A woman's dilemma - Episode 62

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Francesca:


"Bus L8 is already here now." The announcement on the park's sound system causes a stir in the park. People start to hurry out as they drag their luggages into the back of the bus. I realize that it's been so long since I've seen the bustle of a park like this. To think for the past two months, I thought I was a simple woman with a fiancee who loved me to no end . My heart aches at the thoughts of how Gideon actually doted on me for the two months of my stay. I can't forget how meeting him back then when I realized I was pregnant again had been the only light in my dark marriage.
  Would we have ended up here if Francis hadn't tried to kill me? I doubt that but was I happy for those two months?
"Bus L8 is leaving now oh. Nobody should come later claiming to have missed the bus." I look down at my tickets. I've actually bought four in total already. I'd not been able to get into bus 5, 6 and 7. Ola face keeps flashing on my mind. My boy needs me. I don't even want to think about what Francis has been taking the child through for almost a year. Eight months Without his mother. I bury my face in my palms.
"Madam, you have been sitting there for an hour now. No be three bus don come go for your presence so?" The manager of the place comes to tap my shoulder

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. I lift my head from my palm. He's a younger man with white hair.
"Is the bus leaving?" I ask dumbly.
"Yes. The driver just called that a sit is empty. You need help? Do you have any bags?" He looks around me and I shake my head.
"There's no bags. Thanks." I pick myself up and start towards the bus. I stagger a bit and the man grabs my hand to steady me. He looks at me  with a weird expression. This is it. I'm leaving. Is this the last memory you want to have of the man who saved your life. Of screaming in his face? The thought slams into me suddenly and I come to a halt just at the door of the bus. Panic starts to bubble inside me as I lift my leg to go in. I know I'm making a spectacle of myself but I just can't move. I'm shaking.
"You're crying." The manager still holding my hand suddenly says, sounding alarmed. My hand goes to my face to find it wet with tears.
"I am." I say like I'm in a trance.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm not." I say more to myself than the man looking at me warily. He looks like he doesn't want to be dealing with me.
"I'm not okay." I say out loud then I look into the bus filled with people. They're actually looking at me weirdly now. Some start to grumble about the hold up but I turn to the manager.
"I can't leave." I tell him as I drop all the tickets into the hand he's holding me with.
"What?!"
"I can't leave him! I'm not okay!" I throw over my shoulder as I turn on my heels towards the road.
 "Madam!" I hear them scream as I run into the road like a crazy woman. I can't leave like this. I just can't. I cross the road and hail down a cab.
"The community clinic." I quickly say as I jump in.
"Are you okay ma'am?" The taxi driver must notice my crazed state.
"Just drive!"I yell at him.
"Okay okay." He mutters something I can't hear and I don't care. I quietly pray that I've not shot my chances with Gideon. I mean what was I thinking?! Someone likes me. Me, Francesca. Without any conditions. I'm sure he doesn't care about my size. Yes, I'm not as fat as I used to be but he'd said that he's been in love with me for too long. I'm a married woman with a kid and he saved me. Took care of my limp body for eight months and two months after that, he gave me shelter, food and love. I've never felt like this ever in my life. The excitement pulsing in my vein? It's intoxicating.
"Can you hurry up?!" I touch the taxi driver's shoulder.
"We're here." He grumbles at me. I look out the window and my heart beat accelerates to an impossible rate.
"Okay, I'm here." I breathe out as the car comes to a stop outside the clinic. What if Gideon is mad that I left and sends me away? I didn't think of that. My hand stops on the door.
"Are you coming down or what?"
"Huh?" I look to the taxi driver who I'm sure is certain that I'm not normal.
"Huh..." I trail off.
"Francesca?!" My head snaps to the side at the voice. I freeze. Gideon stands in front of the clinic not moving an inch and I think I stop breathing. Take me back! I want to scream but I don't think I'm in the position to make demands.
"Gideon." I cry out and that's all he needs. He starts running towards the car. I get frantic as well. I push the door open and jump out.
"Hey! You haven't paid me!" I think I hear the taxi driver yell at me but I don't look back.
  Gideon reaches me before I take another step and he takes me up in his arms.
"Baby." He sighs into my hair as he holds me up to his chest and I cling to him with all the life in me.
"You came back." He says and i start crying.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I cry.
"No." He drops me to my feet and wipes the tears from my face. I sniff back the tears so I can look at me properly.
