Episode 2.

 THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER

(Based on a true story)

Episode 2

“Good bye my sweetest person,” was her lovely goodbye phrase. The words were so soothing to the soul that I drew her in and we kissed before letting her go. There was joy unspeakable flooding my heart and I would have died a happy man if that day had been my day. I used to behave narcissistically to most ladies, but truth is, saying goodbye to Emerald and watching her board off to Kenya was such an excruciating experience that I couldn't hold up as usual. Tears of joy mixed with great fear, of the peril threats from Edgar made me get lost in thoughts for a while. It had felt so amazingly beautiful spending time with her. I remembered the fetching smiles on her face, that brought about the winsome, enchanting, ravishing beauty that was hidden in this lady’s looks and as the saying goes, she was ‘as pretty as a dainty.’ All these gave me the conviction of assurance that I was a better person to her than Edgar. To be sincere, when we kissed, we crossed a line that was so hard to come back from. We were beyond the friendship limit and yet below a relationship line, hanging in a state of bewilderment. I still had to face the reality that I was just a poor lad with no one to look up to and that Emerald had been in a relationship for 5years with a rich dude who was like 30 times better than me financially.

Time went by. Emerald and I continued with our usual norm of communication. We both had not only tempestuous feelings for each other but also apprehensive that we couldn't be in that state for a long time. We had to make an absolute decision to either be bosom friends, or in a relationship because it had to be one or the other. Worst of all, Edgar's hazardous threats via my Facebook account were escalating but I became disregardful of them.

One day, I came back from the library at about 10:30pm only to find a poster put on the front door of my room. This struck me into a state of heebie jeebies, as it was a big notice, bearing my Facebook profile photo on it and written with a bold header, "Wanted, Dead or Alive". I thought it was some prank but then I remembered Edgar’s coercion. I was pretty upset. The following day, out of fear, I reported to the University Police Station that my life was being threatened. When I was asked whether I had any clue of who or why someone would want me dead, I said I didn’t. I couldn't tell the truth because of the complicated relation between Emerald and I.

I told Emerald about it after some few days and she got so fearful that she would get me hurt. She started playing distant by avoiding my calls, replying no texts of mine and yet on the contrary, I needed her the most. My feelings for her were on the rise at a very high rate. My heart was blooming with so much affection for her. As the situation was becoming more extreme, I had to give her an assurance that I could actually take care of myself.

A few days later, I felt I couldn't hold it together anymore. I had to bring everything to clarity so I confessed my feelings towards her. I was full to the brim with love for her so I had to let her know of my gone wild passion for her. I wasn't shocked when she told me she felt the same way about me because of the fact that she kissed me, the first time she had visited Uganda. She explained that we could actually make a perfect couple, except that Edgar would slay us both if by any chance we attempted to do so.

It must have been the power of love because I never felt fretful. Maybe it was selfish of me to think that it was way better to have an undisturbed life of eternity together if we both died. I pictured myself as ‘Samson’ in the Bible and I boldly told her that Edgar would never be a problem to us. I tried my best to convince not only her but also myself that we could have a happy relationship without any trouble from Edgar. Emerald told me to give her some time to think about it and I did. I made prayer that her answer would be affirmative.

 That very night, at about 9:30pm, I was attacked on my way to hostel by three energetic men. They beat me like hell had broken loose, took my phone and a laptop I had borrowed from a friend. They kicked me in turns till I was completely motionless. I must have heard death asking for my last words. As I lay there, without the lightest of strength to move a muscle, one of them said gruffly, "This is what happens when you mess with the wrong guy". I didn’t have to think twice about who had hired the gang. It certainly was Edgar but I wondered how they had located me. Somebody found me ten minutes or so later. I had a flicker of energy only enough to tell him my hostel name and room number. Being night, few people actually care about your state when they see you. You’re either a culprit or victim so nearly nobody at hostel cared about how I looked when my Good Samaritan got me there on a motorbike. He took me to my room, helped me clean up and lie down before he left. Too bad I didn’t catch his name and neither do I remember his face clearly but I hope to meet him some day. Anyways, when I recovered my strength, I couldn't tell Emerald about the ordeal with the gang because I knew it would make her resolve to ending things with me so I suffered silently. Besides, I had no phone but relied on a friend’s. It was enough that she had played distant already. I didn’t want her to end us before we even started. Few days later, Emerald called me and told me that she had made up her mind to be with me but on a condition that I help her get out of the relationship with Edgar. That news was sweet enough to make me forget the trouble of paying about 800,000 Ugandan shillings for my friend's lost laptop. 

