The Night Shifts Episode Nineteen
When Binta finished her mission in her father’s house, she returned home and tried to sleep, but she couldn’t. She tried closing her eyes but felt as if someone had used water to wash her eyes and removed sleep from them. She lay on her bed and continued staring at the ceiling as if it held the solution to her problems.
“I have to accept the fact that I no longer have a husband. I have to let my children know about this. My next mission is to unite my husband and his children. Even if I’m not at peace with my husband, I want our children to be at peace with their father. I don’t want to poǐ*son my children’s heart against their father anymore. I will try to reconcile them.” Binta said in her heart.
Binta wanted to call her children that night but she reasoned that it was already too late. She sent them messages on WhatsApp.
“Good evening. How are you doing? How is school going? I hope you are studying very hard in medical school? There is something serious happening at home. I want you to come back home in the morning. When you wake up, don’t go to lectures. Just come home straight. I need to see you very early in the morning.” Binta said in the message she sent to her two children who are in the university.
“What if I’m arrested for k*!lin my father? What if the police finds out that I was the one who k*lled him? I know that my sisters are happy over what I did. I know they will cover me up. We will just bury our father silently without reporting the case to the police. Everyone should be happy that I was able to eliminate the person disturbing us. We are now free to live our lives and to make amends.” Binta said to herself.
She managed to sleep for about an hour that night before it was daybreak. It was her children’s knock on the door that woke her up. She sprang to her feet and rushed to open the door for them. She was happy to see her children.
“Mum what happened? You scared us. Since we received your message, sleep disappeared from our eyes. What is going on? Are you alright?” Chika, Binta ‘s son asked with apprehension.
“You just asked us to come home without mentioning what the problem was. You got me scared. What’s happening? You look rough and tired. Are you sick?” Chioma, her daughter asked.
“To be frank, everything is not fine. Myself and your father are divorced. We have been separated and he is getting married to another woman. A lot of things have been going on. That’s why I wanted you to come back.” Binta said.
“What? How can he be so foolish to follow another woman? Is the woman more beautiful than you are? That man is the most foolish person I know.” Chika said.
“I knew that man is stupid, but never knew he would be stupid enough to leave you. Well, he can go to hell. I don’t care.” Chioma said angrily.
“You don’t have to speak about your father in that manner. No matter what happens, he is still your father and you must learn to respect him even in his absence.” Binta said emotionally.
“Mum! Are you the one talking this way? You have taught us to h8te our father. You have told us the right thing to do was to hate our dad and to treat him like trash. We are surprised to hear the things you are saying now. Why are you talking this way? That man should be dealt with for leaving you.” Chioma said.
“Yes, it is true that I brought you up to see your father in a negative light, but I was wrong. What I did was wrong and I’m now regretting it. My past is haunting me and I want us to make amends. I don’t want the two of you to end up like me. We don’t have to deal with your father for leaving me. He was right to have left. I was not a good wife to him. I have never been a good wife to him. Your father suffered a lot of humiliation in this house. That is why he left when he found happiness in the arms of another woman. I want us to go to his house right now and apologize to him. We are done fighting and I don’t want to fight anymore. I just want to live the rest of my life in peace and see you two successful.” Binta said to her children.
“What do you mean mum? I can’t believe this.” Chioma said.
“Yes, let’s go. All of us are going to apologize to your father. Let’s go. I want us to meet him at home before he leaves the house.” Binta said. They used one of the cars in the compound. It was not long before they arrived at Dr Nath’s house. They met him and Chi Chi in the living room. Chi Chi was still recovering from the gònshòt injury she suffered the previous night.
“What are you doing here? You should not be coming to my house again. I have told you to stay away from me and my wife. I’m not married to you anymore, so why are you still on my neck? Why are you still disturbing my life?” Dr Nath asked.
“Calm down, we are not here to fight. As a matter of fact, we are here to beg you for forgiveness. I have wronged you ever since you married me. I successfully turned our children’s hearts against you. We h8ted you. But now, we want to make peace. Yes, it’s true that we are now divorced, but I still want us to be at peace. I’m tired of fighting. All I want right now is for you and the children to have a good relationship. I don’t want them to end up like me. Please, forgive me. Everything that happened was my fault. I destroyed our home. Forgive us and accept the children back into your life. I’m so sorry.” Binta said as she knelt down to beg Dr Nath. Her children also knelt to beg. Dr Nath was just looking at them, not knowing how to respond.
Watch out for episode 20, the last episode….
