Love's Second Chance
Page 13
Efe stroked the bridge of her nose, and felt a knot of tension begin to uncoil in her stomach. She’d puzzled over this event for so long, and now it was beginning to make sense. The pain and confusion sloughed off her skin in waves as tears suffused her eyes.
“I don’t know exactly what happened between your father and Efe that last day,” Kevwe’s mother said, “but when I walked in on them, it was obvious she wasn’t there to break up with you. I knew immediately what your father had done, but I was too tired to intervene. You were there in the hospital, and your father blamed her for the crash. I was afraid for his heart condition, and so I kept quiet.
It was later, after the confusion passed that I realized my initial silence made me guilty too. When you got better and then after he died, I simply couldn’t muster the courage to face you.”
She shuffled towards Efe. “I’m sorry... I hope you believe me…”
Efe stood and hugged her. She accepted the story and the overdue apology. Her heart felt freer than it had for a long time, relieved the complex deceit had been unraveled. What made her more nervous was the tense figure beside her. She smiled at him through her tears when she pulled away from his mother, but Kevwe stood there with a scowl on his face.
Kevwe hugged his mother. “I forgive you, Mum. It’s OK,” he whispered into her ear. He knew it wasn’t OK, he knew there would be more discussions and explanations, but she was his mother. He remembered her sacrifice during the period he recovered from his injuries, and he thought of Efe smiling at him right there in the room, and his heart melted. He raised his face and drew her into the embrace. Ofure was also there the next moment.
Kevwe could not believe how lucky he was to have this second chance with Efe. She had both arms around his waist, with her head in the crook of his neck. Looking up, he saw Ofure heading out of the room. Their mother followed him, after pressing a small box into Kevwe’s palms. He stuffed it into his pocket, first checking what it contained. Then he led Efe to her seat, and sat beside her, anchored to her hands.
Sobbing now, Efe buried her streaming face in his chest. Kevwe whispered all his love, his whole heart into her ears. “Efe, I love you with everything in me. I swear by every fiber of my being, I am still yours. I love you with every beat of my heart.”
She finally calmed down, raising her face and wiping away her tears as she spoke, “When I thought you betrayed me, I wished to die and I nearly did. Since I found you again, I’ve come back to life. You’re the breath I live by and you make my life worth living...” she started crying again but went on, “You were my first love and I promised you’d be my only love, my last love and...”
She stopped as their gazes caught and held, tear washed black eyes and liquid brown ones. Kevwe kissed her, kissing away the tears and claiming her lips.
He pulled slightly away and brought out something from his pocket. Efe looked at him with all the love in her heart shining from her eyes. He raised the jewel box before her and snapped it open. Nestled in black velvet within it was the ring he’d given her all those years ago. The tiny diamonds set within caught the light, throwing off bright sparkles, and she appreciated it now more than she had the first time she’d accepted it.
“My mum told us this was waiting for you to return when Ofure called her last Friday. With it, I’ve come asking for another promise, Efe. You are my soul, and life means nothing without you. I want to marry you. Please say yes, again.”
“Yes,” she whispered, “again.”
Kevwe’s smile rivaled the sun. “I love you and this ring is to pledge my heart to you.” He slipped the ring onto her finger, and their lips met in a kiss to seal the promise.
**
PRAISE FOR A LOVE REKINDLED
“…a moving love tale of first love, the challenges of tribal biases and the importance of hope, persistence and forgiveness – critical ingredients for every relationship to survive.”
Lara Daniels, author of Love at Dawn
“Reading [this] is like holding up a cloth of kente: each piece rich with history and beauty. With confidence and deftness, Myne Whitman weaves a riveting brocade of friendship, heartache, and love…”
Uche Umez, author of Tears in her Eyes
“….a romance novel that affirms one’s belief in true love and that it truly does conquer all. It also proves that though external forces can cause a delay, they cannot kill love.”
Folake Taylor, author of The Only Way is Up
PRAISE FOR A HEART TO MEND
“…the beauty of this book is that there is redemption for all…in tandem with the title cover, that there can indeed be mended hearts.”
• Ify Malo, USA
“Written by a Nigerian….with Nigerian characters and setting, A Heart to Mend is a fun and fast read.”
Pamela Stitch, African Loft Magazine
Peoples of all cultures face the same emotional issues when it comes to relationships – this is Myne Whitman’s message in her debut novel.” Belinda Otas, New African Woman Magazine
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to the following people who helped me to polish up this particular manuscript and my writing craft as a whole; - Members of the Eastside Writers Meetup Group in Seattle Washington, who read excerpts and gave useful critique; - those who commented on mynewhitman.com; and the feedbackers on my blog; mynewhitmanwrites.com, for their encouragement.
I am highly indebted to my editor, Tola Odejayi, who with eagle eyes and a compassionate pen, draws out the best in me. It is a pleasure working with you to spin the sweetest stories.
For pointing out what was wrong and sometimes, how to get it right, I thank the beta readers of one of the several drafts of this novel including Neefemi, Kiru Taye, Juanita and Shenaim, whose fantastic comments guided the book process.
For showing me such awesome love and support, and helping with the distribution of my first book, A Heart to Mend, I thank all my family and in-laws, the Okotcha and Akinsoto families, far and near. Ada, Fumnanya and Chi were very encouraging with their words as they gave early thumbs up to one of the drafts of this novel. Thanks to Fumns for telling me she cried while reading the book. You made my day.
Finally and chiefly, I thank my husband, who inspires me with his love and makes me believe in romance every day. You give me the wings with which to fly. I love you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Myne Whitman is a pen name. She was born and raised in Enugu, Nigeria, where she spent most of her time, studying, reading and daydreaming or climbing trees and playing with the boys. She has a Master’s degree in Public Health Research but has now returned to her childhood dream of spinning stories. Writing and blogging full-time, she volunteers as an ESL tutor for a local charity, and critiques with the Seattle Eastside Writers Meet-up.
She is Nigerian and believes in the use of the internet and social media to promote the book industry and literacy levels in the country. To this end, she facilitated the Publisher’s Forum at the 2010 Garden City Literary Festival, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on "Social Media and the Book Publishing Industry". She is also the founder and managing editor of a critique and networking website, www.NaijaStories.com, for those that read, write or publish Nigerian stories.