Blemished Love Episode 2 – Loudest Thoughts
Grissel woke up late. It was the first time she was oversleeping.
‘Gosh my body hurts’, she complained to herself yawning. It was just as if she forgot herself and the events of last night.
‘Tom are you in the study?’
She called out and walked out of bed and her legs hit her torn night gown on the floor. She looked down and as if the same force from last night pushed her wedding night into her brain.
Grissel walked back slowly to the bed and had a seat.
As if her tears were sent a special invite, they flowed freely.
‘Tom I hate you. This is not how to start.’
She stood up and paced around.
‘Okay get it together, he is your husband now and the man you love.’ She murmured to herself while picking up a blouse and slipped it on.
He located her blue flip flops on the rack and the next thing was the sound of the door banging.
***
Tom was seated in his office on a Sunday which was supposed to be their thanksgiving.
His office door flung open which startled him.
‘Aunty wh…at are you do…ing here,’ he asked stuttering.
She gave him a look which explains she knows something.
‘Mike called you didn’t he?’
‘What were you thinking Tom?’
‘I’m sorry Aunty, I didn….’
‘Hold it, tell that to your wife when you get home.’
“I can’t go back to that house.”
‘Oh you will, pack up your stuff now.’ His Aunt yelled.
‘I’m not going with you besides I can’t look her in the face.’
‘You will when I drag you there.’
‘What exactly did Mike tell you?’
Tom called Mike when he sneaked out to his office and narrated the events of last night to him, hoping he would keep his mouth shut.
“What is wrong with you?” Julia was fuming with anger. “Did I not raise you well enough?”
‘Aunty this is not about raising me well.’
‘Should it be about defiling your innocent wife of just twelve hours and then hide in this office when you should be home ashamed of yourself?’
‘Innocent indeed.’ He murmured to himself.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing, I just coughed.”
“Stupid boy, get yourself in your car now.”
“What if I don’t want to go Aunty?’
‘You want a harassment case filed by your wife right.’
‘She dare not do that.’ He raised his voice with fear. ‘That’s not even possible and besides she has no proof.’
‘I guess you are forgetting where she works Tom. Just get yourself out into the car already.’
‘Okay,’ he said with a skipped heart and picked up his car keys.’
“I will drive behind you.’ His Aunty said.
‘We would have to pass by KFC.’
“What for Tom.”
‘It’s almost lunch time, I want to get some food for us.’
‘That’s not important now, Grissel will make lunch.’
‘How sure are you,’ he said and frowned.
‘I know Grissel, she knows her responsibility even in difficult times.’
‘But I’m hungry now, I didn’t get to eat breakfast because she was fast asleep.’ Tom feigned hunger. ‘What makes you think she would be up getting lunch?’
“Whose fault was that. And what makes you think she isn’t up preparing lunch.”
‘Okay, let’s not go there. I can still get back to KFC in case your instincts fail you.’ He announced quickly.
‘Trust your wife, she loves you.’
‘Love.’ He mentioned and smiled.
‘Looks like you are not happy about that news.’
‘Oh I am, I get to eat home made meal,’ he feigned a smile.
‘Let’s get going.’ Her Aunt announced.
They both walked out and got into their cars.
Julia, who took over her sister’s responsibility since she died giving birth to Tom feels she over pampered him. She did everything like her sister asked. Because of Tom and her sister she never got married and never given birth as young as she was then.
She accepted Grissel when he brought her home and treated her like her own. She just loved the girl.
Grissel is the gentle type. Hardly talks about what’s bothering her which Tom seemed not to have a problem with. She was certain they loved each other after a year of being friends and another year of dating. But his demeanor earlier gave her second thoughts.
‘Was he fooling them all this while just to destroy Grissel like he did to the other women.’
Julia was still in her thoughts when her phone rang.
‘Mike, yes I got him. We are on our way home though I planned leaving him at the gate.’
‘Thanks a lot Aunty.’ Mike responded at the other end of the call.
‘I should be thanking you. Let’s talk when I get home.’ She said and hanged up.
