When the doctor broke the news of Mel’s pregnancy, it was a very heavy blow to Ron who has never touched her, he did well to hide his anguish and anger and asks the doctor to leave the two of them alone, she does but tells them to pass by her clinic so they can start with visits right away, she congratulates them again and leaves….. on meeting very anxious others in the living room, she feeds them with the good news, it’s only the minister who is delighted for the news and Mel’s mother too, Perry looks shocked because Ron had sworn that he has never touched Melanie, their mother and patience some what angry with this new change, they all decide to go congratulate the couple and minister lets Ofelia know that it’s now better Mel remains there so she doesn’t stress herself and be well taken care of………they head to the guest room all together……….. Melanie sits covering herself and trembling while shading tears, she has not said a word ever since the news was broken to them but rather everything comes back like it just happened this morning, she could here voices in her Head, voices of mockery and many many telling her she deserves it, that she’s cheap and called this on herself, she could still feel his touches in every core of her skin……she tries covering her ears so she won’t continue to hear them but that’s when she’s brought back to herself with a sounding slap, she sits still and looks up to see Ron so furiousand enraged “I’m sorry…..I’m so sorry” she says amid sobs “Melanie how could you…. how could you be so heartless and choose to break my heart like this” “I’m sorry” “Who is the the bastard you have been sleeping with, tell me now before I do more to you” “Please Ronald sit down and let me explain” “You have no right to demand that from me Melanie…… you pretended to be an obedient girl and even made me believe you were different from others when in reality you’re worse” “That’s not true” “What’s not true huh?….. here you’re pregnant yet I have never touched you ……who do you think you’re?…. Mary the mother of Jesus?….. I should have seen and realised you’re nothing but a cheap prostitute, you made me introduce you to my family, declare to the whole world you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with when all you wanted was to ruin me and indeed you have ruined me completely” “I have never cheated on you Ronald, never and my God is my witness” “No no no….don’t bring God into this Melanie….. don’t annoy me more by bringing God into this……you have been acting so strangely and I thought you were just showing me the other side of you that I didn’t know, then you started sleeping out side home” “That only happened once and I tried to explain but you stopped me in the middle” “Don’t use that as an excuse Melanie….. you were lying to me that day and it was obvious, I couldn’t let you continue with the lies as if I’m some fool but this is the last stroll, this is the limit” the shouting match continues with both of them talking amid tears, they have no idea they are not now the only ones in the room when Mrs Pope descends on Melanie with the poor girl’s second slap “You slut, how could you bring shame to this family we have worked so much to build, we took you in and accepted you even when some of us saw right through your façade in the first day, I knew you were not the right person for my son but I respected his choice” she’s ready to strike her again but Ofelia holds her arms”I won’t let you touch my daughter again…. I’m not justifying Melanie but it would be the right thing to do if we let her explain what really happened” “Look at this shameless woman, your daughter here who knew she wasn’t good enough for my son pretended to be an angel to get her way into this family and now that her true self is revealed you still have the guts to tell us we should let her explain….. truly an Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” “That’s enough” the minister comes in “Let’s not all be carried away by this……miss Ofelia is right, it would be good to hear her side of the story, Melanie doesn’t strike me in a way a loose woman would” “I can’t believe you’re on this pretentious woman’s side Dad” patience adds but Perry shuts her up, Perry has been providing counselling services to troubled people aside from running her Charity organization, she has dealt with so many similar cases and she thinks all of them are not handling Melanie in the proper way, she walks over to her brother who is crying more this time, she for the first time can see Melanie is unwell both physically and psychologically, she could see her tremble in fear, she turns to the rest of the people in the room “I will have to ask all of you to excuse us, I need to talk to her alone” Ron doesn’t want to saying he needs to hear all the lies Mel is going to come up with but Perry says that’s the only way they can get to solve this “Melanie is not alright and if she’s not handled properly, she’s going to lose her Brain or even take her own life……. they all agree to leave with their mother and Perry hauling insults at Mel on their way out, minister has to tell them the discussion should not cross the corridors……….. Perry looks at a very up sent minded Melanie who is just looking at nothing in particular but the tears continue to flow…..she can tell that Mel’s mind is not there but travelling a thousand distance, Perry in her heart can already tell what this is but she’s afraid others will not understand this, she sits on the bed next to her yet Mel doesn’t even feel, she takes her hand in hers and Mel jerks up from her touch, just the sign Perry needed to be sure ” How are you feeling now” she asks as calmly and gently as possible with tenderness and love in her eyes and voice, Mel could see it’s a pure affection in Perry’s eyes and it’s the first time she’s seeing someone truly cares ever since all this happened, she bursts in tears and Perry gives her a shoulder to cry on, Mel cried and cried so loudly for a long time with no interruption until when she finally stops, Perry takes her hands again and looks her in the eye Do you wish to talk about it” she asks “I’m here listening” “No one will believe me” “How will you know if you don’t let it all out, would you love it more if they continue to judge you wrongly” she starts to cry again “I’m here waiting no matter how long it takes, I’m not here to judge you but to understand you…I’m still so sure you and my brother can make beautiful family despite this minor problem” “I’m so scared” “Don’t be…just tell me, did someone force himself on you?” “I….I….I was raped Perry, I was violated” “Oh my God!