Thorn between episode 41 – 42

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

TROUBLE 10

Adim tried to convince Eucharia to share his bed, but she refused. She told him no amount of money would make her share him with another woman. “I have accepted my fate that you have two families. When you are horny, you can go to her. She will give you the pleasure you craved for. I am too old and tired for sex; all I want to do is resume my business.”

“If that is the case, I will have to spend some weeks with them and come back. If you were not proving difficult, I would have stopped sleeping with her.”

“Adim, with everything I did to please you, did you not sleep with other women? Did she not hang on long enough to have your sons? Doesn’t it show that you are a weak man? I was with you here, but you were still seeing her. You will still sleep with her whether I give you or not. Go to her; I have no problem with that. Draw up a timetable for when you are horny and have to go to her, it will be better.”

“Eucharia are you the one saying this? You do not want me to touch you again? I now know you have taken a lover. You cannot have a lover under my roof, I won’t allow it. What nonsense? Eucharia don’t try me o!”

“Go and bark like this to the stray nkita (dog) you allowed to ruin your once happy home. Imagine you, Adim, accusing me of sleeping with another man. You had me here but was sleeping regularly with another woman. You have no iota of shame. These legs will remain closed permanently; even if Jesus comes from heaven to tell me to allow you between my legs, I will not agree.”

Her comment pained Adim and he replied, “If that is the case, get ready to go back to your people and return my bride price. If I cannot get my rights as a husband who paid your dowry in full, then I should get my full refund.”

“Adim, how do you want it? Cheque or cash? I will refund you right now and move out today. Name your price. I will not be made a fool of and pretend all is well. Christmas is a few weeks away and I will not return home so no one will ask me questions. Let me refund you and quickly cut ties with you. I will ask my uncle how much you paid and multiply it by ten to refund you. Nonsense!”

Eucharia walked out on a defeated Adim who could not understand how the situation degenerated into this. He never envisaged Eucharia standing up to him and being disrespectful. Something was giving her confidence, and whatever it was he had to get to the root of it.

As Eucharia had said, she did not go home for Christmas. Adim took the girls home to see their grandparents. Everyone asked after Eucharia, her absence was felt. Njideka had to play the role of the most senior wife she had dodged for a long time. She was upset about it because it required her spending most of her time in the kitchen. She couldn’t show off her new clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery. It was extremely boring.

Adim’s parents were unhappy that Eucharia did not come home and blamed Adim for destroying a beautiful marriage. They had not seen her in a long time and it hurt them. She would have taken charge of the family effortlessly.

Adim told his parents he wanted to bring the boys to see them, but they both refused. His mother was more vocal. She said she needed permission from Eucharia before they could allow the boys to come into their home.

Adim was surprised. He had to ask, “Are you saying Eucharia calls the shots in this family? If she refuses, what then happens? This is getting out of hand, we have to have a meeting. What is going on?”

Adim called his siblings to a meeting that evening. Unfortunately, only Flora and Peter were available in the village with their parents. Adim began the conversation. “I have called this meeting to inform you that I would like my sons to know their family. I want them to meet Papa and Mama and everyone else. I want a time everyone will be around so they can come.”

“I have already told him that without permission from Eucharia, I am not seeing anybody. I will not be accused of supporting evil. I encouraged her not to have more children to please you, and now you want me to dance Egwu jigida for the children you had with an easy woman. I will only see them if Uk brings them to me herself,” his mother replied.

Peter cleared his throat and added, “What is the rush? If you could hide them for four years, they can wait until you have fully resolved issues with your estranged family. But if you insist and bring them here by force, I will not be a part of it. I have kept away and refused to talk about this issue, let us keep it that way. I want to avoid any conflict.”

Adim asked, “Why should we avoid it? Why can’t we talk about it? Is Eucharia the goddess we worship in this family?”

“I won’t be available to meet anyone. You have had the sons you wanted, that is all I need to know. I do not need to see or interact with them,” Peter replied. Adim was surprised at his response.

