THE UNVEILING
It has been six months since Bolu died. Stanley has been exonerated from the crime of killing him. Betty is in prison awaiting final judgment. Kate is not sure of her position with Stanley since her dad Pelensiri died.
Susan lives in a lonely world without a husband or a lover. In spite of her inner strength and resolve her mind sometime wander around in ecstasy of finding a lover and somebody she could call a husband. She has become successful as the owner of an emerging frontline school in the city and more so, her ministry to the youths and unmarried is thriving well.
Susan’s pains lead her to her message to the hurting world and she is readily embraced everywhere she goes. In spite of her troubles, she finds equivalent benefits from her travails when she gets things to the Lord. Her story is like the Biblical Paul who in spite of his rising fame and prominence had a thorn in the flesh. So it is with Susan, her marriage life happens to be her thorn. Aside this, she is a very successful woman.
She had throughout been the one responsible for the upkeep of the children; so the only void Bolu really left is the tag of having a husband in her life, and once in a while having her sexual needs met. After his demise she realizes how pressed she feels once in a while as a woman to have sexual pleasure as demanded by her body. To have feelings for sex for many days without hope of being met in any way as a Christian woman who is dedicated to the core principle of abstinence for the unmarried isn’t an easy trial to bear.
Of recent, she has begun to receive advances from men; mostly married. Psychologically, they know how much she would need a companion. So she has the good, the bad and the ugly all coming around for her hand in a kind of relationship or the other. Even pastors of thriving churches want her. She is an asset of immeasurable worth to any man.
Susan will not jump into any relationship as she did with Bolu. Above all, she is not ready to mortgage the future of her three children because of a marriage.
Her mom called her sometime later: “Susan, my joy will be that you remarry. That will be the path of honour for you. You know you are still young and your body is still youthful.”
Mother,” Susan replies, “I have three children to take care of. More so, I cannot marry just because I have need of sex.”
“About the children, when the time comes we will find a way around it. You too need to be happy my daughter. Also, I am not saying that you are to marry just for sex alone. But I want us to be realistic of the sex drive of a young person like you since you didn’t choose the path of celibacy. Sooner or later you will realize you need a man; it is better you know this to avoid being pressured to take the wrong decision. Open your mind my daughter.”
“Thank you mother,” she answers her mom and they talk further on other issues before they both hang up.
Like a seer, her mom seems to know the pressures on her. She appreciates her concerns but as a more mature lady, she has learned to manage such pressure coming her way. Instead of dwelling on the thought of need for a male intimacy, she channels her energy into other areas of life like studies, expansion of her school establishment and more engaging opportunities out there.
A couple of days after her mom called, Stanley meets Susan in school. Stanley after several attempts to see Susan at home was met with brick wall he decides to meet her in her place of work today.
“What do you want from me and why are you trailing me Stanley?” Susan queries him.
“I want you Susan. Please I need you in my life.”
“It cannot work. Can’t you see the handwritings on the walls?
“Why are you avoiding me Susan?”
“I am avoiding you because I know too well that I have no business with you about getting married to you. Maturity requires us to know who comes into our world as a friend and the one who is around as a spouse. Failure to identify this has shipwrecked many.”
“Susan smiles and stretches her back on her seat and look straight into Stanley’s eye: “Do you want to hear this truth today? Stanley, you have been a small god in my life. I don’t just have feelings for you but my adrenalin pump with vigour like when the River Niger bursts its dam in August rains. Sighting you anywhere causes unusual rapture within me. You melt my heart and give me a heavenly kind of feeling. Even while Bolu was alive, I would have prefer marrying you a thousand times and over than get entangled to him. I have never stopped thinking on why fate had to work against such a pure love of mine. I don’t know Stanley, I don’t know. Do you know?”
“Susan!” he is perplexed and happy to hear this.
“Yes Stanley,” she replies happily as she finds the boldness to let him know how she feels for him.
“I am relieved to hear this. What then causes you suppress such love from me?” He steps forward trying to hold her.
“Stop!” Susan snaps at him.
“What again?” he is confuse than ever.
“I have come to learn in the hard way that to live the best life, you don’t express every fancy, desire and feelings. This is where discipline comes to play for the greater good of everyone concerned, for Kate, my children, your children, your political career and so many areas we may not be able to think of right now. True love is not selfish and never will it be. I can never want you in the path of hurt. Stanley, you are too dear to me.
