The Changing Tides – Episode 24

The Changing Tides – Episode 24

A Story By Tisa Phiri

The following morning, Paul sat up in his bed. He couldn’t really get to sleep as his mind couldn’t stop thinking about Maria. Her words ringing in his head. Now he came to understand his sister was right. Despite what he saw he now thought somebody wanted him to see it and from the look of things Maria was innocent after all.

“How do I get to her now that she saw me with Tasha and she won’t clearly give me a chance to talk about our issues” he thought to .

“Oh God I really wish i had realised this earlier on” he thought shaking his head.

The thought of Maria being in musonda’s arms that morning hurting him. He could see the mahimselfn loved her.

He woke up and took a quick bath and dressed up in a casual attire glancing at himself in a mirrow before walking out to the sitting room to wait for her since she told him she would go that morning.

He waited and when he noticed it was past 8 hours Paul, went to check on his Cousin, he had not see her that morning and he wondered whether she had gone to church it being a Sunday.

He heard her talking on the phone and before he opened the door to go inside, Paul over heard Grace as she talked about her plot to make Maria seem she was into prostitution again.

“Listen Tasha,” she went on.

“Paul will never know we planned to kidnap and drag that Maria, as long as it stays that way, be sure that man is yours my dear. Trust me it won’t be easy for him to trust her again and that’s a plus for you. ”

Paul pushed the door open startling Grace who didn’t expect him.

“What? What was that?” He asked walking towards her.

“What?” Grace asked throwing down the phone without cutting the connection.

Paul picked the phone from the bed and saw she was talking to Tasha. throwing down the phone as it landed on the floor with a crash, Paul grabbed his Cousin by her gown.

“Grace” , he said almost in a whisper, “tell me what I heard is not true? Tell me you didn’t drug Maria and stagged that plot against her, speak up now!” He screamed making Grace jump with fear.

“I know you are talkative and all that, but for you to play me like that is unforgivable” Paul scolded still holding her. .

“Am so sorry Paul but I did it for you, that girl is not good for you and all she did was put you through a lot of pain. You derseve better” she added. .

“Oh my God! Grace, what the hell, I trusted you as my own sister, we grew up together and yet you didn’t want me to be happy? How many times did I tell you I love Maria, she made me happy, we have a son together and we were building our lives so well. My God what kind of evil is this ? What did you people do?” Paul sighed tears in his eyes.

“I lost the woman I love because you wanted to satisfy your ego Grace . You judged her even before you knew her. What has Maria ever done to you Grace, what?'” Paul cried sitting back down as he let go of Grace’s gown.

” She was vulnerable, am the one who destroyed her life and made her pregnant I was to blame for the decisions she ended up making because she had no one to stand by her and advice her in a good way, how could you choose to hurt an innocent person who did nothing to you Grace.?

Everyone in the family understood her and accepted us together, what was so hard for you to do the same for me, am your brother Grace you could have atleast thought of my happiness before you destroyed my relationship with the only person I have ever loved” Paul cried.

Grace looked at her cousin in tears as he cried like a baby. Realising how much he was hurting. The feel of regret filling her she too started crying.

“Am so sorry cuz, I promise I didn’t want to hurt you. I love you so much and I wanted what is best for you. I didn’t know this will turn out this way” she whispered.

“What is good for me huh? So you choose that Tasha as the woman for me Grace. I was with Tasha for years and I never fall in love with her, she knows that, I cant love her because it’s not just there. Now listen Grace, Please pack your things, I want you out of my house today. And don’t even bother to go to my sister’s place because am not going to allow you there. Who knows what else you are capable of?

You are out of this place and for your own information am the boss of the department at work so you are fired!”

He shouted.

“Leave my life for good and never show your face here, I really can’t stand you”

“Please am sorry !” Grace screamed as she followed Paul outside.

“Forgive me and please let me keep my job, don’t do this Paul, we are family please!… ” she cried loudly trying to get hold of his hand but he pushed her away..

“Well, you could have thought about being family when you decided to make my life miserable.” Paul responded angrily.

“go and stay with your Angel Tasha and tell her if she ever comes near me again she will see the worst of me.

Get out! ” He scremed pushing her out as Chanda held her chin watching.

She shook her head,

“well time indeed has caught up with your lies,” Chanda thought. She walked to the bedroom to finish changing baby Paul she was just from bathing.

Paul went to his room and sat down his strength gone, recalling every word that he uttered to Maria, he could remember her stagger and now he realised it was the effect of the drug. He recalled every moment of that day and how Maria had gonne missing for the day before he received the video and nude photos.

Every memory haunting his mind leaving his heart so pricked with much pain and regret.

“how am I going to ever face Maria and say I was wrong? How am I going to stand before her and tell her my own cousin ploted against her and I fall for it. Oh God this is so much for me” he sighed wiping his face.

Maria and Musonda had delayed going to the house as Maria had gone to visit Margret and her family . She had told Margret her part of the story and she was surprised Margret told her she believed her because things happened in an akward way. After telling her her story about her grand father and the other people of the family she had found, Margret smiled.

“Maybe all this was done to bring you close to your family, God has his way of working things for us My dear’ she had told her.

“Am really happy that you turned out well and you found your family. At least now am at ease knowing you were doing something good for yourself despite what happened with my brother. It’s up to you to choose what you what now and am sure Paul still loves you even though i can’t ask you to go back to him.” Margret spoke calmly.

