Thorn between episode 44

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

TROUBLE 13

The three months went by faster than Adim anticipated and he did not think about it at all. When he went to visit Thelma and the boys, he avoided being alone with her no matter how hard she tried. She was frustrated and angry. He gave her money instead. She was not satisfied, so he bought her a phone. She checked the cost of the phone and it was far cheaper than Eucharia’s own, so she refused it. Adim told her to take it back to the store, add her money and buy the phone she desired. He claimed Eucharia forfeited feeding money so he could buy the phone. She did not believe him. She knew Eucharia was not a materialistic person, so it was all Adim. She refused to accept the phone, but Adim was determined not to succumb to her pressure.

Thelma applied for study and left Port-Harcourt with the boys without telling Adim. After she had left, she sent him an email telling him she had relocated outside the country with her sons and Adim would never see them again. She lamented and complained about the ill-treatment Adim and his family had meted on her not recognising or accepting the children as Adim’s or even acknowledging her. She said she was tired and had left.

Adim did not believe the email until he went to the house and found out she had moved out. He spoke to members of her family and her friends he knew and they all said she had travelled with the boys but did not know where.

Adim went to see her father. The man was furious with him. “When you came here to see me and let me know you were responsible for my daughter’s pregnancy, I thought you were a responsible man and you would do the right thing. I waited for how many years, and you did not. Now she has taken a bold step to make something out of her life for her and her children, you have resurfaced. Thelma is not here. She bore you sons your wife could not have, and you would not marry her and claim your sons. Those boys belong to me until you perform the marriage rights on their mother. I have asked her to change their names to bear mine and I will take good care of them.”

Adim was confused. He was torn between pleasing Eucharia and getting his boys back. He couldnot give Thelma what she wants until Eucharia accepts his mistakes and allows the boys to meet the family. Their relationship was much better, but she had not given him what he so desired from her. It had been a struggle that at one time he was practically begging her, but she watched him beg and still refused. He could not believe Eucharia would behave in this manner. It was over a year since she found out but still, her heart was hard. How would he tell her Thelma had made good her threat?

Adim was gloomy. He stopped eating dinner and did not engage with anyone when he returned home. Eucharia observed, but she did not know what was bothering him and he refused to share. He sent several messages to Thelma asking her to disclose where she was so he could see her and talk about it. He still made monthly payments into her account for the upkeep of the boys. That they were there and he could see them when he liked was enough for him but for him not to know where they were was unbearable for him.

It got worse when he was to host his village meeting (Port Harcourt branch) in his house. Eucharia had made delicious meals and he had supplied sufficient choice drinks. The food and drinks were appealing but the men refused to eat because they heard a rumour and they wanted to confirm it.

“We heard that you are now a father of twin boys from another woman. Is this true?” The president asked.

Adim smiled and replied, “It is true. I have two son, Onyekachi and Onyedikachi.”

“We suspected because a man must have a son to be conferred with a chieftaincy title. I thought the community looked at your family’s contribution to overlook that aspect until Titus was turned down for the same reason. When we enquired we were told you have two sons with another woman. Where are your boys?”

“They live with their mother while I am here with my wife and children.”

“Your uncle came to us, me especially over this issue. He informed me about your wife rejected the boys and your parents and siblings followed suit. They insist that until your wife accepts them, they will not. Well, I want you to know, and I will tell your wife, there is no illegitimate child in Igboland. Eucharia or your family cannot be deny those boys; they are your sons. The deed has been done and you need to take possession of the boys.”

“Their mother will never release them to me and I do not want to marry her. I am content with the way we are living right now. Eucharia is still hurt and I owe her the amount of time she needs to heal. I take good care of my sons and when they are old enough, they will understand.”

“You offended Eucharia and not the boys. Do your daughters know their brothers? Are they aware they have siblings? Eucharia is a woman and cannot call the shots; be a man and do the needful.”

Flora heard everything that was said at that meeting and was pissed off. Who were they to tell Adim how to run his home? She knew it was the handwork of someone and she suspected her uncle must have put them up to it. Why was he bent on destroying Adim? Adim was better off with Eucharia. He had experienced so much progress while with her. Her biggest fear was Wucharia and Adim having a downward turn of his fortunes. She was unaware of Thelma’s disappearance. She had no idea how much it affected Adim.

Adim tried to cover up by telling them his house was in order and everyone was at peace. He told them Eucharia was not the villain but the victim. He also emphasized that female children are equal to male children and should not be treated as lower human beings. He resented how they presented the case to him and he told them (not in these exact words) to mind their business while thanking them for their concerns.

