THE MARRIAGE: A Touching Tale – Episode 2

THE MARRIAGE
(A TOUCHING TALE)
EPISODE 2
Shana was carried away thinking of what to do that she didn’t hear Femi end the call and open the door, startling her. He was also frightened when he bumped into her for he was not expecting her to be eavesdropping on his phone conversation since he left her sleeping.
Femi: “Gosh you scared me. What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be sound asleep by this time?”
Shana remained rooted on the spot and couldn’t find her voice.
Femi: “Have you gone deaf? What is wrong with you?”
Shana: “Ah, erm…er..I mean. Yes, I was sleeping when I had this terrible nightmare and woke up with a start. I didn’t see you on the bed so I thought of checking on you in there”, she pointed at the restroom from where he came.
Femi: “Are you a kid? What sort of nightmare is it that got you so scared you couldn’t wait for me to come out of the toilet?”
Shana: “I wanted to tell you about it before I forget. You know how I easily forget nightmares. I was just about knocking when you opened the door”.
Femi: “You mean you just got to the door when I came out?”
Shana: “Yes?”
Femi: “Like you didn’t listen to my cal…I mean you weren’t eavesdropping on my conversation?”
Shana: “What conversation are you talking about? I thought you went to ease yourself, were you talking in the toilet?” she feigned ignorance.
Femi: “Me talk in the toilet? No o. I don’t even know what I am saying. In fact, I think I am sleep walking. Lets get back to sleep”, he kissed her on the forehead and led her to bed. Few minutes later, he was already snoring. Shana was wide awake wondering when and how Femi learnt to lie this smoothly. As she was thinking, she felt her anger rise to her throat and she felt the strong urge to pull his duvet from his head and talk sense into his head but she held her calm for she knew that anger would not yield any positive result in this case.
The next morning, she was still asleep when Femi got ready and drove out of the house. She had pretended to be fast asleep when he grabbed his phone and left in a hurry without giving her a peck on the forehead like he always did and this broke her heart the more.
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Femi got to the office in good time to get himself ready for the business of the day. They were recruiting fresh bankers to fill different vacant positions of marketers, tellers and customer relation officers. As the branch manager of one of the most popular branches of the bank, he and the human resource team were going to conduct the interview. This was the second phase of the screening process after the aptitude tests that they had subjected candidates to. He was dressed in a black tuxedo that gave him the fitting of his life. As soon as he drove into the bank premises where the interview was to hold, the security men saluted him and directed him to the parking area reserved for staff. One of the security men went to his colleague at their duty post.
Security 1: “Shebi this oga wey drive enter so na Garki 1 branch manager? Why him no get driver? Other managers get drivers na”.
Security 2: “My brother, the thing heavy me for mouth to talk seff. Them say bank give am driver but him no dey gree make the man drive am because he want to drive himself as per say driving na im hobby”.
Security 1: “Which kind yeye hobby. Him never talk the reason why he no want get driver, the truth go soon commot”.
Security 2: “Shhh. Keep your tongue inside your mouth o, e be like say this job don tire you that is why you dey yarn anyhow”.
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When the human resource team settled down to the interview proper, the applicants were called in one after the other and after the interview which lasted for almost three hours, Femi rushed out to pick his calls for his phone has been on silent mode all through the time the interview lasted. Some of the missed calls he saw included calls from his mother, his wife and his mistress whose name he saved as ‘Real Deal’. Quickly, without even thinking of calling his mother or wife, he dialed his mistress’ number.
Femi: “Hello, Sweeri. Somebody almost ran down my battery with calls, don’t tell me you are missing me already”.
Licia: “See who is talking, as if you don’t miss me too. Should I tell you what you have missed today?”
Femi: “Please don’t start o, do you want me to Com inside my trousers at work? Your voice alone is too much seduction”.
Licia: “Are you coming over for lunch? I have…”
Femi: “Oh no baby, not today. I need to rush to my branch now, I came to the headquarters for interview. I will see you later in the evening after work”. When he dropped the call, he saw that his wife was calling. Hissing, he picked up the call.
Femi: “What is it? Have you forgotten that I am at work? You know how I h@ťě to be distracted at work”.
Shana: “Sorry, Ifemi. This is not the first time I am calling you at work now. Anyway, I called to know what you would like to eat as dinner”.
Femi: “Do you have to call to ask that? Look I am tired of your endless questions every day. Use your discretion and cook wh@ťěver you want. I have a customer to attend to” he ended the call.
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Femi was in the office going through some statements of account when a lady dressed in a segzy mini skirt and lilac skirt walked in. In a second, the expert that he is, Femi allowed his eyes roam from her face which had a perfect make up to her lips, painted in sharp purple lipstick. His eyes moved to her chest which although modest was moving in sync with her breathing. She was of a small frame but very cute. She looked almost like a doll and he felt like grabbing her and playing with her like he did with his toy when he was a child. “Hello”, her husky voice interrupted him.
Femi: “Oh, hi. Welcome to the branch manager’s office, please have a sit. How may I help you?”
Nana: “Hello, Mr Manager”. She said staring at him in the eye.
Femi: “Wait a minute, I have met this pretty face before. Where o, where? Where? Where?”
Nana: “You met me few hours ago. I was one of the applicants you interviewed”.
Femi: “Yes! I remember. Don’t mind me, I meet so many people every day that keeping track of faces is a big problem for me. What can I do for you, please?”
Nana: “I need this job, I need it badly. I don’t care what you want in return, just give me this job and I will do wh@ťěver you want”.
Femi: “Are you out of your mind? What is wrong with applicants of nowadays? You think every man is useless like the ones you have met in your pathetic life? Look at my finger; that is a wedding ring. I am married and I love my wife more than anything in the world. You think it’s every time that segz sells? Take your cheap body out of here”.
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After closing that day, Femi who was planning to stop over at Licia’s place for lunch was about driving out when he ran into one of his colleagues, the head of customer relations. When he asked why she was yet to go home, she said her car broke down and she was waiting to pick a cab home because she couldn’t reach her husband on phone.
Femi: “I could drop you off, I am going towards that end. I mean I know you have an infant and you should be with him by now, it’s getting late”.
She accepted the offer and got into his car. Shana on the other hand was driving to her favourite supermarket in town to buy some toiletries when she saw a car that looked like her husband’s drive past her. She looked at the plate number of the car and she realized that it was for sure her husband’s car. A closer look at the car revealed that her Femi was not alone but had a woman with him. Femi was driving around town with a woman instead of coming home to her. So this was the woman that had been disturbing her husband’s sleep in the night. She was determined to create a scene and disgrace the woman and so she abandoned the toiletries she wanted to buy and began to chase them in her car. “I will break that lady’s head today, instead of her to look for her own husband, she is going after my man. I will see if she will ever have the guts to go after married men again after I am done with her. As for Femi, I will give him the embarrassment of his life today”. She said as she made effort to catch up with their car.
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Question: is Shana doing the right thing? Why in your opinion is her husband cheating on her?