especially…I nee-d to breath a new air outside here and we will definitely return…I have business running here and my chamber will be calling me home…I have alot I want to do in the future…and is all going to be in this country…I’m sorry for striking you…you have to st©p nagging like a pregnant woman and keep your emotions in check… don’t cycle your life around me Kane. I only hate your past man that to-re us ap@rt and not you…we will always have something connecting us no matter where we are or whoever we end up with in the future….learn to start loving yourself…you still have a life, so start over again…don’t say you can’t do it without me…try doing it…if you love me then start living your own life and do not cycle your living around my existence. when i leave this country I want to hear of your outings…I want to hear of your d@t£s…and all the thing you are doing for fun…I will also s£nd back mine to you…I know Emerald will make sure of that….i don’t know how to love another ever since….and I don’t want to…I just want to focus on my life and become the woman I always want to be…and I will be happy wherever I am that you are living the best of your life. Don’t allow me, or your past man or even your leg to be an excuse of living your dream…don’t let anything to keep you in bondage forever Kane…Alright?
Kane quietly nodded, Olivia went into his arm and Kane held her and they remained that way until Olivia sle-pt off in his arm.
Kane could have carried her inside the house but he can’t seem to do without his walking stick, if he tries it him and Olivia may clash on the ground, so he just allowed her to sleep quietly. But as the time ticks 2.am in his watch and he was also feeling sleepy he gently woke Olivia to go inside and she asked him to come in and pas-s the night and he did.
As he l@yon the cushion in the living room, Olivia bent over and k!$$£d his fore head before going to her room to sleep.
Kane sle-pt so soundly more than he has sle-pt in a long while.
EPISODE 24
Olivia Was amazed as her friends went with her and Emerald to the airport to wave them goodbye.
Kane was there, Mark, Doctor Kate and also 1Helen, she and Emerald hvgged everyone. Her friends waited until the plane took off.
Olivia settled in immediately as they arrived. All she did with Emerald in the first month was to tour and visit places and in the second month she got busy with activities.
Emerald started high school while Olivia engaged herself with more studies and works p@rt time in other not to be bored.
Months flew into a year. she never fails to call her people back home and they also calls her.
Mark gave an exciting report of going out with a nice lady, Helen brou-ght the news of giving birth to a baby boy, and she with her husband were both excited to welcome their bundle of joy after a long wait.
Olivia was so happy for them, she spoke with Kate almost every week.
Kane calls too and Olivia allows him to speak with Emerald.
Emerald and her father spends time talking over the phone whenever she is free.
Emerald rushed up to Olivia one day as she was ma-king dinner, the phone she was using to do video call was in her hand as she showed it to her mother
“Mom…Mom…look…look, Mr Kane…he is walking without his stick…look…isn’t that amazing…
Olivia took the phone and saw Kane practising on how to walk without his sticks.
Olivia smile, she left the kitchen with the phone and asked Emerald to continue with the dinner
“Kane, I’m so proud of you…I told you that you are stronger than what you reduced yourself to…
“thank you Olivia…I was getting so comfortable in those sticks that I didn’t want to do without it…maybe because I love the self pity that comes with it but no more pity…I have to take charge…just as you have always wanted…you said it will make you happy if I start living my own life…well, I’m doing that…I have not being able to go on a d@t£ yet…I don’t know if I will ever be able to do that but I’m re-ady to give every other thing a try, I’m doing so many things right now…I went to pl@ytennis with Wilson, and we planed going to the basket ball cot by weekend…I nee-d to start living….i was loosing myself but no more…maybe someday I will be able to go on a d@t£ with a nice, loving woman like you are…thank you for always bringing out the best in me…I’m s£nding some money again to Emerald by next week…I know you don’t want to accept any gift of any kind from me, you made that clear alre-ady but the money I s£nd is for Emerald’s tuition fee…plea-se don’t ask me to st©p…and hope you are living your best life over there…
“Sure, I am and i’m happy to know that you are living your life Kane…take good care of yourself…bye.
