She'd go into a frenzy of cleaning and cooking and dolling up for a weekend with a man who promised to love and protect her for a life time. Promised and failed woefully to keep it but she kept letting him in, every time.
'He is my husband no matter what. What would you have me do?' she'd remark anytime Obinna had pointed out the futility of this cycle to her.
His relationship with his father had been incinerated a long time ago and he felt no particular urge to rekindle it. In fact, the only reason why he had diligently worked at being able to stand remaining in the same room as him was because he knew that any open animosity between them would hurt his mum but as far as he was concerned, his father had given up his fatherly rights and privileges when he had chosen to move in with and marry his business partner with whom he had been having an affair which had resulted in a pregnancy rather than honour his matrimonial vows to his mother.
'It's not even as if you did not give him a son. Are you God that gives children? So if no other child has come, it is now your fault?' Obinna had blasted during one of their numerous fights during his teenage years.
'He is still your father! You can not...'
'It depends on what you mean by father.' he had retorted and his mother had burst into tears.
He remembered that particular visit. He had been so antagonized that he had sulked for days afterwards, refusing to eat at home and almost making his mother ill with worry. It had been the argument after which he had turned a corner in his tumultuous home life. It had not restored his relationship with his father, but it had made him very protective of his mother.
"I think it's okay as it is." he remarked as he turned off the burner. Learning to cook had been the therapy that had restored his relationship with his mum and he found out that he liked being able to prepare his own meals if he had to.
"Mum, you remember that my friend I told you was in a coma?" he asked as he turned to join her at the counter.
"The lady doctor?" his mum confirmed. "How is...? Has there been any change? Chai! May God help the poor girl!"
"Amen." Obinna allowed her finish. There was no stopping his mother on a roll.
"She's awake." he announced and the knife his mother held clattered to the counter top as joy lit up her expression.
"Praise God!" she exclaimed. "Why did you not tell me since! You know I have been praying for her. How is she? Hope there was no damage?" she asked.
"Some. But she's awake and she's recovering and coping." he replied.
"Praise God! She will recover fully." his mother prayed as she picked up her knife and continued with her chopping.
Obinna leaned on the counter. "Mummy, if I said I had found the girl I want to marry...?" Obinna started and had to grab his mother as she suddenly slumped against the counter in shock.
"Haihn! You this boy! You will not kill me. What kind of shocking news is that to tell your mother so casually?
"Ah ah! Which one is casually or serious? I'm just asking..." Obinna started to reply but his mother cut him off as she dragged herself to a stool in the kitchen.
"So you have been seeing a girl without letting me know?" she accused.
"Mum I don't tell you everything, you know that don't you?" Obinna retorted mildly.
"This one is important! You want to marry this girl! Who is she?"
"Sarah Jane." Obinna replied crossing his hands over his chest in a combative stance.
"Sarah Jane? Isn't this the ..." His mother's forehead wrinkled in a thoughtful frown as she tried to analyze the information being presented to her.
"Yes, Sarah Jane that just woke up from a coma." Obinna confirmed.
Mrs. Chikwere sighed deeply, shaking her head gently.
"Mama you've not met her yet." Obinna began to complain.
"If I meet her and tell you I don't like her, will that make any difference to your decision?" his mother riddled him.
Obinna was belligerently quiet.
"You see, I do know you my son. You already decided you will marry this girl. Nothing I or anyone else says will change your mind except she says no."
"Are you hoping she says no?" Obinna asked, a trickle of alarm going through him.
His mother watched his face for a long moment. "Why this particular young lady?" she asked.
Obinna was quiet for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "She...knows what she wants out of life." he began. "Life has not dealt fairly with her but she just sucks it up and moves on. She's intriguing and...She's shy but you wouldn't realize it when you first meet her. She's very sensitive too." Obinna bungled along, trying to explain the inexplicable to his mum.
