Chapter 33

"Woman, your husband is guilty. He has to be detained here until we receive the next directive from the authorities."

One of the policemen told Pearl. She had run to the police station after receiving a call that her husband had been arrested for drug trafficking. She was very much distressed and felt weary. Her heart broke after seeing James at the station. Just then Samuel came rushing in. Pearl had called him on her way to the police station. The distressed look on Pearl's face communicated that all was not well. He looked at her with pain in his eyes and gave her a warm, passionate hug. He had missed her so much. James was looking on with pain in his heart. Pearl was just overwhelmed with sorrow and hadn't paid attention to the fact that her husband was watching what was going on. She just needed some comfort and Samuel was doing just that.

"What are you doing with my wife Samuel? How dare you hug her right in front of me?"

James asked bitterly and Samuel freed himself from hugging Pearl. He made her sit down in the nearby seat before speaking up.

"Did I hear your question clearly? Did you say your wife?" Samuel retorted angrily.

"You wait until I get out of here!" James threatened angrily as one policeman tried his best to restrain him from getting closer to Samuel and Pearl. He had been handcuffed yet seemed to be very wild, energetic and could do anything to hurt someone.

"You will do nothing, James. You should be ashamed. You left this woman all alone with the children, not bothering to check on their welfare. You go out and sleep with the women you play roles with, and then suddenly you call Pearl your wife?"

Pearl just cried the more as she heard those words coming out of Samuel's mouth.

"Do you know how much she has cried, just because you were not there for her? Do you?"

Samuel's words hit James like a spear thrown at his heart. All who were present at the station seemed to look at him like he was a failure. He couldn't utter a word.

"Samuel, please take me out of here." Pearl said to him. She was already embarrassed as the policemen and others present looked at her as though she was a failure in not being able to keep her man. He was still her husband and she felt responsible for his every need.

Samuel obliged, feeling somewhat ashamed at his outburst. However he was very much angry at James for taking Pearl for granted.

"Pearl, please don't go." James cried out and it made her shed more tears. She suddenly remembered their wedding day and the vows they had taken. It was James's choice to go against the vows taken, and that had brought them to the state in which they were. She had kept her vows, except for the fact that she had slept with Samuel and was totally convinced that she was carrying his baby.

After Samuel had taken her out, they went to sit on some garden seats just outside the station. He bought her water and some snacks to keep her refreshed. She looked too tired and famished.

"Where are the children?"

"They are with the neighbor next door. I'll go for them immediately I arrive home." She answered him.

"That's great. I want you to know that I care about you. Don't worry about anything and if you need anything, just call me. I'll be readily available." He told her; she didn't utter a word. She continued to take her snacks as he looked on.

"There is something I would like to tell you." Pearl managed to say and somehow he was alarmed. He didn't know why he felt that way.

"Sure, errmm I'm all ears."

"I'm, I'm..." She didn't know how to start. "So, okay, I wasn't feeling well and I decided to run some tests and discovered th-that I was pregnant." She finally managed to say while trying her best to look away.

She was waiting to hear a response from Samuel however there was none. She was still looking away and wondered if he had heard her clearly or not.

Was he angry? Was he feeling disappointed? she asked herself.

Just then, he held her chin and slowly turned her head to face him. The facial expression she was met with surprised her greatly.

Samuel was actually grinning from ear to ear. He looked very much excited.

Shouldn't he be alarmed, knowing fully well that she was married? she asked herself.

"Well, I am very very very excited to hear this great news." He said and she just looked at him with shock in her eyes. She had thought he'd be worried and alarmed; however he was the complete opposite of a worried person.

"Errmm, Samuel..." She tried to say something and he quickly put his right finger on her lips.

"Shhh, don't say anything. Don't worry about anything. We need to celebrate our success right away." He said to her and she was totally shocked.

"Really? We should celebrate after knowing that you impregnated your friend's wife?" She asked him and he just smiled.

Without any more words, he stood on his feet and helped her to her feet.

"I brought my car along. Let's get inside and go home." He told her and she obliged. They went towards the car and he opened the front door for her to sit down, before going to his side of the car.

He sat in the driver's seat and drove off. He was beaming with smiles and Pearl could do nothing than gape at him in wonder.

Finally they arrived home. James helped Pearl to bring the children inside from the next-door neighbor's house. How excited they were to see him.

"Yipeeeee, Uncle Samuel is here! Uncle Samuel is here hurray!" Sonia shouted and Priscilla squealed in excitement. He hugged them both very tightly and Pearl quickly wiped the little tear that dropped from her eyes. The neighbor, Auntie Susan, looked at the children with sadness in her eyes. She was very much aware of James's ordeals and gossip had long ago spread news that he had been cheating on his wife. She really was concerned about Pearl.

