Scarlett Bride (The Scarletts

by Brenda Barrett

  "Three bedrooms, like mine," Nellie said, "and as you can see this view is amazeballs."

  Oliver was trying to detangle himself from Nellie but she was having none of it. He glanced at her. "What do you think, Ashaki?"

  "It's very nice," Ashaki said grudgingly. "I love it."

  "See?" Nellie said, heading to the glass doors that led to the back. "And there is room for a hammock out back and your personal vegetable garden, and the complex has a large playground near here for the children to play and frolic."

  "The children?" Oliver raised his eyebrows at Nellie.

  "I am sure you two are planning to have some." Nellie looked between him and Ashaki expectantly.

  Oliver didn't answer; he turned to look at the view while Nellie looked at the two of them, a smug little smile on her face.

  "I am sorry, I guess you are looking forward to school and career and all of that," she said to Ashaki because of Oliver's lack of response.

  Ashaki shrugged. "I don't know. Where I am from eighteen years old and older are not considered to be young. Most of the women I grew up with are already married and have several children."

  Nellie frowned. "You are eighteen? What did you do Oliver, rob the cradle?"

  "Yes, I am eighteen, but I am not young," Ashaki responded before Oliver could. "I've seen too much, experienced too much of life and know that eighteen year olds in this side of the world really have an easy time of it. I have been running my father's house from age six, until his death a few months ago. "

  "Ah," Nellie nodded, "I can't imagine."

  "In my country children are soldiers; children run their own households when their parents die. Thirty is considered old age."

  Ashaki continued when Oliver turned around to look at her. "I lost six brothers to the war. The youngest was seven when he left home to fight. He had to, or the rebels would kill him for not complying."

  Nellie gasped.

  "Emotional maturity comes fast in the Congo." Ashaki shifted her gaze from Nellie to Oliver. "You have such a limited time to live that childhood tends to be just a fleeting time. You either grow up fast or die quickly.

  "I guess in that regard I am different from other eighteen year olds in your country. I know my own mind; I know what I feel. I may be eighteen numerically but mentally I am way older.

  "Oliver did not rob any cradles and I would be quite appalled if he were to think that by virtue of me being eighteen I have some kind of depreciated capacity to feel like a woman of twenty or thirty could."

  Oliver raised an eyebrow.

  And Nellie cleared her throat.

  "Life is too short for silly games and nonsense," Ashaki finished her speech, a warning tone in her voice. "Where I am from, we live on the knife's edge of survival. I was born in the midst of a civil war that took the lives of millions. I am a child of war. I know how to fight for what's mine."

  Ashaki looked significantly at Oliver and then at Nellie.

  Nellie widened her eyes. "Well...er...that was quite enlightening. I, er, let us...er... go to my place. I cooked up a storm."

  Oliver had a small smile on his face that appeared every time he looked at her through dinner. A dinner where Nellie developed a hands-off approach to Oliver and was remarkably subdued.

  Chapter Ten

  "That went well," Oliver said as soon as they got into the car. "Nellie is a good cook."

  "And a bad flirt," Ashaki muttered.

  "But you told her." Oliver backed out of the complex; they waited for the automatic gate to open.

  "Told her what?" Ashaki asked innocently when they were on the road again.

  "You know." Oliver looked at her and grinned. "You delivered a sermon on age and strength and war and possession and survival. In just a few words, you made Nellie and me realize that we were basically the immature ones, the materialistic ones with first world problems like buying cushy townhouses. Very impressive. I wanted to say an amen."

  Ashaki smiled. "You did?"

  "Yep. Got the message." Oliver glanced at her. "You are not a typical eighteen year old. But I still think you should go out into the big bad world and experience some of our ordinary problems. Enjoy not living on the knife's edge, so to speak. Take your time and make up your mind about what you really want."

  "I know what I want," Ashaki mumbled, "and I won't be changing my mind."

  Oliver glanced at her.

