The Journey After – Episode 3

All Episodes Of The Journey After ~~

© Tunde Oni ~~

It has been three months since Jaiye lost his job and I can finally say I blame myself for his misfortune. My husband has become a shell of himself. It has been 3 months of no laughter, no intimacy and no conversations. Two weeks after his sack, the company decided not to sue him anymore so I was a little bit relieved there was no court case hanging over our heads. I guess it’s true what they say that marriage is not a bed of roses.

”So give me full gist madam, I haven’t seen you in over a month” Chisom said as we sat down to have lunch that Friday afternoon”.

”Babe, I don’t even know if there is anything to gist about. He has still refused to go out and look for job, he said I should go find him one since I cost him the last one”

”That is ridiculous. So he just stays at home and does what?”

”Eats, plays games and watches television my dear”

”Then stop cooking and tell him there is no money”

”Very funny Chisom, that will just make things worse. I am just glad he has not beaten me again”

”You shouldn’t have to be thankful for that my dear. He should not have beat you in the first place. So how is the pregnancy making you feel?”

”Well, I didn’t get as sick as I expected in the first trimester, just a slight loss of appetite in the beginning but it is getting better now. I am like four months gone now”

”Wait, so if he is refusing to get a job or do business, how will you take care of the baby?”

”He has refused to even acknowledge we are having a baby. Do you know he now sleeps in the guest room and he has refused to have sex with me since the incident?”

”That is serious oooo but if he is not initiating sex, why don’t you go to him. Maybe the intimacy will help him forgive you”

”I tried that Chisom, he walked me out of the room and warned me not to try it again if I don’t want another beating”

”So now he is threatening you with beating? I really think you should give him space Nimi”

”Chisom stop saying that, I already told you I am not leaving him, don’t make me stop opening up to you”

”Okay, I will lay off it. I am just worried about you”

”I still think you should try harder with the sex part though, make more efforts. Start walking around the house naked. He can only resist you for so long”.

”Okay, I will try it, anything that works. I am too strained financially though, I can’t even save well anymore. I pay all the house bills and do everything myself”.

”Just hold on a little bit longer, it will get better dear. Have you finally told your parents about the situation?”

”No I can’t do that. That will be messing up the whole situation”

Chisom and I gisted a little longer before I finally returned to work. As I walked into the house that evening, I didn’t imagine my situation could get any worse. I was totally surprised to find my mother in law in the living room with Jaiye watching television. They immediately stopped whatever they were discussing and I did not need a soothsayer to tell me it was about me. I immediately ran to kneel down and greet her,

”Good afternoon mum, I didn’t know you were coming ma, I would have tried to come earlier to welcome you”

”No problem Nimi, how are you? I did not know I was coming too, it was a last minute decision I took when I couldn’t take the hunger anymore”

I raised my eyebrows at that,” hunger?”

”Yes hunger, Nimi, my son has not been able to afford giving me my feeding allowance for the past three months and he informed me you made them sack him at his work place”

”Haaaaa, mummy it was not like that. The situation is more complicated than that. I don’t derive any joy from my husband being jobless”

”Of course I know you don’t my dear, I just decided to move in with you so it can be easier for you to feed me. Don’t you think? Or you are not happy to see me?”

”No mummy, I am very happy to see you. You are welcome to stay for as long as you want”

”Of course I know that my dear. Now I heard my grand child is on the way, I hope he is doing well in there” she said, touching my stomach

I stood up from my kneeling position beside her,” yes mummy, the baby is fine, let me just go and make dinner”.

I immediately went to my room to drop my bag and change my cloths. Things had definitely taken a turn for the worst, just when I had planned to start walking around the house naked to build intimacy with Jaiye. I was hoping Jaiye will leave the guest room and come to sleep in the room that night seeing as his mum was around but he just set his mum in the other spare bedroom directly opposite our bedroom. Jaiye’s mum had never hidden the fact that she only endured me because Jaiye loved me, now that she was around, I was indeed worried. The events of the following week proved me right that I should have indeed been worried.

 

…to be continued