TEARS OF A HELPLESS WOMAN (episode 17)

© Pauline Mumbi 

As we headed to the farm house a lot played on my mind.

“If aunty Bertha knows that means breaking up will be hærd” I thought.

We went on with the journey until we arrived. Shane was very excited I could tell and to my surprise the wh0le family was home. I met Shane’s siblings who had come to visit from California after a while.

We sat to have lunch together and I knew Shane would pick this opportunity to say something. I was very uncomfortable and I had to find a way out.

“Honey I don’t feel OK, I need to lie down” i whispered to Shane who was seated next to me.

“Let me just make the announcement and you can excuse yourself” he begged.

” oh no I can’t wait that long honey please let’s go.” I begged.

“OK if you say so.” He whispered angrily

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“What was the meaning of that?” Shane asked as we drove home.

“What? I’m not well I just need to rest” I said.

“Oh please Mwansa we both know that you OK” he said.

I kept quiet to avoid any further discussion and he turned on the stereo.

When we arrived home I apologised to Shane but he still didn’t seem very pleased.

“OK I’m not entering the house I will see you soon” he said.

“Honey i said am sorry”

“Its fine I will see you soon” he said as he pecked my forehead.

After Shane left I turned on my laptop and started working on a school assignment.

Obviously I didn’t forget about Claudine and the baby. The more I tried to concentrate the more she crossed my mind.

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It was the morning of my birthday and i was getting my nails done by a lady near home. Shane had mentioned that we would meet for lunch so I did some pampering to look more presentable, not that I looked bad natural. He wanted the lunch to be very intimate just the two of us but with Shane you could never just be sure. The man knew how to impress.

I didn’t know the location or any other details associated to the lunch.

By 10 I had bathed and was in my new outfit while I lightly covered my face in some makeup.

Shane called me around 11 just to make sure I was ready of which I agreed and he picked me just before 12.

I was excited about the lunch with Shane and we would also be putting our previous argument behind us. When the vehicle made a turn where a poster read “Protea safari” I knew this would be no ordinary lunch.

We first of went game viewing for about 30minutes before we could have lunch. Shane had a lot to say and we successfully put everything behind us.

As we came back from the park we walked into the diner only to hear people scre-m “SURPRISE!!!!!” oh my God I was so blown away especially when aunty Bertha led the crowd into a birthday song. What did I do to deserve the wonderful things that were happening to me?

We ate lunch together with my workmates as well as Shane’s family who were actually so nice.

As we ate Shane stood up with a wine glass on his left hand and a fork on his right.

“Attention. Attention” he said as he tapped the wine glass with the fork.

“We are here to celebrate the birthday of a very special woman in my life. Ladies and gentlemen I will use this opportunity to formally introduce my girlfriend to you.. Mwansa Honey please stand up”

I slowly stood up just like a princess and Shane held on to my hand as people cheered.

“Let Mwansa say something” aunty Bertha said.

I wasn’t ready but I had to speak, it was unfair for me to even think about Atusaye at this point as I had put an end to this chapter for good. Accepting Shane meant leaving Atusaye in my past.

“I just wanted to say that I am grateful to God for according me the chance of knowing such a wonderful man and I thank you for this birthday surprise” I said.

Everyone cheered as Shane and I hugged and shared a peck on our l-ips.

I cut into the gorgeous 3 tier birthday cake with the help of Shane and a toast was made in honour of my contribution to the orphanage. People gave me the gifts they brought and i was blown away by the thought they all attached in picking out the gifts for me.

Aunty Bertha’s gift was the most shocking as she simply handed me an envelope. I wandered what was in,side and when I opened it. I found two plane tickets to California. I was so shocked.

“I got you the tickets so you could visit the place where Shane was born and brought up” she said.

“Mum you didn’t have to.. I had that in mind” Shane said with a smile.

“Oh come off it, I did it for the two of you besides you both need to rest you’ve worked a lot.” she said

I was so excited and hugged aunty Bertha, my joy was unexplainable. So I would finally get to fly and I would eventually prove my family wrong. They thought I would die poor but God surely had a plan for me. He always has a plan for his own.

When the gift exchange was done Shane asked everyone to go outside to participate in a game he had planned out for everyone.

Little did I know there was a surprise waiting for me outside.

A white Mercedes Benz with a large red ribbon on top was parked outside waiting for me.

At first when we stepped outside I was wondering what was happening as Shane disappeared from no where only to see him walk out of the car with a key in his hand.

He stretched out his hand to give me the key..

“Happy birthday baby” he said.

I covered my mouth in shock as tears quickly rolled down my face… These weren’t tears of sadness but of joy.

“Oh God I own a brand new car?” I thought to myself as tears followed.

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A lot had happened after my birthday, firstly Shane tool me to driving school and I passed the test. So I now had a
license and I could drive myself around.

Shane had helped me work on my first novel which was due to published in California. We had to delay Our flight tickets a little longer so I could get some school work out of the way.

It was finally just 3days before our flight, Shane and I had just checked in at Radisson blu hotel where we would spend a good time before our flight.

I decided to drive to town as I needed to get a few cosmetics. I as stepped out of the car I suddenly heard a voice near me although I couldn’t s₱0t where.

“I had no doubt you would make it” the voice said

Next to me was a white Jeep with a window slightly opened. As I tried to peep in,side the window closed and the door opened.

There he was….. Atusaye my long lost love stepping out of the vehicle.

I immediately dropped my hand bag and quickly removed my sunglasses.

“Atusaye is this you????”.

To be continued… 

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