In no time they were packing in front of the house.
‘I messed up and I’m sorry. No, she won’t believe that.’
He shook his head.
‘I love you and I didn’t mean to hurt you. Which love?’
Tom who was rehearsing how to apologize to his wife stopped when his Aunt knocked on his glass.
He opened it reluctantly.
Julia sat down and gave him a scornful look.
‘Now you will get in there and apologize to Grissel.’
‘Wait, you are not coming in with me?’ He asked hoping for a positive answer.’
No I am not.’
‘Why, I thought you will help me out in case she sends me packing.’
‘It seems you don’t know your wife at all.’
‘I do, just that this is a different case and I wished I had some one accompanying me.’
‘Really, who was there when you jumped on her like an animal?’ Julia yelled. ‘Just get in there and tell her whatever comes to your mind.’
‘I can’t do this.’
‘You can, look that lady loves you more than you even do yourself.’
‘How do you know that?’ Tom knew he was wrong about last night but it seems something else is worrying him.
‘I know everything Tom, from your escapes down to Amy’s abortion.’
‘Huh!’ He exclaimed.
‘Oh yeah, Seattle new Hospital.’
‘Aunty?’
‘Don’t Aunty me.’
‘How di… d yo.. u..’
‘Imagine I know, who else knows.’
Tom gave her a weird look.
‘Gris….’
‘Yeah she knows son and hasn’t said anything about it.’
Tom looked so ashamed of himself and kept his head down on the steering.
‘You are ashamed, I get that Tom but your wife wasn’t ashamed. She freaked out when she found out but I intervened.’
He nodded.
‘Do you know what she said?’
Tom shook his head again.
‘Look at me son.’
He raised his head slowly unable to look Julia in her eyes.
‘She forgave you Tom.’
‘You think so?’ He asked.
‘Yeah, she knew about Amy and then went ahead with this marriage.’ Julia reassured him.
‘I don’t trust that forgiveness.’ He whispered.
‘Would you have preferred she confronted you and cancelled the wedding because I don’t see how that would have solved anything?’
‘But she could be planning something evil Aunty.’
‘Shut up you ingrate. I stopped her from confronting you.’
‘Thank you.’ That’s all he managed to say at that point realizing there is sense in what Julia was talking about.
‘Now you will go in there and clean up your mess.’
‘I thought I had reasons for what I did last night Aunty but it’s so clear Grissel is my wife now.’
‘Reasons?’ She asked raising her brows.
‘But it’s all cleared now.’ He said.
‘I know first nights can be overwhelming and you keep thinking whatever goes wrong and right had reasons but son it’s all in your head.’ She advised. ‘Get over yourself because you are married now.’
‘Though your advice is late but I have no other choice than to take it.’ He managed a sigh while Julia got out without looking back.
She walked into her car, got on her steering and drove off. Tom got out reluctantly.
‘She will forgive me, I know but would I be able to forgive her. What am I even saying.’ he hit his head so hard and decided to sneak in first before driving in.
He opened the gate slowly and entered. He was glad he hasn’t got that security yet. The door was just as he left it. He entered and the aroma froze him in front of the door.
He knew where that was coming from so he walked towards the kitchen so as not to make lots of noise.
He stood at the entrance watching through the curtain.
Grissel who was so tired after just two sauces, a pack of fries and one cartoon of chicken leaned against the wooden table that the kitchen appliances were connected to.
She never gets tired but she’s not so sure why she’s so tired that afternoon.
Tom kept peeping. ‘I love this lady.’ He thought.
He walked into the kitchen and Grissel didn’t even notice she got company.
‘Enough for two?’
She jumped up.
‘Sorry I startled you,’ he walked over standing in front of her.
Grissel looked up from where she kept her face when she got startled.
‘This chicken tastes amazing.’ He said leaning against the table closer to his wife.
He looked her in the face and wondered why she was smiling.
‘What?’ He asked sheepishly.
‘Nothing, just the way you are munching the chicken reminds me of the fi…..
‘The first time I told you I love the fried chicken you made.’
‘Yeah.’ She responded with a smile.
