What a mess," I said as I tried booting my suit, ready to escape from my wife's trap. I checked the time; it was six a.m. I went close to the mirror and checked if anything was wrong with my suit, and it was good.I hurriedly carried my briefcase, heading to the door when I heard a knock. I stopped without making a move, and the person continued knocking. It stopped, and I went quietly to the door, hoping the person knocking was not my wife. If it is her, then there would be no work for that day. Finally, I opened the door and took a deep breath when I saw that it was not her, but one of my maids.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted, and I responded.
My heart began to beat, praying that she would not tell me about my wife.
It has been a week since I last went to work because of my wife; she finds one excuse or another to ensure that I don't go to work. The worst part is that I have tried to escape, but she catches me each time I attempt to leave her. Since the day she lost her child, everything about her has changed. She keeps an innocent face but is wicked at heart and beautiful in appearance. I can remember the first time I met her. She was dressed like a responsible person and looked decent. Her boldness and walking style are admirable, but don't dare to cross her. She's a strong lady, tall, and dark in complexion, and has everything a woman needs, but her behavior is the problem. She only fights with men, and every day I receive a complaint about her.
I remembered the day she fought an army man for no reason. I will never forget that day because I almost got killed, but God saved me. She loves looking for trouble, and everyone in the street knows her for such things.
After five years of our marriage, she got pregnant, and this was what she wanted, but everything shattered when she delivered our baby, and after three months, the baby died. Since then, she has totally changed; she doesn't let me go to work. That's why I decided to leave as early as I can.
"Your food is ready."
I took a deep breath of relief as she said this, hoping not to hear more.
"Actually, I am not hungry."
I smiled, hoping she would leave, but she was still standing.
"And what now?" I asked.
"Ma'am, want to see you."
I almost fainted when I heard what she said. I thought of a response, but I was short of words. So, I followed the distraction of my lips and said something.
"Tell her I'm coming."
She turned and left. I stood in wonder when I said that.
"Richard, you are not supposed to tell her that..." I said in regret and looked around to see if anyone was watching. All the maids were at their duty posts. I looked through the door at the staircase; it was too long, and before I could escape, I would be caught.
So, I had to do what came to my mind. I was set and ready to escape from my enemies. I quickly ran and found myself at the top of a staircase. I headed down with joy. My happiness knew no bounds as I approached the feet of the stairs, and then suddenly I stopped when I saw her standing at the door... I rubbed my eyes to be sure I was not daydreaming.
"Not again!!!!!!!!!!" I complained.
"Where do you think you are going?" she asked.
"I was going to see if I could get some fresh air; I am hot in here," I lied, hoping she would believe what I said.
"So you are telling me that you are dressed up like this just to get air?" I looked down at the suitcase I was holding, thinking of another lie my brain could come up with.
"Oh... this??"
"I never knew I was holding it, and as for the dress, I didn't know when I put it on."
"You are lying; I know you are trying to escape. My prey hardly escapes. I lost my child, and all you do is work and never care about how I feel."
"Don't say such things; I wasn't trying to escape." I held her hand and led her to her room.
We got to the room, and I made sure she sat on the bed. She placed her head on my shoulder; I knew it was the end of work for that day. I was thinking of how I was going to hold up with whatever she was going to tell me, and thanks to God, she never said anything.
Two minutes later, she sat up straight, looking into my eyes.
I averted my attention.
"Please help massage my legs," she said.
"I would help you call Madam Lucy; she can help you do that." The look on her face gave me a hint of what she was about to do. It was either she would cry or she would pick a fight, which I wasn't ready for.
"Okay, okay... I will help you with that."
I took an ointment from the table close to me and began massaging her legs.
I missed the old person I knew; she would always take good care of me. The only thing I certainly disliked was her consistency in disgracing me, and that is why I have also decided not to take her out with me again. Because if I do, she will disgrace me or fight with anybody who mistakenly looks at her any way, especially guys. She likes fighting with men, not her fellow women. This makes me scared because one day she might beat me and send me out of the house. But now, everything has changed; her boldness has turned into sadness, and I am missing it.
How I wish she would come back the way she was. The next day in the morning, I decided not to go to work. I sat on the verandah to relax, waiting for a maid to come and inform me about my wife. I checked the time; it was eight o'clock. I could not believe she had not sent any maid to come and call me. I looked around in surprise, hoping that what I saw in my dream last night would not come to pass. I knew it must surely come to pass because my dreams come true. In the dream, I saw my parents with their luggage to spend the holidays, and I wished it never came to pass.
"Good morning, sir," a voice said from behind, and I turned to look; it was one of my maids.
