Chapter Eight - Please, forgive me

I stood outside Cherry's house with a bouquet of flowers in my hands waiting for her to come outside. 

I didn't knock on her door because I knew she wouldn't come out then. I looked right and left, the stares I got from her neighbours, as well as their remarks almost choked me,

"Hmmm, finally, Cherry has gotten a suitor," one said.

"Who would have expected Cherry's suitor to be so rich," another said.

"Are you sure Cherry didn't cast a spell on this young man. I mean, she's beautiful but he's too perfect for her," an old lady said.

Their little gossips were so irritating. I checked my time again, it was few minutes past eight, I had a meeting by ten. I was still feeling nervous on how I was supposed to apologize.

It took me two days to muster up courage to come here and there was certainly no backing down now. 

I finally heard her door open and I watched her close it.

"Cherry," I said.

"You? Why are you here? How did you get my address," she almost screamed.

I didn't answer her question, I drifted to another topic.

"Please, can you give me five minutes, please, to explain myself. I asked.

"Five minutes my foot, I don't want to talk to you," she said,

then walked past me. I followed her.

"Cherry, please hear me out, I'm sorry," I said.

"Andrei, please leave. Don't tarnish my reputation, don't create a scene here," she said and indeed I could see we were already causing a scene as her nosy neighbours focused on us, but I didn't care.

"Cherry, please, I'm sorry I would do anything you want to, just hear me out,'' I said.

"Anything, then leave," she said without looking at me.

I walked faster and held her hand, then I knelt down.

"Please, I'm sorry. I know I cannot justify my actions but please hear me out," I said.

"I know I made a huge mistake but please give me another chance, please... I'm sorry, sorry for all I made you pass through," I said still holding hands. Now, her neighbours had surrounded us and we're making weird comments.

She looked at me with a smile and I thought I was forgiven. She took my flowers, looked at it, then she threw it to my face and said.

"Didn't I make myself clear the last time? I would never forgive you, don't bother trying," then she left me.

I stood as I watched her leave.

Well, she could reject me as much as she wanted but I wasn't going to stop until she forgave me.

I got to work early to prepare for my proposal to the board of director about the launching of VIDA. The meeting did not go as I expected. Grandpa and the rest directors were not in favour of my proposal,VIDA,

they said it would not work. It was the first time for us to launch a robot, so I could understand their doubts.

Global tech has been into software applications and electrical devices, it's high time we moved to the world of 5G. I would launch VIDA whether they liked it or not. I just have to convince other investors to invest in this project. 

Cherry's POV

I was glad my interview went well yesterday. Yes, I have a new job now, not as a typist but as a marketer, I was still an intern.

It was Friday, I was at home that morning. I was to resume work by Monday. I checked my phone to see if I received any text but I had none.

The truth is that I've been wondering why neither Miss Rosie, nor the landlady, nor the bank sent me any notification to pay my debts. It was weird, because last week, I got text daily asking me to pay up. I still hadn't paid up, yet no disturbance. Anyways, I should be happy, at least I'm at peace.

I have a new job now and though it wasn't my dream company, I'ld be at peace here. I had that feeling things would become better for me from now on. I'ld pay my debts, be able to save up for the future and for my health, and maybe Daisy would change.

Indeed, speaking of Daisy, she has been acting good since I returned from the hospital. She didn't ask me for money and infact, she has been bringing food home since that day, she even bought medicines for me. I asked her where she got money from but she didn't say. I tried to think of where she could have gotten money from but since I couldn't, I just gave up.

My phone rang and I quickly picked up, it was Mam Nancy.

Mam Nancy, as we called her, was the oldest tenant in this neighborhood. She has been like a mother to me since I moved in here.

"Good morning, mam Nancy," I greeted.

"Good morning, dear. When are you going to come out of your house? The guy of yesterday is outside your door, he's been waiting since. Please, don't keep him standing, attend to him," she told me and I was shocked.

Andrei was outside my door? I remembered the incidence of yesterday, he had knelt down in front of everyone not regarding the comment of my nosy neighbours. And when I arrived in the evening, I still met him here.

How else would I explain that I'ld never forgive him, not after what he did to me.

I put on my pairs of slippers, walked towards the door and opened it.

Thank goodness Daisy has not noticed him, otherwise he'd be the subject of discussion and thank goodness, she wasn't at home now.

"Andrei, why are you still here? I asked.

"Cherry, I told you I'ld not rest until you forgive me, please Cherry hear me out, please, give me a second chance and I promise I would not break your trust," he said.

"My answer still remains no," I said, then locked the door. I gnashed my teeth as I walked inside.

"That guy is still outside, don't you think you owe me some explanation," Daisy said when she came home in the evening.

Andrei had left earlier, I didn't expect he'd come back again this evening. I checked through the window and there was Andrei, standing close to the door.

"Just ignore him," I told her.

"Cherry, I am not stupid. I may be a wayward person but I'm not a fool. I know he offended you and is begging for your forgiveness," Daisy said when sat down and all I could do was stare at her.

"Cherry, I know I'm in no position to advise you but all I have to say is, don't let this guy go, you would never find someone who will love you like he does," she said. Then without looking at me, she went to her room.

I stared at her bark as she left, this was the first time she had ever said something to me seriously. How did she know about Andrei?

And what she said, "you'd never find someone who will love you like he does" kept me thinking.

Was Andrei not the one at fault? Doesn't he deserve my treatment? Was I too hard? How can he say he loves me when he doesn't even know me? 

Last time I checked, love was something that was developed overtime, as if I even believed in love. And how can a person who girls would give anything for claim to love me, an ordinary belle? Stories that touches the heart indeed. 

He probably found me different and took it up as a challenge to get me, that must be the explanation. I would never be a fool, never make the same mistake my mother made. Andrei was no different from the rest, was he?

I woke up late the next day, it was Saturday. By 8:00 a.m. I was dressed up, I wanted to visit Amanda, I needed someone to confide in concerning Andrei. I checked the windows again and expected, Andrei was outside. He must have come early this morning. I jumped out through my bathroom window to avoid him and went to Amanda's.

"I don't know how else to tell him not to bother me,"I told Amanda.

I had been narrating to her everything that had happened in the last few days, and all she did was look at me.

"Amanda, say something, I urged.

"Cherry, remember when we were kids, I won a trophy, my very first trophy and when you came to my house, what happened? she said and it surprised me.

Yes, I remembered what happened years ago. 

Amanda had won a trophy, she was so excited about it and when I t came to her house, she told me about it.

I was so excited to see the trophy that it slipped from my hand, fell and broke. I didn't know how to tell her, I took the trophy with me with the pretense of borrowing it.

Then, I avoided her for a week because I didn't know how to face her reaction after I tell her what happened, I felt she would never forgive me.

Throughout that week, I felt tortured, I didn't eat well and I became sick because I felt she would never forgive me. Until one day, I summoned up courage to tell her. She was angry at first but when she saw how much it affected me, she let it go and forgave me.

"Amanda, I remember, how could I forget? I was so afraid you would never forgive me and I didn't know how to face that fact," I told her.

"Thank goodness you remembered how much pain you felt that period... Cherry, that's the same pain Andrei must be going through right now, even worse. Do you know how hard it is to live with yourself after making a mistake that hurt your loved one? It's even worse when that person decides not to forgive you," she said and I felt my heart break.

"Cherry, everyone deserves a second chance, after all, we were all sinners but we were given a second chance to repent," she said and I couldn't help but shed a tear.