Living in Regret
Episode 7
He finally got home in the morning and requested breakfast.
His wife, Amaka, couldn’t ask where he had been because she was avoiding another round of béátings.
He had breakfast, then went straight inside the hut and slept off.
“What could my husband be up to”, she thought “is he seeing another woman?
She asked herself”, he now treats me like I don’t exist in this house.
going out and coming back when he likes, and sometimes he doesn’t even come home at all.
She couldn’t help but cry because her husband had changed since they got married.
She sat outside for a while thinking of what to do then a thought came to her mind.
“Let me visit Emeka, he might have a clue”, she got up and headed to Emeka’s house.
Getting to Emeka’s house, she sees a woman sweeping.
“Good day,” she said. “Please, I’m looking for Emeka.”
I’m his friend’s wife, I came to see him, it is very urgent”.
She looked at her carefully and said, “My husband has gone to the forest to check his trap, but you can wait for him.
He will be back soon.”
Amaka didn’t have a choice but to wait for Emeka to return.
She sat down and in few minutes Emeka was back.
“Nnayi welcome” she greeted warmly, just as Emeka’s wife Ada rushed over to greet him and took the grass cutter from his hands.
“Welcome,” she said with a smile.
“Our wife, sorry for keeping you,” Emeka said as he sat down.
“I went to check my trap, and today is a good day indeed!
My trap finally caught a grass cutter after days of not catching anything.”
“Thanks to the gods, indeed their ways are different from ours, Amaka retorted.
Your wife already told me that you went to check your trap and you will be back soon.
Emeka. Hmmm, you haven’t visited us in a long time.
Your friend hasn’t said anything about you either. Is everything okay?”
She asked , Emeka got silent for a bit then he said “everything is fine.
Its just that the stubborn fly that does not listen to advice follows the còrpse to the gráve”,
She looked at him again and said, “Nnayi, I know nothing is alright.
Your friend has been acting strangely ever since he talked about getting a second wife.”
This days, he doesn’t sleep at home and he comes back whenever he likes.
I can’t even do anything because the last time I did, he bèat me up”.
Emeka’s face lit with rage, “you mean Uche hit you? That man has eaten more than he can chew”.
He adjusted himself in the chair then said “should I inform the kinsmen about this, so that he can be béáten in the village square too?
Amaka thought about the humiliation her husband will go through “please don’t inform them, I believe he will change.
He will surely come to his senses” It’s ok, since you say so, but don’t forget to report him to me, Emeka retorted.
I will take the matter to the king’s palace and he will regret his actions ?
Amaka nodded in affirmation, “Nnayi, you haven’t said anything about the woman I’m seeing in your house.
Are we now bad people that you hid such great news from us?”
Emeka smiled shyly, “Ada is my wife. The last time I advised your husband, he mocked me about not getting married.
I thought about it and I realized I needed to start a family of my own.”
He called out to his wife, “Ada”, and she came rushing. “My lord, I’m here,” she said with a smile.
“Welcome, our wife,” Ada said to Amaka, my friend’s wife. “Get her something to eat.”
Amaka shook her head, don’t worry about that,
She said, “I will be taking my leave now before my husband starts looking for me.”
She bows to Emeka and leaves, unaware that a great shock awaits her at home.
Thessycute Ekene
