Short Story - Forgotten Love By Thelma Nwogbo

I retired to the bedroom, tired of waiting up for Derin. The room was lavish and very spacious, but it was the bed that did things to my mind and body. Especially as all the sheets were silk and the pillows were filled with what felt like feathers. No wonder the minute I got into it I always fell asleep. Except Derin was there with me of course.


"Hey Hun," I felt his breath on my neck as his lips brushed lightly against my skin. My back stayed turned to him and I stiffened, he should have gotten home sooner.

"Sweetie, I know you're awake, talk to me," he said and by now he was kissing the nape of my neck.

I could feel my resolve slowly slip away. Derin knew just how to get me. Yet I tried to pretend that the feel of his tongue on my bare back wasn't nearly driving me insane. Derin then went in for the kill as he trailed my spine down to my lower back slowly, with the tip of his tongue. At this point I was already moaning. He didn't say a word as he turned me over and pulled off my flimsy negligee. I had absolutely no objections. He spread my legs and buried his head in my desire.

Even a day later, as I drove home from work I could still feel the sensations, I closed my eyes for a second, shivering, as my body relived the moment his tongue made contact with me. It was one second too long. I opened my eyes just in time to see the big red trailer speed towards me and my last thought as my car spun out of control and smashed glasses flew around me was that my blood was too red, then, darkness.


.......
The man was undeniably handsome but having sat in the hospital for two whole days with no food or sleep, he looked unkempt and disheveled. His stubbles looked like they were a week old and the bags that weighed down his bloodshot eyes were heavy and swollen.

"Doctor, please talk to me, tell me something please" he cried out as he nearly knocked down the doctor who just emerged from the emergency room. Derin had been waiting for some news for two days. Not knowing what was going on was killing him.

"She was very lucky" the doctor said and the relief that flooded over Derin was palpable.

"She has some fractures but nothing that won't heal with time, some bruises and cuts which we've stitched up. She's suffering from a serious concussion right now so I would rather you don't go in to see her just yet but if you insist then you can, but be gentle, she can't handle much excitement right now"

"Thank You doctor, thank you" Derin said excitedly and followed closely behind him.

As he walked his hand impulsively slipped into his pocket and he fingered the small box that had been in it for a couple of days. He had ordered some Chinese food and Rita's favorite red wine and was going to propose to her after dinner. But she never made it home.

He walked into the room and saw his Rita looking like an Egyptian mummy. Her whole body was covered in bandages. Her both legs were up in slings and her right arm was encased in a cast. Standing at the door with a knot the size of his fist in his throat, he listened as she struggled to speak to the nurse.

"You'll be fine my dear, don't worry, once your bones are stronger you'll be back to normal but you need to rest now" the nurse said

"Water please" Rita whispered

"I'll get you some. You have a guest, your, your friend is here to see you" the nurse said with a wide smile. Anyone who had seen how worried and on edge the young man had been would easily tell that he loved this woman beyond comprehension.

Derin approached her bed, taking in the sight of her. She was badly injured, her face had small cuts and bruises, her lips were blue and swollen as were her eyes, her left arm was covered in purple wounds and bruises, but still, she had never been more beautiful.

"My love" he said falling beside her and taking hold of her left hand.

Nurse Eze stood at the door to watch the encounter, she just loved seeing young people in love, she watched as bitter sweet tears flowed freely from the young man's eyes. Pure love. She shifted her gaze to her patient, no doubt she would be in tears too. But looking at her patient's face Nurse Eze gasped.
        Rita looked at the young man in front of her, glassy eyed, confused yet expressionless. He was a stranger she had never seen before. She looked at Nurse Eze questioningly, "who is this man, what is he doing in my room?", her eyes asked. In panic she painfully snatched her hand away from his, looking at him with perplexed eyes. The man was even more perplexed. His mouth hung open, confused and hurt.

"Rita, darling, I know you're upset but please... Please babe, please...I love you" he stuttered, not sure of what to say, not sure what was going on.

Rita stared at him for a moment, her expression painfully blank. Then she looked at the nurse pleadingly. It was then nurse Eze understood, Rita was suffering from something some people suffered from after a trauma. She had amnesia.

Six Weeks Later...
"Doctor, I don't know what else to do, I've brought pictures, journals, her clothes, everything doctor, everything! I don't know how else I can juggle her memory" Derin said.

He was both exhausted and exasperated. He could feel Rita slipping away from him. To make matters worse, the doctor had insisted he bring Rita's passport, she had been talking about returning to the US. He didn't want to, having held on to it for so long, but reluctantly he had to. He was losing her. Even her friends could not convince her that he was the love of her life.

"She keeps bringing up New York. Apparently, as with some cases, she remembers everything up until a point in time. Like I've told you already, it could be permanent, but then, her memory could return at any time. You never know. But it's best to let her go, that way things may come back to her easily.", the doctor said.
Derin left the doctor's office downtrodden. Rita was to be discharged that day and she insisted on going back to New York were she had grown up. He went back to her room. He could not afford to lose her. He felt as though he might run mad if she left. He got to her door and on seeing him, like she had done in the past six weeks, she looked annoyed.

Derin went to her and got on his knees in one last desperate attempt.

"Rita, ife mi, I don't know what to say that I haven't already said. You may have forgotten everything but we can create new memories. The night of your accident I was going to do this, and I think I still should...... Please Rita, marry me," he said, going on his knees. There was so much love in this man's eyes and she could see it.

"I'm so sorry, but I just can't, even if I wanted to. I simply do not know who you are" she said apologetically. She looked at the beautiful diamond ring but continued,

"In any case my tickets are already booked and I'm going back home to NY tonight, maybe I'll remember one day, but till then, please, leave me alone, please. I need to heal," she said softly, but firmly, holding Derin's gaze.


......

My flight was a little bit delayed but eventually it was announced. I would have run to the plane had my legs allowed me. I hadn't been back to New York since I left two years ago, both my parents were dead now but I had a life there, friends I had allowed Derin to alienate. Staring out of the windows into the dark, I reflected on how difficult the past few weeks had been. I could have lost my life in that accident. It was as my car rolled in the air that it hit me, life was just too short and too sweet to lose. Not in an accident, and not in a love that could kill you.

Taking out my phone, I scrolled through the pictures till I got to the one I wanted. I ran my finger over the screen, I had snapped the picture myself while in hospital on the night of our first anniversary. That was the night Derin first hit me because I complained he was late, and then repeatedly kicked me in the belly till I lost the child I just told him I was carrying for him. His reason, he wasn't ready, and I was too stubborn to refuse an abortion.

That was just one of several similar incidents. He always cried and apologized, saying he would die whenever I tried to leave. Sinking back into my seat I smiled to myself. That was all behind me now. Feigning amnesia and moving back across the oceans may be a coward's way out but I'm just glad to be alive..

_________

Thelma Nwogbo also shares some of her short stories on her blog - www.thelmathinks.blogspot.com