broken and bruised episode 27&28

BROKEN AND BRUISED

Episode 27

Tobi stares at this different Mel he has never seen before she's bold and daring making him so lost for words, he has ever heard about women professing their love to some men and he has always laughed at the story given women are so shy at times but this Melanie, is something else, he continues to study her face and he can see she's beginning to look scared

"What's wrong Tobi.... did I say something wrong," Mel pleads with Tobi thinking he is changing his mind but then Tobi smiles at her

"You never said anything wrong babe, I'm just so lost for words that's all"

"Is it because of this pregnancy?..... Look the counselor had said it's possible to give it up for adoption if I don't want to have it....we can start over from there"

"Come with me" he takes her hands and leads back Mel to the chair

"Have a seat please" he pulls her a chair and she feels like she's a queen, Tobi pulls now sits on the table in front of her he wants to touch her tummy but he stops himself

"May I" he asks and Mel nods saying yes, he touches her tummy and Mel feels a strange feeling like the baby even knew who he was, the next thing she sees, Tobi is in tears, plenty of it, he even struggles to speak but all her attempts to ask him to relax and not cry is stopped by Tobi himself

"Melanie don't ever think about giving this child up for adoption.... whatever the case maybe, she or he will be our little baby, I so much want to see him or her grow up and become a big boy/girl"

"But it's not your child Tobi"

"Says who?.... this child is innocent and deserves to have a father" his tears trimming down even more and Mel has to clean his face

"But why are you crying Tobi.... I don't understand"

"I'm just so excited that's all..... but I'm also scared"

"Scared about what"

"What if Ronald one day comes back and looks for you and you realize that you still love him, what would happen"

"This fear you have is just something understandable, yes just four months ago, I was madly in love with Ronald and almost became his wife.......I know we would have made a perfect couple if I didn't meet my ugly fate but I must also tell you this, before the wedding I was already thinking of ways to opt out though not because I didn't love him" Tobi is not satisfied with her explanation

"Tobi..... what I had with Ronald was in the past and I'm very sure about my feelings for you.....it was Ron's choice to do what he did and I don't think he will stay single for long, he might come back a married or engaged to be married man" Tobi feels drawn towards her, their eyes locked and face touching, the next thing is their nose touching and lips slightly brushing on each other but Tobi gets up and walks away from her before going any further

"What's wrong" she asks

"Mel....this is too soon, I want us to just enjoy each other's company and love without getting intimate somehow, we shouldn't rush this beautiful feeling, till we get married, that's the best thing"

"You're right, I'm so sorry I got carried away somehow"

"Not only you but we both did"

"I think I should let you work, my coming here was not a good decision but I just needed to see you"

"I don't really have much to do and your coming here was not really a mistake.... I'm so happy to have you here" he looks at her as she now gets out her ice cream

"Melanie I don't know if I should ask this but I think it's necessary I do"

"OK.... go on"

"That man who did this to you, I mean that man who......"

"Who raped me..... what about him"

"What if one day you get to know him, what would you do" Mel's face changes and she puts the container down and looks at Tobi

"I pray I don't get to know him but a part of me also wants to meet him so I can look him in the face and ask why, and what I ever did wrong to deserve his cruelty" Tobi's hearts breaks

"I also want to meet him so I can thank him because all thanks to him, I got to meet you, the most wonderful man in this whole wide world"

"But what if he explains and you realize it wasn't his fault at all, would you forgive him"

"Forgiveness is the hardest thing to give away, and the last thing on the minds of people who are hurting so much.... so I can't say I would"

"But Mel, forgiveness always goes to those who don't deserve it, it falls in the face of all our pride, it moves away the mad inside so there is no end to what it's power can do" she looks pale and her tears start to gather up, Tobi comes to her and scouts down next to her holding her hands again

"Mel, even when the jury and the judge say you got a right to hold a grudge, forgiveness is that whisper in your ears saying set it free"

"Set it free?.... set it free and then what?... what Tobi"

"It will clear this bitterness away, it can set a prisoner free because there is really no end to what the power of forgiveness can do....so let it go and just be amassed by all you see through eyes of grace because the prisoner it really frees here is you Melanie" Mel can't hold back her tears anymore so she let it free as he embraces her in his strong arms

"I'm going to protect you Melanie..... I swear I'm going to just cry and let it all out"............

