Let Nothing Put Asunder
"What God has joined together, let no man put asunder," Reverend gentlemen like to say at weddings. They often forget to add, "nothing" in the equation because more often than not, it is little things that put asunder, whatever that word means. You would probably not hear about it anywhere else except in weddings and wedding literature.
Mr and Mrs Justin Laja were married a few years. Justin worked in a commercial bank while the wife was a lawyer in a law firm. Their three children were growing up so fast, and they both hardly spent enough time with them. Knowing the importance of communication, Justin made it a point to ensure each child had a cell phone with which he could communicate with them since he and his wife often had to work long hours.
When the children were younger, the couple elicited the help of nanny and or babysitter to take care of the children so as they could focus on their work. And that is why when the opportunity presented itself to ship them off to boarding school; they did not hesitate to do so.
However, it was not the children that Justin was worried about recently. It was his wife. Right, he left home early morning by four to enable him to beat the traffic on his way to work. The wife Mrs Beauty has her firm in a not-so-far-away from where they lived at the time so she could afford to leave later.
Justin often closed work by 6 pm, but he could not leave the job at that time and be able to make it home in less than three hours due to traffic. 6 pm represented a rush hour because most offices closed at that time and traffic was always heavy. That means he will be stuck in traffic for close to two or three hours depending on the condition of things.
He realised that leaving around 9 pm would ease the stress of having to sit in the car for three hours because, by that time, the road will be a little freer. While he sat in the office, he often made efforts to catch up on the lives of his family. He was often frustrated that his wife was hardly available when he needed her.
Most nights he will come home tired, and this is not exclusive to him but also his wife. But this is not the crux of the matter as even Beauty, his wife, in a sense enjoyed that situation because of the kind of person she was.
Recently, her husband noticed she was being very secretive and was known to give her husband little details of her activities unless the husband pries. And when he did, he often became frustrated.
He was worried that his wife could be confiding on some other person other than him. Suddenly it seemed to him that they were merely two people sharing an apartment.
As time passed, both grew in rank and got promotions in their respective companies. While Justin kept being open to his wife with regards to his salary and other matters, his wife continued being reticent.
Little did the husband know that she earned like three-time his salary, but she declared very meagre amount and hardly took responsibility for anything domestic. She ensured that her husband paid for upkeep, even collected money from the husband to do the most basic things.
Justin loved his wife and took pleasure in caring for her in any way he could.
Recently, Beauty got transferred to the same part of the city where her husband worked, and the stress of commuting to and fro through heavy traffic was starting to tell on her. Justin realised that they would have to move to that part of town but the rent was so expensive, it could make him broke for a whole year. However, he decided that it was worth the cost since they would be living close to work.
One day Justin came back from work earlier than usual because he was not feeling well. He was in the bath when her wife came back. Beauty did not know that he had returned. Her phone rang, and from what Justin heard, she was discussing with a real estate agent. The real estate agent wanted to know if the house would be due for rent as he wanted to know before contacting some clients that were looking for accommodation. The wife replied that it had been a week since she consulted the engineer doing the finishing touches on the building.
Beauty, after that, placed a call to the someone else and was clarified about the status of the house in question.
Justin was intrigued by the calls and the mention of an agent and a building engineer in the conversation. What more, the house in question was in a location close to work.
He did not know about the wife's business with any building project at work, and these things aroused his curiosity.
He came out of the bath, and the wife was surprised he was already back, but since the Justin did not mention anything about her phone conversations, she thought perhaps he heard nothing.
Mr Laja did not waste time to steal the last two number off his wife’s phone. He reverse-searched the numbers and found the names of the owners. He placed a call later to the real estate agent and asked if there was any new house available for rent with emphasis on the word new. The agent answered in the affirmative. Justin booked an appointment with the agent, saw the house and they agreed on the price.
He requested and received the account details for payment. He got the account number of his wife, and he was almost knocked down by surprise even though he had suspected as much.
He decided to pay the agent by postdated check which would be payable in three days time.
He has to do something fast even though their present rent had not expired. He told his wife he had gotten a better accommodation close to work and that there was no need to wait until their current lease expired. He hired movers and moved their properties to the new home, and the wife was shocked that it was her house.
She asked, "Darling have you paid for the house already?" He replied yes but that he reversed the instruction to his bank to pay when he found out that the good Lord had blessed them with a house through his wife.
