Episode 6
TOO HARD TO LET GO
I woke up very late the the next morning. I quickly took my bath and got ready to leave.
By the time I came out from the room, Charity was already cleaning the living room.
“Good morning, brother, you’re leaving already ?”. She said as soon as I got into the living room.
I nodded.
“I’m already very late, take this money and buy yourself anything you want to eat”. I said, dropping some money on the couch.
“When did you say your wife will be coming back?”. She had asked.
“I don’t know, maybe Tomorrow”. I replied
“Why not give me money so I could make something, or what will you eat when you get home?”. She asked.
I added extra notes on top and hurried off.
On my way home, that evening, I drove by a phone shop to get her a handset.
She was extremely happy when I handed the parcel to her.
“Thank you so much brother”. She couldn’t stop singing my praise as I devour the plate bitter leaf soup she placed on the table before me.
The house felt like a home once again.
After I had eaten to my satisfaction, I went off to bed. But hardly had I closed my eyes than my phone rang….my elder sister.
“Hello, Douglas, where did they say your wife went to?”. She asked, sounding very serious.
Charity couldn’t even allow the food she gave me digest first. I wondered.
“My wife had an emergency to attend to. Do you have any problem with that?”.I replied.
“What kind of stup!d emergency was that?. A woman whose marriage is not up to two months is already touring the country, without making any provision for her husband”.She quarrelled.
“But I am not complaining?”. I ask.
“Why will you?, when you have been blinded by f0olish love”.
I blamed myself. I shouldn’t had gotten Charity a phone that early… I should had waited a little longer.
When I got back from work two days later being a Friday, I walked into the living room to see my elder sister sitting there with Charity.
“Douglas, where did you say your wife is?. She asked as soon a got in.
… you told Charity she was away for just a day, but the neighbors said they haven’t seen her for closed to two weeks now”. She asked.
“My wife left me”. I blurted out before I realized myself.
They exchanged glances.
“She left you?, how?”. She asked.
I knew I could no longer hide, so I sat down and explained all I have been passing through in the past few weeks. Contrary to what I was expecting of her, my sister became silent after hearing me out.
“So why didn’t you tell anyone?, why keeping such a secret to yourself?, do you want to k!ll yourself?”. She asked.
I could feel the bitterness in her voice.
“I was scared of what people will say”. I replied.
“That’s nonsense. Such matters are never kept away from the family… yeah, the both families. We have to inform mother first too. She suggested.
“Must we inform her family too?”. I asked.
“Why not?, it’s their daughter, we’re talking about. They have the right to know. And if anything bad should happen to her while she is away, you are the first they will question…they won’t spare you”. She said.
Surprisingly, I found myself rebuking the last statement she made.
That night, I felt a bit relieved of a heavy burden in my heart.
We left for the village the next morning, after Charity went back to school.
My mother could not stop weeping as my sister tabled the matter before her.
“My enemies are at work”. She lamented.
The next morning,we left again for Lucy’s hometown.
Just like my mother, her old mother wept all through.
I was on the phone with my sister three days later when she asked a very unnecessary question.
“Aren’t you going to consider taking a second wife?”.
“No, why?”. I replied.
“You need to get married again. Lucy has gone for good”. She continued.
“So that is how I will keep remarrying every year?, one year one wife?”. I asked.
“Why will that be?. It’s not your fault that Lucy left”. She said.
I know and that’s why I am not taking any wife again.women are no good, I’m done with them”. I had replied.
No, don’t say that. There are still good women out there but you were only blind to notice them, and besides, all these wouldn’t have happened if you had listened to us in the first place”. She had to remind
I forbade her from raising the marriage issues again… I need enough time to recover from the shock.
But one Sunday evening, I was playing video game in the living room when the doorbell rang. I went to get it only to be find myself standing face to face with some unexpected guests.
I was transfixed for a while wondering the plans they had for me at the moment….
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