Back to the village, the young man Edu was now becoming more depressed and it was almost as if there was nothing else for him. His mother had gotten better could read the face of her son and she could tell that everything was not fine.
"You came from the city and since you came back you have been avoiding having a word word with me. My son, if there is anything going on with you that you would want me to be part of kindly tell me. Your silence is killing me and all I want to do is to know exactly what is wrong. I'm your mother and yes I can be of help to you if only you can help me to help you. My son, my dear lovely son" She petted him while hoping that there could be a way by which her son, her only son could tell her what was wrong with him. Edu stared at his mother where she was seated and sat before her with a heavy sigh. The mother was relieved too for she had gotten the notion that he wanted to tell her what the problem was. She kept looking at his gloomy face, hoping he would speak and save her from the anxiety. The son looked at her and sighed again before he said, "Mother?"
"Son?" she replied while staring right into his eyes. Tell me my son, go ahead and tell me what you want me to know" the mother urged.
"Mother, I have decided to give up on her" he said and the mother who didn't need to be told where he was driving at sighed and then cleared his throat.
"My son, you are doing what any man in your shoes would do. I won't blame you if you have decided to make this decision because it shows you are ready to be a man, ready to move on with your life and that you are ready to prove to anyone that your life is not tied to anyone living or dead. You know there was a time while I was little my father made a remark that kept ringing in my head till date; at that time it was more of a mother and a father putting food on the table of ten children. My father who got married to two wives but the first wife had to die and my mother had to take care of the ten children altogether with four being hers and five being my father's late wife's. I had not imagined for once that if anything happened to my parents we, their children would survive without them. But you see my son, my father made a remark a day and he said and I quote, "If I and your mother happen not to be alive now you our children, the ten of you will still be alive and well. Infact there is probability that if we are no more that is when you all will begin to get better. I am not praying for me and your mother to die any time soon but you see I want you our kids to know this fact, this truth that most people don't know; if you loose someone you have lost a burden. I want you to know that there is always a way out for anyone who is going to make a way for themselves divinely. You should not think or say that without somebody you are doomed; anyone who is helping another is privileged to help that person and should see it that way and not the other way round. We are happy to be your parents and we are going to continue to be appreciative of the fact that we are your parents" You see my son, here is the thing; I am so proud of you and what you have become by denouncing your feelings for that lady. Never you think there is anything that can make anyone think otherwise. It is you and you alone that will decide what you want. Nobody is going to decide that for you. Now that you have made this decision what next do you have in mind to do?"
Edu sighed again, a trait passed down to him by his mother. He looked at her and saw that she was waiting for his reply, a calm woman whose interest, major interest was to see that he became an established person. At that moment when it was already as if there was something wrong he smiled to brighten her face and she returned the smile. She then stood up and said, "My son, I want you to know also that Veronica while you were growing up with her was a good girl and a homely one for that matter. She was not always a girl that she is today. This is why I do not want you to go on making it hard for yourself, asking yourself if you are good enough for her or not. You have always been good to her and you never stopped being good for her until she decided to be bad to you. Now there is a difference between bad that someone who is good does and someone who is bad; Veronica is not bad and if by any chance is bad now then it must have happened by accident and you must not hold grudges for her in your heart. The way for your safety, the easiest way for you to get healed is to take your mind off her and pretend that it never happened, that she was never part of your life. Do not nurse any ill feelings for her and do not also make your mind focus more on things that do not matter. It is you who is going to make the change you so much desire" The mother then walked away from him to go prepare some food. When she left Edu sighed again and laid his back against the bed. He kept glaring at the ceiling and thinking of all that his mother had said to him and he could see real wisdom in her words. He did not need to be told that actually there was something that could bring about such relief. He was relieved and he could see it. He stood up and kept thinking aloud and for a while he knew he was getting better from his depression. His mother always had a way of making him feel better in his worst feelings and this time was one of those times.
********
Veronica was inside the hotel room when Charles entered and seeing her on the bed walked to the table, removed his wristwatch and placed it on the table. Just then Veronica recognised the wristwatch to be exactly the same wristwatch that was stolen from her while she was with Anita, same wristwatch that Charles got for her as a present. She kept glaring at it while Charles was standing near her. When she looked up at his face she was already regretting why she had to invite him back to the hotel. Having to lay her eyes on the wristwatch and to see it on the wrist of Charles made her loose her appetite for whatever she was hungering for that made her desire the presence of Charles. She was still wondering why any man would want to win the heart of a woman he says he loves by using lies and deceit and if the organization was going to do something huge for her it could only mean one thing; that she would never get to have Edu as hers for Edu would no longer have his liberty. She stood up from the bed and Charles watched her go to the table where he had dropped the wristwatch and began to touch it with her fingers. While she was doing that Charles was getting the message.
"I'm sorry Vero..." he was still saying when she raised her hand to keep him mute, then turned to face him with a question; "Did you have to make me look like a fool?"
"I'm sorry for that" he said.
"You are not. I'm not sure if you will ever be sorry or you will forever remain as though you are sorry. How can I know the truth if I don't see it in you? Tell me Boss, you want me into this life that you are in, this life that takes all your freedom, your choices, your sleep, it takes away your security and exposes one to the lashes of the government, how could you desire someone you say you love to be part of something like this?"
"Because I'm part of it and if I'm part of the woman that calls herself mine should be part of it as well for if she is not part of it it will be easier for her to run off" he said.
"Are you now going to force someone to be with you? If you force me to be with you and yes I be with you out of fear how on Earth will you be able to enjoy us?" she asked.
"I don't remember coming here uninvited" he said.
"You came invited not because I love you but because I'm afraid. You inspire fear in me and if I am ever going to say yes to your love advances towards me it is only going to be because I am afraid of you and not because I love you" she said.
"So tell me then, what exactly do you want?" he asked.
"To be free, to be truly free from your hands, your terror, without having you looking over my shoulders and scaring me with your threats. You know of what I'm talking about. I know a little about what you do and what you do is hated by the government of this country and any other country that must have your channels of trade and anyone who is exposed with you is exposed to the government and could be caught at any time. You know what will happen to me if I'm caught?" she asked.
"Who told you you will be caught?" he asked.
"Please, there is no hundred percent assurance to this; it is either death or jail and that's where it leads everyone who is involved in it. You may have some powerful politicians and figures in the country as your friends but you see there are other areas where you may not have that hand to extend to you. I'm scared and I have never been this scared before in my life" She said. Charles stared at her for a while before she chuckled and then walked up to her and holding her hands he said, "Well, you have yourself my dear and you can choose what you want to do. From now on I'm never going to force you to do what you don't want to do. It is left for you to decide what you want. Nobody is going to force you to enter where you don't wish to enter. So here is the thing; go and go to wherever you choose. I will make the rest of my team and family to know that you are no longer with you and my dream of you joining us didn't hold" He picked his wristwatch, wore it and walked out of the room. Veronica stared through the window and saw him drive off and she sat dejectedly on the bed and wondered why she feeling as if she had lost something so precious to her. She began to ask herself a certain question; "Do I now have feelings for him? If not how come I feel bad that he had let go of me and have given me the liberty to choose where I want to go to?" She could not find an answer because apparently she was talking to herself.