The Blue House S03 E03

“I’ve been invited for an interview.”
Helen was changing into her nightgown even though it was morning, she had just returned from a night shift. “Is it the job you talked about?”
“Yes.” Obiora concentrated on knotting his tie, effectively avoiding having to look her in the face.

“You’re really doing this Obi? You’re really going to take a job that will take you away from us?” Even though this came as no surprise to her, the reality of it was painful.
“I’m just trying to do what’s best for this family. I need to be able to provide for my family!”
“Precisely my point! This is all about you! Have I ever complained to you? Am I complaining? I like us the way we are, I know things are rough right now but they’ll get better. Let’s stay together!”
“Helen you’re being unreasonable…”
“I’m being unreasonable?”
“Yes! You know how long it took us to pay the boys’ school fees this term. What happens next term? How do we pay for other unforeseen expenses? Right now we’re just feeding from hand to mouth. I love you, you know I’ll do anything for the family but we need this job.”
“No, you need this job. Money is not everything!”
“We’ll talk about this when I get back.” Obiora picked up his bag and walked out of the room.
“Obi…Obi…”
**********
“I asked you what happened before but you lied to me. I want you to tell me exactly what happened between you and that girl.”
Ayodele told her everything amidst tears. He had thought he was enjoying manhood, never in his wildest imagination would he have thought that the recent events would be a consequence of his adventures. His father looked at him with even more contempt as the days went by, Joke had totally lost her respect for him and spoke to him as she pleased, Posi was still afraid of him and avoided him like a plague. He had never felt lonelier and out of place as he did now in his father’s house. His mother had approached him this afternoon with inquisitiveness, not accusation and that was the best anyone had been to him so far.
“So you never forced her?”
“Force her? Never Mummy, I never forced her.”
“But you’re the one who asked her to come upstairs right?”
“Yes, but I never forced her. I even begged her, I never forced her to.”
“Hmmn… have you spoken with her after that day when your father found out?”
“No ma, by the time we got back from the hospital she was gone. She had packed all her things.”
“And you’re sure you’re telling me the truth?”
“Yes ma. Why would I lie?”
“Because you have lied to me before. Her aunty is saying that you raped her.”
“What? I’m in trouble” Ayodele raised his hands on his head and began to wail.
“Calm down! That’s why I’m asking you to tell me the truth. If there’s anything you want to add, better do so now.”
“I’ve told you everything ma. I never raped her!” Ayodele wailed even more.
“So where is she getting her story from?” Ronke wondered out loud. “One more thing, did you use a condom every time you had…slept with her?”
“Yes ma” Ayodele replied embarrassed, looking down.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes ma, we never did it without a condom.”
“But why Ayodele? We brought you up in the fear of the Lord. We’ve tried our best for all of you, why did you have to do this? What evils spirit led you to this extent?”
“I’m sorry ma”
“Hmmn…” Ronke placed her chin on her palm feeling depressed. “I have failed.” She thought to herself.
**********
“Look for another wife.”
“What? Mummy I’m sure things are not that bad, she’s just angry with me because I put her out of the house. That’s why I was saying that I wanted to go and plead with her.” Kunle regretted confiding in his mother, he should have known that she would take things to the extreme.
“You will only make a fool of yourself if you do that. She’s no longer interested in you. I spoke to her mother not long ago, the woman was so sad. She said Banke is getting a place of her own and would soon file for custody of your daughter.”
“What? Banke wouldn’t do that. Look Mummy I know Banke, she’s just angry. All I need to do is see her.”
“Kunle listen to me, that girl has moved on. Please do the same. I have never agreed to your union…”
“Exactly! So now you want to use this opportunity to break us up!”
“Kunle are you accusing me of being a home breaker?
“I didn’t say that…”
“But you implied it. Is that what you really think of me?”
“Mummy…”
“You know what, I wash my hands off the affairs of your marriage. Live your life as you please.”
“He…” his mother had hung up. Kunle exhaled sharply, things had just gone from bad to worse. Why were women so complicated? He thought about his conversation with his mother. Would Banke really leave him? He decided it was time to call her. He tried several times but she wouldn’t take his calls. Later on she sent a text message, it simply read:

Please stop calling me.
He replied her message.

Please let’s talk, I really need to talk to you. We miss you, I miss you.

Banke didn’t respond.
**********
He walked into the house mesmerized by the fragrance of the scented candles. They had planned this night for a while and he couldn’t wait to see her dressed in the lavender lingerie he had bought her recently. She was supposed to have taken the kids to their grandmother’s so they would be undisturbed.  He could already hear Boyz II Men’s I’ll Make Love to You playing in the background.
He paused by the door, loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt. He wanted to look prepared for her too. He walked into the room and there she was lying on the bed with another man. She responded to the strange man’s strokes with passion calling out his name feverishly. He stood there stunned, immobile and then he started to weep.
Effiong woke up crying. He turned on his side and there she was. His lovely slutty wife. This was the first night they had slept on the same bed after the accident, he had decided to take things one step at a time. It had been a mistake, he couldn’t reconcile with Olayinka or ever totally forgive her.
She forgave you. An inner voice said to him.
Yes, and then she cheated on me. He replied getting up to go to the couch in the sitting room.
“What is it? Are you okay?” Olayinka asked sleepily.
“I had a dream.”
Olayinka sat up. “What kind of dream was it? Was it about the kids?”
“No it was about you.” Effiong replied emotionlessly.
“Me?”
“Yeah, I dreamt of how much you enjoyed your boyfriend. You were really having fun with him. Tell me, is he better than me?”
“Effiong…”
“No really you can tell me, does he do it better?” Effiong turned towards Olayinka ignoring the pain in her voice.
“Please Effiong, I thought we were past this.”
“I doubt that we can ever be past this. I’ll take your silence to my question as a yes, no wonder I didn’t appeal to you.” He shook his head, grabbed a pillow and left the room.