by Boadi, Lilly
Fortunately, Osborn learned later that Meg was going to run an errand for the CA during the lunch period. It was a wonderful chance for him to get close again to the woman he was still in love with. Although Meg wasn’t around, yet Haida thought it was still a bad idea to have lunch with Osborn. Eventually though she thought it would do her a little good to have lunch with Osborn rather. Kiara would question her a lot about her mood if she went to lunch with her, and it was too difficult to tell her anything now.
Just as Kiara’s hand reached the handle of the door, she nearly bumped into Osborn, who came out from Haida’s office with Haida’s right hand firmly clutched into his.
“Em…. Kiara, I’m having lunch with Osborn, hope you don’t mind?” said Haida, blushing with nerve.
“Lend me your friend, just for today, please” said Osborn and they all giggled nervously.
“Sure, why not!” said Kiara and that saved her from lying to Haida.
As soon as Osborn and Haida made their way outside the office, Mellis arrived at the gate.
Osborn watched Haida as they made their way to his car; she was still wearing a sad look and Osborn paused to comfort her.
“Hey, stop wearing that face, would you? I’m with you, and so you don’t have to be sad,” he said lovingly, caressing her cheeks with the back of his hand.
Haida looked at him and saw the passion in his eyes. Rapturously, he bent his head towards her. Over his shoulders, she saw Mellis, far off at the gate, staring at them. Immediately, she flung her arms around Osborn’s neck and kissed him passionately, well aware that Mellis was watching. Then she felt Osborn had paused. She opened her eyes and saw he was staring before him. He was staring at something or someone. Haida turned her head and followed Osborn’s gaze. Lo and behold, there stood Meg! The fury was so clear on her face; she was breathing so hard and heavily. Haida looked over Osborn’s shoulders and saw Mellis staring still. Meg kept staring at them with so much anger. There was a nervous freeze of motion around them, as practically, everything stood still. Tears welled up in Meg’s eyes, and then she burst out crying and ran outside to the street. Osborn ran after her.
“Meg! Please wait!” he shouted.
Haida looked on with shame. She felt Mellis was still staring at her. She turned and looked at him. He had disappointment and pain written all over his face. His look made Haida feel guiltier but she refused to look bad. She gave him a hard look and then walked away. She went back to her office feeling so angry. She didn’t know what she was angry at. Was it herself or Mellis or both, or even Osborn? She couldn’t tell which. All she felt was that she was angry and losing control. Kiara saw her enter her office in such mood of anger. What had happened? Just as she began to move towards Haida’s office, Meg beat her to the door, as she heard Osborn calling after her at a distance. Kiara followed Meg who entered Haida’s office furiously. Meg smacked Haida so hard on the face that it sent her down to the floor.
“Imbecile! Stay away from my man!” Meg burst and Kiara impulsively pushed her violently away, but Osborn entered immediately and caught her arm before she could fall.
“Will you stop disgracing yourself!?” he snapped at Meg. By this time, quite a number of the staff had gathered around them. “Are you happy now? Guess this is what you wanted!?” he shouted and then left.
It was so embarrassing and both Osborn and Haida hoped this incident wouldn’t reach the CA. Haida practically drove Kiara out of her office and locked the door. She sat at her desk and burst out more tears.
A few minutes later, Kiara dialed Mellis’ cell phone number. The phone rang, but he didn’t answer. Mellis wasn’t in the mood for work anymore. He had a meeting almost two hours later, but he called Chad and asked him to take over. His voice was quirky as he spoke, and Chad noticed.
“Are you not feeling well?” asked Chad.
“Not too well. I’ll go home and have some rest. Please take control over everything”
“Sure. Don’t worry, everything will be in order.”
