Dial - Season 2 - Episode 50

4 years ago

Dial - Season 2 - Episode 50

The words just seemed to fall off her lips as she lapsed into silence, her eyes roving my face. I had expected revulsion and horror, but even though the tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her beautiful cheeks, what I saw in her eyes was the pain a woman would feel for an ailing husband.

She took quick steps into the room, sat beside me, and gathered me into her arms, holding my head nestled against her breasts as she cried softly.

“My love, my love, my dearest, sweet love!” she wept bitterly. “I’m here for you, Yao, my love. I’ll always be here for you.”

I held her, and although I was so shattered, the tears didn’t fall this time, and that – in a way – was very scary. I didn’t know whether I had come to a point of acceptance, and the cold horror had sunk in.
Another movement in the doorway made both of us turn, and Maame Ntiriwaa came in. She also came to a stop, and although she didn’t utter a word for a long time, her tears fell slowly.

She walked into the room presently, and then she pulled a hard-backed chair from the wall near the window and sat facing us.
When she spoke, her voice was low and very sad.

“I love both of you,” she said gently. “You’re the two most important persons in my life now, and I have been a very happy mother watching the love grow between you. It is pure love in its best form. But, I have something to say now. You two must sacrifice this love.”

“No!” Abena Adobea cried, horrified, and drew me closer against her. “Mama! How could you?”

“I can’t live without your daughter, you witch,” I said, and then all three of us shuddered because the sound of my voice had changed!
It was weak, old, and croaky! Not at all like my voice!

And that had happened barely ten minutes ago?

Oh dear, oh dear!
How fast was I growing each minute now?
“You’re dying, and you mustn’t die!” Maame Ntiriwaa cried, and then she suddenly slid off the chair and knelt in front of us with her hands holding each of my knees. “You can get married, and then she can get pregnant! After that, you can get divorced, and then you two would share the sweet memories! But, whatever you do, Yao must live. He needs to go and marry this Dede lady.”

“No, Mama!” Abena Adobea cried pitifully, painfully, and my heart soared for her in the moment. “I can’t give him up! I can’t live without him! Oh, please, he’ll be fine! Let him stay here with me!”
Maame Ntiriwaa, tears falling down her face, took hold of her daughter’s hand.
“Surely, you don’t want to hold on to him until he dies, do you?” she asked painfully. “He’s dying, Abena! This is the time to sacrifice your love for him! Let him go! If he’s meant to be with you he’ll come back!”

Abena Adobea was shaking her head vehemently as her anguish grew. Suddenly, she got to her feet and turned away, intending to run from the room, but I reached out and took her wrist.
She looked at me with horror.
“Oh, Yao, Yao, forgive me!” she wailed, and then she put a hand across her heart. “I know I’m being selfish, Yao! I’ve thought about the whole issue, and my mind tell me I should let you go and marry that lady, so that you can live! I’ve even considered being a mistress to you, so that even if you marry her we’ll still be together! But I can’t, my love. The mere thought of you with someone else kills my soul! I love you, Yao, and I can’t live without you!”

“Oh, Maa Abena, I love you too, my heart, my soul!” I said gently and smiled. “I can’t live without you! The mere thought of that frightens me, and takes my strength and my breath. No matter what happens, I’ll stay with you!”
She sat down beside me and wrapped her arms around me again.