The Puzzle Episode 15 – 16

The Puzzle

Episode 15

I WISH I NEVER DID*
It’s Sunday morning. Roseline Evans had a sleepless night filled with nightmares. She couldn’t recover from the shock yet. For the first time since she got married, David had slapped her…

She tossed from side to side on the bed in the cold room. She regretted the fact that she gave David the impression that she was cheating on him.

“I wish I never did,” she sighed as she switched on the light in the room. She felt so dizzy . She had been feeling this way every morning for some weeks now and she could tell from the signs already that a baby is on the way. So, she had gone for a pregnancy test two days back at a nearby clinic in order to confirm. She was confirmed positive, five weeks gone.

She sat up and held her forehead which ached as a result of lack of sleep. Nausea gripped the wh0le of her internal system. She got up quickly and rushed to the adjoining rest room where she vomitted and felt a bit relieved. Her noise woke her friend in the next room.

Yes, she had spent the night with Evelyn. Immediately she left the house last night, she had first thought of calling Michael but she changed her mind. “It’s dangerous spending the night with a single and lonely man,” she had concluded and headed to Evelyn’s place.

Evelyn was one of her friends and hostel mate back at secondary school. They met again when Evelyn moved into the estate with her husband who is not often around because he had been transferred to a branch of his company at Port Harcourt

He comes home only once in two weeks.

“Are you okay Rose?” Evelyn called as she entered into the guest room where Rose was.

“I’m fine Evelyn, how was your night? Thanks for hosting me.” She replied

“Thanks to God, I hope you slept well too?”

“No friend, I didn’t. I can’t deceive you.”

“Hmmmmmm,” Evelyn sighed and said, “you know what Rose? You are really silly for what you did. I will be frank with you because I’m a blunt person…”

She led Rose to the edge of the bed where they both sat as she continued her speech.

“It’s exactly two years now that I got married to Stephen and we are yet to have a child. Part of the reasons is because he doesn’t stay with me for more than four to six days in the wh0le of a month which you can also bear witness to. He was transferred to that Port Harcourt branch office six months after we got married. It’s a pity that we both earlier decided not to have a child yet until 8months after our wedding. If I had known that he would become a part time husband like this, I would have just started trying for a baby immediately after the wedding, maybe by now, I would have had a child of my own to keep my company.

But in all of these Rose, I still give thanks to God for at least, my husband still comes home to me. There are some women who had been completely abandoned by their husbands but mine had never done that. He calls me often and comes to Lagos whenever he had the opportunity. He takes very good care of me just like David had been doing to you. So, why wouldn’t I be thankful? I know one day, things will get better. At least, the job he had gone there to do is to fend for both of us. Whenever I missed him and felt so lonely, I either call or chat with him to bridge the gap and at times, I take the pain to travel down to see him as well.

You acted like an ingrate Rose. David is a caring and godly man. Though his background may be different from yours, but in marriage, love covers a lot of shortcomings. You should have tried to bridge the gap yourself by teaching him how to be more rom-ntic and working things out with your husband instead of seeking solace with another man. That can never be the solution. Don’t destroy your home with your own hands, a lot of women are out there wishing for a type of husband like yours, value what you have.

Remember the Bible says: ‘A wise woman buildeth her own home but the foolish destroyeth it.’ Rose, go and build your home while you still have the chance, right all your wrongs and amend all your ways before it’s too late.”

By now, Rose has started weeping profusely. The wh0le of her body shook as she sobbed continuously in her friend’s arms.

“Thanks Evelyn, I shall heed your advice, I’m going home right away.”

Evelyn hugged and comforted her. “All will be well Rose, just be positive, David is a good man, he will forgive you, I am very sure.”

Rose left her friend’s house at exactly 7:15am that Sunday morning and went straight home. Her heart beat rose as she knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” David asked from within.

“It’s me, Rose.” She answered quietly.

The door opened and she stepped in. She could tell from her husband’s red eye balls that he didn’t sleep well also. “Why did I stir unnecessary troubles for this man?” She regretted within her again…

“What the hell are you doing here after you have enjoyed yourself again for another night with your man?”

“David… Please, I’m sorry…”

“You are what? Sorry? For cheating on me deliberately?

Wait a minute, I will be back” and like the speed of lightning, he rushed into the bedroom and came back with a piece of paper which he flung at her.

“Your game is over Rose, I guess your new found love was the one who planted that baby in your womb.

Congratulations.”

