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 asksMel….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” “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…
