Twenty years on, I recognise in the boy the spitting image of my younger self.
The night before their wedding, Arthur became convinced that Martha was cheating on him. Even though she swore blind shed been faithful, he wouldnt have any of it. But two decades later, he ran into her son and the lad couldve been his twin at that age…
Their romance was the sort that makes you believe all those soppy novels. Irresistible, head-over-heels, larger than life. People envied their whirlwind love affair and, of course, others couldnt resist a good gossip and a bit of mischief-making. The young couple started planning their wedding, but as luck (or perhaps fate) would have it, the big day never came.
The evening before tying the knot, Martha confessed to Arthur that she was pregnant. Instead of being over the moon, he flew into a strop. He insisted shed been up to no good behind his back. You cant possibly be in the family way so soon! he kept saying, outright accusing her of being unfaithful to his face. Martha went ahead and had the baby, but not with Arthur by her side.
His mates all told him he was being a right idiot. Everyone could see how much Martha loved him, but Arthur dug his heels in. The whole thing fell to pieces and the wedding was off. At one point he even suggested she not have the baby, but Martha wouldnt hear of it. She waited, just in case her beloved would come crawling back to apologise. He never did, and she refused to be the one to call.
Arthur was utterly convinced he was in the right. They set off on separate paths, each building a new life. Martha was left to carry the torch on her own, looking after the consequences. Even when their paths crossed at the park, for instance hed turn his head away, pretending not to notice.
Despite the loneliness, Martha got on with things. Life as a single mum had its fair share of hurdles, but she found happiness where she could. True, her love life became a thing of the past, but she had a cherub of a son, and shed do anything for him.
She worked herself ragged at all hours, juggling jobs to make sure her boy, Christopher, never went without. He grew up her number one supporter, her fiercest defender, and a proper credit to her.
Christopher went to university, joined the army, found himself a decent job. As he got older, he stopped asking about his father, realising full well what had happened. Sure, when he was little, Martha had told him stories about his dad but did he ever really believe them? Not likely.
By twenty, Christopher was the absolute double of his father; every time Martha looked at him, she saw the young Arthur she had once adored. Eventually, fate threw all three of them together: Martha, Arthur, and Christopher. Arthur, seeing the striking resemblance, was gobsmacked. He stared and stared but couldnt muster the words.
Three days later, Arthur finally knocked on Marthas door and asked,
“Can you ever forgive me?”
“A long time ago…” Martha whispered softly.
And so, the long-lost stories of ‘Dad’ came to life finally, Christopher met his father for the very first time.
