SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 32

SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 32

CHIKANMA’S POV

Even your mum knows that, couldn’t you feel the joy in her voice that you sought her consent?. 

That’s what this whole thing is all about. She knows you’re thinking about her and not kicking her to the curb. 

You know we have to be careful in dealing with your mum because you are all she’s got and you’ve been her all in all.

Now we need to be careful not to silence her or make her even feel sidelined. 

There’s no way she can decide for us the number of children to have. I guess she will understand whatever decision we take. 

The honeymoon was over and we returned to the country to start our lives as a married couple. 

Despite your baggage of two children, you still reaped where you did not show. Do you think we don’t know what you are up to? You pushed away my friend with your kayamata and you think we will not find out. The same cane that was used for the first wife will be used for the second. Very soon there will be someone else who will kick you to the curb like you kicked my friend, a useless woman like you. 

READ-: SEE FINISH EPISODE 19

I didn’t have a job so Gerald got me one. I stopped by his office a few days later and one of his staff disrespected me.

I left because I didn’t want to cause a scene in a business environment. I had no idea she was a friend of Ijeoma and she had spread all these negative stories about me. 

I showed up to pay Gerald a surprise visit. She asked me if I had an appointment. I told her I didn’t, she told me I couldn’t see him then. 

I don’t know why the thought of calling him did not occur to me but I left angrily. 

In the car park, my phone rang and it was Gerald. I answered my phone angrily. 

He asked me what the matter was and I said nothing. Did you come to visit me he asked? 

I came to visit you but one of your staff said I can’t see you because we have no appointment. excuse me he said. 

Wait! What! You can’t see me because we had no appointment? Are you serious right now? 

I’m serious, she called me a husband snatcher. She called you what? A husband snatcher. 

Gerald said sweetheart, listen to me, can you do me a favour and come back to my office right now? 

Why would I want to do that? Please come back to my office right now. I returned to his office. 

Gerald’s staff saw me again and asked me what I wanted. Gold digger and husband snatcher aren’t you tired? She yelled. 

You are not satisfied with the fact that you finally snatched someone’s husband-to-be and made him yours. 

Despite your baggage of two children, you still reaped where you did not show. Do you think we don’t know what you are up to?

You pushed away my friend with your kayamata and you think we will not find out. 

The same cane that was used for the first wife will be used for the second. 

Very soon there will be someone else who will kick you to the curb like you kicked my friend, a useless woman like you. 

As she insulted me, Gerald stood behind her listening to what she was saying.

Her colleagues were giving her signals but because she was so bent on insulting me and probably appeasing her friend Ijeoma, she couldn’t decode what they were saying. 

Finally, Gerald said who exactly are you talking to? She was startled and turned around and said no one, sir. 

Gerald walked over to her and said no one?

Do you mean all those words you just said were said to the air and not to anyone? 

When she found out she couldn’t lie she said I’m talking to her, pointing to me.  

Doesn’t the person have a name Gerald asked? She said I’m talking to your wife. 

You know she’s my wife and yet you dare to insult her in my establishment? 

I’m sorry sir I don’t know what came over me. You are sorry? 

You are sorry for insulting my wife in my establishment calling her a gold digger and a husband snatcher? 

Whose husband did she snatch if I may ask you? No need to explain, she said. 

My friend, if you don’t start to explain right now you will not like the next thing I’m going to do, Gerald yelled.

Whose husband did she snatch and what makes her a gold digger? Did you see her administer kayamata to me? You are suddenly dumb?

Gerald said you know what? You’re fired. Please, sir, she got on her knees begging Gerald. Please don’t fire me. I need this job. 

I am not sure you need it because if you did you would have been very careful. 

Even someone with no sense would know that you should not insult the wife of your employer who is present in his establishment.

Because you feel you are irreplaceable and there is no one like you. You feel like you are above the law.

I am always so calm and gentle so you expected I won’t do anything. 

Well, you’re fired, you will take your belongings and leave my establishment. 

Go to that person you are fighting for and trying to defend. Let that person employ you. 

She held onto Gerald’s clothes and he pushed her away. 

She turned to me and said please ma, beg your husband to please forgive me. 

Probably when I was younger I would have been moved but now I was 28 and had a zero-tolerance for people who disrespect me. 

I slowly moved away from her and sat somewhere else until Gerald asked me to come into his office. 

