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Jumoke drove home like a mad woman. She was past caring. She wanted something to happen that would put an end to her miserable life. To her, nothing is worth living for again. She saw Kola’s betrayal as a pill that is too bitter to swallow. Tears clouded her eyes as she navigated the turn into her street. It was only by divine grace that she even got that far because her driving was reckless and uncoordinated.
God why? Why should this happen to me? She cried. Why should I suffer this much in marriage? Only me. My mama never told me that marriage is as difficult as this. I had to wait for three years before conceiving. Some of the people that we got married together already have two children. And this year that you smiled upon me and answered me, this is happening to me. My joy was prematurely snatched away and my marriage is slipping through my fingers. This cross is too heavy. I can’t bear it. I can’t even think of another woman giving Kola his first child. I will rather leave him than live through the show of shame.
Tears flowed freely down her face and joined with the catarrh running down her nostrils to form a rivulet down her chin. Her blouse was soon soaked with tears. Where will I go? What will I do? No!
I can’t take it. Someone else is carrying Kola’s baby. My Kola. The love of my life. The husband of my youth. He has shared what belongs to me, my property with another woman. He has broken the covenant of marriage. I thought he would never know any other woman in his life apart from me, just as I vowed never to know any other man . I came into his house with my maiden head intact. I have never messed myself up with an outsider. Why should this happen to me? Where did I fail as a wife? What did that woman use on him. What did she have that I don’t have. Why did Kola choose her above me? Why did he have to go all the way with her? God please let me wake up from this frightening dream.
Even as she drove into her compound and parked, she stayed for almost an hour in the car with her head bent over the steering wheel.
Kola heard her drive in but was suprised that she didn’t enter the house immediately. He assumed that she might have decided to check their next door neighbor to spend sometime with her. That was okay by him. He needed all the time that he could have alone. Reverend’s word at the church had hit him too hard as if he had been kicked at the solar plexus. His head was now a roller coaster of mumbled thoughts and he hoped he could just put himself together and maintain his facade, if not, Jumoke might put two and two together and see through him. That would be disastrous. She was already acting as if she was suspecting something. He has to act fast.
He planned to meet his Oga at the office and demand for a transfer. A transfer would do him and his family good. It will take him far away from Deaconess. He will be able to put the past behind him and forge ahead. He will forget about Deaconess. Jumoke will get pregnant again. She will give him good children. She will never know about him and Deaconess.
Kola was okay with his decision. He will meet his MD by the next day. He rose up from the sofa to get something from the fridge when the door opened in forcefully.
Jumoke bounced into the house in a flurry of anger. Her eyeballs blazed out fire as she lunged at him. Her face was stained with tears.
She came directly for him and pushed him hard. He almost fell.
“What is it? What kind of play is this?” He asked. ” I don’t have time for rough play this after…”
He hasn’t ended that statement when a hot slap landed on his face. Another slap followed immediately, then a punch on his chest. He saw another punch coming and grabbed Jumoke, wrestling her to the sofa.
” What is it? What kind of behaviour is this?”
His phone rang.
Holding his wife down with one hand, he picked the phone and looked at the screen. The pastor. Something must be wrong. Why should his wife be acting this way and the pastor be calling him now? Has Deaconess confessed to the pastor? Did the pastor tell his wife that he was responsible for Deaconess’ pregnancy?
He picked the call.
“Is your wife at home now?” Reverend asked in a thick voice.
” Yes. Yes. She just came in. She’s acting strange. We had no quarrel before she went out about two hours ago but she returned and..”
” Cut it.” Reverend snapped. “Sister Jumoke is aware of your affair with Deaconess. She has discovered that the child Deaconess is carrying Is yours. Try to placate her. She musn’t hurt herself as well. Make sure she doesn’t leave the house. We are coming.”
All the while when Reverend was talking, Jumoke was pushing and shoving and struggling to get up.
Husband and wife continued to struggle.
“I am sorry Jumoke.” Kola begged. ” Please listen to me.”
“Listen to you? Kola! You are an animal. So you’ve been pretending to me all this while. Who knows the number of women you’ve slept with in this town. It’s glaring that younger women are no more enough for you hence the need to pitch your tent with an older woman. A grandmother. A widow. Haaaa… and you returned to me and behaved as if nothing happened. You still had the gut to use that your defiled instrument on me. You are a crook.”
“I’m sorry Jumoke it was only once. I have been regretting since the day it happened.”
“Once my foot. To make matters worse, You were with her on the night that I fell and lost my pregnancy.”
” Who told you that?”
” You are still lying? It was your sugar mummy that told me herself.”
” Why should she tell you that? That woman is a witch.”
” Agreed. You have also become a wizard since you copulated with her. Her blood is in your blood. You know what? I cannot continue to live with a wizard. You both killed my baby.”
She pushed him off and pointed. “I will never forgive you. Posterity will judge you.”
Jumoke ran into the room and locked herself in.
She needed to do something fast. With the way she’s feeling, if she doesn’t move away from Kola, she might end up harming him or harming herself, or doing both.
First things first, She called for a taxi and gave her address. She needed to get out of the house for good. She cannot continue to stay with a decietful man. Never. Kola has used his hand to end their marriage. No. Her love for him cannot endure this.
She began to pack her clothings into a box, whatever she could lay her hands on. As she packed, she cried. She took the essentials, her ATM cards, her pass books, her IDs…
Soon enough, she was done with packing. She opened the door.
Kola was on a call with someone. Jumoke dashed to the kitchen and picked a knife. With her left hand dragging her almost bursting box, and her right hand holding the knife with the sharp end facing her chest, she moved towards the door.
As Kola moved forward, she warned him not to come near her. She vowed to stab herself if he does so and put his whole generation into trouble. Kola crawled after her on his knees. He cried uncontrollably and vowed to do whatever she wanted him to do.
The taxi man arrived and Jumoke was soon out of the house to a destination best known to her. Kola had earlier called Kelvin and Tosin to rush down to his house because Jumoke waz threatening to leave him. The couple, as well as Reverend and his wife arrived almost at the same time. They met a discomfited Kola in the center of the living room, crying his head off and screaming that his life had ended.
TO BE CONTINUED
Β©Bosede Fagbemi
No matter what you’ve gone through in life or what you’re going through presently, God always has your best interest at heart.
Have you ever needed to question God just as Jumoke did? It had happened to me before? For a very funny reason, I questioned God.
I felt God wasn’t fair to me. I refused to acknowledge so many good things I was enjoying and preferred to get overwhelmed with my problems and call God a partial God.
Soon enough, He showed me that he has my best interest at heart and gave me above what I wanted at HIS OWN TIME. Afterwards, I was sober and repentant knowing that God is God and I’m just a mere mortal. He knows better than us.
Let’s read the book of Jeremiah 29: 11
For I know the plans I have for you,β declares the LORD, βplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Don’t feel discouraged. You have a future in God.
