THE CHAT ROOM SEASON 2 : PART 1 – THE END

THE CHAT ROOM SEASON 2 : PART 1 – THE END

PART FIVE

By Temi Akintade

“I was angry at my wife when she told me she had called to stop you from calling me. And I was even more angry when you blocked me on phone.

When I came back to Nigeria a few years ago, I went to your late mum’s house in search of you but I was told that you sold the house.” Frank said all in one breath.

After the love feast. He insisted on driving us back home after that, he had a nice chat with Hadassah and called me out into his car.

I hated the fact that his orange mint fragrance filled his car, knocking me senseless and causing me to suddenly see his handsome features. However, how he hadn’t grown tall over the years amazes me.

“Why did you leave your wife?” I asked pointedly.

He sighed and rubbed his face. “She was good to me. Even when I had no job abroad she stood in for me. But the emotional blackmail was terrible.

So I began to work 3 jobs. Which finally led me into starting a writing agency abroad.

Well, I thought my wife would at least be happy for me but she seized every opportunity to talk me dirty to my clients and her boss who wanted to award me with a multi-million dollars contract. She told the man that I was irresponsible.

When I saw that my mental health was about to be affected, I decided to leave. She apologized and we got settled. Later on, she called me to sign a deal between her boss, and me.

She said if I could just let her boss impregnate her, then I would be awarded the contract. It was the most barbaric thing I’d ever witnessed Paulina.” He narrated.

My jaw dropped. My insides tightened and I felt like seeing his wife and pvnching her. “What did you do then? Sign the contract?”

He released a dry laugh. “God has not called me barren. I didn’t sign it. I chose to walk out on the marriage instead.

THE CHAT ROOM SEASON 2 : PART 1 – THE END

10 months later, I found out that my wife had put to bed and the baby was for her boss.” He said with a sad conclusion.

“That’s sad. Sorry about that.” We sat in an uncomfortable silence briefly staring right ahead, into the looming darkness. Mama Judith’s street was dark as usual.

According to her, there was a spark from one electricity pole to the other and since then, there has been a total blackout. Except for some few residents like mama Judith who had put on their generator.

“I would never have pegged you as someone who would later divorce his wife. Did you hear from God before you married her?”

He hesitated. “I never planned to divorce her. But marriage is another school on its own. You must go in prepared with your partner as your friend.

I heard God Paulina. He told me to go ahead with the union. I even had confirmations.” I was aware that his eyes were on me now.

I shuddered and rubbed my cold arms. He swirly turned off the air conditioner and wind down the car glasses to have a feel of fresh cool air.

“And did you hear God when you were about to divorce her? Did he give you a go-ahead?”

He shifted his gaze to my curly brown hair for a minute and then back to my face. “No. I stopped hearing him. I’ve lost my ability to know when he is speaking. Paulina, I’m just a churchgoer. My wife klled my relationship with God.” He scoffed.

I took his hand in mine. I didn’t know why it I hated to see him hurt. “I think you killed your relationship with God. You have been heaping blames on your wife. You haven’t even taken any blame on anything since you started speaking to me.”

“No you don’t understand how this works Paulina, you’ve never been married!”

We froze! It was as if a knife had been pierced into my heart. His statement wounded me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” He stroked my hands. I nodded. “She practically caused this domestic violence.

I never raised my hands or voice at her in all our years of marriage but she, in many times, has cursed, slapped, and insulted me. That was why I had to leave to get my sanity.”

I sighed. “I think you should pray for yourself, and the whole marriage thing.”

“Surely you are not asking me to pray for her to come back. She is happily married to her boss with a kid now.” He stressed. Exhausted at the topic.

“Maybe you should begin by restoring your relationship with God first,” I suggested and released my hand from his.

“Would you teach me how? I’ve lost touch of my fellowship with God.” He had a lazy smile on his face.

I wanted to nod but I hesitated, feeling that familiar nudge in my spirit.

“No. The Holy Spirit is the teacher of all things. He will teach you how to pray. After all, it was Jesus Christ who taught his disciples how to pray.”

“Fine! Let’s talk about you.” He grinned and this time, there was a twinkle in his eyes as though he had been waiting for that moment.

That same night, Hadassah saw me sneaking into the room after Frank drove off. I thought she had slept because she looked as if she was asleep. But when she spoke, I realized that she was awake.

“Is he my dad?”

I dropped into the only chair in the bedroom and changed into my nightwear. “No. Your godfather.

I don’t know where your dad is.” I explained all that transpired between me and Tayo to her. At the end of my story, she embraced me.

“I’m so sorry mum. I didn’t know you had gone through all these.” She whispered.

I patted her back and released myself from the embrace. “Promise me, that you will never tow the path I walked in.”

“I promise mum but it’s not easy for me. How do I abstain? Sometimes I feel like having a boyfriend like those girls in school.

I feel like doing what my mates are doing but how do I stop myself from doing it because sometimes it seems as if the feelings appear to be bigger than me.

For instance mum, there was this handsome boy in class who recently asked me to be his girlfriend. He has promised to marry me.

He is very intelligent too but I’m scared that he might want to do what our neighbour’s son almost did to me.” Hadassah said.

“Give me a hug my angel.” She hugged and I held onto her tightly. “There was a man I use to know years ago. He used to be a newspaper vendor. My father always bought newspapers from him every morning.

However, my father had a problem with him.” I released her from the embrace and held her hands instead. “The problem was that he always delivered the newspapers late.

So the man got a motorcycle to help with his deliveries. Every morning before I went to school, he would have arrived with the newspapers for sale.

And so one day, when he was coming for deliveries, I was rushing out to meet him he almost collided with me! He quickly held on to the motorcycle, and pressed the brake pad. That was how the motorcycle stopped and I was not hit on that day.”

“Wow, so what next?” Hadassah exclaimed.

“That was how I learned this lesson. Nothing is beyond your control.

God has placed you to be in charge of your emotions and to control it. Only an animal allows its emotions to control them. Just like the dog. You have a control button somewhere in your body.

Ask the Holy Spirit to step on it and not allow your emotions to rule you. Whatever arouses you get away from it so that you can think well. Remember, you can only quench fire with water.

Talk to God about how you feel, tell him how you feel about that boy, and tell him to make the feelings go. It will go, my dear. Or you can talk to me just as we are talking right now.” I grinned.

Hadassah grinned too. “I already feel okay. Thanks a lot, mum. You are my best friend!”

I grinned. And the light in our room remained on for a long time because we kept discussing about all the boys in her class.

THE CHAT ROOM SEASON 2 : PART 1 – THE END

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