Must Read: Farida – Episode 42
PART 42
FIVE YEARS LATER
The new state Governor appealed to Sam and his father to step down Sam’s desire to get to House of reps until he was much older. Sam consulted Farida on this knowing he would have won both the primaries and the election proper. Farida agreed he needed more experience as he was in his early thirties. She asked him to request for a firm agreement he will be made a commissioner and even chose the ministry for him. The governor gave it to him without argument. He made him a commissioner for the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources. Sam never knew it was the most lucrative ministry but Farida did. His level changed overnight. He was the interface between the state government and the oil companies. The oil companies ‘settled’ well and he was happy. Farida advised him to ensure the largess he was collecting went around every staff of the ministry. She asked him to share a percentage and it should reach even the security. His generosity was legendary. Everyone wanted to be redeployed to his ministry.
Farida had also advanced in her career. She had been promoted twice. The community loved her because she mingled with them. Every month, she encouraged Sam to give to the widows in the community. Sam gave her some of the money she used to empower them.
She saw a gap in the healthcare system in the village. She advised her stepmother-in-law to bring a medical team once a month to attend to the people in the village. She included Farida in it. Together they ensured they touched lives. She came down every month for the outreach. They would give them food and drinks, the medical team will give them health talks and then check their general health. Those that required medication, they gave them free. Those that needed surgery, it was planned for and done. Every month doctors who specialize in different aspect of medicine were on ground to attend to the community at their expense. The outreach became very popular and their indigenes began to support it. Her mother-in-law became relevant. She was respected in the community. Her husband’s people began to value her. She owed it all to Farida and she never failed to thank her.
Farida was still not happy. She used all these activities to occupy her mind. She hadn’t missed a period since she got married to Sam. She had talked to her mother about it. She asked her to come to Lagos for checkup. She had done many tests and they found nothing wrong with her. They requested for her husband but he was too busy to make out the time.
“You are worrying yourself too much. As long as the doctors say you are ok then there is nothing to worry about”
But Farida was worried. Her father-in-law had asked her what was happening and she had explained to him. He asked Sam to see the doctor and carry out some tests. It took Sam two months to get the test done and he was certified ok but was given some medication.
They began to have issues over their sex lives. Farida had to time her ovulation. She made him drink coffee a day to when they would meet so his sperm would be active and get to the egg in time. She stopped marathon sex which Sam loved so they could accomplish this mission. Sam was not finding it funny. In as much as he wanted a child, he didn’t want the quest to disrupt the fun he was having.
Farida would cry when she had a period. Sam, in a bid to console her, had told her he was not interested in having children. She he chastised him saying, “Don’t ever say that. Don’t ever decree that. We will have children. I will bear you children. I will be a mother and you will be a father”. He held his peace.
One day, she told him to come back home as she was ovulating at particular time. He couldn’t leave. She came to where he was having the meeting, excused him and dragged him into a bathroom for him to have sex with her. He refused but she blackmailed him with her tears. He quickly did it with her there and she left. When her period came out, she didn’t eat for a week.
Her mother took her to Iya alagbo. She was given all sorts of herbs. Against her better judgment she took them religiously. Still she didn’t get pregnant. She went to Ijaw women for massage and all and still nothing. She was getting restless. Sam didn’t care until something happened.
Sam was in a meeting with other commissioners. There was a heated argument which he tried to calm down as he was the youngest in their midst. One person calmed down but the other refused to. Sam then told him he was constituting a nuisance there as the other guy had refused to respond to him and other commissioners have begged him to stop. That was when he attacked Sam.
“See who is talking. Who are you to talk to me? If not for your father would you be here talking to me? Are you a man? You went to Yorubaland to marry a wife so you can hide your impotence. Yes! Can you impregnate a woman? How many have you impregnated? Your father must have used your manhood to make money. When men speak you shouldn’t speak”
Those words broke the camel’s back. Sam physically assaulted the man. When he got home, his father was mad at him.
“You should have ignored him. Why would you respond?”
“This is what he said to me father. He said I am not a man as I cannot impregnate my wife. He said I went to Yorubaland to marry to hide my impotence. Father, did you use my manhood for money?”
“What rubbish are you saying?”
“That was what he said. Can you imagine? He called me impotent”
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“He will be thoroughly dealt with. Concerning Farida not getting pregnant, now you know people are talking. Take time off work and go with her abroad, let them conduct tests on both of you and if possible, she does IVF. I don’t care but let her get pregnant”
This was when Sam took the pregnancy issue seriously. He travelled with Farida to the US and they did all the tests but found nothing significant. They only treated Sam again. They tried IVF. Farida reacted to the procedure; she became bloated with fluids. She almost lost her life. She was asked to take a break from it for about a year as her body was reacting negatively to the procedure. Sam was unhappy about it.
There was another a party meeting where some issues were discussed and Sam’s candidacy for House of rep was brought up again. There were arguments for and against. The party chairman spoke. He was speaking to Sam’s father.
