If anyone had warned Emily that she would become the spark for endless gossip and the wedge between her father and his son, she would have snatched those words back in a heartbeat. Emily was a plain, country girl, but she could still stand up for herself. Yet fate unfolded exactly as it did, and even in the darkest nightmare she could not have imagined that happiness would demand her to endure seven circles of torment.
Emily had only just arrived in Manchester, though she had begged her mother not to send her to her aunts house. At the family meeting it was decided that Emily would be the one to go to Aunt Gloria, because there was simply no one else. George, the head of the family, had been a tractor driver for years, and now the fields were a constant blur of work. Martha kept the farm running, while the younger siblings shuffled between school and nursery.
With a tiny suitcase packed with the bare essentials, Emily set off for the aunt she had seen once before, at a distant christening. Whispers around town said Gloria, with her sharp tongue, had never managed to get along with any of her three husbands. She had no children, and therefore no heirs, and Emilys parents secretly hoped she would leave the modest flat to her niece. That is exactly what happened, but Gloria treated Emily kindly enough to keep her at arms length. She never asked about Emilys life and let no one into her private world. Why keep Emily at all? Simply because lately shed grown terrified that she might die unnoticed, that she would lie there rotting until the foul smell forced a neighbour to ring the police.
Gloria had long battled a incurable illness, knowing that death could come tomorrow, and Emily became, in her mind, a convenient ticket to a proper funeral and wake. Emily understood her aunts fears and never pried. She washed, cooked, cleaned, shoppedeverything demanded of her. With no friends, the girl who was used to ending a hard day sitting on a bench with her peers now felt the ache of loneliness. She rarely left the flat; the only escape was the balcony, where she could watch young mums strolling with toddlers or elderly ladies gathering to gossip about the bills. Emilys life seemed split in two: the grinding, relentless chores for an ailing aunt, and the brief, prized moments when Gloria fell asleep after her painkillers, allowing Emily a cup of fragrant coffee and a few peaceful minutes on the balcony.
One afternoon she met a charming neighbour named Andrew, who habitually appeared on the same balcony at the same hour. At first they nodded politely, pretending not to notice each other, then exchanged brief greetings, and soon their brief encounters began to feel like a fledgling romance. Both hurried to the balcony, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other, to steal a sliver of time together. By the time Gloria finally passed away, Emily and Andrew were already inseparable, confessing their feelings. After the funeral Emily refused to return to the village; she stayed in the city, telling her parents she was enrolling at university, though they sensed the true motive and said nothing.
Certain of her love and convinced that Andrew felt the same, Emily welcomed his courtship and his proposal without hesitation. Andrew lived alone. After his parents divorce his mother remarried and moved to the United States; his father worked as a doctor overseas, only visiting once a year on holiday. Their wedding was modest but joyous, the couple the happiest they had ever been, ready to spend the rest of their lives side by side.
Following in his fathers footsteps, Andrew trained as a surgeon and now worked as a junior operative in a city hospital. Wanting to match his status, Emily took a short course to become a nursing assistant. She imagined the two of them rescuing patients together, sharing shifts and triumphs, but not every dream survives reality.
Emily, Dads arriving next week! Youll need to be ready, Andrew said one evening.
Right what does he like? I should stock up, plan a menu, give the flat a good clean, she replied.
Relax, love. Hes not the king of Egypt, just my fatheran ordinary bloke, he joked.
Still, anxiety gnawed at her. Shed only seen his photosa tanned, athletic man who could have been a Spaniard or a Turkbut looks deceive. What if he turned out to be a snob, a perfectionist who could spot a flaw in everything? What if Andrew decided she wasnt good enough and left? Yet Andrews father, Ian Whitmore, proved to be a different story. From the moment he stepped through the door he kissed his son and daughterinlaw, apologized for missing the wedding, and presented a mountain of gifts. He praised Emilys stew, calling it the best hed had in years, then left to visit old friends. A month flew by and Ian returned to his overseas post, leaving the newlyweds to their own devices.
Sometimes Emily wondered why her motherinlaw seemed intent on swapping Ian for someone else. The man cooked marvelously, often rising early to make delicate crêpes that most housewives would find impossible, and he helped Emily with chores, offering advice to Andrew:
Lucky you, youve landed a good wife look after Emily, support her, or youll lose your own happiness.
