BEHIND THE SMILE - Episode 13

She waited patiently for him to return and kept looking through the window to know when he will be driving in.

It took another two hours for him to finally drove in.

She sat waiting, she can’t hold it all in.

He opened the main door and went inside

Everything between them has changed.
Before he will shout out “honey, I’m home” but not again.
The house was quiet and felt dry.

Everything has truly changed ever since the doctor announced that the baby didn’t make it.

The pain of evacuation can’t be measured to the heaviness she felt in her heart
It was too much to bear.
She can’t explain it in words.
No, words can’t explain exactly how she felt and still feeling.

All she heard Benny ranting repeatedly was
“Not again, not again God…not again”

Her heart broke into pieces.
She was battling the pain of losing her baby and a cheating husband.

Why, why will Benny be having affair.
She had suspected it, it has been her fear for long.
He was exposed to beautiful, smart, rich ladies. Some were young and inexperienced while others are well experienced with men.
He may try to escape their prowess and charms but it may not be for long.

Why is so painful is because she trusted him so much. Even though she had her doubts but she believes he was different and won’t stoop so low to have extramarital affair.

The anger in her heart weighs heavily on her.

She lost a baby that she prayed so much for, a baby that she sacrificed alot for. Even had to stop working just to avoid any form of miscarriage.

They had a big celebration after her First trimester, the joy of realizing that the danger period was all over was overflowing.

She was just two weeks to six months. Few weeks and they will be marking the second trimester.

Being pregnant could had made Benny consider some of his dirty act but no, instead he kept on with it.
Thinking it will be kept secret forever. This is just God’s way of exposing him.

She had tried to keep it all together, she had tried to be calm after seeing those pictures and videos but she couldn’t control her emotions
The betrayal, the hurt was just too much to bear.
And hearing him still trying to lie and cover it all up doubled up the anger.
He had the gut to say is Photoshop.
He must have thought she was stupid or brainless.

Even after this whole incident he was still seeing his lover outside.
The number that called this evening confirmed it all.

The person had said that Benny was involved with a model who happen to be his class rep.

While Dorcas was reminiscing over everything that happened, Benny quietly walked into the room.
he looks towards her and saw her sitting like a bomb ready to explode.
She was staring at him suspecious.

He wondered what was going on in her head.
Dorcas moved to another room after the incident and he hardly see her.
She avoided him and he did the same.

They never spoke about the baby or about the blackmailed pictures.

They nursed their different pain silently and never spoke to each other.
Seeing her in the room now makes him wonder what she was upto.

He really needs time to heal from everything. Mostly the baby.

He dropped his pack, went into the bathroom showered and came out.

He wore his pjamas and without a word went downstairs for dinner.
Dorcas remained on her seat without a word.
He haven’t eaten much for days and already affecting his health.
All through the time he was conducting and invigilating the general text he kept having this bad headache.

The cook set the food on the dining table, he called her back and quietly asked her if his wife has eaten.

“No sir, she said that she was not hungry”

Benny wanted to say something but held back.
He dismissed the cook and stood up from the table and went back to the room.
Immediately Dorcas saw him enter, she believes he has eaten and began to talk.

“Do you know nothin is hidden under the sun… you’re learned, a well respected Professor right? A Christan who pretend to love the Lord and adhered to his ways. You of all people should know that fact. Not everything is hidden under the sun. With my years as a lawyer I have come to understand that no matter how you try to cover a fault, one way or the other it will be exposed and you can’t defend yourself when such happens because all evidence will be pointed right at you…”
Dorcas continued when he saw that Benny wasn’t making effort to engage her into an argument.

“…I was not enough, the baby that God used to wipe off our years of reproach wasn’t enough. None of what supposed to be of important mattered to you Benny. You threw off everything that we supposed to hold dearly, you threw it off into the waste bin without a single care. I’m surprised, more like a shock that you seem hurt. Why are you pretending to be heart broken after the doctor said the baby couldn’t make it? You’re supposed to be jumping jubilantly because that’s exactly what you wanted. How do you pretend to love God yet you’re so filthy and stink horribly. Oh Benny, you could have harvested my heart out of my chest and i will still find reason to Forgive and forge ahead but for everything you did to me, for taking the life I so much crave to hold, an innocent baby that with the help of God I was almost nurturing to the very end. For doing this to me I will never forgive you…”

Benny looked over at her for long. He swallowed hard severally as he battles with his emotions. Her every words cut deeply into him.
He face her and said calmly

“I could have understand and try to live with the whole guilt if truly I did any of those things you mentioned. I still maintain my stand that I’m innocent. Although that no longer count because no matter how I try to explain it, you won’t still believe me. I won’t deviate from loving the Lord or trusting him. He alone knows why…”

He paused as Dorcas gave a sarcastic laughter and continued bashing him with hurtful words.
Benny later fired back as he remembered what Bianca told him earlier.

