Beowulf is a man who upholds a title most choose to refuse. His commitment to this title shows strongly. He knows not of a thing more powerful. Unfortunately, through his commitment and dedication, it showed another’s downfall. His title would soon be threatened.
Beowulf and his wife shared a stronger bond in the early years. However, there was a big change after an argument between the two during his wife’s fourth pregnancy. In the argument, Beowulf’s wife expressed that she lacked affection from him. She explained how she was in a state of depression and how his nonchalant attitude towards her mood swings gave her the insinuation that he was no longer attracted to her. Months after she bore their fourth child, his companion finally broke her silence.
At around four p.m on a Saturday evening in gloomy Surrey, England, the phone rang. Beowulf’s’ wife answered. She dropped the phone. She could no longer show resilience. She broke down. Beowulf ran to her aid with fear in his eyes. She screamed to Beowulf, “I’ve been unfaithful to you Beowulf! I’m sorry!” On the phone was a man who claimed to have fathered Beowulf’s fourth child. However, Beowulf’s wife didn’t mention that at the moment.
Beowulf was struck. He was inert with no words to utter; instead a deep embedded cry erupted within his core that only he and God himself could hear. Beowulf never knew of a pain so deep until that day. While he’s had his share of hurt, he thought himself foolish to believe that it’d never happen again. She screamed that after months of guilt, she could no longer stand to look in the eyes of the one whom she loves so much and allow him to believe that she as well had a heart so pure. She told him that her infidelity took place around the same time she conceived their fourth child. She said it happened again the day of their argument. Beowulf began to replay the scene in his head of what happened that day. He was tired from work and remembered telling his wife that he didn’t feel like talking about his lack of anything seeing as to how he was the provider of the household. He began to feel guilty. She continued to cry an uncontrollable cry.
In her tears, Beowulf saw shame, hurt, and sorrow, but most of all, he saw answers. The downpour of tears erupting from his wife answered the void between the two that he felt for approximately four months. Beowulf had to admit to himself that he saw something like this coming. He could feel something in their relationship that lead him to believe that things were different, but he could never identify it. When he would kiss her, the immediate tenseness that she tried to hide, showed itself very bold to Beowulf. It comes to a point in a relationship where two become one. At that point, it is not an easy task to be secretive.
Their relationship has endured much worse, or so he thought. It left him wondering what else he didn’t know. Beowulf grew angry. Though he’d never lay a hand to her, he couldn’t bear the sight of her. He began to feel wasteful of the years he spent nurturing what his companion birthed. Beowulf left for what seemed to be forever.
In the four hours that Beowulf was gone, he fortunately began to remember what it was like to grow up searching. Since he was a child he grew up searching for answers that only one person could answer. He wondered why certain things happened to his body and why he began to feel different when he turned a certain age. He was curious as to why he never felt complete. Later on in his search he would come to realize that what he was looking for was his father. He figured that if he never found his father, then he would never find himself.
Beowulf also realized that his mother was once lost. She would invite Beowulf to a world of questions because he never understood why she put up with certain men in her life. She did her best in raising Beowulf to be the kind of man that she would want to marry. So, she began to look for what she thought she needed in a man; a way to feel secure. However, she never found that in men. She never came to realize that what she was searching for existed in her. She was alone and lonely. She lost herself and Beowulf found himself retracing her tracks. Beowulf couldn’t bear for his family to go through the same things he went through so he turned back and went home. He became a stronger man that day.
Upon returning home, Beowulf and his companion began to discuss what happened and why. His wife stated that during her pregnancy they had a big argument and she was angry with his nonchalant attitude. She went for a long walk and wounded up in a small pub that she visited quite often. She found comfort in a man she met before in the pub. He was a gruesome looking man, but his conversation made grass seem like it was truly greener on the other side. She never disclosed his name, because she knew of her husband’s temper. She just used the name Pester. Pester approached her with a drink and they talked, after a few hours, they left, together. She began feeling funny as they were leaving and all she could remember is fainting and waking up thirty minutes later. She found herself in her car with nothing missing but her dignity.
Hearing the story infused Beowulf even more and he stopped her in her story. Beowulf felt lost and out of control. He began to blame himself for what happened, but realized that he couldn’t change it. For now, all he knew of this man was from what his wife told him; he was a tall man filled with deceit. He looked gruesome and had a piercing glare in his blue eyes that could hypnotize you.
He haunted Beowulf’s dreams for months. Beowulf’s wife spoke that she still sees’s him till this day and fears that he’s following her. She explains to her protector that she couldn’t tell him because it would mean she would have to explain why she thinks he’d be following her. She also didn’t tell him because she knew of Beowulf’s reaction to a thing so heavy and she couldn’t bear that thought.
About four months passed after the wrenching news and Beowulf’s mind still showed to be uneased. One day, while checking his correspondences from his family and friends, Beowulf came across an odd letter. When opened, it told Beowulf that he and his wife would be summoned to court for custody of their fourth child. Beowulf was stunned. He approached his wife with the news and she uncovered yet another secret and said that it was the man who’d been following her, Pester.
After about four weeks of preparation, Beowulf and his wife found themselves in court. Beowulf stood face to face with his enemy. They looked each other in the eyes with threatening glares that spoke such words that would have held both men in temporary confinement had they been uttered. The physical descriptions that Beowulf’s wife gave him about Pester was correct.
All Beowulf could do was think, think of the only two outcomes of the current situation. He knew of his children being his children before and after the news of infidelity and for someone to have a chance to take any of them…Beowulf, couldn’t bear the thought of that possibility any longer.
They arose as the judge walked in. As the case proceeded, the judge ordered that Beowulf, Pester, Beowulf’s wife, and all four of the children take a DNA test. The judge ordered that all the children take the test, instead of just her fourth child, to answer any hidden questions Beowulf may have had. Weeks later, they were summoned to the court room for the results. After more pondering on the possibility of Beowulf’s child being taken away, Beowulf began to worry himself even more. He established in his head that Pester only wanted to claim Beowulf’s child for one reason: to be around his wife. Beowulf’s worry grew to fear as the judge asked both men and their parties to stand.
The judge announced who the father was. Beowulf’s head sunk to an all time low. He couldn’t believe his ears. After months of regret and worry, his curiosity was finally put to an end. He indeed was the father. Afterwards, his wife pressed charges against Pester for what he did to her; evidence showed itself to be apparent and he was arrested and never heard from again.
He won! Beowulf won. He won his wife back, his children back, his family back, he gained his life back. After that day, his family grew closer. Beowulf and his wife made sure that no matter what; they would put their children before their own wants, needs, as well as problems. He learned that, in turmoil, he and his wife aren’t the only ones going through, but that it affects their children as well. They began to live life one day at a time and savor every moment of it.
His castle was no longer made of vulnerable twigs intertwined in confusion, questions, concerns, doubts and secrets. They no longer tried to patch it up with futile efforts by using tape and loose string to make up for its weaknesses. They clipped those ends and clipped them off for good. It was reconstructed with an indestructible foundation standing on faith, honesty and purity.
