The morning rays peeked through the slits of the window curtains and fell between the distant couple. It was yet another morning with the two waking up on the same bed but miles apart. Elizabeth couldn't sleep at all. She'd been thinking about the previous night fight with her newlywed husband. Disagreements seemed to set in just so fast. She watched his muscular back peep through the white bed sheets.
The man, on the other side, seemed to be sound asleep, not in any way defeated by such a storm in the first steps into their marriage journey. Elizabeth's attention was at its best and so she could hear the early birds sing their final songs of the morning. What a good life they seemed to lead! They seemed not to have complications in their lives expect for food, water and housing.
She rubbed the unspent sleep off her eyes and gave a deep sigh. Where do I start now, she thought. It was so exhaustive to fight with someone you will always wake up with on the same bed. She wished the reason for fighting would be more solid than just sex. It was so obvious that they were the only married couple that did not have sex, and the reason being that one of the spouses just didn't want to have it. She had refused to have it before marriage but had promised him that she would after their wedding.
At first Seth thought she was trying to keep her purity but at this time, it proved to be more than that. It was so obvious that she had other personal reasons that prevented her from freely enjoying the no-more forbidden fruit.
She slid towards the sleeping man and caressed his back. Seth's strong muscles were smooth. Am I being selfish, she thought. Seth replied the morning meal with a stroke of his own through her silky hair. He turned and faced his wife.
"I'm sorry Seth," she began. He never said a word. He simply kept staring at his weird wife. "Please reply me," she whispered.
Seth gave a deep sigh. "I decided to respect your decision of having no sex until we were wedded," he resumed the fight.
"Jesus Seth! I thought the fight ended last night," She was disappointed.
"There's no peace ending the fight and yet the reason for fighting still exists," his voice was still low, yet every word sounded as serious as he intended it to be. "I thought we would have our first special night on the night of our wedding but... Well, you remember what happened."
"I have disappointed you many times Seth, I know, but you very well know my problem." Her eyes were becoming teary. "It is not easy for me."
"I know Beth but I fear you might stay like this forever. It's not that sex is the reason for our marriage but I think it is necessary. We have to have kids, you know. I think these years are enough for you to burry your past completely."
"I try Seth, I try."
"It's been so many years Beth."
She went silent and thought. It was so unbelievable that her husband was asking for sex daily for the past two weeks after their wedding and yet she'd always not offered it to him. She pulled herself closer and kissed him. "I know this storm will come to an end. Believe me."
"At what time are you going to visit your mother?" Seth changed the subject for he was fed up of the daily blind promises.
"I'm going at around midday," she replied, almost happy that finally the conversation had changed.
*
Luzira prison was a shore of multitudes as always. Right before the midday sun became furious, the whole prison atmosphere was clouded with a forecast of how busy the visitation day was going to be.
Various criminals got visitors and among those, was Ruth. She was soaked in happiness when a prison guard informed her that her daughter had paid her a visit. This was the first time in a year or so. The wrinkles on her chubby cheeks disappeared as her lips widened to accommodate a smile. She looked healthy and good looking just like her daughter, despite the fact that she'd been in prison for so long. Perhaps she had learnt to cope up with the situation over the years.
She'd not known that Elizabeth had even been wedded.
The two women sat on wooden desks, facing each other, ready for an intimate conversation. It was obvious in Ruth's eyes that she was praising her daughter of the woman she'd become.
"The last time you visited was when Stephen had paid you a visit after many years," she began. "Tell me, what has sparkled this time's visit?" The question sounded odd to Elizabeth. She did not expect such a kind of greeting. Perhaps she'd expected her mother to hug her, lift her off the ground, amid tears but alas. None of that happened, at least for the start.
"I thought you were going to be happy to see me," she cried, her forehead wrinkling.
"I've been trying to live without my family. None of you cares about me Elizabeth," she complained. "Not even you my dear!" Her eyes were becoming teary. She looked aside, not to shed any in front of her daughter.
"Oh mother, my only angel, I cherish you for all the things you did for me before you came here, most especially what you did on that fateful day, but you have to understand that my mind suffers a lot, so I've been trying to bury the past and the people in it."
"Including your mother?" she cried. Elizabeth paused and shed a tear that had been harboring in the corner of her left eye.
"Among all people, I expect you to understand the effects of what I went through on that day."
"I do understand, Elizabeth, I do." Her voice was becoming louder and spiced with pain.
"I didn't come for another pity party today, mum. I came with good news. My life has been taking the right course of recent."
"Tell me, Liz," She wiped off the warm tears with her bare palm and paid attention to her daughter. "I'm all ears." Elizabeth looked in her eyes. Ruth never broke the unplanned eye contact either for she was trying to dig deep and fetch every single detail about what her daughter was about to tell her.