Broken and bruised - Season 1 - Episode 26

Episode 4 years ago

Broken and bruised - Season 1 - Episode 26

Perry leads the team to her father’s study to break the heartbreaking news to them but even though she has been doing this a lot, she still can’t find the best way to break the news to them yet everyone looks impatient
“Tell us already who is responsible for that pregnancy” her mother asks, Perry wants wants to mention the phone call incidence but she knows better to keep quiet, she needs this information to do her investigation
“Mum…” she faces Ofelia
“How close are you to your daughter”
“We are very close”
“Does she tell you everything at all”
“Yeah except anything to do with her body changes, that she had to learn from school and I blame myself for that, I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend till when I caught them”


“But knowing your daughter so well, would you say she has been the daughter you wanted her to be”
“Yes, even our poverty could not lead Mel astray, she was always satisfied with the little at home, Mel has never asked for more than her tuition fees from me, the reports about her that I got from all the schools she has been to have been nothing but praises”
“Have you been able to see a change in her lately….I mean a change in her behavior”
“Yes, few weeks back, Melanie went to school on a Wednesday, that was the last I saw of the ever cheerful Fina…. she never returned home that evening like she always did, I was less worried because I knew she was with Ron”

“Well she was not with me” Ron protests
“Keep quiet and let her talk” Ofelia looks at Ron

“But I asked you the following day why she spent the night with you without my permission but you never denied it” Ron keeps quiet
“Like I said, she never came home that evening and her phone didn’t go through, she arrived in the morning when I was busy in the garden but she went straight into her room, and even after asking her several times about what was happening, she could not tell me anything she only said she was not feeling well and was not going to school that day….Ron here paid her a visit later and they talked I don’t know about what ……yet still she could not leave her bed and neither did she want to be taken to the clinic, it took her five days to get out of the house finally and it was that day when she told me she had eaten something that never agreed with her stomach, and she had running stomach, she was already a shadow of her old self and it bothered me so much”

“Was that all”
“Yeah…but she started developing a new style of speaking, naturally Fina is a person who talks a lot but ever since that day, it has changed, she talks and stops in the middle of a sentence and just stares in space, most nights she has nightmares and I could swear I would hear her scream in the middle of the night from my room” Perry listens attentively and now she’s more convinced Mel is carrying more than she has let out
“I talked to her and she told me exactly where she was that night”
“What’s the name of the man she has been cheating on me with”
“Listen careful Ron… Mel has never cheated on you and I would suggest you give her time and ask why she could not come home with you that evening” she says this while looking at her mother

“Then if she never cheated on me how come she’s pregnant when I have never been intimate with her, did she tell you that we did because I can assure you we never did”
“Mel was brutally raped that night after being kidnapped by some hooligans” the room goes silent on hearing the news
“Did you say raped???” Mel’s mother stands up in shock

“Yes mum…she was raped”
“And you believed her” Mrs pope asks
“Mother, which woman would lie about something as serious as this…..Mel was raped”

“Hahahahaha……you’re a fool sis” patience finally makes her presence known
“If indeed she was raped, why didn’t she report the incident or tell anyone especially her mother here”
“The poor girl was psychologically Tortured and I know a very insensitive human like you would not understand since you have not gone through half of what that little girl is going through…. it’s a miracle she wasn’t able to take her own life after that ugly ordeal”

“How do we even know that she didn’t accept to what happened to her willingly and she’s only coming up with this excuse because she has died in her own movie”
“Shut up…shut the hell up” their father speaks

“But Dad, she must have provoked the man somehow, maybe she wasn’t dressed in a decant African way”

“Look who is talking about decency” Perry comes for her and gives her a slap, their mother steps in the middle, she can’t believe those guys actually defied her orders and did more than she asked them to, she only wanted pictures and made it clear that no one should touch her body but they went overboard, she might be a very ambitious woman but she’s not that heartless, she now understands why those guys could not get back to her after their deal, she continues to wonder but both Ron And Mel’s mother are still shocked to utter a word
“Melanie needs our help this time, to heal completely from this if not she will never be able to come out of this….we should show her she’s not alone and we care” Perry adds
“You’re right Daugherty, no woman deserves to be violated in that way no matter what the circumstance is……did she tell you who the culprit is”

“No Dad…. unfortunately she has no idea who he is and she was afraid no one would believe her story because she couldn’t identify the man”

“This is more serious, we can’t leave this at this….she needs help and as long that evil man is left free, she will never heal from this and no amount of counselling will help her”
“I suppose you don’t expect my son to still continue with this godforsaken relationship and transform it into marriage”
“Lilian, this is between the two children and you or any of us have nothing to do with it” he turns to a quiet but crying Ron
“Son….I would rather you don’t make any decisions regarding this now….give yourself time to absorb all this so you won’t regret the decision later”

“I need to see her” it’s all he can say
“Be careful with whatever you say to her” Perry leads him to Mel’s room and they find cuddled up and all quiet

“Hi….” Ron says and she doesn’t even respond, perry leaves them alone… he sits next to her
“Why didn’t you tell me all this Mel”
“Because you wouldn’t let me” she answers but not looking at him
“You asked where I spent the night and I wanted to explain it to you yet you stopped me in the middle”

“How could you carry something like this all by yourself”

“Because I knew no one would believe me”
“Do you really not remember anything about him…..maybe his voice, his smell”

“He never spoke to me but his smell would do nothing, many people use the same perfume and…..”