“If you had not married Kate, you would have been the best thing to have happened to me. She is a woman like me; I want to respect her feelings. I will keep missing you and I hope the Lord will settle me well.” She smiles with a little painful contour on her face. Tears gushes out, she couldn’t hold back. Stanley goes by her side and has her relieve and their eyes lock and both develop unusual feverish feelings to devour each other.
“Susan, you know I love you.” He inches forward to ravish her with kisses then she heard her secretary knocks. She comes in to give her a message.
“Stanley, please one of my students has an issue out there. Can you come along?” They both walk briskly to the class to help out.
It is a student called Banke. She has been vomiting for days in school as she has an undisclosed ailment. But today, she faints lacking in energy and strength to hold on. After working on her to revive her back, the school matron suspects her to be pregnant; and that to a fellow student.
When Susan learns about everything, she shivers. “Banke, why are you repeating the same mistake some of us made in the past? Tears begin to pour down her eyes. Your education will be on hold, and we pray you will eventually have a good marriage in view of how you started out in life. Everything has its proper place and time; patience wins.”
Stanley and Susan get back to her office; Susan hasn’t come off the experience. Things should be done properly and decently, the voice keeps ringing within her. Stanley has been quiet for a while; and he begins to see himself as part of the school.
“I am sorry for the other time.”
“What is it?”
“I was about taking advantage of your state. After all you told me, I have begun to have a rethink. To have kissed you then might be like molesting your emotion please.
“Thank you for being thoughtful. Very true and I already had some guilt even though we have not gone so far as hold hands. I hope we will learn to tame our passion better next time.” She smiles showing forth her beautiful teeth.
“I hope so.”
“I have this plan for so long and I hope your wife will cooperate with me.”
“What is it Susan?”
“Trust me; give me Kate’s phone number. I want to be her friend. If you are my friend, she too would have to be my friend.”
Stanley hands her the phone number.
“I solemnly pray she will understand.” She saved it and as an afterthought asks Stanley to call his wife in order to develop some rapport from there.
“Hi Kate,” Stanley calls. “I am with Susan and she insists she talks with you.” He hands over the phone to Susan.
“Kate, I am happy to hear your beautiful voice today. I want us to be good friend and healthy one for that matter.” Susan speaks freely while Kate breathes heavily at the other end not knowing what to expect. “Kate, I know you love Stanley so much. I wouldn’t be a party to destroy your home.”
“Susan, you are a rare breed.”
Kate is initially on edge of anger, then gradually Susan masterfully relaxes her mood and she smiles and feels relieve before dropping the phone. She too is eager to meet Susan if not for any other reasons but to meet the woman who has captured the heart of her husband and probably find a way of taking the heart back.
“Stanley, let me tell you the truth of life that would help you heal and love your wife back. Everybody cannot be a Susan. Susan is a healer; she has her destiny though hidden in obscurity. She must learn to carry her cross well.
“Kate also cannot be a Susan; she was raised by certain kind of people. His dad is a daredevil breed well known in the land. You need to give it to Kate that she has remained with you in spite of it all. Her family background is in the public domain as the notorious one. Her dad loved her and deliberately wishes her the best kind of husband. Stanley, you are that husband.
“If she had married from her type her life would have grown into depravity of the worst kind. Through her integration into the Boudahas she too had learn to accommodate, understand and endure others. She may not be learning at your pace; please give her more chance.”
“How come you know what you are saying Susan?”
“Everybody knows the open secret; only the Boudahas don’t know. Why do you think she never left you for once? It must be her father’s wishes to remain. Even the worst kinds of people want to have the best cultured children even though they often don’t know how to raise one for themselves.”
“You also have the gift of the prophets Susan.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” she smiles. “Even in death, let us fulfill the wishes of Chief Pelensiri her dad. She wants his daughter, Kate to be happy and well oriented by all means. Stanley, let that become your own overarching goal for her.”
“How about you Susan: your joy, peace and wellbeing?
“God will sort me out.”
Everywhere is quiet for a while, Stanley reminisce deeply. Susan has helped him to understand things he never learned or understand these many years. With understanding come empathy, love, care and patience with one’s spouse. Now he feels guilty he hasn’t been very understanding with Kate’s background.
He now gives her the credit for her readiness to adapt to the culture of the Boudahas clan over the years.
“Susan, going around the school, I have the impression to make donation to your school; I will let you know the amount later; and probably help launch a special donation event using my influence and connections.” Stanley begins to see himself as part of her vision.
“That will be very great. I am deeply grateful.”
“I am more indebted to you Susan.” He stands to leave and they shake hands; more maturely and with better understanding.
