Thorn between episode 29 – 30

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

GROWTH 10…

10
The next time she spoke with Prisca, she shared an exciting experience she had at Adim’s office. Adim had requested she brought a confidential document he had left at home. He wanted her to hand it over herself. She dressed up and went to his office. She had just made her hair; her children asked her to make big braids with black hair attachment. She dropped the braids; the contrast of the braids against her skin was lovely.

When she went to Adim’s office, she met a man outside. The way he looked at her, she did not appreciate it at all. She asked for Adim at the reception was told to wait. The man who made her uncomfortable left the reception and returned with another man. The man he came back with looked familiar. He was a French man.

“Good morning ma,” the man said to her. “Who did you come to see?”

“Good morning. I came to see my husband, Adim Okoye.”

“O, the Chief Accountant. I believe we have met before, my name is Pierre and I work with the Corporate Communications department. My team believes you will make a …” Adim joined them at the moment. He shook Pierre’s hand and asked what was going on. “As I was saying, our team for the advert campaign saw your wife and came to tell me. They said she is the perfect model for the product campaign we are working on. We will like to high her to be the face of that particular product. As her model she will be paid standard price. Since she is a member of the family, she will be exclusively the face of the product.”

Adim’s laughter was synthetic as he responded. “Sounds good. How can I say no to the boss? But it is her choice and I know she is camera shy.”

“That is why it is your responsibility to ensure she agrees and becomes the face of that particular product. She is perfect for it.” He turned to Eucharia and said, “It was nice meeting you again. I hope you consider this offer. Here is my card, and Maxwell here will liaise with your husband about your first appointment.”

Eucharia gave Adim the file and left. She had been married to Adim long enough to know when he was upset and she could see he was furious even though she did not show it. It was not her fault and she knew he would not believe it. She was also not in the mood to explain herself. She was happy that someone saw her and considered her worthy to be used for adverts. It excited her.

Adim came back that evening and displayed his annoyance. Unfortunately for him, Pierre was not someone he could say no to. There was no way he could avoid this. He tried to blame Eucharia, but he couldn’t. She was not at fault. She was at home away from prying eyes when he asked her to bring the document to him at the office. He regretted his actions. Eucharia was getting the exposure he did not want at all.

She did the product campaign and she was a natural. She played her role perfectly and she impressed the production team. What was required of her was a commercial and an advert campaign where she would gotravel with the team and popularise the product. It meant she would meet with people who could ‘steal’ her from her husband. Adim was scared until her tour came to an end. She worked for six months campaigning in different states. Adim did not want her to go to tour alone, so he insisted Flora should go with her. Before Eucharia could refuse, Flora did.

“You go on tours by yourself without your wife suspecting you, why does she have to have a chaperone?”

“What are you saying?” Adim asked Flora.

“I am saying that you should trust your wife enough to go on tour without a chaperone. And if you must have a monitoring spirit move around with her, it cannot be me or the girls. They are too young and impressionable to be on the tour. Look for someone else.”

Finally, Njideka agreed to go with Eucharia. She was excited for her because she had been upset with Adim for killing Eucharia’s dream. This was huge, and she was making good money from it too. It came on a platter of gold.

When Eucharia shared her experience as a model with Helen, Helen suggested that she should consider getting a visa to visit them in America.

“Adim will not agree. He will say it is too much exposure for me.”

“Sister, I will mention it to Auntie Prisca and Uncle Paul, I am sure they will push for it. You can come with Hayden and the girls, your husband can afford to pay for the trip.”

“It will be a full house if all of us come at once.”

“Who is complaining? We will prepare and take a break during that time so we can bond. I miss my nieces and I do not get to talk to them as often as I would have liked. Maybe after the first trip, they can come on their own.”

Adim refused outrightly. “The changes are too much, Eucharia. You want to relocate abroad because you did a commercial and you were signed to be the face of a brand for one year. What has gotten into you?”

“But you have been travelling and I have not. Not that I cannot afford it but because you feel it is too much exposure for me. Even for me to travel to Spain to buy goods, you refused. What more do you want from me? If that is the case, none of us will travel in this house.”