The thought of her being with me made me feel like a prince on a mission to rescue a princess. I was so motivated to do all it took to help my Emy (Emerald) get out of Edgar's heart of stone. I walked her through all that she had to do and gradually they became far torn and this augmented Edgar’s fury towards me. My relationship with Emerald thrived at the cost of Edgar's feelings and I counted myself the most blessed man on the planet. I cared less about what would become of him because for once, I was continuously blissful with someone that gave me so much peace despite the great distance between us.

For the lost laptop, I called home and lied to my parents that I wouldn’t be allowed in class if I didn't have a Laptop for erudition as required by the University. Being peasants, there wasn’t any reliable source of income so my they resolved to selling a piece of land to raise 800,000 Ugandan Shillings which I used to pay for the laptop and also get a simple smart phone. I really felt so penitent of what I had done but then I had no other choice. Being a strong believer, I knew God would castigate me some day for lying to my parents, for a laptop I would not have at the end of the year, but I never cared. All I needed at that time was Emerald. I knew I would do anything for her.

After a short while, Emerald came back to Uganda but this time round purposely to visit me. I still had to for look a place to host her but she offered me some money to pay for a better hostel. Being a man, which I’m not sure I was then, I found it hard to accept but since it was good for us both, I had to swallow my pride. I found a top floor room at tasteful yet decent hostel. We spent 5 days and nights together in my new room. We were so cheeful; obviously I cracked jokes that kept her beaming with smiles. We had great moments together but excluded coitus. We agreed to ‘no eating mangoes with salt’ but rather stand by our beliefs since we both were staunch believers. The feelings we had for each other were overly much that, even if we tried to maintain our values, we couldn't resist a little romance which consequently turned into moments of passionate kissing and cuddling that one night we both slept bare. The risk of copulation was high. I kept thinking it was erroneous and precarious but the feelings were overwhelmingly much that we could not keep our hands to ourselves. Her company was the most delightful. She was pleasant to be with. I watched her do my laundry with such great love and the captivating smiles on her face awed me. We cooked and cleaned together. Deep down in my heart, I got convinced I had gotten the right person I desired, my better half.

Being students, and had missed a week of study just to be together, we agreed to get to books a little and she had to go back. It was sweet taking a stroll with her around my campus as we headed for the bus terminal. Everybody looked at us with amazement. I guess they wondered why Cinderella was on foot. I don't know how but looks like Edgar had some spies on my campus because while we still were on our way to the bus terminal, Edgar called Emerald. When she didn't pick, he sent her a message on her WhatsApp, "Emerald Alexandria, I can see you're now having a time of your life in the whole Uganda with Jasper and you hardly want to talk to me. I'll be back in a week and we shall see who the man is." It was such a daunting scenario but the elation that we had couldn't allow it reduce our day to rubble. We got to the bus terminal, got her ticket verified and she had to board. Saying goodbye this time wasn’t that hard. I at least had had some hands on and definitely would be in charge of my feelings till the next time. 

Emerald went back and we continued keeping in touch. Sincerely speaking, I was no longer the same Jasper. I was more contented, living in a decent hostel, moreover in a fully furnished self-contained room. It was an experience of its own. I had never tasted such a life since my birth. As I allowed myself sink a bit deeper in the luxury, I saw a Facebook post from Edgar on his status, "Good to be back home. Finally on my motherland." This gave me fluttering sensations all over my nervous system. Those words had nothing on me but they vexed me the most. I knew there was going to be a real mess but I never allowed fear corrode my expectations of being with Emerald. For once, I never thought of losing her. There was hope in me that we would work something out.

Emerald was petrified too since she had not yet mentioned it to her family that she and Edgar had got to a dead end. Her parents loved Edgar and were so optimistic that their relationship would end up in marriage as soon as Emerald was done with campus. 

(To be continued in Episode 3)

Thanks for following.

Catch us again next Thursday with Episode 3.

The Rich Man's Daughter.

Written by:

Luke Davis

lookndavis@gmail.com

+256770391771

Edited by:

Prim Nabwire

primnabwire95@gmail.com

+256786852800

Jackline W.Kabura Adams

jackykabura@gmail.com

Tel: + 254742386914

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have been blessed by this story, and also in case of any question.