SILVER LININGS (Christian Romance)

14

Jane scrubbed the denim for the umpteenth time, thin rivulets of sweat flowed down her forehead and neck and her hand ached.

She stopped and wiped the sweat away. She looked back at the clothes she had been washing for about twenty minutes now and sighed exhaustively. They were mostly Junior's clothes and were very dirty and it gave her much trouble because they were mostly denims and chinos. 

The silence of the room encapsulated her, Junior was in school and she had not turned on the radio today. A knock on the door interrupted her, she stopped washing and glanced at the door through the bathroom door. For some reasons, she had decided to wash inside the house today.

The knock came again and she slowly stood up and wiped her hands dry on the clothes she wore. She stretched and mumured under her breath.

“Who is that?” she asked, half berating as she walked out of the bathroom and stood at the lobby.

Phoebe had started work at the law firm today and she did not think Emeka would have the outright guts to show up again after all she had done to humiliate him.

When she got no response, she took few steps towards the door and opened it.

She came face to face with a man who was standing outside. He had a bag and was donned in a black and white shirt and black trousers.

He had an impish smile on and there was something odd about him.

Jane frowned, there was no doubt he was a Jehovah Witness who had come to preach to her but a closer look at him made her think he was here on official business.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted brusquely, scanning him with her eyes. “What do you want?”

“Good afternoon ma'am, my name is Mr Kolade.” the man said, his eyes trailed her body.

Jane fought the urge to lash out, so she gave an unflinching gaze and folded her arms. “Mr Kolade, who are you and how can I help you?”

“Oh,” Kolade dipped his hand into his bag and handed some papers to her.

“What for?” she asked, puzzled as she stared at the paper.  “I don't just accept papers from strangers who show up at my door.”

Kolade smiled, holding the letter still. “You have been sued to court ma'am,” he stated, “for illegally holding a child and denying him the rights to his father.”

Jane widened her eyes, she knew it was from no other person than Emeka. “What?” she nearly screamed, a humourless laugh followed. “Is this a joke or what?”

“I’m afraid it isn't ma'am,” he replied, civily. “You have the right to a lawyer and if you can't provide one, the state will provide one for you.”

Jane hated the man already, she hated his audacity to call her ma'am when in the reality he saw her as nothing.

She shook her head as she opened the papers, perusing the counts of crime against her, then she hissed and turned to Kolade. “Emeka will never cease to amaze me,” she gritted. “go and tell him that we'll see in court.”

Moments later when Kolade left, all that remained were the memories of what had transpired and the full realization of what had been done.

Sued to court.

This realization reverberated in her head and she felt her heart drop. She had no lawyer, she didn't have witnesses and she didn't have money. It was worse that Emeka had money and could lie his way through and win the case but she, she had nothing and that was what mattered to her.