LOVE WITH BITTER TEARS
EPISODE 8
The death of Richa-rd ’s wife had hit him so ha-rd . He blamed himself for everything that had happened, everywhere he went, and the people he saw reminded him of her. Opha however stuck to him despite him being unresponsive to her. She knew he blamed the two of them for her death but she just wasn’t going to let him go. He was the only one who could save her from the disgrace which was looming ahead for her. That afternoon, she took lunch to him in his office since he had decided to go on hunger strike. She took it upon herself to take lunch to him every day which he ha-rd ly even t©uçhed.
Richa-rd : “Oh you are here? I told you to st©p doing this, I don’t think its even helping issues at all” he said matter of fact.
Opha: “But I want to keep doing it anyway and I doubt you can st©p me. At least until I am rest as-sured that you are taking proper care of yourself. How is Annie and Sammy? Hope the nanny is taking good care of them?” she asked as she unpacked the lunch box, serving him coconut rice with enough plantain and fried
chicken. He just looked at the food and shook his head.
“What is it now?” her patience was alre-ady on the low level.
Richa-rd : “I am not hungry” he looked away from her.
Opha: ‘For how long do you want to keep this up? Tell me. Haven’t you punished yourself enough? Its been three months for Christ sake” she snapped at him.
Richa-rd : “She died because I neglected her. my wife, the mother of my children died because I could not see how much she was suffering, because of my callousness. What will I tell my kids when they ask of her later on? I
am really a terrible man” Ophelia could see he was trying so ha-rd not to cry. She felt anger towards the dead for ma-king the living suffer so much.
Opha: “Look here…”she moved closer, facing him “Your wife’s death was not your fault. She died because it was her time to die. What exactly would you have done if she had eventually succeeded in telling you? Are
you God? Can you give and take life? Answer me can you?”
He looked at her and shook his head slowly.
Richa-rd : “but at least I would have shown her all the love I have. I wouldn’t have allowed her to go throu-gh it all alone. I even denied her pregnancy. Imagine how heartless I was? She must have cried so much. She must have longed for me all those cold nights and now
she is rotting in the lonely grave” the tears started flowing freely.
Opha: “It’s okay? It’s going to be fine. I am here for you. I have even resigned at my place of work so I can fully dedicate my time to taking care of you, Sammy and Annie. I don’t trust all those nannies so I will be going to your house as soon as I leave this place?”
Richa-rd : “You really resigned? Hmmmm! Are you sure that is a good move? You will not regret it later?”
Opha: “My regretting it or not depends on you. Now start eating while I watch you, your lunch break will soon be over and you will have to resume work” she watched with satisfaction as he devoured the food with fervour. She smiled at how vulnerable he was at that moment like a bulldog who had strayed from home and
was lost from home.
##########
Opha and her dad, Prof. Harrison were in their sitting room engaged in a heated argument
Prof. Harry: “I said no! You cannot marry a widower. That will sincerely be over my dead b©dy. What kind of disgrace are you trying to put me throu-gh? Are you crazy?”
Opha: “I am crazy and that is why I am even thinking of getting married at all. Had I been in my right s-en-ses, I would not have been having this talk with you sir!” she sh0t back at him with vigour matching his.
Prof. Harry: “Woman what have you been feeding this daughter of yours while I am away? Haven’t you been teaching her anything at all? What is wrong with the two of you?” he said facing his wife with eyes spitting fire and brimstone.
Maggy: “Opha calm down! Don’t make me into a bad mother and just listen to us. How can you decide it’s a widower with two young children you want to marry despite your level of education? You have so many suitors, just pick one of them ehn?”
Opha: “No! he is my choice and if you refuse to
accept my choice, then be re-ady to lose me” she said and stormed out of the house.
Maggy went to her husband and knelt down in front of him.
Prof. Harry: “What’s this? plea-se stand up alre-ady”
Maggy: “plea-se allow her to marry whoever she wants, I beg you. Don’t forget it’s her life and she has the right of choice. We can only guide her but if she refuses to listen to us, let’s let her be. I don’t want to lose my only child”
Prof. Harry: “So you are asking me to allow her marry a man whose wife died? Do you know what killed her?”
Maggy: “Well I know that she wil be fine. Don’t forget she has never talked about any man before. This one is the first, there must be something that made her go for this one. So let’s give them a chance”
He thought for a while…
Prof. Harry: “Okay then but I wouldn’t want to hear it if things start going wrong. You two will bear it all alone” he said and walked out on her while she was still on her knees.
###########
She took lunch to him in the office as usual and begged him to walk with her briefly. As they sat on the fence around the fountain in front of the office, she thought of how to ask him over and over again.
Richa-rd ; “Is there something you want to tell me dear?”
Opha: “Yeah there is and plea-se you must not panic. I gave this a lot of thought before ma-king this decision and I think it’s the right thing to do”
Richa-rd : “What is it dear? Don’t worry I will not panic, just bring it on alre-ady”
She brou-ght out a small box tied with a light blue ribbon, she opened it and two sparkling diamond rings k!$$£d the sunlight. She knelt down in front of him.
