HEART OF GOLD
Story by; Freeman Cj
EPISODE 7
Frank was able to convince Liz against going to the Police and he took her to a private hospital where her stomach was flushed and she was given proper medication. When she was discharged the next day, he stayed in her house, cooking for her, buying her fruits and attending to all her needs so that she could get enough rest. Liz could not help but fall in love with him over and over again.
Liz: “thank you so much for standing by me all these period that I have been sick. I don’t know what I would have done without you. I love you so much” she said to him.
Frank: “common baby, it is nothing. I love you and now is the right time for me to prove how much I love you by standing by you”
Liz: “I know but not many men would have done this, considering the fact that I didn’t allow you touch me all these while” she said bowing her head.
Frank: “its okay. So tell me, do you still feel pains anywhere?” he asked, searching her eyes.
Liz: “no, actually the stupid rapist took it easy on me, I don’t know why he did that”
Frank’s heart skipped a beat as it always did anytime she mentioned rapist. He also remembered that he had tried be gentle on her while he was raping her.
Frank: “oh, that’s nice” he said absentmindedly.
Liz: “I think I am strong enough to return home now” she said to him.
Frank: “Okay, that is nice. What are you going to do at home?”
Liz: “I want to inform my parents about what happened to me. I didn’t want to tell them over the phone because my mother would not hesitate to come here and I wonder what she would do when she finds you here” she explained.
Frank: “baby, do you think it is really necessary for you to tell your parents?” he asked in a bid to discourage her from doing so but not wanting to sound forward.
Liz: “of course it is very necessary. How can I be raped and my parents will not know about it?”
Frank: “don’t you think that your parents would insist on going to the Police and fishing out the culprit if you tell them?” he said holding her hands.
Liz: “whatever my parents decide to do after I tell them is their business. Even if they have to go diabolical to fish out the foolish and stupid rapist, it is their business”
Frank: “that is the problem. You still haven’t forgiven and it is not good for a Christian. I thought we agreed on keeping this between us and your friend who was at the crime scene? I didn’t know that you are still bent on involving outsiders” he said, suddenly sweating.
Liz: “I don’t know when you became such a devout Christian o. Anyway, maybe God is using you to talk to me, so I will just let it go” she said.
Frank: “that is my girl. That is the only way to be free, just allow God deal with them. And please, make sure you talk to your friend very well, you know that one can talk, let her not go and start telling people that you were raped, we don’t want that kind of scandal”
Liz: “ah-ah, my friend can talk? You know as well as I do that she is an introvert so what are you talking about? In fact, you appear to be kind of protective of the rapist, are you afraid that he would turn out to be one of your friends? Wait a minute, you have been bragging about my virginity to your friends and they decided to go behind your back and rape me right? Or let me guess again; you are having issues with some guys and they decided to get back at you by raping your girlfriend, yes that must be it” she said.
Frank smiled and laughed out loud, it was all in a bid to steady his nerves which were at cracking point. He was breathing so hard that he was afraid of Liz hearing the pounding of his heart against his chest.
Frank: “if I know who the rapist is, I will strangle the bastard to death with my own hands” he said.
Liz: “I know you would do that to me. I was just kidding” he said.
Frank: “I have an idea, why don’t I do a private investigation and see if I can find out who the bad guys that waylaid you girls are?” he asked trying to divert the discussion from himself.
Liz: “really? You will do that for me? That would be great” she said.
“Anything for my girl” he said and she hugged him.
Liz: “let me make us noodles to eat after which we will make love” she said.
Frank: “what! You make love? How? Remember no sex till after marriage?” he teased.
Liz: “not anymore. That was how I was denying you and another person came and raped from where he did not sow. From now henceforth, it is going to be sex anytime you want it” she said and walked to the gas cylinder she used in cooking to make noodles and fried eggs for them.
After the meal, the two lovers fell on each other on the bed and began to kiss and smooch. Frank expected her to stop him halfway as she always did but this time around, she didn’t rather she encouraged him by returning his kiss and touching him in return.
