Even in Death 5

The latest couple in town travelled to far away Greece for their honeymoon. Femi had always been a lover of Greek mythology and so she spent hours exploring with a reluctant but besotted husband in tow.

Love is a beautiful thing, especially a love that transcends time.

The nights were spent in each others arms, nights of endless pleasure, pleasuring and being pleasured.

To their dismay, their one month honey moon was soon over and they had to return to Nigeria.

Life quickly fell into a steady rhythm. Femi found herself trying to juggle being a working class lady and a wife catering to the needs of her husband and sometimes, his large extended family.

Wale was from a dirt poor home and his family knew his wife was from a comfortable home and expected her, now that she was married to their son, brother and nephew to help them.

Femi was initially open to assisting them as it was obvious she was earning way above her husband, but when she discovered they were greedy and grasping, she stopped being receptive

‘ Honey, they’re my family, we need to assist them' Wale had said during one of their arguments over his family

‘But I am, aren’t I?'

‘No need to rub in the fact that you earn more than I'

Femi who was seated brushing her mane of hair in front of the mirror, frowned as she turned to look at her husband sprawled on the bed adjacent her

‘What do you mean by that?’

Wale looked at her an expressionless look on his face

‘Never mind' he responded flatly

Femi turned back facing the mirror

‘Your siblings never account for monies given them. They always swear it’s for business, business that never materializes! Wale…I’m just saying they shouldn’t look at me as their ATM! I…we have stuff to do with money in this house'

Wale said nothing as he pursed his lips pensively

Femi was determined to stop wasting her money on his siblings and relatives. She was tired of their incessant demands, but she wasn’t going to tell Wale who was very supportive of the family who could do no wrong in his eyes.

His car order business wasn’t doing so well as more people were delving into it. 

He had casually broached going to see her father for a loan to start a business, a car dealership he called it. Femi who didn’t like the idea of going to her father for help lest she hear ‘ I told you so', tried dissuading him. She promised she would try to get the amount of money needed for the car dealership herself, even if it meant going for a bank loan.

She knew Wale was no longer happy with the car ride business and she tried to cheer him up in several ways, but her attempts appeared to be like water poured down a basket.

Her mother had been making repeated requests for her to visit and so she decided to visit one Saturday morning.

Her parents were in the garden which extended from the gate to the main house. Different species of flowers grew in abundance carefully tended by her mother an incurable gardener. Her father was nursing a tall glass of juice laced with Gin whilst her mother was tending to the flowers. Femi walked into her fathers bear hug which fairly knocked the air out of her whilst her mother looked on proudly.

After a sumptous lunch of jollof curried rice and fried goat meat, her mother called her aside into her room upstairs

‘Femi what’s happening?’ she asked Femi as they both sat down on her bed.

The room was partially lit by the lone lamp in the room. The heavy draperies made of satin parted in the middle of the only window. The air conditioner was almost soundless as Femi became agitated knowing her mother and dreading the questions that were to come

Femi feigning nonchalance answered ‘everything good is happening Momma'

Her mother looked at her, wondering if her brainy daughter had suddenly become stupid

‘So ti loyun?!’( are you now pregnant?!)

‘Ahan! I just got married not long ago!’

‘ I beg to disagree. You got married a year ago and two months ago! Femi I am worried. What the heck is happening?!’

Femi was thankful the room was not well lit and so her mother couldn’t read the varying expressions playing on her face.

How do you explain to your mother you can never have a child?

To be continued…