Must Read: Before She Dies

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Before She Dies

Thelda sat on the bed, tapping her feet on the floor in vexation. A cup of lapsang souchong was in front of her. She took a sip of the tea and grimaced as the liquid went down her throat. Her mind was on what the broadcaster said on the network news. The broadcaster had announced that Reagan and Lucia were found dead at N0 7 Steve Avenue and investigation had already commenced to ascertain the cause of the death of the wanted criminals. Their death wasn’t her problem, her headache was that Anabel had turned against her and was still out there probably planning with Stella to expose her. She thought of the implication if they did that and took the cup in her palms. She looked into it, raised it to her lips and took another sip. She returned the glass to the stool and shook her head in despondency. Her thoughts suddenly diverted to the senator and she remembered he had just asked her to meet him in thirty minutes. She had received his call when she was listening to the network news. Not minding her sad mood, she began to miss the senator and hungered to be with him.



They hadn’t been together since her husband was taken out. In as much as she longed for him, she regretted why she allowed him into her life in the first place. Whatever she was presently passing through was caused by the senator. It was for the senator that she killed her husband and it was also for him that she had turned against her only daughter. Even at her regrets, she still knew there was nothing she could do to change the situation; the senator now lived in her and was now a second part of her. The senator’s joys were now her joys and his pains were her pains. She allowed her back and it slowly dropped to the bed. She stretched to the pillow, collected it and placed her head on it. She closed her eyes and the memory of that day it finally dawned on her that the senator now lived in her was brought back.

***

After their first day in bed, Thelda spent seven days in fasting and prayer, begging earnestly for God’s forgiveness. Though she was a Roman Catholic, she could not bring herself to go for a confession. She was afraid the priest would be tempted to make mockery of her for allowing such mistake that could cost her salvation to take place. On the last day of her fasting, she had become so thin that her husband was forced to intervene.

“If you continue starving yourself like this, you’ll end up losing your life.” Williams who was carrying her on his laps looked in her eyes with concern and stroked her hair affectionately.

Thelda said, “I’m tired of our childlessness.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’ll continue fasting and praying until God blesses me with the fruit of the womb. Does the scripture not affirm that with fasting and prayer, we move God?” She paused as Williams ran his palms over her face and got rid of her tears. She continued, “I want to have your baby.” Her voice was such touching that Williams found tears flowing down his cheeks. Thelda swept her palm through his cheek, “I love you my darling and will not leave God until he rewards us with a child."


Williams hugged her and whispered in her ears, “God will surely answer us soon.” He gently disengaged his arms and raised his eyes to her blue eyes, “But you’ve to start eating. You’ve emaciated and I don’t want you to break down at this critical period of my campaigning. I want to see the both of us at the government house in good health when the result will be announced.” He rested his palms on her cheeks and smiled, “Can you now follow me to the dining, my darling?”
Thelda smiled, rose slowly and they moved to the dining room. When they finished eating, Williams leaned forward and kissed her. He stood, stretched his hand, took hers and helped her to her feet. She asked her to close her eyes and when she did, he slapped her butt0ckz playfully. Thelda stayed for a while, opened her eyes, looked around and didn’t find her husband in the dining room. She looked at the sitting room, then, looked up and saw him running up the stairs. She chortled and ran after him and when she finally caught up with him in the bedroom, he was already Unclad.


She started laughing as she slipped off her gown, then, turned off the light and they went to bed. At 7 0’clock the next morning, her husband had left for a campaign in one of the outskirts of the state. Thelda came out from the bathroom and moved to her make-up kit. She was still applying her lipstick when her cell phone rang. She took it and looked at the screen, it was the senator. She hissed and threw the phone into her handbag. She wasn’t going to give the devil another chance. She fastened her earrings, collected her handbag and her phone started ringing again. She ignored it and descended the stairs.


When she got to the sitting room, the phone rang again and she took it out. I had better warned him never to pester my life again. She thought. She angrily punched a button and the senator said, “How’re you my lady?”
Thelda frowned, “I’m not your lady.


Whatever happened between us last week was only a mistake. I don’t want you to disturb me again. You almost ruined my life and my marriage. Please don’t call me again.” She hung up. When she was driving to her office, the senator kept calling her but she refused to pick up. In her office, he called dozens of times but she didn’t answer. When she was driving home, a text message came into her phone. She reached home and opened the message. It read: I’m sorry for what happened last time. I promise it won’t repeat again. Would you mind giving me an opportunity to show how sorry I’m? It matters a lot to me. I’m waiting. Thelda went through the message over and over again, contemplating on the decision to make. She concluded she was not going to give in to the senator’s demand but when she thought of her husband’s political ambition, she changed her mind. She feared the senator would pull out from supporting her husband once she declined the offer. When she realized she had no other choice, she grudgingly called him. He picked up immediately and said,
“Thank you my lady for calling back.”

Thelda said angrily, “Call me that again and I’ll hang up.”