Debbie heard the car pull up and her heart rate sped up.
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑚 𝐼 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜?
She went up to the window and looked out at the usual after school drama that the kids indulged in whenever their father picked them up from school.
As soon as the car stopped, their first-born Michael who was just turning 7 would jump out of the car and start running round the stationed vehicle. Followed by Angela their feisty 5yr old daughter. Jacob will get down from the car and begin this elaborate chase round the car until he was ready to catch them, it always ended up in giggles as he carried both of them , one under each arm into the house and dropped them on the couch .
It was exhausting to watch. Debbie often wondered how Jacob had the energy for this game. The children will never try this with her. By the time she was picking them up from school she was exhausted from work and was in no mood for their shenanigans and they knew it. But not Jacob, he seemed to have endless patience with them. Yes, he was a great dad no doubt. But she wasn’t sure if it was enough anymore. She had a glimpse of what sparks can feel like and she wanted more. She didn’t think she could have it with Jacob.
They tumbled in as predicted and collapsed on the living room sofa. All exhausted from their little game but still laughing.
“Ok ok, that’s enough everyone needs to go back outside and get their school bags, unpack them, then a bath. Including you daddy.
“Yes Sir!” Her hubby stood up in mock salute. Causing the kids to tumble to the floor. They let out more peals of laughter.
Debbie shook her head and couldn’t resist a smile at all the silliness. Michael and Angela rushed to give her a hug first before scampering off to do her bidding.
Jacob came over and gave her a peck on her cheek before heading upstairs.
𝑁𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.
She remembered the parting hug from Tunde that almost left her in a puddle on the floor. And now she must live with this? When she could explore that?
She remembered his parting words…his whisper in her ear causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise from excitement.
“𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲… 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 …𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲, 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴”
Then he was gone. With his words settling at the pit of her stomach and warming her whole body.
How can any girl move on from that?
She didn’t tell Titi that part of the story. She knew her friend will have taken the next flight to Lagos to kill him. Was she being foolish? Maybe, but she would always wander about it. Isn’t that even as bad as cheating on your spouse. If she is going to cheat in her mind she might as well cheat in real life. But was it cheating though? Tunde was in her heart first anyway.
The fallacy in her logic flew over her head as she contemplated all the reasons, she and Tunde should be together.
Quickening her resolve, she climbed up the stairs to their bedroom. He was just coming out of the shower.
𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒? She thought. 𝐻𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘. She clucked her tongue in irritation.
“Jacob, we need to talk.” She said firmly
“Yes dear, what about?” Jacob had stopped drying himself mid-way to give her his attention. She sat on the edge of the bed and licked her lips.
“ I want a break…”
“I agree with you sweetheart. I don’t just want a break; we need a break.”
********************************
Tunde
He got up and walked to Wanda and held out his hands to her. she took his hands and silently followed him to the couch and sat down. She couldn’t look at him. instead she stared at her hands for the longest of time …and waited.
To Tunde she looked like one about to face a firing squad but was putting up a brave front just before the shots are fired.
How could he convince her he loved her? An idea popped in his head. He knew what he had to do. He held on to her hand and said, “I need to make a phone call.”
“Now?”
“Yes now.”
“Who are you calling?” She stiffened and she tried to pull her hands away, but he wouldn’t let her. He held on to her with one hand and dialled with the other.
********************************
Debbie looked up and swallowed
“You do?”
“Yes of course! Do you know how exhausting this latest project is? Honey..” Jacob rambled on. “I am officially fed up. But I can’t leave now. But once this phase is over. I promise, I will have two weeks just for us as a family.”
The silly man was talking about work!
“Baby I don’t mean that kind of break… I mean…”
…rrriiiing… riiing.
The incoming call disrupted her planned speech. She glanced at her phone and almost passed out when she saw it was Tunde calling.
She felt cold. As she looked at her husband then looked at her phone.
“Eeer she stammered. let me get this …”
“ok go ahead.” But he was looking at her differently. It was suddenly dawning on him they had been having two different conversations.
********************************
“Yes?” Tunde heard her voice come through the phone line and he faltered just for a second but ploughed on. Looking at Wanda as he spoke
“Heey Debbie. I just got home.”
“Oh good. I hope the journey was smooth”
“Yes, it was uuuh… Debs I just wanted to apologise for earlier if I said some things I shouldn’t have”
“Nooo its okay…”
“…I don’t mean to cause any wahala for you…”
“There is no wahala… I was actually thinking…”
“I promise it will never happen again”
“Wait w…w what??”
“Yeah. It won’t. I will not be seeing you again. Unless we bump into each somewhere on the globe. I wish you well from the bottom of my heart. I hope you and Jacob remain extremely happy as I am with the amazing woman, I am blessed to share my life with…
Wanda lifted her head to look at him now… Tunde smiled with tears in his eyes,
“The most beautiful, he continued,” the sexiest, the strongest and the most brilliant person I have had the pleasure to encounter. She is my wife, who I have given my whole heart to. And I promise never ever to hurt her again as long as I live.
He wasn’t really talking to Debbie; he was making the declaration to Wanda who couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was prepared for a breakup speech.
Tunde dropped his phone on the chair without thinking to cut it. He knelt before his wife and begged for her forgiveness. Still on his knees he recited his wedding vows to her again from his heart. “I, Tunde Babalola take you Wanda Babalola to be my wedded wife again to have and to hold from this day forward…” he stopped to wipe a tear that slid down Wanda’s cheeks. “for better for worse, for richer or poorer in sickness and in health to love and to cherish forever according to Gods holy ordinance and thereto I give you Wanda my pledge.”
And he meant it from the bottom of his heart
He rose from his knees and sat beside Wanda and drew her into a hug.
A promise of new beginnings.
*********************************
“Eerm ok Tunde.. but Tunde, hello… hello?”
She shook her head as she started at the phone in her hand. What had just happened here? She turned around and saw Jacob. Her husband of 8 years just staring at her as he stood by the bedroom door. He looked sad.
“Debbie, what kind of break were you talking about?”
********************************
𝗙𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗘𝗧! 𝗙𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗘𝗧!
The insistent sound of the guard’s whistle jolted me out of my reverie. What time was it? I checked my watch. No way! I couldn’t have been daydreaming for that long??
This was ridiculous! I still stretched my neck to see if Debbie was at the side of the road. Of course, she wasn’t it. This was three hours after I had seen her watch that car depart. 3 hrs!! The park was almost empty.
I had allowed my imagination take me on a journey involving two complete strangers I will most likely never see again!
I laughed out loud as I packed my things. I had given up on reading the Hobbit. Not today, maybe next time.
Maybe I should write that story? Who cares if I can’t authenticate my info? It could have happened like that though … couldn’t it?
Thank you guys!!! No beat me o🤣🤣🤣
©Ogugua Ajayi
