The caustic smell of
medicine and disinfectants stung my nose as we stood around the emergency area
of the hospital. It seemed that someone was always wheeled in every other
second. Accident victims, kids rough play gone wrong and hundred other cases.
There was blood everywhere. The nurses and matrons darted about frantically. We
just stood by and hoped for the best for Sophie. John bloodshot eyes stared
into nothingness. Charles stood by his side.
I stood by John’s
mother in law. She seems calm and collected. She hadn’t said much since she
arrived. Her eyes were teary but her look was resolute. She patted me once in a
while to reassure me. I felt like I should be the one to reassure her. Sophie
was a good lady. John was a good man. How did they end up like this?
I looked up to see my
husband standing by John. Deep within me, I resented the sight. I bit my lip
and wished things were different. Then it occurred to me that, with John anger
problems, I may have been the one pushed from the second floor. I cringed.
Sophie’s mother smiled a short smile.
I know you and your
husband have your own problems.
I wonder how I got
stuck with him. I sighed.
You think you made a
mistake?
You don’t agree? He has
child out of wedlock and he didn’t tell me. His family thinks I’m the source of
his woes. And he’s become a drunk! What did I do to deserve this?
And you think he planned
to be this kind of a husband to you?
Well,,,, maybe he
didn’t have plans.
From what I’ve seen, I think
your relationship is incomplete.
I had my incredulous
look on.
Let me explain, she
continued. These days you young people rush off to a church to get married and
expect to live life happily ever after. It does not occur to you that marriage
was not intended to be for just two people.
Please don’t tell me
you are into these crazy open relationship concepts. I will have to walk away
now. I was getting bothered.
Are we not all in an
open relationship?
The look of
incredibility on my face just worsened.
Let me explain. She had
this grace and dignity that I hoped to have as I aged. After we get married, we
leave it open to all kinds of other intrusions. Obviously, your husband left
your marriage open to his mother and sister.
She was beginning to
make some sense.
The original plan was
for marriage to be between 3 people. The confusion look returned to my face.
When I look at your home, it seems to me that your relationship is incomplete.
It’s just two of you.
Yeah, he should bring
in his concubine. My sarcasm was on fleek.
Yes. He should. He
should bring God in. both of you should.
Oh!! I was quiet.
A three ford chord is
not easily broken. Two of you cannot handle what three of you can. When your
home is submitted to God, you find life a lot more exciting. There will be
challenges, no doubt. But then, the number of your challenges will be the
number of your victories. You can’t walk this path alone. You need God.
Just then, the doctor
walked past us. Sophie’s mother hurried to him.
Sir, what is the
condition?
He didn’t stop walking.
We had to trot at his pace to catch his words.
She will be fine. She
will be here for a long time though. But she will live. I doubt that she will
be able to walk soon. Sophie’s mother paused as she took in the reality of the
words.
It was about a year
before Sophie walked again. It took that experience for Sophie and John to
really take a good look at their marriage and sort out their differences.
Charles and I agreed to go for counseling. I took Sophie’s mum’s advice, go
serious with God and submitted to him.
Charles is not yet born
again but he follows me to church every other Sunday. He took paternity test
and found that the child was not his. His ex-girlfriend wasn’t sure who was
responsible and she just had to put it on someone. We later found out that
Charles was the third person she pulled the stunt on. My mother inlaw and
sister inlaw have allowed our home to breathe. Charles had put his foot down.
It took him almost a year to get a good job. We are not there yet, but our
progress is evident.
I pray for my husband
every day. I know that one day he will turn his life over to the Lord. Until
then, I do everything within my power to make sure that our home is a bond of
three: The Lord, my husband and I.
The End……
EXTRACT FROM: JOYFUL NOISE PUBLICATIONS,,, A PRODUCTION OF
COZA, ABUJA
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