A small smile dawned on his mother's face as she watched her son try to explain to her why he loved this girl whom she had never met but had heard so much about. She almost slapped her own forehead at her inattention. If she had been as attentive to her son as she should have been, she would have realized long before now that her son was in love and that the likely culprit was this girl that had been unconscious.
"Mum, at least meet with her first before you make up your mind." he requested.
"I will meet with her. Not because I think that if I said no you'd drop her. I'm curious to meet the girl that has my usually gung-ho son tied up in knots like this." she smiled. "I hope she's worth it."
Just then the door bell rang followed by a loud series of knocks on the front door of the apartment. Obinna felt his shoulders tense reflexively. That was his father at the door.
His mother eyed him and his change in posture and shook her head in defeat. There really was no arguing with Obinna about his father.
"Please get the door and behave!" she ordered as she got up to continue with her preparations for the meal while Obinna shuffled reluctantly to the door.
He really hated spending time with this man.
CHAPTER 19
There were tears in Sarah Jane's eyes.
Happy tears. She was long overdue for some of those. She sat quietly, almost pensively so, in the magistrate's office.
A smile touched her face as she heard the door creak open and the smell that was Obinna reach her nostrils. The door shut behind him and he rushed to her side and took the seat next to her taking hold of her hand as he did so.
"He'll be here soon." he assured her of the magistrate's imminent arrival. Sarah Jane's smile widened.
"I was half hoping you would have come to your senses and bailed before he got here." she joked semi-seriously.
Obinna squeezed her hand. "Not likely. If I haven't come to my senses by now, it's unlikely I'll be finding them anytime soon." he answered cheekily.
"Tell me again quickly why you would want to do this to yourself?" Sarah Jane demanded urgently as a wave of panic washed over her. "We can't have children, I won't risk having children. I...what can you possibly find attractive about me? I'm a..." Obinna put a finger to her lips to silence her.
"Freak? You're...one of a kind." Obinna said. "I don't know if you understand just how in awe of your strength I am."
"Pfft! Strong? Me?" Sarah Jane scoffed. "I have just lived as the cards dealt me have dictated."
"You could have cut out of the game at any time." Obinna remarked. He was quiet for a short while before he continued. "For awhile, I was worried that you might." he said solemnly.
Sarah Jane smiled with nostalgia. "Is that why you kept coming to check on me?" she asked.
"Partly." Obinna replied. "Mostly because I liked seeing you and spending time with you and that was the only way you would let me do it then so I took it. It was better than nothing."
Sarah Jane sensed that someone else had joined them in the room and she tensed. Being vision impaired had been a real challenge. She, who was use to jumping right in with any situation, had had to learn to depend on others to help her. It had been a daunting and humbling experience.
"So this is the lucky bride I have heard so much about." the man intoned.
Sarah Jane turned towards the voice that had spok
en.
"Good afternoon Sir." she greeted.
"Good afternoon, my dear." The kindly voice greeted. It put her in mind of a portly grandfatherly type but she knew through conversations with Obinna that this particular magistrate had a reputation for being as hard as nails on the circuit. Sarah Jane decided that it must be because he had to be that way when he was on his bench. This man was a sweetheart. She could tell.
"So are you ready to put up with this cracked case as your husband. I almost feel sorry for you, what you'd have to put up with!" he joked.
Sarah Jane turned sightlessly towards Obinna. Was she ready? Was he ready? Would they ever be ready? Where they really going to do this? Wasn't it crazy? There were so many questions running through her head as her tension communicated itself to Obinna through her trembling hands. He squeezed again. He had taken to doing that a lot. She took a deep breath and squeezed back.
"I'm ready if he is." she said.
"I was born ready." Obinna said as they both turned as one to face the Judge.
As Obinna helped Sarah Jane out of the car, his face beamed with all the proper proprietary pride. His wife. This beautiful, strong, freakish and fiercely independent woman was his wife. Yep! He had his hands full and he did not wish it any other way.
