CHAPTER THREE
Five minutes later Joanne was done dressing up and applying lotion on her mocha skin when Cindy bust through the bathroom door, “are you not done yet”.
“You know what Cindy just go ahead. Beside I know the way. I will be there before you know it”.
“Okay but hurry up”, Cindy called out to as she walked out of the cottage shutting door behind her.
Taking one more look in the mirror everything looked perfect from the white shorts, to the pink long sleeved shirt folded to her elbows. Slipping on her gold gladiator flats, she grabbed her phone and sunglasses, off to meet her family for breakfast. She arrived at the beautiful dining area immediately noticing her family situated in the far corner, a beautiful view and a full breakfast laid out before them juice, coffee, eggs, bread and katogo. Surprisingly their table had two staff waiting on them. Reaching the table, she greeted the old guys with hugs. Jessica patted the chair next to her, taking the seat the lady staff rushed to her side and poured her a cup of hot chocolate milk tea. She held the cup appreciating the aroma with closed eyes.
"Smells delicious", Joanne whispered enjoying the sweet liquid.
"Your mother told me it’s your favourite," Jessica said preparing a plate of food which she placed in front of her. "Eat before it gets cold. She ate fork full of the katogo looking at the head of the table where Mathew Hunter was sipping on his coffee while looking at something on his iPad. He looked up to find her chewing on her food, he smiled at her and asked if they had a comfortably journey. They ate their breakfast talking about Cindy's studies then her job then the game pack. The waiters were always refilling their juice glasses or cups whenever they were halfway.
They were enjoying the ride through the pack when they stopped to gauze upon the elephants drinking by the banks of the kazinga channel, they were so peaceful. Afterwards they continued to the grazing grounds where they saw impalas grazing, giraffes, a lion, and herd of buffalos. The whole trip was eventful, they went on a boat ride are long the kazinga channel and the mweya peninsula joining lake George and Edward. Under the peaceful sun their boat slowly meandered along the kazinga channel towards lake Edward their excellent Uganda wildlife authority guide listed the different bird species they passed and some of the highlights included the common squacco heron, greenshank, wood sandpiper, common godwit, and a water thick-knee, a wader with big eyes feeding on the shore; and alone African spoonbill its bill shaped like a spoon.
It was beautiful Sunday evening, their last day at the pack and they were having dinner when Jessica asked Joanne and Cindy to call her mum too. They were both surprised and looked at their real mother who just smiled and nodded her head. Together they granted Jessica’s wish,
"Yes mum". Mathew smiled happily looking at his wife who was holding Cindy in a tight hug.
They arrived back in Kampala at five in the evening; the driver drove the family back home where Dorothy asked the hunter to stay for dinner. Joanne was in her bedroom washing her hair when Jessica knocked on her door.
"Yes come in" Joanne called her head over the sink.
"Sweetie it’s me where are you,” Jessica asking walking towards the bathroom.
"In here washing my hair", Joanne answered adding shampoo to her hair.
"Oh there you are I wanted to check on you. Let me help you with that, Jessica offered. Have I ever told you about my story with Mathew”.
“No. I believe you haven’t”, Joanne said drying her hair with a towel.
“It all begun years back years when I was in college” Jessica narrated her mind drifting off.
FLASHBACK
Jessica sat at the dinner table as her mother laid the food out, her father waiting for his plate to be placed in front of him.
“So how is your final dissertation coming along? The old man asked.
“Am done with it, I sent it in last week” Jessica answered.
“That means you will be graduation with the may lot. That’s great because your engagement is coming up soon.”
“What engagement”, Jessica asked shock written all over her face.
Her mother spared her father a glance then turn to her. “Sweetie your father has fixed your marriage to the Hunters’ son. His is a good boy”.
“No you can’t do this to me”, Jessica shot up.
“Calm down dear this is for your own good, Mathew is a good man. He just took over his father business and his’ doing well for himself. With him your future will be well taken care of. You will lack for nothing”.