“Find happiness in whatever you do my dear Maria, God has changed your name from shame to blessed. Look at you, even without all of us here he gave you other people to help you and guide you through life. Am so happy for you and I wish you all the best as you go to college.” Margaret smiled as genuine as always.

“Thank you so much Mam, you are my inspiration. You have managed to put your family together even after the death of your husband and I know God will continue blessing you for the good things you have done for me and other people as well. I lost my mother but God surely gave me you in her place,” Maria smiled with tears in her eyes.

She had left afterwards and joined Musonda who waited In the car for her.

“That one seems so good” Musonda commented as they left.

“She is a great woman you have no idea how she helped me out” Maria sighed.

“Lets go and see if Paul has made up his mind to give the boy to me. We need to go cause tommorow we are both working.” She said looking at Musonda.

“Well we just have to ensure we are on the road before 14 hours so we get home in time,” he responded.

They were getting into Paul’s yard when they saw a taxi leaving with Grace in the back. Maria watched as the car passed them wondering about the bags that she saw in the car, unlike other days, Grace looked rather different and Maria wondered what was going on.

“What’s that?” She asked Musonda as she got out of the car.

Musonda shrugged, “well something seems off about her” he agreed.

“Am not going in Maria, just sort your issues and we will get going” , he told her as she stood waiting for him to get down.

Upon entering the house Maria greeted her son and Chanda.

“Where is Paul?” She asked Chanda.

Chanda walked closer to Maria and whispered,

“aunty, uncle just chased Grace and fired her. He knows about what they did to you. It seems he overhead her on the phone with that Tasha.”

“What?” Maria asked surprised.

“No wonder she looked like that” she sighed sitting down.

” Oh my God thank you for vindicating me” she looked up the roof, roof

“I knew they had done that to me but I had no way of defending myself. This God is not blind he may take time to answer our cries,but he doesn’t forget his own. he has showed me so many times in my life that he is my director and the one who turns my life in the way he wishes and even though it hurts sometimes, all things works good for those that love him.” She uttered mostly yo herself.

“Sure aunty,” Chanda nodded.

“I am happy for you. The truth has come to light finally”

After minutes of sitting in silence Maria decided to see Paul in his room.

He looked up at her as she stood by the door.

“Can I come in?” She asked

Paul nodded silently.

“I just saw Grace leave and Chanda was telling me about the story of her plan .” She started without moving further inside.

Paul stood up and went to her standing an inch before her.

“Will you ever forgive me?” He asked.

” I really am sorry I threw you away and never gave you a benefit of doubt Maria, I hurt you so much hurting myself in return. Please am so sorry my love,” he cried kneeling down.

“I missed you and it hurt a lot. I can’t seem to live without you after those times we had together.” He went on

Maria’s face was wet with tears as Paul held her skirt. She felt all the pain she had felt before coming back afresh and leaving the sharp pain in her heart.

“You know what Paul?” She asked him sniffing in the tears .

“What hurts the most is not the fact that i was betrayed by your cousin and Tasha. What hurt the most is the fact that you didn’t trust me enough to give me a chance to defend myself. the fact that you told me in my face I was a curse and I had brought shame and disgust in your life. You have no idea how much I had to go through your rejection.how long i had to battle everynight with the images of your angry face spitting words on me, that look like I was some kind of waste that you couldn’t bear to look at.

Well am sorry too. But am not going that path of pain again. I can’t just do it now it was too much for me and I fought so so hard to be where I am today and thank God he gave me people like Musonda who looked beyond my damaged self to help me be who I am today” she added as Paul’s head remained bowed to the floor.

“Please let me help you heal and start over again. I still love you so much and I don’t want to loose you” he told her standing and holding her tearly face.

” I love you Maria please come back home” he begged.

Maria looked at his sad eyes, shaking her head,

” am sorry Paul it’s not that easy” she cried.

“Am sorry but I have to go now.” She turned to leave.

Paul pulled her back and held her by the waist holding her so close to him.

He bend his head and kissed her lips his hands wrapped around her.

” I love you Maria.. I really do and I never stopped loving you. Please stay. ” He whispered wanting to kiss her again but she slipped off his hands and walked out without a word.

She stopped to look at him as he cried standing by the door.

” I will come some other time to talk about Paul, today does not seem like a good day for that” she said wiping her tears and running outside.

Musonda looked at her surprised, “Maria? What happened did they hurt you?” he asked upset.

” Tell me he didn’t touch you before I break his face” he snapped opening the door to go inside the house.

“No stop ! Musonda please. No one hurt me. Am okey please” she said holding his hand.

“Get me out of here, please take me away” she held him and spoke in a low tone.

“Are you sure? You look terrible, ” Musonda answered furious seeing her so much hurt and in tears.

He drove the vehicle in silence as Maria sobbed. Her eyes out the window the blowing winds touching her wet face as she let the tears fall freely.

Musonda tried to talk to her but she indicated for him to move forward.

He looked at her and wondered what had transpired back there. He had never seen her so sad and he knew it was not the right time to talk about whatever it was.

For hours they drove in silence and with every mile they covered, Maria felt more torn apart like the distance was taking away part of her.

To be continued

ALL EPISODES