❗THE TROUBLE ❗ Episode Two

“Why have you refused to come into my room since I moved into this house? I’m also your wife and I deserve to be serviced like my co-wife. Instead of doing your bedroom duties, you have refused to come close to my room and I have been sleeping alone for many days.” Amanda told Chief maduka. He was going to his office early in the morning when Amanda came downstairs and blocked his way. She refused to allow him move an inch and he was running late.

“I’m not your husband. I did not marry you and I did not get you pregnant. I do not owe you any bedroom service. The earlier you get that into your skull, the better for you. You should be happy that I have allowed you to stay in my house pending when you will give birth and then you will leave. It is out of my good heart that I have done this. If you want to be serviced in the night by a man, look for the person who got you pregnant to service you. But if you insist on making me uncomfortable in my own house, I will chase you away without delay.” Chief maduka warned. He slightly pushed Amanda and moved her away from the door so he could pass and go to work.

But immediately he touched her, Amanda intentionally fell on the floor and started weeping bitterly. She held per big belly and shouted loudly. She was behaving like a pregnant woman in labour and this got Chief maduka scared. Although he had opened the door of the room to leave, he returned when Amanda continued shouting as if the baby wants to come out. She clutched her waist and opened her mouth wide and shouted as if Chief maduka had injured her badly.

“I’m in pains! You have killed me. What did I do to deserve this beating early this morning? Is it a bad thing to carry your baby? Why did you slap me? Look at how you kicked me as if I said anything wrong. I was just demanding for my rights as your wife and then you decided to beat me. If I knew you were a wife beater, I would not have agreed to marry you.” Amanda said. A lot of tears were rushing from her eyes and her nose was running. She was also intentionally spitting saliva as if she had no more strength to live. Amanda did all these to scare Chief maduka.

“But I did not beat you. Why are you calling me a wife beater? I only shoved you out of my way so I could go to work. Stop the lies, I did not beat you. Don’t you dare tarnish my hard-earned image.” Chief maduka said and quickly rushed to where she was lying and lifted her up with his two arms. He was scared so he made up his mind to take her to the hospital in case he had injured her without knowing. But immediately he lifted her up, Amanda stopped crying. Also, Julie, appeared in the scene because she had heard the cries let out by Amanda.

“What is happening here? Why are you carrying her like an egg? You said you didn’t get her pregnant. So since when did you start pampering her if you did not impregnate her? Now I can see clearly that you have a lot to hide. Why are you carrying her like a baby?” Julie asked her husband with anger on her face. Chief immediate froze and didn’t know what to tell Julie. He behaved like a man who had been caught red-handed doing something wrong.

“He beat me. He kicked my belly. He slapped me and now he has injured me. Ask him why he is beating a pregnant woman like me. My co-wife please help me and ask him. I’m in pains.” Amanda cried bitterly to Julie. Julie became alarmed. Even with the anger in her heart, she still felt it was wrong to beat a woman, not to talk of a pregnant woman. But unknown to her, Amanda was telling lies and trying very hard to create another chaos in the house.

“Why did you beat her? Are you out of your mind? Chief, why would you slap a pregnant woman? You got her pregnant and denied flatly even when the evidence is everywhere. Now, you want to kill her? If you kill her, you alone will go to jail because I won’t follow you. I told you to send her away and you refused, now you have started beating her.” Julie tells her husband. She was shouting on top of her voice and Chief maduka was thoroughly embarrassed as he did not know how to defend himself against the two women holding him by the jugular.

“I did not beat her. I did nothing wrong.” Chief maduka said but his defense fell on deaf ears. When it was clear that he was not going to win the argument, he moved and stepped out of the building, still with Amanda in his arms. He angrily shoved her into the front seat of his car and then started driving to the hospital.

“Are you not happy now that you are driving me around town? It is just the both of us in this car. It feels very nice. Love is a beautiful thing. Are you not happy?” Amanda asked Chief who was angry and trying to maintain a strong face. Because of Amanda’s behavior, he would be unable to go to work that day.

“Don’t pretend as if you don’t like me. Look at me and enjoy my beauty. You are not romantic at all. Your face is always strong. Is this how you treat my co-wife too?” Amanda said with a sarcastic laughter on her face. Chief refused to talk or to look at her. He focused his attention on the tarred road and continued to steer the car with speed as he raced to the hospital.

“Smile now. Oya sorry. Don’t be angry.” Amanda said, while trying to touch Chief maduka’s hand which he was using to change gear.

“Stop before you make me to have accident. We are on the road and you are not supposed to play with me because I’m driving.” Chief maduka said.

“Why are you always shouting? Can’t you talk with a romantic voice for once? Me, I don’t like this kind of husband that I married.” Amanda said, frowning her face.

“I’m not your husband.” Chief maduka responded bitterly. They had arrived at the hospital and Amanda had stopped laughing and started crying immediately the nurses came to bring her down from the car.

“Good morning Chief. What happened to her?” One of the nurses asked as Amanda was being wheeled into the ward.

“He beat me up this morning. He beat me up and injured me. I don’t even know if the baby is still alive. He kicked my belly. I’m in severe pains right now. Please help, I don’t want to die.” Amanda said with tears in her eyes.

“But Chief why would you beat a pregnant woman? You are a respected personality and this kind of a thing is not expected from people like you.” The nurse said, looking at Chief maduka directly like a police officer investigating a crime.

“For God’s sake I didn’t not beat this lady. She just wants to tarnish my image. Why are you doing this to me Amanda? What did I do to you?” Chief asked. He was almost crying because he was greatly embarrassed by Amanda’s allegation and the nurses believed her words because anything pregnant women say sounds like absolute truth.

The nurses examined Amanda and no injuries were found in her body. The baby was also fine, but Amanda insisted on sleeping in the hospital even when she was discharged. She claimed she was still in pains. She insisted that Chief maduka must stay with her in the hospital.

“If you don’t stay with me tonight, I will go out of this place and I will go to the radio station and tell journalists that I’m your wife and you beat me and threw me out.” Amanda said to Chief maduka. The chief did not know how to handle the situation, so he stayed. He already faced enough embarrassment and didn’t want his name broadcasted on radio as a wife beater.

Chief likes women a lot. He was able to control himself at home, but he could not control himself when he and Amanda were alone in the hospital ward. He made love to her. That was how Amanda lured Chief to herself away from Julie. Keep following me Ocholongwa Jacob . Jesus loves you.

Crazy days ahead.

Watch out for episode 3.