DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
EPISODE 1
Shana moved from the sitting room to the bedroom, there she parted the curtain blinds and stared outside the window, there was no sign of him or his car. Her hopes had been raised by the sound of a screeching car while she was waiting for Femi in the sitting room. Femi, that was her husband’s name. She glanced at the wall clock in their bedroom, the time was 11: 45pm. Just about a quarter to twelve and her Femi was yet to return home after he left the house as early as 6:30am that morning. She walked to the sitting room and around the dining area, she paused at the dining table and opened the dishes, the dinner she had prepared for him was already getting cold. She was sure that he would not even touch the food when he returns home that night. She was sure because the same scene had played itself the previous day. Two days in a row and her Femi had refused to touch her food! As the clock struck 12, signaling a new day, she thought of going to bed. But how could she have the heart to sleep when her husband was out there probably in the arms of another woman?
Shana: “My own Femi in another woman’s bed!” she thought aloud. She poured herself a glass of cold water and sat on the sitee, Femi’s favourite chair in the sitting room. “How did we get here? How did we get to this stage where my Femi stays out late without consideration for my feelings? How did our marriage get to this horrible stage that you no longer desire my presence? My Femi, the only man in the world for me, the man who took my virginity and made me a woman. You used to be so sweet, marriage they say is not a bed of roses but ours has been a bed of roses for the past five years that we have been married. You were all sweet and adorable, the man after my fragile heart until few months back when you started coming home late and receiving mysterious phone calls. Could this misbehavior on your part be the handiwork of another woman? Could I have done something wrong to push you away?”
She ran to the bedside mirror and checked out herself. “But I am still beautiful. Well, I have added a few kilos, I agree but I am still beautiful. Well, I may not have the zeal now to make up and package myself the way I used to before we got married but then, I thought you said your love for me was unconditional? Why should I waste my time making up, fixing lashes, nails and all sort of hair extensions? I thought women do this to attract men, I am already married so why should I compete with single ladies? You used to love me, Femi. You used to…”
The entrance door bell rang and she jerked up from her reverie. In her thoughts, she hadn’t heard when the security man opened the gate for Femi to drive in. She adjusted her pyjamas, cleaned her face and ran to the door and opened it. There he was clad in a carton colour Next stripe shirt on a black trousers and crocodile skin deep brown shoes. He had all the charm in the world to sweep a woman off her feet and all the anger she felt for him staying out late melted at the sight of him. All she wanted to do was spend the rest of her life loving and pleasing Femi. Yes, Femi was her password.
Shana: “Welcome, Ifemi”. His name was Femi but she had customized it to ifemi, Yoruba word for my love. It was a perfect name and few years back, the name alone was enough to put Femi in the mood to sweep her off her feet to the bedroom and give her the p******g of her life just the way she liked it. As he made his way into the sitting room, she rushed at him and hugged him. It was a tight hug, she sniffed the scent of his perfume mixed with his sweat and she felt like holding on to him all her life less another woman snatch him away from her.
Femi was unmoved by her show of affection and all he wanted to do was shower and get to bed, for he had a long day at work and at the other woman’s place. He gently eased his way out of her embrace and made for the room. She, the understanding wife that she is thought that he was very tired after office duties and she closed the door after him and collected his brief case. After undressing, he made his way into the bathroom and she took the opportunity to warm his food in the microwave for she couldn’t bear to serve her Femi cold dishes. She had just finished resetting the dining table when she saw him come out of the bathroom.
Shana: “Dinner is served, Ifemi. Come and eat before you sleep, I see that you have had a very long day”.
Femi ignored her and concentrated on wearing his sleeping robe. All he wanted to do was sleep, food was the last thing on his mind for the other woman had feed him full. When Shana didn’t hear from him, she came to meet him from the dining area. “Ife, I said food is…”
Femi: “You said food is ready, I heard you the first time you spoke. I am not hungry”.