Read – Meant for each other episode 48

“Says who? This is the behaviour I have been complaining about. Are you challenging me? Who are you to tell me I cannot travel too? Are you the man of the house? Are you the breadwinner? Because you are seeing small change from the shoe sale, therefore, you will no longer respect me. If I stop providing, can you train the children on your own? You are pushing me to do something terrible. Stop challenging me. If not that I love you, I would have sent you back to your parents. Yes, I would have.”

“Adim, we lived together in peace and harmony for several years in Lagos and never fought. I obeyed all you said and I believed you were looking out for me. Our problems started when we moved to live with you in Port Harcourt. You complain about everything. It was the changes in you that got me depressed and obese. I tried to help myself but you did not want me to. Instead, you made comments to suggest I ate too much. You contributed to making me feel bad about myself and being determined to lose weight.”

“Me? Eucharia, do not twist what happened. When did I ever make you feel bad about your weight? You wanted to be slim and attractive and you achieved that. I liked you the way you were.”

“You liked me the way I was? You would ask me to hold my legs because they were too heavy for you to carry. You stopped making love to me. When Chinemerem broke a chair you said it was my weight that broke it. You said I ate too much, but did not want me to lose weight. Am I still lying? Wasn’t it after I lost weight you wanted me every time? I wondered why you didn’t want me to lose weight when my slimmer body was more attractive to you. When we were in the village for Christmas the year Chief died, did you touch me for the whole two weeks?”

“So you had all these things in your mind and never spoke about them until now. It seems my way of loving you regardless is annoying to you. The women you are friendly with will lead you astray; they have nothing good to offer. Maybe other men are talking to you because you are popular and can now find fault with your husband. Let us see how long their interest will last.”

That was how their arguments always ended with his accusing her of wanting to be with other men, her friends introducing her to men or being in a relationship with a rich man. Eucharia could not understand why the accusations. She was determined to look good, especially with this newfound fame; Adim did not like it at all. She lost even more weight and exercised at home without the group. Adim could not resist her but at the same time, he was worried he would lose her.

Paul was upset when he heard that Adim refused Eucharia to come to the USA. He spoke with him and asked him what his fears were. Adim said he was scared Eucharia might not return to Nigeria if she tastes abroad. Paul laughed at his insinuation.

“Eucharia can never leave you no matter what. She will not relocate without you, it is not possible. I know her very well. Remove your mind from there and allow her to visit with the girls on holiday.”

“That will be six people travelling, it will be expensive.”

“Do not worry, Helen and I will buy the tickets, just sort out the visa fee.”

That was how Adim’s hands were tied.

The visit to America opened Eucharia’s eyes. Her daughters were so excited that they wanted to stay behind, but Eucharia refused. Helen advised Dumebi to come over for their Master’s degree, it would be easier. Helen shopped for Eucharia. She took her to stores and bought her lovely trending clothes, shoes, handbags and shoes. She also showed her trending hairdos.

“I am happy with the way you look now, no one would believe these four girls came from your womb. Maintain this figure and use it to put Nda Adim on his toes. Fix weavon on your hair, wear hats to church and represent well. This old mama you have been doing has to stop. Nda Adim will come around, I trust him.”

Eucharia watched how Helen and Hilary lived and envied her. Hilary was a hands-on husband and father. He cooked and cleaned the house. He took Helen out to dinner once a week. She had also pursued academia and was doing very well too. He treated her as an equal. He discussed everything with her and they made decisions together. It was impressive to watch. Helen told her they hardly quarreled and they had a rule in the house that they never go to bed angry no matter what.

Meanwhile, before the trip, Adim had stopped talking to Eucharia. He made her feel like she was abandoning him at his lowest hour to have fun. That was not the case. Adim was being childish and she almost cancelled the trip. It was Flora that spoke up and said if Eucharia did not want to go then the children should go since she is stupid. She had no choice but to travel in order not to disappoint her children who looked forward to this trip. She did not like the way Flora called her stupid and she mentioned it to Adim but since he wanted to fight before she travelled, he ignored her.

When she came back to Nigeria, Eucharia had a different mindset. She came back a different person. She focused on her business and making money so her daughter would enjoy the life Helen and Prisca were enjoying in America. She knew Adim would be against the children living abroad but what Prisca said was that at a certain age (21 years and above) they can make decisions on their own. She liked that and prepared for when that time came. She also spent time talking to her children about the opportunities they would have when they travel abroad to further their studies, find a husband and settle down.