November 9th, 2019.8:30AM 23
‘The most hurtful goodbyes are those that are never explained.”
MULIFE
IstandstillasIwatchOliviasleeppeacefully,ourplaneissupposedtoleave in three hours’ time and I don’t mind that she is sleeping now. I don’t even want to imagine if she got any sleep the nights that she wasunder
Lackson’s roof.
The knock at the door makes me move away from the room, it is Thelma whenIopenup.Shelookslikeshehasbeencryingtheentireway,Idon’t blame her but I don’t want to involve her in thisbattle.
‘Hai.’ I say not knowing what to do or say
Shepushesherselfinandsurprisinglykissesme,atfirstitishardformeto respond but as she deepens it, I find myself parting my lips and giving in. wekissforafewminutesbeforeIfeeltearsrollingdownhereyes,theyare caressing myface.
‘Thelma.’ I say holding her on both hands trying to look her
Her face is covered in tears
‘Tellmeyoudidn’tfeelthatandIwillleave.’Shesayssniffingbackthetears ‘Thelma.’
‘No Mulife, you won’t treat me as if I am some random girl that you can just have s£x with. Hell, you know I am not that kind of girl.’
‘Thelma please.’
SheshakesherheadvigorouslyandIcanfeelmyheartbreakintoatiny pieces.
‘Thelma don’t make this harder than it is.’
‘Mulife the most painful goodbyes are those that are never explained, if you are going to walk away from me at least give me closure. Tell me the reason why you are leaving me so that depression doesn’t get the best of me.’
I move close and touch her face, caressing her rightcheek
‘Baby what you don’t know won’t kill you.’ ‘Cliché.’ She responds with a chuckle
I sigh really hard and look at the time, we would have to leave soon andI
know Thelma won’t give up until she gets answers from me.
‘I am going to tell you why I have decided to leave, but I didn’t say I was leaving you.’
‘Same difference.’ ‘Thelma.’
She clicks her tongue and walks to the nearest couch.
The gown she is wearing on top of her night dress parts a little, leaving thighs exposed. I know it is wrong of me in this moment to think of s£x but the way her night dress is leaving her cleavage out just has me running wild
andIswearIwouldpounceonherrightnow.Ishakemyselfoutofsuch thoughts
‘Are you going to talk?’ she asks
I smile.
‘Lackson and Olipa have put Olivia up for adoption.’ I respond
IknowhowmuchthishasaffectedmebutitisonlyafterIshareitwith ThelmathatIknowitsintensitybecausetearsinvoluntarilyfall.
‘Oh my word.’ She says holding her mouth
I sigh
‘But why would Lackson dothat?’
‘AccordingtoOlipashesaysitsallpartofhispoliticalcareer,thathecan’t do it with Olivia tied to hisname.’
‘Whatdoesthatevenmean?’
‘SopeopleknewthatOlipawasmywife.’ ‘Betrothed wife.’ Shecorrects
‘Yes that, and that Olivia is mine. So initially when he gets into office, they
will dig all this information out and it will be bad for him.’ ‘Soheneedstocutofftiesthatcanimplicatehim?’sheasks
‘Yes.’
There is silence between us
‘Mulife this doesn’t make sense, the fact that he is with Olipa people will
still talk. I mean she was a part of your life after all.’ ‘He is a bastard.’
‘Cusses aside, I just want to understand all this. Because really her
explanation doesn’t even make sense, if that is what Olipa told you then it’s
either they are both stupid or this is deeper than you think it is.’
‘I thought of that possibility too, that is why I asked my lawyer to do an investigation.’
‘And his findings?’
‘He hasn’t yet brought back the news but I was hoping to fly out Olivia so that she is not here when it gets messy.’
She shakes her head in disapproval, this is why I didn’t want to tell her.
Because now I would just have to go with her flow.
‘Flying Olivia out will make everything worse, I have a feeling Lackson is going to these lengths just to see how long you can hold your peace. He is trying to get to you and it looks like he is succeeding.’
I keep quiet for a while.
‘A few months ago, before mum fell ill, she mentioned something.’
‘What was that?’
‘That she had lost Lackson, that he was no longer the son she carried in the
womb for nine months.’
‘Did you try to find out why she said that?’
I sigh heavily
‘She only apologized for putting up with dad all those years, saying she should have stood her ground and been a better mother. That shefailed as a mother and a woman and the realization only hit her with the way I was
taking care of Olivia as if she were my own.’
Thelma keeps quiet, opens her mouth to say something but then keeps quiet again.
‘I think Olipa and Lackson are up to something.’ I say
‘I don’t think Olipa has a hand in all this, he might be threatening her or something because no matter how bad she looks a part of me feels like she genuinely loves her daughter.’ She responds
‘I believe you, but I just don’t know what to think. I wish she could tell me
the truth so that I know exactly how to help.’
‘Let me talk to her.’ Thelma says after much silence
I laugh
‘No really let me.’
‘Thelma Olipa hates you.’
‘This is not about me Mulife, but Olivia. Flying that poor child out without her parent’s knowledge you will land yourself in trouble and I am sure that is what your brother wants.’
‘But babe.’
‘Trust me on this one, let me do this. If at all it fails then you can take that route.’
I sigh deeply.
She comes to where I am seated and kisses melightly
‘We are in this together.’ She says
I smile and kiss her back.
‘I love you.’
**
Sorry for not posting yesterday as we didn’t have power, was onlyrestored
at midnight today. See you on Monday and have an amazingweekend.
** Winnie