Shana: “You are not hungry? You just got back from work after leaving home early this morning and you say that you are not hungry? Why won’t you be hungry? The Ife that I know doesn’t eat out at nights no matter what”.
Femi: “Oooh! What is it? Can’t a man come home and go to bed peacefully without his wife nagging? I said I am not hungry. Can’t you see that I am tired?”
Shana: “Of course I see that you are very tired. I am not blind. But why would you come back this late? The last time I checked, bank managers don’t stay in the office till 12 midnight”.
Femi: “Is that what the fuss about food is all about? Well, we had a very busy day trying to reconcile our accounts today. As if that was not enough, we had a board meeting to harmonize our report for the month against tomorrow. I am the branch manager and there is no way these meetings can hold without me. I have not had a second to myself since I left home this morning. I thought I was going to find rest when I get home, I didn’t know that there was another question and answer session waiting for me”.
Shana: “I am sorry, Ifemi. I understand how very tedious these things can be”.
Femi: “Good. Thank God you understand. Now, can I sleep in peace?” he went to bed and covered himself from head to toe with his duvet shutting her out of his world.
Few minutes later, after she had packed the dinner she made into the refrigerator, she joined him in bed. She thought of drawing close to him and touching him for she wanted to feel his arms around her but she thought otherwise, not wanting to provoke him since he said he was tired. After about an hour, she was finding it difficult to sleep for her heart was heavy. There was something about Femi’s story about the meeting that she didn’t believe. The Femi she knew would have called her to inform her of the emergency meeting and apologize for coming home late. Also, if he was in a meeting all day as he had claimed, then he was not supposed to refuse her food because he claimed that he hadn’t had any time to himself all day so how comes is he not hungry?
She was still preoccupied with her thoughts when her husband phone began to vibrate. The phone was on the bedside drawer close to her and she peeped to see who the caller was. ‘Real Deal’, that was the name of the caller. “Who could this be and why is he or she calling my husband at this time of the night? Could it be one of his staff in the office? Why should he save anybody’s name as ‘Real Deal’? Is Femi involved in any form of shaddy deal? All these thoughts crossed her mind as she thought of picking the call and answering on his behalf or ignoring it until he wakes up the next day.
She was about stretching forth her hand to pick the call when she saw Femi moved and she lay still pretending to be asleep. He quietly picked the phone and covered himself but she stretched her ears and tried to pick out what he was saying under the duvet. She was careful not to make any turn for he thought she was asleep.
Femi: “Yes, why are you calling me by this time? You should be asleep by now”.
Caller: “I am sorry, but I couldn’t sleep without finding out if you got home safely”.
Femi: “I did get home safely. Now get back to sleep, my wife is here and I don’t want her to wake up and find me making this call”.
Caller: “Common, Fem. I missed you, I wish you are here. I can make do with your arms around me tonight. You know, I wouldn’t mind rolling my tongue on your d**k and giving you the s*****g of your life. You know how well I can do it baby. Go to the sitting room or restroom and let’s make all night erotic calls”.
Femi: “What! You know what, I will call you back”.
He ended the call and swiftly removed the duvet he had over him and tiptoed out of bed, making great efforts not to wake his wife who was fast asleep, so he thought.
He went into the toilet and closed the door after him and called her back. As soon as he locked the toilet door, his wife also tiptoed out of bed and went towards the toilet door. Careful not to make any sound that will give her away, she pressed her head against the door but she could not make out what he was saying. All she heard was murmurings and she felt she heard Femi make a m*****g sound, the type he always made when he wanted to c*m in her anytime there were having their rounds of passionate s*x.
Shana: “Who is this caller that is capable of making my husband make this sound over the phone? What is she telling him? So, Femi is cheating on me and has the guts to do it so shamelessly? Is this how much he hates me? Real deal? Who is that bitch that is coming for my Femi? What should I do o, should I confront him or should I pretend not to have heard anything?” she thought.
Question: Should Shana confront her husband or should she pretend not to have heard anything?
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 2
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