"Thank you so much, Auntie Susan." Pearl thanked the older woman.

"No, Pearl, there's no need to thank me. It's a great pleasure helping you to take care of these little ones." She replied. "By the way, how is James doing?"

"Hmmm, Auntie Susan, James has been arrested oo. He has been arrested for drug trafficking. I don't even know what to do with James. I just don't know." Pearl replied bitterly.

"It's okay my Dear. All will be well. Let's just trust God." Auntie Susan encouraged her.

"Okay, Auntie Susan, I have heard you."

"By the way, why is this young man always here? Isn't he your husband's friend?" Auntie Susan asked Pearl.

"Errrmmm yes, he's my... my husband's friend. Errr..." Pearl stammered.

"Errrr what, Pearl?" Auntie Susan looked at her questioningly. "I just hope whatever is running through my mind right now is not true oo. I just hope so. Be very careful oo. I understand that your husband has not been available and it could push you to be tempted. Therefore you must always be cautious." Auntie Susan advised her.

"Very well, Auntie Susan, I have heard you. I'll be very cautious like you have advised." Pearl replied and they both parted ways. Samuel was already inside with the children, playing with them. Pearl walked inside with a worried look on her face. Samuel saw that her mood had changed completely and he was concerned.

"Is everything okay with you Pearl?" He asked her.

"Yes, yes everything is fine." She replied. However he wasn't convinced by the answer she gave him. He suspected Auntie Susan was behind Pearl's sudden change of mood. He wondered what the older woman must have told Pearl.

"Alright children, let's watch some cartoons!"

Samuel exclaimed and the children were very excited. He did it to turn their attention towards the television so he could speak with their mother.

As the children were focused on the television, Samuel went to sit beside Pearl on the sofa. She stood from beside him and went to sit on another sofa. He got up again and went to sit beside her on that sofa. As this drama was ongoing, Sonia was watching them closely although she pretended to be watching the cartoons.

She was very observant and knew that her parents were not enjoying their marriage. She was convinced that Samuel was helping her parents to solve their misunderstanding. Therefore she was always happy to see him come into their home. However she didn't understand why Samuel was following after her mother as though he were chasing her.

"Samuel, don't come near me again."

Pearl whispered to him and got up to sit on the previous sofa again.

Samuel stood again and went to sit beside her. He held her closely and wouldn't allow her to go.

"Let go of me." She said in a whisper so the children wouldn't hear her. Samuel only smiled at her and laughed quietly.

"You're so beautiful, Pearl. How is our baby doing?" Samuel asked with a grin on his face.

Sonia's heart skipped a beat.

Had she heard Samuel clearly? She wondered what he meant by "our baby".

As she watched them closely, she saw Samuel rub his hand on her mother's belly.

"Hey little one, how are you doing? Daddy is here for you." He said excitedly and Pearl giggled.

"Which little one are you referring to Uncle Samuel?" Sonia asked and they were taken aback suddenly.

"Sonia, you have to respect your elders remember? Why are you asking Uncle Samuel this question?"

Pearl asked Sonia who was already sobbing. Priscilla was so concentrated on the cartoons she was watching, she didn't realize what was happening around her.

"Mummy, are you pregnant with Uncle Samuel's baby?" Sonia still asked, sobbing.

Pearl was silent and so was Samuel. They didn't know what answers to give the little girl.

Sonia quickly ran to her room crying. Pearl's heart broke after seeing her daughter that way.

"Oh no, this can't be happening." She said crying helplessly.

"It's okay, Pearl, she would understand with time." Samuel tried to comfort her.

"No, Samuel, this is wrong! Everything we did and are doing now was a great mistake! My daughter is never going to forgive me for this!" Pearl retorted angrily with tears in her eyes.

She left Samuel and carried Priscilla with her to the bedroom.

"No, Mummy, cartoon please." Priscilla pleaded however her mother seemed to have turned deaf ears to her plea.

The months that followed were filled with tension for Pearl and James. Sonia was disappointed in her mother and almost always didn't want to see her. Her sixth birthday was around the corner and she didn't want to celebrate it. James was charged to court and he had pleaded guilty. During the hearing, he saw that Pearl was heavily pregnant. However he wasn't sure the baby was his. He didn't remember the last time he made love to his wife because he always satisfied himself with the ladies he played roles with.

"No, that must be my baby. Pearl would never cheat on me, no matter what happens. She would never do that."

He encouraged himself.

He pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him and he was sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labor. Pearl cried bitterly and so did Sonia. She loved her father very much although he wasn't always there for them.

"Priscilla was confused and also cried as she called out her Dad's name.

