EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE...EPISODE SIX (6).

Alberta and Maxwell had created an amazing long distance bond with the help of technology. Both of them were always on the phone chatting and sharing moments of pain and affection together. They had been talking for two weeks but to Alberta, it felt like two years. In one of their marathon nightly conversations, Alberta made a startling remark, “Where were you all this while?”. Maxwell was quiet for a while and requested for clarification, “What is that supposed to mean?”, Maxwell asked. “Ever since I started getting to know you for who you are, I laugh more, I am always in a hurry to hear your voice when I see your number on my cell phone and I sleep well at night”, Alberta confessed. “In fact, I had been meaning to tell you this way back in High School”, Alberta started, shuddering in her voice. “I think I had a crush on you way back in school but I didn’t know how I was going to tell you”. “The love I had for you was so strong that I didn’t know what to do about it and I ended up hating you because I felt you would never feel the same way about me”. “You were gentle, always neat and it seemed like you were the leader of your all-boy clique which in some way really turned me on”, Alberta added, feeling she was telling Maxwell too much of her obsession for him. “So instead of complimenting me for being such a gentleman like you claim, why did you hate me so much?”, Maxwell queried after Alberta’s shocking revelation. “If only you knew how desperate I was”, Alberta added. “You remember that girl who used to hang around you all the time way back in school?”, Alberta asked. Maxwell tried to cast his mind years back to answer Alberta’s question. “Yes I remember her very well”, Maxwell said. “I hear she got married last month to a wealthy business man”, Maxwell added. “Oh really?”, Alberta asked with a sense of relief in her voice. “Don’t tell me you were jealous of her hanging out with me”, Maxwell said. “Truth be told Max, I hated that girl so much for having what I was praying to have but it seemed you were lost in her love”, Alberta said. “I hated her with so much passion that there was even a time that I wanted her to die”, Alberta added. “You should see the relief on my face on hearing that she is married because it means that I will be having you all to myself”, Alberta said jokingly and the two of them laughed over it. “Max, I don’t know why I am telling you all this because I don’t  usually trust guys so much but there is something about you that gives me so much assurance that you are different”, Alberta confessed, still shuddering in her speech. “I thought that I had gotten over you with the years that passed but having you back in my life this past few weeks has rather made me know that the feeling had not been lost but that it had only gone into hiding”, Alberta continued. “Max, are you there?”, Alberta asked after speaking for a while without a sound from Maxwell. “Sweetheart, I am here”, Maxwell responded. Maxwell listened quietly but occasionally gave Alberta verbal nods to let her know that he was paying rapt attention. “What if I told you that the feeling is mutual now?”, Maxwell asked. “Does that mean that you have some feelings for me now?”, Alberta asked. “Maxwell please don’t deceive me”, Alberta started. “Are you saying all this because of what I have just told you or is it that you have genuinely developed feelings for me?”, Alberta asked with a bit of confusion and uncertainty in her voice. “I really do, Albie”, Maxwell said. “I have thought this over several times and I think that I just might have developed a strong liking for you in a special way”, Maxwell revealed. “What kind of special way are you referring to?”, Alberta asked out of curiosity. “I think what we have here can develop into a relationship that can lead to other things”, Maxwell said. “Maxwell, are you asking me out?”, Alberta asked feeling elated. “If what I am saying is anything to go by, then, yes, I am asking you to be my girlfriend”, Maxwell answered. “Wow!”, Alberta exclaimed, “I just can’t believe that this is happening right now”, Alberta said still in a state of shock mixed with excitement. The two of them were silent over the phone for a while. Suddenly, Alberta broke the silence. “Max, do you know what today’s date is?”. Maxwell looked on his phone screen and realized that it was way past midnight and the date was 14^th February. “Wow, I didn’t even realize”, Maxwell said. “You liar, I know you had this well-planned”, Alberta said. “I know you would deny it but I would give you the credit for being romantic”, Alberta said. