Life

Episode 6

The whole scene in the hospital was beautiful and brought tears to Sue’s eyes. Her baby sister was so beautiful and pure. It was hard to believe that someone like her father was responsible for such a beautiful soul. She saw the way her father stood close to her mum and how changed he looked.
Something had changed in him and she could see it. he would kiss her mum and told her she should stop worrying about the house and everything. He was going to take care of everything.

Darren carried the baby and all she could do was stare at him lost in her daydream. Suddenly, she saw him as a perfect father, not as the kind of man she’d suspected him to be after that haggard woman at the store came unto him like an old friend.
She cringed when she remembered the scene and prayed he didn’t have anything to do with the woman anymore.
Her new baby sister was given the name Eleanor by her mum and her father agreed. She saw his wedding ring on his finger and his unshaven beard and at that moment, she felt for him.
He really looked like a broken man and not the drop dead gorgeous man everyone saw him as.
He’d apologized to her on so many occasions after telling her his life story of how he met God and how he’d become a changed man and he would do anything to win Mandy back.
He’d been such a terrible father and he wanted to make it up to her and her mother.
She forgave him quite easily and told him a day when she would be home so that he could try his chances. But anything he got, he had to live to deal with it.
He said he wasn’t going to give up and he meant it.

And right now, she felt so happy that her family was back together again but she hoped they raise Eleanor together and happily.
Joe insisted he would stay with the baby and her mother in the hospital while she returned home since she had so much to do and needed to rest.
Darren told her he would drive her home and Joe was grateful. The groceries were still In the car and she still had to unpack and make something to eat.

When Darren stopped right in front of the house, she inhaled deeply and decided to spill out her mind once and for all.
“Darren, there’s something I would like to talk to you about.’’
He unbuckled his seat belt and looked questioningly into her eyes. ‘’okay. I hope I didn’t do anything wrong?’’
“no, you didn’t.’’ she sighed. ‘’its just that I saw you with that Elizabeth woman and ever since then, you haven’t explained anything to me. I know we’re not dating or anything, but I just need to know where I stand. If I’m just a friend who needs to mind her business in cases like this, then I guess I can’t keep being your friend for long. I’d have to tell you we can’t keep seeing each other.’’
There was silence for a while and the tension was obvious in the car. Susan closed her eyes and knew she had been right all along.
What she didn’t know was if he might go back to her. it was like she had a sort of authority over him. Some kind of control. She’d noticed his breathing around her and the way she held on to his arms like an old lover
“she was part of my past.’’ He dug his face into his palms and ran it through his hair. ‘’I was looking for the right time to tell you all about it but I just didn’t know how you would take it.’’
Susan bit her lip but kept quiet to listen to the rest of his story. It was obvious he had a lot to tell
“i had affairs with women in the past. Both young and old but the older ones especially since they gave me what I want while I gave them what they wanted in return. They promised me so much more than wealth and pleasures and in my foolish youthfulness; I gave in and did what they wanted. The younger ladies I slept with came unto me and since it was just a fling, I couldn’t care less. I knew I wasn’t doing the right thing but I didn’t care. I had what I wanted and I was at their disposal. Life was give and take.’’
Susan suddenly felt sorry for him but sat still
‘’if you know how much I hate that life now whenever I remember all I did in the past. I wish I could turn back the hands of time and change everything. But I guess its just something I have to deal with and live with.

I know God has forgiven me but I still get flash backs when I encounter people like Elizabeth the way I did today at the store. I didn’t know how you would take it and I felt so ashamed.’’
She held his hands and raised it to her lips. ‘’I don’t care about your past. What I care about is your now.’’
Darren looked sober now and she thought he would cry but he just looked at her face.
“do you know how beautiful you are?’’
She smiled. ‘’thank you.’’
“I’m not going back to that life ever again. I promise you.’’
Sue choked on her emotions realizing his promise to her meant only one thing and she couldn’t hold herself anymore. ‘’do you love me?’’
“I do. I’ve loved you ever since you opened that door that day and yelled at me.’’
And all she could do was lean forward and kiss him gently. He broke free and looked into her eyes then. ‘’do you?’’
“I do and I won’t stop loving you.’’ She whispered before kissing him again and he responded deepening the kiss. When her hands moved underneath his T-shirt, he took a sharp intake of breath and broke free. It was then he realized she was almost on his lap and he breathed. ‘’Sue, please. We can’t do this now.’’
And just then her phone rang and she looked into the screen.
Her mother
She adjusted her position and slid back into the passenger’s seat trying as much as possible to calm her heavy breathing before picking the phone.

