SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 15

SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 15

KIRA’S POV

I was desperate to have a baby because I felt I had lost enough time. Most women who married at the same time as me had two children and were expecting a third.

Kenny wasn’t saying anything about a baby. I understood he had been through a lot but life had to go on.

I told Kenny about it one night just before bed. I’d like to have a baby, I said. Now? He responded.

Yes, as soon as possible. All the couples who were married when we got married have at least two children.

I just need to hold my own baby. Your own baby he exclaimed. Not even our own baby? You understand what I mean. 

Sweetheart, we are not the same as those couples. The man wasn’t wrongfully arrested and spent time in prison.

They’re not in therapy and have nightmares at night. I’m not ready for a child. We were just together for two days after marriage before disaster struck.

We didn’t get to have a honeymoon and bond. I had all these plans that I want us to still carry out.

The baby can wait. You are not 30 years old. You are still so young, please relax.

 

Can you solemnly swear that you were not involved with another man while I was gone? There’s no way you didn’t cuddle another man.

Kenny! What has come over you? Nothing has come over me. Do you think my family didn’t have eyes on you? Goodness gracious, Kenny!

Yes, he responded, what is it? Because I’ve been all lovey-dovey? It’s time for the truth. I’m not interested in sleeping with you till further notice. Good night.

I tried to touch him but he pushed me away and roared. Don’t you ever touch me again. Don’t make me hit you.

Relax? Did you say relax? How can you be so selfish? If anyone is selfish here it’s you. After all, I’ve been through. All you can say is you want to hold your own baby?

Despite all the nightmares I have at night? Am I responsible for your predicament? It was you I was running that errand for so yes you are.

Me? What errand? I pleaded with you not to go out that day but you didn’t listen, please don’t blame me.

Whatever, the bottom line is that I’m not ready to be a father. I can’t welcome a child feeling the way I do.

So how long do I wait? When would you be ready? Anything from 2 years. 2 years? How can you say a thing like that?

That’s when I’ll be ready mentally. Please, I’m tired and I need to rest. You won’t be intimate with me again tonight?

For how long would we be over this? I’m tired. I’ve tried to make up for lost time but I’m no longer interested. You disgust me, please do you mind shifting a little. I need fresh air.

Kenny, I disgust you? Me? After waiting all these years for you, this is how you repay me?

Can you solemnly swear that you were not involved with another man while I was gone? There’s no way you didn’t cuddle another man.

Kenny! What has come over you? Nothing has come over me. Do you think my family didn’t have eyes on you? Goodness gracious, Kenny!

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Yes, he responded, what is it? Because I’ve been all lovey-dovey? It’s time for the truth. I’m not interested in sleeping with you till further notice. Good night.

I tried to touch him but he pushed me away and roared. Don’t you ever touch me again. Don’t make me hit you.

The way he roared scared me. Kenny was very gentle. He had never raised his voice at anyone. Now he was so aggressive.

I left for another room and fell asleep. The next morning I said nothing to him. He left home and I left too.

I was so bitter so I avoided him at all costs. I was a married woman with a husband but I couldn’t be intimate with him. I had no idea how long I’d hold on.

Where have you been? He asked me when I returned. I went out for some air I said. You went out for some air and forgot the time?

There’s no reason to return home early. You don’t talk to me. We don’t bond, we can’t be intimate, so what’s the point?

So because there’s no reason, you didn’t make any meal for me to eat? You’ve not been eating the meals I’ve been making so I stopped making them.

So you mean I’ll starve in my own house? What exactly do you want? I asked him. My friend, would you shut up? 

Look at the time you are returning home. I’m sure it’s one of your boyfriends you went to visit.

It’s just 6 pm, it’s not like it’s midnight. Kenny attempted to hit me. Kenny! What did you just do? What does it look like? 

Did you just try to hit me? I’ll do more than that he said. Do you think it’s then when I was begging you to accept me?

You are my wife now and you would act accordingly. You are not allowed to leave this house without my permission.

You would move out of the bedroom. I don’t want to share the same bedroom with you.

Without saying another word I moved into the bedroom to take out my things. I didn’t sleep at night just thinking about what was going on.

