The Unfaithful Wife

Episode 17

Both of them, John, my driver and Efe,
my maid, were standing just a few feet
from my door. They rushed to my side
before I could retreat into my room.
“Wait, sir. Please sir, don’t do this to us,”
my driver began to plead as he held me
back.

“So the two of you tricked me, right?” I
asked for want of any other thing to say.
“Sir, we cannot resign from your
employment. We only pretended we had
quit and had left because we needed
you to come out of your room. You have
locked yourself up for hours now. You
have not eaten anything,” Efe said. With
that, she went down on her knees with
tears beginning to trickle down her
cheeks. To my surprise, John too began
to shed tears.

I was touched; really touched. These two
were showing that they really cared
about me. I asked Efe to get up as I
began to fight back tears. She got up. I
led her and my driver to the living room.
We all sat down.

For a while, no one talked. I could not
say anything for fear of bursting out in
tears. Finally, however, I got a grip on
myself, cleared my throat and addressed
them.

I told them I had felt despondent and
depressed after the second test showed
I was not fertile enough to father a child.
I then confessed I had begun to
consider suicide as the only option left
to me. John and Efe were shocked at my
confession.

“But what more would I be living for. My
wife has betrayed me. As if that is not
enough, tests have proven that I am not
the biological father of my children,
Peter and Pamela, whom I love with all
my heart. Then came the news that I am
not fertile enough to father a child. So,
what am I then living for?” I asked.
“ Daddy, we know how you feel. In fact
we are all devastated by all that is
happening. But seriously, suicide cannot
be a way out. You have preached to us
several times about how evil suicide is.
Why resort to it now?” my driver asked
me.

For the first time, I could not look into
his eyes. I felt stupid ever contemplating
suicide.

“You are right, John. I am sorry. It will
never happen again” I said

Then John spoke again. He said he did
not think all was lost for me. He had
heard of fertility centres where men
who could not father children are
helped to become fertile.

“Yes!” Efe responded, brightening up
immediately. “Fertility centres could help.
I know two of them. John, you are right”
she said.

I could see from the way she had
brightened up suddenly, that they had
been really affected by my plight. But,
indeed, what John said made me
brighten up too. There was nothing I
would not do to become a father, a
biological father.

Despite the truth having been made to
me, my heart still yearned for Peter and
Pamela. Yes, they may not be my
biological children but I still loved them.
It was going to be very difficult for me
to turn my back on them.

Memories of happy times with Peter and
Pamela often came rushing back to me. I
could remember very well my trip with
them to Egypt where we went visiting
the pyramids.