Thorn between episode 4 – 5
TITLE: TORN BETWEEN
WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI
HOW IT ALL STARTED PART 4…..
Chief, Flora’s husband came in first. He was surprised to see Eucharia by the gate. “Why are you outside by this time? Don’t you know mosquitos will bite you?”
“Nda Flora locked me outside.”
“Why? Why did she lock you outside?”
“I don’t know. I came back a few minutes before noon and met the doors to the house were locked. I sat outside for hours until I couldn’t bear the hunger anymore. I left my bag and envelope by the door and went outside the gate to buy a gala and drink. When I returned, she had locked the gate and taken the key.” She started crying again.
“Why are you crying? Is it because she locked you out?”
“No. All my life’s savings were in the bag and my certificate that she took away. Both the money my uncle gave me and the ones Adim gave me were in the bag.”
“She cannot touch your money, trust me.” He entered his vehicle and horned.
It took a while before the gate opened for him to drive in. Flora was outside. She tried to stop Eucharia from coming in. At that time, Adim drove in too. He was wondering what was going on. Flora’s husband was at the gate talking to the maiguard. Eucharia ran into the house to make food for her husband to eat.
As Adim came down from his car, Flora started shouting, “Your wife that went out since morning is just coming back. Since morning she left this house. I wanted you to meet her outside when you return and ask her where she is coming from. Adim, are you sure all is well? How can you want your wife to further her education when she has not fulfilled her obligation in this marriage? The thing you people do almost every night hasn’t resulted in anything we can see. If she is barren, it is time we get another woman. Age is no longer on your side.”
Chief was livid. He shouted, “Flora, shut up your mouth. I do not blame you; I blame Adim. Adim, don’t you know that if your wife is disrespected it is you that is being insulted? You sat still and watched Flora terrorise this girl until she ran away, and you said nothing. She is back still Flora would not allow her to drink water and drop the cup. Do you know the drama your sister did today? She didn’t want your wife to leave the house when she insisted, she blocked the door with her frame. I had to bundle her away from the door. Is that what you want? Your wife to be constantly unhappy? She returned in the afternoon, and your sister locked her outside the house. She stayed. She left to buy snacks to eat and met the gate locked. If she is just coming in as you claim, where are her bag and envelope she went out with this morning? Adim, your sister has been maltreating your wife. Why, I don’t know. I didn’t know this is how your family members behave. I have told you what happened. I asked the maiguard and he confirmed everything your wife said. Flora, I don’t want to see you inside this house. If you enter the house (he put one finger on his tongue, put it to the ground and raised high up) one of us will go to heaven or hell.”
“Why can’t I enter the house? What did I do?” Flora asked. She panicked then because she had never seen her husband that angry.
“Try it. You humiliated the young girl by locking her outside. You disrespected her in the presence of your maid and nanny. You treated her like a maid just because she married your brother. Why? What did she do to deserve such treatment? A child you should train on how to be a good wife and mother. You turned her into a maid. Have you ever sat down to talk to her? Try and enter this house let me see you.”
“She has charmed you too. Adim, he is lying. I have tried for her but she refused to listen. She woke up this morning and refused to do anything in the house. Is that right? Don’t mind him.”
Adim didn’t answer her. He brought out his briefcase and walked past Flora into the house. He entered the bedroom in search of Eucharia, but she wasn’t there. He came out and perceived the aroma of food. He knew she was the one. He went into the kitchen and found her there alone. He could see she had been crying. He asked her, “Why didn’t you tell me what my sister was doing to you? Why? Don’t you trust me to do the right thing?”
“She didn’t do anything to me.”
“She must have done something for her husband to be angry and lock her out. I am not eating, I have lost my appetite. Come, let us talk.”
He turned off the fire and led her to the bedroom. He asked her what she had faced in the home. She refused to say. She explained what happened earlier and that was all she talked about. She complained about her bag and envelope that were taken from her and wanted them back. It made her cry again. She was pained. She worried Flora would have removed her money from her bag.
“What do you want? What can I do to make things right?” Adim asked his wife.
“Allow me to return to Aba and stay until your accommodation is ready.”
“But it will take a while. It will be too long and I have to be travelling to see you”
“I don’t want your sister and her husband to fight over me. Let me go away and give her space.”
“You want to leave your husband? I thought you loved me. Why would you leave me? I won’t allow you to go. I would have rented a place before our place was ready, but I had spent money on furniture and electronics. It is for our house. I will talk to my sister.”
Eucharia nodded. She wanted her bag with the money inside. She went to the kitchen to finish making the food.