"No need to tell me; your madam sent you to come and call me."
"No, sir."
I became happy immediately she responded.
"So why are you here?"
"I only came to ask you if you need anything."
"Get me a cup of coffee."
She left, and I began to jump with excitement. I stopped immediately when something came to mind: the dream I had last night and why my wife had not sent someone to come and call me. I stood quietly, thinking about the reason behind it. The coffee was served, and I took a sip, but I poured it out immediately when I saw my mother and her husband with their luggage.
"What the heck?" I said in a scared voice and quickly went in to look for Oluchi, but I didn't see her. I wondered where she had gone. If they both see each other, I'm doomed. They are like cats and dogs and hate each other so much. Since I didn't see her, I quickly ran out to stop my parents from coming in.
"Look at my son," she said joyfully and hugged me. I forced a smile and hugged her back. I greeted my father, and he touched my shoulder the way he usually does.
"What's the reason for this visit?"
"What a question! So we cannot visit our son again? We are here to stay with you for a week, just a week. I don't want what happened to my grandchild to happen to you. That stupid wife of yours, Oluchi, I'm ready for her this time, and I will teach her the duty and responsibility of a wife," she said, tying her head tie. I wanted to warn her to stop insulting my wife, but I remembered that each time I tried to warn her, she slapped me.
She still treats me like a child who still says "mama, thank you."
"Get out of my way," she pushed me aside and went in with her luggage. I followed her and was ready to bear any consequences, but it seems my wife is nowhere to be found, and I wish she would not come out from her hiding place. However, it seems that anytime I make a wish, the worst always happens. Immediately, I saw her coming down from the staircase; I prayed, "Let the ground open and swallow me," but God would not let it happen. Instead, He will make me face what I have built.
"Oh God, why is this always happening to me?" I said in my mind. As soon as my mother saw her coming, she introduced herself by pouring out insults.
"Child killer, so you have finally succeeded in killing my grandchild, and you are happy about it."
She looked at my mother and smiled, and I know what that means. Anytime she smiles, making her lips shift aside, it doesn't mean something good but bad.
"Who brought this porn star into my house?"
I could not believe what I heard.
"What," I shouted.
"Hey, keep your mouth shut. When she called me a child killer, you didn't say anything and remained quiet," she said, facing my mother.
"Porn star, that's what you are."
I stood and watched her, wanting to see my mother's reaction, but instead, she smiled at her.
"I agree that I'm a porn star and that made me a celebrity, but you, the whole world knows you as a child killer."
I was surprised to hear what my mother said and was also happy that she didn't know the meaning, and I prayed she would never know the meaning. I don't want to make a wish because if I do, it happens in a negative way.
"How dare you call my mother that?" a voice said from behind.
I recognized the voice and wished it wasn't the person I was thinking of. I turned and saw my younger sister, Anita, coming angrily. I quickly covered her mouth and dragged her outside.
"Please, Anita, don't let Mum know the meaning of that."
"Your wife called mother a porn star, Richard."
"I know, but please don't tell Mother if you don't want to ruin anything for me. She has been through a lot; she is trying to recover from it. Please, I'm begging you, please..."
"Okay, but promise me that your wife will not call Mum that again."
"I promise."
Anita is the only person who understands everything, and she loves my wife so much. They are like sisters. We both went in, and as we entered, I saw my wife and mother fighting; her husband was holding her waist, and I quickly ran to hold my wife.
"What's the problem this time?" Anita asked.
"This child killer called me an animal instead of calling me a porn star."
My sister and I looked at each other in surprise. I gave a sign signifying not to tell her the meaning. After everything, she went back to her room and began to cry. I went to console her. When I got to the door, I heard her crying, and I thought about what to tell her when I got inside. I could not figure out what to tell her, so I bitched in, and surprisingly, I saw her licking ice cream and crying at the same time. I'm not meant to be surprised because that's what she normally does each time she's crying. I sat close to her, and she was still licking the ice cream.
"Sorry for what my mother called you earlier today."
"Your mother called me a child killer. Not only that, she accused me of killing my baby..."
She cried and put the ice cream in her mouth.
"I'm here to apologize on her behalf, and please don't call her..."
"She's a porn star," she interrupted.
"Don't say that again."
"I said she's a porn star."
"You are making me angry."
"I will say it again and again."
I kept quiet and watched her lick her ice cream. After she was done licking the ice cream, she put her hand under the bed and brought out another one. "What?" I said, looking at her in surprise, and she looked at me.
"What? Why are you looking at me? You better tell your mother to leave, or else I will be the one to throw her out of this house."
I didn't say anything and watched her eat her ice cream.