Episode 15 final
Doctor Gideon’s Wife ❤️
For three days, I wasn’t getting any breakfast. The second morning after I had bread, I soaked garri, and the next, I ate raw plantain, just to have something there in my stomach before taking drugs.
After that, I would have to wait until my madam gets home later in the evening before I would eat.
“Sandra, do you want me dead?”. I. was forced to ask, on the third day.
“That won’t even make any difference to me”. She replied.
How do I make this woman believe that I’m for real this time?. I wondered
In order to make her stop doubting my repentance, I started helping out around the house. Not minding the pains in my leg, I help her do the dishes and also bath the kid.
At a point she calmed down and never talked about the divorce for some times. But one Sunday afternoon, I was in the living room watching cartoons with my boy when she rushed in from the kitchen.
“Gideon why are you reporting me to your mother?”. She asked.
I opened my mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. Why is my mother like this?
She laughed.
“How many times have I taken your matter to my people?. Of course, you warned me not to. But this simple divorce I’m requesting is what you’re calling the entire community like I committed murder?”.
I felt bad, because this time she was absolutely right. I had frowned at her reporting me to any one, but here I am guilty of the same crime. And that was also the reason I told mother not to pre inform her of her coming.
Later in the evening, mother arrived. And much later at night, after Emmanuel had gone to bed she called us out for a meeting.
“Sandra, did you actually request for a divorce?”. She asked.
“Yes”. Sandra replied.
“Unbelievable!, where did you learn that from?”. My mother screamed.
“Mummy, I am tired of this marriage, I can no longer continue to live with a man who doesn’t love me, who doesn’t respect me, Gideon sees me as nothing but a piece of garbage…. mummy I’m too young for all these, I don’t want to die young, abeg”. She cried.
“And you think divorce is the solution?”. Mother asked.
“Yes”. She replied.
“Okay. Obinna, why have you refused to divorce her?”. She turned to me.
I don’t understand this old woman. Is she here to make peace or cause havoc?.
“You don’t expect me to divorce her.. just like that?”. I answered.
“Why won’t you divorce her, you don’t love her, do you?”. Mother asked.
“Of course, I love her.. yeah, I know I have not been the best husband but I’m a changed man now. Why has she failed to see that?”.
“Did you hear that?”. She said to Sandra.
“Mummy I’m sorry to say this, but you don’t know this your son well enough. Emmanuel almost died one time because of this man’s carelessness, still, that did not change anything. He is very selfish and I know his plan now is to get back on his feet and continues from where he stopped. Yes, because he knows that no woman would accept a broke man on crutches. Once he is fit now, he is going back to the street and I don’t want him to use me in actualizing that”.
And that was the end of the meeting for the night. But before we retired, mother gave us a food for thought.
“Sandra, I want you to give this a second thought, do you really need this divorce, and while you’re thinking, remember this little boy that God has blessed you with. And you Obinna, I want you to sleep over this thing I’m about to tell you now. Are you refusing to divorce Sandra for your own selfish reasons or because you genuinely love her”
Needless to say, I didn’t sleep over anything. This condition I am in has opened my eyes to see the things that really matter in a man’s life.
I love my wife so much and I’m ready to go any length just to prove it to her.
The next morning, after she had gone to work, mother used the whole day lecturing me.
“Sandra is your wife and the mother of your son, not your girlfriend or your house help, you need to accord her the respect she deserves, stop treating her like a slave, be more responsible, stop looking at all those women outside because they have nothing to offer you. They are there, only when things are rossy, but your wife will be there forever for you. I think that’s the lesson, life is teaching you now”. She was saying
“And less, I forget, Sandra told me you haven’t opened your mouth for once to say ‘you’re sorry’. That is very bad of you. If she comes back this evening I want you to apologize to her. She is not heartless, she will come around”. She concluded.
During dinner that night, I managed and knelt on my free knee(despite the pains from the other) besides her.
“Please, Sandra, I’m sorry for all the pains I have caused you, I promised to change from now on and will never hurt you again”. I apologized.
She looked at me for a while, stood up and helped me back to my seat.
“It’s not about promising with your mouth, you also have to…”. she excused us and went into the room, coming back again with the same file, containing the divorce paper.
What is she up to again?. I wondered.
We watched as she searched through the file and brought out a piece of paper again.
“You have to sign this too”. She said, handing the paper over to me.
My heart was beating as I collected it from her hand, but after I went through it, I heaved a sigh of relief.
It’s an infidelity postnuptial agreement.
She really went far
“That’s the only way I will believe you have truly repented”. She said, handing me a pen.
I was amused, signing that document, knowing fully well that I don’t need it to keep myself in track. I have learnt my lesson really hard.
After, I was done signing, I handed it back to her and requested for those godforsaken divorce sheets. I collected and tore them into shreds there and then. She put the agreement papers back into the file and threw it on the table, then dragged me up and hugged me tightly.
“I love you, Gideon”. She cried.
“I love you too, Sandra”. I said.
And we are still on our journey to forever, together.
Life really has a way of teaching us lessons, I almost lose a good woman because I was busy chasing shadows.
Though, I’m still serving my suspension from the medical service, my injury is gradually healing, at least I can walk a short distance without the crutches.
I know of a certainty that I’m no longer who I used to be. The incident really changed my mindset about women and I hope more mindsets out there could be remoulded through my bitter experience.
The end.
Thanks for reading Story from Joy Ifunanya
You nearly lose a good wife