A year turned into two and then three, Mark got married and had a daughter Olivia was s£nding all her kind wishes to him, right on his first d@t£ to when he proposed to the lady and to their wedding and also when she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and Mark couldn’t keep calm, he was so happy.
Olivia tried to keep the friendsh!palive and even sometime speak with Doctor Mark’s wife over the phone, she was always excited to speak to Olivia after hearing so much about her.
Olivia also cried with Helen when she had a miscarriage on her second child and she never fail to encourage and pray with her.
After another year Helen bec@m£ pregnant again and excitedly shared the news with Olivia who also jubilate with her.
Olivia was happy for everyone living the best of their lives as she was trying to also live her own best too, meeting new people and ma-king friends. She try not to get into anything inti-mate with any of her male friends, both white and black, she kept it casual with every one.
She also had friends who were lawyers and barristers, they form a cli-ck and hook up most weekends.
Emerald has a phone which enables Kane to speak to her anytime he wants, Olivia was happy that she left the country as she began to perceive things differently. she will never forget her parents because they lives on in her heart everyday, she can never forget the circvmstances behind their death, but she has totally and de-eply forgiven those behind it. Most especially Kane.
Olivia was home one day expecting her friends who were coming to say goodbye to her as she planes to leave the country soon. When the door bell rang, Emerald rushed happily to the door to answer it.
Some of Olivia’s friends c@m£ in, one c@m£ with her daughter who happens to be Emerald’s close friend.
They c@m£ with pizza, drinks and different gifts for Olivia. They all ate while watching one of their favourite shows.
Olivia informed them that she will be traveling back to her country, is almost four years since she left, she wants to go and foresee things, becoming a barrister is to help her country to fight crime and unlawful judgements against humanity and she can’t achieve all that in another man’s country.
She has a chamber which she asked her learned colleague to be using in her abs£nce.
now, she nee-ds to go back home and take over things but Emerald will stay behind until she is done with school.
Olivia’s new friends wished her well and most of them wanted Emerald to come over to their house and live with them but Emerald said she will rather visit than living with them.
She told everyone that she will be fine staying alone maybe with her friend Tessie. The neighbourhood was calm, nice people lives all around and her close friend will be staying with her so she has nothing to fear or worry.
At the end they all agreed to be checking up on Emerald.
Olivia got her daughter and her friends waving her good bye that morning as she flew off back to her country.
Olivia c@m£ back home and used the first week to visit all her friends, Helen, Mark and his family and also doctor Kate.
She tried not to ask of Kane, as she concluded within her that he must have moved on with another woman which was all she has wanted him to do but she wonder why she wasn’t so happy imagining Kane with another woman but Olivia tried to accept that.
She got busy with work and continue to speak with her daughter over the phone and sometime speak to her friends too.
She was in her chamber when her secretary c@m£ to inform her that a man was looking for her and as the man c@m£ in it happens to be Kane, he was not using his walking stick.
With a close look one can still tell that he has an injury from the way he walks but it wasn’t so obvious. Kane has grown few white hairs around his bears.
He was well dressed in a white str!ped shi-t, a brown chinos trou-ser, a suede black shoe with a matching belt. As he walked into Olivia’s office with a very attrac-tive smile, she looked at him as if she has never seen him before in her life.
Olivia was speechless as she stood and stare at Kane who was beaming with a gentle man smile, she wanted to say something and Kane stretched his hand out, haunting her to pause.
“my name is Kane and I’m plea-se to meet you ma’m…can we just pretend and act like this is the first time we are meeting… just pretend by introducing yourself…I do want to know you…if you don’t mind…
Olivia laughed out at Kane’s attitude, he was acting all official with her while robbing his bears with the other hand, and she was loving every bit of it. She pretend and stretched her hands to him.