“mum’’ her voice sounded like a frog’s in her ears
“sweetie, you alright?’’
“yes. I am. Just got home a little while ago. Darren is going to help me pack the groceries inside.’’
“oh really? That’s good. Treat him well before he goes back home. don’t hold him down too long too.’’
‘’sure thing.’’
“give him the phone let me speak with him.’’
She passed the phone to him nervously and avoiding his eyes. ‘’Mrs Brews.’’
For five minutes, her mother kept talking and all he was saying “uh-huh” and “yes ma’am” before the line went dead and he handed the phone back to her.
“I don’t think we should see each other in isolated places for now.’’ He was the one who spoke and all Sue could do was nod. Where in the world did the boldness come from. Just a few minutes ago, they’d been talking and so suddenly, she was all over him. she was glad the phone interrupted the whole scene because she was sure if it hadn’t, Darren’s plea wouldn’t have stopped her.

she’d have given herself to him right here and would have brought him down just the way Delilah brought down Samson.
She felt so ashamed but tried to hide it.
“I’m sorry.’’ She apologized
“me too.’’
‘’I’ll get the groceries in by myself.’’ She stepped out of the car immediately and pulled out the bags. He went over to join her and objected. ‘’I cant let you do that all by yourself. I’ll help you and I’ll be gone in no time.’’
‘okay.’’ She squeaked and watched him carry everything into the house.
“thanks.’’
She was about going inside when he held her hands and looked into her eyes.
“I don’t know how to say this but in the cleanest way possible, I wanna ask your permission.’’
“okay.’’
“can I court you?’’
Sue’s eyes brightened and the tears rimmed in them. ‘’of course you can.’’
He laughed when he saw the tears.
“I just needed to know ‘cos ever since you told me you’ll be coming over to Harvard to join me, I wanted to know my fate with you.’’

“and now you do.’’
“I’ll tell your parents about it tomorrow.’’ He kissed her on her forehead and left before she had the chance to touch him again.
He was right after all. They could not be together in solitary places or they’d do something they both weren’t ready for.

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Scarlett enjoyed the coffee shop where she worked part time and loved how she could shuffle with spending time with the kids she took lessons in church, and the visits she made to the orphanage. When she was through, she would take the evening shifts with her co-workers and take the customers’ orders. When it started getting close to evening and soft music played in the background, she would hold herself back from crying and pretend like she wasn’t interested.

Good thing Valerie and Monica were not really the mushy type like her, although they could be mischievous sometimes and poke her about any past boyfriend but she wouldn’t budge.

She told them there was nothing to talk about.
She was just a new folk in town who moved in with her parents some months ago. The girls talked about prom and college and their boyfriends but she remained mute and did what she had to do before leaving. College was in a few weeks’ time. Initially, she had ventured to take a year sabbatical because of Josh but there was no point wasting time. She was ready to face the road ahead of her.
And she wasn’t the only one going that path alone either.

The first day she saw him, he’d been so quiet, so attentive to the poetry readings and if he wasn’t listening, he was taking down notes into a particular notebook she came to observe later was what he carried almost everywhere he went.

She’d attended to him unaware of his gaze on her till he greeted. ‘’hi’’
“hi’’ she smiled.
“I’m Gabe by the way.’’ She could tell he didn’t really talk much to strangers and he had gone a long way to greet her.

For crying out loud, the guy had been coming to the café continuously for a month now, same spot, same order and same actions.

“nice to meet you.’’ She poured him his coffee and it was then she saw his table. Something she hadn’t noticed since she this was the first time she would attend to him personally.
It was Shakespeare’s Macbeth. One of her favorite Shakespeare tales. She didn’t know what drew her into the story most especially when it had little to do with romance, but she loved the whole concept and construction. She loved the quotes and she would never forget the fierce force she felt when playing his wife in drama rehearsals.

That role did well in hiding the vulnerable side of her, although Josh had brought it out all again.

She looked at him closely. He was young, long brown hair which was trimmed to his neck and a nice beard to go with it making him look older but looking into his eyes, she could tell he was still in his early twenties, in college and probably studying for a course.

