THE EXCHANGE
Episode 28.
They were out for about 5 hours, I was beginning to get worried bcos of the length of hours they were away. He had never gone out alone with the children & that almost made me freak out since I did not know what plans Baba T had or where he had taken them.
When they finally got back, the kids had lots of gifts & toys; they were really excited as they rushed to hug me & tell me about all the fun places daddy took them. “Mum, we had so much fun but we missed you.” Ayomide said; “yes mum, we missed you”, repeated Funke who had never gone anywhere from me. She sat on my laps & hugged me tight. Tunde said it was movie time, which he watched with them after their dinner until it was bedtime & tucked them in. I just sat in the dining room with my left hand supporting my head, it was as if I was invisible.
Tunde stayed at home that night but in the guest room. With so much fear, I gently knocked on the door. He asked who it was & I mentioned my name, he was quiet for a while, then he asked what I wanted. I told him I wanted to talk to him…after about a minute, he unlocked the door & I entered the room. I knelt down & asked what I did to deserve what he was doing to me. I reminded him of how I had been supportive & faithful to him…how I gave him 3 beautiful children…how I respected him, his
parents & have never complained about anything. I pleaded with him that I just wanted us to have a peaceful home. He looked at me for a moment but didn’t say anything. He reached out & touched my face, then pulled me into his arms & kissed me; I was caught unawares so I didn’t respond. He gently pulled me closer, cupping my bre@sts in his hands & I began to relax. He pulled me up from my knees & led me to our bedroom where he undressed me & made passionate love to me. I was so grateful my husband was back & I responded giving myself totally to him.
The next morning was a Sunday, we had breakfast together as a family & I was hoping we would go to Church since he was in a good mood but he said no. I can’t remember the last time he had allowed us go to Church. He then asked why my mum had wanted to see him & I told him what my mother said & pleaded that I would like him to honor her by going to see her. The last statement must have triggered something in him as he started to rant again. He said he chose to leave me & be on his own bcos of peace but when I had to come disturb him yesterday & remind him of things I had done for him. He decided to repay me by having s*x with me but he didn’t know I had gone to wash our dirty linen in public. Then he said, “Now, let me remind you of the
things I have done for you & your family, since you are keeping scores, he mentioned a few things he did for me as well”. I felt worthless when he was done with his ‘lecture’…I couldn’t hold back the tears so I got up & scuttled out of the dining room, & He walked to the guestroom, slammed the door & locked it behind him.
Thank God the children were in their study room with their Sunday School teacher & did not witness what just listened transpired between their dad & I.
A few minutes later, I started to perceive the same stench like vinegar/rubber coming from the guestroom; it was the same odour like last time I walked in on Baba T & I could tell what he was doing inside the room. I couldn’t let my children live like this, I had to do something fast & I had to do this on my own.
The following morning right after Baba T left the house, I went to an Estate Agent around my salon at Opebi & asked if he could help me get a 2 bedroom flat in a secured area on the mainland. I told him it had to happen fast bcos my mum needed a place to stay urgently. I figured if we went away for a while, it would make Baba T rearrange his priorities. I didn’t tell anyone my plans bcos I didn’t want them to tell my husband. So I withdrew money in my personal bank account, got the apartment, furnished it & strategized my move.
The day we moved, I waited for Baba T to leave the house…it had been weeks since we spoke to each other. Then I took my children & we moved to the new place. I had arranged for a van to come get us bcos I didn’t want to use any of our cars & I sent maid to go & get me something from the store so she wouldn’t see us leave. I did not take anything from the house & when the van arrived I packed our belongings & fled with my children. The gateman must have wondered what I was doing but couldn’t ask me any questions, instead, I saw the sympathetic look he gave me as he opened the gate & I gave him a small smile in reply.
That was how I left BabaT’s house…I didn’t go to the Salon, neither did I contact anyone.
My kids did not get it & after about a week, the fun was becoming stale; they began asking for their dad. I told them we would go home soon but we had to be at the new place for a while.
This fell within the long vacation period & I was hoping the issue would be resolved before the children resumed school.
The thought of how troubled Baba T would be, gave me some form of good “gotcha! Deal with that! In your face!” feeling; it was nothing compared to the pains I had endured but it felt good fighting back in my own little way.
It was a totally different experience for my children who were not used staying away from their home so it wasn’t long before Ayomide caught Malaria. We couldn’t go to our family doctor so I got a new clinic around the house & he was admitted. I was so scared that I thought of going back home. The money in my personal account was dwindling but I held the fort. I didn’t want to touch any of my business accounts yet. Some weeks later after Ayomide was discharged, someone rang our door bell & it was Baba T, he had some police officers with him. He had reported an
abduction/kidnap incident with them & they had been on our trail all the while. The way the officers handled it, I could tell he had ‘settled’ them bcos they did not care to hear my side of the story. Baba T was able to track down the van that took us, bcos after serious interrogation, the gateman was able to remembered the License plate number.
The kids ran to him & hugged him. They were so happy to see him. The officers asked what they should do with me, he told them not to worry about me as he had gotten what he came for. The officers took the kids to the car they brought, but Funke asked his dad why mummy isn’t coming but Tunde simply said “later” & kissed her on the forehead while my 2 boys looked back at me sadly as the police took them away from me but didn’t say anything….
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