  "What do you want, really?"

  "Right now, I want you to kiss me," Ashaki said frankly.

  "I am sorry I asked." Oliver glanced at her lips. "You know I can't, I shouldn't. You like me because I am the guy that was kind enough to rescue you. If I initiate a sexual relationship with you in any way, that would be really taking advantage."

  "You can't or you don't want to?"

  "Oh Ashaki." Oliver clenched his fingers on the steering wheel. "I refuse to answer that question. You have no idea what having you close is doing to me."

  After a long silence they were almost in Treasure Beach.

  "You know what I think you should do?" Oliver asked with a heavy sigh.

  "What?" Ashaki asked, turning to him in her seat slightly.

  "I think, for both our sakes," Oliver said solemnly, "you should do the second summer session at Mount Faith. Do a couple of courses, live on campus on your own for a while and pretend that you are single. Pretend that there is no Oliver, pretend that David is not waiting in the wings. Do you think you can do that?"

  Ashaki turned back to face the road. "You really want me gone, don't you?"

  "No, au contraire." Oliver shook his head, "I just want us to have a little more perspective on this. Being apart from me might change the way you think about me. And don't for one minute worry about what university will cost and all of that.” Oliver glanced at her. “Just live. I will willingly and eagerly pick up the tab."

  Tears welled up in Ashaki's eyes. "But Oliver, I..."

  "I insist," Oliver said firmly. "I will call my cousin Troy. You met him at the family get-together we had. He works at Mount Faith. I'll have him arrange for you to stay there and all of that.

  "And I won't be leaving you altogether." Oliver stopped the car in the yard and turned to her. "I will call you and check in on you from time to time.

  Trust me, Ashaki, this is the best solution for both of us."

  ****

  Mid-week Oliver helped Ashaki move into her new apartment at Mount Faith. The apartments were near the Business Center and had a good view of the campus.

  Ashaki was not pleased; she dragged her bags into the apartment on the ground floor, a heavy trod to her steps, a downcast slant to her mouth. After his speech last Thursday she had taken to avoiding him. He felt like somebody who had kicked a dog.

  But it had to be done for his peace of mind. She didn't know it yet but he was doing her a huge favor.

  In the midst of his contemplation he picked up his ringing phone without looking at it.

  "Hey man," David's voice came over the phone like a splash of cold water.

  "David?" Oliver froze with the phone in his hands. "How is it going, man?"

  His voice was not quite steady. It was one thing to be battling his feelings for Ashaki, quite another to hear David's voice in his ear as if to keep him honest.

  "Good, not great," David answered, "I came into Beni just to call you. It's been two months and three days. I couldn't stand a minute more not knowing how it was going with you and Ashaki."

  Oliver cleared his throat. "It's going okay. We spent three weeks in New York with my mom now we are here in JA. Ashaki is doing summer school at Mount Faith University."

  "She got in?" David whooped. "That's great."

  "Yep, it is great. I am just helping her to move into her apartment on campus now."

  "Oh." David sounded surprised. "How is it going with you two?"

  Oliver inhaled. What could he say? They weren't exactly good right now. Ashaki was not speaking to him. If the hostile look she had thrown hi
m just three minutes ago was any indication, he was the worst person in the world.

  "We were fine." He finally answered. "She is not too pleased with me right now. I guess she didn't want to live on campus."

  David laughed heartily. "She's mad at you. Sorry to hear that, buddy." His voice didn't sound sorry. "Is she nearby? Can I talk to her?"

  "Sure." Oliver looked around. Ashaki had gone into the apartment again. "Before I give her the phone though, I've been thinking..."

  "I hope this is not you reneging on our bargain," David warned. "Because she is mine, Oliver. I am the one that practically saved her from Bekele."

  "No, I was the one who did." Oliver felt himself getting upset. He inhaled and then sighed. "I was going to say when you get back why don't you take it slowly with her—allow her to live a little? Enjoy life without the stifling confines of a relationship that she may not want?"