When they were completely naked, he paused and she looked at him.
Liz: “why did you stop?” she asked.
Frank: “are you sure you want to do this? I mean is this what you really want? Let it not be that I am taking advantage of you” he said.
Liz: “of course I want it. Let us do it”
Frank: “okay, if you insist” he said, suddenly remembering the night when he had raped and deflowered her.
“If only she knew what I did to her, she would kill me this minute” he thought.
Frank fumbled with his manhood for some minutes and was unable to get erection.
Liz: “what is the problem?” she asked watching him.
Frank: “actually, I have never had sex before, I know I never told you this but I am also a virgin so I need you to touch me more so that I can get an erection” he lied.
Liz: “really? You are a virgin too? Wow! If you had told me this earlier, I would have given mine to you before that cursed guy took it away”
Frank: “it is okay, can we just forget him and continue with our foreplay before the main action begins?” he said and they got down to business.
==========
The Ogars and the Declans travelled in the same plane to India where the transplant was scheduled to take place in a few days.
It was an uneventful journey all the way from Nigeria to India as Declan and his wife were engulfed in their own thoughts and the life that awaited them after the surgery.
Prior to that time, the doctors had told them that Declan and his father would remain in the hospital for three months after the surgery. Stacey was to stay with her husband in his private ward and attend to him while Mrs Ogar would attend to her own husband. It was barely three months after their wedding and Stacey had already missed her period. She wondered how she would cope for three months in the hospital, taking care of an invalid when she was sure about being few weeks pregnant. Her husband who was sitting beside her noticed the discomfiture in her face and so he took her hands in his own.
Declan: “you are thinking, don’t worry, all will be fine. I promise you that” he said.
Stacey: “yeah baby, I know all will be fine too. Just make sure you recover well and fast for me and our baby after the surgery okay?”
Declan: “I will my love. We are going to stay there for just three months, after which we shall return back home and live our normal lives while we await the arrival of our baby” he assured her.
Stacey: “three months without my husband is not just funny” she said frowning.
Declan: “who said you are going to stay for three months without your husband? Won’t you be beside me in the hospital?”
Stacey: “it is not the same as the way we are like this jor. Shebi you will be lying on the hospital bed? Will you be able to touch and cuddle me when I am cold? What if I am in the mood to feel you inside me, will you be able to do it in that three months that you would be on hospital admission?”
Declan: “trust me, if I am strong enough I will do it. Why shouldn’t I, when you are my wife?” he touched the tip of her nose fondly.
Stacey: “You will sleep with me on the hospital bed? Ah, the CCTV cameras there will just capture everything and before you know, the footage will be floating on all social media platforms. Ah, this my husband is naughty ghan” she teased in return.
They both laughed, each feeling better than they were feeling when they boarded the plan.
Mr and Mrs Ogar who were sitting close to each other watched with admiration as the two young couples whispered into each other ears.
Mr Ogar: “my son loves his wife so much. Sometimes I feel I am being unnecessarily unfair to him” he said to his wife.
Mrs Ogar: “unfair to him as how? You gave him the best of education and you opened a business for him and helped him marry the woman of his dreams. How else can one be fair to a son?” she asked getting irritated because she hated it when her husband dotted on his first son.
Mr Ogar: “I mean my insisting on him giving me one of his kidneys. Now I am thinking, what if something happens to him after the surgery? I will never be able to forgive myself afterwards” he said.
Mrs Ogar: “what is wrong with a son giving his father one of his kidneys? Why are you not thinking of yourself? What do you think will happen to me if you don’t do this kidney transplant and you die? Who do you want to make a widow at this age?”
Mr Ogar: “if you love me that much, why didn’t you tell any of your own biological sons to donate their kidney to me” he fired back.
“Because Declan is your first son and I also know that he is your favourite son even though you have denied it several times” she replied.
Mr Ogar: “I know you will always defend your own children after all you were the one who brought the idea that I ask Declan to give me one of his kidneys and when he refused, you told me to threaten to kill myself and that he will surely give in. It worked and here we are” he said.
