BEHIND THE SMILE - Episode 2

Dorcas stretched out her hands tiredly and continue staring at her laptop which was right in front of her. she was in a deep thought and Anita, her colleague who was using Dorcas office for that week due to her own work place was under renovation noticed her worries.

Anita saw that she was in distress ever since she stepped into the office that afternoon.

“You know a problem shared is aproblem solved right…? Anita asked Dorcas who turned to look at her but said nothing

“…. Dorcas, if you care to share whatever that’s bothering you I’m available and will listen. I try not to interfere with whatever you maybe thinking but is over two hours you walked in here and you haven’t been able to do anything. I knew something definitely is eating you up and I hope is not baby issue again… because I have told you that it will happen for you. But like I said before, a problem shared is a…”

Dorcas waved her finger in the air interrupting Anita.

“Even if I share this particular problem with multitude it will still won’t get solved. You won’t understand Anita, you and your husband have three lovely kids… you don’t know what people like us struggling to conceive and give birth even if is just one child go through. He who wears the shoe knows where it pinches. I was at the hospital earlier because I haven’t really been feeling too well of recent. After running several test to ascertain if it’s malaria it turned out that I’m 3 weeks pregnant…”

Anita threw her hands in the air excitedly, Dorcas watched her with a stern face.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a good news… why are you not jumping for joy? is that not what you have been dreaming off and finally is now a reality? Truly I don’t understand but this worth celebrating Dorcas…”

Dorcas sighed before sitting upright from her chair.

“This is my third pregnancy Anita and the last two never gets to three months before I miscarried them. The last miscarriage happened two years ago and I have been looking forward to another pregnancy that will stay full term. The worst part is not the body or emotional pain I go through each time, is the look on Benny’s face…the painful disappointment in his eyes. He tries to pretend like nothing but I know my husband so well. Immediately the results came out that I was pregnant again, I was elated with the news but it was quickly replaced with fear. I’m worried sick due to the last two experiences. I will only celebrate happily if this pregnancy cross the danger month which will be after three months. I don’t want to go through what I went through before. Anita I almost wrath in pain. I didn’t fully recover from it until after a year. I don’t want such to happen again or watch Benny get disappointed for the third time. It will hurt me beyond repair. Despite how much Benny comforts me and make it seem like God’s time is the best…deep down my husband loves kids and can’t wait to be called a Dad by his own biological kids. Is almost eight years of marriage, we kept believing God for some sort of miracle… I just hope this is the answer to all our prayers…”

Anita heaped a sigh before saying “relax Dorcas, this time around it will be different. Be optimistic, have faith and believe. You’re more of a prayerful believer than I am so I expected some faith filled talk not this. please, try and have some faith, even the size of a mustard seed will do. God has finally answered you and your husband’s long time prayer. You’re carrying your miracle baby Dorcas…I have a strong believe about that. Affliction shall not rise the second time. Have you told Benny the good news…?

“Not yet. I wish I can keep it until I’m certain that affliction doesn’t rise the third time. if anything goes wrong I won’t have different kinds of pain to battle with but Benny will definitely know even without me saying a word. That man reads me like book and that’s why i love him so much. I will tell him tonight and we will start applying all measures to make sure nothing goes wrong. Both prayers, medical appointment and other things will be applied. Oh God… please don’t allow affliction to rise again in my home. Wipe our face off shame and bring light into our home through this child… please Lord. Take away my fear and replace it with faith in you…”

Anita gave a resounded Amen to Dorcas prayers.

*****************
Bianca sat on the bed with her phone in hand while Geni was on a couch helping Bianca with their class assignment.

She did not attend lectures or had appetite for food all through that day.

Geni asked her earlier what was wrong and she told her that she was alright.

Bianca suddenly threw her phone angrily to another side of the bed. Geni looked up from her laptop.

“What is wrong Bianca…are you alright?
She asked again

Bianca stood from the bed and started pacing up and down the room.

“Despite all the efforts i put into making him notice me, did you know he still haven’t. Is three weeks and I have almost exhausted all my ideas. He doesn’t know if I exist…is as if he doesn’t get close with his students… especially female students. I tried, I trailed him to know how exactly to make my plans work but… nothing. Professor Benny seems like a hard nut to crack but no matter how hard he maybe I will find means to crack him…”

She paused and looked at Geni with a smirk on her face

“….I think I know what to do Geni. I have an idea…a fantastic one.

Geni didn’t say a word. Bianca was accomodating her and was also helping her with cash for school runs.
The last time she tried advising her it almost resulted to a fight.
Almost all the walls in her room is covered up with professor Benny’s different kinds of pictures.
Only the sitting room was free from the madness and mainly because she does not want anyone visiting and seeing Benny’s pic in the sitting room

But the room wasn’t spared.
Geni was trading carefully to avoid getting evicted from the house.

“Okay… what do you plan to do? Geni managed to ask.

“Prof wife owns a law firm, she is a known lawyer. I will go in search of her.

Geni opened her mouth but no word came out.
She tried again and asked Bianca why she wants to meet Benny’s wife

“Leave that to me…I will update you on our first meeting. Maybe, I will let her know that I’m her husband’s secret admirer or mistress and want to be her friend so that I can have direct access to our darlin handsome Benny… hahahaha.well, I’m just kidding… that’s a joke. I have a better way to go about it and when everything is matured I will update you my dear girlfriend…”

She smiled mischievously as she picked up her phone again and sat back on the bed.

Two days later, Bianca was able to find out where Dorcas works.
She dressed up and left to see Dorcas in her office.
She waited at the reception until she was asked to go in

Bianca wore the best attractive convincing smile as she was ushered into Dorcas office
She weighs Dorcas appearance to know her chances.
She was not expecting what she saw.

Dorcas was not only beautiful with lovely eyes but she also dressed and looks smart.
Bianca has seen her pictures but she did not know that Dorcas was more elegant in person than in pictures.
And that made her to want to step up her game even more.

“I’m Bianca Tom and I heard you are one of the best lawyers in this big city. I believe you are the perfect person for the job I have at hand…”

Dorcas smile and said
“I’m sorry Bianca, I have stopped taking cases due to personal reasons, I’m taking a compulsory leave by month end…just for sometime but I can refer you to a learned colleague who will handle whatever case you have. Hope that’s okay by you?

Bianca face changed into disappointment. She did not bother to hide it.
Dorcas want to spoil her plan but it won’t work.
She wish she knows why Dorcas was taking a compulsory work leave.
Hope She is not planning to take her cute professor on a journey
What if Dorcas has a terminal illness, which will give room for Benny to take another wife? She wish that is the case, she will do anything to wake up beside Benny.

What if Dorcas is pregnant? Impossible.
Dorcas is barren and can’t possibly be pregnant.
Maybe she was traveling for some personal stuff and Benny will stay behind.
Bianca sat there, opposite Dorcas as different thought crosses her mind.
Dorcas called her name twice bringing her back to reality

“Oh..ooh. I’m lost in thought of what next to do because I wanted you personally to handle my case and is not much of a case…it won’t stress you at all. is more like a legal advice…”

A call suddenly came into Dorcas phone interrupting Bianca
She frowned when she realized that it was a call from Benny which Dorcas quickly dismissed and promises to call back later because she was with a client

Bianca started hoping seriously that Dorcas will consider and through that means she will be able to penetrate into their lives and little by little have access to Benny’s heart.