….. how did this happen” she narrates everything that happened from the phone call she received from their mother to waking up in the morning shattered and broken, the story was so painful that Perry too started weeping, she remembers she was home with her mother that evening playing cards but before that, her mother came from upstairs where she could clearly tell she was on phone only that she didn’t hear what the phone call was about, she continues to look at Melanie with no words to say “Did you tell anyone about this” “No…not even my mother but I tried telling Ron when he paid me a visit the next day but he would not let me continue” “Why, you should have reported this to the police so you could get help both medical and in finding whoever was responsible” “I was scared no one would believe me……I had no money” “You should have talked to me” “I had no means of communication, they took my phone and bag, I was mentally unwell and I couldn’t leave the house for the next five days” “If we take this issue ahead,will you be able to identify him any thing on him you remember?” she bursts in tears again “I can’t, I don’t know him” “It’s OK I believe you…. let me be the one to talk to Ron and do me one favour, don’t cry any more and don’t stress yourself, I’m going to lock you up here so no one can disturb you, let me now handle this myself and please no more tears, what you need now is not the tears but you need help” Perry kisses her on the forehead and tells her she loves her, she leaves the room with Mel feeling somehow relived her burden is been taken somehow, the heaviness in her heart is reducing…….. Perry comes down to find everyone quietly seated and anxiously waiting for her, Ron is the first to see her but her attention is on their mother, studying her so well and Mrs Pope can tell this pregnancy is somehow connected to what she had planned but she couldn’t care less after all everything is working out so well……Perry finally swifts her gaze towards her brother “Can I have a word with you, dad and Mel’s mum alone” “Impossible….. we’re all part of this and you shall have a word with all of us” her mother protests, she’s only protesting because she doesn’t want the phone call incidence to be brought up “Well then….. not here though” “Let’s use my study” their father adds and they all head there……. to be continuedWhen the doctor broke the news of Mel’s pregnancy, it was a very heavy blow to Ron who has never touched her, he did well to hide his anguish and anger and asks the doctor to leave the two of them alone, she does but tells them to pass by her clinic so they can start with visits right away, she congratulates them again and leaves….. on meeting very anxious others in the living room, she feeds them with the good news, it’s only the minister who is delighted for the news and Mel’s mother too, Perry looks shocked because Ron had sworn that he has never touched Melanie, their mother and patience some what angry with this new change, they all decide to go congratulate the couple and minister lets Ofelia know that it’s now better Mel remains there so she doesn’t stress herself and be well taken care of………they head to the guest room all together……….. Melanie sits covering herself and trembling while shading tears, she has not said a word ever since the news was broken to them but rather everything comes back like it just happened this morning, she could here voices in her Head, voices of mockery and many many telling her she deserves it, that she’s cheap and called this on herself, she could still feel his touches in every core of her skin……she tries covering her ears so she won’t continue to hear them but that’s when she’s brought back to herself with a sounding slap, she sits still and looks up to see Ron so furiousand enraged “I’m sorry…..I’m so sorry” she says amid sobs “Melanie how could you…. how could you be so heartless and choose to break my heart like this” “I’m sorry” “Who is the the bastard you have been sleeping with, tell me now before I do more to you” “Please Ronald sit down and let me explain” “You have no right to demand that from me Melanie…… you pretended to be an obedient girl and even made me believe you were different from others when in reality you’re worse” “That’s not true” “What’s not true huh?….. here you’re pregnant yet I have never touched you ……who do you think you’re?…. Mary the mother of Jesus?….. I should have seen and realised you’re nothing but a cheap prostitute, you made me introduce you to my family, declare to the whole world you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with when all you wanted was to ruin me and indeed you have ruined me completely” “I have never cheated on you Ronald, never and my God is my witness” “No no no….don’t bring God into this Melanie….. don’t annoy me more by bringing God into this……you have been acting so strangely and I thought you were just showing me the other side of you that I didn’t know, then you started sleeping out side home” “That only happened once and I tried to explain but you stopped me in the middle” “Don’t use that as an excuse Melanie….. you were lying to me that day and it was obvious, I couldn’t let you continue with the lies as if I’m some fool but this is the last stroll, this is the limit” the shouting match continues with both of them talking amid