Mrs Ogar: “I don’t know what you are talking about. I am only trying to help as the virtuous woman that I am. If you are not comfortable with it, you can ask the pilot to stop or turn back so that we can all return home. If not, see you in India” she said and covered her eyes and ears, pretending to be asleep.
Mr Ogar: “Imagine, I should ask the pilot to stop or return, how ridiculous” he cursed under his breath.
HEART OF GOLD.
EPISODE 8
Sas: “guy, I don’t understand you o, this one that I see you walking all over the campus with Liz, which levels na?” he asked his friend.
Frank: “which levels as how? Shey you don’t know that Liz is my babe ni?”
Sas: “babe abi victim?”
Frank: “victim as how?”
Sas: “Person wey you rape na your victim be that now” he said.
Frank: “let me just pretend not to hear that. Anyway, I love Liz, nothing has changed after the incidence” he said casually.
Sas: “what! You still love her after you raped her? Abeg, tell me how that is possible”
Frank: “what are you even saying seff? You know that I was dating this girl before the idea of raping her to find out if she was telling the truth came up. I did and I discovered that she was actually a virgin meaning that she was faithful to me and that she was not lying to me. I fell deeply in love with her after realizing how innocent she was. Then to crown it all, after that rape incidence, she gave me pass to her Jerusalem, I mean she gives me sex anytime I want it. That has made me to fall deeper in love” he said.
Sas: “hey, egba mi o, this my guy has been trapped by this girl’s honey pot o, hian!”
Frank: “that is love for you my guy, but you won’t understand considering the fact that you are a bad boy who goes about sleeping with ladies without having any emotional attachment with them”
Sas: “see, let me tell you my own. You cannot eat your cake and have it o, you raped that girl and you are still lurking around her and sleeping with her in the name of love, that is so unfair. Do not deceive yourself, If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t have accepted to rape her in the first place”
Frank: “well, I didn’t want to. You guys pushed me” he said.
Sas: “there is nothing like we pushed you. If what you had for her was true love, you wouldn’t have allowed yourself to be pushed. My advice is that you stay as far away from her as possible so that you don’t complicate issues for yourself. Do you think that anything will remain hidden forever? Keep going to her and one day you will say or do something to her that will give you away as the rapist who deflowered her. When the trouble starts brewing, I will not be here to save your ass o, I have told you my own” he said holding his ears for emphasis.
Frank: “I love her and she loves me, isn’t that all that matters?”
Sas: “okay now, tell that to the judge when you finally get charged to court for rape” he said and picked up a handout to read.
=========
Frank was in his compound washing his clothes when Ann, Liz’ friend came in. Frank was surprised to see her because she had never visited him before.
Ann: “Frank, how far?” she said in her gentle voice.
Frank: “I am good, Ann. How are you and what are you doing here?” he said rinsing his hands and raising his head.
Ann: “oh, I actually came to get a text book from a friend who moved into your compound yesterday” she said looking at the shirt he was rinsing.
Frank: “oh, I see. I am aware that a student moved in here yesterday but I didn’t know that you know the person” he said.
He expected Ann to reply or say something but she did not talk. He went up to the cloth line in the middle of the compound and sprayed the shirt he had finished rinsing and she was still there, staring at him.
Frank: “hello, you seem so far away. What’s up?” he asked her.
Ann: “that shirt…” she trailed off.
Frank: “yes? What about the shirt? You like it?”
Ann: “not really. Is it yours?” she asked suspiciously.
“Yes, o. I wouldn’t be washing it if it is not mine. I don’t do laundry for people” he said.
Ann: “that shirt…rape…Liz…” she said incoherently.
Frank: “shirt, Liz, this, that. What are you saying?”
Ann: “Oh, never mind. I will just start going back now” she said quickly and walked briskly out of the compound.
Frank: “What was she trying to talk about?” he asked himself after Ann left.
Frank: “Oh, this was the shirt I wore the day Liz was raped! Gosh, this silly girl remembers what I wore even though it was dark? D--n it” he said and kicked the bucket he was using to wash the clothes.