There was a cold wave that introduced itself into the room and silence engulfed them.
‘I’m sure you must be hungry, let me just get the table set.’
She announced out of the blue and was walking away when he held her back.
‘Do you think we could talk later?’
‘Okay, let me just get your food ready.’
‘Get some rest Grissel. I will set up the table.’
‘Huh’, she exclaimed with a surprise grin on.
‘Oh don’t give me that look. I know how to do that at least.’ He grinned and walked away fetching plates.
‘Alright, I will wait in the dinning.’ Grissel walked out while constantly looking back.
***
Julia got home and slumped on the sofa.
‘Aunty, where did you go this early?’ Melisa asked coming from the kitchen with a napkin in her hands.
Julia looked so exhausted and just rolled her eyes.
‘Did you just roll your eyes?’
‘No my eyes rolled itself, come on Mel, I’m not in the mood to exchange words today.’
‘I’m sorry, but you left without waking me up, I’ve been waiting since morning till breakfast got cold and lunch is ready.’
‘Sorry, I had an emergency. Can we eat now? I’m sure you must be hungry.’
‘Emergency?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you couldn’t leave a note.’
‘It won’t happen again Mel. Can you let this go already.’ Julia was getting fed up with her niece getting over suspicious.
She knew how Melisa could make an issue of every small thing.
‘Was it Tom again? Has his marriage crashed already?’
‘Melisa,’ Julia yelled with an expression that gave her out.
‘Wow, so that was it.’ She smiled mischievously.
‘Be happy for your brother and his new family and stop wishing evil comes their way.’ Julia winced. ‘I’ve always told you, if I were to wish your mom evil you both wouldn’t be in this world now.’ Julia finally said almost in tears. She knew that was the only thing that would put a stop to their unhealthy conversation.
Melisa rushed off to the sofa.’ I’m sorry. I promise to be good from now on.’
‘Thank you, I’m hungry. Can we go to the dinning now?’ Julia quickly changed the topic and stood up.
‘But what was the deal with you and mom anyway,’ she asked curiously leading her to the dining.
‘You this smart girl. Give up already.’
‘Okay, sit here. Let me get your food.’ Mel announced and disappeared into the kitchen smiling. She loved her aunty so much that her tears became her weakness.
‘Necessary Evil.’ Julia whispered to herself after she left.
‘But you know Grissel is too young for Tom right?’ She yelled out from the kitchen.
‘Come on, she’s twenty eight and married to a thirty year old which I wish was you.’ Julia knew it was wrong to compare the both of them but she knew that was the only way to shut her up.
Luckily, she never said another word but came out with food on a tray and a gloomy grimace on.
****
Melisa was five years when her mom left home one early morning to give birth to Tom and never came back. She hated Tom for their mom’s death. Though they both somehow accepted it was fate when they grew up and moved on, they hardly got along.
Melisa being a party girl, though not the high class type knew how to have good fun.
She had several failed relationships that cut her deep.
She wasn’t the type to say “I have tried and failed, so let me give up.”
Melisa always had men flocking around her even to her door step but she wasn’t done having fun yet to settle down.
Somehow Julia felt her niece was becoming another version of herself and she disliked it so much. At sixty, she was still single and her niece had clocked thirty five and wanted nothing to do with marriage.
Since her sister died, she hadn’t thought of men. It had always been work and the kids. She felt she owed her that much. Besides she couldn’t leave two young children alone in a foreign land.
Julia always thought of going back to Ghana with the kids but she hoped when they grew up they would make that decision for themselves.
Julia and her sister Joyce came down to the states in their youthful age. They worked to gain the freedom they enjoyed presently in the foreign land.
She always told the children, “In those days, things were a lot easier than they are now.”
The children’s father was a topic she never hid from them. Melisa had several memories of him leaving when their mom got pregnant, something about not wanting another child.
Melisa was a Doctor by profession but stopped practicing suddenly while Tom worked for Arts Engineering Ltd as their manager. She however took over her Aunty’s event planning business which she managed not to ruin over time.
To be continued
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