My heart was too fragile for what was going on. I didn’t deserve this version of Kenny. I understand he had been traumatized but I wasn’t responsible.

He was being so unreasonable. Why couldn’t I get pregnant? Why did I have to wait for two years or more?

How could I be married and can’t cuddle with the man I married? I was as good as single. I hadn’t told my family or his. I knew I had a decision to make.

The following morning I made him a cup of tea and toasted bread. He flung the cup of tea at me. I was lucky to escape injuries.

Look at the trash you are serving me for breakfast. He roared and stormed out of the house.

I headed to my bedroom, put my important belongings together, and left.

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NICOLE’S POV

I do all the chores every day I said to Bernards’s mum. He thinks it’s so easy. I just want him to realize that I play an important role as well.

I’m saving him money, now he is spending money eating out, he wasn’t spending money eating out before. He is spending money washing his clothes and having them dry cleaned. 

I was doing all that but he never appreciated me for doing it. He felt it was just my job and my responsibility and he felt entitled to it. 

As long as he doesn’t do chores I will never do any chores for him in this family anymore. 

We were supposed to switch roles for a month. There’s one week left but I’m going to go back to the beginning.

For three weeks now he has not done anything. As long as he doesn’t do chores we won’t make progress.

He must have to do chores and feel the stress so he will begin to realize how important the things I do are. 

I thank him all the time, all the bills are paid and all the money he provides. I’ve never for one day taken him for granted but I can’t say the same for him.

He feels my job is that of a maid and it saddens my heart because first of all, I’m not broke. I work from home.

I don’t have a 9 -5 but I work from home. I do things online and I earn money which I can use to sort things around the house but he is not even aware of it.

He feels he brings all the money that was exactly why he said we should switch roles because he felt I’ll come back and beg. 

When he saw that I paid the children’s school fees and bought the other accessories, we ate and it wasn’t the money he provided.

He doesn’t know how to back down because of his ego. He is expecting me to call him and say “my husband I know you made a mistake but let’s call a truce”.

I have always called a truce in this marriage. I will not call it this one because he insulted me.

READ ALSO THE BURIED TALENT 

How can you look at me and say I do nothing in this house other than just sleep and eat? 

Look mama there are so many things I wanted to say and have not said all along. 

I am a slave in this marriage. Your son doesn’t do anything. Imagine there’s a washing machine in this house. Yet he takes his clothes to a dry cleaner.

We have an automatic top loader washing machine that will wash, rinse and dry. He can’t operate it. It is too much work.

It is too stressful according to him to put his clothes in the washing machine and then turn on the tap for the water to come in there to wash, it is too stressful. 

He just wants the ready-made, washed, dried clothes to put on and it’s good to go. 

He can’t operate a washing machine he purchased instead he’ll go to dry clean his clothes and spend money.

He can’t make himself a cup of tea, he can’t boil his own bathing water. I mean with the jog in the kitchen. 

Just fill it with water and it switches on. The water boils, you turn it into a bucket.

We have a heater in this house so you just need to switch on the tap with the bucket if you don’t want to bathe in the shower.

He can be at home rain drenches the clothes that have already dried. He’ll be sitting in the sitting room rain would drench including his clothes.

He won’t get them in. I’ll have to come back and then wash them and dry them again and get them in. 

If I call him probably from the market or if I’m out and say please it’s about to rain please can you get in the clothes he will tell me how is that is not his responsibility.  

How about the toilet? He can never wash it. He says the toilet brush is too filthy. Even if I just washed the toilet bowl now he can’t wash off the stains.

I’ve told him to buy gloves so he can touch the toilet brush and wash it and then disposed of the globes.

He said that it was not his job. Sometimes he won’t flush after using it I’ll have to come and flush the toilet.

I can’t live like this anymore I wasn’t hoping to complain but when he now began to look down on what I do as nothing and yet I’m stressed, he left me no option.

Then to add salt to injury he said we should switch our roles just to prove to me that what I do is irrelevant.

This was an opportunity to speak out and say that I’m overstressed. He either get a house help if he can afford it or he starts helping me.

Even after this phase of switching roles is over I can no longer go back to doing certain things.

