Taking Chances – Episode 51

*****EPISODE 51*****

 

Her uncle had tried in futility to lure her out to greet her cousin and her children, but she had adamantly declined. The man had stopped pestering her when he saw and understood how devastated she was.

 

Instead, he had asked the maid to take her dinner to her. Daisy had also asked for juice, which was brought to her and that had been the last anyone saw her on the Friday she came visiting.

 

 

Then on Saturday, Ada had taken the bold step to go talk with the insolent young woman who though her state, should have atleast come say hello to relatives she was just meeting.

 

When she had entered the room with little Nedu, she had found Daisy on the bed, facing the wall. Then going over to seat, she called on her.

 

‘Chinwe, are you awake?’

 

Daisy had rolled to face her after a minute hesitation. Her eyes were bloodshot from the crying she did through out the night.

 

‘God! Is it this bad?’

 

Daisy said nothing, just stared at her.

 

‘You’re uncle John’s daughter right? The one that had been overseas all this while?’

 

Daisy still said nothing, didn’t feel like talking, wanted to ignore the woman by returning to her previous position, but found it rude to do so.

 

‘Please talk to me, what exactly is the problem? Father tells me you refused to see anyone, what is it? We are your families you know?’

 

At the word, ‘family’ Daisy’s tears started again. ‘Heh! Ogini mekwa nu? Why don’t you want to talk?’

 

Little Nedu, got out from his mother’s lap and crawled to Daisy to stare at her as if he could feel her pain.

 

‘See, even Nedu wants you to talk to us’ the mother had said.

 

Daisy smiled, raised herself up and patted the child.

 

‘Ji’ she said feebly

 

‘Thank God! Now can you calm down and tell me what is wrong?’

 

She sighed. ‘I don’t know if I should bother you with my problems’ she said wiping her tears.

 

‘Biko, bother me, the whole family is worried about you’

 

‘Am sorry for making them be, I just wanted to be alone…and cry my pain out’ ‘What pain is that?’

 

‘It’s my marriage, its not working’ Daisy had said with a painful sigh.

 

‘Odi egwu! A marriage issue has got you this down that you want to kill yourself?’

 

‘Why shouldn’t I? Was it a crime to come marry him, is it a crime to love a person, why me?’ she had cried.

 

‘Please calm down and tell me what exactly…’

 

 

‘He cheated on me! The bas…bas…’ she couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘…and he had the guts to deny everytime. Then at the end, he tells me that he’d touched, kissed and cuddled her receptive body to my face!’

 

‘That was harsh of him! But was that all he did?’ ‘What do you mean?’ Daisy asked startled.

 

‘My dear, I thought you would say he sent you out or threatened to divorce you and that’s why you wanted to kill yourself’ ‘Are you saying what he did was right?’

 

‘No! No! No! That’s not what I mean, am saying that worst things happen in marriage than just infidelity yet the women aren’t dead’ ‘So I should get a divorce instead?’

 

Ada smiled. ‘that’s not even an option, at least its what my Bible say. Neither is it what I meant. People think marriage is a contract where you wake up one day and say to yourself ‘I want to opt out’! It goes beyond that, it is a vow of ’till death do us part’ shared before people and nothing is meant to severe the cord’

 

‘Yeah right! Even when the Idiot turns the wife to his wrestling partner, she should still stick her butt and say till death do us part? well I see one person parting tho the grave, and that’s the fool!’

 

‘You’re right there, such things happen, but life itself isn’t a smooth road is it? I do

 

hope that is not also the problem here?’

 

‘He can’t dare!’

 

‘Good! So the problem here is infidelity?’

 

‘Don’t care what you call it! And can you imagine he had the guts to treat my

 

friend badly and insinuate that I am sleeping with him! When he’s the guilty one?’

 

A scoff. ‘the society don’t see it so bad for a husband to cheat, but when the wife

 

does so, she’s crucified!’

 

‘That’s so cruel!’

 

‘You can say that again’ Ada said drily ‘it happened even in the Bible’ she added Daisy wasn’t a Bible person, she wasn’t sure she knew which passage or the story, but she believed her nonetheless.

 

‘Did I also add that the trend is more rampant among the Ibos?’ ‘Bloody Ibos, I hate them’

 

‘Funny you! Aren’t you a part of us?’

 

‘Am Yoruba now’

 

‘By marriage that is. And If my memory serves me right, wasn’t it this year you

 

got married to him?’

 

‘6 months now’

 

 

‘And you’re gonna give up on such tender marriage, just like that?’ ‘What do you intend I do?’ Daisy cried.

 

‘You can’t give up on it, or don’t you love him at all?’ ‘I very much do’ she whimpered.