“But I have a boyfriend mom, I love him”.
“Well break up with that good for nothing boy cause this weekend you’re getting engaged”, her father said in finality.
That weekend she walked in to the Hunters’ mansion and just like her father wanted she said yes to Mathew in front of hundred guests at the party. On her father’s insistence she broke up with Juan. But Juan was an insistence man. When she showed up at campus to pick up her certificate he waited for her and begged on his knees for to take him back. Her heart fluttered and she couldn’t resist him. He promised her the world and managed to convince her to run away with him. And that they did in bliss but the joy was short lived to say the least.
Before leaving the states she withdrew all her trust fund and flew off to Rio with Juan. If only she had known that that was going to be one of the most regrettable decisions she would ever make. Then maybe, maybe she would have chosen differently.
As time went by Juan changed he asked her for all her trust money controlling all their spending, when all the trust money was done, she asked him to get a job but he refused. Luckily she got a job as a kindergarten teacher but every single cent she made he took forcefully spending it in whore houses and bars. He came back drunk forcing himself on her. It reached appoint where she got sick and didn’t even have the money to go to a hospital. She threatened to leave him but he beat her up and reminded her how she abandoned and disgraced her family and that no one would take her back. And he was right she couldn’t go back after the shame she had brought upon my family.
All broken and tired she forced herself every single day to walk to school to teach her English class, depressed and dying on the inside. One day at the end of her class when all the student had been picked up she got ready to leave. Closing up she walked out of the building only to stop dead in her tracks.
"What are you doing here? Jessica stood shocked, ashamed and embarrassed.
"Am here for my betrothed, the beautiful, kind woman I met and fell for. Mathew finished walking slowly towards. YOU". He calmly as he got on one kneel in front of her. "Come back home with me?
"Am not worthy, Jessica cried. Am damaged emotionally, and physically. And you deserve better."
"I don't care. I promise to take care of you and help you heal. All you have to say is yes. With time am sure you will come to feel the same way I feel about you"
“I don't know Mathew, am sure that bastard gave me some kind of STD, I don't know. He raped me almost every night; hit me when I refused him. So am not perfect for you. I am not the woman you met year ago”. She said tears rolling down her eyes.
"I don't care Jessica am here to take you back home where you are loved and missed. I promise to love and take care of you. And don’t worry I got that whore house place raided by the police everyone there was arrested including that scum that stole you away from your family. I am taking you home my darling." He said holding her shaking body. I love you Jessica and I want to take care of you. Please let me".
They left Rio and Jessica was hospitalized for two week before she was discharged. Afterwards she decided to give her knight in shining Armour a chance. They eventually got married and had a son. And Juan was put where he belonged in jail.
END OF FLASHBACK
"That's a sad story". Joanne exclaimed.
"Yes it is sweetie, that's why I want you to always have an open mind", Jessica encouraged.
"Okay" Joanne answered not really knowing where the story was coming from.
"Good now come I think dinner is ready”.
"You went through a lot."
"But am here I have Mathew, Ken, you, Cindy and your mother”.
The Hunters’ had spent the night and in the morning all the ladies decided to go on a shopping frenzy which include a trip to the local market buying fresh produce.
"Cindy sweetie, help me put these in the trunk”, Jessica finished handing Cindy the basket of fruits.
Joanne fastened her sit belt looking to check if everyone was buckled in before driving them back home. For some reason her two mothers wanted to celebrate something that night. Even her Uncle Dave the only living relative of their father had been invited.
They arrived home and immediately Jessica and Dorothy went straight to the kitchen to start on dinner. Her uncle had arrived and was having a serious conversation with Mathew. Cindy was in her room catching up on some school work. Feeling a little left out Joanne decided to organize her wardrobe and by 7 am she was done and enjoying a bubbles bath.
"Joanne, Joanne", Cindy called.