Adim met his brother-in-law and told him about the bag and envelope. He went into his wife’s room and found them in her wardrobe. He was upset. He came downstairs and asked Eucharia to check for the money inside the bag. Eucharia cried when she did not find the money. It was a lot of money for her. Because she didn’t trust anyone, she carried it about with her.
Adim went outside to meet his sister. He asked her where she kept the money she took from Eucharia’s bag. She claimed not to have taken any money from her bag. She said she just kept the bag in her wardrobe without opening it. Adim and her husband knew she was lying. Adim asked Eucharia how much was in the bag, but she was reluctant to say. Flora’s husband told Adim to stop asking her. He would sort it out the following day.
Flora was outside until almost midnight. Eucharia begged Adim to talk to his brother-in-law on his sister’s behalf. She wouldn’t allow him to sleep. Adim spoke with Chief to allow Flora to come in. Whatever punishment he wanted to give her, he could continue the following day. After much pleading, he let her in. He said to her, “You kept Euchria out here from noon until past eight. You have spent only three-plus hours, I wanted you to spend the night outside so you will never try this again.”
Adim kept his distance from his sister. He didn’t talk to her or quarrel with her. He just ignored her and asked his wife to do the same. He was worried. He knew he had to get a place and get Eucharia out of there. He had sensed his sister’s jealousy but didn’t know she was tormenting his wife. Now he knew he was worried about the solution to his problem. He had to seek wise counsel at this point.
Read – Making his cold heart soft episode 64
TITLE: TORN BETWEEN
WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI
HOW IT ALL STARTED PART 5…..
He sat with his brother-in-law, Chief. Chief told him he was less than a man bringing his wife to his in-law’s house to live. He was against it, but his wife insisted. “She claimed she wanted to use this period to study your wife and train her. Instead, she was wicked to her. Eucharia sweeps and mops the entire downstairs every morning before we leave the house. When we leave, she sends her to sweep and mop upstairs. There is a maid paid to do that. The downstairs she has done is enough. She cleans the kitchen better than the maids and your sister. She does not leave any dirty pots or plates there. There are no more roaches in the house because she is clean. Your sister is not satisfied. She insults her, calls her names and even says she is ugly. Eucharia is a good girl and young. Just like I married your sister and protected her from my family; you should have done the same.”
“I was financially handicapped. Accommodation allowance was removed from my salary every month for the construction. I do not know what to do now because I need a place urgently. My wife has never complained about Flora. I did not see the maltreatment, but keeping her outside for hours because you want to punish her is bad. She has mosquito bites on her legs and I have to treat her for malaria. I need to get a place now until they are ready. It would take another six months.”
“I just relocated my cousin abroad. We renewed the rent before this opportunity came which was time-bound. He occupied a one-bedroom, parlour, kitchen, toilet and bath at Randle. If you can manage it, you can move there. Everything is there; we did not remove anything. I will take you and Eucharia to see the place. Come back early so we can go when there is daylight.”
Adim loved the apartment. It was compact and had running water. In the compound, there were eight flats. The people there were either businessmen or workers like Adim. Eucharia was worried about the cost. It was nice and needed a thorough cleaning. She was worried the cost of the place would be enormous. She was also thinking about the implication of leaving Flora’s house and the accusations levelled against her. Flora can claim she made her brother leave her house because she was disciplining her.
Adim was ready to move in by the weekend. Eucharia needed the place thoroughly cleaned. There was only one pot and kettle, two plates and cups. They could not use them. And he used a kerosene stove. Chief volunteered to have the place thoroughly cleaned and asked Eucharia to write a list of all they needed to live comfortably.
Eucharia felt bad. Getting the flat would set Adim back some money as he had explained, so why was he getting it? She was sad because she could have helped him with some of the expenses, but Flora had taken her money and refused to return it. She gave Adim the list. He scrutinised it, added some items and removed some.
“Why do we need a new curtain?” he asked.
“I do not like the curtain there. It is a bedsheet tied to the nails on the wall.”
“I did not notice. We have to get a gas cooker and cylinder. The cylinder we can reuse, but it was to be a small tabletop cooker. Your kitchen utensils are many. Can we reduce them until we move to our place? We need an air freshener for the place for the stale smell. Use disinfectant to clean; I dislike the smell of izal. What else? I will give you what I have to start the purchases.”
Eucharia felt sad. Why did he have to squeeze himself when she could have supported him? She was almost in tears. Adim noticed and asked her what was wrong. After much persuasion, she eventually told him the money Flora was holding on to could have helped him.
