The Marriage Battle

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 17

Few days later, while Adaobi was making preparation ready for her father’s burial, Mr. Emenike decided to call Ayo and deliver the news to him for Adaobi has told her brothers not to call her husband and neither should they pick his calls.

Ayo: Hello Uncle, good day and thank God you called, have you heard from my wife and how is my father in-law?

Emenike: What kind of a husband are you that you allow only your wife and her brothers to carry the burden of burying their father when they have an in-law, what kind of a man are you Ayo?

Ayo: I don’t understand sir, what do you mean?

Emenike: so you mean to tell me you don’t know that your father in law is dead?

Ayo: What? How, when?

Emenike: What do you mean how and when? Didn’t your wife tell you that her father passed away few minutes before she got here?

Ayo: Oh my God! I am so sorry and I never knew. No one told me anything.

Emenike: Now you know and I hope you know that his burial is three days from now, be the gentle man that you are and bring yourself here immediately.

Ayo: Okay sir, I will.

Emenike: by the way, do you know that he died of Colon cancer?

Ayo: No I never knew.

Ayo quickly rushed home to tell his mother the latest development for he didn’t know what to do and how to face his wife when he gets to the village.

Mami: Ah! Ayo, this one that you are back home and panting, hope all is well?

Ayo: Mami all is not well.

Mami: What is wrong?

Ayo: is my wife and her father.

Mami: oh! I knew it, I knew that they will call you for some money again and what are you going to do about it this time?

Ayo: Mami it is not that oooo.

Mami: What is it if it is not money, she has refused to call or talk to you and now that she is broke, she has finally called abi?

Ayo: Mami please listen.

Mami: there is nothing to listen to Ayo. I warned you that this woman is bad for you, I warned you that her people are bad, isn’t that what she is showing to you now?

Ayo: Mami please…

Mami: Listen Ayo, If I were you, I would send not a dime to them. Shey they think they can live without you, it is even better for you sef. Afterall, you have done your best.

Ayo: Mami, it is not it.

Mami: it is it oooo. look my son, I am your mother and I will never lie to you. If you had listened and married Kemi, I am sure we won’t be having all this problems. How can a married woman live her matrimonial home without her husband consent? Shey she said if you don’t want anything with her, that you should sign the divorce papers, I wonder why you haven’t even thought about signing it yet.

Ayo: Mami will you please listen….

Mami: No you listen to me and throw that woman out once she comes back. She is not and never will be the woman for you.

Ayo: Mami please…

Mami: Ayo, you better listen to me very carefully, do not, I repeat, do not send her any money for your own good ooooo.

Ayo: listening to his mother and seeing that his mother really hates his wife asked ‘why do you hate her so much’.

Mami: Because she is a gold digger and not the woman for you.

Ayo: Hmmm. Mami will you please listen to what I have to say?

Mami: I have told you my own oooo, what is it you have to say by the way?

Ayo: He is dead.

Mami: Who is dead?

Ayo: My wife’s father.

Mami: What, how, when? She exclaimed..

Ayo: I don’t know but what I do know is that he died before she got there and he died of Colon Cancer.

Mami: Jesus!

Ayo: did you know about all these?

Mami: how would I when she never told me anything.

Ayo: I am responsible for all this, I should have allowed her to go when she wanted to.

Mami: it is not your fault my son, you didn’t know it was very serious.

Ayo: Even at that Mami, I was so blind that I didn’t know what she was passing through and how she was feeling. I wonder how I will face her now because it is all my fault.

Mami: Don’t beat yourself up jare.

The following day, Ayo got his stuff together and travelled to his wife village to help in planning for the burial and to also apologize to his wife. When he got there, he met a lot of people in the house who came to pay their condolence and when he sighted his wife, he quickly went to her.

Ayo: ‘Sweetheart, I am so very sorry for all that happened’ he said as he came face to face to her.

Adaobi: Ayo, what are you doing here?

