Unfulfilled promises Episode 18 He finally got up and his black eyes moved over her. She had her back to him but he knew she was crying. She kept wiping away the tears impatiently with her hand. Aww! He felt bad even though he knew Oleng was a cry baby. She cried at the drop of a hat. He was sorry he was the cause of her tears now. He walked up to her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. “Sunshine, where do I start from? I really don’t know where to begin. All I can say is I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was waiting for the right time to tell you. That’s funny because I still don’t even know the right time to tell you… sunshine, I’m filled with so much dread at the thought of leaving you here in Nigeria. I pleaded and pleaded with my parents to allow me school here but they refused. They no longer have faith in our tertiary institutions. Grandma Conrad didn’t help matters also. She kept saying she’d love for me to be close to her the way Damian is over there. I did everything humanly possible to dissuade them but they refused to listen to me. My dad who is usually more understanding than my mum refused because I couldn’t give him a tangible reason why I wanted to stay back in Nigeria. When I knew there was no hope, I didn’t know how to tell you… sunshine, please I’m sorry. Forgive me.” he explained sadly. When she still didn’t say anything, he touched her tentatively. “Sunshine?” She turned around then to look at him. He was sorry to see her eyes flooded with tears. “When did you know? I mean for how long have you known?” He stared at the rug. “Before the second term holidays.” “Since then?” she shouted. “How could you? Why?” She started crying profusely then. “Sunshine, please. I don’t like seeing you like this. Don’t you know this is hard for me too? How could I just look you in the eye and tell you all our dreams together have been dashed? Tell you all our promises of living together, traveling together and visiting tourist centers during our vacations would go unfulfilled. How? Tell me how?” Tears formed in his eyes. For an answer, she put both hands to cover her face and wailed. Her wailings pierced his heart like a sharp knife. He couldn’t resist taking her in his arms. He held her while she cried. Eric tried very hard not to cry also though tears were brimming in his eyes. He couldn’t imagine life without her. When she was spent, he led her to a chair and made her sit. He went to the fridge in the neat kitchen to get her a glass of water. He made her sip from it; she took small sips and shook her head. She was so downcast; he didn’t know what to do. He had never seen her like this before not even when she had been crying that her mum didn’t love her. He sat down beside her and held her hand. He didn’t know what else to do. After a while he said, “Why don’t you talk to your mum? You can come over when you are through with your secondary education. We can live our dreams over there instead of here. It would be more fun,” Eric brightened up at the thought. “I know your mum can afford it and she can come once in a while on one of her numerous trips to see you if she wants.” Oleng looked at him and shook her head. She had to take a sip of water before she could talk. Her voice was broken from the wailing. “No.’ she simply said. “Why?” “I’ve asked her before. When you first told me that your parents hinted that you would school over there. She told me I was joking. She doesn’t want me out of her sight. It was funny to me because she is never at home. So I wonder how I’m in her sight. If she finds out you’re going also, that will only make her refuse the more.” “No, sunshine. Don’t be negative. You can talk to her again. I can even get my mum to talk to her. Maybe she can convince her to send you there also.” he prompted with hope. She shook her head again. “Let it go Eric. There’s no hope. I know my mum. She won’t allow me to go. She doesn’t like me being happy. She likes to see me miserable. She hates me. I don’t know why but she does. She won’t agree because she knows I’d be happy to be out of her hair and be with you over there.” Tears slowly dropped as she spoke. He finally got up and his black eyes moved over her. She had her back to him but he knew she was crying. She kept wiping away the tears impatiently with her hand. Aww! He felt bad even though he knew Oleng was a cry baby. She cried at the drop of a hat. He was sorry he was the cause of her tears now. He walked up to her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. “Sunshine, where do I start from? I really don’t know where to begin. All I can say is I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was waiting for the right time to tell you. That’s funny because I still don’t even know the right time to tell you… sunshine, I’m filled with so much dread at the thought of leaving you here in Nigeria. I pleaded and pleaded with my parents to allow me school here but they refused. They no longer have faith in our tertiary institutions. Grandma Conrad didn’t help matters also. She kept saying she’d love for me to be close to her the way Damian is over there. I did everything humanly possible to dissuade them but they refused to listen to me. My dad who is usually more understanding than my mum refused because I couldn’t give him a tangible reason why I wanted to stay back in Nigeria. When I knew there was no hope, I didn’t know how to tell you… sunshine, please I’m sorry. Forgive me.” he explained sadly. When she still didn’t say anything, he touched her tentatively. “Sunshine?” She turned around then to look at him. He was sorry to see her eyes flooded with tears. “When did you know? I mean for how long have you known?” He stared at the rug. “Before the second term holidays.” “Since then?” she shouted. “How could you? Why?” She started crying profusely then. “Sunshine, please. I don’t like seeing you like this. Don’t you know this is hard for me too? How could I just look you in the eye and tell you all our dreams together have been dashed? Tell you all our promises of living together, traveling together and visiting tourist centers during our vacations would go unfulfilled. How? Tell me how?” Tears formed in his eyes. For an answer, she put both hands to cover her face and wailed. Her wailings pierced his heart like a sharp knife. He couldn’t resist taking her in his arms. He held her while she cried. Eric tried very hard not to cry also though tears were brimming in his eyes. He couldn’t imagine life without her. When she was spent, he led her to a chair and made her sit. He went to the fridge in the neat kitchen to get her a glass of water. He made her sip from it; she took small sips and shook her head. She was so downcast; he didn’t know what to do. He had never seen her like this before not even when she had been crying that her mum didn’t love her. He sat down beside her and held her hand. He didn’t know what else to do. After a while he said, “Why don’t you talk to your mum? You can come over when you are through with your secondary education. We can live our dreams over there instead of here. It would be more fun,” Eric brightened up at the thought. “I know your mum can afford it and she can come once in a while on one of her numerous trips to see you if she wants.” Oleng looked at him and shook her head. She had to take a sip of water before she could talk. Her voice was broken from the wailing. “No.’ she simply said. “Why?” “I’ve asked her before. When you first told me that your parents hinted that you would school over there. She told me I was joking. She doesn’t want me out of her sight. It was funny to me because she is never at home. So I wonder how I’m in her sight. If she finds out you’re going also, that will only make her refuse the more.” “No, sunshine. Don’t be negative. You can talk to her again. I can even get my mum to talk to her. Maybe she can convince her to send you there also.” he prompted with hope. She shook her head again. “Let it go Eric. There’s no hope. I know my mum. She won’t allow me to go. She doesn’t like me being happy. She likes to see me miserable. She hates me. I don’t know why but she does. She won’t agree because she knows I’d be happy to be out of her hair and be with you over there.” Tears slowly dropped as she spoke. to be continued
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:18:45 +0000