Frank: “how could I be this careless? I should have even burnt the shirt that day o” he said, thinking of what to do.
====
Ann took a bike immediately she got outside the compound and went directly to Liz apartment. Liz was on in the bathroom when her friend entered.
“Who is it?” she asked when she heard her door open.
Ann: “it is me o, come out here Liz” she said eagerly.
Liz: “I dey baff o, which one be come out here like say this house dey catch fire?” she said in pidgin English.
Ann: “see ehn, it’s like I have a clue to the guys that raped you o”
Liz: “what! You have a clue? How? When even my boyfriend who is helping me fish out the guys doesn’t have a clue yet?” she said, washing her face with her Avocado face soap.
Ann: “I am serious about this” she said.
Liz: “So, who is it?”
Ann: “come out of the bathroom first o, even the walls have ears. Before I will say something now and someone will go with my name”
Liz: “hahaha…fear-fear. Don’t worry, I will soon be out” she said.
She came out after a few minutes and sat beside her friend.
“so tell me, what did you find out?”
Ann: “you know that it was very late that night that you were raped and to make things worst, the guys were flashing bright touches on our face right?”
“yes?” she said urging her to go with her eyes.
Ann: “Well, when the guys held you down and one of them mounted you, I was able to make out the shirt the person who raped you wore because my eyes were already adjusting to the darkness” she said and paused to see her friend’s reaction.
Liz: “so? You saw the shirt, how does that help?”
Ann: “guess who has that shirt on this campus”
Liz: “who?" She asked her heart beating fast.
Ann: “Your boyfriend Frank and I suspect that he has a hand in your rape” she dropped what sounded like a bombshell in Liz’ ears.
===========
The day for the transplant came and the medical director who was the head of the team of doctors that was to carry out the transplant came around to check on Declan who was already hospitalized. He checked to make sure that everything was in order for the surgery but found out that Declan’s blood pressure at that moment was too high for them to carry out any surgery.
Doctor: “I am sorry but we have to reschedule the surgery. The donor’s blood pressure is too high and we cannot do anything until it is stable” he said to the Ogars and the Declans.
Declan: “my blood pressure is still high? But I have been on bed rest since we came here, how comes the blood pressure is still high doctor?”
Doctor: “there are lots of factors that can be responsible for that. It is possible to be on best rest and yet your mind is not at rest. I will advise that you avoid thinking of anything that could trigger the high blood pressure” the doctor said with his thick Indian accent.
Mr Ogar: “doctor, I think we should reschedule so that my son’s blood pressure can get stable just like you said. We can stay here for as long as you want, I don’t want anything that will harm my son in any way” he said.
Doctor: “that is the best thing to do, sir” I will check with the other doctors and get back to you on a new date, he said and walked away.
Mrs Ogar: “what was that rubbish you said to the doctor? How can you tell him that we can stay here for as long as the doctor wants us to stay? Don’t you know that we left businesses behind in Nigeria? Don’t you know that the earlier we get done with this transplant the better?”
Mr Ogar: “but you heard what the doctor said about my son’s blood pressure”
Mrs Ogar: “oh please spare me that. He is not the first person to have a high blood pressure, we all do and yet we don’t pause out lives or other peoples own”
Declan: “Ma, please try and understand with my father, he just wants to make sure that everything goes well. As soon as my blood pressure stabilizes, we can go through with this” Declan who was listening to their conversation said to her.
Mrs Ogar: “see who is talking? Anytime that my blood pressure stabilizes, we will go through with this, who do you think you are deceiving? You think I don’t know that this one of your tricks to delay the surgery or even to cancel it? You are busy thinking about things that will affect your blood pressure because you know that they can never do the transplant if your blood pressure is high. You are now here forming innocent” she remarked sarcastically.
Stacey: “no ma, my husband is not faking it. As a matter of fact, he cannot do something like that…” she started to say before her mother in law interrupted her.
