#THE_PERFECT_WOMAN
EPISODE 7
I prayed and I cried to God daily to t©uçh my husband wherever he was and bring him home to me. I have practically become a shadow of my self. I was still getting congratulatory messages from people, if only they knew what I was going throu-gh.
This is the 8th day since my husband disappeared. No calls, no texts, absolutely nothing. In had told myself that once it gets to the 10th day then I will go to the police, but I am still believing God to t©uçh him and bring him home to me.
Suddenly I heard the door bell ring, I jumped up to open and check and there was no one. I went back inside to sit down and continue my crying which has become a daily activity for me. Just as I was about to sit, I heard the door bell ring again. I didnt want to go but it wouldn’t st©p and so I got up and reluctantly went to check who it was. When I opened the door, Isaiah was there.
I stood there and stared at him as if I was seeing a ghost. And after some minutes, I shifted from the door to allow him come in. He [email protected]£ in and stood like someone who was scared of his own house.
I looked at him for a while, he was looking tattered and dirty, then I stepped into the kitchen to prepare water for him to take his bath. I stayed in the kitchen until the water was re-ady, and then I carried the water to the bathroom for him, and then I went ahead to prepare his food. When the food was re-ady I made to set the table but then I told him that his water was in the bathroom and he should go and have his bath.
I finished setting his food on the dinning and as I turned to return to my seat, I saw my husband fully on his knees weeping.
Isaiah: Honey am sorry, plea-se forgive me.
Tears fell from my eyes and I just kept quiet and allowed them flow.
Isaiah: Baby plea-se forgive me plea-se, I am truly sorry
Me: What happened?
Isaiah: baby, I know you won’t believe me but I can’t remember anything.
Me: oh plea-se dont give me that line.
Isaiah: plea-se believe me, I can’t tell you what happened, all I remember is getting a call that Marvis..
Me: st©p st©p st©p, I dont want to hear that name in this house.
Isaiah: bu bu but……
Me: I said st©p, just st©p. plea-se go and bath. Just go.
I watched as my husband walked to the bathroom and I discovered he has lost weight. I picked up my phone and I called mummy.
Mummy: Is he back?
Me: yes mom. How did you know?
Mummy: God told me he will return today.
Me: Mummy I am so angry right now, I dont think I want to stay here with him anymore. Not after all he has done. (Starts crying) mummy she kept him for eight days, she spent our wedding night with him. She kept him for 8days and now he returns and starts giving me stories. Am so fed up.
Mummy: Listen D, this is just the beginning. And you have to stand and fight for your home and for your man.
Me: Mummy I can’t, I dont have the strength, marriage is just 8days old and am alre-ady fighting? I can’t mom.
Mummy: you can and you will. A wise woman builds her home not give up on it. A wise woman is a praying woman and a praying woman is a perfect woman. A perfect woman is a patient woman, a perfect woman is a forgiving woman, a perfect woman is a woman who is excellent in wifing, in mothering, in cooking, in be-d and in everything. A perfect woman is a woman who fears God and respects her husband, a perfect woman is a woman wholistically. And my dear, you are a perfect woman so you will stand and build your home, do you un-derstand?
Me: No mom I dont.
Mummy: dont worry dear, soon you will
I ended the call and I watched Isaiah come out from the bathroom, I watched him eat slowly. I looked at his face and I saw the man that I fell in love with and I knew he was truly sorry. I knew right then that I have forgiven him.
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The next few weeks was heaven on earth. My husband and I started a fresh honey moon in our house. He was so nice and caring and I was the happiest woman on earth. I have totally forgotten about all that transpired on my wedding night. Isaiah was the best thing that any woman could pray for. He was involved in everything in the house. Cooking, washing, everything and he didnt even allow me go out alone. In the evening time, we would sing and pla-y. Life was just beautiful.
Me: honey. It s exactly a month since our wedding, and we are going back to church by Sunday how do you feel?
Isaiah: (sitting up) baby, I actually wanted us to talk about that.
Me: what is it dear.
Isaiah: baby, I dont want us to go back to that church.
Me: what? I I I dont get you.