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby”, Alberta added. They spoke more for a while and Alberta asked to go to bed because she had to go to school in the morning. That semester, Maxwell studied so hard during the day and dedicated his nights to talking to Alberta. Apart from attending lectures and public fora, Maxwell did not have a real social life. He was almost all the time indoors laying on his bed either watching a movie on his laptop or talking to Alberta on the phone. He seldom called any of his family members. His attitude caught the attention of his father who asked if he was in any kind of trouble but anytime his father brought the issue up on the few occasions they spoke; Maxwell always brushed the issue aside. Soon the first semester in the university had come to a close and Maxwell was so excited about the fact that he had vacated and was finally going to meet Alberta for the first time ever since he asked her to be his girlfriend. Immediately Maxwell arrived home safely, he dropped his suitcase and quickly rushed out of the house making his way to Alberta’s house. When he got to the door of Alberta’s house, he looked at his reflection in her glass window and wiped off some particles that had found their way on his chin. A young man walked out and informed him that she was in another room behind the house. Maxwell followed the directions given by the young man and knocked at the door. “Surprise!”, Maxwell screamed when Alberta opened the door. “What are you doing here?”, Alberta asked looking both surprised and shocked. “Don’t just stand there, give me a hug”, Maxwell ordered. Alberta drew close and hugged him. Both of them went into the room and had a long chat. As they talked, Maxwell’s mother called him but Maxwell did not answer the call. Upon calling the third time, Alberta snatched the phone from Maxwell’s hand and answered the call, “Hello mummy, my name is Alberta”. “I know you miss your son so much but please spare me only an hour with him so that I send him back home to you”, Alberta pleaded. Maxwell’s mother responded to Alberta’s request but her answer was only heard by Alberta. Alberta stayed on the phone for a while and the last thing she said was, “Okay mummy, thank you so much”. She hang up the phone and tossed the phone unto Maxwell’s laps. “What did she say?”, Maxwell asked. “That is none of your business”, Alberta started. “The most important thing is that she has agreed that you can stay for a while”, Alberta responded. The two lovebirds chatted for some time before Maxwell left for his house. When Maxwell got home, his mother and sister were in the kitchen preparing a special supper to welcome Maxwell back home. He went into the kitchen and hugged his sister and asked if he could help out with the dinner. His mother asked him to wash the vegetables that were already in the kitchen’s sink. “Who is Alberta?”, Maxwell’s mother asked, as he was washing the vegetables. “Just a friend”, Maxwell responded abruptly. “Which Alberta is mum talking about?”, Maxwell’s sister asked curiously. “I hope it is not the Alberta both of us know”, Maxwell’s sister asked, dropping the plate she had in her hand on the kitchen counter. Maxwell was silent. “Are you kidding me, Max?”, his sister asked. “I am your sister but I would say this in the presence of mummy that if you have anything to do with Alberta, I would question your taste in women and I mean it”, Maxwell’s sister said. “What is that supposed to mean?”, both Maxwell and his mother asked simultaneously. “Mum, that girl is my friend and I know her better than Max does so believe me when I say she is not the woman for you”, Maxwell’s sister said, turning to look in Maxwell’s direction. They argued over the issue for a while and ended it when dinner was ready. Maxwell was in love and did not want to listen to what his sister was saying. He had spoken to Alberta for a while and it seemed her behaviour was the opposite of what his sister recounted. Maxwell wanted to ask Alberta if she was hiding anything from him the next time he met her. That night, when he went to bed after dinner, he thought about what his sister had said but in his mind, he was of the view that she was only jealous of the fact that he had managed to win over Alberta’s heart. The following day, Maxwell dressed up and headed for Alberta’s. Once again, when he got to her house, she was told that Alberta was in the room behind the house. Curiosity got the better of Maxwell so when he got to the room after being ushered in by Alberta, he asked, “You are always here and by looking around, I gather that this room belongs to a man, you can correct me if I am mistaken”, Maxwell said. “You are right, Max”, Alberta started. “This room belongs to a friend of mine who works in town”. “He leaves home very early so he leaves his key behind so that I can watch TV whenever my brother’s girlfriend comes around and they need some privacy”, Alberta added. “Nothing is going on between us just so you know”, Alberta said. Maxwell did not seem so convinced but he took Alberta for her word. They sat down to chat and Alberta placed her head on Maxwell’s laps. They talked and laughed at each other for hours. Maxwell decided to leave because it was getting late. As he tried leaving, Alberta held on to his shirt and started kissing him. Maxwell pushed her unto the couch and dived unto her chest and they engaged each other in bouts of passionate kisses and caresses for minutes. “Maxwell, make love to me”, Alberta moaned. Maxwell who was in seventh heaven asked, “Like here and now?”