tears, they have no idea they are not now the only ones in the room when Mrs Pope descends on Melanie with the poor girl’s second slap “You slut, how could you bring shame to this family we have worked so much to build, we took you in and accepted you even when some of us saw right through your façade in the first day, I knew you were not the right person for my son but I respected his choice” she’s ready to strike her again but Ofelia holds her arms”I won’t let you touch my daughter again…. I’m not justifying Melanie but it would be the right thing to do if we let her explain what really happened” “Look at this shameless woman, your daughter here who knew she wasn’t good enough for my son pretended to be an angel to get her way into this family and now that her true self is revealed you still have the guts to tell us we should let her explain….. truly an Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” “That’s enough” the minister comes in “Let’s not all be carried away by this……miss Ofelia is right, it would be good to hear her side of the story, Melanie doesn’t strike me in a way a loose woman would” “I can’t believe you’re on this pretentious woman’s side Dad” patience adds but Perry shuts her up, Perry has been providing counselling services to troubled people aside from running her Charity organization, she has dealt with so many similar cases and she thinks all of them are not handling Melanie in the proper way, she walks over to her brother who is crying more this time, she for the first time can see Melanie is unwell both physically and psychologically, she could see her tremble in fear, she turns to the rest of the people in the room “I will have to ask all of you to excuse us, I need to talk to her alone” Ron doesn’t want to saying he needs to hear all the lies Mel is going to come up with but Perry says that’s the only way they can get to solve this “Melanie is not alright and if she’s not handled properly, she’s going to lose her Brain or even take her own life……. they all agree to leave with their mother and Perry hauling insults at Mel on their way out, minister has to tell them the discussion should not cross the corridors……….. Perry looks at a very up sent minded Melanie who is just looking at nothing in particular but the tears continue to flow…..she can tell that Mel’s mind is not there but travelling a thousand distance, Perry in her heart can already tell what this is but she’s afraid others will not understand this, she sits on the bed next to her yet Mel doesn’t even feel, she takes her hand in hers and Mel jerks up from her touch, just the sign Perry needed to be sure ” How are you feeling now” she asks as calmly and gently as possible with tenderness and love in her eyes and voice, Mel could see it’s a pure affection in Perry’s eyes and it’s the first time she’s seeing someone truly cares ever since all this happened, she bursts in tears and Perry gives her a shoulder to cry on, Mel cried and cried so loudly for a long time with no interruption until when she finally stops, Perry takes her hands again and looks her in the eye Do you wish to talk about it” she asks “I’m here listening” “No one will believe me” “How will you know if you don’t let it all out, would you love it more if they continue to judge you wrongly” she starts to cry again “I’m here waiting no matter how long it takes, I’m not here to judge you but to understand you…I’m still so sure you and my brother can make beautiful family despite this minor problem” “I’m so scared” “Don’t be…just tell me, did someone force himself on you?” “I….I….I was raped Perry, I was violated” “Oh my God!….. how did this happen” she narrates everything that happened from the phone call she received from their mother to waking up in the morning shattered and broken, the story was so painful that Perry too started weeping, she remembers she was home with her mother that evening playing cards but before that, her mother came from upstairs where she could clearly tell she was on phone only that she didn’t hear what the phone call was about, she continues to look at Melanie with no words to say “Did you tell anyone about this” “No…not even my mother but I tried telling Ron when he paid me a visit the next day but he would not let me continue” “Why, you should have reported this to the police so you could get help both medical and in finding whoever was responsible” “I was scared no one would believe me……I had no money” “You should have talked to me” “I had no means of communication, they took my phone and bag, I was mentally unwell and I couldn’t leave the house for the next five days” “If we take this issue ahead,will you be able to identify him any thing on him you remember?” she bursts in tears again “I can’t, I don’t know him” “It’s OK I believe you…. let me be the one to talk to Ron and do me one favour, don’t cry any more and don’t stress yourself, I’m going to lock you up here so no one can disturb you, let me now handle this myself and please no more tears, what you need now is not the tears but you need help” Perry kisses her on the forehead and tells her she loves her, she leaves the room with Mel feeling somehow relived her burden is been taken somehow, the heaviness in her heart is reducing…….. Perry comes down to find everyone quietly seated and anxiously waiting for her, Ron is the first to see her but her attention is on their mother, studying her so well and Mrs Pope can tell this pregnancy is somehow connected to what she had planned but she couldn’t care less after all everything is working out so well……Perry finally swifts her gaze towards her brother “Can I have a word with you, dad and Mel’s mum alone” “Impossible….. we’re all part of this and you shall have a word with all of us” her mother protests, she’s only protesting because she doesn’t want the phone call incidence to be brought up “Well then….. not here though” “Let’s use my study” their father adds and they all head there……
To be continued
