The Marriage Battle

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 16

The following morning, as Ayo was about to live for work, Adaobi stopped him by the door side.

Adaobi: If anything happens to my father Ayo, I will never forgive you.

Ayo: nothing will happen to him.

Adaobi: I need some money.

Ayo: I thought I just gave you some money for your family, how come you want more money?

Adaobi: not for my father but for the house. What is wrong with you and when do you start complaining about the money I ask for and what I do with it?

Ayo: That’s how it will be from now on.

Adaobi: Your mother has finally succeeded in brainwashing you and I hope you realize it before its too late.

Ayo: This is the last time you talk bad about my mother.

Adaobi: But Ayo, it is my father that we are talking about here and whatever your mother might have told you is so not right.

Ayo: ‘take care of yourself’ he said and left.

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Emenike: Hello, Adaobi can you hear me?

Adaobi: Yes Uncle, I can hear you. What is wrong with Papa please?

Emenike: After a series of test was conducted on him, we were told he was simply too dyhydrated that was why he became unconscious.

Adaobi: ‘Wow! Thank God’ for she was so relieved about the news.

Emenike: Yes, that was the reason why he became unconscious but I am afraid there is something else?

Adaobi: ‘What is it’ she asked her heart beating.

Emenike: the news is not so good.

Adaobi: What is it Uncle?

Emenike: Your father, my brother has colon cancer and it has reached the last stage which is very dangerous.

Adaobi: What? Colon cancer, how come?

Emenike: I don’t know Ada, I don’t know and I am afraid that he may not come out of this.

Adaobi: God forbid Uncle, God forbid! My father is healed already in the mighty name of Jesus. No evil or sickness shall befall him for he is healed and protected.

Emenike: This is bad Adaobi! this is bad. I think you better come here as soon as possible with Chidi for it doesn’t seem like he will stay with us for too long.

Adaobi: ‘No! No! No! Papa can’t die, Papa can’t leave us all alone. No he won’t die for I won’t accept it. I will transfer some money to you right now and I need you to tell them to do anything possible to keep my father alive’ she said and hung up the call.

Mami knocked in Adaobi’s room but she got no reply and decided to enter the room to see what Adaobi is upto. When she got to the room, she met Kunle on the bed wailing and crying while Adaobi was on the floor crying.

Mami: ‘Adaobi, are you out of your mind, how can you live my grand son to be crying without you attending to him’ she asked as she picked him up form the bed ‘Adaobi is it not you that I am talking to?

Adaobi: Ignored her but kept saying ‘ Oh Papa! My father is in a critical condition’.

Mami: Are you the first person that her father is in the hospital? So because Ayo has refused you from paying him a visit that’s why you want to punish your son abi?

Adaobi: ‘My father! Oh my father’ she kept saying.

Mami: My father oh my father! She mimicked her ‘You are not the only one with one in this world. As if to say na only you get Papa’.

Adaobi: Papa! Papa! Papa!

Mami: Na you sabi, If you like stay here till thy kingdom come. I am in the sitting room with Kunle and I will feed him his meal.

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Mami: Welcome my son, how was work?

Ayo: Fine and this one that you are with Kunle today, what happened?

Mami: Nothing ooo, your wife has been in her room all day, she didn’t even take a look at her son today. If not that I heard him crying in the morning after you left for work and attened to him, I am sure he would have remained that way with no one attending to him.

Ayo: Crying, why was she crying?

Mami: I don’t know and I didn’t bother to ask her. I am sure it is because of her father for that was all she kept saying.

Ayo: Let me go and freshen up Mami.

Mami: Okay.

Ayo: When he got to his room, he met the room he shared with his wife in am mess, just the way he left it earlier in the day and his wife coiled at the side of the bed ‘Sweetheart, are you alright’ he said as he went to her.

Adaobi: My father, he needs me and I have to go to him.

Ayo: I thought we have already talked about this?

Adaobi: Please Ayo, he is my father for God’s sake.

Ayo: you left my house in a mess because of your father, when I payed your bride price, I payed heavily.

Adaobi: this isn’t about it, is it?

Ayo: No it isn’t but I thought your people will have no need of you when I was doing that especially that Uncle of yours who is so greedy.

Adaobi: That Uncle is my family Ayo, please mind how you talk about him.

Ayo: of course he is and your father, you won’t go and see him and that is final.

Adaobi: My father is dying Ayo.

Ayo: it doesn’t change anything.

Adaobi: and if I go against your will?

Ayo: You won’t do that.

Adaobi: Just because you paid heavily doesn’t make me yours. I am your wife and not some property or slave you feel you can talk to anyhow and she obeys. If you don’t like what I do next with myself or my family then sign the divorce papers for I won’t have you make me trade my father for you or anyone else.

Ayo: Your family is here,me and our child.

Adaobi: Really Ayo, really! You want to cage me as a slave simply because you paid heavily when you were paying my bride price or simply because your mother told you so?

Ayo: Adaobi please.

Adaobi: Don’t please me! I have been an obedient wife to you, I have loved and treated your mother just the way I would do to mine, even after Omugwo is over, she is still here with Kemi, I never said anything against them. Instead, I welcomed them and made them comfortable.

Ever since she came here, she has been the one dictating things in this house while all you do is listen and follow her lead and I am not going to sit idle and watch you ruin the only people that I care about. if I have to choose between you or them, I will choose them a one and one million times and over and over again. To think that I once loved you and I thought my family is important; I am so disappointed in you.

Ayo: Adaobi….

Adaobi: ‘Let me finish please Ayo, my father is sick and I am going to him. If you do not like the outcome of things I do and how I do them from now on, I will be glad to divorce you’ she said and left the room for him.

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The following day, Adaobi together with Chidi and Kunle left to the place where their father was admitted.

Chigozie: ‘Sister, where have you been since, Papa was calling out to you ever since he was admitted’ he said as she approached him and Emenike who were looking sober.

Adaobi: ‘No! No! Please don’t tell me that my father is dead already’ she said looking at Chigozie and Emenike ‘will somebody please say something’.

Emenike: Chei! Wonders shall never end.

Adaobi: Uncle where is my father?

Emenike: You have to put yourself together.

Chidi: brother Chigozie, where is Papa!

Adaobi: Will somebody answer me this minute before I go mad with worry here.

Emenike: I am sorry, your father passed away a few hours ago.

Adaobi: No! It can’t be, it can’t just be. Where is his body?

Emenike: Adaobi you can’t see his body.

Adaobi: ‘Where is his body oooo, I want to see my father oooo. please somebody should tell me that my father is not dead please! God if this is a dream, I want to wake up oooo’ she screamed and wailed.

Chidi: Who was carrying Kunle gave him to Emenike to hold while he went to console his sister who doesn’t want anyone to come close to her.

Adaobi: Nobody should come close to me please, Nobody! She cried.