The Broken Woman: Forgotten But Not Forgotten
By Blossom Obi | @BlossomObi3
“I don’t blame him, he was suffering inside” I thought to myself, “but so was I”.
I
watched Victor stagger into the living room very late that night. I had dozed
off on a twin couch after a purposeless day waiting for him to return home. He
reeked off alcohol and cheap perfume, I was disgusted by the sight of him so
much that I pitied him.
He
moved straight towards my direction as if I was invincible, he fell straight on
the other side of where I sat, snoring as he slept. I felt something tore at my
chest, I didn’t know whether it was anger, hurt or rejection. I pulled off his
shoes, got a blanket and covered him up.
I
didn’t sleep much, I kept thinking, “where could she be? and how much time
would we spend together”
Anna
was five when she passed away as a result of my carelessness. I got pregnant in
my finals for victor while we dated in school. He denied it and broke up with
me. I kept it and it produced an angel, Anna, who became everything to me.
Five
years after victor comes back asking for forgiveness saying “I can’t stop
thinking about her, I just want to see her”. Anna saw him and they bonded on
the very first day, she would laugh so loud at his jokes and it made me smile
to see her so happy.
Victor
walked with Anna one afternoon, as she rushed into my arms pulling me to come
out.
“You
didn’t go to the cinema anymore” I asked following her. “Just come mummy” she said and I followed
without hesitation opening the front door to go out. Victor stood beside a car
I couldn’t help but notice it was new.
He
bent on one knee and said “you’re priceless and you give me so much joy and
happiness, will you marry me”.
I stood there like a statue regardless of the
constant pulling on my hand by Anna, “ye yes yes” I stuttered. He didn’t seem
convinced so I went to him and we hugged each other as Anna joined in the hug
making us laugh.
It
was a memorable day, we’ve been happy ever since, until happiness was zapped
from our lives by one silly mistake. Victor got her a bike as I tried teaching
her to ride it in front of the house.
We
went out that day like other riding days, I felt she was getting better, so I
stopped following her at her back while she rode to boost a little confidence.
“Biggest
mistake of my life”. A drunk man in his early twenties lost control on the
steering while driving, to avoid a major accident he turned towards a tree,
where she rode her bike, hitting Anna in a second she tumbled with the bike and
landed on her back with the bike falling on top of her.
I rushed towards her in a mad state screaming.
The neighbours helped me put her in a vehicle as we rushed to the hospital, she
was immediately taken to the emergency unit. I tried calling victor it wasn’t
going through, so I left him a message.
He
rushed into the room where Anna was admitted, looked at me with tears in his
eyes as he walked towards the bed where she lay, kneeling very close to her he
whispered “come back to me, you make me a better man”.
The
doctor strolled in, we both stood up hastily to meet him anxious for some news.
He just tried to calm us, which was not helping because it made us more tensed.
So he realized he just had to tell us either ways.
“She’s
in a catatonic stage”, he continued some more but I had lost track by then all
I knew was my baby wasn’t coming back.
I
walked so fast from the hospital and walked all the way home not realizing how
much distance I had gone until our neighbours saw me and tried to help me with
a bath and a meal. They didn’t understand, "I don’t know how to exist
without her".
Days
had stretched to months as we moved into a New Year and the pain that we felt
hasn’t reduced in any way, I found some form of comfort in junk food which
caused me to add extra weight while victor had found solace in late nights and
alcohol.
“It
was already quarter of the year, we can’t continue like this”. I muttered
looking at the clock, it was already five in the evening, and the day was
drawing to a close.
I tried to stop victor from going out for
another round of his crazy nights, standing by the door obstructing him from
going anywhere.
“move
away Stella” victor said, I didn’t bulge and we struggled with the door so he
pushed me away with so much force I felt my head hitting the floor so hard, I
was unconscious. He paid no attention to me and left.
I
laid there till he came back drunk as usual, while I was still on the floor. He
made a joke about it,went to the couch and slept.
Victor
woke up to me still on the floor, that was when it dawned on him what he had
done, he quickly rushed as he carried me out opening the car to put me inside.
He speedily drove to the hospital.
“Not
her too, I promise to be better” he prayed.
“She’s
alive, if you brought her in two minutes late, she wouldn’t have made it” the
doctor told him.
When
he could finally see me, I was surprised to see him at the hospital.
“What
are you doing here" I asked? He tried to speak, not understanding if I was
angry with him but I cut him asking “where’s Anna”?
“The
doctors said there might be complications but he wasn’t sure”. Victor
remembered repeating them to me. "Complications" I said dismissing it
almost immediately.
“Why
are you all of a sudden here and now after four years"? I asked, staring
at him with much hate and pain.
“She
had lost her memory and it was all my fault, she didn’t remember two years from
now”. Victor thought to himself as he walked out of the hospital more
devastated than ever before.
Keep Floating
Regardless
of where you find yourself or whatever you’re passing through you owe itto
yourself to keep fighting. Taking a step each day to stay strong not because
you want to, but because it’s who you are. Keep floating you’re much stronger
than you think.
Blossom Obi writes from Owerri, Imo State. For
comments and responses, reach her via obiblossom8@gmail.com
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