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A word is enough for the wise

By Diamond Woman
13 August 2016   |   4:06 am
Over the last four years, I have often wondered how I’d react when I saw Banke again. Somewhere in my mind, I had imagined walking past her at a party or a public place in a beautiful custom made dress and diamonds twinkling all over...

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Over the last four years, I have often wondered how I’d react when I saw Banke again. Somewhere in my mind, I had imagined walking past her at a party or a public place in a beautiful custom made dress and diamonds twinkling all over my body with her looking at me green with envy. Never in my wild, over active imagination had I thought that I would see her in my husband’s office, with a bun about to pop out of the oven and in what looked like a heated argument. In summary, I wasn’t prepared for this and as a result, I did not have a corresponding reaction. Instead I remained by the door with my mouth wide open.

I knew I looked stupid especially since both of them had stopped talking and were now staring at me. I had to do something. I spun around, walked out and slammed the door behind me. Then it occurred to me that I deserved an explanation so I went back inside.

TK spoke first. TK: Hello Anjola. Banke was just on her way out. Banke: Seriously? She asked glaring at TK. TK: Yes you were. Please you have to leave now. Banke: That is not your decision to make.

TK: This is my office! Banke: I don’t ….. I wanted an explanation not the meaningless exchange of useless information going on between both of them I cut Banke off in midsentence Me: Both of you keep quiet and explain what is going on to me. They were both silent Me: I’m waiting… TK: But you asked us to keep quiet Me: This is not a joke TK. I demand to know what is going on here. What is this woman doing in your office TK? Banke: I can explain Anjola. Me: I was addressing my husband not you. I don’t need an explanation from you.

TK: Ok Anjie. Calm down. Banke came to town because her mum has been very ill and she came here to my office to discuss an issue with me. I instantly calmed down. Banke’s mother had been so good to me when we were friends. I spent a lot of holidays in her family house and I was always treated like a member of the family. Me: What’s wrong with her? Banke: She suffered a life-threatening stroke a few days ago. She doesn’t seem to be recovering from it. Doctors say it doesn’t look good. I wanted to see her before I have the baby and cannot travel back home. Just in case… Me:I’m sorry to hear that but that doesn’t answer what you are doing here.

I couldn’t believe TK hadn’t mentioned it. I mean I still tried to maintain a cordial relationship with his best friend Ope even though he is Banke’s brother. TK: Banke and I ran into each other the other day when I went with Ope to see their mum. She requested for my permission to come over to the house to see you but I didn’t think it was a good idea because I know things haven’t been exactly cordial between you two and I didn’t think you were ready for whatever it is she has to say to you. She has been calling me but I didn’t budge and so she decided to come to the office.

I turned to Banke Me: Why do you want to see me? What can I do for you? TK: Let me excuse you two. I will be outside. TK left the room, and I was left alone with Banke. She looked tired and I felt sorry for her. But I couldn’t help but notice that I was still nursing a lot of hurt and anger because of what she did to me. I hadn’t forgiven her. Every time something went wrong in my marriage I secretly blamed her and now I had the opportunity to tell her exactly how I felt about her but I couldn’t because she looked like she needed help.

Banke: Anjola, please I wanted to see you to tell you how sorry I am for what I did to you. I am sorry and I need you to forgive me. I honestly did everything out of good intentions. I have always wanted what was best for you, and while I have now realized that my definition of “best” was misguided you cannot help but admit that my intentions were good.

Me: My acceptance of your apology is inconsequential.  I don’t want anything to do with you, so it doesn’t matter. Besides you obviously haven’t changed because I specifically warned you to stay away from my husband but yet here you are in his office…uninvited. You still think the world revolves around you and nobody has the right to turn you down.

Banke: That was me then, not now. Anjola I have changed. I have been through experiences that have changed me and now I understand the implications of what I did to you with TK and Emeka. Manipulating things to make sure you ended up with the sort of man I thought you deserved. Me: You have no idea what you did to me. So don’t even start.

Banke: I know Emeka is back in town. I ran into one of his friends from school the other day and he mentioned it. I think life is too short to be anything but happy. I think you should do what makes you happy. Your husband is my brother’s best friend and my brother has occasionally mentioned one or two things to me about your life with TK and each time he tells me something not too pleasant to the ears I feel guilty. Me: So what are you suggesting? That I should leave my husband and run off with another man?

Banke: No Anjola, I am apologizing for betraying you and I am saying if fate has been so kind to give you a second chance at true love and happiness, taking it doesn’t make you a bad person. If I knew then what I know now, I would have helped you make better choices as a friend. Instead of deceiving you like I did. Me: Thank you but you have no idea what my life is like and what makes me happy so please keep your wise counsel to yourself.

Banke: Anjola last year I eventually met the sort of man I felt deserved me in the States. He was Nigerian, rich, successful and from a family with pedigree.We got married a few months later and that was when I understood what marriage is really about. He turned out to be a violent and abusive monster. I got pregnant and thought the beatings would stop but it intensified. After a life threatening beating, I decided to leave him. We are in the middle of an annulment.  To think I kept passing up other decent guys who truly cared about me all these years because I felt they were not suitable, only to end up like this. My conscience has been taunting me all this while with the thought that you might be as unhappy as I am.

No way was I admitting that my marriage hadn’t been smooth sailing. All I wanted her to know was: I was happily married and living a fairytale. Me: I am really sorry to hear that but my marriage is nothing like that, TK and I are happy and I have no regrets. Banke: Wow! That is such a relief.  I am happy to hear that, I really hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I’d really like to be your friend again. I would be around for a few more days before I have to go back to the States to have the baby, I hope I get to see you again.