She couldn't see it but she was beautiful. She never had seen it even when she had been sighted. She had always been too riddled with her need to excel to revel in something that to her, would have seemed as pedestrian as 'merely' being beautiful. He wished that he could show her that her beauty transcended the paleness or translucence of her skin. It was beyond the sightlessness of her beautiful eyes. It was way beyond her trauma-ridden body.
She was beautiful because she was strong, she was brave and as those of them who had come to know and love her could testify, she had a huge heart. One of the hugest he had ever met.
"I can smell fried chicken in the air." she commented as he led her into her parent's house. They had decided it would be best if they lived there for now. It was familiar to her and she was better able to get around with minimum help than at his much smaller digs.
"Did you really think that they would let us get away with it entirely?" Obinna chided. They hadn't wanted a big spectacle of a wedding. Sarah Jane was still very self conscious about her 'weirdness'. So everyone had let them have their quiet ceremony at the magistrate's but there was going to be party whether they wanted one or not.
As Obinna led her towards the backyard, he could already hear that the party was in full swing. They had begun the merry making without them.
"They really are having a good old time out there aren't they?" Sarah Jane asked.
"That they are and it looks like they started without us too." Obinna commented as they both stood at the threshold of the patio.
Andoah had sighted them and was looping over to them excitedly already. He swung Sarah Jane up in a twirling hug, making her gasp in half alarm and bubbly laughter. Again, the happy tears came to her eyes. It felt so good to have her brother back.
The calls of 'congratulations' began as the guests, mostly family and very special friends began noticing that the happy couple had arrived.
He set her down on a seat that had been reserved for them and her new husband hurriedly sat down beside her before other family members with a similar idea could snag it. Such was the serenity that seemed to permeate the air around her that everyone, young and old, distressed and prosperous seemed to want a piece of her.
Everyone from the Centre was here. So were Jay and his wife and new baby. Obinna smiled as he remembered the squeal of delight that Sarah Jane had made when they had showed up early this morning. Both his mum and Sarah Jane's mum had immediately taken over the little family, fussing over them with determined care. They may not have met Jay before today but they had heard all about him from their children and they were curious to meet this person who had been so pivotal in the lives of their children.
His eyes snagged Mahmoud's as he scanned the crowd with an unusual sense of elation and happiness. Mahmoud inclined his head to the side in greeting and raised the glass in his hand to him in salute. A young pretty lady was trying to gain his attention over something but his eyes lingered a few moments over Sarah Jane before he turned his full attention on the lady.
Someone clapped him on his shoulder and he turned to look into the face of Umar.
"So, I guess you went ahead and did it. How you convinced this sweet lady to marry you is beyond me!" he joked. "You do realize what you are setting yourself up for SJ?
Sarah Jane's laughter tinkled merrily. "He's going to have to put up with a lot too so I guess that makes us even." she remarked.
"I'm glad you guys have each other." Umar said. "It's a hard road this life. It's always great to have company for the journey."
Both Sarah Jane and Obinna smiled. Umar and his wise sayings.
The sound of the tinkling of glass interrupted them even as Chrissa came to them carrying a small tray of drinks which she promptly began distributing to everyone within range.
"Attention everyone!" Mr. Kwesi's voice boomed. "Since I would need an excuse to get close enough to hug my daughter and my new son on their wedding day, I am proposing a toast." he said as he made his way towards the beaming couple amidst the guffaws and chuckles.
When he stood in front of them, Obinna pulled his wife gently to her feet to be enveloped in a hug from her father.
"I don't believe I have said it often enough." he said. "Let me remedy that. I am so proud of you. Always have been." he squeezed her tightly as he said so. As Obinna watched father and daughter have a moment together, Mr. Kwesi looked at him with a smile, "Welcome to the family son." he said.
Andoah clapped his back in approval and Obinna looked towards his mother who stood beside a teary Mrs. Kwesi, beaming widely as she held Jay's son to her chest.