But the harm had been done. It struck a nerve. He had been made to feel like he was weak as a man and a woman could control him. This was not the case but the outside world saw it as that. He felt as though his world was crashing around him. Eucharia he had made this sacrifice for was not relenting in her decision to starve him of physical intimacy. He was battling with that and also the sudden departure of Thelma and his sons. Was he to begin another relationship? He hadn’t gotten over the troubles from the first one he attempted therefore he was scared of trying with another person. He had been with Eucharia for so long and they had never used condoms. He tried them with Thelma and found them unappealing. At his age how would he be using it with another woman? He was tired and confused.

Flora waited for them to leave. The shameless men ate their food and even had second and third helpings of the food prepared by the woman they came to castigate. She observed that Adim didn’t eat anything and it made her unhappy. Her brother loved food but in recent times, it had reduced. When the sitting room was cleared and empty, Eucharia bid them good night and went to bed. Eucharia was still innocent and trusting, she had no idea the meeting held in her home was about her.

“Adim, what is going on? I have observed you for a while now and I know something is bothering you. What is it?” Flora asked.

Adim was quiet for a few minutes and then he said, “I made a mistake that has stolen my peace. What kind of life am I living like this?”

“Ah, this is serious. What happened?”

“Thelma ran away with the boys because I chose to be with Eucharia. Eucharia I sacrificed my boys for has denied me physical intimacy, she promised me it would never happen. I have lost Thelma and the boys, I do not have Eucharia, I am labelled as a weak man because I chose to make Eucharia happy, I am tired and don’t know what else to do.”

Flora could see how dejected Adim was and felt sorry for him. He was a man and men had needs. If Eucharia had forgiven him, she should have won him over with good sex and all she had done to keep him so far. But, her worry was he would still want to be with Thelma. What if that was what Thelma wanted? So she asked him what Thelma wanted from him he did not give her.

“She wanted me to marry her and claim the boys. I am a Catholic and I cannot marry two wives. I explained this to her, but she said I should marry her traditionally with the support of Eucharia. How do I get Eucharia to agree to this? If I marry her, I have obligations to her. How does that work? Eucharia will never allow me to touch her again if I do that, I know her well.”

“Is she allowing you to touch her now? Flora asked sarcastically.

“I was hoping if she saw my commitment she would,but she hasn’t. Am I to remain celibate and have prostate problems in my old age? I’m trying to make things right with Eucharia but I am seeing that it won’t be possible. I don’t want to hurt her, but what of myself, the boys and their mother? I think I am being selfish. I don’t know what to do and it is driving me insane.”

“You have been talking to Nda that is why you are confused. He is pushing you to accept the boys and from the look of things, you might have to. Eucharia will be hurt, but it will be for a while. Dumebi has graduated and Mmesoma is following suit. Chinemerem has three more years to go. Urenna is the only baby left in secondary school. Soon, her life will be about her children and no more about you. She would still love you but omugwo will call her in her daughters’ homes soon. What will you do then?”

“Will I survive before then? If she was allowing me to get close to her I would not think much about Thelma and the boys but she has shut me out and now I feel stupid, controlled by a woman and abandoned. You supported her in this retaliation and now, I am unhappy. If I fall sick and die won’t the boys still have a claim to what I left behind? You women don’t think at all. Is this fair to me, the children or even to Eucharia? Will my mistake now cost me my life after appeasing her for so long? It has been over a year and we are still on this.”

Flora listened to the anguish in her brother’s voice, he was in serious pain and she could feel it. He caused his problem, but would she sit back and watch him die from it? She had to talk to Eucharia about this and know how best to resolve the issue.

Talking to Eucharia made Flora realise she had made up her mind about Adim and there was no changing it. She said to Flora, “I knew something was bothering him although he refused to say. I investigated and found out Thelma had left town with the boys. She did that to make Adim run after her and she has succeeded. If he had opened up to me what the issue was I would have advised him to do the needful with her. She will never release her sons to me and I won’t accept children whose mother is still alive. She had to have a stake in Adim’s life and he fell for it. Anyway, I know where they are and I know what she wants. She wants him to marry her. She claims it is for her children but I know it is for her selfish reason. Well, there is an adage which says, the way you make your bed is the way you will lie on it. Let Adim face the problems he created on his own. I will never be involved in a rivalry with another woman.”

“She is the thief here, not you. They are calling Adim weak and saying you are the one calling the shots and telling him not to accept the boys. I do not like such talk, what do we do?”

