THE STORY 2 EP. 15

 EPISODE FIFTEEN

THE STORY 2

BY PRAISE UMORU

Things seemed to have turned out well as Tony and his mum finally came to a resolve. They both had a long talk from top to bottom. When Tony got to know his mother’s acquaintance he was both bewildered and happy. Things seemed to make sense to him after his mum’s narration.

He was pleased to know a man such as Mr. Henry could make his mum feel alive once again. Although the fact that a man his age could attempt an act of immorality still baffled him, but at least, after his visit later that night, things were sorted out more explicitly. He appreciated Mr. Henry’s humility and respect for him as his mum’s son. He felt love in his love for his mum through Henry’s words, but that didn’t stop Tony from unleashing his rage and irritation for his act when he visited that night.

Tony standing up to take charge of the issue at hand and the responsibility for his mum’s happiness, he laid it down to the two, that they just had to make things right, not just between  themselves but with God.

Tony as a man that adorned morality and respect for what respect is due for, has never wanted to deviate from the principles he father had taught him before he passed away. Even regarding his relationship with Elizabeth, even if their relationship has been on for close to two years, he had always restrained himself from acting on any form of immorality with. Eli on the other hand, was also guided on the moral ethics by her mom, and has kept to it making it not a one sided decision for Tony but a joint Phil agreement till they seal their relationship with a certificate.

After hours of discussion and acceptance between the Amare’s’ and Mr. Henry, the resolution settled with an impromptu marriage ceremony. Tony went well with the decision as he was the anchor and so did Mr. Henry ecstatically. It was already 10pm but Mr. Henry didn’t spend the night. Tony had finally charged his phone as his mum retired to her bed all exhausted and drained by the day.

Tony immediately dialed Elizabeth’s call line again but unfortunately it was switched off. It was the first time he hadn’t heard her voice in about two days, and seeing her line switched off, he became a bit paranoid

“She still isn’t picking?” Mrs. Amare had said with a glass of water in her hand

Tony was startled at her presence “I thought you were asleep?” 

“Well I came to get a glass of water, I got a bit thirsty. Why are you still in the living room? You still haven’t pulled through to Elizabeth?”

“No mum… her phone has been switched off for hours now, it’s unlike her”

Mrs. Amare made a soft smile “it’s okay, she probably has a flat battery and couldn’t charge just like yours. You know the power supply has been pretty poor these days”

Tony sighed still gazing at his phone as if he expected his phone to buzz into a ring expecting Eli’s call, but since it didn’t, he stood up “maybe you are right, I just hope they are both okay”

“They are” she gave him an assuring smile “her mum is a fighter. She has been fighting for years now, she is gonna pull through again… alright”

Tony didn’t look assured enough as his expression still accommodated a sad countenance

“Okay… you know what” Mrs. Amare continued “if you still can’t pull through to her by tomorrow, you could go see her. I’ll be fine. If I need anything, I’ll just call Henry…”

Tony looked at her feeling void of any form of enthusiasm “you are sure you will be fine”

“I will… now go rest your head. You should be exhausted”

Immediately Tony opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he did was to dial Eli’s number but still her phone was switched off. He quickly brushed himself off and took off for the hospital.

When he got to her ward, it had be cleaned up and even occupied by another patient. His worry grew further. He rushed over to the counter where he asked for details about the where about of Eli’s mother but he regretted having the answer he got

He stuttered to one of the seats at the waiting room in the hospital. He tried holding his tears but it didn’t stop his reddened eyes. He felt struck in the heart and shattered at the same time. He couldn’t put himself to imagine the hurt Eli was already going through. He ran out of the hospital but his tears had already streamed down in his haste to Eli’s place