 

‘And you’re gonna let some lady from nowhere dig her claws on your man? You’re the one he took to the altar, you’re the one wearing his rings, you’re the one bearing his name, so why let a loser feel she can come between you and your husband and make you cry out your heart? That is an error!

 

Ada continued: ‘Let me tell you a secret. Two years into my marriage, I felt my husband was playing a fast one on me, but I didn’t cry, no! I confronted him, but he denied squarely. Okay! No problems, I let peace reign, forgot everything and moved on. But I waited. Waited for the day I would personally see that lady in my house or making out with my husband, then I would tell her that I am the real woman in his life, the one he comes to every night, I would fight against her with all I have and scare her away from his life. Then if he eventually comes to his senses, I will forgive him and take him back to my bosom. Because if I push him away, then all my battles has been lost and he would go back to the seductress. Then what will that make me? A failed woman! A loser! That, I tell you, would be devastating to dignity of all the women in the world.

 

‘In the world!’ Daisy asked. Awed at the strength of the woman before her. ‘Yeah all the women in the world I think’ A smile, ‘never mind my wild assumptions, but the point still remains that you become a loser, losing both your man and your dignity. Don’t call us desperate, we are just fighting for our man, ourselves, our daughters and our sons!’

 

Daisy listened with rapt attention. She hadn’t seen it from this perspective, had been so bent on revenge that she didn’t see a reason to fight, just a reason to cry and hide.

 

Nedu was already fast asleep.

 

‘But…’ Daisy wanted to ask

 

‘No buts my dear, I’ve been married for ten years now and this is my success story. I apply 3 keys to my marriage: #Forgiveness, #communication and #companionship. These keys will never fail you’ ‘Whoa!’

 

‘Don’t whoa! Just go home, go and talk with him, get his perspective, maybe there’s something he’s been trying to tell you, why he did what he did. You’re a very pretty and endowed woman…’

 

Daisy blushed then.

 

‘…I don’t see what that other woman have that you don’t. Tease him, taunt him with your body, you’re a woman for Christ sake! But don’t starve him. Also remember the communication and forgiveness part, though they seem the hardest, but they solve more problem than you could ever imagine. Offcourse, you also don’t forget the God factor, its Very important!’ Ada completed and patted her sleeping son.

 

Daisy exhaled deeply ‘all I can say is whoa! You’re awesome, you know I’ve never heard it this deep before? Are you a counsellor somewhere?’

 

‘Just a secondary school teacher, but I have a way with words’ she said and winked.

 

‘Thank you’ Daisy said sincerely.

 

‘You’re welcome dear, now you owe me one. You have to get up, bathe and follow me to the market. I need to get stuffs for my mum and you will accompany me, No excuses’ Ada said, rose up and lifted the sleeping child. ‘Let me get Nedu to my room, I just hope his siblings won’t disturb him. Then I shall come back for you. I trust you’ll be ready’ she smiled at Daisy and left the room.

 

Daisy didn’t reply, she just smiled, enjoying the relief and new energy she felt . As

 

she took her bath, she resolved then to go back home and apply the three keys her

 

wonderful cousin had taught her.

 

**************

 

Finally, Jide found his breath and tongue. ‘Grace what are you doing here?’ he asked, astonished.

 

‘Oh please, don’t stare at me like that! I know your house remember?’ Grace replied and brushed past him, walking seductively to the parlour.

 

Jide closed the door, but that was after he caught Adamu stealing glances at them.

 

High time he changed that man who had no sense of security! He thought.

 

Turning back, he saw Grace still standing and batting her eyes at him.

 

‘And I still want to know what you’re doing here?’ he asked, making no move away from the door.

 

‘Gush! Do you have to be like that? We are not enemies you know?’ ‘Yeah! And we aren’t friends either!’ he said almost shouting.

‘Could you just calm down? Am not here to start a fight or something. I just felt

 

lonely and wanted to talk’

 

‘And I was the one you chose!’

 

‘You are a friend and an ex’ she retorted drily.

 

‘That exactly is the issue!’

 

‘What issue? This lady ain’t here for trouble ojare’ Grace said bad naturedly ‘she just wants us to be like old times’ she added, pursing her lips.

 

Was this chick for real? Jide thought. ‘I have so much on my mind right now, and don’t need complications okay? If you will just kindly leave, that would do my world some good!’ he said and left the door for his seat.

 

‘Complications? That also is my reason for coming. I heard the docile pet, Daisy is missing’ she said with venom in her voice.

 

Jide stopped in his track. ‘who told you that?’ he asked surprised.

 

‘Oh, news travel, though I didn’t get mine on flight. Ade told me about the fight you had and how our American wife has gone awol’

 

‘None of your business! You both can go to hell for all I care’ Jide retorted and went to seat down.

 

Grace went over to sit at the settee after his.

 

TAKING CHANCES