Banke tried to hug me; I couldn’t bring myself to respond. I felt sorry for her and really wanted to reach out to her but my pride wouldn’t let me. After my encounter with Banke, I really started considering what she had said about life and happiness. TK was still angry about the birth control pills he had discovered and was barely speaking to me. I wondered if it was just an excuse to spend more time with his mistress. I didn’t know what to do anymore so I decided to give Linda who was unarguably my closest friend an abridged version of my situation. Please don’t judge me. It’s what we do as women, we never tell the whole story maybe because sometimes we are afraid of being told the truth even when it is as plain as the nose on our faces. I told her about my history with Emeka and my dilemma and also my suspicions of TK’s infidelity.

Linda: Hmmmmm, how have you been keeping all this to yourself? These are dangerous grounds you are treading o. You need to stop seeing that Emeka guy at once! Me:Linda it’s not easy. I have something with him and I know it’s real. Linda: My dear friend, you know you’re like my younger sister and I will never lie to you. There is a proverb that says you should not smell what you will not eat. Is what you have with this Emeka stronger than your marriage certificate or the future of the child you have with your husband?Me: A husband that is cheating on me and living in the guest room. What if I regret losing Emeka again for the third time?

Linda: You are obsessed with Emeka because he is the husband you never had. Life with him would have come with its own set of challenges. You have experienced enough to know that it is not only love that sustains a marriage. Me: I know but life with TK is always full of drama and I just need security. Emotionally and mentally, life with TK will never give me that. You know how these social circles are Linda. This is not the life I envisaged for myself.

Linda: You amaze me. I don’t hide anything from you Anjola. How many times have I told you of the issues in my marriage, do you think I don’t love my husband or he doesn’t love me? We love each other but more importantly, we are committed to making our marriage work. Forget all this fluffy Movie Magic things and face your home. Emeka has nothing to lose if this gets messy. You are the one with the most at stake. Think about it.

Linda had a point but why was it still impossible for me to make a decision? The day after I opened up to Linda, I got a scary text from Emeka, it read “Angel we have a big problem, our spot 8pm” I wondered what had happened again this time. I couldn’t afford any drama with the way things were with TK so it wasn’t time to be stubborn. I followed Emeka’s instructions and met him at our usual spot at 8pm. Me: What have you done this time?

Emeka: It’s not me, its Ronke. She has given me an ultimatum. Our traditional marriage is to hold in three days. She has given me till noon day after tomorrow to put things back in motion otherwise she is going to TK to tell him everything.

A wave of nausea hit me. My life as I knew it would be over if TK found out right now that I had been seeing an old lover and he had broken his engagement on my account; the same old lover who was the cause of the initial awkwardness in our marriage for the first few months. Me: Emeka please you have to stop her. Emeka: That would mean me going through with the wedding. Are you saying what I think you are saying? Me: Emeka please. It’snot about me; it’s about my daughter. Please do it for her. Emeka was clearly angry. Emeka: Why? You think I can’t take care of her? This is not about her! It’s about the lifestyle you are enjoying. You don’t want to lose the luxuries that come with being an Ayo-Kessington.

It is about the money because I know you want to be with me but you know I can’t give you the glitz and glamour. Me: Emeka please keep your voice down. It is not about the money. Even if I am going to leave TK for you, I have to be smart about it. I would lose custody of my daughter except I can prove him to be an unfit parent and that is almost impossible because he is a wonderful father and has the financial capacity to take care of her which I clearly do not. I also told him about the custody issues in the pre-nup I had signed.

Emeka: We can prove TK is an unfit parent, that is not a problem and I have told you I intend to legally adopt Oladunni as mine. Me: What do you mean? Do you know something I don’t know? Emeka: That’s not the point Angel. We don’t have time. We need to get you out of here before Ronke speaks to your husband. Me: Emeka I am confused. I don’t think I am ready for this, it’s too complicated and I am so scared.

Emeka: I don’t care how complicated this gets, I still want you. A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. I am not losing you again. Me: Emeka please don’t do anything stupid.

Emeka: Don’t worry Angel. I’m simply going to give you a reason to choose me. Emeka walked me to my car and just as I was about to get in, he grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss. I tried to push him off but he held on, I soon melted into his arms and kissed him back for a few seconds before the gravity of what I was doing hit me especially because we were in a public place.

I pushed him off and jumped into my car with a guilty conscience that pricked me all the way home. Linda was right, I was really treading on dangerous grounds and I knew it was a matter of time before I let my guards down and went all the way with Emeka. I planned to tell TK everything as soon as he got home and beg for his forgiveness but he did not come home that night.  The thought that in two days I could be out on the street without my daughter was so scary for me.

Early the next morning,Adamu brought a familiar envelope to me. He had discovered the envelope where it had been slipped under the gate again.  It was my mystery stalker, and the letters in the message were cut out of a magazine as usual. This time, the message read: “It’s Showtime.  Mulberry Apartments Osborne Estate, Ikoyi – Time 7pm. don’t be late”

Inside the envelope was also a picture of me from the night before in a passionate kiss with Emeka. I panicked and called my travel agent to book a ticket to America for Oladunni and me for the next day. Whoever was playing this prank was obviously a step ahead of me and with the evidence there was no explanation that would appease TK or The Duchess. If my marriage was over as a result of my carelessness, I would deal with the consequences but no one was taking my daughter from me.

I had to give it to Ronke. She was smart because I was now convinced she was the one behind the mystery messages but this time, I also had to play dirty. By the time she told her story to TK or leaked the pictures, Oladunni and I would be on a plane out of the country. I just had one more thing to tidy up. I was going to accept the invitation and attend whatever show she was planning. I had a feeling it would change my life…and boy was I right!

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