She pleaded with the husband saying that it was not that she planned to keep him in the dark forever about the house but she intended to make money from the rent for at least one year before letting him know since their rent was still running in their current accommodation.
What would you do if you were Justin?
Images are courtesy of pixaby.com
Authored by: @greenrun
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@Adsactly As always, you got me again in this story with your uncommon pattern of writing. I had suspected as I read down the story that owing to the husband's busy work schedule that Mrs Laja was keeping a secret lover especially with the caption your story opened with and for the fact that she began being very secretive with her husband because that is what most spouse do once they begin to keep extra marital affairs. But there, you knocked me off. Meaning I couldn't predict the end of your story as I would do in most stories I read.
Now to your question, what would I have done? Coming from a male perspective, I will feel my wife have no love for me to allow me bother over our future together and our comforts as regards the distance to work while she had all it takes for all to get things sorted out. For her apology, it will be accepted but I WILL STILL PAY FOR THE HOUSE so that it can be mine as THE MAN. You know we made value our respect and can do anything to protect our ego. Leaving in a house built by her especially for the fact that she kept it secret from me will mean losing her respect completely. So to avoid that, I will buy off the building and know that it is mine as the man.
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I like your story telling skill. ... Great work!
Keep on keeping on... I am @desmonddesk
Thanks for that awesome comment. You just made my day.
That was true love from Mr Justin even when he heard the call conversation and only true love can bring out secrets, you can apply it, and get your results.
Nice one
@desmonddesk nice story but sad, poor children they had the bad part. I will send her to hell, buy the property and bring the children back. Please I wait for the next
This is an economically independent and, obviously, very short version of "Madame Bovary¨ by Gustave Flaubert.
It is difficult for me to think about what I would do if I were Mr. Justin, instead, it seems more intriguing and even opportune, to comment on what I would do if it were Mrs. Justin.
The first thing we should question is why she does not have enough confidence in him. Is there something more behind that story? Both had heavy work responsibilities, but for a mother it is difficult to be away from the children. So, who had more weight during the decision to send them to the boarding school? Finally: is she sunk in such a conservative world that it seems even a sin to have better pay than her husband?
A person who prefers to snoop on the phone of his partner instead of asking "what is happening"; doesn't generate confidence.
I think a long conversation is necessary for both parties to regain confidence.
I think there is more to the story. Something is wrong somewhere. Thanks for reading.
Never has 'get a life' been more relevant.
A thoroughly depressing scenario
Great story! For me husband and wife should have an open communication to each other all the time and all matters that happens during marriage. Me and my partner practice an open communication, I can't Imagine myself being married and my wife is so secretive to me.
Problems arises and will hurt the relationship if there is no open communication. Also, we should find more quality time for our kids. It will be hard for me to let my kids growing and spending their time with another person(nanny). I will sacrifice my job for it, I mean I'll figure out ways to earn income that will benefit me from being able to spend more time with my family. One of the great pleasure that I look up to in my life is being able to witness how my kids will grow. Will for now, I only have one so its gonna be on how my daughter will grow. :)
Very good writing to start. I don't think there is a wrong answer. We are all different so therefore what Justin would do is irrelevant because we are all supposed to have different answers. This is more a lesson in human behavior than a response to a short story to me. Reading through the responses each person has decided to give their opinion on what Justin should do based not on the story, but their own perception of the short story that has been created. In truth, every person that has answered is right. Every person that has answered is wrong. Each person is allowed to choose their own reality based on the perception given to them. Each person is allowed to reject the other persons perception or reality that has been presented to them. Very few things in life are factual based. There is perception and reality. Both can be molded to an individual as in the case of, Justin in the option segment of this short story. Love the different mind play in the sort-story @adsactly. Can't wait to have time to read more!
The story leaves us surprised - we expect that by the way things advance and the hints provided to us that the wife is planning something colossal and harmful behind her husband back, prpbably with the addition of another man to the picture - a lover with whom she plans to get rid of her husband and start a new life. But the story evolves in a surprising direction! The house we were sure is intended for her runaway turns to be a house she built for them, or at least - it'sthe impression we get. That'swhat makes it so interesting - that we don'tknow what really lies here - we can only imagain.