Rose was too confused to utter a word. She was thinking of how to convince him that it was only an expensive joke she had cracked but now this new development. Yes, her husband had the right to think that the baby doesn’t belong to him because she didn’t tell him about the pregnancy test result…

“No David, never! I never cheated on you,” she cried

“I see, which one should I believe? You did, now you didn’t. You think I’m a fool? Oh oh, maybe your new found love has dumped you, now you think you can bring the remains of the spoilt broth back to me? No way! Anyway, for the sake of the love I once had for you, I won’t send you packing so that you won’t be exposed to shame and ridicule. I’m leaving this house for you right away so you will have enough time for your outings and escapades. And I am leaving with my daughter so she won’t learn waywardness from you.”

Rose sank to the floor of the room. It’s as if she’s just been sentenced to death? What is the essence of her life without David and Debbie?

“Noooooooooooo!” She cried suddenly as the reality of what is about to happen dawned on her the more.

Sweetheart, please don’t ever leave me, I can explain everything,” she cried…

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Hmmmmmm, this episode really got me crying when I was writing it, I forgot I am the writer… I feel so sorry for Rose. Ladies, beware of the way you manage your relationsh¡p and marriage, do not overreact on issues.

Meanwhile, I need to give Evelyn a very cold Hollandia yoghurt! She is a darling friend indeed. Who else bears Evelyn on this platform? She can receive the gift on her behalf.

Episode 16

*NURSE LOVETH*
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Dr. Michael was seated in his office that Sunday morning attending to his patients when one of his nurses entered his office.

“Yes, Nurse Loveth, how may I be of help?” He asked.

“I’m sorry to disturb you doctor. I want to ask you a question please.”

“Yes, go ahead please,” Michael replied giving her his full attention.”

“Okay doctor . Please, the young woman whose mother had an accident last week, it seems I knew her somewhere but I want to be very sure. Is her name Mrs. Evans?”

“Oh, you mean Roseline, whose mother was rushed in after she was hit by a careless driver?”

“Exactly Doctor, is she Mrs Evans?”

“I do not know Loveth, all I know is that she is Roseline by name, I do not know her surname.”

“Okay sir. Her face really looks familiar, she looks like someone I knew when I was working in a hospital at Akure, before I moved to Lagos.”

“I see. Maybe, maybe not,” Michael replied resuming his writing.

“Okay doctor, thanks so much, she replied.”

“You are welcome. Call in the next patient please.”

AT NURSE LOVETH’S HOUSE

“Loveth, I will advice you to follow your mind, so that your conscience will be free.” Rachael, Loveth’s friend advised.

I don’t know how to, Rachael.

Though my conscience had never been at rest since the time the deed was done but I can’t come to terms with making a confession, I mean how do I tell her?”

“Well, it’s either you confess and have your peace or keep silent and allow your conscience to torment you,” Rachael advised again.

“But don’t you think I might be arrested? I am scared.”

“You won’t, we will pray about it, you can go with your Pastor on the day you decide to confess so that issues won’t get out of hand. Let’s hope God will take control, let us have the faith.”

“Amen o, I pray so oh.

I am very sure she’s the one, yes she is, though my boss said he doesn’t know her surname but she is the one, I can recognize the face quite well. Ha! Poor woman. I regret that I was involved in such a crime. The evil doctor involved me in his merciless act. I wish I wasn’t the one on duty that very day. I have a feeling that I do not have a child of my own till now because I was a part of that crime…” Loveth lamented on and on.

**********************

She could remember that fateful day vividly. The memory is so clear. A woman had given birth to a set of twins through Cesarean Section at the hospital where she worked then. It was a private hospital, the doctor had known through scan right from the fifth month of the pregnancy that she was carrying a set of twins, two girls. But he concealed it because he planned to sell one of the girls to one of his clients who had a damaged womb and still wanted to give people the impression that she gave birth to the child herself, so she feigned the pregnancy.

Loveth learnt the woman came from a far city to buy the child.

She and one other nurse were on duty the day the twins were delivered but she was the one that stayed with the doctor during the operation. She was instructed by the doctor to take one of the twins to the woman who had paid for the baby in the next ward, while her real mother was still asleep.

And that was how it happened. One of the girls was sold to another woman. Their real mother never knew that she had a set of twins. Loveth’s conscience had since being troubled. The doctor later called her and offered her some money but she refused it. She later left the hospital and relocated to Lagos where she met her husband.

The day she saw Roseline at Fountain hospital, she knew it was time for her to confess her sins and relieve herself of the guilt once and for all.

“God help me.” Loveth cried on her bed that night. She was home alone, her husband doesn’t come home everyday anymore, she heard that he had impregnated another woman because she had been unable to bear him a child. Loveth was very sure that Karma was judging her already.

“God, I don’t want to regret this confession I am about to make, I just want to right my wrongs and have my peace again. God have mercy, I am so sorry to be a part of this…

I just hope the other twin will be found and returned to her real mother, the girl deserves to be with her real parents. But can that even be possible? I don’t even know where the woman who bought the child is but Doctor Johnson may know…

She cried on till she slept off.

Tbc