Day 24

Effe parks her car and gets out. It is 3.00 in the morning.

She had tried the previous day to come and look for Chris, but just as she finished dressing up a call had come through from Doctor Ameyaw; there had been a serious motor accident, and she was needed urgently to perform life-saving surgeries.

She had had no option but to rush to the Ameyaw-Eden Clinic where she had performed surgeries throughout the day. She had called his phone every chance she got, but it had been off on each occasion. She had not even bothered to go home when she left the clinic although she is so tired.

She had driven straight to his house.

She sees his taxi and parks her car behind it. There are other cars parked around, but there is nobody around. She climbs the steps carefully, walks along the corridor to his door and knocks, taking out her phone and trying his number again, and is very surprised when his phone begins to ring at the other end.

He picks up the call but does not speak.

"Chris," she says softly, gently, tenderly.

"You hurt me in a way I've never been hurt before," he says in his calm, deep voice.

She shuts her eyes tightly as her heart skips a beat.

She can feel the pain in his soul, and it tortures her heart so much knowing that she is, in a way, responsible for his pain.

"I'm in front of your door."

"What?" he asks, shocked.

"Open the door, Chris."

The key rattles in the lock, the handle is depressed, and then the door opens.

He stands in the doorway with the phone pressed to his ear. He is wearing black shoes, black trousers and a white singlet. She steps past him into the room and stops. There are two packed bags in the middle of the room. He is leaving without telling her! The realization shatters her resolve, and brings her feelings to the fore.

She turns and faces him.

Her eyes search his face, and she moves very close to him.

"Don't say anything more, Chris. I'm going to tell you everything that happened yesterday morning," she says in an unsteady voice.

"Effe…"

"Chris. Please. Listen to me. You were going to leave without telling me. So just listen."

She takes his hand and leads him to a seat. She makes him sit down. She sits beside him and takes his left hand in both of hers. She looks straight into his eyes and tells him all that had happened before he walked into her room and saw her naked with Steve. When she is done, he looks at her deeply, searching her eyes.

"So, you didn't have sex with him."

It is a statement. She rubs his hand.

"I won't answer that, CB. You should know the answer to that. Do you believe me?"

He brings her hand to his lips.

"I believe you."

"Why?"

"Because you told me."

She smiles, reaches out and touches his cheek.

"You believe my words?"

"I love you, Effe. With my soul. I believe you. I know you will never lie about something like that."

She puts her head to one side and looks at him with strange lights dancing in her eyes.

"I saw your eyes, Chris. The pain in them really cut me up. I will never hurt you, CB. Not intentionally. I went to my marriage bed a virgin, and Steve is the only man I have known intimately before I met you. One thing is certain, Chris. I will never be able to be with two men at the same time, never!"

He nods and leans back. His expression is still troubled. He looks away from her and speaks.

"Your ex wants you back. Can I still trust you with my heart?"

Effe reaches out, holds his chin and turns his face round to face her.

"I'm not thinking about him, Chris. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with what is happening between you and me. I've never been with a man like you before, CB," she says with her heart on her face. "You make me feel emotions I've never felt before. When we made love, you did things to me I've never experienced, and you made me behave in a wanton uninhibited way that bothered me! When you're not with me, or when we fight, I feel a pain I've never known. I've lost absolute control where you're concerned. This is something new, Chris, and I have to deal with it, in my own way. That's why, although I want to make love to you again so much, I must nevertheless ask you to wait. If this is the love of my life, I want it to begin right. I have very strong feelings for you, Chris, I won't deny that. But then, I have to get to know you better. There's also the fact that this has happened so fast, and I don't want to realise later that maybe it happened because I was hurting. And I want you to trust me on this, please, CB."

He looks at her and his face is very tender, full of a love that almost breaks her down.

"So, you're not ashamed to be with me?"

She sees the concern in his eyes, the doubts on his face, the uncertainty, the need to be reassured. His inferiority complex is like a book on his face.

Effe gets up and gently sits on his lap. She links an arm around his neck and smiles into his eyes.

"I'll never be ashamed of you, Chris. I don't mind if you're my driver. I get paid well, and I have a bit saved, for us. And of course, I want to make sure that what happened to Steve and I will never happen again."

Chris raises his eyebrows.

"And what happened? Something you haven't told me?"

"I can't have kids, Chris. Sometimes love isn't enough," she says sadly. "You're young, and you'll undoubtedly make a very good father. If we're together, someday soon you would need children, and I wouldn't be able to get give you even one. I'm barren, CB. You must remember that too."

He smiles, reaches out and caresses her calves tenderly.

"When the time comes for that, we'll adopt. I have no problems with that."

She looks at him, intrigued, suddenly feeling elated. That is not the answer she had expected. She puts her arms around his neck and searches his face desperately.

"You sure, Chris? You would really consider adoption and wouldn't mind?"

"I love you, Effe," he says earnestly. "You're the most amazing woman I've ever met. I've fallen for you, and I can spend my life with you alone. But I know you'd make a wonderful mother, so yes, we can adopt."

"I've always wanted kids, Chris," she says with a sad smile. "I adore them."

"Then we would adopt, Precious. I don't ever wanna lose you. I don't ever wanna make you sad. As long as you would have me, I'll be there for you."

Tears glisten on her lashes for a moment, and there is a song in her heart.

She feels as if she is going to burst. She speaks in a choked voice.

"Oh, Chris! Are you for real? Why do you make me feel like this?"

He smiles then, and his cheeks dimple and that crazy small boy look is once more on his face, the look that makes him so handsome and which kills her heart so totally.

"And how do I make you feel, Doc?"

She laughs happily, leans forward, and puts her sweet lips to his, kissing him gently, sweetly, tenderly, taking his heart away.

"You fill me with life, CB, you bad boy!"

He crushes her against his chest and kisses her. She feels him, and she knows in a second that she will not be able to stop it. Her whole body is tingling, alive, needing and wanting, thirsty for this amazing love drink that is driving her crazy. She holds his hand and with a herculean effort, she drags her lips from his. She stands up quickly, panting. She looks at him with eyes still inflamed with passion.

"We need to cool down. Until you're ready," he says passionately.

She laughs shakily and nods.

"Yes, Darling Boy. I'm now going into your kitchen to find something for us to eat. In the meantime, you better start unpacking. You're going nowhere. You're stuck with me forever."

He laughs gently, happily, and shakes his head.

"Yes, Doctor. I'll gladly serve a life sentence for you."