"Baby, you're back. That's all that matters." He says.
"I never really left. I couldn't. I..I...I love you." I say and the look that flashes in his eyes is so intense, I'm sucked into it.
"You love me." He says rather than ask and before I can nod my head, his head is crashing down to take my lips in a kiss that turns my heart over.
"I love you." He murmurs continuously as he plunders my lips. I don't think I've ever been kissed like this ever. I feel like I'm the air he breaths in. His tongue caresses the roof of my mouth, sending thrills up my spine. I moan loudly and push my body into him the more.
"Abeg na who dey pay me?" The both of us pull apart from each other at this and I try not to laugh at the awkward taxi driver who is trying not to look at both of us.
"I'm sorry. Here." I put the remaining money I have with me into his hands and he hurries off to pull his car out of the clinic's compound.
"I think we just scared the poor man." Gideon says and I giggle.
"You just made a joke." I tell him like I can't believe it. The Gideon I remember crushing on in the University, would not tell a joke.
"Wait, you had a crush on me in the University?" He asks and I realize that I just said that out loud.
"Kinda." I said sheepishly.
"Wow. Maybe I should have done something all those years ago." He says softly.
"Years ago. Now. We're together Gideon. I'll never have believed it if I'd been told that I'll be right in this place I am right now but..."
"But?"
"I don't ever want to be anywhere else. I don't mean this clinic but anywhere you are. That's if you'll have me. And my son." I look up to his eyes to know what he feels about that.
"I'll die a happy man if you and your child will take me as a part of your family." My finger goes up and I catch the stray tear hanging just under his lower eyelash.
"You make me a happy woman, Gideon. I can't believe I was going to leave you. To leave this." I gesture around me.
"It's not the luxury you're used to." Gideon says softly and I shake my head.
"It's also not the happiness I'm used to. This is where I want to raise my son. With you."
"And any other kids we'll have?" He asks.
"Well, yeah. That's if you'll want to marry a fairly used wife and her son."
"Oh you're not where near fairly used. It's like you've never really been touched before me. I can see it in your eyes. And I don't mean touched in a physical way. I mean your heart. And I'll prove it to you." He starts to go on one knee.
"What are you saying?" I forehead actually wrinkles in confusion when he looks up at me from where he is crouched on one knee.
"Francesca..."
"Gideon?" Emotion clog my throat and I swallow hardly.
"Will you marry me, baby."
"Gideon.." I still can't say anything more with the tears assailing me.
"No, scratch that. Marry me Frances. Make me a happy man. You and your son."
"I don't deserve this." I can't help the sob that breaks out of me.
"Shhhh." Gideon gets off his feet and brush the tears from my face. More just cascades down to replace the ones he's wiping away.
"I don't deserve you." I tell him truthfully. I'm the abused wife. I'm the woman who let her husband push her around and cheat on her severally. Something this good can't be happening to me.
"It's happening, baby. I just need your answer." He says sheepishly as he waves the ring in front of me.
"Well, what are you waiting for?! Slip it onto my finger." I put my hand to him. Both our eyes come to Francis' engagement ring on my finger and our eyes come up to stare into each other's.
"Take it off." I say with certainty. The smile that breaks out on his face has me ripping the ring from my finger on my own.
"Slow down." He chuckles but I can see that he's pleased.
"You're never leaving me now, Frances." He says as he slips the simple ring unto my finger.
"Never." I slip both my hands around his waist and rest my head against his chest. Peace. Inner peace. That's what this is.
  We remain like this without saying anything more until the sound of a car zooming into the compound has us turning. When the car comes to a stop a few feet from me, I gasp.
"I can't believe this. Francesca!"
"Mom?" My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. My mother fumbles with the car's door before pulling it open. She stands just by the door and watch me with open tears.
"Is that you my daughter? Is your mother going crazy in her old age?" She asks just as my boy comes running out of the backseat.
"Mommy!" I pull away from Gideon and run to catch my little boy.
"Mommy!" He sobs as I pick his small body up and cradle him into my chest.
"My boy. You've gotten skinny. My boy." I sob over and over again. I barely recognize my father who looks so much older as he comes out of the driver's side of the car. I look back to see Gideon smiling at me. He mouths to me if I need privacy with my parents but I shake my head. I want him here with me.
"Frances." My father takes the few steps to get to where I am clutching my son and he take us both in his arms.
"You're alive. I can't believe this. Hell, I didn't believe it when the doctor called me to tell me this morning.

