If you haven’t read the first part of this story, here’s the link. Kindly read it before starting this one.

When I left the house, I went to my parents’ house. My dad asked me, “Why are you here?” I lied that I’ve had a job close by and wanted to live around and complete it before going back home. From my parents’ house to my working place is very far. I had to wake up at dawn, walk for about twenty minutes before I get to the point where I can get a car. It takes the car over an hour to get to my workplace. It was tiring, but I preferred that to staying around an annoying wife and her family. I came home one late night and my father was waiting for me. He said, “You told me the work is around this place so why do you leave at dawn and come home very late?” The face he used to ask the question meant he was suspicious of something. 

I said, “Work starts at 6am. I can’t afford to be late for even a minute. You know these white people and their time.” He asked again, “It’s been over two months since you came here. On weekends you don’t go anywhere. Don’t you miss your wife? Why don’t you go home on weekends?” I started feeling the heat. “Or my wife had told him something?” I said, “I get too tired on weekends but I will go this weekend. It’s been that long.” He nodded and left me alone. From all indications, my wife wasn’t going to do anything about the situation. She called me every day. She begged me to come home so we talk about it. He called my decision drastic but saw nothing wrong with her entrenched position to keep her brother with us. 

Each night before I slept I thought of what next to do. My wife is naive in certain things but to be honest with you, she’s a good woman. We never fought when we were dating. She was very open to me in everything just like she was being open to her parents about everything that was going on in our lives. I said, “Maybe that’s how she is. She thinks everyone deserves to know what is going on in her lives.” The voice in my head countered, “If that’s how she is then she’s plain silly. How can a grown-up woman behave like a child?” She has to grow up.”

Every night and dawn I had to battle with my head, thinking of all the possibilities available to me. At some point I asked myself “Sammy, what do you want?” I answered it myself, “I want my wife’s family to stay out of our business.” I asked again, “You don’t want a divorce? Your wife is too childish.” I said, “She’s been supportive except when it comes to her family. So her family is the problem. If I find a way of dealing with her attachment to her family, then everything would be alright.” 

One morning, my alarm clock went off at exactly 4am. I didn’t want to wake up. I was too tired I wanted to continue sleeping but it dawn on me, “If you sleep a minute more, you’ll be late for work.” I got up grudgingly. Bathed, dressed up, and left for work. It was still dark when I was leaving. I shook my head. I said, “If I were in my house I would be sleeping by now. I woke up at 7am and still was able to go to work. Who am I lying to?” After work that day, I came home, pack my things, said goodbye to my parents, and left. I got home around 10pm. My wife was asleep. Her brother was at the hall playing game. It looked like my absence gave him a lot of freedom so he bought a game console and owned the hall. I didn’t say any word to him. I went straight inside, bathed, and went to sleep next to my wife. She woke up only when I lied on the bed.

She screamed, “When did you get here?” I said, “Tell your brother. He’s leaving first thing tomorrow morning.” She asked, “What happened?” I said, “I’m home. Or I can’t come to my house again?” She said, “But you haven’t told me anything. All you said is about my brother.” I said, “Don’t worry. I’m back. He’s leaving.” She said, “I’ve discussed it with my parents. We are getting him a job around here very soon. Immediately he gets the job, he’ll leave.” I said, “That’s good. He can go and leave with your parents. He’s their son. When he gets the job, he can go there directly and start working.” She said, “I thought you’ve changed your mind?” I said, “Yeah, I’ve changed my mind. That’s why I’m here. This is my house. It’s a mistake that I left it for him. I’m back. He has to go.”

I didn’t sleep that night. Early the next morning I woke up. I said, “Should I tell him or you’ll tell him?” She asked, “Tell him what? Why are you doing this?” I walked out, knocked on his door, and woke him up. I told him, “Pack what you need to pack. You’re going to your parents this morning.” He looked at me and slept on the bed again.” I said, “Did you hear me?” He didn’t talk. I went back to my wife. When I got there she was on the phone. I knew she was talking to her parents. Immediately she saw me she said, “He’s here.” She told me, “My dad wants to speak to you.” I took the phone. His father said, “The boy is getting a job very soon and he will leave. Why are you pushing him out?” I said, “I know he’ll get a job. I just want him to come home. When he gets the job he can go and do the job. He doesn’t need to live here with us and wait for the job. He stared talking plenty. I said, “I and my wife need space to build our lives. We don’t need such interference. I will beg you to give us that space.”

I gave the phone back to my wife. She said, “What has come over you?” I was in her brother’s room helping him to pack when she came there. She said, “Ok give him two weeks.” I didn’t mind her. She said, “Ok, one week will do.” By the time she realized, I was sending his things out of the house. I went back to the bedroom and slept. Later I heard the sound of a taxi. Minutes later, I went out and the two of them were not there. My wife came back later throwing tantrums. I told her, “Sit down here let me tell you something. The next time you call your parents and tell them anything concerning our marriage, it will be the end of us. They are your parents. You can call them any day and talk to them but not about things concerning our marriage. The day, I lay my hands on you, you can call them. The day I starve you, you can call them and tell them. The day I deny you sex if you like you can call and tell them. Apart from that, you have no right to give them a progress report of things in our lives. And they have no right to call me and order me around. We have a family to run so they should leave us alone.” 

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She sat there like a statue, looking at me with surprise in her eyes. I could see she was dazed. She said, “What has come over you?” I said, “Nothing. I’ve decided to be the man I should have been long ago. The day you stop involving your family in this marriage, you’ll know your family is the reason why we always fight. Just try it and see. Stop talking about us to them and see the kind of peace we’ll enjoy around here.” She said, “I told you to take your time. My dad rented out the last room in the house that’s why he couldn’t go back. There’s no place for him to sleep when he goes back.” I said, “Your father is a man just as I am. He’ll solve his problems. Just wait and see if he’ll sleep outside. He’ll get him a place because he’s his son.”

Eight months later, we are still here without any drama. The last time we spoke about her parents, we were talking about what to give them this Christmas. My relationship with them has soured a bit but it was expected. Now they respect me. My wife visited them recently. When she came back her father called to ask if my wife was back. I said, “Yeah she’s here. He said, “I wanted to be sure that she’s safely in your hands.” Order restored. 

–Sammy    

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