  David grunted. "She'll want me. Why wouldn't she? If it weren't for me pushing you to marry her, she'd probably be married to Bekele, who by the way, just took another wife to replace her."

  Oliver tried not to snap. He closed his eyes and tried to control his temper. "David, all I am saying is if you really want a long-lasting relationship with someone, you should give them the freedom to choose you, to love you freely. Surely you know that force and obligation leads to resentment?"

  "You sound like Pastor Obagi's sermon last Friday on prize giving day," David muttered.

  Oliver spun around and saw that Ashaki was behind him. He didn't hear her walk up.

  And she wasn't looking at him like he was the worst person on the earth anymore. She was actually regarding him with a half-smile on her face. She probably knew he was talking to David and couldn't wait to talk to him herself.

  "Here she is," he said, pushing the phone toward Ashaki and stepping away. He didn't want to overhear their conversation.

  ****

  She was in a better mood after giving him the phone from talking to David. She even smiled at him sweetly.

  "So, I am going." He stood at the door of her apartment. "Call me if you need anything."

  She nodded.

  "And Troy and Chelsea know you are here so they'll check up on you. You have their numbers?"

  "Yes, I do." Ashaki grinned at him. "And yours and the emergency services and the police and fire and Zack's and all your family members."

  "Good." Oliver shrugged. "I don't care if you think it is excessive. You are my responsibility I don't want anything happening to you."

  "I like that." Ashaki had taken a three-sixty degree turn in such a short couple of minutes he was stunned. He stood there blinking at her, wondering what on earth David had said to effect this kind of change.

  "It's not so easy, is it?" Ashaki said, breaking his lack of movement.

  "What?" Oliver almost growled the question. No, it wasn't easy knowing that David could with a single phone call change her so completely.

  "To leave me here." Ashaki stood in front of him, quite close. "I'll be fine, Oliver. And thank you."

  Thank me for what? He was clueless here. He glared at her. So she had taken his suggestions on board and was going to live her life to the fullest? But fullest what?

  "For helping me to understand you a little more." Ashaki continued, "I heard you on the phone with David; you said if you really want a long lasting relationship with someone, you give them the freedom to choose you, to love you freely without obligation."

  "Well, yes." Oliver frowned.

  "And now I understand this move. This is not you abandoning me, this is freedom. At least your version of freedom; you want me to choose without coercion."

  "Right," Oliver exhaled in relief. "So we are good?"

  "Sure." Ashaki tip-toed and kissed him on his cheeks.

  "What were you talking to David about?" The question came out of nowhere. He really wanted his curiosity relieved but he didn't know that he would ask it.

  Ashaki looked perplexed. "David? He was saying something about end of August and meeting me here on campus and sweeping me off my feet and blah... blah... blah."

  Oliver smiled. "Blah-blah?"

  "Yes. He says many things but none of them as profound as what you said: force and obligation lead to resentment."

  She kissed him again, briefly on the lips, and stepped back.

  The imprint of her lips on his stayed with him for most of the drive back to the empty house in Treasure Beach.

  Chapter Eleven

  Five days later Oliver was awakened by a phone call from Ricky Mills.

  "Hey you," Ricky said cheerfully. "My mother just left for the airport and she left a gift for Ashaki. Do you want to come and get it?"

  "Sure." Oliver glanced at the clock. It was just after six. "Ashaki is not here though. She is at school."

  "So early in the morning?" Ricky asked. "Is she driving?"

  "No." Oliver sat up in the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "She is living on campus.

  "Oh." Ricky paused for a second. "You guys okay?"

  "No," Oliver said before he could take it back. "Yes."

  "Come on over," Ricky said before he hung up.

  Oliver took his time getting ready. The past two mornings the house felt cold. As if it weren't lived in. As if the building itself missed Ashaki's vivacity.