Opha: “Will you marry me Richie?”
LOVE WITH BITTER TEARS
EPISODE 9
Richa-rd looked around embarras-sedly, trying to make sure no one noticed them but of course they were noticed as people had alre-ady started gathering with their phones and c@m£ra taking snapsh0ts. There were sounds of “wow” coming from different directions. He heard someone say “She is quite br@ve, I wish my
girlfriend will do this too” another said “what ru-bbish, women should not do this, how can a woman be so cheap?”
Opha: “Richie…I am still waiting for your reply” she said looking up at him pleadingly.
Richa-rd : “Baby I am sorry but can we go somewhere pri-vate and talk about this plea-se? People are staring at us” he said, lifted her up to her feet, collected the box from her, pocketed it and drew her along with him f0rç£fully. They headed back to his office. As soon as
they entered inside the office, whistles from different angles greeted them ” news indeed travelled fast” he thought as they maneuvered their ways to his office.
Opha: “What is happening? You don’t want to marry me?”
Richa-rd : “That is not the issue now, the issue is you proposing to me. Why did you do that and in public? My God!” he paced around with his right hand on his forehead.
Opha: “I don’t un-derstand, what is so wrong with that? Can’t I even do that?” she tried b!tt!g back tears.
Richa-rd : “Not that you can’t but doing it in pri-vate would have gone a long way than this. Now we are going to be
the talk of the town. Just check the internet, you will see it as a h0t news there tomorrow”
Opha: “What does that matter?”
Richa-rd : “It matters dear, it does. Don’t you care about your dignity? Do you know what people will be saying about you? Especially those ALFs eehh.. they can find faults so easily on anyone. Have you ever seen a woman proposing to a man before in public?”
Opha: “I don’t care. If losing my dignity would make us be together then I will lose it over and over again. I just want to be fully there for you and the kids. How is that a bad move?”
Richa-rd : Do you know people on social media are re-ading this?
Opha: I said, I don’t care … don’t you get it Richie? She flared uncontrollably
Richa-rd : “Baby I appreciate your kind gesture towards I and my kids but I don’t think I am re-ady to commit to another person just yet. I am still mourning my wife”
Opha: “Oh really? And what about me? If you reject this proposal I will disappear from your life forever. I am on loose end right now. I swallowed all of my human pride to do this. If only you know how much it took me to take this step”
Richa-rd : “Hey baby! I don’t want to lose you but plea-se can you give me more time? I want to do it the right way. I want you to know I actually love you but don’t want to give people the wrong impression about us.
Let’s take it slow?”
Opha: “Okay but for how long will I have to wait?” she asked sadly.
Richa-rd : “It’s not going to be long I promise and thanks for taking this bold step. I will remember it for the rest of my life”
Opha: “Anything for my boo. And the rings? I was going to wear one though”
Richa-rd : “I will keep them till further notice if you don’t mind” he said, went close to her and held her in his arms ti-ghtly. “I love you” he said and placed a light k!sson her forehead.
Opha: “Uhn uhn!” she gr-unted and pu-ll-ed away from him. “I will get going now before you get fired cos of me. Catch ya later” she picked up her handbag and walked out without looking back. He could not imagine his luck. He felt like a baby floating on water. All throu-gh that day, he kept giggling and grinning from ears to ears until his cheeks could not take it anymore and started protesting.
##########
Sammy c@m£ back from school and met his sister on the floor crying, he scooped her up in his arms and sang her favourite song to her. Looked around the house and saw that the nanny Ngozi was in her room slee-ping.
Sammy: “Nanny” he tapped her r0ûghly on the feet. She refused to stand up but he did not give up. He was angry that his sister was neglected like that. ”Nanny…” he tried even ha-rder. She stirred briefly, opened her
eyes and sat up angrily.
Ngozi: “What is wrong with you this boy that is always behaving like an old man? Why are you disrupting my sleep?”
Sammy: “Why did you leave Annie alone in the
parlour?”
Ngozi: “Who are you to question me? Besides why are you back from school by this time? Aren’t you supposed to stay for lesson? All your mates are in school learning but you are here questioning me like an idiot” she rose
up and make to hit him but he dodged it shielding Annie too as she sle-pt peacefully in his arms.
Sammy: “Today is Friday madam, you are our nanny and you can’t even take note of such little information. I am going to tell my mum all these when she comes back. Just be getting re-ady to leave our house” Ngozi let out loud bouts of laughter
Ngozi: “Which mum? The one that is dead? Your mother is dead you dim witted boy…”
Sammy: “It’s your mother who is dead not mine. My mum went on a journey and asked me to take care of my sister on her behalf and that is what I am doing now. She will be back soon, I am only waiting for her to spill out all the wrongs you’ve been doing in this house.
