A STORY WRITTEN BY SERAH IYARE
PART FOUR
He hated it whenever his wife cried. It always feels as if thousands
of needles were piercing his heart. He was ashamed of his daughter.
What was Daniel thinking? What exactly happened between them? Even
Martha wasn't sure. The underwear in her fiancé's pocket must have
freaked her out. Lord God. His father doesn't want Sheila at any
family event. That was a drastic decision, regardless of what his
daughter had done. It was like saying he doesn't want to see any of
them. This is not the way to bring order to this situation.
"Take me home… "
He met his wife's red gaze. She looked dejected. Their daughter's
actions had wounded her. He cannot remember the last time his wife
wept.
"Thank God," Sheila muttered under her breath. They were the last set
of people to leave the party hall. She needed to shower. Her dress was
beginning to stick to her skin.
John helped his wife to her feet. He picked up her purse and led her
out of the hall. Sheila followed, she hoped they were not planning to
lecture her tonight. They can talk to her in the morning. She was in
no mood to be scolded. All she wanted to do was to celebrate. The
witch has been paid back in her own coin.
XXXXXXX
Dorcas and Imabong led Martha into her flat. She had cried all through
their drive to her house. Dorcas have never seen her sister so broken.
She must have loved Daniel greatly.
Imabong locked the doors while his wife helped her sister to take her
bath and settle in for the night. An hour later, she joined him in the
guest room.
"How is she?"
"I have never seen her so… I…"
"What did you expect?"
She met his angry gaze.
"That niece of yours is a nightmare. What was she thinking?"
She sighed, "I don't understand her… "
"John must do something about his daughter. She is getting out of hand."
"She was not as bad as this when she was younger. "
He grunted, "So she was born this way… "
"I didn't say that."
He shook his head, "What was Daniel thinking?"
"I wish I knew."
"What actually happened?"
Dorcas shrugged.
"Sheila must have been out of her mind for pulling a stunt like
this."
"That young woman… Martha will never forgive her."
Imabong drew his wife closer. He hoped his sister in-law would be able
to sleep through the night, although he doubts it. That was one of the
reasons why he suggested that they should spend the night. She might
need them.
XXXXXXX
"Charles you were hard on John."
He looked at his wife. Both of them had not been able to sleep since
they got home. How could they sleep when their daughter was in so much
pain?
"Banishing Sheila from family functions will not solve the problem at hand."
He folded his arms across his chest.
"I know you were upset… We were all angry… But your… "
He raised a hand. Nnese stopped talking.
"It is high time John tightened the leash on his daughter."
"She is also your grand-daughter."
He looked away, "I sometimes wonder if the Adams' blood run through her veins."
"Charles! How can you say that?"
He shrugged. What else should he think? She behaves like an outsider.
XXXXXXX
Sheila made her way into the kitchen in her pajamas. The first thing
she thought of when she woke up was food. She opened the fridge and
took out a can of juice and a pack of cookies. Junk food would do
until breakfast was ready.
Her mother walked in. She closed the fridge, "Morning mum… " She
placed the can of juice and pack of cookies on a table and sat on a
stool. Eureka ignored her daughter. The last thing she wanted to do
that morning was to speak to her. She tried to focus on what she was
going to prepare for breakfast.
John walked into the kitchen, he had just had his bath and he was
hoping to down a creamy cup of decaf coffee before breakfast was
ready.
"Morning dad," Sheila munched at the cookies. She hopes breakfast
would be ready soon. John pulled out a stool and sat opposite his
daughter.
"Honey please come and sit down."
Eureka frowned. Trust her husband, he wants them to iron out the issue
at hand as soon as possible.
"Honey… "
She left everything she was doing and joined them at the table.
Sheila groaned, here goes the lecture she had dreaded since last night.
"What happened last night?" He faced his daughter. Her brows were
creased in a frown. What did they want her to say? She wasn't sorry
for what she did. The witch deserved it. In future, her aunt will
think twice before hitting her.
Eureka grabbed the can of juice her daughter was drinking and hurled
it against the wall. The pack of cookies followed. Sheila bolted from
the table, she had never seen her mother so angry.
"Honey… " He could sense his wife's anger.
