Thorn between episode 61
TITLE: TORN BETWEEN
WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI
LIFE GOES ON 13
Thelma’s proposal did not sit well with Adim. He felt she was seeking a way to have access to his family. Her father assured him it wasn’t the case. Adim insisted they make it legal so she could not come back and change what she said. A lawyer drafted the agreement for all the parties and witnesses to sign. Thelma wanted compensation for giving up her three children and wanted access to them once a year for three weeks. It was a reasonable request and he agreed to it. But, he said the deal would be sealed when he took custody of his daughter when she was a year old. Thelma agreed. She insisted Adim should be present when they signed the document and took possession of his daughter. Adim agreed to everything she asked for. He wanted her out of his life, and he had to get her out whatever it took.
Mama removed her mourning clothes a year after her husband’s death. The memorial was beautiful and very colourful. What they could not achieve when Papa died, they did even more for his memorial. The villagers praised them for all they achieved, especially for extending assistance to the village. Mama came to Port Harcourt after the memorial to prepare for her journey to ala bekee (white man’s land).
Immediately after Emelda was a year old, Thelma informed the lawyer and a date was fixed for the meeting with Adim.
Adim wanted Eucharia to go with him, but she refused. She did not want to be involved in the Thelma’s matter. She also did not want the child to stay with them, why should she? The child belonged with her mother. Eucharia felt Adim did not manage the situation well. He rushed to end things with Thelma without considering the children. They deserved to know their mother and meet with her whenever they could. Their mother ‘selling’ her children to their father did not make sense to her. She asked Adim to look for where to keep Emelda, not her home. She believed Thelma would come back when the money finished. She would use the children as bait, was it worth it?”
Adim wanted to get rid of Thelma for good. He was not interested in the child and had agreed with Flora to take her and raise her as her own. He asked Flora and Peter to accompany him to the lawyer’s office so they could sign the documents and leave. Njideka asked to tag along, there was no way she was missing out on what would transpire, she knew Thelma well enough to know it would not be a normal handover, there must be drama. Adim loved his peace, it would not be funny but with Flora by his side, he was safe. Eucharia would have been the best option to stand by him, but her refusal to partake was very understandable.
When they arrived, Thelma and her family hadn’t arrived so they waited for them. They strolled in thirty minutes later and the meeting began. Thelma was disappointed that Adim came with his siblings, she wanted him to be here alone. She came with her father only. She scowled at Njideka and wondered what she was doing there. She knew why she was there; she wanted something to gossip about, that was her stock in trade. She hissed as she looked away.
The lawyer presented the documents and asked both parties to read them. They did. When it was time to sign, Adim signed and Peter signed as a witness. Thelma signed and her father signed as a witness. The lawyer gave Thelma the cheque for the amount she requested. Adim did not subtract a dime, and neither did he negotiate. He wanted her off his back for good. She asked to speak with Adim alone before she accepted the cheque because it was clearly stated that until she cashed the cheque, the deal was not done. Adim did not want to be left alone with her, but he had no choice. He asked others to leave while he talked to her.
“Is this want you want? We have been together for twelve years and you want to end it just like that? I know I have misbehaved in the past, but please forgive me. I have received treatment and I am much better. Just give me another chance. I had Emelda for us so you can have a child in your old age.”
“Thelma, I have collected my dowry back and I have no business with you anymore. I have forgiven you for all you did in the past, I hold no grudge against you. I have my wife and children back. You forced Emelda on me which means I cannot retire early the way Eucharia and I had planned. Collect the money and make yourself happy. You might find another man who will love you….”
“Love me? After three children? Where is he? Why didn’t you tell Eucharia what you are telling me? Why didn’t you divorce her when she gave you conditions?”
“Eucharia is my wife, my legitimately married wife. She has forgiven me for my errors and Emelda will be a constant reminder of your betrayal. I have nothing against you, take the cheque and leave me and my family alone. I will never come back to you.”
“But we can be friends….”
“I can see you came to play games, you have received the cheque and signed that you have received it. Any other thing is a waste of time.”
Adim walked out to call the lawyer. He told her father and his family she was playing games. He wanted to collect the cheque back and leave, but her father stopped him. He told him the contract had been signed and it was binding. He was taking his daughter to the bank, and they would be back with Emelda.
Thelma left with her father. They were away so long that Adim and his family wanted to leave. They came back two hours later with Emelda and two boxes of items for her. Njideka took Emelda from Thelma. Thelma expected Adim to look at her daughter, but he did not acknowledge her at all. She was heartbroken. Her father gave the lawyer a photocopy of the deposit slip they used to pay the money into the bank. He asked Thelma to leave as he tried to lead her out, but she refused. She announced, “Emelda must stay with Adim; she must live with him, she deserves to know her father. I know Eucharia would hate her, but I insist her father must love her.”
Flora was irritated by her behaviour, she couldn’t even hide her desperation. “Thelma you gave up your children for a handsome reward, you sold your birthright to Adim for a handsome pay. You cannot dictate what will happen from here, do you hear me? Stop fooling around. What is wrong with you?”
