By Sunmola Olowookere
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A marriage is being threatened. A woman had come to her husband’s concubine’s matrimonial home to cause mayhem. The residents on the street were provided with a fodder for gossip.
The husband too could not help gaping at her as he wondered “has this woman not lost control of her senses already? Does she have control now? And yet she is threatening that she would soon lose control”
He was sorely embarrassed and though he wished that the incident never happened, could it be wished away? He realized that every one of their neighbours would soon become privy to the dreadful incident.
She looked at the group of people that had gathered around, though nobody said a word as they didn’t know what to say. She further threatened “do not take my words as ranting of a mad woman or a fool. I will seriously lose control if she does not stop and no one will be able to cage me. I will kill her. Tell her that I will kill her!” So saying, she left. She was ranting as she stormed out. No one tried to stop her
At first, the husband had been confused. It was like a terrible nightmare. He pinched himself as he wondered “Was I dreaming or awake? What was that gibberish that the woman spouted?” All these thoughts were milling about his head.
He did not bother to answer his neighbours who were advising him to take things easy. They seemed to be disturbed by his silence as they wondered which step he would take on the issue. He simply told them not to worry and simply go home and that he would take care of the matter.
Though most of the neighbours were afraid that he could go in and unleash mayhem on his wife but they all had to leave following his urging as he showed no outward sign of agitation. Their minds were filled with unanswered question. What was going on? Did the enraged woman made a mistake in coming to that house? Was she a mentally deranged person?
But she seem well dressed, some of them reasoned. But some mentally deranged people don’t show signs of mental unbalance outwardly, others argued as they stood in twos and threes.
It was a shock to them. Though Alhaji had been complaining to his friends that he suspected his wife of infidelity, this was a confirmation of his suspicions.
Yet the elderly man would not say a word despite the damning accusations against his wife.
However, the scene that greeted them the next morning shocked them. The silence of yester night which they thought was docility had wrought great damage which was evident before them. The wife had brought a taxi and she was parking away.
The volume of her load which she was loading inside the vehicle signified that she was not just going on a journey. Her son was weeping and holding on to her not to go or take him along if she must go. Her husband was sitting on a bench watching the whole scene as if he was a bystander.
People tried to intervene but the man refused to say a word despite the neighbours entreaties to him to stop his wife from leaving. Only the woman volunteered a statement that she did not want to be killed hence she cannot continue to live with a man who does not trust her and constantly accuse her of adultery.
She did not heed their pleas but left while her little boy of 8 years wept inconsolably.
As soon as she left, the father simply took his son’s hand and went inside the house. it was like a rehearsed drama. Is the marriage over just like that? neighbours wondered. Though the wife had left but it was not yet over. The gossip of the scandal spread like wild fire in the neighbourhood.
“It was a shock to them. Though Alhaji had been complaining to his friends that he suspected his wife of infidelity, this was a confirmation of his suspicions.”