The Unfaithful Wife

Episode 5

I found it difficult to concentrate as I
attended to the out-patients. This made
my progress very slow. Ordinarily, in a
matter of three hours, I could attend to
at least fifty patients. However, that day, I
managed to attend to only twenty five
people in three hours.

Finally, my session at the hospital came
to an end. Dr. Eunice Odame, a Cuban-
trained doctor took over. She noticed
there was something was wrong with
me and asked if I was alright. I forced
out a smile, nodding.

From the hospital, I drove to the
children’s school to pick them up only to
be told that their mother had come for
them. Immediately, I regretted bringing
them to school that particular day. I
could sense what their mother, my wife,
was up to.

I had sworn never to have anything to
do with her again. Phoning her had
therefore been out of the question. But,
with her coming to pick the children
from school, I had no choice than to
phone her.

“Yes” she said when she answered my
call.

“Where are my children?
Why did you go for them? Bring them
back now!” I said, my voice trembling as
I tried to control my anger.
“I am sorry you are not going to see
them again. They are my children and I
know how best to take care of them.
Since you want me out of your life, I am
leaving with them” she said.
Her answer made me explode. I began
to scream on the phone, swearing I
would beat her up mercilessly if I get
hold of her. That was when she
switched off the phone. I phoned again
but found to my chagrin her phone was
still off. I tried several times to get in
touch with her but could not get
through. I started trying to recollect the
name of the hotel where the police man
told me they had checked her into. After
a while, I remembered the name and
knowing where it was, I drove there at
top speed.

I was trembling all over with rage when
I arrived at the hotel. Never in my life
had I been so angry. I loved my children
very much so my wife’s attempt to take
them away from me was making me go
mad.

On my arrival, I went straight to the
reception and made enquiries about my
wife. A call was placed to her room but
no one answered. Then one of the two
receptionists decided to go and find out
why she was not answering calls to her
room. The receptionist returned a few
minutes later to say no one was in her
room.

“She has packed out. Her belongings are
not in the room” she said. Immediately, I
realized that my wife had calculated I
will locate her when I find she has gone
for the children so she had relocated.
She had sneaked out of the hotel, gone
for the children and gone into hiding.
I left the hotel still trembling with rage.
My estranged wife, Nora, had
outsmarted me. Now, there was no way
I could contact her unless she calls me
back. I was more or less at her mercy.

I drove back home deep in thought and
very troubled. That evening, I tried
several times to call her again but to no
avail. I swore if I ever catch up with her,
I will beat her to pulp.

I stayed away deep into the night. Every
thirty minutes, I will phone Nora only to
be told her phone had been either
switched off or was out of coverage
area. My patience, by 2:00am, had begun
to run out. Finally, at about 4:15am,
though I was still worried, I fell asleep. I
woke up at exactly 7:15 am to find that
my wife’s phone was still off.

I skipped breakfast and drove very early
to the children’s school. I aimed to hide
around and grab Nora when she brings
the children to school. So, I parked my
car far away from the school and walked
all the way there. I found myself a tree
and hid behind it so that when she
comes around, she would not spot me.
My waiting turned out to be in vain.
Nora did not bring the children to
school. I guessed she was not going to
bring them. So, finally, I left the school
and drove back home.

I spent the entire day at home, trying to
get through to her every now and then
but her phone was still off. I had earlier
phoned the Administrator of the
hospital where I worked and told him I
was not feeling well so I was not going
to be at work.

I did not eat the entire day until evening
when I prepared rice for myself and the
security man at the gate. I noticed how
sad he looked when I approached him
with his food on a tray. After collecting
the tray from me, he thanked me and
said everything will be alright soon. I
nodded in appreciation, remembering
that on the night I came home to find
my wife in bed with my best friend, he
was not at post; he had obviously been
given the day night off by my wife
because she wanted him out of the way.
Though I had not briefed him about the
scandal, I knew he knew what had
happened.

I went to bed very early that evening but
it was not until 1:00am that I finally fell
asleep. I was woken up at 6:15 am by
the ringing of my phone. The caller said
he was Nora’s lawyer. He was inviting
me to his chambers that morning at
9:00 am to discuss certain claims my
wife was making. I was to come with
my lawyer.