“Such talk doesn’t bother me. He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches. Adim knows what is best for him and he should do it. That is all I am going to say.”

Read – Dethroned episode 5 – 6

“Will you allow Adim to marry another woman while you remain with him? Can you cope with that? Think this through. Why not give him what he wants and leave Thelma to be with the boys until they are of age to find their father.”

“Thelma will never leave Adim and Adim will not be patient to wait it out. I will not kid myself into believing Adim will not marry her for the sake of the boys. He can marry who he wants to marry but the privileges will no longer be there.”

“He has to compensate you. What do you want?”

With tears in her eyes, she said to Flora, “I want a son, my son ten years ago. That’s what I want. That is what Adim deprived me of. I can never recover from it.”

Flora felt her anguish and could see that behind the strength she exhibited was a broken woman who fate had dealt an undeserving heavy blow. She deserved better but she was stuck with a situation she had no control over. Flora cried with her and assured her that in the end, she would be happy. If Adim had died it would have been better than losing him to another woman which she knew was going to happen.

Flora asked Adim to ask for permission from Eucharia to marry Thelma so that he could have his sons with him. She assured him that Eucharia would agree as she knew more than Adim about their whereabouts. Adim listened and talked with Eucharia.

“You do not need to ask me, go ahead and marry her. What can I do? I am just a woman that gave birth to girls.”

“Don’t say that. We both know that is not true. You are wise and intelligent. I need you to hold the family together that is why I am begging you not to leave me regardless of what happens. You are my strength.”

“I wish I could believe what you said but I can’t. You have lied to me so often that I have lost hope. You made several promises to me when I had daughters and now I doubt if you will fulfil them now you have sons from another woman. You promised never to have sons and you had them with another woman. What will happen to the other promises?”

Adim was silent. She was right, he had made promises and did not fulfil them. He asked her what he could do to make things right.

“Nothing. Nothing you do or say can make things right. Keep her away from me and my children. That’s all I want.”

“But that is not possible. I want the girls to know their brothers. The house the company built for me is large enough to contain us. We can live together…”

“Are you joking or what? You want me to live in the same house as her? It won’t happen. You can move in there with her, I, Eucharia will not live in a polygamous home with you.”

“The house is a twin duplex, you can reside in one with the children while she resides in the other. I can visit both homes”

“You should make your permanent resident in her home because I will take the Master bedroom and we can’t share a room.”

“Eucharia, you know you are proving difficult. If you had agreed for me to spend time with you, I would have performed my duties as a father and left her for good but hoarding this thing is causing problems for me. She wants me but you do not. Going outside could cause this problem and I might end up with a third wife. Reconsider before I make any move.”

“Adim, nothing will make you not sleep with Thelma. I know you and I know something attracted you to her. The reason you have kept away is because of your conscience. If she comes again, you will still fall. No need to wish for what I can’t have. I cannot share you with another woman, it will never happen. I can move to one of the twin duplexes, it is not a problem.”

Adim went to meet Thelma. She was surprised to see him in her house. The boys were glad and excited to see their father. After discussing with her, he agreed to marry her traditionally and told her Eucharia had given her consent. Thelma was not happy about it. It took Eucharia to agree for Adim to come for her. She asked him if he had any feelings for her. He confessed he did but felt guilty about hurting his wife the way he did. He asked Thelma to be patient with him while he did what was right for both their sakes.

Eucharia came to the village to inform Adim’s parents of her decision to allow Adim to marry Thelma. She put up a bold face but behind the mask was a grieving woman. Her mother-in-law could see it and she held her and begged her to forgive Adim for what he had done. Eucharia assured her she had forgiven him.

With their consent, Adim went with his uncle and friends to pay Thelma’s bride price. Flora refused to go with them and Peter outrightly told him he was not in support and he would never be in support. After paying the bride price, Thelma came to visit Adim’s parents with the boys. His parents saw the boys and prayed for them. Thelma expected them to welcome her with joy but it felt like a condolence visit. They were not interested in knowing her or even talking to her. She was Adim’s wife but not their daughter-in-law.

Adim’s uncle came while Thelma was there and said, “Now you have sons you have to move out of the flat and build a befitting structure for your family. Your sons deserve to live in comfort. You can leave Eucharia in the flat and move into the new house with your new wife and sons.”

Adim shook his head and said, “Uncle, if anyone would remain in the flat it won’t be Eucharia. When I build I will allow her to choose where she wants to stay or build a separate house for her. I will not favour anyone over the other. Eucharia is still the first wife.”

Tbc