“I am in here”.
“Hey, you with your bubbles baths, you fingers are already wrinkly. Anyway get ready dinner will be served in five minutes”.
“Mmh, okay see you in five minutes”.
“By the way do you know why Uncle Dave is here”, Cindy inquired handing her sister a towel.
“I don't know may be he's here to check on us”, Joanne said drying her skin. She moved cleaning her bathroom before heading to her closest, settling for a black sundress. All a long Cindy lazily sat on her bed waiting for her to finish up.
“By the way how is school”, Joanne asked Cindy.
“Everything is just fine”.
“Good and don't worry about the closing balance I will get the money. You just concentrate on your studies, okay?
“Yes big sister, Cindy said hugging her sister tightly. Thank you for taking care of me and mum. You put your life on hold just for the two of us. I know you wanted to study law but you couldn’t especially after Dad disappeared and mum got sick. The all situation forced you to go with a course you could afford and also make sure I stayed in school.
“Mummy talks a lot, Joanne said pulling back to look in her sister's eyes. Don't worry that big brain of yours besides it was all worth it. You are in medical school and am permanent sectary in a government ministry. Big position sis. It all worked out and I will make sure it continues too. Just make sure you become a great doctor, okay? Joanne said touching Cindy's cheek.
"Yes sir", Cindy replied with a comical salute.
They both walked down stairs to the dining room to find everyone already seated. “Sorry for keeping you waiting”, Joanne announced.
“It’s okay, now say grace so we can all dig in to this mouth-watering food”, their mother asked.
Everyone was enjoying the food, when her uncle finally spoke up asking Dorothy, "Dorothy I think it's time to uh... tell her the news".
Joanne looked up from her plate of food, “what good news?
“Well you see Joanne, we have found a husband for you”.
“What! Hold up, what do you mean you have found a husband for me?
"You see honey you're thirty years old now and because of me and your sister, you have been unable to live your life. So I have decided to take that responsibility away from you. That's why you will be marrying Jessica and Mathew's son. That way you have someone to care of you and take some of the responsibility off you. I want you to be happy now". Dorothy finished waiting for a reply.
Joanne was so shocked she just got up looking at the Hunters,
“No offense Hunters but mother I will not marry someone I don't love let alone know”, Joanne finished walking out the dining room.
"Joanne, her mother called. Young lady come back here”, Dorothy yelled following Joanne who was heading for the garage. But before she could get in her car her mum caught up with her grabbing her hand and turning her around. “Stop young lady. You may be mad but I am still your mother”.
Tears were running down her face, “Why mother, you didn't even get my consent. When did the three of you decide my fate?
“The first night they had dinner here”.
“What in the world mother! God that was before we even went on that safari, were you ever going to tell me”.
“Honey listen, Jessica and Mathew came to me and asked for your hand in marriage for their son and I agreed with them. Besides Jessica already loves you like a daughter. Am sure she won’t let her son or anything hurt you. They also offered to pay for my heart surgery, and pay for Cindy’s education till she finishes med school. And they are still going to pay your dowry”.
“Still mother it’s not ... it's not right”, Joanne said getting in her car and driving off despite her mother calling out to her. Joanne drove and drove for hours, thoughts eating at her mind.
How her mother could do this to her? She didn’t even know his name, what if he hated her. What about her job.
“This is too much. I have never even been in a relationship before”, Joanne palmed her forehead in frustration, hitting the stirring wheel couple of times. It was three am in the morning when Joanne's car pulled up in the compound. She entered the house hoping for peace only for everyone in the sitting room to rise and rush to the foyer asking if she was alright and where she had been.
"Am okay, going to bed I have work in a couple of hours so....., good morning everyone. She said robotically and went to her room. They next day she left before sunrise.
QUOTE
LOVE MEANS LETTING GO SO THAT THE ONE YOU LOVE CAN LIVE IN PEACE