“I know…. but is there really nothing else at all”

“Maybe the dress I wore that day which I hid in the house and my torn undergarments”
“That’s good for a start” he gets up to walk away but she calls him

“I’m sorry”
“It’s OK Mel…. this won’t change what has happened has happened” he walks out to meet the others camped at the door Mel’s mom wants to go see her daughter but Perry says unless she’s so willing to hold in her tears………their mother is more interested in what her son is going to do
“Now that you know the woman you’re set to wed in two weeks time is expecting another Man’s baby what are you going to do”

“Mother….how can you be thinking about something like this when brother is still not thinking well”

“Perry, it’s good we know where he stands at this point, I have nothing against the poor girl but we also know how rape victims take long to recover, others don’t and your brother is too young to bound himself to a woman who might not get out of this nightmare”

“That’s enough mother… since you’re only interested in knowing my stand well I intend to go forward with this, nothing changes and the wedding will hold in two days, Mel will be my wife and I’m so ready for the rainy days ahead but I swear to God, I will find that bastard, I will make him pay for all of this, he will beg me to take his own life, he shall see no peace all the days of his miserable life….. that I promise” he looks determined……


Lillian thinks her son is completely nuts to say he is willing to continue with his relationship with Melanie even after this news
“Mother, what is love if I can’t be by her side”
“Sometimes you have to forget your heart and think with your head son….”

“Let him be Lillian… your son is old enough to know what’s good for him” his father comes to his rescue
“Can we talk alone son”
“Sure Dad” they go to his his room so they can have a talk without any disturbance….the mood in the house is so tense
“Son are you sure you wanna do this”
“Yes Dad I’m very sure and no body is going to change my mind about it”
“How are you going to handle the case”
“Mel has papers to do in few days from now and I don’t even know if she’s really ready for that”

“You’re right… it would be better if she applies for a dead semester or even dead year, with that she can fully recover”
“I don’t know Dad, I just don’t know what’s the right thing to do aside from the fact that I’m so ready to marry her…I’m not even sure if she’s ever going to get out if this”

“You talked to her right?…… but what did she say”
“She’s just not thinking straight yes…..she doesn’t even know who the man is, she has nothing to prove she was forced because it has been long Ever since this happened… what she has is only her torn undergarments”

“That’s really difficult, you can count on me for whatever you might need”
“Thank you Dad, what ever I need right now is to get Mel to her old self, but that can’t happen now….it’s only going to affect our upcoming wedding”
“So you still want want to delay this”
“Yes….I don’t want any interference, we shall get over this together” his father comes to give him a fatherly hug
“I’m so proud of you my son….I’m not sure if I would do the same thing had I been in your shoes…. listen to only your heart and not what people say…this is just the beginning bumpy ride ahead”

“Thank you Dad… thank you”
“Just know, I’m by your side no matter what decision you make… don’t listen to people, not even your own mother”…….

The days are drawing closer for the wedding, Mel is getting all the support she needed from almost everybody but Patience is not about to let things be, she lets her mother know that since her plan fell through, she’s taking matters into her own hands so she sneaks to the media people and leak a story that hit everybody by surprise, they wake up in the morning to read news in the front page of the news paper saying that the recently engaged Melanie might be expecting another Man’s baby, this news is hidden from Melanie by all means but Ron could not sit back, he runs to the media house to demand to know where they got the fake news from…as he’s still sorting this new problem, patience and their mother call another TV station to let them know where he is and that they should hurry so they can put him on the hotspot, Ron is so mad threatening the management that he’s taking the issue to court, he walks out of the building only to meet guys with cameras and ready to fire him questions

” Here he comes” one of the reporters said
“Mr Ronald is it true that your fiancée miss Melanie Fina is expecting another man’s baby” he’s yet to reply to this when another question is fired

“Is it true you’re only marrying her out of sympathy and just to avoid scandals”
“As the minister’s son don’t you think she was only into this for the money”
“Do you think this marriage stands a chance of surviving if you go on and marry her, aside from the fact that you’re from two different worlds there is also your social status” Ron is just beyond mad and enraged he tries to walk past them but they all get in his way, he tries so much to control himself from striking any of them but they want answers
“Sir it would be good if you clear the air now, the whole country is watching this” the last reporter to make and attempt says and this gets Ron to stand and face his camera
“I believe two people are connected at the heart and it doesn’t matter what you do or who you’re or even where you live…. there are no boundaries or barriers if two people are destined to be together so Melanie and I are destined to be, there is nothing anyone can do about it, go tell whoever gave you this news that I’m not marrying Melanie out of sympathy or to avoid any scandal or even anything, I’m marrying her because it’s her that I chose, she being pregnant shouldn’t be a topic to discuss because who doesn’t know that Melanie has a man In her life?…. let me see with a show of hands so I can do the introduction before heading home” he walks past them this time with no one stopping him, even his evil mother and sister who have been watching this whole drama can’t believe Ron just said those words

“I’m not done with him yet, I swear he needs to have me inject some sense into his empty head” his mother paces in the room………..

