The Longest Night - Episode 4

 

It was some minutes past 7.am when Ada woke me up. She mentioned she was hungry and also tired of the hospital environment. She was asked by the doctor to stay overnight so they could monitor her and she could go back home in the morning if she felt better. We gradually packed our overnight bag and also the mandatory drugs and inhaler they made us buy even after informing them we had enough inhaler at home to open a distribution centre. I eventually took the drugs from the pharmacist and sighed like he was the cause of my problems. 

Hand in hand, Ada and I walked into Dera’s private room.  She was awake and was looking so much better . Tunde was still asleep on  a chair by the side of the bed. The baby was also awake as Ada and Dera  played with the baby. Motherhood looked good on her. I was thankful my sister was smiling and talking after the battle of the previous night and the recovery was nothing short of a miracle .  

“Sinach,  how are you?”. Dera asked.

I smiled and was thinking of an appropriate answer to describe my dilemma. She was still recovering and didn’t need my epistle , I nodded my head to denote I was fine. 

“Thank you so much for yesterday, Tunde told me it was a memorable day”.

“God is faithful”. I replied

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-longest-night

. I was overjoyed that last night was over. It was indeed the longest night of my life.

“Sister” Dera called me.

 I looked at her knowing she wants to make a request, as that is the only moment she calls me that.

“I’m hungry o” she said laughing.

“Me too” Ada added

“Me three” Tunde added.

We all stared at him in astonishment and started laughing.
Tunde offered to drop me at home on his way to his house and would pick me up on his way back to the hospital. Ada stayed back at the hospital to assist Dera while we were away. 

I rang the door bell, and she opened the door. I didn’t know how to react. I stared at her and walked away into the kitchen to start cooking. I decided to make pepper soup for everybody but would make poundo yam for everybody excluding Dera who I planned to make Pap for to assist in the flow of her breast milk. 

Was I going to make food for Uzor and his guest? The thought of that made me cringe, when did it get to this. Husband, wife  and girlfriend under same roof. The irony of the situation made me laugh. I made a decision to talk to Uzor but soon felt chicken-livered. In that moment I knew I had to talk to him eventually and that time is now.  I prayed for strength and calmly took my strides out of the kitchen .

I met him in the bed room. 

“Good morning” I said, making my way into the room to  sit on the defiled bed which was unmade, I stared at it and decided to stand against the wardrobe.

He only lifted his head from his laptop and continued with his work. 

“Madam, where did they steal the car from you? Please go to the police station to make a proper complaint regarding your carelessness” he said

“I made a complaint to the police yesterday right after the unnerving  encounter ”. 

“What encounter”?  He asked looking away from his computer and staring at me. He cared, this made me happy and hopeful.

I relayed  my ordeal and how we were  rescued by an old friend.

“When does it end with you? I am tired of this attitude of yours.” he said sternly

 “Thank your stars nothing happened to my daughter” he hissed.

Which daughter? The one he hasn’t asked of since we told him of her attack ? I hissed within me as fear of a deafening slap didn’t encourage me to voice out my thoughts.

“Uzor”.. I called his name prepared to find an answer to his attitude. “ why would you bring another girl into my house? Into our home, into our bed? This isn’t right and you know it”. I said mildly close to tears.

This time he stopped what he was doing on his computer, stood up and walked to me. He started laughing. He laughed so loud I felt like a stand up comedian. He stopped laughing, looked at me sternly in the face and raise his hand to slap me. I shielded my face. 

“You are a fool for asking that question” he said.

“It’s not a foolish question. I refuse to allow you treat this like a pinch of salt”. This time the flood gates were opened and I was crying profusely.

“If i were to bring another man into the house, how would you feel?” I asked rhetorically .

“You wouldn’t dare Osinachi. I own you and I would kill the  both of you” he said affirmatively and made his way to the door.

“In addition to that, you are a chicken”. He laughed and banged the door. 

I stared in unbelief as the vibration of the door sent chills down my spine. I wiped my face and walked out of the room with my belittled self esteem.
It was 8.30am as I finished packing the food into respectively flask for Tunde, Ada and Dera . I had served Uzor’s food in a dish and set it on the dinning table. I made my way to the room to bath and also change my clothes. 

In the bathroom, I tried to scrub away the  shame, the ridicule . I meant nothing to him, I was an inconvenience and a baggage. I was tentative about the direction our marriage was heading. If i had done anything to crumble it, was this my retribution?

 I might have spent a little more that 15minutes in the bathroom when Uzor knocked on the bathroom door.

“Madam, Tunde called to say he is on his way back and I beg you in the name of God, the rest of us would bath also,  please do not finish the water. That bath won’t turn you into a damsel from the ugly ape you have become” . He hissed  and walked away.

I turned off the shower and walked out to the room. The first thing I did was to look into the mirror, was I that ugly to Uzor?

I met Uzor and his girlfriend on the dinning table still eating. I walked into the kitchen to get my food flask  and quickly make pap for Dera  before Tunde arrives as I didnt want it getting cold.

I poured Dera’s pap into a food warmer and proceeded to gather Tunde and Ada’s food. I looked closely at Tunde’s food pack and I noticed  the lid not properly nested. I opened the food warmer and noticed the pounded yam had reduced in size.

I was riled up as I stepped into the dinning room, knowing who the accomplice was, I was ready to react. I called Uzor into the kitchen, not ready to wash our linens before a stranger. Though it took him forever to stand up but he eventually came.

“Uzor, did you take food from here?”  I asked pointing to the food flask. 

Uzor stepped closer to where i was standing and gave me a slap.

“In my own house, you are asking me if i took food? The food I buy with my own money? You are a stupid woman”

The slap sent me flying against the refrigerator. I walked close to him again. I lifted the food flask and said

“Uzor, this food is packed for Tunde. I gave you your own and you slap me for asking just a question?”

“I would turn that slap to a full beating now, Idiot. Are you insane? You question my activity in my own house?”

“It was a question Uzor”. I said

“That shouldn’t be asked or even thought of. You want to embarrass me in the  presence of my guest right?”

He walked close to me and tried to slap me again. I held the food flask close to myself.

Read " The Robbery Attack " by the same author ( Nancy Eseosa )

. He slapped and hit me. He then resorted to dragging the food flask with me and along came slaps and insults. As we dragged on, the food flask hit my stomach repeatedly  and at a point I had to let it go. It hurt so much, I couldn’t find my balance, I was dizzy and groggy.

 As I fell to the floor, Tunde ran in and held me before I hit the floor. I looked around and there she was staring at me, Uzor stared at me too but I could still see and feel the rage.

My life flashed before my eyes as I imagined the discussion during my funeral. People would say I died while fighting with my husband because of food. The thoughts seemed distant. I saw Ada’s face in my thoughts, what would happen to her? She would grow up in a terrible home with series of girlfriends. I wanted to yell at Tunde to please adopt Ada when I’m gone. But I couldn’t voice out the words. Next thing i heard her scream

“She is bleeding “

gradually I didn’t see or hear anything anymore.