  Right when he got up she would be in the kitchen cooking a proper breakfast, as she would call it. She was not a fan of cereals and all of those things. She thought callaloo and other greens with yam was more like what he should be eating—and fruits.

  He looked in the fruit bowl. The bananas had turned black. The lone mango in the midst of them had also developed spots.

  Ashaki was the one who insisted that he eat the fruits. He had never been big on fruit eating.

  Oliver, you have them in abundance here, you should eat them! They are good for you! Her voice echoed in his head.

  He had not realized how much she had become entrenched in his life. The usual noise and activity in the house was absent. The cooking and banging of pots as she cooked. She would be listening to the morning radio, watching television and doing a million things at the same time because she didn't want to miss a thing. Ashaki found everything interesting: documentaries, soap operas, the news...

  He almost picked up the phone to call her but changed his mind. He had deliberately put himself on a one a day call schedule, usually in the evening after her classes. He liked to hear about her day and about her classes and the people that she met.

  She was immersing herself in school life and he wanted to keep his promise to give her space but it was hard. His well-thought-out plan of giving himself distance from her was not helping him think of her less or move on with his life or even to imagine how it would be if she was not around. On the contrary, it was making him appreciate what he had when he had her.

  It was shocking to admit it out loud, but he liked having a wife. He liked having Ashaki around.

  He dumped the almost moist bananas in the bin and washed the mango and put it in the fridge. He took out the garbage and then headed over to Ricky's place to pick up Ashaki's gift.

  Ricky was on the front porch in a jogging outfit.

  "Sorry for calling so early, doc." Ricky grinned at him. "I keep an earlier schedule than most."

  Oliver shrugged. "I should get back in the groove. The last couple of months in the Congo I had night shift and it completely threw off my schedule. I would be going to sleep at about this time; I have to get myself back into a regular rhythm now that I am back home."

  Ricky opened the door. "Here is Ashaki's gift. You want help carrying it over?"

  "What the..." Oliver looked at the gift; he counted about five large suitcases sitting in the hallway. "She left suitcases for Ashaki?"

  "Yup," Ricky scratched his head, "all packed with clothes, a whole wardrobe. They are new designer clothes too, from one of Francine's companies. She ordered them after the dinner with you guys. I think she divided th
em into daywear and nightwear and casual wear and all sorts of wear. Oh, and I think one of them is filled with shoes. I can tell you it was a labor of love; she was packing and coordinating and putting stuff together all evening since they arrived."

  Oliver took the handle of one of the suitcases. It was really heavy.

  "Yes, I am going to need help." Oliver chuckled, pulling one along.

  Ricky pulled another and they walked down the walkway.

  "Ashaki really made an impression on Francine," Ricky said after a while. "She is such a lovely girl, and I am not saying this to get you jealous," he finished quickly when Oliver gave him a sharp look.

  Oliver grunted. "She is a lovely girl."

  "So why on earth do you have her living at Mount Faith alone?" Ricky asked incredulously. "She is going to be inundated with admirers."

  "I know," Oliver said, opening his door and parking the suitcase in the hallway. "But this is her chance to just be..."

  Ricky pulled the other suitcase and put it beside his. "How magnanimous of you. I wouldn't do it. Suppose she finds someone else?"

  Oliver nodded. "That's a possibility. Ashaki and I have a different story. It's complicated."

  "How? You guys into open relationships and stuff?"

  "No." Oliver sighed. "I got married to her so that she could leave the Congo. I did it because it was the right thing to do and my friend, a fellow doctor who is in love with her, begged me to. He said he would come back for her as soon as his relationship here is dissolved."

  Ricky smirked. "Nobody would have to beg me to marry Ashaki and I wouldn't do it for any friend either. And see, I barely know her. You, on the other hand..."

  Oliver shrugged. "I didn't want to get married and to me she was just a girl. Pretty yes, but just a sweet, friendly girl. To David she was the object of his desire. So I basically did it on his behalf ..."