Chapter Twenty Four
I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
Life looked bleak and complicated for Ken and Dora while growing up. Void of love and hope. When destiny brought them together, it was hard for them to think of love because they do not believe it exists. They finally found love and became committed to their vows. One Saturday morning, while sexing and resting, Dora looked back to where they were coming from and where they were as lovers, she thought it fit to reassure her husband.
"Hubby."
"Yes dear."
He turned and looked at her beautiful face while she rested her head on the headboard of their family size bed.
"You are my love machine. You pump love into me when I'm down."
Ken smiled, sat up and rested his head on the headboard too, pulled her closer and planted a peck on her temple then expressed.
"You are my love bank. The reservoir of my love. It just keeps flowing, and I can't stop loving you."
He knew that such expression came from the depth of her heart and associated with the blissful lovemaking they just had. Such encouraging words gave him the maximum arousal he needed to pleasure her again. He kissed her temple again and graduated to a deep, passionate kiss, which she reciprocated with moaning in ecstasy.
"Sweetie, you are the best."
Ken responded by sucking her already stiff nipple and then asked.
"Do you like it?"
"I like it and I need you."
Ken made her sit on his dipstick and gave her the satisfaction she craved after they climaxed, they appreciated each other.
"Thank you hubby."
"Thank you for being my wife. I love you."
This had been the tempo of their relation until Ken was attacked at the workplace due to envy. The frustration made him to drift away from his vow and abused his wife physically. He could not believe that he would deign to hit her.
Dora's Perspective
Some women picked the wrong men out of many. I have heard women complain of a whoring husband. I always counted myself an exception. My husband, Ken, was every woman's dream. He was handsome looking, well-built, intelligent and smart. He was also a man of his words. Furthermore, he attached so much love and interest to his family, and bent on ensuring that he distinguished himself from his father who was a polygamist, wife beater and with many legitimate and illegitimate concubines. Fortunately, none of his siblings took after the father. When he asked for my hands in marriage, my mother was afraid, judging from his background. Today, he had proved everyone wrong.
He hardly kept late night except of recent. I was surprised at his sudden change of attitude. This was not the same man I married and loved so much.
"Welcome back, dear."
I greeted with a warm smile when he entered the house with his key. I had been angry and waiting for him but decided to control my anger the moment I saw him. After all, I don't know what had kept him this long. He was surprised at my calmness and smiles. He expected that I should be angry and jealously asked him where he had been, but he saw calmness that depicted lack of concern and love. What he failed to understand was that I had been crying while praying for his safe return. Every woman who loved her husband should be crying when he keeps late night. I truly had a full doze of it. Ken only saw my smiling face that covered a broken heart. I walked towards him for a hug and if possible, a peck as usual, but I was disappointed. He threw my love back at me the hard way.
(Slap)
(Slap)
My head spun around, confused for some seconds. The tears that I had suppressed flowed freely as though a tap was turned on. It had never happened before. I looked at my lovely husband of nineteen years, I could not believe it was him acting in this manner. All the same, I managed to ask amidst tears droplets and surprise.
"You slapped me, Ken?"
"Yes, and I will do it again and again. People say they mistakenly married witches instead of wives. I thought they were fairy tales, now I can see the wisdom in their claims."
He said while attempting to loosen his tie.
I was looking at my husband of nineteen years while holding back my tears and restraining myself from crying aloud for many reasons.
Furthermore, I was afraid that he may be under a spell and may do something that both of us would regret. Not only that, but I have never seen him behave like this before. His eyes were as red as a coal of fire. He was panting and sweating profusely like one that just completed one thousand five hundred meters race.
Another reason was that I would not want our children to know that the love, peace, and unity they enjoyed in the family were about to give way.
It was past 11pm, on a Friday, he came back home from wherever he was yet to explain. I dried my tears, sensing the food on the dining table may need to be warmed, and I decided to do just that. I carried the food and headed towards the kitchen.
'What is the matter with my, Ken?'
I asked myself.
I do not know why he thought I must be responsible for his plight. He felt I do not care any more about him anymore and that was why I did not call to find out where he was. I did not do all that because I do not want him to feel I was suspecting him. I did not call or complain like other women when they were about losing their husbands because I would not want to make life more miserable for him or complicate things the more for him. He had been through a lot in the office that week and do not wish to add to his problems. What a life of women.
A woman has no possession of her life; you complain, you are beaten, you do not complain, you are beaten as well. What an unfair life for women.
He felt that by slapping me, he would remind me that he was still the husband. He thought I was fed up with him and wished him dead. I saw the picture of an intimidated man who was about losing his ego. I was able to read his thoughts. He decided to walk to our room to avoid another violent move that may lead to a fight, thereby waking the children from sleep and disturbing the entire neighborhood. After placing the food into the microwave, I walked back to the living room to see what his next line of action would be.