Before we left Toyin’s place, I managed to brief her. She was mute in disbelieve. We got home and
Kassim was nowhere to be found. He abandoned the poor girl at home to nurse her pain all alone.
My feeling towards Ope was mixed, a feeling of pity for her and a feeling of jealousy for sharing my man
with me. We waited till 7pm but Kassim never showed up. We left back to Toyin’s place that night. Her husband’s flight was scheduled to arrive Abuja by 6pm and he would pick a chartered taxi to Lokoja that
evening. How will he feel when he comes and see me in their house? I don’t want to create problem for
Toyin because they are living in harmony with her husband. They have just two children and David was
already in boarding school while Tola schools in Lagos with her father.
Toyin’s husband worked with a
big telecommunication company in Lagos as a legal adviser. He only comes to Lokoja by weekend and
returns on Monday with the first flight. Toyin too is a lawyer, they met at the law school and they have been married for thirteen years.
Toyin, let me go and lodge in a hotel, I don’t want your husband to meet me here, I pleaded with her.
I already told him you are here and he’s eager to meet you. Did you tell him what happened between me and my husband? Yes of course, you expect me to lie to him? I have never lied to my husband and I
don’t intend to ever lie to him. This is one secret that have helped us live together in harmony since we
got married. When he comes he will intervene and use his masculine wisdom to address the matter. I
felt ashamed of myself because I have been lying to my husband and he also have been lying to me.
We had caught each other lying to each other on many occasions. Maybe I shouldn’t have told Toyin what happened? How will I be able to face her husband when he comes?
When he finally arrived, it was late and he only came to say hi with Toyin. When I saw the way they held themselves romantically I had an urge to cry but I let them out before I bursted into tears.
While I was struggling with my tears, I noticed a beep on my phone, it was Kassim. He sent me a text apologizing for what happened in the morning. “My dear I’m sorry for what happened in the morning, it was the
devil who pushed me. I know I have offended you but I still love you”. I took my phone and deleted the
message in anger. Love my foot!
The following morning, I called my mother-in-law to inform her that I was no longer in her son’s house due to irreconcilable differences and the need to advice Ope to return home. She tried to asked me
what happened but I insisted only Kassim or Ope will tell her. The following day she was on the road to Lokoja. Kassim and family are from Ajase close to Omu-Aran in Kwara state. When she arrived she called
me to come to the house. She also called Kassim to come but he refused.
She begged me to return home but I refused. How can I stay with a man who abused his sister right in my presence? Would I be
happy living with him again? How will the wound he created be healed? What can erase that memory of
what I saw that day?
It was obvious Kassim will not come, it’s getting late ma and I need to go, I told mama. Nneka you
can’t go anywhere, this is your house, she said as she held me and her tears swept me off my feet. I
broke down in tears, Ope joined us as we all wept like someone just died for us.
The tears we shed that day wouldn’t be greater if Kassim was dead. I was tempted to stay back because of mama’s tears and
pleas but I was adamant. If I stay back, who will encourage me and keep my mind off the ugly situation
like Toyin will do? I pretended I wanted to use the toilet and sneaked out. Mama had stayed three days but Kassim was yet to show up.
Hang on for the next episode….
© Ayodele Adeoye