For Part 1-18 go to:
https://worldchangersnetwork.org/category/story-with-lessons/careless-love/
CARELESS LOVER Part 18
THE PROPAGANDA
Few days later Helen chatted Felix and she demanded more money for her upkeep.
“I believe I have given you more than enough already.”
“I’m your wife and I need to be given the best care,” she replied.
“I just believe you’ll allow me to rest once I’m married and away from your grip.”
“Married to who?” She snapped. “So you’re planning to replace me with that imbecile church girl?”
“You can call her anything, she is my adorable angel.
“I still love you and I’ll not see anyone take my place.”
“Bye.” Felix ended.
Helen wouldn’t take no for an answer, she kept troubling him the next one week until he transferred another sum of money to her. She is cashing on Felix on the ground of her pregnancy.
Helen went down to the journalists hub downtown to meet Donald. He pointed to a chair for her without saying a word as he puffed a cigarette stick.
“I’m here,” she said.
“I’ve moved on with my life,” Donald said.
“I’m back into your life.”
“No, go back to your rich boyfriend.”
“I have a business for you, and I’ll pay you well.”
“I don’t want your money,” he said irritatingly. “Do you think I’m so cheap and poor? You’re insulting me with that.”
“Please, I may have hurt you before. I’m sorry, come help me.” She knelt down pleading.
“Stand up. What do I do for you?” He finally yielded to her plea.
“I want to blackmail Felix.”
“Your supposed husband?”
“I don’t care, everything should come down now. His reputation, his love life and whatever. I’m a woman who’s extremely jealous and I cannot stand another woman taking my place.”
“That’s bad job. When love goes bad, move on with your life, looking back could cause you further harm.”
“This is my trouble not yours.”
“OK, what do you want from me?”
“I have a story to tell and I want it as it is. I want a story of my romance with Felix on all possible newspapers. I want him to be portrayed as a hardened person denying to accept the pregnancy and me.
“Secondly, I want him to be painted as a sex pervert with series of girlfriends. Then distance the source of the blackmail from me.”
“Proofs to establish him as culpable?” Donald asked.
“Here they are.” She brought out some pictures of Felix with good number of girls.
“This will do,” he said after going through. “Scandals around Felix, the young CEO of Experon Payment System will make good news.
“Thank you Donald.”
“Where’s the money? How much is it?”
“Fifty Thousand.”
“Make it a hundred to get it round the several paper prints in the hub.”
“Seventy five, last.”
“OK, he smiled mischievously. “One more thing, access to your honey pot. I missed it this long.”
“Sleep with a pregnant woman?”
“That completes the deal. Without it you can take your leave. I sleep with anything I fancy; that’s my business.”
“If that will make the job a deal, have it.”
“Let’s get a good place to do that.” He was happy as they drove out of the hub for rounds of sex.
“How many months is your pregnancy?” Donald asked after the sex escapades.
“That’s not your cup of tea. Do you want to take responsibility?”
“No, I only marvelled at your top level play on the bed just now.”
“You are silly,” she spoke angrily. She transferred the money and left the hotel hastily.
The next day Agnes drove furiously to Felix’s office.
“I can’t watch you ruin Mary’s life,” she bashed into his office talking at the top of her voice.
“What’s the matter again?”
“You pretend to be good. See for yourself.” She opened the newspaper in her hand along with an online blog showing the numerous girls in Felix’s life.
“That’s not me. I’m only responsible for Helen. Nothing more.”
“Mary could fall for your lies and her dad, but not me.”
“Believe me.”
“Spare me the explanation. Get this clear, move away from her; she’s too innocent to withstand this.” She walked out on him before he could say anything else.
She drove to the church to see the pastor and the wife. She explained the whole ordeal of Mary and how she felt Felix to be a playboy and why he should be stopped.
The propaganda gathered so much momentum that Felix’s phone rang from morning till evening. Everyone wanted to know what has gone wrong. His Mom too called.
“Felix, I don’t want to believe all that I’m hearing.”
“Nothing like that,” he smiled. “Somebody is out to tarnish my image. Possibly the upcoming competitors.”
“Rora se omo mi,” she told him to be careful. “God will give you victory.”
“Thank you mom for always believing in me. I’ll not disappoint you ma.” He fell into one of the couches in the office to relax. Then the pastor’s phone rang.
