Episode 13
MR. PHIRI
I walked into the room and found my wife curled up on the bed in her purple dress, reading the Bible.
She looked up at me and smiled.
‘I just got off the phone with Erica’s sister,’ I said as I sat on the bed next to her.
Erica is my late wife. I just called her sister (Elena) to see if she could take in the children. I want the children out of the house so my wife and I can have some peace.
She put the Bible on the bed and looked back at me, ‘What did she say?’ she asked
‘She said she is going through a rough patch and she can’t take them in.’
‘Oh,’ was my wife’s incredulous reply
‘Maybe I should take them to my mother’s farm,’ I suggested.
She shook her head, ‘That’s not a good idea, your mother doesn’t like me, if you take the children to her, she will hate me even more, she will think I asked you to kick them out.’
‘But these kids are disrespectful, see what Ganizani did to you I don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘I will be fine,’ she said
‘You are sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘You are such a good woman I wish the children could see that and stop fighting you.’
A slight smile crossed her lips.
‘They are still dealing with their mother’s death, let’s just give them time.’
I cupped her face gently in my hands and made her meet my gaze, ‘You are such a good woman. I know I made the right decision when I chose you.’
She blushed.
I lowered my head and k!ssed her slowly. Flames flared through me as her arms came up to encircle my neck while she k!ssed me back.
As the k!ss was getting heated, her phone rang and she pulled away from me.
She grabbed her phone and walked towards the window to answer it. I watched her intently as she talked I wondered what it was about her that drove me so wild.
Everything about this woman amazed me, my life felt complete with her.
Stella walked into our lives about three years ago my late wife actually introduced us, they met at church. We didn’t really start talking until she split up with her husband.
Unlike Erica, Stella brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed and she made me feel things I didn’t know were possible.
The truth is that I didn’t love my ex wife- not one bit, I was miserable and lonely with her. I always felt like something was missing.
My late wife was my mother’s choice of a good wife and not mine.
I still remember the day my mother introduced her to me as my wife. She had walked into my house some years back with Erica and some unknown people.
After I welcomed them and ushered them into the house, she pointed at Erica and said
‘This is the woman you will marry.’
At first I thought she was joking, I even laughed about it.
‘It’s not a laughing matter, I have brought you a wife from the village and you must marry her,’ she had said
‘This is insane!’ I had angrily told her.
‘My decision is final.’
‘Mum, I have a girlfriend and I deeply love her why don’t you allow me to marry her?’
‘I don’t like all these city women that parade themselves like prostitutes you must marry the one I have brought for you.’
There was no arguing with my mother, she had made her decision.
I knew I should have put my foot down, I shouldn’t have married her but I did because I didn’t want to offend my mother.
‘You will learn to love her with time,’ mother had said but she was wrong.
I hated Erica with everything in me, everything she did irritated me. She was a good wife she just wasn’t good enough for me – I wanted more.
I hated her even more when we started she kept getting pregnant, the children were her way of tying me down to her and she succeeded.
But even though I hated her and the children she birthed, I did my best to cater for all their needs.
Most nights I would lie in bed at night next to her dreaming about how I could end our marriage. Sometimes I used to dream about her possibly dying so I could be free.
Finally she got sick and eventually died, you don’t know how relieved I was when I received the call that she had died, I felt free and alive, her death was the beginning of something beautiful.
I didn’t shed a tear for her I just couldn’t wait to bury her so I could get on with my life and I did.
I know it’s been a few months since she died but I have completely erased her from my mind.
Stella makes me very happy, I couldn’t have wished for more, I won’t allow these kids to ruin my chance at happiness, they must leave my house if they continue being rebellious, I want to enjoy my marriage.
I was ripped from my reverie by the Stella’s arms she had wrapped them around me.
‘You are done?’ I asked
She shook her head.
‘And who was that you were talking to?’
‘Celine’s father.’
I turned to face her, ‘what does he want?’
‘He says he wants to spend the weekend with Celine. He wants to introduce her to his new girlfriend.’
‘And?’
‘I am not comfortable with that idea I don’t want him introducing my daughter to different women.’
‘I think Celine is old enough to decide if she should go and meet up with him or not.’
‘Celine loves her father she might decide not to come back.’
‘Talk to her communication is key.’
‘You are right.’
‘You know I am always right,’ I laugh
‘Whatever!’ she hits me playfully. ‘What do you want to eat tonight?’ she asked
‘How about we go out?’
‘I love the sound of that.’
‘Let me just make a few phone calls while you get yourself ready for dinner.’
‘Alright,’ she lightly k!ssed my lips and rushed for the bathroom.
***
Click 4 below to continue reading
