By Sunmola Olowookere
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Trouble is brewing in a family in our neighbourhood. Infidelity is one of the grounds that rock marriages and in this case, the marriage is on shaky grounds.

A man has caught his wife cheating on him after hearing of the rumour of her infidelities for long times. Despite the fact that he had an inkling of her clandestine activities, he was still hit by the discovery. Though he was heartbroken, angry, disappointed and disillusioned yet he is reluctant to let her go.

In an African setting, a man has full rights under the law to divorce a cheating wife. Some religions also dictate so. Yet despite this solid backing, this man, a devoted muslim has refused to let his wife go. Why would he do that? Definitely he must have reasons for holding on to her while he could have put her away. What are these reasons? Why would an African man be that permissive? Did the wife use juju on him?

Though still in his prime, it is beginning to dawn on him that he was a defeated old man. The feeling of defeat was more compounded as he felt that his wife has taken his pride and trampled it in the dust. “My wife still continue to cheat on me despite my entreaties.” what is the world is coming to? How could a Muslim wife that has been grounded in the Islamic doctrines be involved in adultery? It is a shame.

To make matters worse, the husband was not the one who discovered her. It was the wife of the man whom his wife was having an affair with that blew the whistle on them. It was a dreadful experience which he could never forget in a hurry.

He was at home resting on that fateful day after a hard day’s job; he is a bricklayer. Then they heard a woman shouting angrily outside their home.Other residents were also alarmed by the commotion. Her voice was loud enough to be heard all over the whole lane.

 “Come outside! Useless woman. I am here for you today. People will have to intervene in our issue because I cannot allow you to wreck my marriage. Leave my husband to me o! Let me enjoy my husband. If you don’t enjoy your husband and he is not enough for you. Please look for another lover but leave my husband alone!!!”.

People had begun to look out of their doorways and windows on hearing the woman’s stringent voice. No one approached her to ask her what was wrong or to calm her down. But it was very clear whom her damning words were directed at. She was very upset and agitated.

At first the husband looked flummoxed and was confused as he wondered whom the angry woman was fighting with. He could not easily believe that it could be his wife the ‘mad’ woman had an issue with. However when the shouting continued unabated, he had to go outside to verify what was actually going on.

 When he came outside, there was a woman in front of his house that was so angry. Her looks were so fierce that if she had been angrier, smoke would have been coming out of her ears.

As soon as she laid her eyes on the husband, she shifted her attention to him “please sir, tell your wife to stay away frommy husband. I am still begging now. Tell her to stay away from my husband o or else she is looking for trouble. I know that she is inside. You are only shielding her. I have warned her several times but she has refused to yield. Please warn her very well and try to keep her on a leash. I have had enough o! My husband no longer cares for me. He gets home tired every evening and sleeps off sometimes without bothering to even glance at the food I prepared. Tell her to leave my husband. She has already milked him dry both emotionally and financially. I now have an empty shell for a husband.If I ever catch her with my husband again, I will lose control”.

People gaped at her. Her words stirred their imaginations as they wondered whether she had lost her marbles or whether she really meant her accusations.

I have had enough o! My husband no longer cares for me. He gets home tired every evening and sleeps off sometimes without bothering to even glance at the food I prepared. Tell her to leave my husband .

 She has already milked him dry both emotionally and financially. I now have an empty shell for a husband. If I ever catch her with my husband again, I will lose control.