The Blue House S03 E10

Kunle was an optimist, he believed people could change and bad situations could turn around. In spite of the fact that he had been served divorce papers, he genuinely believed that Banke just needed to be pacified. This morning Teniola had said her first word 'mama', and he had been sad because he couldn't share the moment with Banke. He had spoken to her brothers as planned but they all said the same thing: "We can't force her to be married you."

"Irreconcilable differences!"He muttered under his breath as he drove. No court could possibly allow the divorce, he had been a responsible husband who only wanted to keep his family out of debt. Any judge should be able to see through Banke's flimsy excuse.
He pulled up in front of her house wondering what he'd tell the gateman this time around. Thankfully the pedestrian gate was open and he approached Banke's door rehearsing his speech. She was in, he could hear the TV and her car was parked in front. He knocked once.
A tall handsome man opened the door. "Afternoon?"
Kunle's tongue was tied. "Ah...ah...ah... Who are you?"
"Excuse me?" The man cocked his head to one side.
"I said who are you?" Kunle's confidence had returned.
"Look man, you're the stranger here..."
"George who's that?" Banke asked from inside the house.
The man shrugged his shoulders in confusion as Banke came to the door. She sighed. "Why don't you go in...? I'll handle this." She waved George in.
"You know this guy?"
"Ah...yeah it's... he's my ex...well husband..."
"Oh!" George gave Kunle a look-over and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm George"
Kunle stared at the hand, cymbals were going off in his head and his body felt numb.
"Just go in okay..." Banke nudged George in then said to Kunle when the door was closed. "What are you doing here?"
Kunle scratched his head with both hands. "Banke who is that guy?" He almost cried.
"A friend. You've not answered my question."
"Is he the reason you want a divorce?"
"No...What do you want?"
"You're already with someone else? So soon? Was life with me that hard?"
"I'm not sleeping with anyone else okay? He's just a friend."
"Banke... Don't destroy us."
"Okay first of all there's no us anymore and you destroyed what we had! Why are you here?!"
"I came to appeal to you."
Banke sighed. "I'm really tired of repeating myself! It's over, I'm no longer interested. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"Banke..."
"If I see you at my door again I'll get a restraining order against you. Please leave me alone and get yourself a lawyer!" With that she slammed the door.
Kunle cried because now he knew it was really over.
**********
Ronke slapped her knees together still angry about the day's event. Dapo hadn't returned and the atmosphere in the house was tense, the children were in the boys’ room as instructed.
"Ayodele!"She finally called.
"Ma!"
Ayodele stood several paces away. As far as he was concerned, his mother was a volcano waiting to erupt.
"Are you sure you used a condom every time you were with that girl?"
"Yes ma"
"Think about it very well, are you very sure you used a condom every time?"
"Yes ma I'm very sure."
"Okay, go inside"
Two hours later Dapo returned with two men, they were members of their church who also hosted fellowships in their homes every Sunday. They were close friends but also men who had mentored them over the years. They tried to look as pleasant as possible but Ronke could tell that they were very uncomfortable being in their position.
“Sister Ronke!” they greeted as amiable as possible, Dapo had told them that she had threatened him with a knife.
“Good evening.” Ronke replied politely hut without a smile.
“Can we all seat down?” The older of the two, Elder Jensimi said. They all did.
“Sister Ronke, Brother Dapo came to our houses,” he pointed to the other man “To tell us some things and I told him I didn’t believe him, the Sister Ronke I know would never do that to her husband so we decided to come and hear your own side of the story. What really happened?”
“He slapped me and I slapped him back.” Ronke replied simply.
“You slapped him back? But Sister Ronke that is strange, I have never known you to be a violent person.” Elder Jensimi shook his head unbelievingly. Dapo had a smug look on his face glad to see that the elders had truly been disappointed in Ronke.
“You’re very right sir, I have never been a violent person but I thought you would ask why Dapo slapped me in the first place.” The other man Elder Adejobi flinched, he had never heard Ronke call her husband anything else but “dear” or “Bro Dapo”.
“But no matter what could have happened you should never have slapped your husband” Elder Adejobi said.
“Really? So what should I have done?” Ronke’s eyes had started blazing.
“You are a mature Christian, I expected you to have reported the matter to the church leadership.”
“In that case let me report Dapo to you. I shouldn’t have had our baby when I had her, but Dapo pushed me to the ground so I fell into premature labour. This man had treated me like trash for so many years and I have endured it like a good Christian woman, I’m no longer going to do that. Dapo must change, I’m his wife not his servant.”
The men sat stunned looking from Dapo to Ronke and then back at each other. “Is this true Bro Dapo?”
“Actually I was provoked…”
“Our son is being accused of raping and impregnating Peace our former house help because he had been sleeping with her. I told Dapo to speak with him but my advice was not good enough for him. He said the boy should know what to do because we have brought him up in the Christian way. Dapo is too proud to admit that he’s made a mistake instead he chooses to slap me around because I told him the truth.”
The men sighed. “I had no idea that this was going on in this house. We would have involved Pastor. Sister Ronke please try to keep calm, we’ll go and discuss this with Pastor.” The men got up thoroughly disappointed in Dapo and shocked at the things they had just heard.
“Let me see you off…” Dapo offered.
“Don’t bother, just stay here with your family.” Elder Jensimi said avoiding Dapo’s eyes.
“Alright bye sir”
“Bye!” The men went out and closed the door.
“So you had to tell them? You’ve disgraced this family!”
“No, you’ve disgraced this family. You brought them here to fight me but my God is bigger than you! I’m sure that they are very disappointed in you. You’re a hypocrite!” She walked away then turned back. “By the way, don’t even think of touching my child”
**********
“So that was your ex-husband?” George asked tearing off a bite of pizza.
“Yeah…”
“Weirdo! He couldn’t say a thing when he saw me at the door.”
“He was probably surprised.” Banke said sullenly picking up a slice of pizza. George saw that the visit had upset her and started to stroke her back.
“You’ll be fine. Everything will be okay.” His hands went down her spine to the boundaries of her buttocks and he explored the area.
“Stop it. What are you doing?”
“Just trying to make you feel better.”
“It’s not helping.” She pushed his hands off.
“Sorry…” George pulled away hurt.
Banke saw it and sighed. “Look I told him I’m not sleeping with anyone and I want to keep it that way.”
“Why are you trying to impress him?”
“I’m not trying to impress him, I’d feel bad if I slept with anyone else before the divorce is made final.”
“And what if it takes up to two years?”
“I’ll wait.”
“Really? You’ll stay celibate just because you don’t want to feel guilty? Let me tell you, he’s a man and he’s definitely getting his groove on with some other chick.”
“No, Kunle is not like that.” Banke shook her head.
“Kunle is not like that” George mimicked. “You’re talking as if you still love the guy.”
“Why are we talking about this?”
“I’m sorry, let’s change the topic.” George waved his hands dismissively but he had already accomplished his mission. The sooner Banke got in his bed, the quicker she’d forget Kunle and be married to him. Banke was the woman of his dreams, a woman with plenty of money and willing to spend it.