Tony jumped down from the cab and rushed over to Eli’s residence. He had seen unknown faces outside the residence, he didn’t care about the unrecognized faces at first, but when he noticed their dress code, his heart skipped a painful beat. He quickly rushed into the house and his eyes searched for Elizabeth thoroughly. He felt like he was losing his mind with the little crowd that filled the enclosed house. He tore his gaze from one corner to the other searching and hoping his eyes would meet her soon enough as the residence was a bit tight. He could feel eyes staring at him, he didn’t understand why neither did he care, but he finally halted on seeing his queen who now looked like she had been crying for days. His heart dropped like a mild stone was sinking it into the ocean. He didn’t know when his tears fell profusely when he saw her tears. She looked pale and lean. She must have starved herself. She wrapped her hands around herself like she was cold, but Tony knew that wasn’t the case, she just felt lonely. Now he understood why most eyes were on him, he was wearing a green polo and blue jeans, he was the odd one out among the blacks. But their stares was the least of his worries, he went close to Eli and tried to embrace her timid body.

He rushed and embraced her with all the emotions in him pouring out through his tears, he was indeed affected also, but what affected him more, was Eli’s cold response

She pulled him away from his embrace, her tears was still a steady river flow but she stood calmly giving him a cold gaze

“What are you doing here?” she asked

Tony couldn’t comprehend her question being all emotional so he asked with so much concern not putting consideration to her behavior or question

“Are you okay? Lil I am so so sorry. I didn’t know…”

“Tony please leave” she cut him short still with a hurting voice and a low key

“What?” Tony exclaimed both pained and surprised “Lil what are you saying….” his tears was still flowing against his will no matter how he cleaned them “my phone was switched off… something came up at home, I tried calling…I…”

“TONY I SAID LEAVE!!!” Eli yelled with hurt in her voice. Her anger had gotten the attention of all the visitors. She shrugged her shoulders away from the people beside her who tried to calm her down “I don’t care if you called…” she continued talking with pain in her heart with the evidence of her tears “I don’t care where you have been, Tony I really don’t care… I just want to be alone, so please just leave” she turned her back to leave but he held her hands back making her turn to face him

Tony tried pulling himself together not to let her words hinder him from speaking no matter the wounds her words gave him “I know you don’t mean what you are saying right now, because you are hurt… but I am deeply sorry. I… I can explain…”

“Get your hands off me!” she pulled her hands forcefully away from him “I don’t want your explanation, I don’t need you… I just want to be left alone!” she held her chest like it was pierced “I have nothing, its just me now, so let me get use to it!”

“No Elizabeth, we are gonna get through this together… I will always be here for you… I am…”

“I DON’T WANT YOU!” she snapped at him “where were you for the past two days, where were you when I needed you…”

“I am sorry…” Tony pleaded for a listening ear. He understood her hurt, losing a parent was something he had felt also. It was one of the most vulnerable state a person could be, the weakest point, where you felt the whole world was against you. And not having the person you trusted the most to be there for you, but instead ignoring and distancing away from you… was the worst feeling that truly the world was against you

“Tony please just go… just leave me alone… I don’t need your pity, so just go”

At the point, some of the people had started showing Tony the way out. He wanted to struggle not to go with them, but there was no point when she wasn’t ready to see him. 

He stood outside the small edifice, there wasn’t room for thoughts in his head, being just blank as he gazed at the edifice. Although he had clean his tears but his heart cried so loud. He gazed at the edifice for half an hour and then left dejectedly…

*****

Tony sat at the edge of the walk way that gave him a good view of the large lake. He looked absent minded with the way he stiffly fixated his gaze into the thin air. He lips were partly opened in his absent minded state. His heart was heavy like a rock. He kept hitting his chest like the rock slide down but to no avail. His throat felt all cocky. He couldn’t find his voice at that moment. His eyes then became all watery again, his lips start to wobble, twisting his lips, he felt he could twist back the incoming tears but he clasped his palms over his face as the teary dam rushed out.

