TANGLED Episode 12

Episode 12

My father adjusted himself and tried to rest his back on the wall. You could see the attentiveness of my uncle and aunt. They too had no idea of what mom did or of the frequent quarrels and arguments in our house.

We've always had this family concept of everyone minding their business to save ourselves from unnecessary stress and attention. So we were close from afar as per family members but with little or no information about ourselves. 

I was curious and patiently waiting to hear what my mother's offense was.

"Many years ago, I think 13 or 15 years ago I can't really remember which of the year but it has been long you know"

"Your mom, my wife, she was one of the best thing that has ever happened to me. I met her during our service year in Kebbi although we weren't in same platoon in camp. I was in platoon 7 and she was in platoon 9. We met at the Local Government which happened to be our place of primary assignment" My father held my mother's hand and was smiling as he took us through the memory lane.

"Our love story started there gradually, I wasn't totally the Christian brother or better put I was not a born-again brother despite that I was born and bred in a christian home. My wife was the fire branded and spirit grounded beautiful young lady then and several times she persuaded me to give my life to christ too but I wanted to play the saint and sinner role together" 

"We got married 3 years after our service and our journey continued but she got a job immediately after service while I couldn't. I felt maybe God was punishing me for not giving him my life, that's why she got a job and I couldn't. She kept encouraging me to apply for anything anywhere, that someday, one day it will work out".

"I had my doubt whether God will answer my prayers that time and depression was gradually crawling in. I felt less of a man when it was my wife that was paying for almost all the expenses in the house. I really felt irresponsible even though my wife was still submissive with all she has and never for once looked down on me".

"Then hatred came in from nowhere and I started getting aggressive at a little misunderstanding. I'll always say to her "is it because you have a job and I don't? Is that why you're feeling like you own the house?". Even when clearly I was at fault. And you know, with all that, she still remained calm and she will make sure we don't sleep over unresolved matters".

"Until one afternoon, a postman came knocking at our door with a letter and I was wondering what the letter could be. I collected the letter, thanked the post man and went to the room to read through but I was shocked, surprised and happy at the same time. Guess what I saw" My dad asked.

"Ah! Brother, you're the only person in the right position to tell us what you found in the letter. We don't know" My uncle answered for everyone.

"Letter of invitation to come for an interview. I was shortlisted to come for an interview for a post I never applied for and at a company I didn't send any of my application letter. Meanwhile, I realised the company's name was familiar but I didn't want to assume anything. So, I patiently waited for my wife to get back from work".

"She came back in the evening and I handed over the letter to her to have a look and immediately she opened the letter, she said 'This is the Lord's doing and it's marvellous in our sight' She hugged me and said congratulations" my dad was smiling as he told the story. We could see on his face how happy he was. 

Shortly, the doctor came in to confirm if my mom was feeling better and resting as well because he had told us to allow her rest. The moment the doctor entered, my dad stopped telling his story.

"I think you should let her rest properly instead of sitting up like this. If she is not sleeping enough, we may not get the response from the treatment we are giving her" the doctor said.

My dad assisted my mom to lie down properly and rest as the doctor had said and he moved towards the edge of the bed so she could lie properly. The doctor placed his hand on my mom's forehead to be sure she was not running temperature.

Few minutes later, the doctor left us and the story continued. My mom was facing the wall, I wasn't too sure if she could hear us or comprehend what was going on in her environment.

"But I didn't apply for this position at this company" I said to her that evening and she encouraged me that I needed to go because it was an answer to the prayers we've been praying. I asked her if the company's name wasn't the same as the company she was working for and she answered affirmatively.

I thought within me "Does that mean my wife could help me get a job in the company she works for all this while and she didn't? Does it mean she intentionally let me suffer this long before helping?" The bitterness started rushing through my head.

"My wife had gone to the living room to change so she could prepare dinner while I was still at the sitting room overthinking everything. The devil also made matters worse by suggesting the negativity around the job. I didn't know when I threw the letter across the centre table where I initially placed my leg. I was angry within me, I became ungrateful"

"Did you go for the interview? Because even me your brother, I'm hearing this for the first time" my uncle interrupted.

"Well, yes I eventually went for the interview and out of 15 people that came around that day, I was part of the first 5 that was employed. It was then I realised that the competition to get into that company was high and hard. It was really strong".

"I resumed work the following week which happened to be the first week of April and I was introduced to my department. I met with people, most especially the old staffs that has been in the company for years"

"To cut the long story short, a colleague told me that when my wife first joined the company, she was the personal assistant to the team leader of her department before she got promoted to the secretary that oversees all the activities within her department".

"She knows that recruitment to the company for major positions are internal and she has been saying it all along that she needed to get her husband a job. Although, the policy of the company was quite flexible as couples could work in the company but will be in different department".

He added that my wife actually had no option than to bend to the offer of the HR Lead to sleep with him to secure a space for her husband in the company so long as that will be the first and last time she will ever try that"

"He concluded that my wife took the offer and that was why I was invited to come for the interview and finally got the job". 

I became angry when he told me that. I felt like the ground should open so I can enter. I was embarrassed. I couldn't just imagine that my wife could stoop so low to take the offer just to get me a job. And now to know that it wasn't just an imagination but reality, got me even angrier.

"There are some certain things that will happen to you that will bring out the monster in you no matter how gentle and easy-going you are. I have never been that angry in my whole life and that was the beginning of our issue".

"No! No! Noo..." my mother screamed.

"What?" Everyone excluding me shouted.

What happened next?

Watch out for it in the next episode.