Andrew smiled silently, thinking, Where will she go? Emily isnt the type to abandon everything. Even if she were unfaithful, she would forgive and carry on as if nothing had happened. In the countryside, life is simplepeople endure for their children. He believed this was the unvarnished truth, so when a nurse flirted with him, he dove into a new affair, indifferent to the fact that at home his wife had been battling a severe morning sickness for a week, unable to cook. He would always come home fed, share a dinner with his friend Karina, drive her home, and then feign exhaustion.
Emily, meanwhile, basked in the joy of an upcoming birth, yet feared she might not manage. She could not imagine failing, with such a caring husband at her side. When the baby finally arrived, the demands multiplied. Milk ran thin, the infant woke crying at odd hours. Andrew grew irritable, demanding Emily calm the child while he retired to the lounge.
When Ian returned for a brief visit, he barely recognized Emily. The oncecheerful, rosycheeked girl had become pale and gaunt, a shadow of herself, while his son looked thinner, his eyes constantly scanning the door for a late return.
Help your wife, Ian urged.
Dad, shes home all daymaybe she could look after the baby herself?
Did someone new appear in your life? Ian asked.
Emily flushed, Why ask?
I see how bright you are when youre out, and how sour you get when youre back, he replied.
Its nothing serious, Dad.
Just make sure it doesnt grow into something terrible.
Emily, blaming herself, muttered, Im not even a woman anymore. Look at my hair, my face
Ian snapped, Youre the one who never rests. Im off!
The tension rose until Ian, with a rare grin, said, Emily, go rest. Ill look after the granddaughter.
Will she get hungry? Emily fretted.
What, you think I cant make a formula and feed a child? I raised a bit of a rogueyour husbandfor you, Ian chuckled.
Thanks to her fatherinlaw, Emily managed a few more hours of sleep. Ian would stroll with the baby, feed her, and rock her to sleep whenever Emily was swamped, giving her a chance to breathe. She prayed that God would grant Ian a companion with whom he could share his own happiness. Alone in Nigeria, he seemed a solitary figure, but Emily found herself thinking of him more and more. He became more than a fatherinlawhe was a father, a brother, a friend, a confidante. He listened to any topic, offered comfort, and chased away the gloom that lingered over her mind.
Emily, you look down, Ian observed.
Just
He handed her a bundle of cash. Go to the salonhair, colour, makeup, nails. Then treat yourself, buy something nice. Dont worry about the little one; Ill look after her.
Emilys heart raced. She planted a quick kiss on Ians cheek and darted off to fulfill his orders. By evening she returned, glowing and buoyant, ready to surprise Andrew. She turned into the hospital where he worked, rehearsing the look on his face when he saw her transformed.
Good afternoon, Im here to see Dr. Andrew Whitmore.
Hes in, please step in.
Emilys anticipation turned to shock as she entered his consultation room. On Andrews lap sat a young nurse, her coat halfunbuttoned, clearly more an invitation than a uniform. Emily fled the room like a bullet, seized a cab, and wept all the way home.
What happened, love? her mother asked, cradling her.
Andrews cheating
Who told you?
I saw it with my own eyes
Ian, hearing the tears, drew Emily close, rubbing her back. Cry, love, itll ease the pain. Ill talk to him, make him come back.
I cant stay here. Ill take the baby and leave.
Foolish girl, where would you go? Think of the childrural life isnt a holiday, work is hard, and you have a newborn.
No one had held her like that in years. Though the couple had been sleeping in separate rooms for months, the scent of his aftershave, his gentle words, spun her thoughts. Ian, too, felt a sudden pull toward herher vulnerability, her fragility. He lifted her in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom, and she offered no resistance. A secret now bound them, one they guarded fiercely; a glance from Andrew would have revealed the truth, but his preoccupation with Karina left him blind.
Emily felt both shame for her fleeting lapse and a fierce happiness that someone loved her so deeply. She began comparing Andrew to Ian, and, to her dismay, Ian eclipsed him in every way. Then the inevitable news arrivedEmily was pregnant again. She didnt know what to do; theyd been intimate only three months before, and Andrew would surely suspect infidelity.
What are you thinking? This is wonderful! I never imagined being a father at fifty, Ian said, eyes twinkling. Will you marry me?
And Andrew?
How could he not? We made mistakes, but youre righthell eventually walk away. I love you, and I cant imagine life without you.
After their divorce, Emily and Ian married and moved to Nigeria together. Their families could not fathom the decision; villagers whispered that she had only pretended modesty while scheming. Andrew, meanwhile, spread the tale of how cruelly his wife and father had treated him. Yet none of them mattered. They had found each other, cherished every shared moment, and the world around them faded into the background.
