EPISODE 35 – THE BRIDEGLOOM
MADAM NKECHI: Kate, plea-se take the kids upstairs I want to have a word with Judy.
KATE: yes, ma’am. Tatiana, Shasha, let’s go up???
MADAM NKECHI: once again I want to say a very big thank you to you for how you treated my late daughter. Since her death, I’ve always had this hope that somehow, she would wake up and come back to me. But yesterday, that hope was buried together with Chioma. It has become real to me that I will never see my daughter again.
JUDITH : you will see her again on the resurrection morning.
MADAM NKECHI: so help me God. Erm, I called you Here for an important and somewhat s-en-sitive issue. I know I probably shouldn’t be saying it. No mother should have to do this. It feels like betraying your own daughter and believe me, it is the ha-rd est thing in the world. But fate has left me with no other option.
I’ll be leaving this evening.
JUDITH: oh really! Why so soon?
MADAM NKECHI: Yes, as soon as Ambrose comes back, he’ll take me home. I think I am finding it more difficult to mourn Chioma here the way I want.
I wouldn’t want the kids seeing me crying. I’m going to go back home and take my time to mourn my daughter.
Now to the main reason why I called you. I am aware of the letter my daughter left. Ermmm, she wants you to marry her husband.
Marriage is a thing of choice and nob©dy should be coarced or unduly influenced into it. But I want to tell you this, hoping it helps you make the right choice.
I am sure you know what transpired between Ambrose and Chioma before her death.
It is easy to judge Ambrose by that single act and being Chioma’s mum, people would expect me to see Ambrose as the devil’s advocate but he is not.
The situation that led to their separation which I’m sure you are aware of, c@m£ with very convincing evidence. Ninety percent of men would have reacted the same way Ambrose reacted or worse.
Before Chioma pas-sed away, Ambrose was alre-ady searching for her and I made him go all the way to the United kingdom. Which I do not regret anyway.
Long story short, Ambrose is not a bad man. In fact, he is the best husband any woman can be married to and a doting father.
Should you decide to marry him, plea-se do so without any fears. Of course he is not perfect, but I tell you, you would have gotten yourself a great man and future.
plea-se treat these kids as yours and whatever you decide to do, it shall be well with you in the morning, at noon and at night. As you were kind to the dead, In the same manner, may the Lord be gracious to you from this day onwards. Amen.
JUDITH: mama!!!?????? it’s ha-rd . Very ha-rd !???????
MADAM NKECHI: I know…(hvgs her) it’s difficult. Wipe those tears okay? And remember, I am always here for you when you nee-d me. I know you have no mum, but you can count on me for any motherly advice.
I will also do my best to come see the kids once in a while. I wouldn’t like to come often to allow you space to build your home. But you can always call me
MR AMBROSE:(walks in) what’s going on here? So you people tell me not to cry and when I leave the house, you get on with It, right?
MADAM NKECHI: no, we are fine. I’m re-ady to go now.
MR AMBROSE: Erm, Judy, I will be taking my mother in law home now and I will spend two days with her just so she is not very lonely. Not sure if you will be here before I come back. If not, thank you so much for all you did for my family and I.
We are so grateful and pray that the good Lord grants all your heart de-sires.
JUDITH: Amen.
MADAM NKECHI: no, she will be here until you come back. Who will look after the kids?
MR AMBROSE: no my dear, you don’t have to, if you don’t want to. My mum will be back tomorrow and Kate is here too. I don’t want you to get into trouble at your work place.
JUDITH: no, I won’t. They gave me one week off so I’ll stay more.
MR AMBROSE: alright then, see you when I come back. Mama, let’s go.
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DERIC: Xandra, I just want to apologise for the way I spoke to you the other day. I am only a frustrated man. My beloved wife is dying at home. All of you must bear with me this time around. I’m really sorry and my mum s£nds her love to you.