Read " Falling For Innocence " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. But your mother insisted we come. God, you're alive." This is the first time I've heard my father this emotional and it guts me. I'm almost brought to my knees but his strong hands hold me and my son up.
"Get over here, woman!" I hear him call to mother who's crying just beside the car. Her hands open wide for me. Her hair which is usually in pristine condition is ruffled on her head and her clothes a little crumpled. She's not like the mother I'm used to.
"Go to her. I think she's too shaken to move." My father let me go and take Ola from me.
"Frances." My mom cries out just before I launch myself into her warm bosom.
"Mommy." I sob as I bury my face in her familiar scent.
"My baby girl. I knew you were alive. I knew it." The hold my mother has on me is so tight but I won't have it any other way. My dad comes behind us and hugs my mother from behind with my son on his hip.
"Frances!" Gideon suddenly screams, breaking the reunion and with his screams come the loud sound of a car's engine.
"Francis." I gasp when the car's door flies open even before the car is put to a stop. The maniac look in his face is enough to force my heart into my stomach but the blood on his shirt? That just plucks my heart right out of my chest.

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  • Comments (20)
  • Rating (4.71)
  • Shiru picture
    Shiru
    Haven't read yet , I want to thank you in advance for this kind gesture, updates after updates, you're the best
  • Njoku chinenye picture
    Njoku chinenye
    This suspense is up
  • Moturayo Ayodeji picture
    Moturayo Ayodeji
    Thanks Juliet,I just love dis story ?
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    You're so welcome Shiru. I mean I love your comments every single time
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    It so is @ Njoku Chinenye
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    Thanks for following so far @ Moturayo Ayodeji
  • Michael progress picture
    Michael progress
    Wow!...this story is interesting. thanks for the update
  • Eunice Ache picture
    Eunice Ache
    What an emotional reunion. Had me almost in tears!
  • Ade Kemi picture
    Ade Kemi
    Thank you Juliet and happy birthday in advance.
  • Dolapo Oloyede picture
    Dolapo Oloyede
    Francis again? He supposed to pay for his bad deeds too
  • Benedicta Osei Arhin picture
    Benedicta Osei Arhin
    What a reunion! I hope it doesn't get bloody with Francis involved. Kudos Julie.
  • afolabiadeola68@gmail.com picture
    [email protected]
    This Francis is a Psycho. Thanks for the regular updates dear
  • Shiru picture
    Shiru
    You're welcome girl..
  • Delly Soglo picture
    Delly Soglo
    Francis is indeed a psycho what again does he want. I pray he doesn't kill any of them. Love you Julie
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    You're welcome @ Michael progress
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    Awwwn @ Ade kemi. You remembered. Isn't your baby's birthday the same day? Or do I remember wrong. BTW thanks so much
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    Thanks Benedicta
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    You are welcome @ afolabiadeola
  • Ameh juliet picture
    Ameh juliet
    Love you so much more Delly
  • Ogunbusola Omobolanle picture
    Ogunbusola Omobolanle
    Francesca and Gideon had always bn my favourite combination. I don't lyk Amy nd Benedict love story, it doesn't seem real. Weldon Jules, u are a Darling
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