He had a very angry expression on his face that I was terrified of him. I think he noticed because it wasn’t me who upset him.

I’m sorry he said pulling me closer to him. Did you bring me lunch? I know you must be disappointed in me but I needed to set an example today.

I’m sure she’s not the only one who will act this way. All of them are friends of Ijeoma and I expected something like this to happen. 

By doing this I sent a message that I will not tolerate such indiscipline and disrespect to my wife. 

If they are friends of Ijeoma, why are they still here?

Excuse me! He exclaimed. Yes, why are they still working here?

Are you saying I should fire them all? Never mind, I said.

NNENNA’S POV

Mum admonished us about the need to live in peace and resolve our differences amicably. 

Dad said Nnem please understand what a third-party means. I don’t want to hear that you didn’t want to tell me because I am a third party.

He turned to Ikenna and said I will hold you by your words in my living room.

I believe you will take care of my daughter. He turned to our in-laws and said I am sorry for arresting you all but you forced my hand by kidnapping my son. 

My parents-in-law hissed along with Oluchi. Dad said I have cleared my conscience. I am sorry if you are still upset. 

Dubem wore a smile as he played with Chiemerie.

The reconciliation talks ended and plans were made for me to relocate to be with Ikenna

It was difficult leaving Dubem’s apartment. I had gotten so used to his company. Chiemerie had gotten used to him. 

I informed my boss and he asked me to head our new branch in the city where Ikenna lived.

Dubem accompanied us to our home. I hugged him and cried when he was about to leave. 

Chiemerie was captivated by the toys Dubem got him; he didn’t even know what was going on. 

Ikenna told me this is where I belonged and I’ll be okay. He left and Ikenna hugged Chiemerie and me. 

He said welcome home this is where you belong. Chiemerie blended in like he had lived there all his life.

A few months later one of the women Ikenna had an affair with showed up with a baby claiming it was his. 

He was panicking. I didn’t want that drama so I told her we needed a DNA test. 

The test revealed that Ikenna wasn’t the father. It was such a relief because we didn’t need that drama. 

She was so disappointed. I didn’t care because I didn’t ask her to sleep with so many men and not know who the father was.

Oluchi came into town and stopped by our home. Ikenna was not home when she stopped by. She thought it was business as usual. She was ordering me around. 

When she saw Chiemerie she made derogatory statements about him. She said he wasn’t Ikenna’s son. She asked me to take him back to his father.

I lost my temper and began to yell. Ikenna just returned home and heard my voice. Oluchi was talking back to me when Ikenna walked in. 

What is going on here? How did you find this place he asked Oluchi. 

She hissed and said is this boy your son? Better ask this adulteress to return him to his father.

Ikenna was going to hit her, but he changed his mind and pushed her out of the apartment and slammed the door. 

He called his parents and ranted about Oluchi. He asked them to warn her to avoid him. 

His mother called back to tell him she had spoken to Oluchi and she was right about Chiemerie. Right about what? Ikenna asked? 

His mum told him I could as well have gotten pregnant for any man as I wasn’t pregnant while in his house. 

He was going to lose his temper but I calmed him down. She insisted on a DNA test for Chiemerie to ascertain if Ikenna was his father. 

Ikenna quarreled with her and ended the call. When it ended I sat beside him and said she was right.

Right about what? About the fact that a DNA test is needed. I expected this to come up when I decided to return to you. 

I wasn’t pregnant in your home. At least it wasn’t established. As long as Oluchi is on our case we won’t have peace. 

Let’s get it done so we can move forward. Even you may have doubts that you are not willing to admit. Let’s clear them up.

Ikenna looked at me and looked away. I knew he must have doubts and with Oluchi mentioning it, his doubts would be reinforced. 

I knew I had nothing to hide so they could go ahead. I stood up to leave and Ikenna pulled me back and said I’m sorry you are going through this. It’s my fault. Stop saying this, I told him.

He informed his family and I informed Dubem. Are they serious? he asked. They are especially Oluchi and my mother-in-law. 

What do you want he asked? I don’t want anyone to pull a fast one on me and switch the sample I said to Dubem. 

Oluchi and my mother-in-law are out to get me. If they succeed it’ll be difficult to repair the damage.

Cool just let me know the name of the Lab so I can get someone to be a third eye Dubem said. Ikenna’s family chose a lab for the DNA test.  