This story touches an open wound of our modern technological world and economy - people care for their careers and financial status, but at the same time the do also care about their children and family and try their best to compensate them - smartphones, expensive schools and so on, they also do this things in the thought that with the phones they will keep good contact with their children. But - this is not a solution of course, a digital and far relations are nothing like a close, real world relations. This theme is applied on the wife and husband relations too - its just that a husband and a wife can seperate and this situation repeats itself over abd over.
Is there a solution? I dont really know - personally i would prefer earning less and having time for tge wife and children, but im not sure every one will be willing to do that. Anyone has a smart solution to suggest? I would love to hear!
Marriage should be a transparent relationship, where partners try the best to minimize each others stress. The wife is cold hearted to permit the husband to live 1 yr of stress.
In addition, the husband should have some gender equality “thinking”, at least from what the wife would feel, to let him feel comfortable that the wife have a higher salary than him.
We cannot blame one without the other, because whatever actions happened is from the other’s actions.
I advise the husband to be happy of how the situation ended up, talk to the wofe a figure out a way to have a transparent relationship and work it out to be better. but do not blame her
I like your opinion on this. Thanks a lot
I totally agree with you
Agreed!
thanks, at the end that's what marriage is all about. each individual should be the one to start good work on the relationship and don't wait the other to start it.
in addition, any two married people can have issues, misunderstandings and fights, but if you are willing to make it work in the best way, my advise is that both should take the decision to never sleep at night without solving the issues/misunderstandings that occurred during the day.
interesting
I live in a couple for some years, I have always been certain that in a relationship whatever, call family, couple, friendship, among others, there must be communication, to continue with love, to strengthen the relationship or definitely so that there is sincerity and if it is better to move away and give up as well be communicated and become happy, excellent post, following you.
Thank you
I totally agree with you
This is a traumatic experience for Justin and he had handled it with temperance. If I was in Justin 'S shoes will do the same handle the situation with caution not to have a broken home, I will accept her apologies and tread with caution with her for I know already that there is no trust in our relationship any longer .communication is not what they lack in the relationship but trust
The marriage needs some more communication and commitment on both sides. Thanks for reading.
Communication can't come to place where there is no trust. Trust creat atmosphere for communication to confine in each other in a relationship thanks
Lol. It honestly seems Justin didn't marry a good wife. I'd be very disturbed if i were Justin we'd have to seriously review or marriage . Anyways, great story and so much talk on traffic, seems they were living in Lagos lol
They are known for their legendary traffic, don't they? :)
hello hello today I was able to read your post very interesting the lesson of life when the wife is surprised to the family with a new house. With the passage of time it is sometimes good to affirm the votes of confuciance and marriage, so that there is no doubt in the couple, the relationship is very important the communication is well known that women are very thrifty.
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This story is moving around the married life of a couple and time they spend together. The man is always selfish and never compromise for his spouse. But here there is a misunderstanding among them .
Good post, a lot things to think about it. In my opinion, Secrets always hurt any relationship.
I second that thought.
Personally I don't think I would be in such a situation (cause I will try everything humanly possible for me and my wife to communicate)
But if I was in his shoes I would let her take care of everything for like a year!!!!
And he should sit her down and let her know he wasn't happy about the situation, and come up with a plan that will help them both to communicate more.
I think communication is the primary conflicting drawback in their marriage.
I totally agree with you!!!!!
Well, this is the second time I'm asked similar question, the first scenario had a husband who wasn't responsible and prudent and in my opinion i advised the wife to go ahead and make good investments since the husband wasn't ready.
In this case Justin didn't deserve what He got but we know that is a common experience in life, His actions were wise, no quarrels,move into the house then sit down for explanations and catching up. Great write up.
@greenrun Please how do you do it? Earn at this consistently increasing level everytime i read your posts?
Its really inspiring😊, but sometimes it makes me Sick too 😥
Thank you. There is really no secret to what happens here. Anyone can do it. Never give up. Peace
The sad story for his man, pity very .. for example its at its core, its nice that man is looking for a wife who is not working, at least he is looking for an ordinary wife if like that must be every husband at home there is always a wife and children can be treated by his wife.thak
@greenrun. I would accept her explanations, no use fighting her. Women are usually secretive especially wives when it comes to money. Besides we are looking at the story totally from the man's perspective plus it looks like they don't spend much time together to understand each other . I believe she would have pitched in, if ever their situation ever got dire
True the story is told from the man's perspective. The man could also have caused the breakdown in communication between them. Thanks a lot.
