My husband, Ekanem, returned home from work about three months ago looking sad. I knew something was wrong but when I enquired, he told me it was well. “What is the matter dear? You don’t look happy. Did you have a bad day at work?” I asked. “No, darling, I am just tired. Once I take a bath, I am sure I will be fine,” Ekanem assured.However, three weeks later, after dinner, he said, “Lillian, I heard you still visit our former area, Mushin, regularly. What do you go there to do?” he asked sternly. “Well, who told you that? I don’t know what you are talking about my love. Maybe the person keeps seeing someone who looks like me,” I retorted. He assured me that the person was sure I was the one. When it was about to cause a serious argument, we dropped the subject and talked about something else.
About three weeks later, Ekanem asked me the same question. Yet I denied. He told me, “I saw Stanley, one of our former neighbours, who informed me that you visit Mushin regularly and that he was ready to say it before you. When I asked him who you go there to see, he chuckled and revealed that I was the only one who did not know that my wife sleeps around with rich men. Lillian, please tell me the truth now. He also told me that you started it before we moved out of the neighborhood. I told him that my wife is a responsible, married woman and warned him never to speak ill about you again.” I told him it was all lies and I thought that was going to be the end of the matter. Since my husband was becoming intensely suspicious, I had to take a break for a while for the dust to settle.A month later, I briefly went to my shop to make sure my clients’ dresses were ready and then went to meet one chief at the usual hotel. I usually have this unusual urge to sleep with rich men other than my husband. When we came out of the hotel about two hours later, I saw Ekanem sitting on the bonnet of his car right outside the hotel. I couldn’t move as I was shocked to see him. Chief didn’t know what was happening; as he wrapped his hands around my waist. He proposed to drop me off at my shop. I declined. I told him I was going to leave in a taxi. Immediately he zoomed off in his jeep, Ekanem said with tearfilled eyes, “So it is really true after all that my wife sleeps with other men. Lillian, you should be ashamed of yourself because I am ashamed of your actions.” I pleaded with him not to cause a scene because I was doing it for his own good. He angrily entered into his car and drove off.When I got home that evening, I said, “Ekanem, whatever I do with other men is for your own good and not mine”. “For my own good you say? How? Explain to me why a married woman should give her body to other men. Is it because of money? Tell me what your problem is woman! So this is why you have refused to bear me children? You adulterous woman, shame on you,” he yelled. “Well, I don’t expect you to understand and I know you will never understand,” I replied angrily, and walked out of the room.About an hour later, he told me to leave his house because he could not leave with an unfaithful wife. I made it clear to him that once I stepped out of his house and life, he will become a pauper overnight. “Ekanem, do you think it is your hard work that made you wealthy overnight? You better think well. In fact, how many years have you worked to earn so much money and buy property all over? It is my sweat and not yours if you must know,” I emphasised. He told me I was talking rubbish, that all he has was as a result of the help of God and his hard work.I refused to leave my matrimonial home because I love Ekanem so much even though he does not know that all his wealth belongs to all the rich men I have been sleeping with. He stopped eating my food and talking to me. One Saturday evening, his elder brother came to visit us. I was sure he had questions to ask me. He wanted to know if all Ekanem told him about me was true but didn’t know how to go about it. I initiated the move.I walked up to them in the sitting room and said, “Brother Melvin, ask me those questions that have been bugging you and I will give you all the answers you need.” Brother Melvin then tabled all the allegations made by my husband against me and asked if they were true. My response shocked him when I said, “Yes, it is true that I sleep with men but not just any man. I sleep with very rich men after which their wealth is immediately transferred to my husband. If I show you some of the men I have slept with today, they have become paupers without knowing the source of their poverty. They can hardly feed while my husband has become very wealthy, but we will never bear children. I now understand what my mother told me years ago,” I revealed.They looked confused and astonished at my confession. Ekanem burst into tears. His brother, confounded, did not know what to say to me anymore. He managed to ask me what it was my mother told me. I informed them that three days after my 18th birthday, my mother came to meet me at the veranda and told me she wanted to have a very important discussion with me since I am her only daughter, though I have two elder brothers. She said I should not have anything to do with the male until I was ripe enough. More shocking was what followed but I didn’t understand.She said that I had the power to either make men rich or poor. “My darling Lillian, you are a special girl. You have the power to either make men rich or poor. If you want the man you will marry to be rich, then you must remain a virgin until your wedding night. However, if you do not, all the men you sleep with, including the man you will eventually get married to, will be as poor as church rats. However, you must start sleeping with rich men after you are married,” she revealed.I was shocked and I asked her, “Mummy, but why must I start sleeping with other men after I am married? That will be defiling my matrimonial bed,” I said. She smiled and told me that I would not understand, She said when the time comes, I will understand.To be continued next week
No comments:
Post a Comment