Mrs Ogar: “shut up your mouth there. You think I don’t know that this is all your plan? You were the one who is telling your husband things that will affect his blood pressure, I know it”
Stacey: “with due respect, ma…” she started to say but her husband held her hand and told her to keep quiet.
HEART OF GOLD.
EPISODE 9
Liz looked at her friend in disbelief, unable to comprehend what her friend was saying.
Ann: “why are you looking at me like that without saying anything? What is happening?” she asked.
Liz: “because I don’t have anything to say apart from telling you that you have malaria. Yes, you should get some malaria medications to take” she mocked.
Ann: “why? What is that supposed to mean now?”
Liz: “what is that not supposed to mean? Did you listen to yourself at all? How can you even think that Frank has a hand in what happened to me? Haba now” she said.
Ann: “is that why you would say I have malaria? Okay, how else can you explain the fact that I saw him with a shirt that your rapist wore and then when I asked him about it, I saw him getting all nervous?”
Liz: “I am sure that he was surprised that you could even think of him in that light and that was why he was nervous. So because you saw him with the type of the shirt the person who raped me wore is enough reason to label him a rapist? Is he the only one that can have such shirts on this campus?”
Ann: “I am only saying that Frank may have something to hide. Remember that you told me that he discouraged you from going to the police, I am still wondering why he is afraid of you going to the police” she said.
Liz: “that is because he is my boyfriend and doesn’t want people to know that I was once raped. There is nothing strange about that, I understand perfectly”
Ann: “but…” she said but her friend interrupted her.
Liz: “don’t worry, Frank is innocent. I am sure you are just imagining things. You are the one who said it was very dark and the bright torches on our faces didn’t allow you see anything the day I was raped. Now you are saying you saw the shirt the rapist wore, you are contradicting yourself and it doesn’t add up. Thank you, ma”
Ann: “well, since you will not believe me, I guess I should be on my way to the library then” she said getting up.
Liz: “okay, read well o”
Ann: “are you not coming along?” she asked turning around.
Liz: “I am waiting for Frank, we will come together” she said.
Ann: “Frank again?” she heard herself ask.
Liz: “yes, what exactly is it that you have against my boyfriend? See the way you reacted when I called his name” she said getting worked up.
Ann: “like seriously? You are asking me what I have against your boyfriend? As if I don’t have my own boyfriend? Abeg see you later jare, I don’t know what you are talking about”
After the encounter with Ann, Frank rushed through his washing and went to visit Liz in her apartment. He knew that he had to do something fast before Ann convinced her to start suspecting him. Liz was getting dressed when Frank knocked.
Liz: “hi baby, I have been expecting you since. You know we have to read for at least 3 hours today right?”
Frank: “I know, I was held up with something that left me weak earlier during the day”, he said.
Liz: “Something like what?”
Frank: “don’t worry, I don’t think I should bother you with that” he said, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.
Liz: “ehn? What is it that you don’t want to tell me? I hope it is not what I am thinking o” she said sitting beside him.
Frank: “what are you thinking?” he asked with his heart beating widedly.
Liz: “you said that you did something that left you weak, I hope you were not with another woman. Don’t allow me hear that you are cheating on me o” she said.
Frank: “will you believe if someone tells you that I am cheating on you?” he asked her.
Liz: “why won’t I believe? Shebi you are a man? How many men stick to one girl? Don’t just allow me catch you o if not blood will flow” she threatened.
“Ah, let me confess then o, I have never seen you threaten to spill blood like this and so I know you are not joking”
Liz: “confess o” she said with peaked interest.
Frank: “I was with your friend Ann earlier today” he said
“what! You were with my friend as how? I don’t understand that” Liz remarked.
Frank: “I was in my room earlier today when Ann walked in. I asked what she was doing and she told me that she came to collect her textbook from her friend who just moved into the compound” he said and paused for effects.
“Yes, I know about the friend who moved into your compound yesterday. Go ahead” Liz urged.