After it was done, I sent Dubem the name of the Lab. He found a colleague who knew someone who worked there. He asked the employee to keep an eye on the samples. 

KIRA’S POV

I felt disgusted and felt like throwing up. All the time I heard about Kenny’s abuse I was in denial, not expecting it to be that physical. How could a man do that to another.?

How long did it go on? For over 3 years Kenny said. 3 years? Charles exclaimed, just how?

It started immediately, we were taken to prison. I don’t know if he already knew who I was because of my family and was targeting me.

It continued all through until a day before our release. A day before! Charles exclaimed. He abused you even though he knew you were going to be released?

Yes, he did and threatened to wipe out my family especially my wife and my mum if I told anyone. He threatened to arrest me specifically and set me up if I mentioned his name.

Why haven’t you come forward since? I had no concrete proof. If I came forward no one would believe me.

I had to play along until I got concrete proof. Then this Is the best time to speak up, now that it’s in the news and everyone is talking about it.

Then I was so embarrassed about it. I haven’t told anyone about it. I have been in therapy and the past few weeks my therapist gave me the boldness to come forward.

I didn’t tell her about my experience because I was just so embarrassed to admit to being abused by a fellow man at my age

Since I left prison my abuser has been threatening me. Every week he calls me to threaten me. 

I was moved by mum’s interview when this story broke. She spoke like she knew something.

Once the story broke I knew my abuser would call me and he did. I don’t know how the story got out but I thank whoever put it out there because it was perfect timing.

He called me immediately to threaten me. Accusing me of leaking the story to the press by then I was charged up by mum’s interview and my therapist.

I felt mum’s pain in that interview so I lost my temper when he called. He started with his usual abuses and I told him he couldn’t do anything.

I was just playing along because I was thinking about what to do. I was so disoriented but that day I had figured it out.

I told him his end was near. He told me I had no proof and no one would believe me because I was a lone voice

He went ahead to recount all he did to me in prison, how he enjoyed it and how helpless I was and at his mercy.

I just let him talk by upsetting him. The more I upset him the more he talked. He kept roping himself in and naming some of his other victims.

So you have proof now? Yes, I do. This is so intense, Charles said.

How has this affected you? Kenny took a deep breath and sobbed for a while before saying it was affecting every area of my life.

But the part that has hurt me most is Kira. It hurts me on so many levels because I earned the right to be with her.

I fought for her and won her over. I proposed marriage to her and she said yes. I made her all these promises I planned to keep. Made all these plans.

Two days after marriage I got wrongfully arrested. It’s been hell after that. 

I survived because of two people. The first person is Kira, the second is my mum. I couldn’t lose my life because of them. I stayed alive because of them.

I just needed to see them, especially my wife. I tried to act normal with her but it wasn’t working.

I know it’s embarrassing but I’ve not been intimate with her for a while. I just couldn’t look at her. 

I felt like I cheated on her. Each time I tried to hold her I saw my abuser’s face and remembered all he did to me. 

I have become so aggressive and violent towards everyone, especially Kira. I have threatened to kill her and accused her of cheating on me.

I almost hit her and finally flung a hot cup of tea at her.  

We’ve been married for almost 5 years. We have no children. She wants a baby. I’ve been unable to grant her wish because I’m not in a good place.

I can’t welcome a baby looking and feeling like this. I need to sort out all my issues before becoming a father to a child.

I can’t have my child hearing me beating his or her mum and yelling at her.

Finally, my wife left me. She’s scared of me. After I flung the hot cup of tea at her she left to be with her parents and I don’t blame her.

I’m so unstable and can harm her. If I do, I’ll never forgive myself. She’s safer with her parents. I’m going to try and win her back.

How has it affected your relationship with your parents? You always talk about your mum, how about your father? Don’t you have a good relationship with him?

I love my father as much as my mum but Dad has been in denial since it happened. He doesn’t show much emotion.

Probably now he would. It’s mum who has cried and even ended up in a hospital because of me.

It’s affected my relationship with my mum. We used to be very close and hang out. I’ve not gone home in months since I got out.

I’m just ashamed of everything I’ve experienced and I feel she’ll see right through me.

I never wanted her to find out because it’ll shatter her as much as it has shattered my Kira.

To be continued

© Treasure Ezuruike.

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