unhealed 29

CHAPTER 29

"UNHEALED"

© Opeyemi Akintunde  

As Inspired by the Living WORD

Tomike walked into the softly lit restaurant, her heart racing with a strange mixture of excitement and dread. Dinner with Ade wasn't something to look forward to, but she had a weird feeling about it. She was scared Ade would tell her he was done.

She looked around and she noticed a private corner decorated with flowers and she read a flowery inscription...I AM SORRY...

"Ade is too much of an Angel" Tomike thought 

She walked in further expecting to see Ade waiting for her, but her steps faltered as she saw Harmony sitting at the table, watching her approach. Her heart fluttered, and a mix of confusion and old pain plagued her heart. Memories of their school dates came rushing back.

Harmony rose as she neared, his expression gentle, but tinged with sorrow. “Tomike…”

The sound of his voice brought a fresh ache to her heart. She looked around, panic and vulnerability clear in her eyes. “Harmony… my husband…”

Harmony shook his head in the negative , his voice calm but heavy... “Yes, he knows we’re here. And my wife also knows.”

Tomike’s eyes grew wide, her voice barely a whisper. “Your wife?”

“Please, have a seat, Tomike,” he said softly, motioning to the chair across from him.

She lowered herself slowly, reluctant and tense, her gaze never leaving him. “Do they… do they know about us?”

Harmony’s eyes dropped briefly.... 

“Tomike, that’s why I asked you here. I want to clarify some things very quickly.”

Tomike’s breath hitched, her fingers trembling slightly as she clutched her purse. “Okayyy…” She braced herself, feeling old wounds rip open even as she looked into his familiar face. She felt Harmony was about to hurt her a second time...

Harmony took a breath, his voice filled with a quiet, almost pained sincerity. “Tomike, I know I hurt you. I agree that I didn’t leave in the best way,” he said, his own eyes glistening with regret. “I should have been man enough to walk up to you and respectfully end things after everything we shared in those four years.”

At his words, Tomike’s expression shifted, a bitter laugh escaping her lips as her face twisted in disbelief. Her heart felt raw, bleeding. “What is this about, Harmony?”

She didn't like where the conversation was headed. Her thought was he was here to tell her they were going to end things with their partners and come back together.

He looked at her with gentle sadness, his tone earnest. “It’s about everything, Tomike. Me, you, and this illusion that we can pick up from where we stopped.”

Tears began to gather in her eyes, and she shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. “What do you mean by illusion?” Her voice broke as she continued. “We were—”

Harmony’s voice was soft, almost pleading. “Tomike, there is no ‘we.’ There is no ‘us. We both have our families.’” He paused, his own emotions heavy in his gaze. “I realize now that I didn’t end things the way I should have. I take responsibility for my actions. I know it left scars, and it wasn’t fair to you. But today… I’m here to ask for forgiveness and to find closure. I hope we both can move on to happier chapters.”

Her hands shook, her face crumpling as her voice grew thick with pain. Tears flowed with no restraint.

 “Happier chapters?” She scoffed, her voice laced with bitterness as tears spilled over, streaming down her face. “You think everything you did can be erased just like that? Harmony, just listen to yourself.”

Harmony’s own eyes glistened with unshed tears as he leaned closer, his face filled with sorrow.  He held her hand. 

“Tomike, I am sorry. God sees my heart—I am truly sorry.” 

A pause and then he continued...

 “But I want you to go back home to your husband and find peace.”

Tomike let out a broken sob, barely able to hold back the flood of emotions now overwhelming her. Her voice was raw, each word a release of years of pent-up pain. 

“I don’tttttt loveee my husband, Harmony,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Harmony’s heart ached as he looked at her, seeing the depth of her hurt. He spoke softly but firmly, his voice filled with empathy. “Tomike, that’s it. You can’t move forward in your marriage or truly love your husband if your heart is still clinging to yesterday.”

Her voice grew louder, and her eyes flashed with anger and pain. “What about children, Harmony? If I’d been married to you, I’d have my own kids by now!” Her voice broke again as she sobbed. “Your daughter even bears the name we chose for our first daughter.”

Harmony’s own heart broke at her words, his eyes filling with deep remorse. He reached out slightly, holding her hand firmly, his voice a whisper. “I’m sorry, Tomike. I truly am. But God can’t bring you to what’s next if you’re still holding on to what’s over. Let go, and let God. It’s the only way you’ll ever have what you’re meant to have now.”

Her sobs came harder now, her shoulders shaking as she clutched her chest, each word an attempt to breathe through the pain. 

“I don’t think I can heal from this, Harmony,” she whispered, her face a portrait of raw anguish and projected screen of inner heart bleeding...

Harmony’s voice was filled with compassion as he leaned closer, his voice soft but resolute.

 “You can heal, Tomike. Healing starts when you decide to move forward, even if your heart hasn’t caught up yet.”

She looked at him, her tear-streaked face pleading for answers. “Harmony… why did you leave me? Did I do something wrong?”

Harmony’s face tightened as he struggled to hold his own emotions in check. He was fighting his tears...

“My mother prayed, and she said we weren’t compatible.”

Her face twisted in shock and disbelief. “What?” she whispered, her voice breaking. “But she told me you had just traveled, and that you’d come back and marry me.”

Harmony shook his head, the regret palpable in his expression. “Tomike, you know how our mothers can be. A typical African mother, with her schemes and wisdom.”

She looked at him, her voice trembling. “But what about you, Harmony? Did you even pray about us? Or did you just leave everything in your mother’s hands and give up on us?”

Harmony looked down, guilt clear in his face. “My mother raised us alone, Tomike. I felt indebted to her and couldn’t say no to her.” His voice softened, his eyes reflecting a mixture of loyalty and regret. “It wasn’t just about us. It was about my loyalty and respect for my mother.”

Tomike turned away, her heart pain more intense. The realization that Harmony never fought for  her and the fact that his mother deceived her made her feel worse...

She felt a hand brush her shoulder, and she turned back to see Harmony watching her with a look of deep remorse.

“I’m sorry, Tomike,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I’m sorry for all the unfulfilled promises, for not ending what we had properly. If this was happening now that I’m older and wiser, I’d handle it differently. Even if you weren’t meant to be mine.”

“Harmony…” she whispered, her voice trembling as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

Harmony’s voice grew soft, his tone sincere. “And I’m sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I still had feelings for you. You are a good woman, Tomike… you were just never meant for me. Please, forgive me. And find closure from here.”

They sat in silence for a while ...After a long, heavy pause, Harmony looked away, nodding slightly. “Thank you for meeting me here. I think it’s best if I go now.”

Tomike nodded numbly, waving him off without looking at him, too exhausted to say another word. Harmony rose, his steps slow and heavy as he walked out, casting a final, sorrowful glance at her before he disappeared.

As soon as he was gone, the tears continued spilling over in waves. Her body shook with sobs as she clutched her chest, struggling to breathe, her world feeling like it was crumbling around her.

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“Harmony… Harmony… Harmony,” she whispered through her tears, each word a reminder of the dreams she had once built around him, dreams that were now shattered.

She staggered to her feet, feeling as though her very heart was breaking. Somehow, she made her way to her car, barely able to see through her tears. She slipped inside, her hands trembling as she gripped the steering wheel, her sobs uncontrollable. She sat there, crying profusely, overwhelmed by the pain she had carried for so long and the stark reality that what she had once cherished was forever gone.

This pain was too much!

To be continued....

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