Flora added, “Are you bringing the boys or their mother to introduce them to us because Eucharia is not around? Who is deceiving who? I have seen them and I am not interested in seeing them again, not after what happened. The worst thing you can do is to bring Thelma to this house in Eucharia’s absence. You will be handing her the licence to leave you and I will support her. We both know you would rather die than see any other man with your precious Eucharia. Just make a wrong move and they will snatch her from you. You are not wise after all; I gave you too much credit.”

Adim could not believe his entire family would turn against him in the way they did. He was upset and did not attempt to hide it. He went to see his uncle (his father’s brother) and told him what happened. His Uncle was angry with every one of them. He came to the house to speak with his brother and Peter. Njideka was serving her in-laws food when he came in.

“The way you have handled this situation is not right. Is he the first man to have a child outside wedlock? Why are we acting as though he doesn’t have a right to have more children if he so desired and even sons who will take after his name? Why is everyone scared of Eucharia?”

“Uncle, I, Peter, am not scared of Eucharia. I will not be a part of Adim’s scheme to bring that woman into Eucharia’s home. Eucharia asked me to beg my brother for her to have more children, but he refused. She begged for years, but still, he wouldn’t let her. When she got pregnant for Urenna, he accused her of doing it intentionally and abandoned her. After appealing and begging, they reconciled. Why would Adim have sons with another woman? I honestly do not want to know why he betrayed her, but I will not be a party to it, count me out,” Peter responded.

“Peter, you are sounding like a child. The deed has been done. They are your nephews whether you like it or not. How do we resolve the issue is the problem right now? All of you have to convince Eucharia to accept the woman and her sons. This is their father’s house.”

Flora was disgusted at the manner her uncle spoke. She challenged him by saying, “If you feel the way Adim treated Eucharia is right, your daughter Chinyere has three girls, I pray her husband also brings sons home and I hope you will tell her to accept his sons and the new woman.”

“She will accept them, what can she do about it?” her uncle replied.

“Good, because I will make it my life duty to find a new wife for your son-in-law so our daughter can be as happy as Adim is about to make Eucharia. Adim, this is your house, you can do as you like. My five years are almost over and I will move back to Lagos. When I leave, Eucharia will show you hell; let us bet it. That she is calm doesn’t mean she is a fool. Underestimate her at your peril. I am going to my late husband’s house. With all my madness, Chief did not have children nor deceive. Nno.” Flora left for home.

Her uncle waited for her to exit the sitting room before saying, “I hope Flora was joking about what she said. Why would she want to give my son-in-law a wife? Anyway, Papa Ejima, you have the final say here. Adim is your son while Eucharia is a woman that was married into this family. If she doesn’t want the marriage any more, then it should be dissolved for Adim to marry the mother of the boys.”

“I will request for a return of her bride price so Adim can be free to bring his mistress and her sons to the house. Until then, he cannot,” Adim’s father replied.

Adim stood up in anger. “That is not what I asked for. Why do you want to separate me from my wife? I do not want my dowry back. Eucharia would have to accept Thelma and the boys; she is going nowhere. She is proving difficult. She stopped giving me my conjugal rights and said she would never meet with me again. Then I need to marry Thelma. I am a young man with needs. All of you taking sides with Eucharia are not thinking about me.”

His mother replied to him harshly, “When did she deny you these rights? Was it not after she found out that you were with someone else? Stop trying to paint her badly because the community will be against you. You are not even ashamed of yourself. Many couples looked up to you and Eucharia, but you exposed her nakedness and expect her to sleep with you; you lie. I support her. Until she tells me she has accepted those boys, I will not accept them, and that is final. If you bring them here, we will treat them as strangers.”

“Truly Eucharia has charmed everybody. I am your son and you are taking sides with Eucharia over your grandsons.”

“Go and resolve issues with Eucharia and stop whining like a child. The way you make your bed is the way you will lie on it,” his father advised him.