Isaiah: I said I dont want us to go back to that church.
Me: (bur-st out laughing because it sounded funny) dear, sorry am laughing am just trying to un-derstand what you mean. How can you just wake up and say you want us to st©p church. The church where you and I met, the church that supported our wedding and the church that wedded us, you just want us to st©p, just like that?
Isaiah: baby, I know the church did all of this for us and I will be forever grateful to papa and mama. But I think its time we left the church.
I studied my husband for sometime and I realized he wasn’t joking. So I sat up.
Me: Baby you are not joking I can see that. Now tell me one, (I raised my one f!nger to make sure he un-derstood me) just one reason why you want us to st©p and I will not argue. I will just follow you.
Isaiah: sweetheart the truth is, I dnt know. I dont have any reason, I only know I dont want to go there anymore. My spirit is no more there, something feels odd there, I just dont want to be there anymore.
I looked mockingly at him before lying down on his legs again.
Me: Baby, relax, you are feeling this way today. On Sunday after papa’s message trust me you will feel better. Am sure you are just tired that’s why you are talking like this.
Isaiah didnt argue. Instead he raised one of our songs and then we sang together.
My mind quic-kly went back to what he said about st©pping church. I started thinking of many reasons why my husband would want to st©p church.
Me: (could it be because of Marvis, is he thinking of going back to her? I quic-kly wiped the thought of my head. My husband is a good man and will not go back to that witch)
The Complete Woman!
Episode 17
Sunday finally [email protected]£ and I was excited. Its the first time I’d be going to church with my husband. I was singing joyfully as I hurriedly got things re-ady. When I finished dressing I went to the sitting room to see if my husband was re-ady. Surprisingly he was there sitting and watching TV.
Me: Honey, you are not re-ady?
He kept quiet.
Me: Honey I am talking to you, why ain’t you re-ady, dont you want to go to church?
Isaiah: No I dont,
Me: Honey dont say that, why won’t you go to church. plea-se go and get dressed am waiting for you.
Isaiah: Honey, honestly i dont want to go to that church again plea-se.
Me: Baby , (I said ru-bbing his head) let’s go today, just today and I promise you that after the service if you still feel like this, then we will st©p.
Isaiah: no no
Me: Baby plea-se (I said in the most loving way ever, knowing fully well that he can’t say no to me) Baby plea-se….. (I bent and gave him a k!sson hisl-ips)
Isaiah was not re-ady to go to church but for my sake he got re-ady and reluctantly followed.
#THE_PERFECT_WOMAN
EPISODE 8
The service was beautiful, once in a while I took a glance at my husband and I caught him severally smiling as papa blasted on the t©pic ”LOVE”.
At the end of the service, different members of the choir [email protected]£ to shake hands with us. I saw sister Marvis walking up to shake hands too but I quic-kly blocked her way.
Me: what do you want?
Marvis: I only wanted to welcome you guys back to church.
I looked at her and imagined what could have given her such guts to be able to approach me
Me: sister Marvis, thank u so much for welcoming us back to church. You can now go.
Marvis: Let me at least shake hands with brother Isaiah.
The way she said the brother Isaiah drew out all the anger in me and I felt like tearing her to pieces. But I remembered what mummy taught me that sometimes silence is the best punishment to offer. And so I kept silent, but my looks said it all, and sister Marvis turned and walked away, raising her hands in surrender!
I was filled with anger as I watched sister Marvis walking away, I wanted to run to her and tear her into pieces but I couldn’t. I turned to find my husband so we can go home, but I met him talking with papa and mama so i sat and waited for him.
Sister Sophia my only friend in the church walked up to me, since she encouraged me to accept Isaiah as my husband I have learnt to respect her specially. She was holding some tom tom in her hands and she offered me some before sitting with me.
Sophia: Dani my friend am so happy you are back to church. I really missed you.
Me: thank you Sophia, I missed you too.
Sophia: Gist me girl (she giggles) how was the honeymoon?
Me: (smiling) what is there to gist? Nothing to gist jare.
Sophia: Nor do o, gist me jare.
Me: Don’t worry, I will gist you, but not today.
Sophia: promise?