XANDRA: it’s okay. Say hi to your mum when you get back to the hospital. So why did you ask me to come here?
DERIC:like I told you, I must go home to see my wife and i have been searching for the cheapest flight possible. I didn’t realise that Arik no longer flies. The cheapest flight right now is KLM and it is for seven hundred and fifty pounds.
I have four hundred and fifty pounds. So I was wondering if you can lend me another five hundred pounds.
I promise to pay you back as soon as possible.
XANDRA: Deric, I don’t have such amount of money, sorry.
DERIC: Alexandra! plea-se don’t do this to me! plea-se I know you have the money. Remember you told me about your UK savings account.
plea-se don’t let me be miserable or do something silly. If I do not see Charlotte by Friday, I’ll kill myself!
plea-se I have to. You have to do this for me if my life means anything to you.
XANDRA: hmmmm! Well, as you know, I cannot withdraw money from the cash point from my savings account. I’ll bring you the money tomorrow because banks have closed now.
DERIC: oh! Thank you, Xandra! You are a life saver! What would I have done without you!!! God bless you!
XANDRA: it’s okay. I’ll be on my way now
DERIC: do you want me to see you off to the station?
XANDRA: no. I’ll be alright. See you tomorrow?️?️
DERIC: thanks a lot. Bye bye.
EPISODE 36 – THE BRIDEGLOOM
NINA: excuse me, sir! Hello! Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!!
MR AMBROSE: Yes?
NINA: erm, my name is Nina Donald; I am Tatiana’s new teacher. Nice to meet you?
MR AMBROSE: plea-sure.
NINA: erm, I have some concerns about her. Lately she has been behaving really badly, throwing away her lunch, kicking other kids and being generally a br@t
MR AMBROSE: hold it right there! Never you ever use such word on my daughter! Ever! If you do, You will have me to deal with and I promise it wouldn’t be a business dealing sort of thing.
Now to your complain, if my daughter has suddenly become disruptive in clas-s, it means there is something you? are not doing right! I want to believe you know your child psychology very well!
If you re-ad her previous reports, you would see she has never been a problem child. Find out why she is behaving that way lately. That is your duty as her teacher! Good day!
Remember, never call my child a br@t! Never! Ever!
NINA: I’m…I’m..So.. rry sir. I…I.. was thinking maybe we could have a meeting and review her learning plans and see if we can make any changes..tha..t..that might help… what do you think?
MR AMBROSE: good day, young lady! Mummy, get into the car.
You mess with my child, I kill You!??
TATIANA: daddy
MR AMBROSE: Yes, my love
TATIANA: auntie Judy going home tomorrow?
MR AMBROSE: she is going home tomorrow
TATIANA: Does she have a house?
MR AMBROSE: mummy, everyone has a house.
TATIANA: Why then do we pray for homeless people during morning devotion?
MR AMBROSE:okay! Some people have no house, but auntie Judy does.
TATIANA: but our house is bigger than hers and she does not have a garden!
MR AMBROSE: how did you know that??
TATIANA: I don’t know
MR AMBROSE: neither do I. I’ve not been to her house before.
TATIANA: daddy, let her stay in our house
MR AMBROSE: why?
TATIANA: because she does not have a mummy
MR AMBROSE: what happened to her mummy?
TATIANA: she went to heaven before mummy.
MR AMBROSE: she told you that?
TATIANA: Yes.
MR AMBROSE: I didn’t even know that! When did she tell you.
TATIANA: when she was giving me a shower when you went to grandma Nkechi’s house. I really really really want her to stay in our house so we can give her food
MR AMBROSE: hahahaha! She doesn’t nee-d our food? She makes her own money!
TATIANA: but she’s only a baby
MR AMBROSE: no she ain’t? She’s a grown woman! She is older than your mummy!
TATIANA: so why does she cry then?
MR AMBROSE: when mummy was going to heaven?
TATIANA: no! Yesterday!
