Their journey begun all the back in high school, when Mr and Mrs Williams met, it was love at first sight. They met in the school cafeteria. Favor knew she was staring at her soulmate the moment she saw him across the room, although they where in the same class, they never talked to each other till they met that afternoon.
"You could take my spot in line my lady, a pretty creature like you shouldn't be made to wait, " Williams teased Favor, they both stood waiting for their turn to get their lunch. " and a handsome creature like you shouldn't be denied his rights" she replied jokingly and with a pretty smile on her face. "Am Williams, it's really nice to actually get to talk to you, I see you everyday but I have always been scared to speak to you", " I actually thought you where a snub". "That explains all the weird stares I get from you in class" Favor replied with a straight face, "stares uuhhhh uuhhh, I don't understand" Williams said pretending to be confused. " I was just pulling your legs, and it's really nice to talk to you too" Favor replied jokingly.
After they where served they both sat and ate on the same table in the cafeteria, they discussed about their personal interests, likes and dislikes, they were a perfect match. Love and an everlasting relationship had been formed.
Both families of the new couples loved each other, hey had similar interests, they supported their childrens relationship. Williams mother actually worked in the same company as Favors father, they also drove the same car, a coincidence but obvious signs of perfect synchronization.
Willams and Favour applied for the same college after high school, and they were lucky to get accepted at the same time. In college they both did everything together, they lived close to each other so they went to school together. Their relationship was so real, their friends envied them, although they had arguments sometimes, it wasn't quite a difficult task for them to settle no matter how complicated the issue was.
Williams proposed to Favor on the day of their convocation, it was indeed a beautiful day, with all members of the extended family present Williams took to his knees and asked her to make him a happy man.
They got married a year later, with all the expenses for the wedding paid by their parents, their wedding was the talk of the town. Everything just played out simply as they wanted it to. A dream about to turn into a night mare.
Two years into their marriage, Favor got pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, she was named luvid after Favors grandmother , more reasons to celebrate for the family.
Luvid grew up to be an intelligent, pretty and observant little girl, she learnt a lot from the world and people around her. Luvid also grew up to be close to her dad, although she loved both her parents equally she understood her father more.
5 years later, calamity struck, Mr Williams was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, he felt like the world was about to end. "How did he contact it" he thought, he had never cheated on his wife before, now living in a new world of confusion he had to find a way to tell his beloved wife, she had definitely contacted it too", even his daughter !! , he thought. Indeed their world was about to take a wrong turn.
For two weeks he kept the dreadful secret to himself, he just couldn't find a way to tell his wife, after different consultations from different doctors, it was concluded that he was really HIV positive. He made up his mind to confirm if his wife and daughter were both positive before he told them.
He took both their blood samples without them knowing, he took them to the hospital for tests. Two days later the results were out and they were both positive. Mr Williams was broken.
He got back home that evening with a gloomy look on his face, he held the files containing the tests in his hands. "welcome honey, how was your day? ", Favor greeted her husband, but she didn't get a reply, her husband just sat down in the parlor staring at the blank television. "what could be the matter she thought" this wasn't just a usual thing for her ever cheerful husband. She made her way to the parlor and sat on her husband's lap. he didn't even look at her, tears just dropped from his eyes, it was at this point that she knew something was really wrong.
She took the envelope from his hands and opened it to reveal its content, she read it carefully not to miss any detail, after going through all the papers, she was speechless, her heart melted in her chest, she could hear and feel her blood pump much faster. She just stared at her husband as tears also rolled down her eyes.
Without saying a word she stood up and made her way to their bedroom to pack her and her daughters bags. Williams followed quietly behind to know what she was about to do, when he found out she was packing her bags he burst into tears, he tried to plead with her saying it wasn't his fault, he had never cheated on her, he said. He confessed that he didn't know how he contacted the disease, but favor wouldn't even listen to him. When she was done packing their bags she dashed out of the house without even saying a word to Williams who kept on pleading with her.
She drove to her daughters school and got her out of classes even before closing time. "mummy what is happening and where Is daddy?" luvid kept on asking. But she got no reply.
Favor drove straight to her parents house and with tears and a broken heart she narrated everything that happened to her mother, "Jesu cristi!" her mother shouted, out of shock. "did he tell you how he contacted it" she asked, " does he have to?", " He has been cheating on me, and that's how he got it, and now he has passed it on to me and my baby girl" "I cause him for this wickedness, our marriage is over, She said angrily.
That night Favors father got home late from work, favor and luvid where already asleep. Luvid's grandmother narrated everything to him. He was confused and devasted by the horrible news but he refused to come to a conclusion.
He woke Favor up from sleep, he had to have a real and serious conversation with her. " Asa get up, we need to talk" he said as he gently tapped her on her feet. Favor gave her father a sorrowful and emotional hug, she was happy to see him. They both made their way to the parlor where Favors mother was waiting.
" First of all, I cannot lie, or say that this is not a calamity", " my daughter and granddaughters life has been complicated forever". Favors father said in a calm and disappointing tone. "But yet I have questions for you " , " Did you find out how your husband contacted this disease in the first place?". There was sudden silence in the room, Favor searched her thoughts for what to say. " I am very sure he has been cheating on me, and thats how he got it father". " Hmm thats very possible, but at the same time you can also be wrong". "Am not taking sides here, but I have known your husband all his life, he has proven to be a disciplined young man", "I don't think he got this disease through the sexual way". " what are you saying father? " Favor said with sudden anticipation and remorse on her face. "All am saying is we need to hear his own part of the story, before we jump into conclusions," and I think you where wrong to just leave his house". " first thing in the morning we are going to see your husband. And make sure not to mention anything to your daughter" Favor's father said. " yes daddy", Favor replied.
The next morning Favor dressed luvid for school and dropped her off, the little girl kept on asking after her dad, but she got no reasonable reply.
Favor and her parents then made their way to her husband's place, they got to her house around 10 in the morning. They saw that the door was open, an irregularity as her husband never failed to close it. They got into the apartment to see everywhere scattered and unkept, they where broken mirrors and glasses everywhere but Mr Williams was no where to be found.
Favor made her way upstairs to check their bedroom. on getting to the door she found out it was also open, she got into the room and she could not belive her eyes, she screamed at the top of her voice as she saw her husband standing on top of a chair, about to rope his neck to the ceiling.
She immediately got to her knees, and began to plead with her him. " am so sorry honey for the way I reacted yesterday, I was wrong to jump into conclusion, I know this problem will persist for the rest of our lives, but am willing to hold on with you and our daughter no matter what the circumstances, because I love you deeply and am willing to live with you , even with this affliction for the rest of our lives". At that moment Favors parents walked into the room, they were also surprised with what they saw.
"HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence, although it is a incurable disease, treatments have been found to contain and manage it, it is not a reason worthy enough to break up our happy family", Favor's father said as he slowly walked up to his son in law, taking the rope away from his hands. " you both and my grand daughter will live your lives to the fullest, fulfilling all your dreams and desires without any limitations, I can promise you both that.
THE END……
I was inspired to write this piece , From a real life story my mother told me when I was young about two couples in my village who lived with HIV/AIDS, they had three children all HIV positive.. They are all alive today and living together…..
OPEN A DOOR IN YOUR IMAGINATION AND I WILL WALK THROUGH IT……….
