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

My mother is not someone to engage in hearsay. She was the first person to advise me against it when I was traveling, “She said, “Marriage and traveling are not compatible. Don’t take too long before you come for your wife and also, don’t listen to gossip as you’re not here. If anything, call home.” 

When the rumors about my wife and her activities started coming up, I tried my best not to involve my mom or her parents. To me, it’s better to get a full grasp of the situation before you talk. But one early morning in US time, I saw a call from my sister. I thought she was coming to report something new so I quickly picked up the phone. It wasn’t my sister’s voice I heard. It was my mother’s voice. She said, “Abrantiɛ, you mean you don’t believe what your sister told you or you just want to ignore everything your wife is doing?”

I didn’t answer her immediately. She said, “Talk to me so we will also know what to do. If you’ve decided to close your eyes to what’s going on, then it’s fair that you tell us to also close our eyes.” I said, “Mom, it’s not like that. I’m here and she’s there. I can’t just wake up and do anything. Be patient with me. The frog will one day die for us to know its actual length.” 

She screamed on the phone, “If you know you won’t believe your sister then why ask her to do what she did? You mean your sister will intentionally lie about your wife? What are you trying to say? Maybe she has cast a spell on you so you don’t see anything wrong. That’s fine. Don’t ever ask anyone here to do anything for you again. She’s your wife. You trust her. That’s fine. Leave us out of it.” After saying what was on her mind, she gave the phone to my sister. I was very angry with her; “Hey, what did I tell you before I sent you on that errand? Why did you tell mom about it? What for?”

She also made the same claim my mom made. “I’m surprised you’re not doing anything about it after all that I’ve told you. The guy goes around in your car as if he bought it. Your wife keeps lying to you and you believe her. I’m not going to say anything again. It’s your life.”

I believed them. I knew what they were saying was true but my wife had a way of denying every allegation. I finally decided to take some time off and come around to see what was happening. At first, it was the traveling restrictions that were hampering my traveling arrangements but finally, I got the green light to move. I never mentioned it to anyone, not even to my family. I traveled silently into the country in December. 

It was embarrassing how things were happening. My first time coming home should have been a happy one. I should have received a hero’s welcome. I should have had special food prepared for me. It’s been a long time out. I should have had a special night with my wife but I was sneaking in like a coming thief. I was thinking about the what-ifs. “It’s the truth I want but what am I going to do with the truth?” I thought I had the heart to face what was coming but no matter what you find yourself in, divorce is not an easy choice to make. This is a woman you’ve struggled with. This is a woman you went through good times with. This is the mother of my child, the woman who once pushed me out of the thin. “It’s the truth I want but what am I going to do with the truth?”

I got home one late evening and I didn’t see the car outside of the house. I knocked and she came to open the door. She was shocked to see me. “Tell me I’m not seeing right. What am I seeing? Why would you do that? What sort of surprise is that?” I answered, “I’m here. That’s the most important thing. She nodded her head and opened the door for me. She asked, “Or you’re still acting on what you heard from the gossip?” I answered, “I’m too tired to talk about all these things. I’m here. I came to see my family. Sorry I didn’t tell you about it.” Our son was sleeping. I looked at him and how grown he looked. I shook my head and left his bedside. 

My wife was walking up and down looking as if something of hers was missing. She would pick up her phone and type something and then later go out with her phone and come back some minutes later. I was only looking at her. It was around 11pm when I heard the arrival of the car. I was the first to go out. The guy packed the car and walked toward me. I asked, “Are you the Uber driver? He said “Yes. I’m looking for madam.” From the description my sister gave me, the guy in front of me looked different. I asked, “Are you sure you’re the driver?” My wife stepped out and said, “Yes, he’s the one driving for me all this while. I smiled and went inside.  

The following morning, I asked her to give me her phone. 

“What is wrong with your phone?” 

“I don’t have local credit to make a call.”

