The Mistake

The two week expiration deadline was almost due and Martina had not been able to raise the money yet. She was really getting worried about the whole situation because she knew Stanley would be frustrated with her.

But things changed for her one evening. Her father came back home one day with a bag full of money. It was money from a contract he won. He could not take it to the bank so he planned to take it the next morning.

Martina did not want to lie or steal from her father, but she was desperate. Stanley had promised to pay her back as soon as he got to US and she trusted him. So, she offered to take the bag to her father's room and took some of the money out. She quickly placed the back beside her parents bed. She came out and headed straight to her room where she kept the money under her pillow.

The next morning, Martina's father left early so it gave Martina the opportunity for her to go and see Stanley before she left for class. She was happy that finally she had gotten the money to help Stan with his travelling documents. Her father would find out the money is missing, but, by then Stanley would be long gone.

She was prepared to face whatever may come out of her decision.  All she wanted now, was to make Stanley happy. When she got to Stanley's room, she smiled to herself and knocked on the door.

" Who is it?" Stanley asked from the room.

"It's me, baby. Can I come in?" Martina lovingly said

"Yes baby. The door is opened", Stanley said.

Martina opened the door and found Stanley lying on the bed. She sat beside him and kissed him on the lips. Stanley held her close and deepened the kiss. They finally broke apart and Stanley had a wide smile on his face.

"It's been a while I got a kiss like this from you. Can I ask what the occasion is?"

Martina smiled and quickly gave him a peck. Then,  she picked an envelope from her bag and handed it over to Stanley. Stanley squinted his eyes at her and carefully took the envelope.

"What's this?" he asked

"Open it", Martina said.

Stanley opened the envelope. His eyes widened when he saw the contents of the envelope.

"Martina, where did you get all these money?"

"Does it matter where I got it?" Martina shrugged

" Martina, this is a lot of money!" Stanley exclaimed

" Yes, this is 4000 cedis. I decided to give this money to you to pay for the visa and the other things you may need", Martina explained.

" Martina, how did you get this?  Don't lie to me", Stanley asked worriedly.

Martina sighed. She didn't want to lie to Stanley. She could not.

" I stole it from my father", Martina confessed

"What?! You did what? You stole the money? Martina, why would you do such a thing?" Stanley questioned

" Shh... Please keep your voice down. I did it because I did not want you to loose this opportunity. And besides, I know you will pay me back once you make it in the US. So, don't worry about me, okay?" Martina whispered

Stanley suddenly felt tears in his eyes. He could not believe Martina could go this far for him.

" You should not have done this, Martina. What if your father finds out and punish you? I would not be able to take it".

" My Father won't punish me. He will be disappointed yes, but in the end, he will forgive me. Come on, just take it. You and I know very well you need this money. Please take it", Martina replied

Stanley was loss for words. Tears started tickling down his face. He smiled a bit and hugged Martina tightly.

" Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made for me. I promise you that I will repay your kindness towards me".

" I know, Stan, I know", Martina said.

Two weeks later. Stanley travelled. Martina helped him pack his bags and escorted him to the airport. They said their last goodbyes at the waiting area then Stanley left to go board his plane.

Some days later, Martina decided to come clean and tell he'd father what she had done. She went to him and told him everything. Her father was furious with her and almost punished her. But,  eventually he forgave her and everything went back to normal.

All those days, Martina had not heard from Stanley and it was breaking her heart totally. She tried to find out from Stanley's friends if Stanley had written to them or called them but none gave her a positive answer. She was truly worried that something bad might have happened to Stanley.

She decided to trust Stanley and wait patiently for him till he calls her at his own time. Linda was also disappointed to hear what Martina had done. She knew Stanley could not be trusted. She could feel it but her friend was so much in love with Stan. So Linda decided not to talk about it anymore.

Days became months and months became a year but there was still no letter or call from Stanley. Martina became frustrated with the situation and her education gradually became affected.

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