THE MARRIAGE: A Touching Tale – Episode 22

THE MARRIAGE
(A TOUCHING TALE)
EPISODE 22
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Femi drove to Soul Lounge with Licia, he was confused and he needed to drink alcohol to clear his head. It was not just about his issues with his wife, he was also worried about Nana and the shady deals she was dragging him into. She called earlier to inform him of a deal worth millions of naira involving the son of a former governor in one of the oil producing states. It was a high profile risk case but Nana was leaving him with no option than to comply.
After several bottles of alcohol, he drove to a nearby hotel with Licia, the last place he wanted to go was home and the last person he needed to see was his wife. Immediately his head hit the hotel pillow, he fell asleep leaving Licia irritated and hanging with his loud snoring triggered by the excessive alcohol in his system.
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Shana was still resting in bed that morning when a knock on the door woke her up. She walked sluggishly to the door and opened it, her parents were standing at the door.
Shana: “Mum! She shouted and hugged her mother tight”.
Mrs Banjo: “My baby! Look at what that man has done to you”.
They began to cry, Shana letting out loud sobs of all the pain she had bottled up in her over the years for the sake of protecting her marriage.
Mr Banjo: “Let us go inside, women. We didn’t come here to weep”.
He led the way into the sitting room and his wife and daughter followed him still holding on to themselves. When they were seated, Mr Banjo cleared his throat and began to speak.
Mr banjo: “How and when exactly did this thing start? I want every detail, do not hide anything away from your parents”.
Shana: “It started about two years ago when…”
Shana took her time amidst tears to explain everything to her parents. It was a painful narration that saw her father’s brow creasing and her mother shedding tears. Shana did not keep anything away from her parents, she narrated at all to them including the part where Femi forced her to have segz with him against her wish. At this, her mother flared up.
Mrs Banjo: “What are you telling me? That it got to the extent that your own husband rapes you? Femi has the guts to turn my only daughter into a punching bag? What wrong did we do by accepting him as a son in law?”
Mrs Banjo: “So, Femi did all these to you and you never bothered to talk to us your parents about it? What were you waiting for? The day he would bring your corpse to us?”
Shana: “I thought things would improve, I thought of all the advise you and mum gave me when I was getting married and I decided not to allow third party into our marriage like you advised”.
Mrs Banjo: “That is a very cheap excuse. There is no civil or religious law that admonishes women not to speak up in the face of domestic violence, many women have lost their lives as a result of that leaving their children at the mercy of their wicked husbands. I have been married to your father for more than 30 years and he has never raised a finger on me no matter the provocation. Now, that is what we call marriage”.
Shana: “I felt for Femi, I thought that if I give him a child, he would change for good. I thought he changed because of my inability to get pregnant years after marriage”.
Mr Banjo: “Nonsense, arrant nonsense! Is he the only man whose wife is finding it difficult to have a child? My elder brother celebrated 25 years of marital bliss last week and yet his wife have never conceived not even once. The children they have were adopted and they are grateful to God to even be among the living though barren. Are you saying that Femi has not seen situations where some children send their parents to early grave? In that case, is it not better you remain childless?”
Mrs Shana: “That Femi is just a deceptive wicked soul. If pregnancy is the issue, why is he still maltreating you now that you are pregnant?”
Shana: “I don’t know again. I am tired of everything”.
Mr Banjo: “And where is the Femi, is he not supposed to be at home by this time? Today is Saturday, work free day”.
Shana: “He went out with the maid who turned out to be his mistress since yesterday and they have not returned yet”.
Mrs Banjo: “Can you imagine the insult? Which man leaves his wife alone all night? Anyway, go in there and pack your things, you are leaving”.
Shana: “But…”’
Mr Banjo: “No buts, we are leaving. I already told his parents everything and they are in support of you leaving his house before he ki||s you so that the maid can take over your position”.
Her mother helped her back her essential wears and body effects into two boxes and Shana moved over to the kitchen to prepare breakfast since the they had about two hours before the next flight.
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Femi woke up late that morning with a start, he remembered the events of the previous night and his heart fell when he realized that Shana may have reported him to her parents. He got up and was hurriedly putting on his shirt when Licia turned.
Licia: “Why are you up this early? Today is Saturday now”.
Femi: “Early? You call this time of the morning early? You must still be having hangover. It’s almost 10am, madam”.
Licia: “And so? Is 10am not early, after all you are not going to work today. Yesterday night, you left me in the mood and slept off, I was hoping we could make love all day today. You know how we do it, now”, she rolled her tongue over her upper lip and winked at him.
Femi: “Oh please just stop. You never get tired of segz, do you? Anyway, I am going home, you can remain here if you wish”.
She got up, wore her dress and they drove home in silence with Femi’s heart beating furiously.
Shana and her parents were about stepping into the car that will take them to the airport when Femi and Licia drove in. Femi was shocked to see his in laws dragging his wife’ box, he got out of the car and ran out to greet them by prostrating flat on the floor.
Daddy and mummy, eka’abo ma”, he fumbled.
Mrs Banjo: “Gbe enu we son jor! Eka’abo oshi wo ni ye?” (Shup up your mouth, jare. What kind of stupid welcome is that?)
Mr Banjo: “Femi, I took you as my own son and gave you all the support you needed when you married my daughter. I used my connection to give you customers that invested billions of naira into your bank, that helped your rapid rise to the post of a bank manager. The best way to repay me was to subject my daughter to untold pain and psychological trauma, thank you”.
Femi: “Daddy!”
Mrs Banjo: “Ehn-eh, just hold it there. Femi, you have the heart to beat a girl that me who carried in the womb for nine months and went through hard labour to bring her to world have never raised a finger against. Iwo, Femi!”
“Baby, what is going on here?” Licia came out of the car asking. Femi felt like the ground would open and swallow him, that moment he cursed the day he met Shana”.
Shana: “Mum, dad, that is his mistress that he brought into our home under the guise of a maid. Femi, I am leaving your house and your life for good. And I promise you that as I am leaving, every good thing in your life will leave as well. For making a mockery of my love with Licia, I curse you. Women will be the cause of your downfall. I will send a truck over to pack the rest of my things in the house, while my lawyer will get in touch with you. As for the child in my womb, I promise that you will never come close to it in your entire life”.
Mr Banjo: “That is it, we have seen enough. Femi, you shall hear from our family lawyer”, he led his wife and daughter into the car and the driver drove away.
Licia came close to him to comfort him. “Finally, she has gone by herself. We now have all the space in the house to make love, no more hide and seek quickie session. Come lets go and shower together”
Femi: “Get your hands off me! Why didn’t you just remain in the car? Why did you have to come out and complicate things for me? Do you know what this is going to cause my family”.
Licia: “Femi leave my hand, you are hurting me”.
Femi: “I will not leave your hand and there is nothing you can do about me. In fact, you are leaving my house, I have had enough of you and your stupid obsession with segz. Come and pack your things and get out”, he held her by the room and dragged her to the guestroom where her things were.
Question: “Has Femi finally changed for good? Should Shana forgive him now that he is sending Licia way? Will the curse she placed on him be nullified if she forgives him?
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tbc