Dad will give you money to buy baby food and clothes for Annie but instead you will use it for something else. I am writing them all down for you”
Ngozi: “Who told you that? And besides your mother is really really dead but you can still wait for her though. Just know you will grow old waiting for her” she said laughing wickedly again. “Get out of my sight idiot. And don’t get too comfy yet, your dad is bringing in another
wife to replace your mum very soon. You are
motherless, motherless” she said rising up from the be-d
Sammie: “I am not motherless, my mum is coming back very soon: he started to cry and the baby in his arms stirred restlessly.
Ngozi: “Pathetic boy” she said and left him the room.
He carried Annie to his be-droom and la-id her gently on her cot. Looked at her as she cooed in her sleep and tears started flowing down his face. He went over to his drawer, brou-ght out a picture of his mum, sat down as his tears dr!pp£don the glas-s of the little picture frame.
“Mum where are you really? You told me you wouldn’t stay long, you told me you’d be back or didn’t you?” he ca-ressed her face from the glas-s of the frame and continued “Annie nee-ds you mum! She hasn’t even had a br£@st milk before and that’s why she looks so small,
I nee-d you too and I miss you so much. I want my mum back. Did you leave because dad was not happy with you? Mum Aunty Ngozi, said you are dead when you aren’t. I feel so angry with her and I am going to tell dad
everything when he returns. I love you mummy” he said, cleaned his tears and went to check on Annie who was still soundly asleep. “Baby don’t worry, our mum is coming back soon. You just be healthy and don’t worry, I will take care of you like mum said I should. It’s going
to be fine little sister” he watched as the baby smiled sweetly in her sleep.
Sammy: “Daddy I want to report the nanny to you” he said after his dad had his dinner, showered and sat with Annie on his l@ps watching the 9:00pm news on CNN.
Richa-rd : “What happened?” he asked without looking away from the Television.
Sammy narrated all of the Nanny’s escapades to his dad and emphasized on the p@rt where Annie don’t get fed enough.
Richa-rd : “Ngozi…” he barked and she answered from her room. She ran into the sitting room with her wra-pper hanging loosely around her w@!st. “Sammy repeat everything you just told me now” he order and Sammy
concurred…
“Is that true?” he asked after Sammy had finished.
Ngozi: “It’s not true sir. I do everything according to your instructions sir”
Richa-rd : “And the p@rt where you neglected my daughter in the sitting room while you sle-pt soundly in your room? A three month old baby who has not even started sitting on her own yet?”
Ngozi: “I am sorry sir, it will not repeat itself again sir”
Richa-rd : “So you mean that really did happen? You abandoned my daughter all alone in this big sitting room? I was hoping you’d also tell me that was just a
cooked up story. I am very disappointed in you Ngozi”
Ngozi: “plea-se forgive me sir! It will never happen again I promise” she was unable to look him in the eyes.
Sammy: “Daddy is it true mum is dead? It’s not true right?”
Richa-rd : “Who told you that?”
Sammy: “She did!” he said pointing at Ngozi who was busy ma-king signs to him to keep quiet.
Richa-rd : “Now that is the limit to what I can take. I specifically told you not to talk about stuffs like this to him. I cannot have a lady like you around my children.
I’d have asked you to leave tonight but considering that it’s late, I will let you stay till tomorrow. So first thing tomorrow morning, pack your things and get the hell out
of my house. Do you un-derstand?”
Ngozi: “plea-se sir. I will never repeat it again, just pardon me this once plea-se?” she said kneeling down in front of him but just as he was about to say something, his Samsung Galaxy vibr@ted beside him, he checked
and saw that the caller was Opha, he quic-kly picked it.
Richa-rd : “Hello dear…what is happening?”
Opha: “I nee-d your help Richie” she said and he
realised she had been crying.
Richa-rd : “What is wrong? Hope you are okay? Where are you right now?” he asked panicking. He handed Annie to Sammy and hurried to the room.
Opha: “I am at Orile bus st©p, can you come and pick me plea-se?”
Richa-rd : “What are you doing there by this time?” he asked but she was not there to answer him anymore, she had disconnected the call. He hastily gr@bb£d his car keys from the table and headed out the door.
“Sammy…I will be right back, take care of Annie and make sure that girl did not t©uçh her okay?” he said as he was walking out.
Sammy: “Okay dad, taking care of her is what I know to do best anyway. But to think of it, why do they all keep leaving asking me to take care of her? “He muttered to himself and when realization dawned on him, he sprinted to the door with the baby still in his arms but
all he could see when his dad’s tail light zooming out of the gate. He shook his head and went back inside sullenly. “I hope you will not stay long like mum is dad.
God plea-se make him come back today” he soliloquized
After like twenty minutes’ drive, he parked his car at the road leading to Coker Street and called her. He waited for some time then looked in the rear view mirror and sighted her dragging a big bag with her. He got down from the car and without a word took the bag from her,
dropped it inside the boot and climbe-d in with her.
Richa-rd : “What happened and where are you going to?” he said without starting the car.
Opha: “My parents s£nt me out of the house” she cried out wiping her face.
Richa-rd : Whattt????
To be continued…