ERUKA.
As I got to Bazil’s house that evening, I knocked on his door, I can hear murmur, he has a visitor, I tried to listen but they were talking in low voices, I can hear a female voice or was it my ear that is deceiving me, my heart skipped as I imagined him and another woman together, that will really hurt me deeply and I silently pray that such will never happen, I knocked again at the door and after sometime I heard somebody unlocking the door, and when the door was open I saw Bazil, in his short and shirtless, he doesn’t look happy as he saw me, he close the door and came to stand with me outside,
“have I not told you before to call me first before coming to my place, how many times do you want me to keep telling you that…are you daft…why don’t you take instruction Ruka..
“I’m sorry, I know I was suppose to call, but I was worried about you and you haven’t called me all day, so I… decided to come…please can I go in…why are we standing outside…you make me feel like a total stranger around…
“Because that’s what you are when you come to somebody’s house unannounced, educated people don’t do that…well I know you are not even a graduate like me…you are not educated…we are not on the same level, you are some trader or let me say market lady…or whatever…you are not in my class yet I accepted you but you always make me angry…coming to my place uninvited….who do you even think you are…
I look at him as he went on insulting me, I know he was still angry with me so I couldn’t utter any word, I felt like crying that moment but I blink back tears because that will embarrass him, but he doesn’t have any right to treat me like trash, I pay his bills, I give him money anytime he ask just because this period I couldn’t get him what he want he is already foaming and insulting me, I hate it when he says I’m nothing yet I have being able to meet all his needs, he is educated but jobless and my market money has clear many off his debt, I got angry as he kept raining insults on me and I decided to talk back at him
“So I am a stranger to you now, an uneducated market lady who is not in your class, but I have being able to pay your bills with same money I got from the same market that you condemn, I don’t blame you Bazil, you are such an ingrate…I wil…
And before I can say another word Bazil landed me a heavy slap, twice on my both cheek, this wasn’t the first time he was raising his hand on me and every time he will promise not to do it again. I held my cheek angrily as tears run down from my eyes uncontrollable, I turn and started going, he pulled me from behind
“Ruka, stop…you caused it, I thought you are helping me because you love me, i said all that because you got annoyed me, and you don’t need to paint it to my face that you are helping or giving me money, you know I don’t have a job or anything doing that can fetch me cash at the moment…you know all that so why will you spread my weakness to my face and make me feel like I’m not man enough…you always do or say things that will get you being slapped or beaten…you have to stop doing that or I will not hesitate to do it again if you say things you are not suppose to say to me…do you have any money for me now…or anything at all… I told you not to come over to my place empty handed…
I looked at the man I fell in love and all I see is an ungrateful and self centred man, who cares only about himself, he did not even say sorry for the slap he just felt like is normal thing to strike me because he always do it and get away with it, he doesn’t care if I live or die yet I can’t stop loving him, I don’t know if I will be able to live without him. I still love Bazil that’s the sad part, I was already afraid to say any other thing that will annoy him, I also wanted to ask him which visitor he has inside but it was better I shut up and not provoke him any further which may aim me another slap or worst, I brought out the money from my bag, I have already separated the money I will give Julio for her form and also my transport back home, seems it look like Bazil will not want me around so it was better I go home until he is calm enough, I gave him the money, he quickly collected the money and counted it.