His head flashed back to her words, the hurt of her pushing him away stabbed his heart a million times. He felt useless, he felt dejected… he felt all alone…

But just few feet away, a figure was watching him unknowingly

He felt a presence behind him, he cleaned his tears and turned back to view the figure behind him. When he recognized the face, he bursted into another round of tear flow

Quinn noticing Tony’s swollen eyes, hurried towards his side and sat down beside him also at the edge of the walkway leading to the lake.

“She hates me” Tony muttered silently

“Who hates you…what is wrong with you” Quinn’s eyes carried a heavy load of concern and fear on seeing her Twenty Seven year old best friend cry like a baby “What happened? Tony talk to me”

Tony couldn’t put himself to respond as his tears took the best of him. When Quinn saw that he wasn’t in the frame of mine to talk or respond, she pulled him head slowly towards her shoulder for him to cry and rest on

Quinn couldn’t understand why her friend was behaving this way. He had never ever seen him this way before. She was worried if something had happened to his mum or something but regardless of her efforts, he just sobbed the more. She decided to let him lay on her shoulders for a bit more. Even if her shoulders had begun to hurt a bit, she was ready to keep it on.

Tony was still sobbing a bit when she remembered their first time at the lake. Both of them had found the place and it was theirs to keep visiting. It was a bit secluded place, because not so many people knew about the beautiful serenity it gave, but Tony and Quinn appreciated it. This was the place her feelings for Tony started growing stronger. He had thought her to swim and find peace and happiness in the water. Tony had told her a secret of his about the rain being his serenity and joy no matter the way he felt at any day and at any time. The feeling of the cool water on his skin gave him a soothing feeling that just made him happy, she knew at that moment that Tony was a Pluviophile

“Tony you are making me scared” Quinn spoke up again “I thought the water could calm your nerves but even with the sight of water right in front of you, you are making me paranoid.”

Tony didn’t give her any response without making a move 

Quinn continued “I don’t know if you had a fight with Eli, but just give her some time to cool off, you guys always end up resolving your fights, so this one isn’t going to be any different trust me”

“it will… we might not resolve this one. She isn’t going to forgive me” Tony kept on ranting with his head hung low

Quinn felt his hurt. Even if she didn’t know the reason he was this way, all she wanted was to cheer him up. Knowing the cause of their fight wasn’t the issue to her, but cheering and encouraging her friend.

Quinn took his hand slowly and intertwined hers with his with a free mind. Tony raised his head to look at her but his gaze fell upon her in a confusing manner “you both are gonna be fine as you always have” Quinn continued “every rose have its thorns, but that doesn’t make it less beautiful” 

Quinn sent him a soft smile that reminder Tony of Eli. He looked like he was gazing into Eli’s eyes instead of Quinn’s. He looked at the intertwined fingers that was common between himself and Eli whenever they needed to make themselves feel better or give each other a sense of assurance. Tony’s heart melted on seeing Eli’s beaming smile in Quinn’s… everything she said and did, only brought out Eli’s image in front of him like she was seating beside him instead of Quinn.

Quinn’s heart melted with joy as she saw tony beam a smile towards her, she then said “I know you love music, and I would have loved to sing your favorite song in order to cheer you up, but my crowing voice would make your ears bleed instead” Quinn laughed on saying her little joke hoping to see him smile… which happily enough he did

Tony gave a soft laugh towards her joke. He squeezed her intertwined fingers with love “but you told me I had the crowing voice” Tony said imagining Eli’s presence before him “I loved you so much…” Tony’s voice was soft

Quinn felt confused and flabbergasted at his statement, but before she could comprehend his words Tony had pressed his lips against hers in the most passionate form. Quinn was bewildered at his move and yet he didn’t seem to let go, she wanted to pull him away by all means but she had already given in before she could control herself.

To be continued…(Disclaimer: Episode 16 is only going to be released on my blog through this link https://peebeeheart.blogspot.com/?m=1.  Thank you so.much for reading this far💖)

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