MY RICH WIFE
A Story by Ayodele Adeoye
Episode Thirteen
I love pastor Lanre for one thing, he was a goal getter per excellence. After a year, he was able to reconcile me back to my wife, Jocelyn. The conditions for reconciliation put me further into marriage prison. It was either I accept the conditions or I remain unmarried all my life. Staying unmarried for life is a prison on its own, going back to Jocelyn also is a prison. The decision was to choose between two prisons. I decided to choose the later prison.
I returned to Jocelyn’s house like a slave, this time I was already born again. The price I had to pay was to obey all conditions set for me and obey God in all my dealings. I had also signed an undertaking with the police never to engage her in any violent activity. With these conditions and my new spiritual status, Jocelyn became a god and a monster. The bitterness of what I did to her sister still lingered in her mind. The presence of my wife became a terror to me. I was practically loosing my mind but I was encouraged to endure and stay in the marriage.
Whenever I came back late Jocelyn I locked me out. I stayed late most times because of fellowship and the nature of my job in the church. I was the last person to leave the church everyday because I had to ensure all doors and windows were locked before leaving. Sometimes when she locked me out, I will return back to the church and pass the night with the security guard or at the church auditorium, the den of mosquitoes and dangerous insects. Other times to avoid too many questions, I just passed the night at the balcony. I became a victim of domestic violence. Initially it was emotional violence but it later graduated to physical assaults.
If you are nursing a plan to marry a rich woman for the sake of elevating your poverty, I beg you to drop that ambition today. Those who see me outside with fine dresses may not know the pains and agony those dresses are covering. Many people don’t know why I was always wearing long sleeve shirts. I have a wound around my upper arm, an injury inflicted on me by Jocelyn because I broke a glass cup. I wear long sleeve shirts to hide the wound that have refused to heal. It was infected badly that sometimes it brings out pulse and stinks like spoiled egg. I have been to hospital severally to get rid of the wound all to no avail.
It doesn’t take anything for Jocelyn to hit me, I get slapped almost everyday. Unfortunately for me I can’t retaliate or over defend myself, it will be termed as domestic violence against her. I reported my predicaments to pastor Lanre but he kept encouraging me, bro Patrick it shall be well. My life became miserable more than it was before I went to prison. I really desire to go to heaven and no amount of oppression will make me turn back. Nothing again shall separate me from the love of Christ, not Jocelyn nor the things she did to me, I vowed.
MY RICH WIFE
A Story by Ayodele Adeoye
Episode fourteen
All my attempts to replace my credentials were futile. Getting a police report was a big problem. They wanted me to give them bride before the report could be issued. But I am a new person now, I can’t give bribe anymore. All my years of labour in school were burnt in minutes by a woman I called my wife, just to get back at me. Well, I can’t blame God, I was only swallowing what I chewed.
Many things I suffered in the hands of Jocelyn were unthinkable and cruel. Some I have never shared with anyone before. How can I tell people my wife was beating me? How can I tell people my wife denied me sex for 365 days of a year? How well can I explain my emotional pains and my secret groaning? My marriage was resemblance of hell fire. Many times I have thought of suicide but that will hinder me from seeing God on the last day. I can’t endure these sufferings here on earth and still end up in hell.
To further frustrate me, Jocelyn started bringing different men into the house I should have referred to as our matrimonial home. I will serve her and also serve her numerous boyfriends who treated me like a houseboy. They do a lot of things in my presence yet I mustn’t react. She hugged, kissed and romanced them right in my presence. At night I hear their moans during sex but I had to keep mute. I will clean up their mess without partaking in it. I wanted to marry a rich woman, a rich woman I got.
When the suffering was too much and was becoming unbearable I to told pastor I want a divorce. I was ready to live all my life without marriage. Pastor Lanre tried to discourage me from seeking for a divorce but my life was at stake and my Christianity was not guaranteed with Jocelyn. Divorce was better than what I called marriage. I would have been ordained as a minister in the church but my marriage was the setback.
What would you advice me if I was your brother?
Don’t you think my punishment is too much for my sin?
If you are in my shoe what will you do?
With her adulterous life, am I not free from the marriage?