Read – Stuck with an obsessed girlfriend episode 10 – 13

TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

TROUBLE 11

Adim could see his family was serious about their resolve and would not budge. He left there for his car when he heard Njodeka calling him. She eventually caught up with him. “Nda Adim, instead of wasting your time talking to these people, go back to Port Harcourt and beg Eucharia. Buy her a special gift she will treasure and beg her. Nda Flora is right, if Eucharia leaves you, there will be a big hole left in this family. Thelma cannot fill that hole, she is only interested in your money. Uk is interested in you and her children. Don’t expect her to accept easily, it might take a long while even years for her to come around, but she will. I know her and I know she loves you. Just make her a priority and watch her change.”

“I should be sex-starved because I want to keep my family. I was willing to give up having sex with Thelma to be with her, but she refused. She said it is over her dead body.”

“Nda Adim, meet Thelma for that one but do not rub it in UK’s face. That’s all I am saying. Nda Paul and Prisca don’t speak with you or about you anymore. Uk doesn’t interact with us either. She believes we support you. I support you though; I warned her to do everything in her power to have a son, but she did not listen to me or Nda Flora. Nda Flora saw the future and she is now a big supporter of Uk. She is the one encouraging her to deal with you and not allowing us to talk sense into her.”

“Flora? Why would she do that?”

“Because you betrayed Uk. Even though she doesn’t say it out loud, Uk transformed her life and she is grateful to her. Do something fast because I heard Uk wants to return the dowry and move out of the house before you get back home.”

“What?”

“That is what I heard, and I am telling you. Prisca confided in me that they are raising a huge amount of money for Uk to start her life away from you and Thelma. They want to buy her a house in Port Harcourt …”

“What nonsense? Whose brothers plot against him? Why are they insisting on ruining my home? Is Peter part of them?”

“Please, don’t say anything to anyone, just go and beg Uk. I know her very well, she still loves you. Treat her the way you did when you just got married and she would come back to you.”

Adim went back into the house, and came down with his bag and left for Port Harcourt. As he left, Peter came out to meet Njideka where she was standing and said, “Well done!”

“Thank you. He has to come to his senses. Didn’t I tell you he still loves her? See him running to her as if his life depended on it. I need Uk back here to take over her role; I cannot continue to cook and play .”

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter to you that my mother is nursing my father. All that matters is your looks and showing the world you have money.”

“I don’t care. Peter, I am not Uk, dont bring any illegitimate child to my home because I will deal with both mother and child. Do not say I did not warn you. Who would have thought the way Nda Adim and Uk were going at it, he would ever cheat on her? He did it for years. It cannot be me, I would have found out since. Uk was too relaxed and trusting.”

Adim went back to Port Harcourt that day. Eucharia was not at home; she had gone to her office. She was receiving the first badge of recharge cards from another telecommunications company about to launch in Port Harcourt and she was preparing for the January date. Only three companies in Port Harcourt had licences to distribute the cards and they covered specific areas. She never mentioned it to Adim and he did not know how big the business was. She had invested millions into the business to capture the market. It was a big gamble she took. She even evicted and renovated the lower floor of the building and gave two offices facing the road to the telecommunications companies so she could partner with them to sell phones and sim cards from her office. She sold the sims with the phones while customers could activate their sim cards downstairs in their offices. It was a brilliant idea and the telecommunications companies were also paying rent.

Adim waited for her to return home. He was restless and had refused to eat. As she stepped in, he asked her where she was coming from. First, she was surprised to see his car in the compound and then he startled her when she walked into the house by sitting in the dark and asking a question.

“You scared me, what is the problem?”

“Eucharia, where are you coming from?” he asked again.

“From the shop, this is my season. What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know what I am doing here. Eucharia, do you want to kill me because I made a mistake? Do you want me to run mad? I am not the first man to disappoint his family and I will not be the last. I swear, I did not intentionally do this. If I did, let God take my life. I am begging you and I promise to make things right between us. I will wait until you are ready. But please forgive me. I want you to tell me you have forgiven me.”