When he reached home, Mellis went straight to his bedroom. Bambi noticed he wasn’t himself. He has been acting strange since Haida came over two days ago. There seemed to be a problem between the couple. Was it all the effect of Kelly’s deeds? He was sure she had something to do with it. Mellis collapsed on his bed and sunk into deep thought, finding it difficult to believe everything was true. Women! Who said you could trust them!? But he saw something different about this one and gave her all his heart and being. Because of her, he was able to stay away from any other woman. Never did he take into consideration being with another woman ever since he met her; he even did all he could to get Kelly off his back just because he had it all in Haida. He made her his world and nothing else mattered more to him. He, of all people, being cheated on by a woman in this manner! He couldn’t trust her anymore. Though he still loved her with all his heart, he was so hurt he knew it’d be better if he didn’t see her for now. He might do something abominable if he did. One part of him that Haida wasn’t aware of was his berserk fury when he was deeply hurt, especially, by those he deeply loved. He hadn’t loved any woman the way he loved her, and so the pain was too much. He was trying to be a man on the outside, but inside, he was breaking.
Haida went home and thought through what happened earlier on in the day. Then she shed painful tears. Things seemed to crowd up around her, and she was losing control. She had trusted Mellis so much that his betrayal was a bitter experience for her. She had learned this lesson already, but from other people’s experience, and had vowed to never let it happen to her. But how could she have believed that this guy was different? She couldn’t forgive herself for being so careless with her heart and sense of judgment. She did all she knew worthy to save herself from heartbreak from the man she had given her heart to, yet he betrayed her trust. Was there something more she did not do? Could it be what Kelly had said about her non-exuberance? Was she really being hard on herself with Mellis when it came to romance and sex? Somehow, she believed that was the reason, so much that she ended up blaming herself partly for his unfaithfulness. Yet, the thought made her sad; true love was supposed to be patient about premarital sex issues. But he looked like he had no problem with her cold attitude towards sex and fun? Kelly must truly be right. He was pretending to be ok with that, and only went where he could get it.
Meanwhile, Kelly was wondering how far her latest cynical act had gone. Did it really work out the way she had hoped? Haida said she was still angry with Mellis, but she didn’t break up with him. She didn’t mention anything about the text message. Did the message go through at all? According to Carlos, Haida said nothing about it when they talked. But how? Even if Mellis was the one who read the message, something she hoped was true, it could have created an argument, and Haida would have questioned Carlos about that. Only Carlos could help her understand the mystery behind all this. She told him about the content and intention behind the text message and pleaded he asked Haida about it. Though Carlos was getting quite irritated about Kelly’s misdeeds towards this innocent sweet girl, he couldn’t show his displeasure. He drove straightway to Kelly’s house, but he only expressed his disappointment about the fact that she didn’t make him aware of her true plans before she pulled him into them. It was true he wanted this woman, but now, not for the initial intention anymore.
Carlos, a very cute Casanova, has never been seriously in love. He’s quite noted for his great charm in attracting every lady he wanted, and never did he miss his target when it came to women. But like Mellis, to him Haida was a woman whose beauty and general personality was quite uncommon. Her spirit was so strong to exorcise his every charm. He was gradually losing it to her, but he was well aware of Kelly’s reaction if she knew he was falling in love with Haida. Carlos called Haida but couldn’t get through to her; her phone was switched off.
“Try her landline. Let me give you the number,” said Kelly desperately.
But Jolly came back to Carlos with the news that
Haida was sleeping. Jolly, after talking to Carlos flung into her room, murmuring. Her abruptness caught her mother’s attention and she went after her.
“Jolly, why this attitude?” Mrs. Morgan asked. But Jolly laid in bed, refusing to respond. “Who was on the line?” again, Jolly remained silent. “Will you answer me!?” said Mrs. Morgan, getting miffed.
“It was a friend of Phoebe!” Jolly nearly snapped.
“Aha! So, why this face and attitude?”
“She snapped at me when I informed her someone was on the line for her. She’s been this way towards me recently. I don’t know what’s bothering her, but she shouldn’t vent her anger on me!” snapped Jolly, tears filling her eyes.
“It’s ok,” consoled her mom, patting her shoulder. “Who was this friend on the line for her?”
“Some man who said he was Carlos” said Jolly, calming down.
“Carlos?” Mrs. Morgan wondered who he was.
