Unfulfilled promise episode 18 – 19
Unfulfilled Promise
season 1
Episode 18&19
He finally got up and his black eyes moved over her She had her back to him but he knew she was crying She kept wiping away the tears impatiently with her hand. Aww! He felt bad even though he knew Oleng was a cry baby She cried at the drop of a hat He was sorry he was the cause of her tears now He walked up to her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder She shrugged it off.
“Sunshine, where do I start from? I really don’t know where to begin. All I can say is I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was waiting for the right time to tell you. That’s funny because I still don’t even know the right time to tell you…sunshine, I’m filled with so much dread at the thought of leaving you here in Nigeria.
I pleaded and pleaded with my parents to allow me school here but they refused They no longer have faith in our tertiary institutions Grandma Conrad didn’t help matters alsonShe kept saying she’d love for me to be close to her the way Damian is over there I did everything humanly possible to dissuade them but they refused to listen to me My dad who is usually more understanding than my mum refused because I couldn’t give him a tangible reason why I wanted to stay back in Nigeria When I knew there was no hope, I didn’t know how to tell you…sunshine, please I’m sorry Forgive me.” he explained sadly.
When she still didn’t say anything, he touched her tentatively.
“Sunshine?”
She turned around then to look at him. He was sorry to see her eyes flooded with tears.
“When did you know? I mean for how long have you known?”
He stared at the rug. “Before the second term holidays.”
“Since then?” she shouted. “How could you? Why?” She started crying profusely then.
“Sunshine, please. I don’t like seeing you like this. Don’t you know this is hærd for me too? How could I just look you in the eye and tell you all our dreams together have been dashed? Tell you all our promises of living together, traveling together and visiting tourist centers during our vacations would go unfulfilled. How? Tell me how?” Tears formed in his eyes.
For an answer, she put both hands to cover her face and wailed Her wailings pierced his heart like a sharp knife He couldn’t resist taking her in his arms He held her while she cried Eric tried very hærd not to cry also though tears were brimming in his eyes He couldn’t imagine life without her.
When she was spent, he led her to a chair and made her sit. He went to the fridge in the neat kitchen to get her a glass of water He made her sip from it; she took small sips and shook her head. She was so downcast; he didn’t know what to do. He had never seen her like this before not even when she had been crying that her mum didn’t love her. He sat down beside her and held her hand. He didn’t know what else to do.
After a while he said, “Why don’t you talk to your mum? You can come over when you are through with your secondary education We can live our dreams over there instead of here It would be more fun,” Eric brightened up at the thought. “I know your mum can afford it and she can come once in a while on one of her numerous trips to see you if she wants.”
Oleng looked at him and shook her head. She had to take a sip of water before she could talk. Her voice was broken from the wailing.
“No.’ she simply said.
“Why?”
“I’ve asked her before. When you first told me that your parents hinted that you would school over there She told me I was joking She doesn’t want me out of her sight It was funny to me because she is never at home So I wonder how I’m in her sight If she finds out you’re going also, that will only make her refuse the more.”
“No, sunshine. Don’t be negative. You can talk to her again. I can even get my mum to talk to her. Maybe she can convince her to send you there also.” he prompted with hope.
She shook her head again. “Let it go Eric. There’s no hope. I know my mum. She won’t allow me to go. She doesn’t like me being happy. She likes to see me miserable. She hates me. I don’t know why but she does. She won’t agree because she knows I’d be happy to be out of her hair and be with you over there.” Tears slowly dropped as she spoke.
He finally got up and his black eyes moved over her She had her back to him but he knew she was crying. She kept wiping away the tears impatiently with her hand. Aww! He felt bad even though he knew Oleng was a cry baby. She cried at the drop of a hat. He was sorry he was the cause of her tears now. He walked up to her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.
“Sunshine, where do I start from? I really don’t know where to begin. All I can say is I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was waiting for the right time to tell you. That’s funny because I still don’t even know the right time to tell you…sunshine, I’m filled with so much dread at the thought of leaving you here in Nigeria.
I pleaded and pleaded with my parents to allow me school here but they refused. They no longer have faith in our tertiary institutions. Grandma Conrad didn’t help matters also. She kept saying she’d love for me to be close to her the way Damian is over there. I did everything humanly possible to dissuade them but they refused to listen to me. My dad who is usually more understanding than my mum refused because I couldn’t give him a tangible reason why I wanted to stay back in Nigeria. When I knew there was no hope, I didn’t know how to tell you…sunshine, please I’m sorry. Forgive me.” he explained sadly.
When she still didn’t say anything, he touched her tentatively.
“Sunshine?”
She turned around then to look at him. He was sorry to see her eyes flooded with tears.
“When did you know? I mean for how long have you known?”
He stared at the rug. “Before the second term holidays.”
“Since then?” she shouted. “How could you? Why?” She started crying profusely then.
“Sunshine, please. I don’t like seeing you like this. Don’t you know this is hærd for me too? How could I just look you in the eye and tell you all our dreams together have been dashed? Tell you all our promises of living together, traveling together and visiting tourist centers during our vacations would go unfulfilled. How? Tell me how?” Tears formed in his eyes.
For an answer, she put both hands to cover her face and wailed. Her wailings pierced his heart like a sharp knife. He couldn’t resist taking her in his arms. He held her while she cried. Eric tried very hærd not to cry also though tears were brimming in his eyes. He couldn’t imagine life without her.
