Unpredictable Change

Final Part 1

Epilogue I

"What is going on, pumpkin?"
"I have told you not to CALL ME THAT!"
"Geez! I'm sorry." I teasingly apologize. "How's New York treating you?"
"Fine! This place is amazingly gorgeous, and the apartment you and Justin gave me is doing wonders for me. All my college mates are jealous."
"Did I hear someone bragging?" I joke, and she laughs. It's been a long time since I heard from her. She transferred schools to study at NYU because, according to her, there are no job opportunities for university graduates in Ghana. Ariana never ceases to surprise me. For someone who comes from a rich background, finding a job after school wouldn't even be a problem. Her father can set up a pharmacy for her here, but she wants to earn everything in life on her own merits. I really admire how she thinks. So yeah, that explains why she wasn't present at Sophie and Alex's wedding and my anniversary dinner too.
"You have no idea how much it hurts me that I wasn't able to attend your anniversary and Sophie's wedding." I chuckle at the sincerity in her voice.
"Don't even worry. It was a complete disaster."
"Really?" She exclaims. "Tell me about it. What happened?"
"Don't tell her anything. We have to take Christine. It's getting late. Get off the laptop." Justin's voice and shuffling feet interrupt our conversation.
"My husband is talking. I gotta go. Ciao." I laugh slightly and close the laptop. I sigh and go take my bath. Christine is relocating to Takoradi. After the whole incident that happened, she has decided to relocate to Takoradi after a lot of persuasion from Gina and Brian. According to them, a new environment will do her a lot of good, and I agree with them totally.
"Trust me. This is the best decision you could ever make in your life." Gina reassured her and gathered Christine in her embrace. She has cried so much that her eyes are swollen and red.
"Please take care of Diane for me. I'm glad she's asleep because my heart will break seeing her cry again. I don't want to leave her. When I see her, I might ....."
"Chris, please listen to me." We all turn our attention to Jeremiah. Brian tries to stop him from getting close, but Christine holds him back.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" I sneer at her. If Sophie were here, she would have lost it. After everything, she still wants to talk to him?
"Yeah. It's fine." She affirms. We all excuse them so they can talk in private. But you know me, I have a natural habit of eavesdropping. It's something Sophie left for me before leaving for her honeymoon.
"Please. I am really sorry for everything. I didn't mean to hurt you or Kylie or anyone else. I'm just in a dark place right now. I don't want to lose you and Diane. Please don't leave. I love you so much." I scoff and roll my eyes. Haven't we been here before?
"Haven't we been here before?" Oh my God! Can Christine read my thoughts? "We've been here over and over again. The same apology. You act right for a few days then you relapse again. I am tired. I am so tired of being a mother to you. I can't be the man and the woman in this relationship. I am constantly nursing you, which is giving you the zeal to continue misbehaving." She helps him get up from his knees and cups his face in her palms. "Trust me, I love you. I really do, but I can't anymore. I am so tired." She wipes her tears with the back of her hand. Jeremiah is equally crying.
"What you're doing is not only hurting me. It's hurting Diane, Kylie, and even your brother."
"I promise. I will change. You want me to go to therapy like Justin did? I will. You want me to spend a year in a rehab center? I will. Just tell me, and I'll do it." He kneels down again and hugs her thighs tightly. At this point, even I, I'm teary-eyed. I can see how much he loves her. I'm almost beginning to have a soft spot for him, but no way. It won't happen. Christine squats to reach his level, and they both begin to cry.
"Hey!"
"Jesus Christ! Justin! You scared me."
"Since when did you start eavesdropping on people?"
"Shh." I slap my hand on his mouth.
"Why are you being so loud?" I lower my voice to a whisper.
"Would you really do that for me?" Christine asks, completely throwing me under the bus. I don't know what they talked about after Justin interrupted my eavesdropping spree, but it sure has Christine softened up. They both get up and hug each other with tears covering their faces. Oh Justin. You made me miss out on the important part.

I believe we all have a purpose on earth. I don't know what my real purpose on earth is, but I want to believe God brought me here to learn from situations and grow as a person. And I'm sure it's the same for everyone else around me. If what happened to Christine had happened to me, I'd have divorced Justin and moved on with my life. I have that unforgiving spirit. That is why I haven't been able to forgive my mom all these years, and for the first time in my life, I feel the need to let things go because I'm growing and can't keep doing this to myself.
There's always so much love that we see. Love is when you know you're not perfect, but you decide to explore every part of your partner, including the sides you don't like, and that is what Justin and I do every day. Love is sometimes full of support even when you know the other person has no idea how to do it, but you still stick with them and hope for the best. Being a pillar of strength for them when they can't find it in themselves to be strong. That is the kind of love that Sophie and Alex share. Sometimes love is aggressive; it's feisty. It brings out the worst in you without you knowing it because you think you need to be firm with your partner so as not to lose them. Even in the midst of this toxic and chaotic love, all you need is a partner like Christine who knows the value of forgiveness. Someone who knows how to let things go. A person who is ready to experience the world with you, even if they have to lose themselves in the end. The kind of love that will make a person wait to see that their partner is out of their addictions and that they're now better people and in a serene place. Even after Jeremiah went to the Rehab center that Gina recommended, Christine still had hope that he'd one day recover and be the person she fell in love with. For several years, she rejected proposals after proposals and dedicated all her time to giving Diane the opportunities and future she never had. Something I admire her so much for. I remember how we all tried to convince her to go out with new people and discover the world, but she brushed our suggestions aside.

"I want to hold his hand for life. Every step of the way," she had told us. "And even if he doesn't get to marry me after he leaves the rehab center, I'll be happy that I was a part of his recovery and his life journey. And to also know that I'm in a safer and healthier place now. Where my mental health is okay. I'm thriving in my own way. And I'll be even happier to know I helped Diane get rid of all the resentment she felt towards her father. It's a good course for me." With that, we couldn't argue with her.

Her stay in Takoradi helped her overcome a lot of things. Justin and I didn't hesitate and took care of Diane until she came back after 6 months. She was in a healthy place, and we could all see that. In the end, what truly matters is love and friendship. There have been so many unpredictable changes in the past few years, but if there's something that didn't change, then it's our love for each other and our ability to embrace everything that life throws at us, including the good and the bad. I can boldly say the last 18 years of marriage with Justin have been the best and a great learning experience for me. It has also given me the opportunity to grow and understand a lot of things about life and motherhood. Finally opening my eyes and allowing my heart to forgive all those who have hurt me. The 20 or 27-year-old Kylie would have never given Jenny the opportunity to work in my company, but this 40-year-old Kylie knows better than to let the past control her future. I finally found the strength to forgive my mom. Something I didn't even know was possible, but I guess after having four children, you begin to understand a lot of things.

"Kylie! Are you not going to speak to Jazz? She's been crying in her room all day." Justin sits beside me on the couch and lays his head on my lap. I bend my head and kiss him softly.
"I didn't do anything to her," I reply after pulling away from the kiss. He looks at me for a while and then bursts into laughter.