The Best Of Me

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 19

April 1st, 2019. 9:20PM

Day 19 of 35

“Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that they have to be welcome in your life.”

Ellie sighed as she looked at the sleeping form on the couch, she had just been released from jail. True to Mwewa’s words she had been pardoned. She still didn’t know what had happened but she had been released on condition that she sees a counsellor once a week and Ellen was to be monitored by the government.

She sighed even deeper when she thought of her life ahead, at thirty six she had already been married once. With a child and was now divorced. She carried her daughter to the bedroom where she lay next to her, going back to the master bedroom was the last thing on her mind.

At around midnight when she couldn’t get any sleep, she woke up and went to the living room where she poured herself a glass of water. Images from her past flooding her mind. She allowed the tears to fall rapidly, how could Mwewa honestly defy her like that. Chopping off his arm and leg didn’t make her feel any better, it actually made her feel worse because how was she different from him now? They had both inflicted each other pain.

She was still seated on the couch when Ellen woke up, Ellie didn’t even notice her daughter standing there.

‘Mummy are you okay?’ the little girl inquired

Silence

‘Mummy.’ Ellen repeated this time screaming

‘Yes baby what is it?’ Ellie asked with a startle

‘Did you sleep there?’ she asked

‘No baby I didn’t.’ Ellie lied

‘You called?’

‘Mummy am I not going to school?’

‘Oh, school.’ Ellie said

She got up and took her child by the hand, she bathed the little girl before preparing her for school. When she was sure she was good to go, she carried her child’s school bag.

‘Mummy I am not eating?’ Ellen asked

‘Oh, breakfast.’ Ellie said

She put back the bag and started to look through the cup boards, she noticed there was no food in the house and it’s only then that she remembered that no one had stayed there the past seventeen days and before that she had told the maid to get whatever food stuffs were there because they wouldn’t need them.

‘I am so sorry baby, how about I bring you some food in an hour?’ she asked

Little Ellen held out her hand and touched the tips of her mother’s fingers

‘Let us spend the day together today.’ She said

Ellie smiled avoiding crying in her presence, she felt her daughter’s love and at three the child could tell that her mother wasn’t the same. And because of her Ellie told herself that she was going to do better.

She started by calling her old maid and asking her if she could pass through to clean the house, the woman was happy to hear from her boss. Despite everything that had happened in the Musonda home she still believed that there was good in them.

Ellie took her bath and settled for a casual dress, she washed out her hair and tied it into a bun. The maid had arrived when she left home with her daughter.

She made a booking with Ulendo taxi services and in no time they were at the gate, they got to Centro Mall and went first to have breakfast at the Deli before going to the hair salon. She settled for a pixie cut on her natural hair, she needed to let it all go. She wanted a fresh start, triangle braids were done on little Ellen. She went to PicknPay to get some groceries just before Ellen was done. Lucky for her, Mwewa had left her his fortune to help her raise their child.

She picked up a few things, she was about to go the till when she remembered that she had not picked out toothpaste and so pushed her trolley there.

She was still deciding on which one to get when she felt a cold stare on her face, she looked up only to find Abigail looking at her.

‘I see you are out.’ She said shushing her child

Ellie didn’t respond, she picked up the toothpaste her hands landed on and tried to walk away but Abby blocked her.

‘Can you please excuse me.’ Ellie said as calmly as possible

‘I won’t, so you hurt bashi Mwewa and leave him to never be the same man again whilst you walk out here like you are Miss Universe.’

Ellie had to blink her eyes rapidly to make sure it was the same Abigail that was talking to her.

‘You heard me.’ She said pointing a finger in her direction

‘Are you sure you are talking to me?’ Ellie asked with a chuckle holding her chest

‘You are wicked and I swear I will never rest until you are behind bars.’

‘Wow, and where did this courage come from?’ Ellie asked

‘You do realize you were just a side chick and I could have you arrested for marriage interference?’

‘Marriage interference my foot, how could a sane person drug her husband. Wait for him to get to his sleep then poison his arm and leg leaving the doctors no choice but to amputate him.’

‘I see you did your research.’ Ellie said looking impressed

‘You will never live to watch your child grow, I will make sure of that.’ Abby said making Ellie more shocked

‘You do know I could have ended your life right?’ She asked

‘You couldn’t have done anything to me, Mwewa loved me. He still does. I bore him a son, he should be the one living in that house and not you.’

‘Wow.’ Ellie said

She had never been ghetto, not once allowing herself to get into a fist fight. Not even exchanging words with another woman. She looked at Abby intently and remembered the many times she had thought of killing her child for being the fruit of her husband’s infidelity, the many times she had wanted to kill both mother and child for ruining her marriage. But then again she remembered that she was better than all the pain and hurt, she was trying to be better for her daughter.

‘You know what, have a good life.’ Ellie said moving past her making sure to bump her with her trolley

‘Watch it.’ Yande said before Ellie turned and the two stared deep into each other’s eyes, hurt and hate registering.