He was good-looking no doubt, but the quiet kind with puppy eyes.

And lanky too, she observed.

‘’you don’t mind telling me your name do you?’’ he looked into her eyes then.
“Scarlett.’’ She smiled. ‘’you seem to have a have quite a lot on your hands.’’
“yeah. School work. Second year in college.’’
“hmmn, cute.’’ Her gaze went to his table again and she quoted the famous words of the weird sisters. ‘’Double, double toil and trouble, fire boil and cauldron bubble.’’
His eyes widened in gleeful surprise and he beamed, feeding her his own quotes. ‘’Fair is foul and foul is fair.’’
“the milk of human kindness. Lady Macbeth 1.5.80’’ She smiled back at him.
“wow.’’ Was all Gabe could say staring at her with a new found love. “Boy am I glad I found you.’’
“thank you.’
“it’s a project I’ve been working on and I’m trying to write something that has a little taste of Macbeth in it and I’ve been going on and on about how to go about it. I come here because I feel it’s the best place I can get inspiration, but little did I know inspiration would find me.’’

They both laughed.

Someone called her name and she turned. It was Valerie asking her to help out since more customers were trooping in.
“I have to go.’’ She told him
“I’m sorry if I kept you that long.’’ He apologized and watched her leave.
When she turned her back to him, she knew their relationship wasn’t going to end there.
In fact, it was just the beginning of a new era for her and she would gladly embrace it.
10 YEARS LATER
When Scarlett Rose Ruby received the news about the new job in Naperville, she was enthralled and excited at the same time.
This was like God’s answer to her prayers and she couldn’t thank Him enough.
But there was one problem, taking the job offer in Illinois meant her going back to where she’d run away from ten years ago.
She tried to comfort herself that it was located at the outskirts of Naperville, so far away from Ringfield where she’ schooled and grown up but that old feeling of fear kept creeping in.
She tried comforting herself with the thoughts of Gabe and since He lived in Springfield, it wasn’t going to be hard for them after they got married.
Years after she met Gabe Morrison at the coffee house and their relationship had boomed, even though it was a Long Distance relationship, she had wondered and prayed about How she would cope when they got married since she was currently living in a rented apartment at St. Louis ever since she graduated out of college and got a job of her own.

But now, she didn’t need to wonder anymore.

Her job offer was going to bring them together meaning they would be able to plan more and talk more and go on dates more often.

In fact, she would get to fellowship with him in his church and start getting used to this fact.
Living in a one room apartment down town, she knew very much about being prudent and accountable for herself. She lived alone in a condo with her Dalmatian dog Bernie and had been happy with the new life she had given herself over the years as a secretary of a mediocre company earning a meager salary but she hadn’t minded though. It was something and she had learned to live on her own and not on her parent’s salary ever since she remembered that acting was not her thing and would never be.

Not after the incident that happened ten years ago.

And she wanted a decent life, not a life in the cameras or newspaper. She wanted to marry a decent man and have a decent family together with the man she loved. The man who was going to share her dreams of being a teacher in the new school she was going to be introduced to in a few days’ time.

But she was going to need a place. She couldn’t move in with Gabe and she didn’t want to burden him by telling him to go apartment hunting for her before she arrived and neither could she lodge into a hotel especially when she was trying to be prudent.

She needed help and the only person that had an imprint in her memory who was also living in Naperville at the moment was Andrea Rivera
“oh Lord!’’ she sighed knowing fully well how her best friend of the past was going to react after ten years of her moving away and not saying a word about it or calling her to keep in touch.

And so when she needed help, she found it very convenient. Her mum had mentioned it years back that Rea didn’t stop asking about her and she could try giving her a call, take a short trip over to Naperville and see her best friend since high school but she had refused.
Seeing Rea brought back so many memories of the past and she felt she wasn’t going to be able to hide anymore if she came face to face with her.

Andrea was a girl who forced out things from her
She looked heaven ward and closed her eyes. ‘oh God, is this a sign for me to move on and forget everything that ever happened to me?’’
When she opened her eyes, they were misty.

She had to look for another option; she most definitely had to look for other options.
Andrea Rivera might not even want to see her after all these years.

She knew she had little time left and so she dialed her mother’s number.

Maybe a little conversation over coffee at the coffee house not far from her workplace would help her decide what to do and how to go about her new life that was about to start in a few days’ time.