TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES

Season one (Chapter Twelve)

TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES: Chapter Twelve.

The next day been on a Monday and a working day, Mike had to go back to his place as he was supposed to report back to work. I was advised to remain behind as there were still a few things that needed to be ironed out. Grandma was also supposed to remain behind as she was the one supposed to call my parents that night and explain to them all that had happened. I missed my parents very much and I really wanted to make peace with them. I was for the idea that grandma just calls them telling them that there was an emergency that required their attention and that they were required home immediately, but I had to discuss this idea with grandmother and my brothers first which I did .After  a careful discussion with them, they all agreed to it. It was time for Mike to go but I was feeling very sad that he was leaving.
I wished he could stay with me forever but that was impossible at that moment and so I offered to escort him in his car on his way out. My grandmother and my brothers thanked him for helping us and bid him farewell. As we drove out of the compound, I was really enjoying his company. Mike could just steal a glance at me and smile as we drove off, an act that made me very uncomfortable that I decided to break the silence. “Mike, I am very happy that things have turned out the way they have. Grandmother has played a very vital role in this and I will forever remain grateful to her.” I said.
“I am extremely happy too that you are now free and everybody can now trust you again. You are an angel my queen, you just saved your brothers and us all. It is only God who knows what those two women could have done if it were not for you.” He replied back.
I noticed that he was now driving very slowly as we conversed and after a while he brought the car to a halt.
“Is there any problem with the car” I asked looking at him.
“No, not at all.  It is just that I want to talk to you before I leave.” He replied back.
I noticed that we had covered quite a long distance as I was supposed to return to my brother’s house.
“Kate , I am sorry that our relationship had to take such a rough turn .I did not mean for it to be that way, but despite all that my love for you still remained. Even when you angered me so much by lying to me, I still maintained my love for you. I have never loved anyone but you before. When I look at you I see a bright future before us. I plead with you to forgive me if in any way you feel I have wronged you.” He said as I listened very calmly and carefully to all that he said.
“I have nothing against you Mike. I am very happy that circumstances brought us together for a purpose. Mike, you brought joy in to my life when I was almost giving up. You stood by me when it seemed like everybody else was against me. Thank you very much Mike and May God bless you very much.” As I said this tears of joy were forming in my eyes.
Mike stretched his hand and held mine.
“Kate, I want you to promise me that you will never leave me. Give me an assurance that you will always be with me no matter what happens.” He said looking into my eyes which were beginning to shed tears.
“I promise never to leave you. I promise to always stay with you in all situations Mike.”  I responded back.
“I love you Kate, I really love you from the deepest part of my heart and would wish to spend the rest of my life with you.” He said.
“I love you too much Mike. You have become my sunshine and you have brought joy and happiness into my life. I will forever remain grateful to you.” I said but this time crying.
He moved close to me, wiped my tears with his handkerchief and gave me a warm hug. I noticed that he too wanted to cry but was trying very much to control his tears. He then ordered me to close my eyes as he had a surprise for me which I did. When he told me to open them, he was holding a small open box in his hand that had a ring inside and I guessed he brought it out from his pocket.
“Kate will you marry me?” he asked holding the ring.
For a moment I was so overjoyed that I just stared at him and then with much excitement said, “Yes, I will marry you, yesterday, tomorrow and forever.”
He could not believe his ears and I could see excitement written all over his face. He then put the ring in my finger with a promise to stay with me just as the ring would stay in that finger. He gave me a loving kiss and hugged me for a while and because it was getting late I had to go back. He drove me to take a taxi back and then left. I went back a very happy person.
When I arrived at Kevoh’s’ house, I found everyone eagerly waiting for me. Kevoh, grandmother and Mark all waited for me on the sofa and from the look on their faces, I suspected that there was something they wanted to ask me.
“My daughter, please sit down. We want to have a little conversation with you.” Grandma said.
I sat on the sofa and then Kevoh asked me “Kate, although Mike had told us a bit about the two of you, we have been observing you and Mike and have realized that you share a very close relationship. Is there anything that we need to know? Please tell us.”
I was beginning to feel shy but the ball was on my side and I had to kick it.
“Go on sister, we are waiting.” said Mark. 
After a moment of silence I decided to let the cat out of the bag.
“Yes, Mike and I love each other very much.” I said and I could read surprise on their faces.
