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

It was early April when I went through my wife’s phone and saw that she had received mobile money from my step-dad. Her Whatsapp messages had no message from my step-dad and her message app had no messages too. When I put the phone down, the rate of my heartbeat went up. It didn’t follow any rhythm. It beat anyhow. It beat with questions. I told myself, “Something is really going on. What happened to the messages I saw earlier? Or she had gotten a clue that I’m looking into things?” If I had doubt about an affair between them, the absence of the messages and the presence of the mobile money notification killed that doubt.

The only person  I could talk to was my mother. I called her phone. Immediately she heard my voice she asked, “Is everything alright with you?” I said, “I’m fine. I’m very fine but why do you ask?” She said, “Your voice. It sounds like you’re troubled.” I sighed. She asked, “Wife problems?” I said, “I don’t want to talk about it on the phone. Let me know when your husband is not around. I will come around so we talk. She asked me, ”Or I should come home?” I said, “It wouldn’t be ideal for us to talk here so I will come around.”

I still didn’t know if it was the right move for me to talk to my mother. I figured she wouldn’t believe me. I figured she would side with her husband and leave me lonely. This is a man who came to her rescue and mine when my dad left us. We owe a lot to him for everything he had done for us. The balance I have in my life now was because of him. I’ve heard of step-fathers maltreating their stepchildren but this man never laid a finger on me. All he did was be my support and direction. He provided enough for my mother and me. To go to war against a man like this isn’t something you just wake and do it but the evidence was also hard to get. 

My mom called. She said, “He wouldn’t be home until evening. Would you like to come around?”

A few hours later I was with her. She said, “You sounded troubled the other day. You look troubled today. What’s the issue. For several minutes I was just there, staring at her face. She said, “She’s giving you troubles, right?” I said, “More than trouble. I’m in hell now. Everything around me is burning. It’s hard for me to breathe.” She said, “Talk to me. I’m a woman. If I have to come in and have a talk with her, I will. Just open up.”

I asked, “When your husband is leaving the house does he tell you where he’s going?” She said, “Mostly he does but not every day. Why? Have you seen him somewhere else?” I said, “Yeah, he comes to my house often. He only comes when I’m not there. He calls my wife, asks about my whereabouts before he comes. I don’t understand.” She said, “Your father comes to your house only in your absence? What for?” I said, “That’s the reason for my worry and that’s the reason why I’m here with you today. He talks to my wife every day. He even sends her money through mobile money. I don’t know what business the two are doing that calls for money transaction.”

She said, “So you’re thinking…” I didn’t wait for her to land. I said, “Yes I’m thinking he has something going on with my wife. I’ve read their messages. The kind of expressions they use tell the story of two people who are seeing each other. You may not believe it but I’ve monitored them for some time now and I know what I’m talking about. My mom was mute for a while. She asked, “Are you serious?” I said, “Mom I know what I’m talking about.” She asked, “You know the implications of what you’re saying?” I answered, “I’ve thought about it for a very long time. It’s the reason why I delayed in telling you.” She went quiet again. She buried her face in her palm. She said, “I don’t believe what you’re saying but a man is also not a pillow for us to rest our heads. Don’t tell anyone about it until we are sure.” 

She sounded like she was ready to form an alliance with me. She looked worried but she tried to hide it from me. I said, “What are you going to do? I hope you don’t tell him or ask him anything until we are sure.” She said, “We’ll talk.”

One afternoon she called me. ”Are you home?” I said, “No, I’m at work.” She said, “Call Sabina and see if she’ll pick.” I asked her, “Why? Is dad not home?” She said, “Hurry up. Just call her.” I called and it was call waiting but she managed to pick my call. I said, “I won’t come home early today and I thought I should call and tell you.” She asked, “Where would you be going?” I said, “I will tell you when I come.” When I hang up I told my mother, “She picked but she was already talking to someone when I called.” She said, “That means she was the one your father was talking to. He had been on the phone for a very long time.” I said, “Now you believe me?” She said, “You said he goes to her when you’re not home right? I’ll tell you whenever he’s not here. I’ll ask the shop first and see if he’s there. If not, I will give you a hint. I haven’t been sleeping well since you told me that. A lot of things are beginning to make sense. Let’s hope we are both wrong.”

It was around 11am when my mother called. She said, “He’s not at the shop. I called them. They said he hadn’t been at the shop all day. Check your house and see if he’s around.” My heart started beating like a boom box. It was as if my heart wanted to run from my chest. I got home and started going around the house eavesdropping from the window. He laughed and I heard him. It could be something showing on the TV.” I called my mom, “He’s here.” She asked, “So what are you going to do?” I said, “I will wait for a while and go inside.”

Soon I wasn’t hearing their voices so I tried to open the door. It was locked. My key couldn’t enter because they had a key stuck behind. I knocked. She asked, “Who is there?” I didn’t talk. I kept knocking.” She kept asking who I was. I kept knocking. She said, “If you won’t mention your name, how would I open the door for you?” I kept knocking and knocking, she didn’t open until I spoke. When I entered, my dad was seated on the sofa with a stiff neck watching TV. Guilt was written all over his posture. I didn’t even ask a question when she started ranting, “I invited your father here to make a report to him about certain things you do around here that I’m not happy about.” I opened my mouth. 

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I said, “This lie you’re saying has given you away big time. What have I done to you that my father has to know but I don’t know? You think I don’t know what’s going on? You think I didn’t read your messages. You think I don’t know he had been sending you money? You think I’m a fool not to know?” She started shivering. All this while my dad was sitting quietly with his face fixed to the TV. I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t even want to see his face. He said, “You’re getting it all wrong. I’m only trying to be a good father-in-law. Yeah, she lied but what do you expect when you bump into someone like that? Listen, I can’t for the life in me do any of the things that you’re accusing me of. I can stand in front of the gods and swear my innocence but you have the right to suspect anything.”

He walked out after saying that. My wife continued, “That’s all he had said. There’s nothing going on, I swear!”

My mom favored the swearing before the gods. My dad agreed but later traveled. As I write this, he hasn’t returned. He keeps changing the date of his return. My wife is living with her parents. They say they won’t allow their daughter to appear before any god because they are Christians. I should either forgive or forget about the swearing. Now, I’m more than convinced that the two were involved somehow. Nothing can change my mind about that fact. My mom said, “Sabina doesn’t need to swear. If your father is able to swear. It covers her too so don’t worry.” 

We are waiting for my father. In my mind, my marriage is in the casket. We are only waiting for the hammer to hit the nail into the casket.    

—Joshua 

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