Eucharia was ambushed by his words. He sounded sincere and she could sense the worry in his voice. It would be easy to manipulate him at this point, but she did not feel like it. She still had a soft spot for him and it might never change.

“Have you eaten? Should I make something for you to eat?” Eucharia asked.

“You won’t forgive me?”

“I forgave you a long time ago. Why do you think you are in this house and still eating the food I cooked? If I was still angry, you would have been dead by now. But, Adim I am not sharing a bed with you. Thelma has nowhere else to go except to stick with you and that being the case, she would continue to attend to your needs. If you do not share intimacy with her, she will get it elsewhere to get it. I cannot risk that.”

“What are you talking about? Were you not having sex with me when I was dating her? Did I infect you?”

“I did not know then, I would have insisted on the same thing. I am a nurse and I know the implications of having multiple partners; not in this era of AIDS. I cannot risk it.”

“Eucharia! How can you say that? Anyway, I will abstain from sex for as long as you want me to. I want you and I want you badly. I will wait until you are ready.”

“And another thing, she should not get pregnant again. I mean it. I will see it as a further betrayal.”

“I do not need more children. It is not easy to fend for six children.”

“You know that, but she doesn’t. Protect yourself when you are with her.”

“I am abstaining. I will not meet with her again.”

“If it is because of me you want to abstain, do not waste your time. It will be unfair to her if you cut off like that. All I am saying is no more children.”

Adim was given the top-of-the-range mobile phone in his office and he loved it. He asked for the price of the phone and decided to buy the same model for Eucharia. He wanted her to have something special from him. The phone was brought in from Lagos for them. No other person had that type of phone in Port Harcourt and it carried a status symbol. Even the telecommunications company did not sell that brand of phone.

Eucharia loved the phone when he gave it. This particular brand was not on sale in her shop and she wondered why. She had a unique phone number. Adim’s number ended with the number 1 while Eucharia’s had the same number and ended with 2 instead of 1. She asked Adim who he got the number 3 for and he said no one. It was for just both of them. He turned on the phone for her and she was excited when she saw the features of the phone. She jumped for joy and hugged him. He smiled and couldn’t hide his happiness.

“Let us complete this with a kiss,” he suggested, but she refused. He was glad he could still get her excited.

“Don’t start. Thank you, this was thoughtful of you. I know Thelma will fight you for hers but it doesn’t concern me. I am happy you are trying to make things right. I pray I heal someday, I pray.”

“Nwunye m, the wife of my youth, I want you to heal and be happy. I cannot live without you, this I promise you. Even if I misbehave, be merciful. Understand that I am only human and can’t be perfect. Do not throw my error to my face or be combative about it. When everything calms down, tell me where I erred and I will make amends. You are still my love and I desire no one else. Even before you found out about her, did I ever refuse you any form of intimacy? When I came home didn’t I desire you? What does that tell you? Take your time, I will be waiting for you. But please, do not leave me. If you leave me, I will die.”

Eucharia did not know how to process the entire conversation. Since Adim returned from the village, he had made efforts to get close to her. He did not demand his conjugal rights anymore and he said the right things that could melt a heart. But Eucharia cautioned her heart and just smiled at him without saying anything. If she doesn’t caution herself she could easily be carried away by Adim’s attention. Adim could not believe how strong Eucharia had become. She used to hang on to his every word, but it was not happening again. He also cautioned himself to be patient.

Adim had issued a cheque to the phone supplier to cash at his bank. He signed twice at the back of the cheque confirming it, and in addition, he called the Branch Manager to inform him of the cheque and asked him to ensure it got paid. When the cheque got to Thelma, she asked the beneficiary questions. That was how she found out he bought a phone. She knew he had a phone given to him from the office and she had seen him with it the day before so why was he buying another phone. She called him to confirm the cheque. He confirmed and also told her the Branch Manager had his confirmation since she was in the habit of returning his cheques unpaid.

“Who is the phone for?” she asked.

“How does that concern you? I think this is the last straw, confirm the cheque and stop asking me questions. I can’t take this anymore.” And he ended the call.