“Do you remember our agreement back then? We said Sam can marry his Yoruba princess but he must give us an heir that is purely our blood. The Yoruba princess, even though a good person, has failed to produce offspring. It is about time Sam
takes a native bride and see if she will produce children for him. A man who is not fully a man can’t represent us. Tongues are wagging. People are asking questions”
Sam resolved to test his manhood which was now in question. He needed a befitting girl to achieve his aim. He came to Lagos to see his mother. They discussed about him marrying a new wife secretly. He told his mother he wanted a girl who is beautiful, very educated and intelligent like Farida. His mother told him to relax she had the right person for him. She had intended for him to marry her before he brought Farida. He reminded her that discretion was the keyword.
Idara agreed to the proposal. She was a graduate of Law from the University of Ibadan and had her LLM in the United Kingdom. She ran her father’s law firm. She was just two years younger than Sam and three years older than Farida. Sam insisted that she must get pregnant before he marries her. He came to see her often and she came to Uyo to see him. It took three months before she finally got pregnant. The traditional marriage was done quietly. She lived with her mother-in-law in Lagos.
Farida observed a lot of difference in Sam. He was always travelling and when he came back, he wasn’t demanding sex anymore. His demand had dwindled with the quest for a child but whenever he travelled and was coming back, he always tells her to prepare for him. Also, he was snapping at her. This had led to altercations between them. She would apologise believing her hormones were in play while in reality Sam was the one provoking her as his conscience couldn’t take what he was doing. When he stopped receiving phone calls around her, she knew something was amiss.
Idara travelled to have their first baby. Sam joined her in the United Kingdom as Idara was a citizen. She gave birth to a baby girl. Sam’s parents were excited and happy but Idara wasn’t. She wanted to have a son for Sam. Six months later, she was pregnant again. She gave birth to another baby girl. She was angry. She was scared Farida might have Sam’s first son which she didn’t want. Sam was happy he had two children. He assured her he wouldn’t have a heir with Farida as she was
barren. If he was to have a son, it would be with just her. Most people in the community knew but they kept it away from Farida.
Farida told Sam she was ready to try IVF again as her body had healed. Sam was reluctant. He kept telling her he didn’t have the time. When she insisted, he told her he didn’t want children anymore. Farida was shocked. How could he say that? She asked why and he told her she was fussing too much about having children and neglecting her duties. Farida had heard what people said about them. They claimed he wasn’t man enough or she was barren. She wanted to prove them wrong. Sam insisted he was not interested. Then she asked,
“Are you sure you are not the reason we don’t have kids?”
“I think you are the reason. You pretended to be a virgin meanwhile you weren’t. You have had several lovers and probably had numerous abortions and now you can’t have a child. Your womb is so damaged that IVF didn’t even work. I don’t want a child from your damaged womb. You were not what I was expecting when I married you”
“Sam, did you just accuse me of procuring abortions that damaged my womb? All I want is to make you happy and you are here accusing me. What have I done wrong to you?” Farida said in tears. Her childlessness had been a source of sorrow to her. For the past few years she had become a ghost of herself.
Sam ignored her as she cried. He had changed. This wasn’t the Sam she married. She packed a bag and left for Lagos that day. Sam never called. She went to her mother’s house. She told her everything. She was heartbroken. Her mother and grandmother tried to console her. She stayed for the weekend to clear her head before going back home.
What she didn’t know was that Sam also came to Lagos to see his second family. He spent the weekend there and then came back to Ibeno. He didn’t know Farida spent the weekend in Lagos. He didn’t care anymore as he had gotten what he wanted. Their ones loving home was now enveloped with silence. It was payback time for Sam. When she ignored him, he ignored her right back.
The Christmas holiday was fast approaching, Idara demanded to spend it with Sam in the village. Sam refused saying Farida could easily find out but Idara insisted. She said she would stay in the other wing and claim to be a relative. His mother encouraged him to take Idara to the village and send Farida somewhere else for the holidays. Sam thought about it for a long time. Then he called Farida and told her to go cool off with her family to any country in the world she would like them to go. It sounded really tempting but being a smart girl, she was suspicious. She chose South Africa for their visit. He made all the arrangements for their trip. He gave her more than enough money.
When she told Sam’s stepmother about her trip. She asked, “Who will take care of the widows during the Christmas?”
“I will do it before I go or you do it for me”
‘You know those women pray for you to be fruitful. You have to be here to receive it. By the way why are you travelling at this crucial time?”
“Sam insists”
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She was silent. She knew Sam had married another woman and had children with her. She couldn’t tell Farida, it was best she found out herself. She suspected that was the reason he wanted her out so he could show his people his children.
“Why don’t you go and come back before the new year? Then you can do the needful yourself and get all your blessings”
“Sam won’t like it but I will try”
She travelled as planned with her mother and two brothers. Her grandmother travelled to Ilorin for the end of year celebration.
Farida had been so worried about her childlessness. Everywhere she went, she was told she was fine. She had never missed a period. She wondered if it was her first sexual encounter that caused her this problem. Did he damage something when he penetrated her? She always dreaded penetration. She did so much for Sam. She allowed him do things to her and did things to him she could never have done ordinarily. Of recent he had been making awkward sexual demands. It was as though he was using her as a sex slave. She refused anal sex outrightly and when he attempted, she screamed so loud that it attracted attention. He didn’t do it again.
