Love And Fate

★Fourteen★

"The affluent are more connected than you'd ever imagine"

Ivan was called, a call he never wanted to receive, and to think news traveled fast, so fast, too fast he couldn't even wrap his mind around it.

Now his thoughts were troubled, for he had a received a call, a call from the Old Lady, an unpleasant one, though he had been expecting it and knew they'd rise.
It was too fast, and he felt he was lacking behind.
He knew what he was getting himself into when he professed his love to her, when he asked her to be his, when he promised he'd never leave her side and that he'd always love her, but then, the old lady's words made him rethink keeping that promise.

Now the fear gripped him and he felt like the ghost with a dilemma, yes, that ghost, who recalled that ghost who had a dilemma on which road he should take?

The dilemma of a ghost by Ama Attaa Aidoo,  because that was what he was facing.

Shall he go to CapeCoast or to Elmina?

What could he possibly do, his mind was torn apart in two places. His family or his love?

His future or his love?

His job or his love?

Anyone who loved their life, their reputation, and well-being, wouldn't think twice, they'd probably end whatever relationship they had with her.
Why think twice? When your job, the source of income for your family is being threatened, with one order, you could be destroyed totally, but his love for Serene wasn't one he wanted to let go of so easily, he definitely wasn't going down without a fight.

From the very first day he had set eyes on her, he had loved her, then how could he lose what he just got?

His conversation with the old lady rang loud and clear in his head.

"You gold digging piece of trash, after everything I've done for your family you still go behind my back and have an affair with my granddaughter"  those were the first words that he heard when he answered the call, his heart raced than normal.

Gold digger? He was no such thing!

"With all due respect ma'am, I'm no gold digger, and your granddaughter and I... I-- we were going to inform you about that"

He couldn't believe his own words but seeing as he had to defend himself and not let his dignity be trampled on...

The old lady wasn't buying the excuse, instead, his words infuriated her more.

"You have the mouth to spew such nonsense, you dare speak to me in that manner? You deliberately played with fire and now you are scared of how it burns, but you have to know, if this nonsense of a relationship does not end, I'll end you and your family!"

"Ma'am--"
He wasn't able to say what he wanted to say, the old lady called to warn him of course, and not to hear his silly excuse and vain words.

He was too exhausted, he rubbed his forehead praying the headache wouldn't be too much, he had even missed lectures, and he wasn't sure if he had the strength to step out.

So a bunch of narrow-minded students will beat him up? Ha! No!

Even if he wasn't beaten up, he knew that words would be thrown at him, or maybe he was just being paranoid.

He needed to see Serene, he needed to speak to her and know what she says about all this mess, he still had no idea who ratted them out to the old lady, and if he was thinking of still playing with fire then he had to know if she'd be there too.

His heart swelled with a bitter-sweet feeling, and he touched where he knew his heart was, its beating was erratic, and the sweat that had managed to form on his forehead didn't do any good.

With one move, he shot out of his mattress, the small bed had already flattened with his weight, he took a shirt and threw it over his head, and without thinking twice he stepped into the cool night.

In no time he was in front of her hostel building, he couldn't move again, he didn't think he dared to enter, with eyes already on him, he lowered his head shoving his hands in his pocket, turning around he hid under a tree, praying it would hide his identity, he fished out his phone and quickly dialed her number.

"Ivan?" There came her sweet voice, not from the other line, but right in front of him was the love of his life, he lowered his hand dropping the phone back into his pocket, before he could look up, arms wrapped tightly around him, body crashing into his, and there came the sound he wished he'd never hear, she was sobbing, and he could feel the wetness of her cheek as it was pressed against his chest, where his heart beats. It ached.

What could he do?

"What do I do?" He meant how to make her laugh, make her stop sobbing.

"Ivan, you are not leaving me, are you?"

"I'm not... No.."

"Then we fight, I'm not letting this go, not when it just got started"
The determination in Serene's voice was enough to drive him to the edge.

What was he hiding for?

If she was going to fight, why shouldn't he?

They could fight, together, if the Old Lady thought she could break them with one threat, then she was wrong, even if she won, she could never change what the heart wanted, it would always go for it, even fate couldn't stop them...