Shades of Marriages π₯°πππ₯Ίπ Part 13.
“Oh my goodness! What have I done to myself? Am I cursed or something? Why can’t I have a peaceful life for once. God please help me”. I cried bitterly within.
I got distracted when my phone started ringing. It was Austin.
I quickly and hastily dried my tears. I was warned by his sister not to mention anything to him, else they will take it that I want to divide their family.
“Hello dear”. I said feigning happiness.
“My love. How are you? Hope you are ok?”. Austin asked.
I couldn’t reply immediately because I was trying so hard to control the tears that were protesting to fall from my eyes.
“Are you there?”. Austin reiterated.
“I’m okay baby. Hope all is well at the office?”. I asked.
“Everything is good now. I miss you so bad already”. Austin said.
“Lover boy”. I said teasingly.
“Is it easy to have a woman like you by my side? Please allow me to love in peace o”. Austin said smiling.
One thing about Austin is that he always have a way of making someone laugh.
“Okay o. Do and come back, I miss you badly”. I said.
“Wait till tomorrow evening baby. How is my son doing? I hope he is kicking?”. Austin asked.
My heart skipped immediately. Everywhere became suddenly too hot.
“Hello! Can you hear me?”. Austin asked.
“The network is very bad. Let’s talk tomorrow”. I lied. I didn’t know what reply to give to his question.
“Okay baby. Goodnight”. Austin said and ended the call.
I couldn’t sleep the whole night.
The next morning, I woke up very early to sweep. As I was sweeping, Austin mother came to where I was and asked me to stop sweeping.
“We don’t sweep everyday. Go to your room and rest. After we are done with breakfast, we will be going to the hospital”. She said and went back to her room.
I couldn’t even sleep again. I managed to have my bath and just lay on my bed waiting for my judgement.
Austin called but I didn’t pick. I just didn’t know what to say to him.
After breakfast, I was taken to the hospital. An ultrasound scan was carried out and the doctor said there was no baby in my tummy.
My heart broke to pieces.
“So you wanted to trap my brother with a fake pregnancy right? You are unbelievable”. Oluchi fumed.
I couldn’t say anything to defend myself. I just stood there crying.
Mama called Austin to come back home immediately for an emergency meeting. Austin called me immediately but I didn’t still take his calls.
Austin travelled back with the next available flight.
“Where is Elizabeth”. Austin asked immediately he entered the house.
I heard his voice but didn’t come out. I locked my room door immediately.
“She’s inside her room. I bet she won’t be able to face you knowing the gravity of what she has done”. I heard oluchi say.
“What did she do”. Austin asked.
“She is not pregnant. She lied to you. She wanted to trick you into…”.
“Who told you she is not pregnant”. Austin rudely interrupted Nkechi.
I haven’t heard him sound that angry before.
“She told us about her former marriage and everything. We took her to the hospital…”. Mama was speaking when Austin forcefully stamped his feet on the ground.
“You people did what? How dare you subject my woman to such scrutiny”. Austin shouted at the top of his voice.
“Have you been jazzed? How can you still be defending her after hearing about how she tried to tie you down with a fake pregnancy?”. Mama shouted angrily.
I was just in the room crying while the whole drama was going on.
“I won’t give you people the right to treat my woman the way you like. You have to treat her the way I like and you can see how well I treat her. I blame myself for leaving her with you people. Elizabeth! Lizbeth!”. Austin called out as he approach my room.
I had no choice than to open the door for him. He entered the room and sat on the bed.
For over ten minutes, he didn’t say anything to me. He just placed his face on his palms. I just stood there staring at him. After a while, he removed his palms from his face and I saw that he has been crying.
I went on my knees immediately in front of him.
“I am sorry baby”. I pleaded with tears.
He lifted me up immediately.
“How can you knee knowing fully well you are pregnant”. Austin asked.
“But you just heard that I am not pregnant”. I said confused.
“So, are you agreeing that you tried to trick me with pregnancy?”. Austin asked.
“No no no! You know I will never do that”. I said defensively.
“Good. We will try another hospital in town to run another scan”. Austin said.
I was so touched by how he trust me that I burst into a loud cry.
“Why are you crying. I am so mad at you right now that I am controlling myself. Why didn’t you tell me about what was going on? How could you blindly follow my mother and sisters to the hospital without first informing me? I called you severally but you didn’t pick. Are you indirectly telling me that you are more loyal to my family than you are loyal to me?”. Austin said angrily.
“I am sorry. I didn’t want to cause division in your family. I wanted to win their love by all means”. I said with head bowed down.
“Elizabeth! Know who you are. Once we get married, you will be my woman and I can’t have my woman crawling around for my family. You will respect them and that’s fine but never you lose yourself while doing that. I can’t imagine myself taking orders from your family without first informing you. You know why? It’s because I only got to know them because of you and this goes for you and my family as well. Please always give me heads up before you do anything with my family okay?”. Austin said while holding my hands.
“Okay dear. I am sorry”. I said.
“Oya come to daddy”. Austin said with his hands wide opened. I went to him and he gave me the warmest embrace ever.
“My family are nice people but mama being a devout catholic won’t want me to marry a divorcee because Catholics don’t support divorce. They believe that if you marry a divorcee, you are commiting an adultery with her against her husband. That was why I didn’t tell them about your previous marriage. It’s good you told them anyways “. Austin said.
“I thought you’ve told them already o. This my mouth won’t kill me “. I said smiling.
“That’s why I love you, You are too innocent”. Austin said smiling.
I just sat on his laps blushing.
“I am sorry for what my mom and sisters did to you. I will talk to them and everything will be okay”. Austin said.
“No problem. I am sorry for keeping things away from you. It won’t happen again”.
We shared a long kiss afterwards.
“Now, let’s go settle scores “. Austin said as he grabbed my hands.
Austin held my hands as we walked out of my room.
His mother and sisters were surprised to see us hold hands inspite of what they told him.
To be continued
Judith Onyoyibo