Frank: “I saw the textbook in her hand and I expected her to leave immediately but she said she needed to rest a little. So, I lay on the bed and then started dozing. Next thing, I felt someone’s hand on my g---n, when I opened my eyes, I saw that Ann was naked and was trying to seduce me. I screamed and asked her to leave my room but she said I must make love to her the way I have been making to you after all the two of you are friends who share lots of things. I refused and then walked out of the room and started washing my clothes outside. When she saw that I was not willing to return to the room, she came out and met me there and begged me not to tell you what happened. I told her that I would have to tell you because I don’t keep anything away from you. That was when she said the shirt that I was washing would be used to implicate me. I don’t know what she meant by that” he lied so innocently and smoothly that Liz couldn’t help but feel pity for him.
Liz: “What! This is so unbelievable. Is this what girls do to each other? I have heard several cases of girls seducing their friend’s men before but I never imagined that it could happen to me. Can you believe that Ann was here to tell me that she saw you with the same shirt that the guy who raped me wore on the day the incidence happened?” she asked him.
Frank: “She said so? No wonder”
“no wonder what?” Liz asked.
Frank: “no wonder she said the shirt I was washing would implicate me, I now understand what she meant by that statement”
Liz: “ah, Ann is such a great pretender. So, she wanted to cause problems between us so that she can have you all to herself, ah! Girls are wicked”
Frank: “I hope you don’t believe any of the lies she said about me?” he asked anxiously.
Liz: “how will I believe it when I am not stupid? That Ann, she ceases to be my friend this minute” she said .
Frank: “I think you should take it easy with her. And about the guys who raped you, I just found out that they are not from this institution. I was reliably informed that you were not the only one who was raped that day. Several other female students on their way to their hostels were raped but nobody wants to talk about it because of the shame and stigma associated with it. So you see that you made the right decision by not going to the Police right?”
Liz nodded. She was engulfed in thinking of a way to deal with l Ann for trying to set her up against her boyfriend.
============
The transplant was postponed for 4 days and on the fourth day, the doctors certified Declan fit to be taken to the theatre. As he was being wheeled away, he held on to his wife’s hands.
Declan: “pray for me and stay strong for me, okay?”
Stacey: “I am praying and I will continue to pray until the procedure is concluded. I love you so much my baby” she said to him with tears in her eyes.
Declan: “whatever happens, whatever be the outcome of the surgery, just know that I love you and I will always do. If paradventure I don’t return alive, please take care of my unborn baby and tell him or her that I had to do what I did because of the love I have for my father” she said.
Stacey: “you will come out alive. Nothing shall happen to you in that theatre, you will come out stronger than you are going in. Please come back alive for us, I cannot live without you. I need you and so does our unborn baby” she said touching her stomach.
Declan kissed her tummy and waved her off. As he was being wheeled away, she noticed that he was shedding tears. She sat down on the seats provided and began to weep too.
Her mother in law who was happy that the transplant was finally taking place came close and wrapped her arms around her shoulder.
Mrs Ogar: “don’t worry, your husband will be fine” she said.
Stacey: “Are you sure? I am afraid that something terrible may happen to him in there” she let out her fears.
Mrs Ogar: “Trust me, he will be fine. This hospital is very good and so are their doctors so you have nothing to worry about” she assured her.
Stacey: “thank you mum” she heard herself say.
Mrs Ogar: “I saw you touching your stomach fondly and I saw him kissing it shortly before he was wheeled away. Is anything in there yet?”
Stacey smiled as she felt proud that she had conceived for her husband in about three months after marriage.
Stacey: yes ma, I am 7 weeks gone” she said.
Mrs Ogar: “wow! Good news. It calls for some celebration which we will do after our husbands recover. The doctors said the surgery will take up to 8 hours, we cannot sit here and wait for that long. Let us go to the clinic cafeteria and relax there a little” she said and led her daughter in law away.
HEART OF GOLD.
EPISODE 10
Liz and Frank were having a good time in their room when Ann knocked. Liz barricaded the door as soon as she saw that it was Ann at the door.
Liz: “yes, what are you doing in my house?” she asked.