“She actually told me to tell him she was sleeping. I guess she didn’t want to talk to him. Phoebe has been moody these past few days. Maybe you should talk to her mom to find out what’s wrong with her, because she wouldn’t say anything to me when I ask, but only yells at me,” said Jolly, devastated. Mrs. Morgan sighed.
So, after all she wasn’t the only one who had noticed Haida’s moodiness of late. Could the vicar be any different? She would find out what was wrong before the vicar started questioning her about their daughter’s unusual attitude. It was her who had backed Haida when the vicar started complaining about her late outings, especially with Mellis. A woman in love could lose her senses and give her body to the man she was crazy about. And nothing, not even her self-pride and dignity could do much to stop her, should they be in any compromising situation. The vicar was more worried that should such a thing happen, Mellis could take his daughter for granted. Though he knew him as a good-hearted boy who respected him a lot, he was also aware of an experienced Casanova like his type - a personality which wasn’t so much different from who he was when he was his age. Moreover, as quite a strict vicar and father, his daughters especially were to be groomed to fit a personality, in lineage of that of a virtuous and true Christ-like woman, setting himself and his family, as an example to others. Though he could hardly know, he was sure Marley was a virgin before she got married. She couldn’t deceive him in such a way, for before her marriage, she always portrayed the idea that she hadn’t been with a man. Her disciplined life and marriage to a man all knew was the only one in her life, had earned him great respect, not only in the church, but his entire family too. If the eldest had set a pace, the rest were to follow in like manner. He couldn’t take any embarrassment should Haida mess up, and prevention was always better than cure. There were times the vicar had wished his daughter would fall in love with a good man with a quiet life, preferably in the church; but Mellis possessed something to write home about, despite his quite sophisticated life. What gave him hope was the fact that he believed Mellis truly loved his daughter. Nevertheless, he was aware a man was a man, and could change his mind about a woman at any point in time. And that this was more possible if the woman was too much into him. Haida was already slumbering when her mom knocked at her door
“Who’s there?” she asked lazily with quite a choked voice. Mrs. Morgan entered and sat beside her on the bed
“I want us to talk like a mother and daughter Phoebe, and it is going to be now,” said Mrs. Morgan. Haida was surprised; she’d never heard this from her mom, and she’d not seen her so worried about her. She sat up and wiped the sleep off her face with her hands.
“What is it mom?”
“Jolly told me what just happened between the two of you,” said Mrs. Morgan softly. “Phoebe, she’s not the only one who has noticed your moodiness these past few days. I know you are not ok, so talk to me. What’s wrong child? Talk to me as your mother and friend” she said with authority, yet sweetly. It made Haida smile into her mother’s eyes. But no, she couldn’t tell her anything now.
“Nothing is wrong mom, honestly. I’m just not feeling so well, but I guess I’d be better after taking a nap,” she lied.
“Phoebe, I’m not just talking about your mood right now. You’ve been like this for days, so please talk to me. Is it about Mellis?”
Oh, how she hit the nail right on the head! At this instance, Haida felt so much like telling everything to her mom, but she didn’t know where to start. She had lied about her outing with Kelly on Friday; only Jolly was aware she didn’t go out with Mellis but Kelly instead.
“Mummy, everything is ok between Mellis and me. It’s all well. Please believe me.” Haida said amidst smiles.
“Really?” the skeptism was clear in her tone.
“Yes mom.”
Mrs. Morgan’s stare was making Haida uncomfortable. She’d better leave before she released the sadness inside of her and tell her everything.
“I’m really tired mom; it’s been a long day. Can I sleep now?”
“Not yet. Before that, if you are really sure everything is ok with Mellis, then call him right now and talk to him. Let me talk to him too to make sure all is really well,” said Mrs. Morgan sweetly.
Haida was so touched by her mom’s unusual concern about her relationship.
Then she sighed, “Well mom, things aren’t that smooth with Mellis, but I can assure you it is nothing serious. We will solve our issues. Every relationship has issues, right?” said Haida.
She wasn’t that comfortable having to give her mom a detailed account of what was really going on with Mellis, for this conversation itself was unusual.