"Daddy, Daddy, where are they taking you to?"

She suddenly seemed to understand what was happening after seeing the policemen take her father away.

"Hush, Priscilla, Daddy will be back home soon. Don't worry." Sonia encouraged her little sister and she seemed to calm down.

She believed what Sonia had said and no longer cried.

A month and two weeks later, Pearl gave birth to a bouncy baby girl. Samuel named her Hilda. He had moved to stay with Pearl and the girls. He was totally responsible for their upkeep and paid the bills. Sonia was still angry at him and totally avoided him. She spoke little to her mother and never said a word to Samuel. The once cheerful Sonia was beginning to develop a cold attitude towards everyone who came her way. She always kept to herself and her teachers complained to Pearl about Sonia's attitude towards everyone, including her teachers.

"She used to be more cheerful when she was younger. I am very certain that her father's imprisonment has taken a toll on her."

Sonia's class teacher said after Pearl was summoned regarding Sonia's attitude.

"Thank you so much, Miss Sally, I will work on Sonia's sudden change of behavior." Pearl assured Sonia's class teacher.

"Very well then. I hope to see some changes soon."

Miss Sally responded and Pearl left the school. She had wanted to see Sonia before leaving however her daughter refused to see her and it was very much embarrassing for Pearl. She decided not to push further so that the teachers wouldn't question her as to why Sonia was behaving in that manner. She was afraid Sonia would tell the truth.

After Hilda turned six months, Pearl became sick. She was admitted to the hospital and this was a really hard time for Samuel. He was working on furthering his studies outside the country and this took most of his time. Samuel went to visit James in the prison and told him about Pearl's illness.

"How is she doing now?" James asked his friend.

"Well, she seems to be responding to treatment." Samuel told him.

"What about the pregnancy? Has she put to bed yet?" James asked him. There was a long pause, causing James to suspect that something was wrong somewhere.

"She has put to bed. She birthed a baby girl." Samuel said, trying his best not to look into James's eyes.

"What is her name?"

"Hilda." Samuel replied.

"So why wasn't I told before she was named. Or isn't she my daughter? She's my daughter and therefore I'm supposed to name her. Why did Pearl have to do this without my consent? Is she ashamed of my being in prison?" James asked Samuel, expecting a response from his friend.

"She, she..." Samuel stammered. "I'm sorry, James, I'm very sorry."

"What are you sorry about? Tell me!" He yelled angrily, hoping that what he was suspecting wasn't true.

The prison warden came to where they were and warned James to calm down or return to the cells. James promised to be of good behavior and the warden left.

"Samuel, please tell me the truth. What exactly is wrong?" He managed to ask calmly.

"Just tell me. I'll take it... take it in good faith."

He tried to control himself not to cry.

After much persuasion, Samuel decided to tell James the truth.

"Hilda is my daughter, James. I'm very sorry."

"Nooo! Nooo!" He screamed amidst sobbing. He fell helplessly on the floor and the prison warden had to come for him.

"Young man, I think you have overstayed your welcome. I have to take him away now."

The prison warden told Samuel and took James away. He had heard everything Samuel had said and tried to calm James down. However James refused to be comforted. He cried the more. The prison warden felt very sorry for him.

Samuel watched his friend and sighed deeply. He regretted breaking his trust and wished he could turn back the hands of time.

The next day, Samuel received heartbreaking news from the prison. James had committed suicide. He rushed there to confirm the news and it was true. James had committed suicide overnight. He returned to Pearl who was gradually getting better. She realized all wasn't well after Samuel returned from prison. She was there when he received the phone call and she had wondered what exactly had happened with her husband. After much persuasion, Samuel had to tell her the truth about him breaking the news.

"Why did you have to tell him at this time?" She asked Samuel alarmed.

"He kept asking me, Pearl. I couldn't hold the truth from him any longer." Samuel replied.

"But you shouldn't have told him. So why were you called from the prison?"

"He wasn't well, so I had to rush there."

"Don't lie to me, Samuel. If you were telling me the truth, you would have looked into my eyes. Tell me what exactly is wrong with my husband!"

"He, he decided to leave the prison and the earth." He said softly, still avoiding her eyes.

"He decided to leave the earth? What do you mean by that, Samuel?"

She held his shirt and kept asking him. The nurses had to come in and try to free Samuel from her and her blood pressure went high. They had to eventually take everyone out of the room and try to save Pearl because she was gasping for breath.

Unfortunately, she died out of shock. It was a very painful death and Samuel didn't know what to do with his life. He tore his clothes in sorrow after hearing the news about Pearl's demise. He lost a friend and his friend's wife, all in one day. He wondered what exactly he would say to the children.