WHAT DOES MY HUSBAND WANT?
Episode 7.
By Amah’s Heart.
I followed Ladi’s car without him knowing. The cab man was very helpful. He was a fine young man, who speaks very fluently.
He asked me why I was going after the man in front? I wanted to angrily shout at him to do his work which I was paying him to do but instead I try to tell him nicely that the man we were following was my husband and we have been married for over twelve years now and blessed with three children. I suspect he might have a child from another woman but kept it away from me and I’m about to find out how true this was.
I said and prayed that is not true. I hope that all that Salami has been telling me about Ladi is never true.
I hope Ladi did not have another woman outside home or even a child. That will be the worst thing that will ever happen to me.
My husband is not a womanizer or capable of fathering another child but with what I heard this morning over the phone, I was shaking inside and determined to get to the root of it.
The cab young man was very understandable, he said some men are ingrates and do not appreciate the woman they have at home. He was not in support of such and was ready to help me get to the end of it.
I thanked him for understanding as we proceed.
Ladi kept turning from corner to corner, he drove so fast and later stopped at an eatery, I guess he wanted to buy food. I remember the lady saying that Ladi should buy her some food because the one he bought the last time has finished.
We parked at a distance waiting for him to come out of the fast-food. After sometime he came out with packs of food and entered the road again.
My cab driver who I later found out his name was Zuma followed. He kept his distance so that Ladi will not see the cab and start suspecting but he made sure he remain on track.
Ladi later got to a gate and drove inside and the gate was closed back.
I wanted to come down from the cab and go straight to the gate but it doesn’t seem wise.
I waited inside the cab for two hours but Ladi did not come out. I asked the cab man to take me to my husband’s plaza. I gave him the address and he drove to the place.
I went straight to his first shop and met only two of his worker, the whole place was looking scanty and dry. Ladi’s shop used to be full to the brim. He has a big warehouse and three shops that he had nothing less than four workers each.
The whole place was owned by him and he was popular too. Is has been a long time I came around here and some of the workers knows me and greeted me kindly.
As I was looking round the place, I heard one of the old staff, Wasiu whisper to a young boy whose face was new to me.
“Arrange the materials in order, they are scattered. You know the main madam is here….
The second boy whispered back to him
“I thought the madam that use to come here with a baby was the main madam? How many wife does our boss has?
I pretend as if I wasn’t listening while looking round, close to where they work.
Only two of Ladi’s shops was remaining. The third one is closed down and some workers who were well paid then has to leave after my husband reduced their wages.
I called Wasiu who stayed despite how his wage was slashed, I asked him to trust me and he won’t get into trouble.
I asked him how the shop was doing and he said business was not as it used to be which was why my husband closed the first shop and left only two and very soon it will be only one shop remaining if he did not do something about it soon.
I asked him about the other madam who has a baby and he told me that all he knows was that the small madam used to visit Ladi even before she became pregnant and had a baby. He also learnt that Ladi did small wedding with her secretly after she insisted on getting married to him. He also opened a shop for her and she is selling almost the same thing that I sell. The only difference was that her own was gotten locally and it was all African fabrics while mine was mixed with both foreign and African fabrics.
Wasiu pointed to me where her shop was located, which was not far from Ladi’s office. And she also have two sales girls.
Wasiu told me what I need to know and even more. I thanked him with a tips as he went back to work.
I strolled down to the lady’s shop to see for myself. Now I see why Ladi is always asking for money to boost his business. She is the main reason Ladi’s business was going down.
As I was about to leave I saw Ladi’s car driving into the plaza.
I followed another route and went straight to the cab man who was patiently waiting. We drove off. This was five hours later that Ladi returned from the woman’s place.
I was going to go crazy but I need my sane my mind to keep going.
I called Salami over the phone but she did not respond. I called her upto four times and she later answered, I asked her if she can come over to my shop or I should come over to hers and she said I should come over to her house because she was home.
Zuma took me to Salami’s home. I thanked him for touring the whole place with me all through the day. I paid him for his time, he was very considerate and did not charge much for his service. He gave me his mobile number in case I need a ride to anywhere.
He try to advise me to take things easy and I nodded.
My heart beat was increasing with every realization that my worst fear was coming to light.
I told Salami that she was right all this while. I apologists first for not listening to her, for insulting and calling her bad friend.
“I knew is just a matter of time and you will come to know the truth. My happiness is that you have found out the truth.
I try to talk but all through the day I have been holding on to my emotions, I didn’t want to release it inside the cab. Although I kept wiping tears with a pieces quietly and did not let anyone to know what I was going through inwardly.
Emotions wailed up at my chest and I felt like screaming down the roof in anguish.
As I was about to think on why Ladi will do such a thing to me, I broke down in tears front of salami.
I wept and allowed the tears to keep pouring down.
Salami was trying to console me but I was inconsolable.
“Why…how….? Salami, I have try to understand the fact that this whole thing is actually real and not a bad night mare. The anger, fear and trauma at the realization that Ladi have another family outside our home makes me want to die. He told me he doesn’t want another child, that three was enough for him, he told me he doesn’t have all it takes for a fourth child. I pleaded, I begged Danladi to allow my baby to live but he refused. You encouraged me and even take me to the place the deed was done so that my husband will be pleased. I kill my child to please my husband and not knowing another woman was pregnant for him at same time and mine was good to be sacrificed. It won’t be so painful right now if Ladi has allowed me to carry the pregnancy and give birth to my baby…the hurt alone is too heavy to bear. The pain wouldn’t have been this hurting if my baby was alive and I later found out that Ladi also has another child outside home. But my husband…my loving husband deceived me, he killed my child for the sake of another woman’s peace who was pregnant for him. Oh Salami…where did I go wrong? How did I miss it…why did I even chose to listen to my husband and abort my child? why…why…just tell me why will Ladi do this to me?
I wept so bitterly holding my stomach and wishing I have not aborted my child, wishing I have known better, wishing everything happening now was not true.
“Miwa, I’m so sorry! If I knew that Ladi was capable of such evil, I will never have encouraged you to abort the child. I thought he was a man of honor and was not interested in another child. I regret when I found out that he was having an affair. It hurt…so badly but you have to be strong and take heart. Your children needs you. Please Miwa you have to wipe your tears and be strong…
I did wipe my eyes as evening approached, I went home to wait for Ladi to come back.
Salami dropped me off at home and gave another round of encouraging words.
My kids were home. I went to the bathroom and sat crying my eyes out until my elder child called out to me, asking if I was alright.
I freshened up and came out. I asked them to eat the available food and go to bed because I was not in the mood to cook anything.
They did and went to bed.
I sat on the dining looking back to the past at where I have come all the way from with Ladi and still trying to understand the height of his wickedness. Why he will do such evil to me.
I couldn’t place any reason to it or come in term with the fact that Ladi actually have a child who would have been my aborted baby’s age mate. Ladi killed my child and has succeeded in hurting me beyond repair.
I sat alone thinking and waiting for Danladi to return.
I was almost going crazy with every passing minutes while staring at the wall clock.
Tears kept rolling down my face until my eyes was all swollen up.
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