FEW HOURS LATER

Tobi drives a sleeping Melanie home in the busy street, he's so afraid of what explanation he would give her mother once they reach home because he has non, he continues to glance at her tired sleeping face and thinks she's an Angel, he had no plans to leave the office this late but he had a meeting with clients that took more time than he had planned so by the time he came out of the conference room, it was already coming to 8pm and Mel was already sleepy in the office all lonely, he collects the remains of the food she ate and drops then in the trash before proceeding to carry her to the car, she's really heavy Now but he could see she loved being pampered and pretended to be sleeping........ and now they are almost reaching her home yet he has no idea what he will tell Ofelia, it's after five minutes they finally do......... he arrives and packs the car where he normally does and comes out, Ofelia and her sister come out to see if it's truly them, it's obvious they have been waiting and very worried...... he says hello to them and then goes over to Mel's side, he opens the door and scoops her in his arms

" Can I take her in"

"What happened to her.....is she sick or what" Ofelia is worried on seeing Mel like that

"She's sleeping...all is fine with her" he walks to the house with her and the two women follow him, he puts her down on her bed and tucks her in properly

"I'm so sorry I didn't bring her home in time, I was held up in a meeting and I should get going now" he tries to walk past them but Ofelia steps in his way making him stop at once and face what he had been praying to avoid

"No son.....I had no idea Mel was with you because she clearly didn't go to see you but what I don't understand is why you're the one who brought her back home, how possible is that....what's going on, you have to explain now" Tobi is dumfounded again and all he can do is just scratch his Head......to be continued

Episode 28

"Start talking now....I need to know what this sneaky business is all about" Ofelia demands answers with hard straight face, Tobi knew she was going to ask him this question but he doesn't know how to answer her without sounding disrespecting, so he still keeps quiet

"I'm waiting for your answer, how long you're going to take in here all depends on your willingness to talk so start talking now

" So sorry Mum, we really had no plans of staying out this late, actually we didn't go anywhere, she was just with me in the office, I had plans of bringing her home earlier but I had clients who held me up till late....for that I'm truly sorry and I can only promise this will never repeat itself"

"I thought your relationship with my daughter was a healthy one until when she started lying to me today"

"Excuse me"

"Yes, Melanie lied to me, she said she was going somewhere brief and would not waste time coming back but only for me to wait for her in vain, she had me worried....but why would she lie about going to see you if there isn't something fishy going on between you two"

"Would you believe me if I tell you I had no idea Mel would come to my office"

"No I can't believe you"

"But I'm telling you the truth, I won't deny that we had plans of meeting in the morning but she also told me the same thing she told you, saying she had somewhere she needed to go to.... she even rejected my offer for a ride and that's it, I never insisted, I let her be and how she ended up in my office is also something I had no idea about, I just found her there.... I was going to come see her here at this time probably"

"If that's truly what happened, why didn't you two call to inform me, why did you make me so worried all day"

"Let me take the blame for that because it's true Mel told me her battery had run down but I had no idea she didn't inform you about her coming until when she told me after sometime, maybe we should have called you with my phone but that never crossed our minds"

"Of course why would it not cross your mind if all you do is" she stops herself from what she wanted to say so she composes herself

"Tobi, I know you're a good man and you have good Intention towards my daughter but I also want you to know that I'm very much aware of the fact that you're in love with her" Tobi is frozen at one place just, wondering how Ofelia knew

"My daughter has gone through a lot and still continues to do so, so I would not encourage you to get your hopes high with her or even ask her to be your girlfriend because I will not permit it, what's important right now is her health and the health of the baby she's carrying"

"I understand Mum but...."

"No Tobi, there is nothing you can say that will convince me here, Melanie is my daughter and my work is to protect her, I should have started doing it a lot more earlier, I would have avoided so many mistakes but it's not too late at all.......so like I said, you have done so much for her but you shouldn't take advantage of that fact, she's weak and still in no position to fall in love with anyone....as a pregnant woman, I don't think she's even interested in any form of intimate relationship, I don't want you to take advantage of the fact that she's so comfortable around you to think that she's in love with you, go out, look for your class and leave my daughter alone......you have already done so much for her that's why we all shall remain forever grateful, take back your job offer, give it to some one else, stop seeing my daughter and I shall forever give you the respect a gentleman that you're deserves" Tobi takes all this pain in and wants to cry but yet he can't cry in front of her, he understands Ofelia's point and yet he doesn't know why she would ask him not to see Melanie the love he just found and he's just starting to enjoy

"It's OK mum....I will keep this in mind.....good night" it's the only thing he could say and he tries to walk out but suddenly Mel does something he didn't even have the courage as a man to do, she kicks her blanket off and gets out of the net, for a few seconds he thought she was not really pregnant, she stands facing him and ignoring her mother at first

"It's not alright Tobi..... it's not, I can't believe you're just a stupid coward"

"Melanie.... were you not the one sleeping in the car"

"Well I felt sleepy and pretended to be sleeping when we we're on our way here.......just today for the whole of today, you made me find and have a reason to want to keep and have this baby when you promised me you wanted to be part of it's growing up and here you're giving up on a one day old affair.....well not just any affair but a beautiful affair between Melanie and Tobias why...Tobi why"

