"Adina, the reason I believe you did not cheat on me was that I heard Austin and his mom talking about it. They did not know I was listening to their conversation. They were celebrating how successful they were in separating us, with you going back to Nigeria. That was also the reason I got into an accident."
"Wow, but I still don't understand a few things. How does our relationship affect your stepmom and her son? Also, how did finding out the truth cause you to have an accident" I say, getting more confused by the moment.
"I will explain when I found out the truth about you been framed by my stepbrother and his mom. I was devastated. I felt like the biggest fool on earth for not realizing they could do such a thing to me. My head was filled with so many thoughts that it was hard for me to think straight while driving, which led to my accident. And why they ruined our relationship is because they know without you, I can't function, Adina. They know you mean the world to me, and the fact that you are a black woman that I fell in love with makes you ten times a way to destroy me."
"Ethan, I don't understand. You are getting me more confused by the second," I say, wondering how all of these has to do with me or even the fact that it's because I am black. Is there something about Ethan that I don't know about?
"Adina, I am madly in love with you. You mean the world to me. You are a black woman, and I fell in love with you. If you betray me, it will scar me for life. I might not be able to recover from it, which my stepmom and her son wanted. They wanted me to lose my sense of reasoning. They don't want me to function well, so my father won't have a choice but to pass down his company to Austin till I can put my shit together. But we all know once it gets into their hands, there is no way I will ever get it back."
"Wow, never in my life would I be able to come up with such a reason to why they framed me. That is a cruel way for a mother and her son to think. This world is full of surprises. But Ethan, I don't understand why you keep emphasizing that I am a black woman. How is that of great importance in all of these?"
"Adina, there are things I have not told you about myself. I hope after I tell you this, it won't change the way you look at me. I can't be too sure around the ages of 6 or 7, but I know I was very young. My parents got divorced, and like any kid at my age, I did not understand why I couldn't see my mother every day. I longed to have a mother who could live with me. My dad got remarried a year later to Patricia. I was excited to finally have a mom who I could see every day, but the love was never recuperated. Patricia was the definition of a living devil. She is the cruellest person I have ever met. She never laid her hands on me, but the pain she inflicted on me emotionally was ten times worse. I hated her more than anything in the world, but what made me hate all black women was what happened to me when I got kidnapped."
"You were kidnapped as a kid. Oh my God, Ethan. I am so sorry you had to go through all these pains at a young age," I say, imagining the horror younger Ethan might have faced, and I can't help myself but cry.
"It's fine now, but let me continue the story so you would understand everything."
"Alright"
"When I got kidnapped, the people that kidnapped me were blacks, to be specific. I was still a kid and still had hope that all women were not evil in the world. A woman was asked to watch over me while I was kidnapped. I was happy it was a woman that will be taking care of me while I was kidnapped. I thought she wouldn't hurt me because she might also be a mother and mothers love children, but I was wrong. The pain my stepmom inflicted on me was nothing compared to the pain I went through before I was rescued. They tortured me physically and mentally. At a very young age, I was praying for death. Before I was rescued, my brain had already believed that all black women in the world were cruel people."
"Ethan, I am so sorry you went through all that pain. I can't imagine it happening to anyone. I am so sorry."
"Adina, you don't have to apologize to me. You did nothing wrong if anything, I should apologize to you. I was the one who hated you when I first met you. I am sorry for misjudging you."
"No, you don't have to apologize to me, Ethan. Any child who went through the horrors you did would be the same. I understand everything now. I can't believe you were able to fall in love with me after everything that happened to you."
"Even I can't believe I did, but that's why I say you are truly amazing, Adina. You truly showed me that all black women are not evil. You made me understand that I just met the wrong ones at a young age, and there were actually good ones like you out there. I am more than fortunate to have met you in my life." Ethan says with a soft smile
"I am thrilled I did, and now I understand everything. They knew you hated black women, and once the only one in the world you were able to trust betrays you. They knew it would scar you for life. People are so evil."
"Yes, my love, you are right."
I am making my last duas after observing Asr prayers. I hear Ethan call my name for the third time in 1 minute. I wonder what he needs. I stand up from my praying mat and walk out of the room to answer him.
"Adina, where are you?" Ethan says from the living room
"I am right here; what can I do for you," I say while taking a seat on one of the couches.
"I have been calling your name for the past two minutes now. Where were you?"
"I was praying, and you know, while praying, I don't talk to anyone."
"Yeah, you have told me before. I should have guessed it since it's already time for Asr prayer."
"Wow, Ethan, you know the name of the prayers. I am so surprised you learnt it and also happy you did," I say, feeling so happy Ethan is learning more about Islam.
"It's what comes with loving you, and please, I am starving. Could you cook something for me?"
"Something just told me food was the reason why you were looking for me," I say, shaking my head at his behaviour.
"I could look for you for other reasons, my love. Would you mind not making it sound like I don't value you? It breaks my heart," Ethan says dramatically, acting like I pierced his heart.
"You know I didn't mean it like that."
"I know you didn't; I just wanted to mess with you," Ethan says, smiling while I smile back and shake my head.
"What would you like to eat?"
"Jollof Rice with chicken and coleslaw. "
"Wow, it seems you were just waiting for me to ask the question."
"I was hoping you would"
"Alright then, dinner would be ready in an hour or two."
YOU ARE READING
The American (BWWM)
Romance"What?" Ethan says in his all too familiar deep, rude voice. Ethan has pitch-black hair, is 6 feet tall, with a solid build. His deep grey eyes are glaring at me right now. His jawline is so sharp I'm sure it can cut through anything. "You hit me, s...