You are totally right. my pleasure, you are a great writer :)
Sometimes it can be a surprised package among the couple, but in real sense they must share idea between themselves. It's a beautiful writeup.
Thank a lot for your input.
Well, if I was Justin I'd probably be mad cuz a wife should'nt keep secrets from her husband. I mean you're married, so you should be open with each other. How can you trust the person that would lie about their income and so on... It's never a good idea to lie or keep secrets with your partner.
Thanks for your contribution. I agree with you on that aspect of married life.
Justin should tell Beauty that communication and trust is the key to a successful marriage. They should work things out.
Thanks for sharing this @adsactly! :)
Thanks for your input
Wow! This is hard. It's easier to say what you would do if you are not in the situation. I won't find it funny. This isn't a surprise at all. This is carefully done with preceding events.
Well, I think we may have to wait to hear from her. Maybe, there is a justifiable reason for that behaviour.
She better speak up then. Well...given a hoe, everyone will always pull the heap towards themselves. This is the husband's narration, he would definitely say things to favour him and same with the wife. Posting a second part would make people judge objectively but then, with this analysis up there, it's only one way to judge.
I have always valued communication in relationships. It make things a whole lot easier.
Good one but she should trust with no measure, she don't need to hide anything from him no more, they are now one.
Sometimes I am surprised by the potential in here, it's true that most of us in Steemit we don't know each other... but you never know who's behind the screens... like this authentic storyteller! 📜
nice story. In my point of view couples must share their thoughts what they are thinking about situation. But its impressive story
I agree with you.
I can hardly believe that after our death nothing will remain of our knowledge, our particular intelligence, our individual way of thinking and solving problems. I believe that anything that is not physical from us will be saved in a big hard drive, somewhere up there. The rest will be used to feed the worms.
Very touching story and a lesson to learn from, i reteemed this
Good post @adsactly
ขอบคุณมากเรื่องราวดีๆ เป็นบทความที่ผม ชอบอ่านมากครับ
If I weee Justin I’d be done!
She’s a total liar she can’t be trusted
Maybe that’s harsh but it’s not one mistake. It’s a long period of destroyed trust
indeed, asunder is a strong word to use i think i can only fit perfectly in a very serious occasion like a wedding.
thanks for the update you have my vote
I would love to visit there. Great article!
thank you for sharing
@adasactly thanks for this story..
Marriage is an institution built on Love and trust is the backbone of this love...
If were to be the husband, this will be the perfect time to seat the wife down and have a real conversation because their work schedule is killing and questioning the very essence of companionship..
We'll discuss and I'll like to know what I've done to be treated this way and also apologize for not being always there for her and the kids.. Maybe my job must have contributed to this and love, trust, companionship and friendship have been completely eroded by a deep sense of responsibility.. God helping us we'll find our trust back and look for a way to forge ahead and also forgive each other cos "for every action, something must have caused it".
My opinion though!
Good
Hmm what a touching story @adsactly ,i always enjoy your story telling skills, nice job here
i love this post
please follow and upvote me thanks
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The story will be celebrated well but the best is
story was good and i am getting emotional
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Excellent post good analyses thanks for sharing
You’re gonna survive. And good things are gonna start to happen again. And one day you may even look back and even this will not be such a bad thing.
https://steemit.com/story/@suprspidobatman/you-re-gonna-survive-and-good-things-are-gonna-start-to-happen-again-and-one-day-you-may-even-look-back-and-even-this-will-not
I couldn't agree more that resilience is success. It is also finding deep meaning in the little things that we do everyday.
I upvoted nd follow u, plz do the same for me!!
Ugh...
Will no one be honest here? Everyone replying should be taken out back and beaten with a rubber hose for using this as an opportunity to suck up to @adsactly and not offering constructive criticism.
Can you grow as a writer without critism?
Of course not!
Is this taking place in a country where he could consider getting a second wife?
Excellent post, I follow you. Greetings from Venezuela .
Nice story
wow!!! good posting!!!
Well i am not justin ;) but nice story
will @adsactly reply to me ??
your creativitey is gareat