UNFORTUNATE LOVE (2)

Compliments of the Easter period. 

Just incase you haven't read Part 1, you  can follow up, by visiting this link.

http://thedrewxperience.blogspot.com.ng/2015/02/an-unfortunate-love-part-1.html?m=1

Here is the second and final part. *Wipes tears*

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‘I would be away for six months’. She didn’t say anything. She was sitting on the couch and I was squatting close to her, my arms were on her knees. She finally broke the silence. ‘When will you be leaving?’ Her voice was shaking. My heart froze. ‘In three days’ time, I have to be at Port Elizabeth to see my family before going. It’s going to be a hectic and rough ride as a result of the Benguela current but it’s the best option since there are no flights going to that region’. I stopped to catch a breath.

“Don’t worry, I won’t drown”, I tried to squeeze out a little joke.

She wouldn’t budge.

‘Tomi, you have to understand. Tomi, Tomi... say something please’

I was looking at her innocent eyes. They had now become sore and soft with tears forming inside them. She blinked in an attempt to absorb back the tears but only ended up wetting her eyelashes. I cursed myself within.

‘Don’t go’, she said. ‘Stay with me’.

I turned my head downwards.

‘Please understand, I’ll be back soonest’.

By the time I looked up, I caught her watery eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks by each side. I put out my thumbs across her eyes and wiped them off. ‘Trust me’, I said while placing her head on my shoulder. She held me tight. She hadn’t fully recovered from the thought of losing me for six months, maybe seven.

In few days’ time, I was en route. While at the compound given to the recruits to reside for the while, I tried calling everyday but the cellular network wasn’t favourable so I picked a spot where our lunch breaks were taken. The service was favourable here but this meant I had opportunity to call only during afternoons between the hours of 2 and 3.

After 5months of rigorous training at the rig, I was enthusiastic about going home in a few weeks’ time. Tomi sounded extremely happy over the phone too.

Those few remaining weeks felt like years to me. The eagerness was working in me. I couldn’t think of anything else but seeing Tomi. Somehow, I knew I ought to think of another thing. The final and delicate days for training were coming up and a little mistake could shatter one’s chances of getting an employment at the rig, afterall the training was like a demo to what a to-be employee’s capability was. There was no room for error. Therefore, I kept my head steady. I had a plan.

“Once I get this job and make some money, I would be able to get Tomi a fancy diamond ring before walking her down the aisle’, I thought to myself. ‘I would also make arrangements for her to join me here. Nothing would make her happier”.

Now, I had two days left at the site. I remembered how Tomi would sleep on my chest and I would pretend to be comfortable just to please her; or the times I would cuddle her even when my arms would hurt and I wouldn’t complain. I wanted to give anything to have all that again.

So it was time, I had to go. I didn’t bother calling. I wanted it to be a surprise, something like in movies and love stories; the things I didn’t believe in. How convenient!

When I got home, I was smiling sheepishly. I took a quick shower. It was a tedious journey back home. I was tired and needed to rest but NO. In no minute, I was in casual shorts and ironed Polo top, nothing heavy. I zoomed off, on my way to Tomi’s place. She stayed alone. I never could tell which one she loved the more; her privacy or a big bowl of popcorn she always dipped into while putting her emotions into paper. To me, she was like light at the end of a tunnel. She felt like coming home itself.

I floated around the compound when I got to her place until I finally found the right approach. I knocked on the wooden door with brief designs on each edge and a flower carving in the middle.

“Who is it?”, a voice came through.

It wasn’t her voice. I was already hiding beside the pillar close to the door. It could probably be her sister Lisa.

She opened the door. Yes, it was Lisa. I showed my face. She knew me, so it was only right for me to think she would exclaim with joy upon seeing me after a long while. This wasn’t the case. She was sad. What was even more exasperating was the fact that Tomi didn’t come out. No smile on Lisa, no Tomi.

“How are you?, What’s the problem? Where is Tomi?”

She heaved a sigh.

"What has happened?" My voice was shaky. I had gotten impatient.

“Tomi is in the hospital”, she replied.

“What for? What happened to her?”. I was becoming more and more agitated.

“She has,…. “  - She couldn’t go on. Tears trickled down. I held her shoulders.

“Talk to me please. She has what?”

“She has cancer”.

I paused. I stared at her in shock.

“No, no, no, what kind of cancer, what are you saying?”

Lisa wiped her tears. “The doctors are saying she has cancer of blood-forming tissues otherwise known as leukaemia”

I didn’t fully know what that meant but at this point, my eyes became watery. I only knew that cancer was deadly.

Apparently, Lisa was at Tomi’s place to bring some more clothes for Tomi who had been admitted at the hospital.

“Take me to her”.

In the taxi, I was mute. Lisa was mute. I had questions. The only thing I had more than questions were regrets. I regretted how I left her. This was the only regret I had, but I thought about it in hundred different ways, which made me think I had a hundred regrets.

When we got to the hospital, I immediately rushed into the radiotherapy ward, with Lisa’s help.

There she laid. She looked pale and lean. She was sleeping.

I touched her face. I felt the temperature on her forehead while my fingers started to stroke her hair. Her hair had reduced extremely. I stopped for a bit.

“That’s as a result of the radiation during radiotherapy”, Tomi said

She had woken up. I didn’t notice. I held her hands.

“I’m so happy you’re back. I missed you silly”

She paused and continued.

“I didn’t want to tell you about this because I wanted you to remain focused at your training”.

I could not conceal the hurt. I broke down. “I’m so sorry”, I said.

“Why are you saying this? It wasn’t your fault. I’m just happy you’re back” She was smiling.

“She hasn’t been this happy in a long time”, Lisa said.

Her mother had gone home to prepare dinner for her.

I feigned a smile back.

Just then, the doctor came in. “I need to see her mother or any other family member”.

Lisa rushed out with the doctor. Something was wrong. I followed.

“You can’t be serious”, Lisa blurted out.

“What do you mean ‘a few months’?”

“I’m sorry”, the doctor said and went off.

Tomi had just a few months to live.

I sat down there, desolate, and in tears. I couldn’t keep myself together.

I wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and disappear. I prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me. The pain was too much. I wanted to die.

 I wasn’t sleeping anymore. When I tried to sleep, I would wake up in the middle of the night and scream. Tomi was still in admission. I went to see her everyday. Sometimes, we would laugh and smile in between jokes...

But I died a little bit more inside every single day,

Because I knew life was speedily leaving her.