‘I’ll Die For Tony!’(Part 1)

IF Pauline knew it would result to this, she wouldn’t have dared hit her loving husband with her sandal. The young couple were merely playing, the kind of play little children do, ‘I beat you, you beat me back.’
Tears welled up in her eyes when she concentrated her gaze on her husband, who was on a life-support machine, breathing his last.She tried to
suppress the grief weighing down her heart, but she couldn’t. It was too much for her soul to bear.

Tony Akinosho, Pauline’s erstwhile bubbly young and handsome husband had been in coma for the past one week. The experienced doctors at Salvation Hospital, Lagos had been battling to save his life, but it seemed all hope was lost, as the young, ebullient business tycoon wasn’t responding to treatment.

Pauline shook her head sorrowfully, biting her fingers and gnashing her teeth in a forlorn and moody way.
“Where would I begin, Almighty God?” she asked herself. “What am I going to do? God, I’m a goner! My two kids are still too young to be fatherless… and how would I cope as a widow at my young age?
“Would I be charged for murder? What would I tell my children when they grow up, that I killed their dad inadvertently?”
Pauline, a tall, elegant and beautiful lady now looked pale and sober. She shook her head mournfully again when she remembered what actually put her in such a melancholy and dilemma.

It was on a Saturday evening, around 5:30pm. The weather was mild and gentle, without the slightest inkling of doom or calamity.
Pauline and Tony had been married for the past six years and had never been a case of anxiety or exchange of hot words. Neighbours even envied their lovely relationship.

The kids were in their room playing on that eventful day. Tony and Pauline were feeling horny and began some romantic ‘moves’ that would oil their libido.

Tony pulled the nose of his loving wife jokingly and laughed, saying she had the most beautiful nose he had ever seen.
Pauline did the same too, saying he had the loveliest nose she had even seen in her life.

Tony hit the buttocks of his wife with his hand and Pauline did the same.
Then, they both laughed and giggled heartily. Pauline dived on the long couch in the living room after smacking his buttocks, while Tony laughed and moved towards her again, wrestling her endearingly on the couch.
He smacked her on her thigh and went into hiding.
“I’ll get you Tony,” Pauline giggled with joy, “you can’t hide from your shadow! I’ll get you!”
They were chasing each other and dodging playfully. Definitely, joy had enveloped the lovesick couple.
Just then, Pauline picked her sandal and hit her husband gently on the face in a feat of joy and ran away to hide behind the kitchen door.

It had become a hide-and-seek game. Pauline was still in hiding 10 minutes later, thinking her husband would come for her and the game would continue.

About 30 minutes had gone and Tony didn’t show up. Pauline became apprehensive, more so as she didn’t hear his voice.
She became worried and called, “Honey, I’m here! You can’t find me!” She didn’t hear any response, so she left the spot and called again, “Honey, where are you?”

It was a very shocking and traumatic sight when Pauline suddenly saw her loving husband on the floor in coma, with blood dripping from his face and mouth. He had concussed after his wife hit him mildly with her sandal.

Pauline was so worried and confused that she screamed to neighbours for help. Immediately, neighbours and sympathisers trooped inside their living room and rushed Tony, who was gasping for breath, to Salvation Hospital.
Pauline had been crying for the past three hours when all hope seemed lost…
(To be concluded next Saturday)