Unheeded

“But this is what you always told us, ‘Never judge a book by its cover'. But you are judging this book by its cover.”

“This is a different matter. This is a different issue. You can’t use that in a matter like this. Here you need to look beyond face value.”

“Oh! Mum, here you go again.”

“Yeah! I've been around this world far more than you. So many experiences and so many lessons learnt. I know when I see a red alert.”

“So, are you saying I shouldn’t get married to him. But he loves me so much. What you think you've heard about him, isn’t any of his fault. I've heard his story. He told me everything.”

“See, Judith, ‘You can take a boy out of the hood but you can’t take the hood out of the boy'. He only can do that himself.”

“But I’m a full grown adult. Can’t I make my own decisions? Live my own life?”

“Yeah! Sure! You can. But...”

She cuts in. “But remember when I had an issue with Melvin, you said, ‘In life, you must learn to follow where your heart leads you. Love conquers all'. This is where my heart leads me. This is who I love.”

“This is not your heart leading you. You’re just been blinded by sentiment and love insincere. Do a thorough check and you’ll find this to be true.”

“So, what do you suggest I do?”

“I suggest you marry Terry. You’ve known him for so long a time. You’ve known him so well as you can see through a glass. He’s a young fine good man.”

“But mum, he’s just a very good friend.”

“A very good friend that can be the most adorable husband. I'm assured he would take good care of you. Do you want to say you don’t have any feelings for him? Do you want to say you don’t love him?”

“That was before I met Melvin.”

“You now decided to leave him heartbroken. Terry indeed loves you. You’ve left him devastated.”

“If I don’t marry Melvin, I’d rather remain single.”

“I can see you’re hell bent on marrying this man. You’ll sure hurt yourself. You’ll pierce yourself with many sorrows.”

“Mum! But I thought you've got my back?”

“Not in this. Don’t come later asking me, why did I get married? I won’t answer that question.”

“Mum, can I be left alone?”

“Ok. No problem. Bye.”

********

Celine and Jude have been separated for some years. They were so many odious attitudes of his that she couldn’t stand anymore. She had tried to condone them but things kept deteriorating. Situations grew worse. It started making inroads into her health. It was affecting her mentally. So she decided to pull away from the marriage.

“Mum, why did you leave dad?” Judith asked.

“Because we want to figure out some things,” Celine replied.

“Figure out some things leaving my brother and I all to ourselves.”

“But you've always have me with you. You stay with me.”

“No mum, it can’t be compared to when we had both of you. Both of you with us.”

“I know. But am still there for both of you.”

“No mum. You’re now more occupied than you used to.”

“Yeah. I know. It’s to give you and your brother a better life.”

“Any time I ask dad to find out what caused the separation. He always tell me to ask you and that you were the one that left him.”

“Yes. I left him. Your dad was driving me insane. I was losing my marbles. It’s better we are apart.”

“Mum!”

“Yeah! You were aware of some of his bad habits I bore. It’s better to have both of us still alive and sane than one gone. We can still do our beat while apart.”

“Oh! Mum."

*********

“Hello! Dad.”

“Hey! How are you doing my angel?”

“Not bad. But...”

“But what? Who is bothering my angel love?”

“Nobody dad. It’s mum.”

“What happened? What did she do to you?”

“She, she doesn’t want me to marry Melvin.”

“Why?”

“She said he wasn’t good enough and that he was going to hurt me.”

“No! He definitely can’t lay his hands on you while you have me.”

“No dad. She didn’t mean beat me. She meant hurt my feelings, my self worth.”

“Celine has started again. She has started with her premonition. She’s always assuming the worst. Don’t mind her. Melvin is a good guy. I'll talk to her.”

“Oh! Thank you dad.”

“Anything for you, my angel.”

“Oh! Dad. Dad, how are you doing?”

“I'm fine my love.”

"Bye dad.”

“Yeah! Bye my angel love.”

Judith still married Melvin despite her mum’s disapproval. Jude talked to her to let their daughter marry the man of her choice. She made him see reasons why she disapproved of it but he just couldn’t understand her reasons. He couldn’t see things in the light of how she saw them. It wasn’t too long in the marriage that Judith began seeing so many things that were at first hidden to her. Melvin had a child for another woman he never told her about and as at the time they got married, the lady was pregnant, expecting a child soon. He enjoys one nightstand. It was so devastating. She was traumatised.

"Please forgive me. I can still make changes," he begged.

"How do you want to when someone is expecting a child for you?" She asked.

"You Still have me. I still have you. Please..."

She cuts in. "No! I don't have you. Neither do you. She has. She has a leash on you. You're the father to her children."

"Don't worry I'll pay her off. I was never married to her."

"Then what happens to the children?"

"I'll take care of them."

"Then what happens to the lies you told me? What happens to your bad habits?"

"Please I'll change I promise you."

"There's no point. I think it's best we go apart. Let's go apart and straighten up things. Then probably we can come back together again."

"Please don't do this to me. Don't leave me in the rain," he begged on his knees.

"No. It's pointless pleading. You've left me in the rain. You've left me in the cold. You've cut me to the deep. You've slashed me through with a knife. This you have done several times. I need some time to heal."

Judith is sitting next to a mirror. She could remember how her mum warned her earnestly but she didn't heed. The scales have fallen off her eyes. It was a bitter experience she would have avoided. If only her dad took sides with her mum probably she wouldn't have gone headlong, she thought.

"You don't have to wear your heart on your sleeves. You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders. Loving yourself and moving on is all you need to do."

She could hear her mum's words as if she was standing beside her. Tears flowed like a broken dam.