She never knew her husband smoked weed until recently. He started smoking it in their bedroom. She hated the smell. He would smoke it and then have sex with her. The combination of weed and alcohol was the worst. She would be almost bruised before he ejaculated. She hated it. She asked him if there was something wrong; he said he just wanted a few minutes of madness to ease his stress. She didn’t want anything to spoil what was left of their crumbling relationship.
Over the years, Farida had handled their investments and was in custody of most of them. Because she made purchases of most of the properties, they agreed they would be bought in her brothers’ names for security reasons. Once he leaves office, the properties will be transferred to Sam. Suddenly, Sam was making demands for the properties. He wanted them transferred to his mother. Farida asked why but he insisted. They agreed she would come back with the documents when they get back from their holiday. That was another red flag that got Farida thinking. She tried not to share her challenges with Sam with her family. Although she could see
the disappointments in their eyes when they look at her. If only she could stop being worried about her condition.
On Christmas day, she called Monica to wish her a Merry Christmas. Monica said she was in her wing of the house.
“What are you doing there? Your brother needs your company”
“The place is perpetually locked. I haven’t gained access to the house since I came back. The place is boring without you. I will leave immediately after the new year”
Monica was another reason she wanted to go home.
On the 29th of December, Farida came back to Nigeria to surprise her husband. She arrived the compound at the about 10:00am. The security wasted her time at the gate claiming he was looking for the keys. She tried to gain access to the house but it was locked. It was strange for that time of the day. Her maid should be around too. She used her keys to gain entrance. Then she went upstairs. The place was a mess. There were toys everywhere, dirty plates on the dining table, food crumbs on the settee. She wondered what was going on. She entered her bedroom. Her husband wasn’t there. She walked into the bathroom and there he was. He had his hand on his forehead and elbow on the wall. He looked confused. When she greeted him, he didn’t respond at first but he later responded. She left him and came into the room. The bed was badly ruffled. She smiled. Something was wrong. She began to make the bed when she saw some dried bodily fluid on the bedsheet. She stripped the bed angrily and brought out new sheets. She was mad. If he wanted to do this, why not somewhere else. Why in her matrimonial home and on her matrimonial bed?
“Why did you come back early? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” Sam asked her. He was upset with this trick she played on him. It wasn’t time for
her to know. He still needed her. He was lucky the security called him that she was back. That was how he moved Idara and the childrenout of the room to the main house. It would have been a mess if she had caught them red-handed.
“I missed you and I came back. What’s wrong with that?”
“I asked you to go on holiday so you will feel better but you cut it short without telling me. What was your reason?”
“Is that the reason you are so angry? You had sex with a strange woman on our matrimonial bed. Is that why you sent me away? You wanted to spend time with her? You didn’t need to send me far away; you should have just told me instead of deceiving me. Where is she?”
“There is nobody here, she has left”
“Are you sure? She’s a pig too. Everywhere is a mess. This room stinks” she
opened the windows as she talked. “Well, I am back, tell her to keep off. Did she use the toilet? I have to wash that now” and she headed to the bathroom.
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Sam rushed to the children’s room. He had asked Idara to pack their things. He snuck them out of the main house. Idara was also upset she came back. Farida’s return had spoilt everything. Now Sam was saying they had to go back to Lagos.
Why would he choose Farida over his family? She didn’t give him children so why did he make her a priority? His father too was in support of Farida. He told her she is the first wife and would remain so whether she has kids or not. He was not in support of them coming home for Christmas. Since their precious wife was back, she decided to go over to her parents’ home to spend the rest of the holiday.
Sam was mad at Farida. Why did she come back? Why did she spoil the fun they were having? Farida was upset and talking about her coming back early would aggravate everything. He decided to just apologise to her when he gets back.
Farida heard a car reversing from her open window. She looked outside and saw her husband in his car. Sitting beside him was a lady. The lady was carrying a toddler a girl and another little girl sat at the back seat. She dropped what she was holding as she watched him drive out. She dropped to the floor. The toys. She saw the toys. She came out to the sitting room and they were no longer there. She sat on the couch. She didn’t need a soothsayer to tell her what was going on. Sam had children with another woman. No wonder he didn’t care if she was pregnant or not. She wept her eyes out. Her in-laws were in on it including Monica. Her family were still in South Africa. She didn’t want to share this with her mother, it would break her heart. She took her unpacked suitcase picked up her bag, called a cab man she had used earlier. Without saying a word to anyone, she left for the airport. She booked a flight to Abuja. She had to be with someone who understood her. Someone who will allow her mourn her loss in peace without adding to the situation. She didn’t want to think about anything. She just wanted to leave and she didn’t want to be alone least she does something to herself. Sam betrayed her. Sam destroyed her world. Se.x couldn’t hold him. Food couldn’t keep him. A child was what Sam needed and she couldn’t give him.
*FARIDA*