” come to think of it, you were far more concerned with me and the fake pictures instead of you to be considering the baby’s life knowing well that your state of health matters in the situations. If you cared so much for the baby you could have controlled your anger. Instead you erupted like a volcano and destroy the only thing that was dear to our heart…oh to my heart because you never cared anyway…”

Dorcas stood angrily and fired back while pointing at him.
Benny walked out of the room, she followed and kept talking.

She later turned and went back to the room she moved to.
She fell to the ground and wept profusely.
She kept hitting the ground and weeping bitterly.

She did not come out for days and everything she needed was brought to her.
Benny kept asking of from his wife from the housekeeper.
He made attempt to go ones to check how she was doing.
It ended in another argument and bashing each other.
He only told her to take grip of herself
Dorcas fired back at him.

“You heartless being. You want to tell me how to grieve? You have no control over that and shouldn’t be here. Stay out of my way because a mare sight of you disgust me. I left the master bedroom for you, please go back there and don’t ever come to my space. I don’t want you close Benny. Get out… and make sure you stay out…”

Benny left and did not make efforts to check up.
He will rather ask the housekeeper about Dorcas.
Dorcas stayed there for days crying and questioning everything she trusted.

She one day cried so much and slept off on the cold tiles.
When she woke up the following morning she was lying on the ground and felt terribly ill.

The housekeeper knocked on the door before entering.
The woman was shocked when she realized that Dorcas couldn’t even get up from the ground she was shivering so badly.

The housekeeper run to inform Benny.

Immediately Benny was told of Dorcas health he rushed down to the room that she was occupying but Dorcas refused his help.
She asked him not to touch her. instead, Dorcas asked the housekeeper to help her to the bathroom.

Benny asked the woman to leave.
He ignored Dorcas protest and carried her to the bathroom.
He helped her got ready before taking her to the hospital so that she can be treated.
While Dorcas was admitted, Benny sat on the hall way with his head in hand praying quietly with so much heaviness in his heart.
His phone beeped and it was a text message from Bianca but he ignored.
After sometime she started calling.

“, I’m very busy right now and not at home…I won’t be in school today or next. I need to clear my head seriously. I’m trying to set my home right back on track. Although that is proving difficult at the moment. I have informed the school authority that I’m taking sometime off from work. Thanks for checking up Bianca…but I will appreciate if you stop calling so that my wife won’t have the wrong idea. I lost my baby…I can’t afford lose my wife too…”

Bianca must have been pained from what Benny said.
After 30 minutes Bianca called Dorcas

Dorcas phone which was on a vibration, it kept vibrating.
She was asked to turn it off so that the drugs can work effectively.

She took it to turn off and saw several missed calls from the strange number just then another call from same stranger came in.
She thought of ignoring but got curious.
The caller asked her if husband was home and she said no.

Bianca started talking with the anonymous voice.
“Your husband is not home because he has gone to be with his side chick. The one he is having affair. I just saw them kissing and cuddling together in his car. Is so shameful and since I’m looking out for you. I thought I should inform you to be careful. Rumor has it that he planned to divorce and marry her since you can’t bear children. He does not love you and will never do. I’m looking at them right now. They’re still kissing and saying some romantic stuffs to each other…”

Dorcas ended the call confused.

She was quiet, Benny was supposed to hang around somewhere.

He just brought her to the hospital, so when exactly did he drove to the school and already kissing and making out with a girl in his car?
Dorcas asked her personal nurse to check if Benny was around.
The nurse returned that he was sitting in the hall way.

Dorcas wanted to be sure and asked her to call him in.
Benny rushed in and asked her if she was alright or need anything.

“I don’t need anything and I don’t need you here too. Please leave me alone…”

Benny turned, he paused when he got to the door and said.

“,If you need anything I’m at the hall way. And another thing… although it does not matter anymore but I will keep saying it. None of those pictures are real… I never did any of that and will never involve in such. I hate to see you in pain and will never deliberately do anything that will hurt you. I struggle to accept the fact that the baby is truly gone…i can’t lose you too…”

He walked out. His last word touched Dorcas that she had to wiped off running down her face.

She turned off her phone and kept it far off.
It then dawn on her that her husband maybe saying the truth.
He may truly be innocent.
The anonymous caller was either after him or after her and she needs to find out.
The medicine took fully effect and she dozed off.