Breaking the Chains. William T Blake
an unexplainable feeling of pain that went deep into the core of his being and he felt like weeping.
“Surprised, yes, yes I am a little” he replied to Sarah “does it make any difference? No it doesn’t, not in the slightest. I don’t think I will ever meet anyone who could match you in any way. Sarah, you own my heart.”
Sarah and Ken stood staring at each other not knowing what to say, the magical mystery of mutual attraction devoid of words. The silence between them was finally broken when a woman's voice called to her from inside the house. Sarah introduced Ken to her family who would be as strongly opposed to their relationship as his own family would later prove to be. Sarah's father had left the room muttering in words and a language Ken could not understand. Her shocked mother stood and stared showing disbelief, then upon gaining her composure spoke very harshly to Sarah. Ken had not expected such a hostile reception but he didn't flinch, not in the slightest. He immediately determined that he would stay and do whatever it took to win over Sarah's parents. Whatever it took and he didn't care how long it was going to take; he was not leaving without her.
Over the next month Ken spent every possible moment of his time with Sarah. She worked without rest, spending time with disadvantaged children. Teaching them to read and write and take care of themselves. Caring for the old people who had nothing but the clothes they wore and little or no medical treatment to ease their plight. Such pitiable sights to be witness to. Ken lived the life of excess and now he was seeing firsthand the other extremes. Every imaginable type of degradation available to mankind was on display and yet amongst it all, there were people like Sarah who made a difference, just a little at a time. As he stood back and watched, his admiration for her increased. He had never known of such unselfishness in another.
As part of his extensive education Ken had studied and, he believed, understood the world’s social structures. He had seen documentaries on the social economics of third world countries, studied the statistics and demographics, but nothing prepared him for this firsthand experience. The sights, the smells and the violence were overwhelming.
He would return to his hotel room at night filled with a sense of guilt and shame, utter feelings of uselessness consuming him. Emotions that were previously uncharacteristic of him. He didn't know how to make a difference or even relate to the things he now saw and he felt frustrated with himself and his inability to contribute.
Eventually the time came for Ken to leave and so he asked Sarah to marry him and return with him to his home.
Ken approached Sarah’s family and asked their permission for her hand in marriage. They were totally opposed to any union and simply refused to offer their blessing. Sarah was expected to marry into her own culture and kind and her father would not allow a marriage between them to take place. Ken convinced Sarah to return to his home and meet with his parents whom he was sure would greet her with open arms. How wrong he was. Their reaction was even more hostile than those of Sarah’s family.
Ken's father had referred to her as being "that thing," while his mother with a slip of her tongue had only stated "But she's a nig...." The look of admonishment that Ken had given her stopped her short of finishing the sentence.
After weeks of haggling and arguing between Ken and his parents, Sarah announced she was returning home alone and for good pleading with Ken not to follow her. They had both now come to the conclusion that marriage was out of the question and they separated with broken hearts.
Sarah’s calling in life and the expectations of her family would see her either spend her life as a spinster or marry someone from her own background. The person would be chosen by her father. There would be no compromise on that issue. Sarah had protected herself from being hurt by rejecting the approaches of other young men and having let her guard down just this once, was now devastated. She had known in her heart all along that this would be the end outcome. Her relationship with Ken had been doomed from the beginning. She knew the realities of life and where she came from, she was not prepared to marry her own kind and live the life she had seen her mother endure. Equally she knew that she would not be accepted by those above her class and she knew with absolute certainty that her family would reject anyone but the person of her father's choosing. Sarah thus made the decision to remain single and dedicate her life to serving others less fortunate.
Sarah would serve her God for all the days of her life. Consoling herself with the notion that at least she had known true love. She would always treasure the time she spent with Ken. At times she wished she had allowed the relationship between them to become physical but it never had. Ken had always shown and treated her with the utmost respect. She was deeply grateful for having met such a man.
On their last night together they sat talking for many hours. Her last words to Ken were to relate how she had seen a selfish, decadent young man become a mature, caring and loving person who could do a great deal to make a difference to the world in which he lived. “Put your own self to one side and become the man that you are destined to be. Don’t waste the gifts and opportunities God has given you. Make a difference, but please, be aware that you may pay a heavy price to become that person.”
From that time forward Ken deposited funds into an account in Sarah’s name. He made monthly contributions of sufficient value to keep both Sarah and her family in comfort as well as support her charitable work. He may not have been able to marry Sarah and as time passed his longing for her slowly diminished, but he would not forget her. With maturity he became more rational and gained a greater understanding of the realities of life. Sometimes life was not kind.
Sarah had been right, their relationship could never have worked. Ken doubted he would ever see her again. She had impacted his life as no one before ever had and as no one would again for many years to come. Ken felt he owed Sarah a great debt. She had never shown any disrespect to her family or his. She never once compromised her own beliefs or faith. She was the most remarkable person he had ever known and he would always treasure his time with her.
Chapter 5
- This will make interesting viewing for you before you go to bed tonight. Enjoy and have a good night's sleep. We’ll be in touch in a few days -
With Sarah gone, Ken decided to move out of his parents' house and into his own small apartment. With all that had transpired he sought the time to think and to make decisions regarding his own future. So much about him was different now and he needed to find a place where he belonged. Rather than taking up the role with his father's law firm he joined an organization whose primary purpose was to fight for the rights of the poor and needy. People who had no voice of their own.
Before leaving home, Ken assured his parents that he harbored no grudge against them. Nor had he intended any disrespect. He understood their position and the concerns they had for him but his life had changed. He would never be that same puerile, immature person he had once been.
Secretly, his mother was pleased that Ken had grown to become his own person and in her view a man of moral fibre. Reminding her of another young man she had once known. His father, while accepting his decisions remained angry with Ken's choices and although he said nothing, he privately focused the blame on Sarah.
Simply by default Ken was destined to join the political party of his forefathers who had, for many generations been prominent members and financial contributors. Ken was to be fast tracked to run for government with the promise of a safe seat and an election victory assured. A risk free future and an armchair ride through life born out of a birthright and little more.
Once he had settled back into an ordered life, the task of cultivating him for the role ahead began. He was invited to all the right places, introduced to all the right people and the carefully selected women. High society women of good breeding, well-educated with refinement and culture. The party hierarchy had accepted the change in Ken. They even considered his current working position and social attitudes to be advantageous to their plans. A man of the people, a man who cared, displaying a track record that would show the party had changed. The old guard was waning, being replaced by a young, caring and forward thinking generation of people.
It was whilst attending a function of the party that Ken was introduced to Cathy. She had been invited for