HEART OF GOLD.
EPISODE 11
Liz and Frank’s relationship continued to wax strong after she broke up with her friend. The two lovers were seen everywhere on campus and Frank’s friend never ceased to tease him about how he had been trapped by Liz after he r@ped her.
After their graduation, they continued their love affairs to the admiration of everyone who didn’t know what the two of them had passed through.
After NYSC, they both secured good jobs and Frank disclosed to his friends that he wanted to marry her.
Frank: “Sas, can you help me plan a little party during Liz’ next birthday?” he asked his friend whose uncle had helped him to secure a job. Sas had visited Frank in his house and since Liz had gone to the market, he saw it as the perfect time to discuss the surprise birthday party with his friend.
Sas: “that will not be a problem but the you that I know is not one for parties so what has changed? Why do you want to throw a party for Liz now?” he asked.
Frank: “I want to propose to Liz but I want to take her by surprise” he said.
Sas: “wait o, which Liz? The same girl you r@ped is the same person you want to marry?” he asked sipping his drink.
Just then Liz who was coming in from the market opened the door and entered. The two friends looked at each other, too shocked for words.
Liz: “hello, dearies. Ah, bro Sas, this one that you visited us today, it will rain heavily o” she said to them as soon as she stepped in.
Sas: “erm…er…”
Liz: “ah-ahn, kilode, what kind of emergency stammering is this one again?” she teased.
Sas: “Liz baby, how far now, long time. Don’t mind me o, you know it has been long that I saw you, in fact I have not seen you since we left school. I must confess that you are doing well for yourself, you look good” he said getting up to hug her.
Liz: “hmmn, you and your sugar coated tongue, you will never change” she said to him.
Sas: “Ah, I gentle o, you know that I am telling you the truth na, you be fine babe”
“Ehn, ehn, the compliments have do like that. Don’t come and be flirting with my babe in my presence” Frank said after he recovered is tongue.
Liz: “hahaha, my baby is jealous” Liz said.
Sas: “see you, so you are feeling jealous or what? You don’t know that if I wanted Liz to myself, I would have asked her out right from our 200 level days when you were afraid of telling her about your feelings”
The three friends laughed.
Frank: “baby, I wasn’t expecting you to return this soon from the market. Are you just coming?” he asked afraid that she may have eavesdropped on their conversation.
Liz: “yeah, I didn’t have much to buy. I just bought the ingredients we needed to make stew and so I decided to come and quickly make it” she said.
Frank pecked her and hugged her when he was satisfied that she did not hear when they were discussing about rape.
Liz: “Sas, you must stay in our house and eat today o. I am going right into the kitchen to cook and you must join us when it is ready. I know that you don’t like eating in people’s houses but this time around, it will not work o”
She said to him.
Sas: “yes, madam. Your wish is my command”
Frank: “baby, we will be right back. Let me walk down to the salon with Sas, he needs to have a hair cut” Frank lied and left the house with Sas so that they could have the time to plan the surprise party for Liz.
As soon as they got out, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Frank: “that was so close, man. I actually thought that she had been eavesdropping on us” he said.
Sas: “man, I almost fainted when she walked in. Did you see the look she gave us at first? One would have sworn that she heard us talking about r@pe” he said sweating.
Frank: “well, thank God she didn’t” he said happily.
Sas: “But common guy, of all the pretty ladies looking for husband in the world, how comes it is the one you r@ped that you want to marry?”
Frank: “I said I love her, how many times do you want me to tell you that?” he asked getting irritated. He hated it each time his friends reminded him that he had r@ped Liz. If he could turn back the hands of time, he wouldn’t have done it.
Sas: “but the love became serious after you r@ped her. Okay, I thought you said you always lose er*ction whenever you want to get down with her”
Frank: “Well, that was long ago shortly after the r@pe incidence. Now the thing has stopped, we make love anytime we want now without er*ction problems”
Sas: “but are you not afraid that it could start happening again after you get married?”
Frank: “please please, I invited to come and help me plan a surprise party for her. Part of the programmes for the day is my engaging her. I am telling you as the chief planner so that you can make space for that in the programme”
Sas: “fine. How do you want the party?”
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Declan spent extra two months in the hospital after which he was discharged and certified fit to return to Nigeria. The return flight to Nigeria was uneventful because Declan was preoccupied with the thoughts of the pregnancy that his wife had lost because of the stress that she had gone through in the hospital. He couldn’t help but feel pity for her because she was looking pale and emaciated.
He took her hands into his.
Declan: “I am sorry, baby” he said to her.
Stacey: “for what?”
Declan: “for all the stress I and my family put you through. Thank you for standing by me through it all. I promise to love and cherish all the days of my life”
Stacey: “I love you and would do anything for you” she said and planted a k!ss on his forehead.
Mr Ogar looked at them and smiled, thanking God in his heart for the wife that God gave his son. He made a mental note to buy her a brand new car as a gift of appreciation as soon as they got to Nigeria.
They returned to Nigeria and he ordered for a brand new SUV for her. His wife who had heard when he was talking to the car dealer on phone thought her husband was placing the order for her and so when she didn’t see the car after few weeks, she accosted him.
Mrs Ogar: “sweetheart, where is the car I heard you ordering for me?” she asked.
Mr Ogar: “car, for you? You have two very expensive cars. What do you need another one for?”
Mrs Ogar: “ah-ah, so what were you talking to the car dealer about getting you an SUV recently? I thought it was for me”
Mr Ogar: “oh that, it was for Stacey, Declan’s wife. I gave it to her to appreciate her for all that she did for us while we were in India”
Mrs Ogar: “What did she do?” she asked angrily.
“Of course you know what she did” her husband replied her.
Mrs Ogar: “I don’t know what she did, so you tell me. Tell me what she did that I did not do. She took care of her husband and I took care of you. Why should she get a car while I get nothing?”
Mr Ogar: “What she did that you didn’t do is that she stayed with her husband even after you got tired and returned to Nigeria. Also, she lost a pregnancy as a result of the stress she went through because of the after surgery complications her husband had. How many young women of this generation would stand by their husbands like that without complaints? That is what she did”
“I see that now that you are well you are beginning to have eyes for your son’s wife. So, you now buy car for her, who knows the other things that you did for her? just make sure that when you fall ill again she would be the one to take care of you o. I have told you my own” she said and stormed out of the house.
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“Liz, will you marry me? Will you spend the rest of your beautiful life with me? Will you travel through this journey of life with me by your side to love and cheer you on? I promise to be the best husband and the father in the world to you and our unborn children” he said to her.
Liz who was surprised by the birthday party he had organized for her was blown off her feet by the proposal and she didn’t know when she shouted
“yes” and gave him her fingers.
Frank was the happiest man on earth and for that moment, he forgot that he had r@ped the woman he was asking to marry. To him, marrying her was like making atonement for his sins, he had forgotten that no un-confessed sin goes unpunished and that whatever we sow, we reap.
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