Despite carrying the financial responsibility, I’ve gotten more rest.

I no longer cook for him. I no longer do the laundry and iron his clothes and then boil his water. 

He’s an adult and is not a child. I cannot be cleaning up after him. He can eat here and mess up everywhere like he’s our two-year-old child.

He will go to the bathroom that I have washed, cleaned, and dried and mess it up.

There’s a mop and a mop bucket you don’t have to touch them or put your hand anywhere filthy, yet he can’t do it. The truth mama is I’m officially tired. 

CHIKANMA’S POV

Gerald didn’t eat his meal, he kept staring at his meal and catching glimpses of me. I wasn’t eating either.

What is going on between both of you Gerald’s mum asked.  Grandma, I don’t know ooo my two children responded. Gerald and I looked at them.

My son said mum what’s going on between you and uncle Gerald? I gave him a look that said if I get you there you’ll disappear.

He ran behind Gerald’s mum to hide.

She said Nnam(Daddy) you are safe here no one can touch you here.

My son pointed to me and said she wants to swallow me. Gerald’s mum said she can’t touch you here.

She turned to Gerald and me and said I don’t know what is going on between both of you but you better respect yourselves.

Don’t waste my food. If you know you won’t eat you won’t have dished it. 

Gerald stood up and I joined him. Where do both of you think you are going? Gerald’s mum yelled.

She stood up and yelled at both of us to sit down. She pointed to our seats and said sit down.

When did that one start, she asked? I’m talking to both of you and you are walking away? Under my own roof.

I don’t know what is going on but you better sort it out. She walked away from the dining table and said Gerald a word?

Gerald followed her to her bedroom and I heard yelling but could tell what was being said.

I left the dining table, went to the kitchen to do the dishes, and headed to my bedroom to pack my belongings.

I was just tired of the atmosphere. My children asked mum are we leaving? I didn’t respond to them.

Gerald’s mum came to my room and saw me packing and said going somewhere? I didn’t respond to her.

She asked my children to leave the room as she wanted to speak to me. My children left and she closed the door. 

She sat on the bed and I stood up and she said sit down. I reluctantly sat down. She said I don’t know much about you. I just met you.

I can see my son loves you. I don’t know if you love him in return but please don’t play with my son’s emotions.

Excuse me, I stood up and asked about his emotions? I don’t have one? It’s not fair of all of you. Did she say excuse me?

No one is asking about me? How do I feel? If I’m ready. I burst out in tears because it had been a long time since I cried.

I had been bottling my feelings inside. Gerald’s mum was shocked. She asked what the matter was.

I just ignored her and wept out all the hurt I bottled inside trying to be strong for my children.

Gerald’s mum left the bedroom and called her son. I locked the door once she left.

He arrived and kept knocking on the door. I ignored him, I didn’t know when I fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later with a throbbing headache.

I stepped out and my children had fallen asleep in Gerald’s room. I was going back to my bedroom when Gerald said I hope you feel better now?

I didn’t respond, he said look I’m sorry. I don’t know why you cried but I’m sorry.

I didn’t respond. He ran after me and pulled me back and said please stop. I said I’m sorry. I don’t like the way you are acting.

Please can we just go back to the way we were when we got here Gerald asked?

It’s not about you Gerald, I said. Then who is it about? My late husband, I responded.

Your late husband? Gerald didn’t know what to say. Today is the anniversary of his death.

Gerald was shocked. He walked over and held me and I cried. 

All the memories came flooding back about Nkem’s death.

I was also feeling guilty about being with Gerald and him professing his feelings for me.

I didn’t have any feelings for him but I felt guilty.

I didn’t know If Nkem could see me and I didn’t know what he thought about me being with another man.

He loved me truly, I was an undergraduate when I met him, and in 6 months we were married.

I wasn’t forced by anyone. I just loved him as he loved me. He never took me for granted.

He respected me and paid my way through school. I just got an Msc before he died. 

He had all these plans for me, then his life was cut short. His killers were never found.

Sometimes I wonder why his family never pushed for his killers to be found. Did they know anything about it?

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To be continued

© Treasure Ezuruike.

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