Thelma launched at Njideka to take Emelda from her, but she was able to prevent it. She said to her, “It is too late now. You have collected the money and given us the child, you cannot tell us what to do with the child. Eucharia doesn’t remember you exist, stop calling her name all the time. When Adim met with you one-on-one he did not fall again. Your village juju did not work on him anymore. You claimed it was Eucharia using juju to make us like her, and now you brought juju to make Nda Adim fall for you again; it will never work. Do you know the amount of prayers and deliverance he has done to be completely rid of you? You offered to give up your children and now you want to stipulate conditions, but it will not work. Let us go, she has collected the money.”
When they left, Njideka gave Emelda to Flora and asked her to be careful. She then told her husband and Adim to quickly divorce her legally at the customary court. “She is going to come back for her children. Tell the court she has a mental disorder so you will be able to get full custody of all her children. Her father will help with this, it is obvious she is mentally not balanced.” Njideka couldn’t understand why a woman would choose a man over her children. She knew she would come back so it was best the child stayed with Flora. If possible the boys too.
Thelma could not believe that Adim had abandoned her. He flung her away like a piece of rubbish. Adim she introduced to an adventurous world of pleasure and who swore never to leave her in moments of ecstasy was the person disrespecting her now. She was angry at him and his refusal to acknowledge his daughter, a girl she bore for him out of love. She was also angry at Njideka for claiming she used juju on Adim. Why would she use anything on someone who loved her? She was angry but knew it was not the time to react. She waited a while before she called her with a strange number.
“Njideka, be very careful with me. You took my child and told Adim lies about me. Adim loves me, this is just an obstacle in our way.”
“He loves you and he did not want his wife to know about you and your sons for six years, what kind of love is that? He loves Eucharia more and now Eucharia has given him access to her body, he is no longer interested in you,” Njideka replied.
“Eucharia cannot give Adim what I give him. She is boring and conscious of her religious background. She is not adventurous, and a man like Adim loves adventure. He wants to try something new and different. He told me she just stays there while he does all the work.”
“If that was the case, why did he stop sleeping with you when he was able to get into her bed? He met her as a virgin and now those things you think you give Adim that he cannot resist you, she has learnt them and is now giving them to him that he confessed she is better than you at giving blow jobs. How can a wife be better in bed than the mistress? It is what you did in the village that made her learn how to please him, and now she is a pro. Nda Adim doesn’t allow her to drive herself, she must go out with a driver. Did you see how he looks now? That’s what attracted him in the first place she takes care of him; she made him lose weight and keep fit. After making him very attractive to her, you want him for yourself. Come near him and see what Eucharia will do to you. Be careful.”
“Eucharia will never share her man with another woman, but I did. He had an amazing experience with me and a friend. When I went to Nnewi, he couldn’t send me away. He had amazing adventures with me. He took me everywhere he went.”
“You are right. He had experiences with you he does not want to have anymore. He wants his wife and he wants to have safe experiences with her. You are not smart. When a man begins to age, he becomes careful with his adventures. Many of them go back to their wives. Nda Adim’s own is interesting because his wife has brought life into their lives. She is an amazing cook, takes care of his clothes, and oversees his building constructions. He trusts her with his finances and she satisfies him in bed, what more does he want? It took his father’s death and your misbehaviour to set him right and now, they can never be happier than they are now. If you come near her home again, you will receive what you are looking for. Don’t call my number again.”
Thelma was unhappy about the whole plan. She had lost and there was nothing she could do about it. She went to see Nda Flora. She was surprised to see Emelda with her instead of Adim. When Flora saw her, she asked the nanny to take Emelda in.
“Why wouldn’t Adim love my daughter? Why doesn’t he want her?”
“Thelma, he had plans for his old age and tending to children was not part of it. His last child before your boys is in the University. Now he has two eleven-year-old boys and a toddler. Adim is over fifty with a one-year-old. What did you expect? I warned you not to get pregnant, but you did. Now you have handed her over to him, you can live your life to the fullest. Go and do something with your life and leave Adim and Eucharia alone. Eucharia will take Emelda eventually, but let her do it at her own time. If you keep trying to see Adim, you will regret it.”
Thelma burst into tears. “I have been a fool and acted very stupid. The house is empty without her, can I have her back? Since Adim doesn’t want her, can I have her?”
“Have you refunded his money? Once you refund the money, we have to go to the lawyer to destroy the agreement and renegotiate another agreement. You have to come with your witness.”
“My father won’t come with me. He has asked me to leave Emelda with Adim and move on with my life. I can’t.”
“You can’t stay here either, please leave.”
“I want my daughter back.”
Flora picked up her phone and called Adim. In a short time, some Police officers were at Flora’s house to escort Thelma out. She cried as she left the building. She screamed and claimed they kidnapped her daughter because they had money and she didn’t have any to fight them. It was a mess.