. “Yes, now but not here!”, Alberta screamed in passionate excitement. “There is a bed behind that partition”, Alberta said, pointing to the curtains that were used to separate the sleeping area from the living room in Alberta’s friend’s single room apartment. Maxwell followed Alberta like a sheep being led to the slaughterhouse and within seconds, they found themselves on the bed. Alberta started to undress and Maxwell asked, “Should I take off my trouser?”. Alberta laughed out loud and responded, “Max, do whatever makes you feel comfortable”. Maxwell pulled down his trouser and lay on top of Alberta and within a matter of seconds with a few strokes, he ejaculated. “What is wrong with you?”, Alberta asked, as she felt the hot semen inside of her. Maxwell who was so embarrassed responded, “I am fine” and got up from on top of Alberta. He quickly zipped up his trouser and headed for the door. As he made his way out of the room, Alberta run and stood in front of the entrance, locked the door and took the key out. “Where do you think you are going, young man?”, Alberta asked. “We are not done here”, she added. “It’s getting late and I have to go home”, Maxwell said, looking quite embarrassed. As they stood there arguing, Maxwell’s phone rang. Alberta put her hand into his pocket and drew the phone out. “It’s your mother”, she said but before Maxwell could say anything, she had already answered the phone. “Good evening, mummy, Maxwell is here with me”. “What is going on between you and my son?” “I want you to cut whatever ties you have with my son from today”. “I don’t think you are the type of girl he should be keeping company so please stay away from him and don’t entertain him ever again, do you understand?”, Maxwell’s mother continued. “Yes please”, Alberta responded with tears in her eyes. Immediately Alberta hang up the phone, she opened her palm and offered Maxwell the key to the door. “Please don’t come back here again”, Alberta said, with tears streaming down her cheeks. “What is the meaning of this?”, a confused Maxwell asked. “Go home and ask your mother”, Alberta responded. She unlocked the door herself and asked Maxwell to leave quietly. When Maxwell stepped out of the room, he was filled with rage and marched home in anger. When he got home, his mother was in the kitchen. “Mummy, what did you tell Alberta?”, Maxwell queried. “I told her what would make her stay away from you because of what your sister said about her yesterday”, Maxwell’s mother responded. “You people cannot decide who I can keep as a friend or not based on some non-existent preconceived idea about them”, Maxwell blurted. “Son, this is life and no matter your level of education, you would need to learn how to balance your academic knowledge with home science to be able to live a meaningful life”. “Just your knowledge about books is not enough to live life”, Maxwell’s mother added. “This fact notwithstanding does not give you the right to interfere with the kind of friends I keep”, Maxwell fought back. “You are my son and I love you so I would not watch you fail and keep quiet about it”, Maxwell’s mother said. After the conversation with his mother, Maxwell went straight to his room without taking his dinner. That night, he tried calling Alberta several times but she refused to answer any of his phone calls. The next day, he left for her house but she was not at home. He waited for a while but when she was not returning, he left for his house. Maxwell did not hear from Alberta nor saw her till he left for school for the second semester of his first year in the university. Even when Maxwell went back to school, he tried calling Alberta but there was still no response. He had gone three months into the second semester when on one night, he tried calling Alberta’s number one more time to see if he would be lucky to hear her voice one more time. As the call was about to time out, Alberta answered the phone. “Hello Maxwell, what do you want?”, Alberta queried. “Alberta, I am very sorry for what happened between you and my mum”, Maxwell said. “You don’t need to be sorry Max”, Alberta said. “I am pregnant”, Alberta added. Maxwell’s heart missed several beats after Alberta’s revelation…… MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY. STAY TUNED IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT IN “EVEN IF I DON’T FIND PEACE”. MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com. SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM ALL OF US AT RANDOM AFRICAN THOUGHTS. ENJOY THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH WARMTH.