“I’m Barrister Olivia, and I am plea-se to meet you sir…ooh. C’mon Kane, what happened to you…you look so different…I must confess that you look more handsome now than before and why are you pu-lling at your bears…is that a new style now… but I’m loving this new Kane…
Kane blu-shed as Olivia c@m£ around her table and they both embr@ced and went on talking like old friends as if nothing ever happened.
Kane kept it cool and listened to Olivia as they both talked excitedly.
Few days later, Emerald called and sounded so happy over the phone.
“Mom, I’m so happy for you…wow…this is so exciting….
“Happy for me, what happened…is there anything going on that I don’t know…
“Mom, st©p pretending….Mr Kane, my Dad… well, he told me that two of you are getting back together…and going on a d@t£ this weekend, that is the greatest news of all time…I feel so excited Mom, my heart wants to bur-st out with happiness…you traveling down and breathing in new fresh air has done a lot of good for you and for him too…
“well, don’t conclude yet…we are just getting on as friends…and he wants me to go on our suppose first d@t£ with him this weekend…is not really bad, your Dad… has kind of change…acting like a gentle man…and all porch…so, I’m going on a few d@t£ with him to see how it goes…don’t get too excited about it… is just a d@t£ not a wedding…just focus on your studies…
“is all the same to me…I am happy for both of you Mom…at least for giving love another try…no matter what comes out of it…I am still so proud of you and I’m focusing on my studies to make you and Dad proud…I will make you a proud Mom…because you deserve it and you also deserve some good happiness…best of luck Mom…and don’t fail to give me gist of how it all went…I know is all gonna be fun…make sure you have fun…
And Olivia and Kane went on her suppose first d@t£ with Kane and it was all fun. Kane dropped her off before driving back to his place.
He knows slow and steady wins the race, he wasn’t going to rush anything with Olivia, he will allow her to take her time in ma-king any decision.
But in everything he was living his life more than he has ever did, and he will make sure he gives Olivia a thousand reasons to smile and turns her lemon into a lemonade.
Olivia stared at the mirror with a smile across her face, as she spoke to her daughter over the phone, giving her every gist on how the suppose d@t£ went.
Emerald was over excited as she listen to her Mother speak with happiness in her voice.
It was her prayer that her Mom give Mr Kane another chance into her life and not allow the past to hold their love captive and she was happy that they are beginning to live and be happy again with each other.
Her father speaks greatly of her Mom and her Mom is not exceptional and she looks forward to another d@t£ with Kane.
Olivia opened her drawer, and brou-ght out her parent’s picture, she k!$$£d the picture and held it in front of her.
“you and Mom will continue to live in my heart, I’m a barrister now, I have found purpose and rejected love and happiness just because of where it was coming from, but I do want to embr@ce life to the fullest now because I know you two want me to be happy and I will not allow the darkness of the past to hold me captive…I will not live in bondage to the enemy of my mind…I want to be free, loved and happy…and that is what I will do…Emerald is ma-king me proud everyday…she is turning into a smart and intelligent young girl and I can’t be less proud of her…I will be going on another d@t£ with Kane…we are taking it slowly and everyday at a time…and I love it that way…everyone deserve to be happy irrespective of the past…and I feel within me that you and Mom are both smiling down from heaven and nodding in agreement to this…this is how my own fate found me, I have run from it for so long but not again…I am embr@cing it and living my best life with the wonderful people that God has blessed me with…
And on the next weekend, Kane drove down earlier and waited for Olivia to be throu-gh with her dressing, he helped her to Zi-p up her dress, ca-ressed her n£¢k before k!ss!ngit.
He lead her in his arm to the car, and drove her off to another fun filled evening.
We all hope that their yesterday will remain where it belongs. As they both starts their life again today, we silently pray that their tomorrow’s sun shine will be brighter, filled with colorful rainbow.
THE END. (Thanks for re-ading, pls do comment on this story)