SHADOW OF DEATH

January 19, 2005, Joe and Mary had moved into their new apartment. They were newly married and love was still booming in the air. Joe was all to Mary and Mary was as glue stuck on paper to Joe. During the first year of marriage everything was stable, no disarray, and no challenges. Their second year in marriage, they had their first daughter, Joy. Everyone was happy. Family members and friends congratulated them and gave gifts to them. It was wonderful but there were twitches affecting Mary’s head during those times. She was downcast, she wondered if she would ever go to the University again.
Months later, Joe started acting strange whenever she said she wanted to get a degree in the university. He kept telling her not to worry that she would. Years later she had triplets, all girls. She Kept insisting she needed to go to school but Joe kept claiming that she didn’t need to worry and that he’ll give her all she needed.
2013, Joe was promoted to the position of the CEO of the company he worked for. Everyone was delighted and admired his success. To Mary, all she had been asking for will come now; they’re no more excuses because her husband was now earning in Dollars…She was wrong!
Joe began to push his wife away from the public eye, began to treat her as a full-blown house wife. He claimed she was now 28 and that it was too late to go to school and yet he wasn’t proud of her in public. She was just a pack of cards shuffled, played and used as an object for sex. This was the beginning of her breakdown, Mary couldn’t believe her husband could betray her after making his promises that he’ll make sure she goes to the university and earn a degree. She was like a grave yard on the inside; her soul was locked in the prison of pains, anguish and disappointment.
Her kids were more matured now and whenever they looked her in the eyes innocently and asked questions like: “mum what did you study in school”, it just puts her off. It added more sorrows to her pain. By 2014, Joe thought he was a father and never knew he was hardening the hearts of those little kids whenever he screamed at their mum. Joe was slowly killing Mary from the inside. He didn’t know. He didn’t perceive!
By August 2014, Mary was hit by a serious brain condition at a very young age. She was 29. Doctors said she wouldn’t live long. Doctors claimed it was because of psychological and emotional stress. By 16th September 2014, a month after her ailment, Mary died. That evening the whole room where she lay was cold. Time paused, the winds whistled softly as Joe stepped in quickly into the room in tears and much trembling. It was late. It was too late. She was dead. She was gone. He’ll never see such of her kind no more.
“Mr. Joe, your wife said I should give this to you”, the doctor in charge of Mary said as he handed a written note to Joe. Mary wrote to Joe 15min before she died. Joe slowly unfolded the paper with hands aquiver.
“YOU NEVER LOVED ME JOE, YOU LIED TO ME, YOU NEVER LET ME FULFILL MY DREAMS, YOU SLOWLY KILLED MY SELF-ESTEEM, MY WORTH, MY PASSION! YOU MADE ME GO THROUGH WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW AND I CAN SLOWLY FEEL MYSELF LEAVING MY BODY.
JOE, I FORGIVE YOU BUT THE NEXT LADY YOU MARRY, TREAT HER LIKE AN ANGEL, LET HER FULFILL HER DREAMS, LET HER KNOW YOU ALSO LOVE THE KIDS…YOU NEVER SHOWED THOSE CHILDREN THAT YOU CARED, YOU NEVER SHOWED THEM FULL LOVE JOE; ALL YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WAS MONEY BUT HAS MONEY SAVED ME? I ………………………………………………………………” That was the end. She couldn’t finish the letter, death took charge. She was gone.
Joe wept for several hours and when people tried to console him, his lamentations got worst. Joe was in pain for several months but he learned his lesson the hard way. Joe realized he should have let Mary fulfill her dreams of becoming a lawyer; if he did, she would still be with him now.

Comments