Unfulfilled promise episode 41 – 42
Unfulfilled Promises
Season 1
Episode 41
Vien shook her head,Her sister was still as insensitive as ever towards her daughter If she had known, she would have refused to br-ast feed Oleng so many years ago and to agree to take care of her till she was two years old Maybe br-ast feeding and taking care of her own daughter would have softened Linda’s heart towards Oleng Poor Oleng! Aunt Vien tried talking to her to forgive her mum for her rash behavior but the latter with tears in her eyes told her,
“Like I have told you so many times, Aunty Vien, I don’t have a mother.”
Oleng lightened up a bit but was still a bit moody until Edidiong talked to her.
“See Oleng, it has happened, it has happened It is time for you to move on I know it’s hærd but you just have to try You can’t continue living in sorrow all your life,You’ve got to move on.Frankly, I think it was God who actually took the baby back so you could move on with your life.”
“Then why did He allow me to get pregnant in the first place?” she countered in tears.
“Did you do anything to prevent the baby from coming?” she retorted.
Oleng lowered her head and shook it.
“You see?” Edidiong continued, “I’m sorry to say this but the baby would have become a burden to you You’re just too young to be saddled with a baby and you know my mum is too nice and will shoulder your responsibilities and that of the baby without complaining.So please take your mum’s advice and start all over again.” she wisely advised.
“Thank you very much.” was all Oleng could say
Great was her aunt’s joy when she told her she could enroll her for the G.C.E Oleng dived into her studies with great vigor She had to read extra hærd since she did not attend SS3 She studied very hærd with all the books and materials her mum had sent her Her cousins helped her study also She tried very hærd to put away thoughts of Eric and his dead son behind her.It was hærd but she focused on her studies.
September came but her mum didn’t show up much to her joy.She wrote the exams and waited to write the WAEC. She had changed from being a science student to a social science student.She felt with so much turmoil in her life she couldn’t read medicine anymore and she secretly hated doctors now She felt their carelessness had killed her baby so she opted to read banking and finance.It was tough for her because she had been in the science class before she dropped out but she managed to cope.She burnt the proverbial candle, Her aunt, ever encouraging had enrolled her in a lesson.
The results of her G.C.E came out and she made some papers but didn’t make some She wrote the UTME also She took WAEC to complete her papers.
She wrote the post UTME exam at the University of Calabar and before she knew it, she had gained admission into the university at seventeen She truly felt grateful to God for helping her out because it was tough business getting into the university these days.She knew some of her then classmates hadn’t gained admission She was grateful to her aunt too who had pulled some strings because the registrar was related to her husband.
Unfulfilled Promises
Season1
Episode 42
Oleng found herself attending lectures from her aunt’s place She was tired of being a burden to her aunt so she volunteered to live alone, closer to the school but Aunt Vien pleaded with her not to go because she would be alone in the house again and would miss her company terribly She even offered to pay her transport fare to and from school everyday as bribe but Oleng refused Since her mum was only good at stuffing her account with money, she should continue doing so.
She still wore the best clothes and jewelleries courtesy of her mum She wore them without passion because she had no choice If she wanted to buy her own clothes, it would still be with the woman’s money so there was no need cutting off her nose to spite her face Her new friends Debbie and Jennifer always admired her.
How I wish God had given me a mum like yours.” Jenny told her one day as they walked to their lecture hall.
“Me too o! “Debbie put in, “Throughout the year, I no go wear the same cloth.”
Oleng smiled sadly, “Be careful what you wish for girls.”
After classes, they went to a restaurant to get some drinks and snacks.
“God! Look at Collins! O God! If only this guy would just smile at me, I swear, I’d just die.” she wailed with wondrous eyes making Oleng and Debbie burst into laughter.
“God! He‘s so handsome. God must have spent a month making him.” she looked lustfully at the tall, dark and handsome guy in their class.
Oleng wondered what Jenny would say if she got a glimpse of Eric.She would probably say God spent a year making him She quickly pushed the thought of him from her mind.
“Why don’t you go over and say hello since you like him that much? Abi you dey fear say e no go answer you?” The almost albino-looking Debbie advised.
“I can’t do that It will make me look cheap.” She looked stricken at the thought.
“Then stop drooling over him and wait for him to make the first move,” Oleng put in.
“I’m going to get myself a bottle of water. Do you girls want anything?”
“No.” Debbie said.
“Yes. Collins.” Jenny replied and they laughed again.
Oleng walked slowly to the counter She became shy because she knew a lot of guys were looking at her She ignored them and managed to get to the counter without falling flat on her face with so many eyes on her She ordered for water.
“Hi.” A deep voice said beside her.
She turned slowly and was surprised to see Collins, the guy Jenny was head over heels for.
“Hi.” she said and turned back to face the counter.
“My name is Collins. What’s yours?” he drawled.
Oleng had to smile at that His handsomeness didn’t get to her, after all Eric had been more handsome.