MR AMBROSE: you saw her crying Yesterday?
TATIANA: she was re-ading one paper and crying and talking to that paper!
MR AMBROSE: hmmmm! Mummy, sometimes big people cry too. Let’s not worry about it. Would you like some ice cream?
TATIANA: yesssss!?
MR AMBROSE: what one?
TATIANA: chocolate ice cream!
MR AMBROSE: and what should we get Shasha, Kate and Judy?
TATIANA: and baby Joshua!
MR AMBROSE: Joshua can’t have ice creams yet. He only feeds on milk..
(Ambrose and her daughter got home with the ice creams they got the girls at home. From outside the house, he could hear the cry of baby Joshua. So he hurriedly entered the house and found Judith bathing him)
MR AMBROSE: phew! Was wondering why he was crying! Do you want me to do it?
JUDITH: no, it’s alright. Babies cry when they have their bath
MR AMBROSE: you are so good at it. Have you done this before?
JUDITH: I’m 20 years older than our last born so I did it a lot when he was born.
MR AMBROSE: that’s quite a gap. Well, my mum taught me how to do it when I took Joshua to her. But I’m not quite as good as you are. Well done!
How are you, Kate? Still wearing a long face?
KATE: I’m fine, sir
MR AMBROSE: Why is your hair like this?
KATE: I’ll fix it soon?
MR AMBROSE: how soon is soon?
KATE: over the weekend, sir.
TATIANA: nanny Kate, we bought you ice cream and aunty Judy and Shasha.???
KATE: good girl! Thank you, Taty!
MR AMBROSE: where is Shasha?
KATE: she is asleep upstairs.
MR AMBROSE: Judith, when you are done, can I have a word with you, upstairs plea-se. Thanks.?️?️
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DERIC: I can’t even begin to tell you how I feel right now. Thank you so much for this money! Thank you Xandra! Thank You!
XANDRA: no worries. Erm, I’ve just booked my ticket with KLM flying at 6.30am tomorrow too!
DERIC: that’s the same plane I’m flying with. Same time! You never told me you were travelling. We could have booked same time so we sit together
XANDRA: it wasn’t planned. I am running short of money so I nee-d to go back but I’ll still come back anyway.
DERIC: so how do we get to the airport?
XANDRA: my b©yfri£ndwill drop us
DERIC: your b©yfri£nd? Xandra! How come you never told me all these while that you have a b©yfri£nd???
XANDRA: well, I talk about my relationsh!pon nee-d to know basis. You haven’t asked. Have You?
DERIC: now, why am I jealous! I seriously am!
XANDRA: it’s okay to be jealous.
DERIC: it’s not! St©p it, Xandra!
XANDRA: but what does it matter! You have a wife!
DERIC: just st©p okay! I’m not even joking! Just st©p…
XANDRA: okay then!
DERIC: so how long have you been seeing him?
XANDRA: about a week or so..
DERIC: so you were talking to someone else while talking to me too!!!!!?
XANDRA: are you crazy or what! Talking to You? On what basis? So because I have a friend. A friend o! Nothing else, I shouldn’t get into a relationsh!p??
DERIC: Well, not while we are still friends!
XANDRA: you are the most selfish person I’ve ever seen in my entire life!
DERIC: you have sle-pt with him. Haven’t You?
XANDRA: personal!
DERIC: meaning?
XANDRA: you are asking me a personal question!
Well, you should actually be grateful because he was the one who gave me the money I gave you!
DERIC: he did??????? (reaches for the envelop in his pocket and drops the money on the table)
Damn it!!! I don’t nee-d his money! I am a man and I will make my own money!
XANDRA: how are you going to complete your booking since you’ve only paid the deposit?
DERIC: I ain’t travelling anymore until I make my own money and trust me, I will! I am outta here! (Walks away angrily)
XANDRA(throws her fist in the air?, grins and then smiles??)
??f o o l!!!
To be continued