Me: I promise
I stood up because my husband was alre-ady signalling me to come. I quic-kly hvgged Sophia and told her bye. Then I ran to my husband and together we told mama and papa bye.
Isaiah took the only tom tom left of the 4 I collected from Sophia, and then he asked me if I saw Marvis .
Me: (shocked) why? Did I come to church to look for Marvis?
Isaiah: hey! Easy babe, am just asking
Me: you just wanna spoil my mood
Isaiah: its okay babe, its OK. Am not saying anything again.
Me: plea-se dont say. Let’s just go home in peace.
And the rest of the journey was silent.
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That evening, I asked Isaiah if he still felt like leaving the church.
Isaiah: With a message like that? No way, I am going no where.
I bur-sted out laughing
Me: but I told you so.
And just then his phone rang, I sat up to listen. Ever since my wedding night incident I get alert whenever I hear his phone ring.
Isaiah: Hello, yes, you are onto Isaiah, who is this plea-se? Really? (He was smiling) okay! No problem. I’d be there.
At the sound of I’d be there my mood and expression changed.
Me: Honey who was that?
Isaiah: Babe God is good.
Me: All the time, but what is it?
Isaiah: Our music was shortlisted among the 10best gospel songs for 2018. And we have to join the competition to win a grand award of 10million naira and a chance to record abroad with popular gospel artist TRAVIS GREENE!
Me: oh my God! (I started jumping and shouting, and then I noticed he was putting on his trou-sers and shi-t. I quic-kly st©pped) Babes, are you going out?
Isaiah: yes but not far! Just our junction here. I nee-d to rush out to pick the letter of our short listing.
Me: Bu bu bu…..
Isaiah felt the fear in my voice and then he placed his hands on my shoulders.
Isaiah: Don’t worry babe. I will be back before you know it.
Me: But can’t I go with you?
Isaiah: sweetie, relax, I will be back soon okay!
I nodded sadly, I was scared again. I watched as he walked away and only one prayer was in my heart.
”Lord bring him home safely to me”
Minutes turned into hours and that was how I waited till 12midnight for my husband to return home to me. I called and called but he kept on cutting the calls until finally I sle-pt off.
It was the sound of someone hitting on the door that woke me up. I [email protected]£d my phone and I checked the time it was some minutes pas-s 2am. I was scared to the brim as I listened again for the knocking.
Who could be knocking at this time of the night when my husband was not home. I was shivering, not until I heard him.
Isaiah: Daniella open this door. Open it.
It was my husband, and so I jumped quic-kly to the door and opened it. The relief I felt when I saw him was overwhelming. I tried to hvg him but he just walked pas-sed me without saying a word. I quic-kly locked the door and ran to him.
Me: Honey welcome. How was your movement? Why did you come home so late? Why weren’t you picking my calls? Did you get the papers?
I found myself vomiting all of the questions for him at the same time, I didnt realize what I was doing until he screamed at the t©p of his voice.
Isaiah: Oh oh oh! What kind of question is all of this na? Didnt i tell you where I was going?
Me: you told me but……
Isaiah: but what? But you sle-pt off abi?
I was surprised at the way he was sounding, looking and what he was saying.
Me: Baby are you okay? (I asked trying to t©uçh him)
Isaiah: Dont t©uçh me, and dont you ask me stupid question. You sle-pt off. Your husband left the house and didnt come back on time and what you could do is sle-pt off.
Me: Honey no, I was sitting waiting for you and I didnt know the time I sle-pt off.
Isaiah; of course na, how would you know? Why won’t you sleep? Go ahead and sleep.
Me: okay dear, am sorry dont be angry with me plea-se. (I was trying to hold him and apologise again)
Isaiah: I said dont you ever t©uçh me. You not only sle-pt off you even locked me out. So that armed robbers will wait me here and kill me right?
Me: no what? How can u say that?
Isaiah: how can I not say that. u locked me outside but for the grace of God…….., abeg Daniella. I want to go and sleep o. I dont want disturbance.
He left me and marched into the be-d room. Leaving me staring at him. I was confused! What could be wrong with him?
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 9