Ann: “ah-ahn, what am I doing in your house? Are we not friends again? Anyway, you said that you would come to the library but I didn’t see you, I thought of coming to check on you myself” she said.
Liz: “well, I am fine” she said impatiently.
Ann made to enter the room but Liz stopped her.
Liz: “I said I am fine, can you leave now” she said.
Ann: “at least let me come in and drink water now” she said.
Liz: “which water? Please leave my house, I don’t want to ever see you close to me again. I am not interested in us being friends anymore, so just leave”
“baby who is at the door?” Frank said from the bedroom.
Liz: “it’s Ann, don’t worry, I will soon join you in bed” she said to him.
Ann: “oh, so he is the reason why you don’t want me to come in right? This same Frank is the one that is taking over your head that you now skip your daily studies?”
Liz: “shut up your mouth jare. I already know the kind of person you are, I know that you have eyes for my boyfriend and that is why you are trying to cause problems between me and Frank. But for your information, nothing and no one can come between me and Frank. Rapists couldn’t even come between me and him so don’t even think you can. Our relationship has gone way beyond the level you think”
Ann: “what gibberish are you vomiting? That I have eyes for Frank as how? What will I do with him when I know fully well that he is your boyfriend?”
Liz: “listen, we were in the middle of something before you came in so if you please excuse us now” he said.
Ann: “is this the end of our friendship? You want a man to come in between us?”
Liz: “What have I been saying all this while?” she sighed and entered the room, locking her friend out.
============
The transplant took eight hours as the doctors had predicted and after the surgery, the two patients were transferred into the intensive care units of the hospital.
Their wives had indicted interest in seeing them but considering how delicate their conditions were, they were denied access to them until the third day after the surgery.
Stacey couldn’t help but break down in tears when she saw her husband lying unconscious with an oxygen tube fixed in his nose.
The recovery process was slow and tedious and it took its toll on Stacey who was just a few weeks pregnant.
For two months she stayed by her husband’s side, attending to all his needs and helping the nurses to clean him up.
After two months, her husband was able to sit up and take liquids. The most surprising thing was that his father who was the receiver was recuperating faster than him.
Although his recovery was slow, Declan never wasted time to tell his wife how much he loved and appreciated her efforts anytime he felt strong enough to talk.
Declan: “thank you so much for standing by me all through this period. I am so proud of you” he said to her.
Stacey: “common love, it is my job to take care of you. If I don’t take care of you, who will? Remember that your step mother is also busy taking care of her own husband” she said.
Declan: “I feel weak, I wish I would be discharged right away” he said.
“don’t worry, in a month’s time, we will leave here, okay?” she said and gently planted a kiss on his forehead.
Declan: “I am feeling very weak. I hope I make it out of this hospital alive?” he said startling his wife.
Stacey: “weak as how? You must make it out of this place alive o. We came here together and we will all leave together in good health. What do you want me to do if you don’t make it alive? Please don’t even think about that again. Let me help you to lie down very well” she said.
Declan: “My ribs hurt, I am finding it very difficult to breathe. I feel very weak. If anything happens to me, just know that I love you very much and even if I am no more, I will never cease to love you” she said.
Stacey: “what are you talking about” she asked and then stopped when she saw him struggling for air.
Stacey: “baby, what is happening? What is wrong with you?” she asked trying to shake him.
“ge…get me…the…the doctor” he said and his pupils became dilated.
“Doctor, doctor!” she screamed.
The doctors came, sent his nervous wife out and worked tirelessly to revive him. A lot of scanning and diagnosis were carried out on him and it was discovered that he had some complications that required another surgery to be corrected. By this time, his father was already recuperating and so Stacey wondered why her husband’s case was different.
Few days later, Declan was rushed to the theatre for the second surgery which lasted for more than 3 hours. He came out weaker than he had being before the surgery and his wife wondered if he would ever recover.
The strain of taking care of her invalid husband was telling on her and she was looking pale and famished.
Exactly three months after the transplant, Mr Ogar was discharged but he refused to return to Nigeria without his son. After some days, his wife began to rant.