Ron drove straight home from there and he’s so furious, he gets out of the car and heads to the mansion where he meets his mother on her way out, she must have heard the car drive in

“We have to talk”
“Not now mother” he tries to hurry past his mother but his mother stubbornly follows him to his room
“This is getting out of hand Roland, you can’t marry that woman”
“I can’t back down when I love her mum”
“But she’s not the right woman for you”
“So according to you who is the right woman for me”

“I don’t know… but i know she’s out there… I’m not saying what happened to Melanie was her fault but you can’t take a bullet that was meant for another man….think about it, I’m only thinking about what’s best for you”

“Then get out, it’s so obvious you don’t know your son at all” so defeated Lillian has no choice to to obey and leave………

The wedding day has finally arrived after all the oods the young couple encountered, Perry whole heartedly did all the mobilisation and planning by herself because she wanted Mel not to stress herself, Melanie has also found a very good reason to smile and say thank you because she was tested for a number of STDs and thankfully apart from the pregnancy, there is really nothing else to remind her of that ugly night except her frequent nightmares…..her friend Soni who also is married is her maid of honor, she opted for a simple wedding with only few people invited but the minister couldn’t let that happen especially since it’s his only son wedding and the Media is more interested in this than anybody else……….she spent the night in a hotel with her bride’s maids and Perry too could not miss to be part of the team, Perry was the one who made the choice of her gown, a round, simple yet elegant gown just perfect for her petite figure and beautiful legs, the gown is not long but what really stands about it is the butterfly design at the back……..

The church is breathtakingly decorated and the ambiance is set with some mood lighting with additional candles and lanterns lined along each pew to brighten the venue and give the place more of a cozy feel……the entrance is decorated with flowers, ribbons and garland……… Every person who steps into the church is instantly captivated by a simple white sign with ‘Ronald weds Melanie’ written, placed both at the entrance and the back of the church……. the couple opted for florals to line the aisle and they line up just perfectly well with each pew without taking up too much space, Large few botanicals are scattered around the front of the church…….. the pew decoration is just on point making the chairs look so beautiful complementing the aisle decore and connects the entrance with the arch in the deeper part of the church but the aisle itself is just decorated with a few petals and a red carpet….

So one can picture how expensive the wedding really is with just the right planning……..

The first to arrive is the groom amid cheers and happiness everywhere, Ron gets out of the car with his best man and the groomsmen in front of the Church and happiness is just written all over his face, congratulations and good wished all over, the media is just taking every detail of it…..he together with the team enter the church where the choir sings so beautifully……. it wasn’t long after his arrival that the Bride finally arrived, the welcoming and the happiness outside is just beyond, all the reporters run towards the car with their cameras so ready and microphones readily set, Melanie tears up a bit when she gets down and her mother comes to take her hand to walk her down the aisle…. she’s almost crying because it’s usually the brothers to do this yet here it’s her mother walking her down, she fights her tears especially when the choir started singing the song ‘Showers of blessing ‘ she had chosen this song for a reason and every sentence in the song ministered to her in so many different ways…..she slowly walks with her mother and finally thanking God for making her dream come true and making her shame to vanish, a very simple yet beautiful bride, she walks smiling from ear to ear until when they reached the alter….the pastor didn’t waste time and starts with the wedding ceremony immediately

“Miss Melanie Fina… do you take Ronald pope junior to be your beloved wedded husband, to love and to Cherish, in sickness and health, for richer or poor….till death do you apart” she smiles and Ron smiles even broader
“I do” cheers among the congregation
“Ronald pope junior… do you take Melanie Fina to be your beloved wedded wife, to love and to Cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poor, till death do you apart” Ron looks at Melanie and his mother, he then swifts his gaze to his father as Mel’s heart skips, the pastor repeats the question and he finally looks at Mel
“I’m so sorry Mel…. but I can’t” he says this with the whole church going quiet, he looks around and the church is really filled up completely
“I’m so sorry Mel, I can’t do it, I can’t do it please I’m sorry” that was the last thing he said as he runs out of the church with the bestman running after him, Ron gets into his car and drives away in a breakneck speed…..somewhere in the church among the congregation is Tobi, everyone is seated but he found himself standing and looking at this poor woman who is left at the alter so humiliated, he’s not saying a word but he can tell he’s about to do something crazy…….Melanie’s knees start to act funny and she’s about to fall but she refuses to, she has even failed to cry for some strange reason….her maid of honor tries to get close to her but she backs away, even her mother and Perry are too shocked to react, she looks at all the faces in the church and everyone including the media guys are lost for words, but she can see some smile in the faces of two people, quickly she swifts her gaze towards the door through which she came in…..it’s the only thing left for her, she removes her Vail and drops in on the floor, she raises her gown high a bit and that’s it…she also takes to her heels……