When she was spent, he led her to a chair and made her sit. He went to the fridge in the neat kitchen to get her a glass of water. He made her sip from it; she took small sips and shook her head. She was so downcast; he didn’t know what to do. He had never seen her like this before not even when she had been crying that her mum didn’t love her. He sat down beside her and held her hand. He didn’t know what else to do.
After a while he said, “Why don’t you talk to your mum? You can come over when you are through with your secondary education. We can live our dreams over there instead of here. It would be more fun,” Eric brightened up at the thought. “I know your mum can afford it and she can come once in a while on one of her numerous trips to see you if she wants.”
Oleng looked at him and shook her head. She had to take a sip of water before she could talk. Her voice was broken from the wailing.
“No.’ she simply said.
“Why?”
“I’ve asked her before. When you first told me that your parents hinted that you would school over there. She told me I was joking. She doesn’t want me out of her sight. It was funny to me because she is never at home. So I wonder how I’m in her sight. If she finds out you’re going also, that will only make her refuse the more.”
“No, sunshine. Don’t be negative. You can talk to her again. I can even get my mum to talk to her. Maybe she can convince her to send you there also.” he prompted with hope.
She shook her head again. “Let it go Eric. There’s no hope. I know my mum. She won’t allow me to go. She doesn’t like me being happy. She likes to see me miserable. She hates me. I don’t know why but she does. She won’t agree because she knows I’d be happy to be out of her hair and be with you over there.” Tears slowly dropped as she spoke.
Episode 19
“I can talk to her. I can make her see reason.”
“No, Ricky. You’d only put me in trouble.” She wiped the tears rolling down her eyes again.
“I’ve got to try,Oleng. I don’t want to lose you.” he sorrowfully proclaimed.
She held his hand and smiled a little.
“You won’t lose me if we promise each other never to lose contact or stop communicating no matter what we are going through or wherever we are.”
“I promise. I promise.” he solemnly declared.
“I promise too” she affirmed and they hugged. When they broke it off, she smiled lightly and said, “Let’s look at the bright side. We still have about four months before you leave since your results will be out towards the end of the year.”
He looked down at their entwined hands and swallowed uneasily.
“My uncle over there helping me with the admission said it would be very good for me to come over there, write my SATs and all, familiarize myself with the surroundings and the way of life there in the university and for Damian to put me through with some things since he schooled there, before my results come out.”
“So when exactly are you leaving?” she fearfully enquired.
He looked down at their hands again and took a deep breath.
A week after my exams.”
She immediately took her hand from his and used it to cover her mouth as she continuously shook her head, whispering. “No.”
The tears that had stopped falling earlier on, rolled down profusely.
Eric didn’t waste time in taking her in his arms and comforting her. He however couldn’t control the tears that rolled down his eyes. God! He was going to miss her. His best friend.His sunshine. Sincerely, life would be meaningless without her. Would he be able to concentrate over there without her? He slowly shook his head He doubted it.
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Eric and Oleng knew they had little time together so they spent it wisely.l They were now more inseparable than ever After school, Eric would spend some time with her before going home. Whenever he was tired of reading, he would go over to her house.They spent their weekends together.
This was their normal routine except when her mother or Tessy was at home.
Time flew and Eric West African Examination Council Exams began Then it was time for NECO Eric decided to write the NECO exams just to spend more time with Oleng because it was only WAEC that was needed for his schooling abroadnHe had already written his GED and passed.l It was a hærd time for Oleng because she rarely saw Eric due to his exams and she was preparing for her own third term exams.
The exams finally came to an end On the last day of the exams, Oleng, Zinny and Marvy waited a short distance from the SS3 classroom. Physics was their last paper so Oleng was assured that Eric would come out smiling. He was a genius in physics. The art and social science students had finished two days. It was a joyous day for them and their friends from SS2 downwards had waited for them to come out of the hall to hug and congratulate them Hence, the three friends were waiting to do the same to Eric, Eddy and Dave.
“The way I’m feeling right now, I could k-ss them when they come out. Oleng, hope you wouldn’t mind me k-ssing Eric?” Zinny questioned smiling broadly.
“Just try it.” Oleng warned and they all
laughed.
“It’s Dave I know I can k-ss, certainly not EddynThat womanizer will read meaning into it and before you know it, he’ll want to get down with me.” Oleng said and they all laughed again.
There was a small silence before Marvy remarked with great emotion. “I’m really going to miss them. I can’t imagine lunch break without them anymore. I know for a while now we haven’t spent our lunch break with them because of their exams but it was just like a temporary thing to me then but now I realize it’s forever.”
“Yes Marvy. I’m really going to miss them. Eric’s charming personality, Eddy’s silly and flirtatious attitude, Dave’s quiet and cool nature. I’m not sorry to have known them. All thanks to Oleng here. If not for her friendsh¡p with Eric, we would never have been friends with such nice guys.” Zinny smiled.
“Yeah, thanks Oleng.” Marvy smiled also and hugged Oleng who just kept them quiet.
Zinny and Marvy kept recounting all their experiences with the three seniors. They discussed how the three friends were like them in terms of tribe Eric was from Rivers state, Eddy was from Anambra state and Dave was from Bayelsa state. Oleng was from Cross River, Ezinne was from Abia state while Marvy was from Rivers state…
TO BE CONTINUED