THE BEST OF ME episode 18

#THE_BEST_OF_ME
April 1st, 2019. 4:40PM

Day 18 of 35

episode 18

“Not everyone is the same, not everyone comes to you to take. Some people just come to shake you up a little, they come to move you out of your comfort zone. To make you talk, to open up, to help restore everything you have lost and possibly – to help you heal.” Winnie

Ellie and Mwewa were seated in the room waiting for Brandon to show up, it was supposed to be the second time they were meeting him.

The first had caught them off guard and now they just didn't know what to expect.

Brandon walked in wearing chino maroon pants, his crispy white shirt was tucked in. His brown belt matching his shoes, there was something about the way that he carried himself that showed command, he was a no nonsense man and he did a good job showing it.

'There comes the devil.' Ellie said immediately he walked in

He didn't flinch, in fact he didn't pay her any attention.

He went to stand by the window and closed the blinds. Then moved to the switch and turned off the light. The room was completely dark. None of them being able to see each other.

'Turn the light back on.' Mwewa said

'Why do you need the light when the both of you are living in darkness?' He questioned

Ellie swallowed hard, this inspector was different from Yande. She had had everything under control with him and now she wasn't so sure whether she could do this anymore.

'Why didn't you speak up? This man hurt you to the very core and yet you decided to stay quiet?’ Brandon asked

‘Excuse me?’ She asked

‘Mrs. Musonda there is something I am missing here.’ He said as if pausing to look at her except the room was dark and he couldn’t

‘You knew the very minute your husband started to cheat on you or of course you suspected it. You had the evidence, when that child was introduced into your home you still kept quiet. As if that wasn’t enough you decided to take all the bullshit that he threw at you.’

‘You would never understand my choices until you walked a day in my shoes!’ she said almost yelling

‘Enlighten me ma’am. What was so bad that you couldn’t just leave?’

There was silence in the room except from the heavy breathing from the three.

‘I thought about it, I did.’ She said with emphasis

‘But you didn’t.’

‘How could I Brandon.’

‘Inspector Brandon.’

‘How could I? Mwewa was not just my husband but my friend too. I had been married to him for the longest period of time, I had known him all my life.’

‘And that was reason enough for you to stay? To endure everything he threw at you?’

‘I met Mwewa when I was young, I was at an age where I knew what I wanted and I wanted to build something with someone. I didn’t move from one partner to the next, I stayed faithful to him. To us. I opened up my heart and let my guard down; I opened up my walls and allowed him in.’

She paused to sniff, she was shedding tears and this was a good sign. Brandon needed her to stop putting up her strong act, he needed to touch that part of her that spelt humanity and he was progressing really well.

‘When I first found out about his infidelity, I thought it was a sick joke. I thought to myself like why would he want to cheat on me? I mean it was me. The woman he had vowed to love in his youthful days, the woman he had vowed on the alter before his family and friends to love and care for, for better or worse, till death do us part.’

‘So you were in denial?’

‘If you can call it that yes.’ She said with a deep sigh

‘Which betrayal hurt you the most? Was it the one with Abigail?’ Brandon inquired

‘Is there such a thing as betrayal that hurts the most?’ She asked with a chuckle as tears continued to stream down her face

‘You tell me.’ Brandon said

There was silence, it’s as if she was trying to put together scattered pieces.

‘It is not the act of cheating itself that hurt me.’ She said after some silence

‘It was the fact that he continued to look me in the eye as if he was not doing anything behind my back. He insulted my intelligence unapologetically. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to ask him. I didn’t even know if I knew the man I was still married to because he became a narcissist. It was all about him, he no longer considered me or how I felt.’

Brandon sighed

‘How was he supposed to know all this when you never spoke up?’

‘Pardon me I am not trying to defend him but I just want to get it from you, why didn’t you speak up Ellie?’ He added

‘I blamed myself.’ She said before swallowing hard

‘That is all I needed to hear.’ He said then switched on the light

‘I will leave you two alone, my job here is done. I will recommend that you both see a counsellor before it is decided the way forward to your case.’ He said packing up

Mwewa looked at Ellie who was in tears, he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen her like that. He could read through each tear she shed. She was hurting and she was broken. He wanted to reach out, he wanted to tell her that a huge part of him was sorry for everything that he had put her through but how could he do it now when they didn’t have much to look forward to.

‘I am sorry I hurt you.’ He finally said sincerely

‘I am sorry I hurt you.’ She said tears falling uncontrollably

‘Why did you blame yourself though? I mean I am the one that hurt you.’

‘For a very long period of time I blamed myself, I felt that maybe I wasn’t enough. That maybe I didn’t do enough.’

‘Ellie how could you? Lord knows you are the very best that happened to me. You gave me an amazing daughter for crying out Lord.’

‘See the pot calling the kettle black.’ She said

He shot her an eye

‘You still cheated.’ She added with a chuckle

‘And I am so sorry.’

‘You are not.’ She said shaking her head

‘Had you been you wouldn’t have continuously cheated on me, Mwewa you wouldn’t have had all those sexual sprees in your office, in your car, everywhere and anywhere. You wouldn’t have brought the devil into our bed.’

‘Can we have a do over?’

She shook her head.

‘Look at you, you don’t have one arm and one leg. I am broken, I don’t even need fixing because there is nothing much that anyone can do for me right now.’

‘I just wish things could have been better, our marriage was hanging on a thread and we continued to put more weight on it until it couldn’t withstand it anymore.’

‘We should have tied a knot.’ She said causing him to laugh

‘See where we are now.’ He said

‘One in jail and the other in hospital, our daughter suffering in the process.’

‘See that counsellor Ellie, you are a good woman and trust me you deserve to be loved by the best.’

‘I am done for now, I lived my life. I loved you. I was married before, I don’t need any more love. And I was loved by the best. You take care.’ She said with a sigh

‘I never stopped loving you.’

‘Of course you didn’t.’ She said

‘And you still speak fluent sarcasm.’ He said making her laugh

‘Thank you for everything Ellie, I loved you. I do. You made me happy. Go and be everything you have always wanted to be and please take care of Ellen, I will make sure you don’t rot behind bars. That is the least I can do after everything I put you through.’

‘Thank you.’ She said as a tear fell from her eyes

‘They will probably bring the divorce papers to you tomorrow, you can think about it.’

‘There is nothing to think about Mwewa, we are done. We lived our lives, for our sanity and mental health let us go our separate ways. We are too broken to stay married. We will kill each other.’

‘I guess so.’ He said reaching out his arm

She moved to him and held his arm before kissing his forehead.

‘Good bye Mwewa.’

‘Good bye Ellie.’