“Oleng.” she replied after a while She wasn’t into the game of hærd to get because she didn’t want to be gotten.
“Nice name. You’re from here, right?”
“Thanks. Yes, northern Cross River.”
“I am from Delta state.” he informed her.
Oleng smiled. Jenny was from there also while Debbie from Akwa Ibom.
“I’ve been seeing you around our department and…” Collins rattled on but she drifted off, lost in thought.
There were quite a number of people there so it took time before her order was given to her She remembered asking her friends what they wanted and Jenny saying she wanted Collins So she decided to give her friend her request.
“Would you like to come over to say hello to my friends?” she asked smiling sweetly.
“Eh…” The handsome Collins was flustered for a second. “Sure.” he replied, grinning brightly.
He was indeed handsome but she wasn’t moved No guy had moved her since she lost the two Erics Even in her second year in the University, she still told guys who approached her that she wasn’t interested in a relationsh¡p Her beauty made it hærd for her to be the ghost she wanted to be Guys flooded her all the time.
“God! She’s bringing him over I can’t believe this.” Jenny looked as if she was about to faint
“Abeg calm down jare.” Debbie chided.
“Hey girls. Meet Collins Collins, these are my friends. Jennifer Nwabilo but we call her Jenny. Deborah Okon but we call her Debbie.”
They all exchanged pleasantries.Collins grabbed a chair that was vacated from a nearby table and sat astride it facing the beautiful girls.
“Jenny, you and Collins have something in common. He’s from Delta state.” Oleng commented with a smile.
“Really?” she was flushed. “Where exactly in Delta state?”
“Ibuzor.” he replied looking at her and smiling.
“I’m from Asaba.”
“Nice.” he replied.
“Please, you’ll have to excuse Debbie and I. We have to see someone.” Oleng informed them, standing up.
“We do?” Debbie was puzzled
“Yes. Remember Mrs. Em… Mrs. Asuquo.” she replied making eyes at her.
“Okay. That Mrs. Asuquo.” she caught on and got up also.
“I’ll walk you down there.” Collins offered, standing up also.
“Don’t bother. We’ll be back in a jiffy,” she sweetly smiled. “Just sit and chat with Jenny.” Oleng said and walked away with the smiling Debbie.
“Who be Mrs. Asuquo?” Debbie whispered as they walked away.
“I have no idea.” Oleng replied and they both giggled.
They all met for lectures the following day When they asked Jenny how her impromptu date went with her prince charming, she just shrugged and said,
“It was okay except for the fact that he somehow steered the conversation to questions about Oleng.” She smiled. “We talked about Delta state, this school, this and that, then all of a sudden he kept asking questions about you I told him as much as I could but he thought I was hiding things from him Why didn’t you tell me you knew him all the while I was drooling over him?”
“I don’t know him. Well, until we talked yesterday. He was the one who approached me when I was waiting for my order and as you ordered before I left, I brought him to you.”
Jenny laughed. “So you set me up? I knew there was no Mrs. Asuquo.Well, he walked me to my room when you didn’t show up He’s a nice guy but now that I’ve seen him up close and personal, he’s not so much of an enigma to me anymore.”
“Really?” Oleng asked bewildered.
“Alleluia! Alleluia!” Debbie sang.
Jenny hit Debbie playfully.
“I guess he’s okay but he has his eyes on you, Oleng.”
“Well, he’s going to have an eye problem because his eyes on me doesn’t mean anything to me.”
“Give him a chance, Oleng.” Jenny said.
Oleng was flabbergasted. “I can’t believe this. Less than twenty-four hours ago, you were drooling over the guy. Now you are shoving him at me? Are you alright?”
“Yes, though I think you’re the one not alright to throw away such an opportunity. Granted, I was tripping for the guy but talking to him yesterday just made me realize I was only tripping for his beauty Up close and personal, he’s not so gorgeous He likes you like every guy who has approached you and you have shunned.”
“I’m not into guys.” Oleng protested.
Her friends stared at her in shock before she realized what she had said.
“Na the reason why we be your friends? Abeg make we know o!” Debbie asked.
Stop it! I’m not a l-sbian. I was hurt by a boy in the past. So I don’t want to have anything to do with guys for now Until I start working before I can even manage to look at a guy because I know I’ll have to get married some day.”
“You’re joking!” Jenny said amazed.
“No, I’m not.”
“But that’s like three to four years from now.” Debbie was equally surprised.
So?” she shrugged nonchalantly.
“How will you survive it? How will you stay without a guy? Without a man in your life?”
“If you’re talking about s€×, I have done without it before and I will continue to do without it Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a V-rgin but s€× caused a lot of disasters in my life and I’m not about to embark on it any time soon. Been there, done that but not going back.” she said with pain in her eyes and walked out of the almost empty classroom leaving her friends to look at each other Each guessed that Oleng had probably gotten pregnant and had had to have an abortion They both felt sorry for her.
To be continued