Susan ekerete - S02 E04

3 years ago

Susan ekerete - S02 E04

Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 04

Michael realized what he had just said at the same time Susan leaned back and stared at him in shock. He stiffened, surprised at himself.The words had dropped so naturally from his lips that he knew they were true. He was surprised that he had not noticed when his affection for Susan had changedinto something deeper; he was usually very aware of his emotions.

So this is what true love feels like? He marvelled to himself. It felt natural, and not overwhelming, like what he had felt for his beautiful wife, Uyai. Now he knew it had only been an unhealthy obsession with her head-turning beauty he had mistaken for love. But what he felt for Susan was wholesome, first stirring when he saw how tender she was with her own child. A woman capable of showing such genuine affection deserved to be loved in return. He smiled to himself and reached out a hand to caress Susan’s cheek. He knew he would never regret falling in love with her.

But Susan stepped back from Michael’s outstretched hand. She had felt his body stiffen and had mistaken it for regret that he had used the word ‘love’.“It’s fine, I understand.” She shrugged, stepping away from him and returning to the pan of eggs sizzling on the gas cooker.“You know how intimacy gives this morning-after glow. It can make anyone feel mushy and lovey-dovey after good sex. I know it was very good, but it was just sex. Don’t worry. I’m a big girl; I can handle reality when the sun comes up, youdon’t have to pretend.”Michael frowned. It was getting a bit tiringhow Susan was always quick to jump to conclusions. He had hoped that by now she would trust him enough to know that he wasn’t trying to be patronising.“Food will be ready in about fifteen minutes.” Susan continued cheerily. She was turned away from him, so he couldn’t read the expression on her face. But her body language spoke volumes. Her posture seemed tense. He hesitated, resisting the impulse to walk up to her andpull her into his arms again. Something told him that scenario would not end well.As he turned to leave the kitchen, Susan’s phone vibrated on the kitchen counter where it was lying. They both exchanged astartled glance. The loud ring had burst the bubble they had been hiding in since the night before. They both had the same thought.

Was it the police calling?Susan turned off the heat beneath the frying pan and quickly picked up the phone after she wiped her hands on a small kitchen towel. Michael’s heart ached as he saw hope flare in her eyes again. He crossed his fingers, hoping for good news as Susan pressed the phone to her cheek. She looked so fragile in the jeans shorts and oversized yellow t-shirt she had on. He knew any serious disappointment would go straight to her heart.“Hello?” Susan said in a small voice. It was an unknown number, so she didn’t know what to expect.

The voice that responded to her hello made Susan clamp a hand over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. For a moment she was too choked with emotion to speak.“Hello, mummy. Is that you?” Cherish pulled the phone away from the side of her face and stared at the big screen, wondering if the phone connection was poor due to bad mobile network issues. She raised the phone with both hands and brought it close to her ear again, frowning as she heard a series of sniffling sounds. It was either the network was really very poor, or…“Mummy, are you crying?” the girl asked, rolling her eyes in exasperation as the sounds increased in volume. “You’re behaving like a spoilt tap again.”Susan blew her nose loudly at the other end of the phone, making her daughter grimace. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Mummy iscrying because mummy misses you so much.”“Well, you don’t have to miss me as much as you did when I travelled.” Cherish assured her mother. “I’m in Nigeria now, so you don’t have to…”“I know you are Cherish.” Susan cut in. “Where are you, baby? Is your father there?”As Cherish started to respond, Susan interrupted again.“Wait, that’s not important. Where are you? Do you know if you’re still in Uyo? Is it a hotel?”Cherish scoffed. “Hotels are for when people travel, mummy. You know that. We’re at daddy’s friend’s house. Her name is aunty Grace.” The girl looked around furtively and lowered her voice. “She’s nice, but she’s old, mummy.”“I don’t know any aunty Grace; did she say how she was related to your daddy?”Cherish shook her head. “She’s not that type of aunt, mummy. I think she’s daddy’s girlfriend. I saw him kiss her.” the girl wrinkled her nose. “It looked weird. She’s soooooo old…”“Where are you right now, Cherish?” Susan asked.“Under the dining table. I took daddy’s phone because I wanted to talk to you, but because he said I shouldn’t, I hid under the table so he wouldn’t see me.”“No, baby, I mean where are you? Do you know where the house is..?”Cherish heard a male voice interrupt in the background.“She won’t know where she is.”The voice sounded like her tutor’s voice and Cherish smiled. “Is that Uncle Michael?”“Yes, baby, it is.” Susan responded. “He’s right. So I need you to just go to a window and describe what you see outside, so we can figure out where you are. But don’t let anyone see you.”Cherish scoffed. “But I know where I am, mummy.”“Sweetie, this is important.” Susan said firmly, using what the little girl called the-patient-mummy-voice. “We need to know more than just ‘beneath the dining table’.”“I memorized the house address as daddy drove into the house.” Cherish said proudly. “I told you I know where I am…”