“Thanks for reminding me. I will ask my brother-in-law to help retrieve the money from her. Since you do not want to tell me how much it is, maybe you can tell him.”
Chief came later that evening and in the presence of Flora, he gave Eucharia a bundle of money of the highest currency at that time. Flora’s eyes swoll (swelled) when she saw the money. Eucharia rejected it because it was more than what was taken from her. Flora asked her husband what the money was for.
“You stole her money, your brother’s wife’s money and refused to return it. Why did you search inside her bag? It is only a thief that does that. I had to refund her money so she does not tell people my wife is a thief.”
Eucharia quickly added, “I didn’t say so o.”
“You don’t need to. She took your money and I am returning it. Take it! And if she tries to take it from you, there will be war.”
Flora was mad. She ranted for hours after Chief left. Eucharia entered her room, collected the money Adim gave her and then carefully hid the money Chief gave her in a place Flora would never suspect of checking. While Flora was still ranting, she quickly finished her chores, got ready and announced she was going to the market. She went to Lagos Island to buy all she needed. The woman by the gate advised her to shop there because the prices were far cheaper, it was true. She bought everything on the list and had money left. She was so happy. She came back in a taxi. The maiguard and maid helped her put them in her room. Luckily, Flora was out when she returned. She was excited. When Adim came home, she showed him the money Chief gave her and the items she bought. He asked her to keep her money safe. He did not need it but could come into good news in the future.
The following day she went to check the flat. It looked brand new. Eucharia did not believe how thorough the cleaning was. Surprisingly, the windows and sill were cleaned. The cleaners did an amazing job. The toilet she was worried about was white. She was happy. She decided to return the following day to move in some things.
The following morning, she carried all the items she bought to the flat. She had to take them out when Flora went for school runs. She was not aware Adim and Eucharia were moving out. Adim wanted it that way. The maiguard called a taxi that carried the items, and she left for the flat. She singlehanded set up the place. She was so happy. She arranged everything there. She went to the market nearby to buy food items and cooked. There was no fridge or freezer in the flat. She had to pack the food for Adim to eat when he returned.
On Friday night, Eucharia had packed most of their clothes except what they would wear the following morning. When Flora retired for the night, Adim assisted her with the luggage in his vehicle. He did not want her to see him packing all his things. The following morning, Adim told Flora he was going away for the weekend with Eucharia. He did not say when he would be back. Flora did not ask many questions. She eyed Eucharia and went away.
They moved into the flat and began a new phase of life. By the time Flora found out, it was too late. She was upset. She went to Adim’s office to confront him. She tried to blackmail him emotionally, but he saw through her and her tears.
“She has turned you against me when I was looking out for you. What did I do wrong? I supported you. I did so much for you and you repay by conniving with the enemies against me. How can you be in Lagos I don’t know where you are staying. You need someone to monitor your wife because she lived in Aba. Aba girls are sharp girls. What does she do when you are not around? Some jobless guys are only interested in other men’s wives. She is yellow and tall, she is attractive to them. How much is your salary….”
“If it is Eucharia you are concerned about, don’t worry about her. I trust her more than I trust you. I know what it took to woo her. I found her at home untainted. I am the first guy that kissed her, saw her naked or even slept with her, and I am the only guy that will until the day she dies. She is not wayward or a sex freak. She takes good care of me and makes me feel special. She cooked soup every day until I bought a small fridge for us to use without complaint. If you want to see me, I will visit you, but I won’t bring Eucharia. I don’t want to expose her to you again.”
“Adim, is that what you are saying? Am I now a villain to be avoided? What did she say I did to her so I can apologise and you both can come home? I want to know the bad thing I did not that warrants you abandoning your blood. I don’t like her and I never did. You are confused because of her colour. She will deal with you mercilessly.”
“And if she doesn’t? This is the reason she won’t come with me, that is, if I visit. If you hate my wife, you hate me. Start paying attention to your husband’s business and offering to help manage one of his shops. You can learn from there. I am serious.”
“Are you going to give me the allowance you used to give me?”
“That was to support my feeding in your house. Since I am no longer there, there is no need.”
“Why now? That money was useful to me.”
“I need it now more than you do.”
Eucharia enjoyed her new place. She had no complaints. She took care of her husband and was very happy with him. She gained admission into the University of Lagos to study Nursing. A few months into her study, she got pregnant. The withdrawal method failed them. They were saddled with an unexpected pregnancy and they were both thrilled about it. Before the birth of their child, they would move to their new accommodation. Adim got promoted which changed his accommodation status. He was no longer moving into the completed flat but a three-bedroom bungalow. It was a good start for them.
Tbc