"Calm down Melanie, this isn't the best way to solve this" Ofelia is still lost for words to even react

"Are you going to listen to my mother and give up on what we feel for ourselves just like that" she now turns to her mother

"Mum, you had no right to tell Tobi such nonsense..... you should be grateful and so thankful to this man that I am alive today all because of his selfless sacrifice, if you can't see that well I see, this is part of growing up and healing, I know you're my mother but if you really know what's good for your daughter's health, you will not put a stumbling block for us.....you shouldn't have asked Tobi to stay away from me because it's already too late, he's now my boyfriend, and all thanks to you, I was able to realize I love him too, so yes, I went to see the counselor in the morning and that's where I got to know I wanted to be with him, I went looking for him and found him.....he made me smile and had me feeling happy all day long" Ofelia still so shocked to talk now decides to leave the room so quietly but caught her sister celebrating this news outside ever she has been spying Mel just gave her..........back inside, Tobi is not Happy with how Mel handled everything

"You didn't have to tell her we are already seeing each other Mel"

"Why?.... so she would run you out, and you never return"

"We could have found a way to meet without her noticing it"

"That means you still don't know Ofelia.... I was only protecting this beautiful story of ours"

"I'm so sorry I created you more problems"

"That's not true, Mum has to understand a pregnant woman also has feelings"

"I should get going now, we should talk more over the phone when I get home so take care"

"I love you Tobi.... drive home safe" she escorts him out, to the car and waits till when he leaves and then goes back to meet her mum who refused to talk to her, it's only her aunt who was all smiles............

Three months later

The relationship between Mel and Tobi is getting so serious but they have managed to keep it from the Media and other people, it's only a few close friends and families who were told about it, her mother has even accepted to the relationship....... Tobi has not introduced Mel to his mother yet but he's sure she's going to insult Mel from the word go but he intends to tell his mother, soon because Mel's days are drawing and seen they will be parents...... they continue to work, together with her finding it so hard to keep up with the rest of the staffs because of her condition, Tobi has asked her to stay home but she doesn't want to hear it.........

it's a Wednesday midmorning when the so busy Tobi is interrupted in his office by Melanie who has come to inform him she's going home and Tobi is surprised because her mood has changed and her morale is also down

"Babe do you feel sick"

"Just some slight headache and some fatigue I guess" Tobi even in his busy and tight schedule abandons his works and moves over to her side to attend to her himself, he touches her head and indeed there is fever

"Can I drop you Home, you really need to rest"

"No no... don't worry, I can find a cab outside, just don't worry about me I I only came to inform you....it's not very serious"

"I guess this means we won't visit my mother tonight like we had planned"

"You will get to know when you pass by in the evening on your way home"

"It's alright babe....I'm so sorry I'm just so busy lately and have almost no time for you.....it's not intentional"

"And why should you apologise for that Hun...... if there is someone who understands your situation more clearly it's me Melanie"

"I love you and take care"

"Love you too Tobi"..... they hug and she leaves, as she disappears in the glass building, Tobi continues to look after her longingly asking God to protect her for him.......but he also wonders why she has refused to move in to his complete house with her mother and aunt as they wait for the baby to deliver and then they can think about their wedding, she has totally refused and they are still in their small house.....

Mel reaches the reception area, she finds Janet with a glass in hand, she didn't pay attention to what she had in the glass but since they don't really talk because even if she greets her the babe will never answer, she just put down her bag on the waiting couch and heads to the ladies room that's just in the same building but somewhere far from the other busy offices, she had the urge to pee so she hurried in there, unknown to her the evil witch followed her, she opened the door and entered in there for close to three minute, she couldn't care less how she looks these days because she just feels heavy and so tired which becomes so irritating but she couldn't ignore the mirror in the room, she looks herself in the mirror anyways, she looked so unkept and so ugly in her own eyes, she wonders how Tobi is able to ignore her ugliness and embrace her everyday, she realises he definitely is a king especially when she remembers the fact that he makes it a point to come every morning picking her up for work, but he would kneel down on the hard floor and smear her legs with her lotion as he talks to her asking how her night was, she would be just starring at his handsome and beautiful face as she imagines how sweet his lips she has never tasted must be.......as she remembers and imagines, she becomes so excited coupled with the fact that she's finally going to meet her mother in-law today, she needs to look good and so presentable and that's why she should pass by the saloon on her way home.....she finally washes her face and comes out, she closes the door and sees no one, she heads back for her bag but she takes one step, the second and on the third one, she steps on something watery on the tiles, she tries to balance her heavy self only to fall on her tummy and hitting her face and tummy so hard on the tiles, she lets out a sharp and loud cry rolling on the floor, Janet who has been hiding somewhere runs back to her seat because she's sure Mel's cry has attracted attention....Mel continues to roll until when she stops suddenly so unable to move.......

To be continued