She pointed at her daughter, "You have shamed your father and I, when
did you become a Delilah?" She got to her feet, "Don't you think at
all? " She approached her, Sheila backed away, "What is wrong with
you? Sometimes I wonder if I actually gave birth to you… "
"Eureka!" He got up.
"Sometimes I wonder if the nurses switched you… and… "
John stepped in between his wife and daughter. Sheila ran out of the
kitchen and headed straight to her room. She locked the door and sat
on the tiled floor. Nothing was going to make her sit in the same room
with her mother this morning. That woman would tear her apart.
Although her parents had never raised a hand against her, her mother
was close to doing just that. If her father had not stepped in when he
did, she was sure her mother would have strangled her or worse.
What did she do wrong? She did not deserve this. Did she? If this was
the consequences of teaching the witch a lesson, so be it.
XXXXXX
Martha opened her eyes. The stinging feeling that attack made her
close them again. Something had woken her. What was it? Probably she
was dreaming. She turned on her side. Her red eyes found the table
clock. It was 6:00 p.m. The doorbell rang. She groaned. It was the
doorbell that woke her. Who was at the door? She had taken time off
work so that she could get herself back together. She did not want to
be disturbed. The doorbell rang again. She pulled the duvet over her
head. Whoever was at the door should go away!
The bell kept ringing. "Arrrrrgh!"
Martha got out of bed. The person at the door better have a good
reason for cutting her sleep short or else, heads will roll. She
marched out of the room, clad in a baggy jean and big white tee shirt.
"Will you quit pressing the bell?"
The bell stopped ringing immediately. Her shrill must have gotten
across to the person at the door. Good. She unlocked the door and
swung it open. She came face to face with Daniel.
"Hi… " He had been standing at her door step for the past thirty minutes.
Her frown deepened. She wouldn't have opened the door if she had known
that he was the one ringing the bell. She wasn't ready to see or speak
with him. Why didn't she check the door-hole before opening the door?
"Martha… Darling… "
She hissed and tried to close the door, but he held it back.
"Please love, please listen… Please… "
She eyed him from hair to shoes and stepped back. He sighed in relief
and walked in. She shut the door and led him into the sitting room.
"You have five minutes."
"Thank you for seeing me."
"Four minutes more," She sat on a brown leather chair facing him.
He cleared his throat. Where was he going to start from? He loved her
so much. At forty-five, he had met several women, and none had made
him feel like a King. Martha was the woman he wants to spend the rest
of his life with.
"The clock is ticking."
He met her expressionless gaze.
"I love you Martha… I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
She looked away. She still loved him too.
"Sheila kissed me… I don't know what got into her… She kissed me and…
and… I don't know how her underwear got into my pocket… Nothing
happened."
She met his pleading gaze. "I love you too Daniel… But I don't know if
I will ever be able to get past this kissing thing between you and
Sheila… " She ran a hand through her weave.
"We just kissed… She tried to seduce me… But I stopped her… Nothing
else happened… "
"That is not the point!" Her voice rose.
"Martha… All she wanted to do was hurt you… She wanted to hurt us…"
"And she succeeded," She got to her feet.
"Martha… "
She crossed her hands. "I can't marry you… "
"Sugar Plum… You know me… I don't go around kissing everything in skirts."
"But you kissed Sheila!"
"She kissed me… "
"And you kissed her back… You touched her… " She shuddered. "How do
you want me to live with that?"
Daniel fell silent. Sheila was a beautiful young woman, and if he had
given in to her that night, they would have had a one-night stand.
But, he didn't. He was a different person. Gone were the days he used
to roll with the boys and devour everything in his path. He had
surrendered his life to Jesus, he had put his lustful desires under
and he was determined to keep it that way.
"I am sorry Daniel; your five minutes is up."
"I want you to know that I am not going to give up on you. You are the
woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don't care how long
it takes. I will wait for you."
"Please don't."
"I have made up my mind."
"And so have I."
Their eyes locked.
"I love you Martha," He turned and walked out.
Tears gathered in her eyes. She loved him too. Her niece had cost her
the one thing she had she praying and hoping for. Sheila was going to
regret ever being born on planet earth.
TBC
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