Ayo: your uncle told me everything yesterday and I am here as a husband to….

Adaobi: Ayo please, I can’t deal with you right now, just leave this minute.

Ayo: But I am your husband and I am here to take respon….

Adaobi: Ayo, don’t make me create a scene here, please leave this minute. I don’t want to see you.

Ayo: Listen, I am sorry….

Adaobi: ‘Ayo’ she shouted attracting attention to her ‘my father died and I wasn’t there to say goodbye because of you. I don’t want to see you now and I don’t want to talk to you’ she said in a hush tone’.

Ayo: Alright but if you need anything just…..

Adaobi: ‘I won’t be needing anything from you’ she said and walked away.

After the burial, Adaobi and her brothers stayed in the village for one more week while Ayo returned back to the city for all effort to talk to his wife proved abortive and it made him helpless and angry. When she came back to the city, she came along with chidi and chigozie for they will now be staying permanently with her.

Adaobi: Good day Mami.

Mami: Welcome home my daughter, how was the burial?

Adaobi: it was fine we thank God.

Mami: I am so sorry for your loss.

Adaobi: Thank you Mami and meet my brother Chigozie, he will be staying here with us.

Mami: Welcome my son and feel at home.

Chigozie: ‘Yes Mami and good day to you’ he said smiling while Chidi also greeted her.

Mami: ‘Good day to you both and how is my Grandson doing’ she asked as she carried him from her mother’s arm.

Adaobi: He is doing okay. Where is Kemi, isn’t she back from school yet?

Mami: No she isn’t. she doesn’t want to come back ooo, only God knows what she sees in that school.

Adaobi: Its her time, let her have her time. Chidi, show chigozie to his room and you both go and freshen up while I do the same.

Later in the evening, they all retired to bed, Ayo was skeptical about talking to his wife for he knew that she blamed him for his father’s death and wished things were different.

Ayo: Ermmm, sweetheart, can we talk?

Adoabi: backing her husband yawned ‘I am feeling sleepy Ayo’.

Ayo: I know but I won’t take your time.

Adaobi: I am listening

Ayo: Can you at least look at me?

Adaobi: no I can’t and if you want to talk, go ahead for I am listening.

Ayo: Alright! I am sorry for not listening to you, I should have allowed you go to your father and say your goodbye before he passed away and I am so sorry about it. Can things ever be the way they use to between us?

Adaobi: is that all you wanted to talk to me about?

Ayo: Yes, I am asking for your forgiveness.

Adaobi: Goodnight Ayo.

Ayo: Adaobi please, please! he tried touching her and she moved away. She took her pillow and was about to leave the room when he asked ‘where are you going to?’

Adaobi: my son’s room of course.

Ayo: Why, what for?

Adaobi: I cannot stand you at the moment and if I keep pretending that everything is alright when it isn’t, I wont forgive myself. Its better I go to Kunle’s room and spend the night with him rather than here.

Ayo: But we are supposed to trash issues as couples.

Adaobi: Oh! So now you know that we are couples right? When your mother was feeding you with what to do and what not to do, weren’t we couples then? Our relationship has been three people right from the moment we married and your mother seems to have the upper hand in what we do.

Ayo: Let by gone be by gone and lets start all over again and I promise that this time, things will be different.

Adaobi: Hahahaha, start all over again, with you? Will it bring my father back or will it take me back to the moment I wanted to go to him?

Ayo: Adaobi can we please get this thing past us?

Adaobi: No we cant because each time I look at you, I keep remembering that it was because of you that I wasn’t there when he needed me the most. The man who brought me up and made me what I am today is gone and I was not opportuned to say goodbye. Do you know how I feel each time I think of that?

Ayo: I am sorry Adaobi, really! I am.

Adaobi: been sorry won’t make things alright because you broke my heart.

Ayo: but Baby….

Adaobi: ‘That’s all I can say to you right now’ she said and walked away