Choices – Episode 5

By Tunde Oni

I could not get Muyiwa off my mind.

I love my husband and I love my family but I cannot explain how my heart skips every time I think of Muyiwa. The feeling is foreign to me. It reminds me of how they used to describe love in the romance novels I love reading. Though I am not that naive to think I love him but I know there is something there.

 I made a choice not to call him though after thinking of him all through the following week. To further avoid temptation, I tore his card and discarded it. It is better to flee from temptation but fate had a different plan.

Through out the following week, I went through the motions of wok and home. Thank God for a great nanny, Princess did not stress me out too much. David on the other hand was a totally different scenario. I was sitting on the sofa around midnight on Friday, waiting for him to come home. Princess had gone to bed two hours before. To say I was boiling was an understatement. I picked up my phone the umpteenth time to call him and was surprised the phone rang:

“Hey babe, you still awake?” He asked just as he picked up the call.

“No David. I am sleep calling you. What is the meaning of this? Why are you not home yet?

”I am sorry darling, just hanging out with the boys, I will be home soon.”

”So you will rather hang out with the boys than your family right? Why won’t you just stop stepping on my toes? Is it now your life’s assignment to frustrate me?”

”Look babe I am sorry ehn, don’t get yourself worked up, go to bed. I’ll be by your side when you wake up in the morning.”

”Don’t you dare tell me I am getting worked up David. You know what? Suit yourself.” I hung up the call.

I decided there and then he was not going to be waking up by my side. I went to the front door, locked it and kept the key in the lock so he won’t be able to open it from outside. I did the same thing for the back door. Then I felt at peace and went to bed.

As usual, I was woken up by Princess the next morning. Even though I try to sleep in on weekends, it never happens because Princess wakes up early all the time. We spent the next fifteen minutes giggling and cuddling. Then I remembered I had locked David out. I checked my phone and I saw 18 missed calls. He must have been calling when he got back home. I picked up Princess and went to open the door and he was not there. I did not expect him to sleep on the floor though. I noticed his car was parked out front so I guessed he was asleep in the car. I did not bother to go wake him up. He can walk in when he finally wakes up.

I walked back in and handed Princess over to her nanny to be cleaned up. The nappy was unusually full this morning. I walked into my bedroom to start my Saturday morning cleaning ritual.

The sound of the door slamming shut about an hour thirty minutes later brought me out of my reverie while cleaning out and folding cloths in our wardrobe. I was faced with a very angry David.

”Teni, this is the only time I will warn you about this, don’t you ever try to lock me out of my own house again.”

”Ehn Ehn, if I try it, what will you do David? Please tell me because I need to know” I said as I rose up to face him, the anger boiling out from every part of my body.

”I will show you that I am the head of this home. What gave you the right to think you can lock me out of this house”.

”What gave you the right to think you can stay out at an ungodly hour David? I laughed mockingly, ”head of the home indeed. Just try it again and you will meet the same result. Absolute rubbish”.

He grabbed my arms as I turned to walk away, ”Don’t you dare walk away from me Teni. I am not done talking to you”.

”Do you want to beat me David? Your grip on my arms is already bordering on physical violence. Get your hands off me right this minute.” He dropped my hands immediately. Let me warn you Mr head of the home, your actions are totally irresponsible and this your new character  traits will never be tolerated.”

”Teni, I can see you are out to provoke me today and I will not give you the satisfaction. Just know that I am not a child. What I do with my time is none of your business. I have provided for your every need so keep your mouth shut and do not give me instructions”. He walked into our en suite bathroom and slammed the door shut. I was so angry, I picked up my phone, changed into my running clothes, instructed my nanny on my daughter’s breakfast and left the house.

I started out running a full sprint and by the time I got tired, I sat down on the street corner trying to catch my breath. I heard my phone ringing in the next breath and checked the screen to see who could be calling 9am on Saturday morning. The number looked unfamiliar but I still picked the call,

“Hello”

”Hello, am I speaking to Teniola?

”Yes please, who is this?

”Teni, it’s Muyiwa”.

”My heart skipped a bit. Muyiwa how are you?”

”You sound out of breath, are you alright?”

”Yes I am fine. I just took a run and I am just trying to catch my breath”.

”Okay nice, still as athletic as ever. I hope I am not calling you at a bad time.

”No it is fine. I am taking a run to be distracted so the call came at a good time”.

”Okay, what do you need distraction from? Making money?”

Laughing out loud, I replied. ”Naaaaa, just argument at home”.

”Home as in your flatmates or something?”

”Nope, Muyiwa, home as in husband and I have a daughter too”.

”What??? You are married? I didn’t see a ring the last time”.

”Muyiwa, I am married. I forgot my ring at home the last time”.

”Okay, how old is your daughter now?

I sat and spoke to Muyiwa for over an hour. He could not believe the fact that I was married and when I asked why he was still single, he told me the story of how he discovered his fiancee had been cheating 3 months to their wedding and he had not found anyone since then. By the end of the call, we had exchanged blackberry pins and he had totally taken my mind off David’s silly attitude. I also told him about the fight that made me go for the run. He told me to just relax and not get bitter. As soon as he dropped the call, I got a text from him,

”If he will rather spend time with his guys than with you, then he doesn’t deserve you. You are special Teni, don’t let anyone make you feel any less”.

I could not wipe the smile off my face and I was still smiling when I walked into my house 2 hours after leaving. David and Princess were playing on the floor of the living room when I came back and I quickly gave Princess a kiss before heading to the bathroom. I had a quick shower and headed down to the kitchen to make breakfast.

David and I were completely ignoring each other. We took turns playing with Princess until early afternoon when she went to sleep. David sat down to watch television. We usually do that together on Saturdays but I had something better to do and I was still super pissed with him so I went into the bedroom and started chatting with Muyiwa on bbm.

I knew David was going to apologize eventually but right now I did not care. I had not had such care free conversations with any one since I got married and Muyiwa had always been my person. I could not help but wonder if I would have been happier if he had resurfaced in my life before I got married to David.

…to be continued