Family, Obinna decided was indeed a blessing.
EPILOGUE
The man with his head chock full of grey hairs stood by the grave side, his shoulder bent with the weight of his emotions as he watched the diggers cover the hole into which the beautifully carved coffin had been dropped.
He was burying his beautiful wife today. He would miss her something fierce. They had walked a long and memorable road together.
A little hand pulled at his trousers. "Daddy Obi, won't Mummy Sarah be cold all alone there?" Chidera asked her small trusting voice shaky with unshed tears.
Obinna resisted the urge to sniffle. Sarah Jane had been adamant, 'No tears Obi m'. I have lived long and I have lived well.'
And she had. Their lives had been full. Joy, laughter, companionship, kindness, always Sarah Jane's huge heart of kindness had never departed their home. Obinna scanned the faces gathered at the graveside. Family, that word had come to mean so much more to him than it once had. Sarah Jane had taught him that. Family was not only gained by blood and she had gathered such an assortment of people as family to prove it. Her graveside was packed with every one of them Obinna thought, as he paused to look at each teary eye. They were honoring Sarah Jane. She had said no tears. They would not cry here. They would do their crying later, in private where they would not be seen as dishonoring their mother's wish.
"No, little ma, Mummy Sarah has gone to be with Jesus in Heaven." he replied as he smoothed down the little girl's unruly hair. Chidera was quiet for awhile and then she looked up at him accessingly. Obinna could see the wheels of her mind turning as she geared up to ask him some other questions.
"Daddy Obi, will Jesus come and take you to Mummy Sarah too?" she asked. Obinna could see the fear lurking in the dark recesses of her eyes. 'Oh this precious girl!' he thought on a hiccup.
"Perhaps not today." he said. It seemed to placate Chidera for now. She would definitely come up with more questions later. Obinna wondered how he was going to answer them all.
He really was going to miss his Sarah Jane.
In loving memory of our wife, mother, sister and frie
nd,
Those who we love never truly die. They live on in our hearts forever.
Continue to rest in peace dear one.
Signed
Family
THE END
AUTHOR'S NOTE
If you are here, that means you survived till the end of the story!
I hope you enjoyed it.
I wasn't sure how this story would progress when I first started it.
The working title of this book was 'Undead - Sarah Jane. As the book drew to a close, it slowly changed in my mind to 'The Undead Chronicles of Sarah Jane' to 'The Sarah Jane Chronicles, Undead' to 'The Chronicles of Sarah Jane' and we're sticking with that! Phew!
Sarah Jane and Obinna seemed like such an unlikely pair. But then as I have travelled through life, I have come across so many couples like these two, a most unlikely pairing that somehow works.
So here's my prayer for you; that it all works out for your good.
Nia
An Excerpt from SKYLINE, a novel by Nia Eze.
Coming soon!
CHAPTER 1
“He graduated magna cum laude from the American university he attended.”
“He. Is. So. Cute!!”
“Oh my goodness! They’re like…super wealthy.”
“My elder sister used to date one of their cousins.”
Alero placed a hand to her forehead. It was official. It she heard one more thing about the Adenirans and their golden son, she was just…
“Alero! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Maggie, Alero’s best friend for years and years scolded as she sashayed towards her.
“Was right here.” Alero smiled. “It was getting somewhat stuffy so I came out for some fresh air.”
Maggie cut her a skeptical look that communicated her patent disbelief.
“You were a bit overwhelmed.” She chided. Alero began to deny it but Maggie cut into her. “They are a bit much. You get used to them though.” She continued. “Give it time.” She admonished.
Alero shrugged her shoulders. It did not matter to her one way or another. She was probably not going to ever be friendly with the Adenirans. The only reason she was at this party was because she had been at Maggie’s place for the week and it would have been awkward to leave her at home while the rest of the family went out for the evening and so she had tagged along.