CHAPTER 14: FORGIVE AND LETTING GO

After our honey moon, we came back 2 months, I felt feverish and my weight increased, I lost appetite. I had asked for leave for work place. I wasn't feeling okay at all. Emeka had told me to go to hospital for test. So I went to a hospital, they ran some test on me and I was told I am pregnant.

'Excuse me? it can't be', I said surprisingly.

'But you are a month gone', the nurse said.

'It can't be, my womb is damaged', I said.

'Let's do a test to examine your body', the nurse said.

'Yes and redo the pregnancy test', I advised .

'Very well then', the nurse said and left.

"The lab of this hospital must be faulty" I mumbled.

The doctor and the nurse came holding a result.

"Madam, you are right, your reproductive organs one is damaged but certainly not your womb'. The doctor said after another test

'eh?', I asked surprise

'One of your fallopian tube was damaged but you have two, every woman does. And the other one us the one you used to get pregnant' the doctor revealed.

'You can't be serious?", I said.

'We are, here's the result', the nurse said and handed me the enveloped, I have mixed emotions. I was happy and surprised.

Just to be sure, I went to another hospital for the test. The same result. Emeka was in his hospital no one to share the happiness with. Emeka came back with Afufumagu.

''Now you look happy, have you recovered?', Afufumagu asked.

Yes, I am lot better', I replied smiling.

'Please go and shower then come back and have lunch', Emeka said to Afufumagu.

'Ok dad', Afufumagu said and ran to his room.

'So what's the news?',

'What news ', I asked pretending.

'That smile, bright face, it's obvious you have good news', he said.

'The poison I took ,you said it damaged my womb', I asked in a harsh tone.

'Yes, why?' he asked.

'What did the doctor say? His exact words?', I asked.

'You might not conceive', Emeka said.

'What damage was done to me?' I asked.

'He didn't say but how does it concern anything', he asked.

'It does, you told me my womb was damaged', I said.

'Yes, because he say you might not conceive so I assumed it was your womb', he explained

'My womb is perfectly fine, it's my fallopian tube one of them is damaged, I am a month pregnant', I announced.

'You are kidding? He shouted, I shaked my head.

'I am going to be father, God I thank you" he said

Afufumagu came out from his room.

'Mom, dad I heard you guys screaming', he said.

'You are going to be an elder brother', I announced.

'Really, Afufumagu shouted, we were very happy.

We told our families and they were very happy

'Welcome sweetie', I welcomed Emeka as he came with a visitor who looked tattered, hungry and miserable.

'Thank you darling', he said.

'As they sat down, I saw that the visitor looked at me with keen interest.

'em, mr, why the gaze?', I asked.

'You don't remember me?', he asked.

'Yes, I don't, but you look familiar', I said trying to recall his face.

'He is Tochukwu, " Emeka said.

'eh, what is he doing here?, what are you doing here?, get out', I screamed moving towards him to hit him, Emeka held me.

'I deserve all the screams in the word, please I need you to forgive me', he said

'Forgive you, never, now leave', I ordered.

'Please, listen to him, sit down', Emeka said try to sit me down.

''When I saw you and emeka, I got upset and vowed to make you pay. When emeka talked me about meat pies, I wanted to drug it bet I didn't because of your good morals, I thought you carry it home but I hoped you eat it. During assembly when I was told to search for student exempting themselves from assembly, I used the opportunity to drug your water sense the sedatives was colorless liquid .And I raped you with my bad friends, I wanted you to be in pain, so I stole the things in your mother's custody and she was accused, I didn't have any use for them, so months later I put it in the woman who fought with your mum. I came to ask for forgiveness because my business is falling and I am about losing my third child, Two are already in the cemetery. The pastor told me to ask for forgiveness from someone I've offended, one of the persons that raped you is dead, the other are miserable, please liberate' he pleaded.

'Get out your son of a bitch, you beast and rapist you will suffer more, after all I passed through', I said and tried to fight him but Emeka held me back.

'Please leave, I'll try talking to her', emeka said.

'Please do', Tochukwu said and left.

'Why did you allow him come to this house' I screamed.

'He has really suffered, the ball is in your court, just forgive them let the be free', Emeka said.

'It's so easy for you to say when you didn't face problems I passed through', I said.

'Forgive them', he said

'I won't, never, they deserve more suffering than that', I said.

'Ebere, this same hatred almost killed afufumagu, and it would have if I didn't do what I did' Emeka said sounding angry

I couldn't talk, he angrily entered the room

*. *. *.

'Emeka, Emeka", I called in the bed in the room,

he didn't respond, he hasn't been talking to me after Tochukwu visited.

'Please, when will this silent treatment end?', I asked but he didn't respond.

'For 3days now you've not talked to me, you've not eaten my food. You just be quiet, when will this stop?' I asked but still he didn't respond.

"Emeka please say something', I pleaded.

"Forgive them, the way I forgave you after you insulted and accused me of raping you. The way your parents forgave you", he finally said.

''I can't'', I said.

'Here you go, you can't, when you know you can but you won't', Emeka said pissed off.

'I accussed you because of them, I passed through hell' I said.

'Yes you did, but forgive them, God saved your chance of having children and saved Afufumagu because he saw someone worth of it' he said.

'I can never, the hurts are too deep', I said.

'I know you won't, stubborn, pride, unforgiveness but know one thing, when the fire starts burning ,it will burn only you', he said and turned.

*. *. *

'Emeka come and have breakfast, Afufumagu is already in school', I called in the dinning, he ignored me, and this was the fifth day.

"Emeka stop torturing me, please come and eat, it's your favorite", I said in tears trying to convince him, I knew what to do.

''Emeka, call Tochukwu and his friends let me forgive them'', I said.

"I don't want you to forgive them because I want you to but from the bottom of your heart" Emeka said.

"Yes, I've forgiven them from the bottom of my heart'', I said.

Later they came and I forgave them and prayed for them. Days after things began to look bright for them.

I later gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Afufumagu and emeka was so happy. I named the boy 'Amaze' and the girl 'Amazing'

When Afufumagu turned 15, I told him about his true father, he cried but took it in. After his secondary school, he got scholarship to study in any school of his choice in Canada.

Years later ,he got married and built an engineering company. He also gave birth to two lovely children Pleasant and Precious