“You’re acting weird and I”m bothered. What is all that? You came out of nowhere. We are yet to discuss the issues of your arrival but all of a sudden you’re requesting my phone? What’s going on?”

“I just want to call my mother and tell her that I’m in.” 

“I don’t have credit too.”

She was getting ready to drop my son in school and also continue to work. I joined them when they were leaving. After our son alighted, I told her, “We are going to the Uber office. There are questions I need to ask.” She stopped driving. “What questions? What contract do you have with them that you have to go and ask them questions? I’m the one who registered the car so if there’s any question, you have to ask me.” I asked, “Where did you register the car to operate as Uber?” 

For thirty minutes she couldn’t answer. She didn’t even know the process to register a car for Uber. Right there I made a call to Uber and asked how I could get information about a car that’s registered under them. The person asked me to come to the office. It was there she said, “Ok, I was lying about the Uber thing. I will understand if you get angry but don’t think I was doing anything wrong with the car.” I screamed, “Great, so tell me who that guy is. What is his business with your car?” She started fumbling. For close to thirty minutes she said nothing. I told her, “I gave you the respect as a wife that’s why I didn’t want to catch you in the act. I wanted to save my own emotions and also save myself from what would happen if I saw you in the act. I’m not a fool. You’re sleeping with another man. It’s the reason you’re acting jittery around me.“

She started crying. “You see what I’ve been telling you? There’s no way I can win this argument because your mind is already made up.” I said, “Prove me wrong. Tell me who that guy is. Give me your phone let me see what’s on it.” She couldn’t. I got down and took a taxi back home. Minutes after I got home she also came home. She didn’t go to work. She said, “The truth of the matter is that I took a loan and used the car as collateral. It’s a long story. We can’t finish today. You have to be patient.” I laughed. “You take me for a fool. I hear you.” 

I went to visit my parents that day. After the screams of surprise and everything, my mom said, “You’ll know the truth now that you’re here. Open your eyes. Ask questions.” My sister started laying down the information one after the other; “I know where the guy lives. He’s no Uber driver. The places I’ve followed them to are not places a woman will go with her Uber driver. Don’t allow her to lie to you.” I said, “Don’t waste your breath. I’m here for my son and that would be all.”

I came back home and took my son’s hand and we walked out. I started asking him questions and as brutal as a child would be, he answered them one after the other. He calls him uncle Jake. He comes around often for the car and sometimes he sleeps on mommy’s bed. He brings him toys and takes him out to a place where there are many toys and seesaws. Mom takes him to his house too and there’s a small dog in uncle Jake’s house called Timmy. He likes the dog because it licks him when he goes there. As he innocently narrates the story, tears welled up in my eyes. I can refuse to trust adults but a kid doesn’t lie.

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When we got back to the house, I asked all the questions again in front of her and the boy repeated his answers as if it was some sort of act he was being asked to act. I asked her, “He’s lying, right?” She looked away before saying, “A kid will always be a kid.” I left her that evening and didn’t go back home again. I stopped picking up her calls. The next series of calls came from her mom and her dad. They called me home and I went to see them. I narrated everything to them and they were shocked. They asked her, “Is it true? What he’s saying?” She answered, “It’s not entirely true.” 

“So what’s the truth?”

She couldn’t answer. She could only cry. Her father said, “My son, please go home. We’ll talk to her and get back to you.” She called every day apologizing but she wouldn’t confess the truth. Her parents came to see my parents. They talked things over. My mom asked what I was going to do. I answered, “I’m no longer married to her. It’s over and I would start the process soon. You are all my witness to what happened.” 

We are still in court battling it out. Traditionally, we are over. It’s left with the legal aspect. It’s going slowly but one day it would come to an end. What I’m thinking about now is how to win custody of the child. That too is ongoing. Once it’s done, I’ll take him with me and live life as if he’s all I have. I don’t think I will have the strength to marry again. No, it’s too much a burden to carry. And I don’t think this mistrust I’m harboring about women will leave me any time soon.    

–Cecil

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