I narrated to them how and where I had met Mike and they were very sorry as their lack of trust in me had led me through so much trouble but it was for the best. Kevoh said that they had known Mike since child hood since they went to school together and he had always been a good person. He also added that he also knew his family very well and that he came from a very good and respectable family.
“His father is a prominent businessman while his mother is a lecturer at the university. He has no brothers nor sisters because his parents did not give birth to another child.” said Mark.
“His parents live in the neighborhood where mum and dad live.” added Kevoh.
This gave me a sigh of relieve and they all promised to support me in the best way they could.
It was now time for grandma to call my parents as it was getting late. She gave my dad a call and told him that he and mum needed to be home immediately as something was not right at home. He demanded to know what the problem was but grandma told him that the issue was so sensitive to be discussed over the phone .Dad then said that they would organize to come home immediately if the matter was that serious. We were all happy that they agreed to come home. Mark stood up to leave for his house as it was getting late. We wished him a good night and he left. Mike called later that night to say that he had arrived safely and I thanked God and wished him a very good night and then went to sleep.
I remained at home the next day with grandmother as Kevoh went to work. The house was all ours and we were free to do anything we pleased as Eve was not around to limit our freedom. We entertain ourselves and cooked whichever good food we wanted to eat. Time was flying so fast and Kevoh called me later that afternoon informing me that mum and dad had called him saying that they had already boarded a plane and would soon be at the airport. I gave the good news to grandmother and she jumped out of excitement.
“I am so happy that I will see my children again. It has been a while since I saw them. Dear Lord please protect them and give them journey mercies.” She said in excitement.
Kevoh was to go with Mark and Grandma to the airport to pick them up as soon as they landed and I would remain behind as I was not yet in good terms with them as was our agreement.
Kevoh  later called grandma that evening and told her to get ready as he was coming home to pick her up to go to the airport as my parents were arriving soon.. He then came with Mark, picked her up and left for the airport. As soon as they had left, I called Mike for advice on what to do on their arrival and he told me to stay calm as I had people around me to explain everything. This made me relax a bit as I waited anxiously and tensed for them to come. We had planned that no one was supposed to mention to them that I was also in Kevoh’s house as they were coming there.
Hours later I heard the hooting of a car at the gate and I knew that they had arrived. I went to stay in the bedroom as Kevoh had instructed me not to show myself to them until I was signaled to do so. They were now all in the house and I could hear my mum and dad asking what the problem was as curiosity was eating them up. I heard my grandmother narrate the whole story to them as my brothers echoed her.  I could also hear my mother cursing herself for letting her child suffer so much due to mistrust. They were also told about Mike who was in love with me and who had helped me all through. My dad said that they had to meet Mike and thank him for helping me and this made me jump a little from the bedroom. My mother was dying to see me and she therefore asked about my where about and was told that I was in the bedroom .she then requested to see me immediately.
Mark came to my bedroom and told me that it was time to show myself to my parents. He also cautioned me that everything was alright and that mum and dad really wanted to see me and apologize and so I needed not to worry about a thing. I followed him reluctantly to the sitting room and my mum shed tears on seen me. All this while, everything my parents had told me before echoed in my mind and I could not hold back my tears. My mum opened her arms for a hug and I ran to her and hugged her and I could tell that she was very apologetic as she kept apologizing to me.
“My beautiful daughter, please forgive us. We just did this out of anger and we now realize our mistake. I am sorry that you had to go through so much suffering because of us. Please find a place in your heart to forgive us.” She wept and I could feel the sadness in her voice.
My dad too could not hide his tears as I could see them slowly dropping down his cheeks. I also hugged him and he told me that I should brush everything that had happened away and become his little princes once again. He swore that he would never let me suffer again as he would always stand by me no matter the situation.  I was happy that I had made peace with everyone that was involved in my life.
They asked me of my relationship with Mike and I told them that we were in love and that Mike had proposed to marry me. They too offered to support us in the best way they could and were very eager to meet Mike and I promised them that I would organize the visit.  Kevoh told them that Mike was not a stranger to him as they had schooled together and that he knew his family very well. He explained to them all he knew about Mike’s family. They spend the night at Kevoh’s place and had to go home the next day as they had only left servants to man the house.
Grandmother and I said that we would go with them and they agreed. I called Mike and told him that I had told my parents about us and they really  wanted to meet him and so he should visit them  during the weekend and he was overjoyed an indication that he was very serious about our relationship.
