A week after Onyi's visit Victoria was discharged. The burial preparations were over and even though the date had been set, it felt so surreal. Christian would grouse from time to time about the demands being made traditionally and how uncalled for, those demands were.

"we are mourning for Christ's sake! Everybody is just making demands as if we are organizing a naming ceremony or a child dedication. Just imagine how those women were asking for food items, the annoying thing here is that if you don't provide them, most of them will become diabolical. Makes me wonder if they are here to mourn with you or celebrate. "

Christian spoke to Charles as he ran over the costs incurred for the burial. Charles had been very helpful and supportive towards giving his late father in law a befitting burial. His sister in laws were also supportive lending help in whatever way they could.

Victoria could not do much since the hospital let her go, she would talk to guests in the village who hadn't seen her in a long time. Sometimes with Christy and her brother's wife. Charles never seen her speak with her sisters even though her mother and Christian now felt comfortable having them around.

There had been villagers trooping in and out of their compound, the canopies which would be used to accommodate the guests were kept in place. While the caterers and decorators were making appropriate observations and changes.

Everyone seemed to be busy with one thing, Christy and Aaron had been the ones in charge of receiving the condolence messages and whatever token people left with the bereaved family.

Vicky's father must have been too kind with the villagers, a lot of the widows and elderly kept weeping with every visit. According to them he had always been benevolent.

The only problem was what traditions demanded which some people were too greedy to refute. Monetary contributions were made by members of the family but Christian insisted on taking the bulky part as the first son.

While they went over the budget, Charles could only think of how he saw Jude and his wife in the hospital that day. He knew his wife was in a lot of pain, even if she pretended to be fine. But was she trying to get back at him by letting Jude in. It was painful to think that his wife would seek comfort in another man's arms. The look Vicky had given him that day broke his heart. He had been in the chapel praying for his wife and when she finally woke up he wasn't there. He had been the first person she had seen the first time she was in a similar condition.

He had slept off and didn't wake up till a priest had touched him. On getting to his wife's room he had seen her and he was very happy. God did hear his prayers and kept his wife. He reached out and held her hands but she withdrew, then told him she wanted a divorce. Charles knew she was in a lot of pain, losing her father and their baby drove her to making such decision. He did not argue with her or talk about it, he only sat close to her and watched her till morning.

She was in deep pain, she'll change her mind soon,He kept telling himself.
He always checked on her very early in the morning and at the times she slept. He had wanted to give her a little space but on that day, he just couldn't hold it he really wanted to be close to his wife.

Jude left immediately Charles walked in and sat close to Vicky. He really wanted to make her feel better, to hold her and comfort her but he knew too well how his wife dealt with things. While others allowed themselves to crawl out of their shells and feel vulnerable, Vicky would build up more walls around her. She would crawl into a shell, then dwell in her pain alone.

"Victoria ị love you very much, I know everything that happened is my fault and right now it's really hard for you to be with me. But I'm begging you, if not for anything, for the sake of our daughter. Just give me a chance to make things right, I promise I'll protect you with my life. I'll be the best husband, I'll find a way to control my sleepwalking. Please just give me time, give us time. You could just stay away from me while you think things through. You are in a lot of pain and that's why you're thinking this way, please just reconsider. "

He noticed the tears that had begun to seep out of her eyes and when he tried to wipe them she moved her face away." Okay"

That was all she said, even though it didn't feel like much and probably meant the opposite with Vicky he had hope that with time she'd change her mind.

Christian pulled him out of his thoughts with a complaint about the Incompetency  of the Disc jockey he had hired for the wake. "He has not even brought his equipment up till this hoir. if he messes things up, I won't finish his payment"

Charles only smiled at him

"I know what is going on between you and Vicky, I overhead her speaking with our mother about it. Mother totally shut the idea down, she does not support the idea of wives and husbands breaking apart. Just don't think too much about it, I don't think anything can keep you too apart. Even death tried and failed "

Charles laughed at the end, he also needed someone to talk to.

" Do you think she'll ever forgive me? For Grace, Esther and Nasa or for our baby. She thinks all of it is my fault and honestly she's not wrong. "

" I didn't think Vicky would ever forgive me for hitting you that day I caught you kissing her. She wouldn't talk to me for weeks blamed me for causing you to leave. I did not realize that she didn't blame me, she blamed herself more, when she spoke to Esther about it and I did overhear of course. I did eavesdrop on purpose, because I felt I could get useful information about Grace, I had this huge crush on her then.

Thank God things didn't work out between us. But that's by the way, She said it was because she let you kiss her that was why things turned out that way. Vicky has a way of accepting the blame for everything. Don't you remember when we were kids and we smoked papers, how she quickly told father that she was the one who brought the idea, even though we coerced her into it.

I think Victoria thinks it's her fault that things happened the way they did even though she hasn't admitted that to anyone. I'd advice you to stick around and get her to open up" Christian spoke

"I am trying, but she would not even let me come close"

"nnaa nwee ndidi o, have patience. Every thing will be okay" Christian looked down and saw the dj he had hired. He rushed out immediately to reprimand him.

"Let me deal with this he-goat first I'm coming, anụ mpam!"

Charles felt a bit better about speaking with Christian and when he turned to leave, he saw Vicky. He wanted to talk with her, but saw Esther and Nasa behind her so he smiled at her and walked away.

Victoria needed time and space she would crawl out of her shell soon. She had already begun if she was going to speak with her sisters.

Charles hid under the stairs  just to  hear what the trio talked about.

"I know we should have had this discussion sooner than this, but circumstances kept us." she cleared her throat and continued

"what the two of you did to me, it was a mean and a selfish thing to do. I know someone tried to set me up by claiming i had anything to do with your husband Nasa but it was false. You should have spoken to me, neither of you should have slept with Charles. All my life I've always wanted to have siblings aside my annoying brother " the other two women laughed at that

" it was Grace who set you up, now I know better" Nasa spoke

" Maybe I need to recount my blessings. So I just wanted to say that I forgive you. The two of you, atleast none of you tried to kill me "

Charles smiled upon hearing that.

" it will be wonderful to really be a team against Christian, I can make him pay after all these years of taunting me"

They laughed again before Esther spoke.

"Vicky I'm really happy with what you've said, but I feel like there's something you should know too. When we made our mistakes with Charles, we were not totally honest. The blames should be placed on us because Charles was not totally conscious when we... When it happened. We found out that he was sleep walking or something while it happened. Not only that he called us Victoria. I think your husband thought he was making love to you everytime he cheated with any of us. I can't say why, but please don't put the blame on him. We should have been better friends "

Nasa only agreed to what Esther said before Vicky finally spoke.
" he called you Victoria it's probably because of the resemblance but what about Grace?. It doesn't really matter now what's happened has happened. "

Charles hurried down when he heard the women coming down. It wasn't long before his wife summoned him.
Maybe she had finally crawled out of the shell.

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