Mrs Ogar: “I don’t know why we are still staying in this place after we have been discharged. I am tired of staying in India o, my business is suffering back there in Nigerian, tor” she said to her husband who had refused to be discharged from the hospital.
Mr Ogar: “why are you this inconsiderate? You and I know that your business is in good hands in Nigeria and as such there is nothing to worry about” he replied her.
Mrs Ogar: “what do you mean by I am inconsiderate? Have you not been discharged? What are we still doing here for God’s sake?”
Mr Ogar: “we are here because my son whom we came here with is still here. It will be the height of wickedness to leave him here”
Mrs Ogar: “I don’t understand you, my husband. In fact, since you started having this kidney issue, I don’t understand the way you think. Is your son not in good hands here? I am not a doctor and neither are you, so how does our presence here change anything?” she asked..
“that boy is on that bed because of me. He gave me life and now his own life is being taken away from him and you say I should abandon him and go back to Nigeria? What am I going to do in Nigeria when my son is here? What is it that I am going to look for in Nigeria? I will only leave here with my son” he asserted.
Mrs Ogar: “but his wife is here, is she not good enough to take care of her own husband? Didn’t I take care of you while you were sick?” she asked him.
Mr Ogar: “can’t you see that she is just a small girl who is struggling with the stress of early pregnancy? She needs our support, we cannot leave her alone” he said.
“then I will have to return to Nigeria without you” she said.
Mr Ogar: “fine, see you in Nigeria” he said to her and went into his son’s room.
Stacey was sitting close to her husband on his bed when her father in law came in.
Mr Ogar: “how are you doing my wife?” he asked Stacey.
Stacey: “I am fine, daddy” she replied offering him the chair she was supposed to sit on.
Mr Ogar: “and how is my most beloved son doing today?” he said patting his son who was struggling to sit up.
Declan: “I feel much better, dad” he said.
Mr Ogar: “that is great” he said, taking his sit.
Stacey: “where is mum?” she asked her father in law.
Mr Ogar: “she is there saying something about going back to Nigeria” he said casually.
Stacey: “Nigeria? Aren’t we all going together?”
Mr Ogar: “don’t mind her, my dear. You know how you women can be at times” he said.
Declan: “I hope you two are not having issues again, dad?”
Mr Ogar: “it never ends, my dear. You know she can be troublesome”
Suddenly, they noticed that Stacey who had stood up was struggling to stand and just as she was trying to steady herself, she fell back and fainted.
Declan tried to get up but the machines attached to him would not allow him.
Declan: “daddy, help my wife, help me call the doctor. Please don’t allow anything happen to her. I love her so much” he said, fidgeting.
Mr Ogar walked out as quickly as his legs could carry him and went and called the nurses who rushed in and carried Stacey away. In their confusion, father and son had forgotten that there was an intel in the room that could be used to call the doctors and nurses.
After they stabilized her condition, it was discovered that she had lost the pregnancy as a result of stress.
The doctors informed her about it but she begged them not to inform her husband because of his condition since she didn’t want anything that would slow down his healing.
Mrs Ogar returned to Nigeria the next day irrespective of her husband’s plea to stay around and help take care of his son especially with the fact that his wife was also sick. The woman refused and told him to get a maid for his son if his own wife could no longer take care of him.
HEART OF GOLD.
EPISODE 11
Liz and Frank’s relationship continued to wax strong after she broke up with her friend. The two lover were seen everywhere on campus and Frank’s friend never ceased to tease him about how he had been trapped by Liz after he raped 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 raped 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 rape” 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 raped 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 raped Liz. If he could turn back the hands of time, he wouldn’t have done it.
Sas: “but the love became serious after you raped her. Okay, I thought you said you always lose erection whenever you want to get down with her”
Frank: “Well, that was long ago shortly after the rape incidence. Now the thing has stopped, we make love anytime we want now without erection 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?”
==========
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 kiss 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 do 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 raped 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.
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 12
Interesting
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