“I’ll want to see you by evening, 6:00pm.”
“I’ll be available sir.” Felix was unperturbed, probably this was due to the pressure he’s been through while growing up and as the handler of Experon Payment System. He has tough skin to match the scandal. He believes this too shall pass away.
In the evening he journeyed to the church to see the pastor. Getting there, he saw Mary and Agnes already in the church office.
Mary smiled at him while the others looked a little cold.
“Have your seat Bro Felix,” the pastor said. He had his seat and the pastor cleared his voice and continued: “I have always taken after Christ’s teaching that we should not judge by sight no matter how obvious the situation may look.
” What do you have to say about the news making the rounds across the country – you know it has gone beyond our city?”
“Pastor, I don’t know anything about everything except the shrouded story of Helen. Beyond that nothing more.
“My only concern is Mary. I’ve promised her never to hurt her in life. I hope she will believe me.”
The pastor was silent for a while, then he spoke: “Mary, do you believe him?”
Mary sighed deeply and she began: “I cannot explain the strange experience I had since I came out of the coma. I may not say categorically what Felix can do or not do but this I know: Felix will never watch me being hurt.
“I still believe something is wrong somewhere though I cannot lay hands on it. As for Felix, he is a good man.”
“Why would you trust him despite all these proofs before us?” Pastor Toun, the wife of the Senior Pastor said.
“Mommy,” Mary said to her pastor’s wife, “Felix loved me deeply. I love him too. He had the chance to sleep with me sometimes ago, yet he will not do that; not even a kiss.
“The little time we have spent together had helped me to understand his strength of character. If he will not sleep with me as someone he proclaimed love for why go for strangers?”
“Casanovas are hard to track,” Agnes refuted Mary.
“Agnes, I’m the one in this relationship. A Casanova ultimate game is to have sex with his prey. Felix had the chance with me in my moment of weakness. He may have been silly in time past but he’s human.
“This is my conclusion: Even if it happens that our relationship don’t work after all I’ll continue to love him for his gentleness, care and the big brother role in my life.” Mary ended her talk still smiling.
“What else do I have to say?” The pastor said without expecting an answer. “Felix, what do you have to say?”
He smiled: “I just want to thank God that he gave me a true friend that knows me. At the moment only Mary and my Mom found reasons to vouch for me in the midst of these controversies.
“I could understand my mom’s ground as a mother with longer years of relationship. But Mary got to know me recently. To know so much of me within this short period makes me class her an angel indeed.
“Thank you Mary,” Felix concluded.
“On a final note, Felix, do all you could not to betray the true love Mary has for you.”
“I promise again and again. Thank you pastor, thank you ma and thank you Agnes.
“Special thanks to Agnes, I understand the true love you’ve for your friend trying to save her from hurt.”
The three of them left the church for their respective homes.
“Theirs is a rare kind of love,” the pastor’s wife said.
“I admit,” the pastor said.
“Is that all you’ll say?”
“Say what again? The woman in you want to talk.”
“Meaning what?”
“You want to gossip,” the pastor said laughing at his wife. Pastor Toun charged at him like a wild cat but gently pulled his cheek. “Good husband don’t talk like that.”
“Okay, now I know.”
“Know what?”
“You want to play love,” the pastor said, “after listening to those wonderful lovers.”
“Truth is, I respect their courage to stand for one another in this instance especially Mary,” she added. “It made me to want to play love again.”
“I love you,” pastor said knowing what she wanted to hear. She would want to hear those words possibly a thousand times a day.
The pastor held his wife closely and gave her an assured kiss.
At the other end outside the church premises Mary and Felix stood talking.
“I can’t explain you Mary, I was afraid I would lose you.”
“Like you would say,” Mary said, “I’ll love you through eternity. No matter what, even if the gangs of sea drys up and the mountain melts.”
“I love you Mary.”
“Felix, come kiss me now,” Mary wanted.
“Ha ha,” Felix laughed, “I’m a freed prisoner just now. I need to show double commitment to our love Mary. Thank you.”
Mary shrugged forward and held him closely with her head to his chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Felix said.
They were together holding each other for a while and they parted into the dark night.
Is the coast clear for the lovebirds?
Watch out for Part 19