“Have you ever prayed about your relationship with Mellis?” asked Mrs. Morgan suddenly.
Haida sighed thoughtfully, “I don’t remember doing that, but I know I used to pray about him before we started going out,” she said.
“How is that? What were you telling God before you two started a relationship? To grant him to you, right?”
“How did she know?” thought Haida. “Basically that, but making sure God’s will was done too.”
“Are you sure you were not seeking your own desire?”
Haida sighed upsettingly, “I don’t know. All I know is I really yearned for him but didn’t know if it was God’s will we be together.” she said gravely.
“So you said God to give him to you against all odds?” Mrs. Morgan said rhetorically.
“Somehow. But I…I know I was vocal with preferring God’s will too.”
“We can be so vocal for God’s will to be done, but deep inside us, we will realize we really want to have what we want and not God’s will. The heart is extendingly deceptive”
Haida smiled dryly; her mom has said what truth she wanted to lie to herself was not.
“So, you are sure he is from God?”
“I don’t really know mom, in fact I thought so before…but…now I don’t think so.”
“You have any cause to think this way?”
Haida sighed upsettingly once more “You see, I was tempted to think he was really approved by God, because every time I prayed to God to meet him, suddenly he was before me. But then I came to believe everything must have only been coincidental. I knew he was nothing Christian and that gave me doubts if he was really ‘the one’!”
“Is that it? That he wasn’t anything Christian that is why you believe he isn’t from God?”
“But mom, God will not give bad things to His children, and I know He wouldn’t give me a non-Christian man; they will only cause you pain. They can’t be trusted because they don’t have the fear of God in them!”
“It doesn’t only take a Christian to be a good man. It isn’t every good man out there who is a Christian, and it isn’t every bad man out there who doesn’t have the fear of God.”
Haida chuckled “What doctrine is that, mom?” she scorned.
“In reality, some so-called Christian men do things just like one who doesn’t have the fear of God, how about that? We are all there
to help each other know God and grow more in Him.” Mrs. Morgan adjusted herself on the bed.
“What I want to say is, Mellis might not be a Christian, but he is a good man. He seems to have a heart for people and any good-hearted man hardly cause pain to his fellow man. Mellis seems like a respectful man, and any man who respects his fellow man will not do anything deliberate to harm him. Simply put, such people can be trusted.”
Haida laughed disdainfully “Oh mother! But don’t you know no matter how good-hearted and respectful such men are, one can’t rely on the consistency of their nature inasmuch as they are not Christians? They can easily change at any point in time because there isn’t the Holy Spirit in them quickening them to be consistent! What is more, such people may only cause you to fall as a Christian! No wonder the bible says do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers!”
“I think you are getting that quote wrong my dear, and I think you hadn’t trusted Mellis from the very start,” said Mrs. Morgan. “I am not telling you to get married to an unbeliever…”
“So what are you saying…?”
“…but what I am saying is, Mellis doesn’t look like the type who has no fear of God nor does he look like an unbeliever who you shouldn’t unequally yoke with, unless you are telling me he is making you fall, if not fallen, through fornication. Is that so?”
“What?! Oh no!” said Haida sharply. Terrified, she dulged daring to go there with her mom. She knew her mom was being smart enough to dwell deep into the intimate part of her relationship, and she thought she must be smarter than her. “Mom I’ve heard you and I will definitely pay attention to all you have said. Thank you. But can I sleep now?” said Haida dismissingly.
“Sure. Hoping you come down for supper.” said Mrs. Morgan satisfactorily. She had made her point.
“Yes, I will…”
“But let me tell you something before I go.”
Haida rolled her eyes and sighed.
“I think Mellis is a good man, he might be very experienced and sophisticated and all that, but I think he means no harm and can be trusted. He must truly love you if he says so. So try and give him your trust. Because without trust for him, you will easily be agitated by the least suspicion and your relationship will go nowhere. He looks like quite the gentleman who wouldn’t push you into anything you don’t want. And it is a blessing to have a man like him in these days and times who will be that considerate and gentle. I hope you know what I am talking about,” said Mrs. Morgan softly.