HEREMAKONO ( AWAITING HAPPINESS )

Chapter Eleven. Part One

" Nnadia, please sit down." Her dad said, breaking the staring contest between her and Abdullah. He didn't look angry today, maybe that's a good thing. She thought. 

" My son, she is here now. Tell us whatever the matter is." Her dad said to him. He looked nervous now, Nnadia observed. She wanted nothing more than to be near him, but she knew that she couldn't. He'll soon belong to someone else, she must learn to act strong and let go. 

" Erm, first and foremost, I want to apologize for... " Abdullah began when her mom chimed in. 

" No my son, you don't have to apologize. We've been expecting this divorce for a long time. It's not your fault things ended up ugly."

Nnadia's heartbeat spiked up. Tears were already forming in her eyes. She wanted to run and hide, but she decided to handle this with dignity. 

" No mom, that's not it at all. I'm not here to divorce my wife." Abdullah informed her mom. 

" Did he just call me his wife?" Nnadia muttered under her breath. 

" Really?" Her dad asked anxiously. " What's it then?" 

" I'm here to ask for permission to take my wife back. I know that I'm supposed to bring some elders and family members, but I cannot wait till then, so I came here alone." He told them pleadingly. 

" What?" Her dad said in surprise. 

Nnadia who has been listening quietly, now had her mouth open from shock. She hadn't even dreamt about this, that he would take her back all of a sudden. 

" I don't want to stay with her anymore, she is not  my wife." She recalled him saying. 

" Yes dad, I'm sorry but it was all a misunderstanding. I should've trusted her." Abdullah replied sadly. 

" But how did you find out the truth? I thought you saw her with your own eyes" Her mom asked. 

" Yes mom, but what I saw was him trying to rape her, thinking that I wasn't going to be home for some time. And then when he got caught, he conspired to make it look like they were having an affair, by using their old relationship as leverage." Abdullah explained. 

Nnadia was so happy that she was now crying silently, her dignity and pride was finally restored. 

" But how did you get to know all this?" Her dad enquired. 

" At first, Mike thought that his plan would work. But after spending months in jail and realizing who he is up against, he decided to come clean with me. He told me everything. From how he has been stalking her, to monitoring our entire movement in the house. He understands that his confession wouldn't get him out, but at least his conscience would be clear about destroying her marriage. So he asked to see me." Abdullah explained in detail. 

" Oh God, so my innocent child has been suffering for nothing all this time." Her mom said almost crying. 

" Come here." She turned to Nnadia, opening her arms. 

Nnadia refused to go to her. She got up and attempted to leave when Abdullah rushed quickly and held her hand. 

" I know that I hurt you and should've listened to you. I regret it so much and I'm sorry. Please forgive your husband." He begged. 

His close proximity wasn't helping matters at all. One side of her wanted to hug him tightly, while the other wanted to push him away. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but it was too firm.

" I'm on my knees wifey, please come home with me." He shamelessly went down on his knees and continued to plead with her. Not minding the presence of his in-laws. 

" Oh wow, when you wanted me out of your house, you made sure that I left. Now that you've listened to the words of a criminal, you want me back. So I must follow you like a madwoman. What do you think huh? That I'm just a piece of furniture for you? Or so that you and your new wife can kill me right?" She replied in anger and jealousy. 

Abdullah looked hurt and remorseful.

" Nnadia, don't talk to your husband like that." Her mom said to her. 

" It's okay mom." He stood in front of Nnadia. "What new wife? You're the only wife that I have and you know it." He told her truthfully. 

" Really?" Nnadia rolled her eyes at him and scoffed. 

" What about the wedding you're planning to have huh?" She confronted him with what has been bothering her since morning. 

" I'm not planning on having any wedding. Who even told you that? Or did you just happen to overhear one of mom's plans to marry me off? I told her no every time. Just call her and confirm." He replied quickly. 

Nnadia wanted to jump for joy, but her pride wouldn't let her. She wasn't going to forgive him so easily. 

" Please baby, I've never even thought of replacing you with anyone. In fact, every second that I've spent away from you has been like hell for me." He said and that riled up her anger. 

" Hell? Really? Do you even know what it feels like to be in hell?" She asked him angrily. He looked at her, sad, regretful eyes boring into hers.

" Well let me enlighten you. Hell is where I've been since you separated me from my husband. Hell is keeping yourself busy every second of the day, just to avoid recalling all the bitter words your partner said to you. Hell is when your parents who always held their heads up in pride of you, cannot even stand to look at you anymore. Hell is when you have to avoid attending all social gatherings, just so you won't listen to people talking about your tainted character. Hell is when you realize that the person you trusted the most, didn't trust you at all. Hell is..." She choked on her tears, pushed him hard, ran to her room and locked the door. 

" Nnadia. Please open the door, I'm so sorry." 

She heard him say in a low voice and sniffed. Was he crying? She couldn't tell. She found herself sobbing hard, was it from the hurt she had felt these past few months, or the joy that she feels now that the truth is finally out? She couldn't tell that either. She ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower, so she couldn't hear him knock anymore. 

His words kept replaying in her ears.

My wife,
baby,
come back home,
You are my only wife.

She smiled and cried at the same time.