My Grandma's Love Story: The Ink well Prompt #87

Source
Bell was ringing continuously inside the living room and it was around 5 am. Grandma started singing praise and worship, she was expecting everyone to join her for the morning devotion but no one responded and she started entering every room to wake up everyone in the house. Suddenly, she splashed water on me and my friend Samson.

"Oh, God! Grandma! Grandma!! You have started again with your unexpected baptism. Won't you allow somebody to sleep?" Jacob said.

Grandma replied. "So if I don't come here to wake you up, you won't think to wake up early and observe and say your prayer." Especially preparing for work. "If you don't wake up early in the morning like this, when will you get up? Only lazy people will sleep all day long." The sleep you will sleep tired when you pass on to the Lord. "Those dead people at the burial ground remain in bed forever, no one will wake them, because they are enjoying their sleep without disturbance, but we that are still alive should not sleep too much so allow success to come our way."

After our morning devotion, everyone was assigned to house chores and after that, we went to the office.

In the afternoon, when we were coming from work. My friend Samson and I met grandma in front of our house seated on the elder's chair under the tree located in our compound. She was singing a romantic song, and while asking the reason she was full of joy with this kind of song. She said I remembered how I met your grandpa. I mean, my husband.

"My children go and change your clothes, then come back and have your seat. Let me tell you my love story and I want you to learn from it." Love is powerful and it conquers everything. It can intoxicate anyone no matter your level or age." Said, Grandma.

Grandma began, "please my children always be ready to keep your promises no matter the difficulties. I didn't know that my husband (that is your grandpa) would become rich in life because I married him when he was a very poor young man. But look at us today, we are a wealthy family."

William, my husband, accompanies his mother to our house to assist her to wash our dirty clothes. His mother happened to be our dry cleaner that used to come around at the weekend to pick up dirty clothes and wash them before returning to their home.

"William was very hardworking, cool-headed, and intelligent and God embedded wisdom in him. He knows how to make people laugh and forget their sorrows."

One day, our parents were not around, including our house-made. They travelled out of the town. My brother and I were hungry and they didn't train us how to prepare meals at home. We were contemplating how to prepare food, just to practice it but we could not do it. We were on this, William and his mother entered and he saw the way we were doing it and he laughed.

"William said oh my God, so you don't know how to prepare food. Don't worry, I will help you out."

William prepared delicious food for us, and we ate the food and left some quantity to eat at night. We were surprised that a man like William knows how to do this. This is great!

From there we draw him closed so that we can learn from him, and assist us during times of trouble like this. I started developing an interest in him.

After some days, I knew that he would come with his mother and I wore waist beads my mother bought for me from the market under reflecting cloth so that if he sees it to enable him to appreciate me as a young charming girl. Later, he summoned the courage and approached me with a sugar-coated mouth. One thing about him is that it is fun to be with him. I could not resist his approach and said alright. Meanwhile, that was what I was expecting from him before. It was like a dream come true.

However, my elder brother noticed something was going on between us and he was not happy to see him coming to our house again. Later, he reported the case to our patients and my father summoned me to the meeting. And he asked me if what he heard from my brother was true or not and said yes, it was true.

My father flew up. "No way, how could you have anything to do with poor families? You that we nurtured with wealth. You want to put me in shame, no way. I won't allow such a thing to happen when I am alive."

My parents stopped his mother from the job she was doing for us. And thereafter, my father sent me to another town to continue with my education there. But fortunately for me, William also left our town to continue his study at the same school. I was in a burdened school while William was attending day school class because he was coming from the home. We started our love afresh, and no one noticed what we were doing again.

Until one day, my father came to check on me unexpectedly. He asked for me from a school counsellor and she said I would be in the library studying. But one of my classmates was passing and she told him that I was with William under a mango tree behind our class.

My father exclaimed. Who is that person? Please, young lady, take me to that place and he gave the girl some cash. Immediately my father saw us together again as if the land opened and entered there. How come? How did he know that you are in this school? And he called William different names. From there, he took me home and he was planning to send me out of the country where we will not see each other again.

William left school in annoyance and went home. While at home, he could not eat or talk to anyone to the extent he was hospitalized for some days. When the physician examined him, it was discovered that his temperature was not normal and all efforts to control it proved abortive. One of the doctors said to his mother this is strange, all our efforts to make him better failed.

When William's mother heard what the doctor said she ran to the ward where William was and flanked him. "She was hearing please help me beg Susan's father to allow me to marry Susan if you want me to be fine. She said, " Hey, see me see the problem. My only son, I can't fold my arm and watch you die."

William's mother rushed home to liaise with the elders who could intervene in the matter. But later, she returned to the hospital and told William that there is a meeting at Susan's father's residence and he must be there. Although, he didn't know how his mother arranged it.

William shook. "Oh, he has allowed Susan to marry me! That is great! When am I going to see her?"

"Oh, no, I told you that there is a meeting at Susan's father's house and you must be there the next two days to this time so my son gets well soon, '' William's mother said in a gentle tone.

William sat up on the hospital bed and said, "I am fine now mum, I am well liable!" William responded.

"But son, you can't tell me that you are fine when you are still under care. It is the doctor that will tell you whether you are fine or not so relaxed and get well. William's mother said.

On the day of the meeting, at Susan's father's residence. Three elderly men with white beards and Susan's parents sat on the couch in their large living room.

Grandma paused, bent her head and remained silent.

What is wrong mama? Please continue!" Samson urged.

"I just remember one of the elderly people that came with your grandma on that day was the one that died yesterday."

I was touched when I heard of his sudden death. Pa James was a very kind man. He was a man of peace. I just know why the news of his death touched so many hearts in town.

"Anyway, my children, that is life. Let me continue with my story. May his soul rest in peace."

As was said, one of the elderly men stood up. He greeted my father and praised him to the high heavens. He explained they were in our house because of William's case. Knowing my patients' stance on the issue, he told them that he was not there to beg my parents but he was rather there to tell them a couple of things about genuine love. In life, anybody can submerge in the ocean of love. Love can fly in any direction. It depends on individuals' perspectives. He spoke philosophically about love. He said It takes a second to sight anyone, it takes a minute to stare, an hour to admire, and a day to love, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone that one loves dearly. To elucidate his point further he continued, Chief, I can only tell you a story of love, after which I hope you will reconsider your position on William and Susan, your daughter's case.

The old man told us a story that shook everyone which led to sad things in the end, and if the Chief refused to allow us to marry each other he would blame himself. The old man submitted and sat down.

Chief, who happened to be my father, was sobered. He said, well, it is written. First of all, I greet you, elders. It was a great honour to come here today and intervene in this matter. But I don't want anyone to blame me for my actions because no one will fold one arm and watch one daughter's life spoiled without doing anything about it. Although, I have accepted my faith to allow them to get married to each other. He then called us to kneel to give us his blessing in the presence of the elderly seated. And I was elated and relieved and said thank God.

Samson was delighted. Oh my God! So grandma is a storyteller. She is very good, and I will be coming here after daily work. There is a lesson in her story.

        The End