On the eve of the weekend, Mike called to tell me that he was coming the next day to meet my parents and that he would also bring his parents along as their home was not far from where we lived. I informed my parents and they were very happy about it. I prayed to God that He would make the meeting a success. Mike called me on that Saturday morning and informed me that he was on his way but he would first pass through his home to pick up his parents so that they could come together. We on the other hand were doing all the necessary preparations for the visitors we were expecting. He later called to inform me that they were now on their way to our house as he knew it since Kevoh had given him directions. Kevoh and Mark also told me that they were coming although they knew Mike’s parents since they had visited them before.  
Sooner than later, we heard a car hoot at the gate and I ran to see who it was and behold, Kevoh and Mark had arrived even before Mike. I warmly welcomed them and led them into the house. Few minutes later there was another car hoot at the gate and my dad said that he would check who it was. I was getting very nervous as I knew that it was definitely Mike and his parents that had arrived and my guess was right as they suddenly came into the house led by my dad. I was the first to greet them as they entered the house.
“Good afternoon Mum and dad. You are very welcome to our house” I greeted looking at mike who winked at me.
“Good afternoon” they responded back as my mum led them to sit down. 
“Kevoh and Mark how are you and what are you two doing here?” Mike’s parents asked in surprise since they remembered them. “This is our home. These are our parents, this is grandma and this is our lovely sister here.” Kevoh responded back and I could see surprise written all over their faces .Drinks were brought and the introduction continued as we took our drinks.
“Mum and dad, I have brought you here because I have found my love in this wonderful family. I have known Kate for quite some time and I am certain that I want to spend my whole life with her.” Mike said this as he pointed at me.
I felt quite shy but I had to remain courageous. The introductions went on and we got full support from everybody. Both pair of parents were very happy to meet one another and I could hear Mike’s mother saying that she was happy that Mike was not a stranger to our family since he was a childhood friend to my brothers. We all tossed and made merry to the reunion and I could see that everybody was overjoyed.
“The wedding should happen before we go back to America as we want to leave our daughter in safe hands.” Mother said.
The parents had a little discussion and   they set a date for the wedding. We all agreed to it and I could see that Mike was overjoyed as he kept smiling at me. He called me aside and thanked me for accepting to marry him.
“What lovely parents you have. I am very happy to become their son in law.” he said happily.
“I can’t wait for the wedding day. I can’t wait to put a ring in your finger and say that I do Mike.” I said hugging him.
Our conversation was cut down by mother who was calling us and so we had to rush back to the house. Mike and his parents had to leave as it was getting very late .We bid them farewell and they left.
The days after were going to be very busy due to all the wedding preparations. Money was not going to be a problem and so the preparations would be done without any problem. We invited so many friends to the wedding and we made sure that it would be a memorable one. Mum and dad also invited their friends from America and this made me very happy. It was decided that Sam and his wife would stand as the best couple at the wedding since he was Mike’s best friend. The wedding day was fast approaching and I had to look very beautiful on my wedding day and I therefore made sure that everything was done perfectly. I could not grasp any sleep on the eve of my wedding as I was very nervous about the next day. I called mike and he too told me that he had butterflies in his stomach. I laughed at him knowing very well that I was no better than him and perhaps even worse.
On the wedding day, I woke up very early to finalize my preparations. . Mike called and told me that he could not wait for me to become Mrs. Mike. He said that he was looking forward to the time when I would say I do. We had chosen to do a church wedding and the venue of the wedding was the church where my parents used to worship while in the country. It was now time to go to church and I prayed to God to make everything a success for us.
On arrival I could see Mike anxiously waiting to unveil me. He looked so handsome in his wedding suit and I kept stealing a glance at him as I walked down the aisle escorted by my loving parents. The music playing at that moment was so sweet that I could not help but dance. It was my day and I had to enjoy it to the maximum. As Mike unveiled me, I could see that he was tensed and I smiled to give him some courage.
He looked at me and smiled back and I knew that he was now relaxed. The pastor took us through the marriage vows and when Mike was making his vows to me, tears of joy were freely flowing down my cheeks and this also made Mike emotional too. He then put the wedding ring on my finger and I knew that it was all over. I made my vows to him too and put a ring on his finger. It was now time to kiss the bride and Mike did it perfectly well that I felt so shy to even look at the crowd. The pastor then declared us husband and wife and there was joy in the church as everybody present shouted with joy. We signed the marriage certificates and officially became husband and wife.
“Nothing, absolutely nothing was going to separate the two of us.” I thought.

End of season one