Domestic violence Episode 17 & 18

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
EPISODE 17
 
 
Ayomide drove to the bank and was told that Femi had stepped out for a meeting at the bank’s headquarters. He waited for him and when he didn’t return after one hour, he left for an eatery where he got fried rice with coke and chicken for Shana who was on be-d rest in the hospital.
At the hospital gate, he saw a fruit vendor and he bought enough for her. When he got to the female ward, Shana was alre-ady awake.
Shana: “Where have you been? I thought you have abandoned me too”, she tried to smile but gave up for she had blisters on herl-ips where Femi had punched her.
Ayomide: “I went to get you food, madam”.
Shana: “Really? Wow! That is nice, as if you know that I am famished”.
Ayomide: “Of course I know you are. Anyb©dy who looks at you knows that you are famished”.
Shana: “You are not well o, Ayo. Da’aku bring out the food let me eat before hunger kills me here”.
Ayomide brou-ght out the food and attem-pted to feed her but Shana declined.
Shana:”What do you mean by you want to feed me? Can’t I feed myself? What happened to my hand?”
Ayomide: “I am just trying to be nice to my younger sister”, he tea-sed her.
Shana: “Get out, jor. Younger sister indeed! Weh don sah, in Falz’ voice”.
Ayomide laughed and moved to the visitor’s chair to allow her eat in peace. From the corner of his eyes, he was watching her and his heart went out to her. “If only she is not married to my brother”, he thought.
Shana stayed in the hospital all throu-gh that day and Femi didn’t even call to find out where she was or what was happening to her. After she was discharged the next day, Ayomide c@m£ to pay the bills and drive her home.
Ayomide: “Are you sure you still want to go back to that house?”
Shana: “Of course. Where do you want me to go if not my matrimonial home?”
Ayomide: “Oh plea-se, cut the matrimonial bull$h!t. I have seen where people were killed in their matrimonial homes by their spouses”.
Shana: “I don’t un-derstand you, Ayo. Ever since we c@m£ to the hospital, you have been speaking in parables. I told you what happened to me was a domestic accident, I don’t know why you don’t want to believe me”.
Ayomide: “I don’t believe you because de-ep within your heart you know that you are lying”.
Shana was surprised and took her eyes away from him.
Ayomide took her hands and raised her gaze to meet his.
Ayomide: “You don’t have to cover for him, Shana. It is obvious that this marriage is not working out between you two. Why don’t you speak up? What is it that binds you so much to him that you cannot let go? Yes, Femi is my brother and I love and wish him well from the depth of my heart but that guy has turned into a monster over the years. What he did to you few days back is an indication that he can kill you some day. You nee-d to walk away before it becomes too late. Go back to your parents, nob©dy is saying you should divorce him if you don’t want to. You two could separate for a while and see if you can mend the bridges. Take a look at yourself, you look older than your age, you are suffering and don’t even think of pretending about this”.
Shana: “Hmmn, where do I begin from, Ayo? Femi is no longer the man I married years ago but I don’t blame him, he is angry that I haven’t been able to give him a child. If I can just get pregnant, I am sure that everything will be fine”.
Ayomide: “Nons-en-se, arrant nons-en-se. Are you God who gives children? Why should that be the condition for him to love you? Is it not what he puts into you that you would bring out? Does he expect you to go and get pregnant outside and bring for him? I mean how can a right thinking man expect his wife to get pregnant with the kind of psychological trauma that he is putting you throu-gh?”
Shana: “I don’t know. I just don’t want to walk out of this marriage. I intend to make it work no matter what happens. My parents have been married for more than thirty years now and my mother has never had any cause to report her husband to his family, neither has she ever contemplated walking away from the marriage. Why should my own case be different? I don’t want to bear a divorcee tag at this age”.
Ayomide: “I am sure your mother wouldn’t have hesitated to dump your father if he did half of what Femi is doing to you. How can you even compare your father with Femi? That monster?”
Shana: “I know you still love me, Ayo and you would rather see me leave your brother but…”
Ayomide: “You are wrong my dear. I used to love you but I killed that love the moment you said ‘I do’ to my brother. I am getting married soon and I love my fiancé. What I feel for you is just sisterly love nothing more”.
Shana: “Then stay away from my marriage. Don’t try to make me abandon my husband, I beg”.
Ayomide: “It is only a mad man that would sit and fold his arms and watch his brother murder his wife. Since you cannot speak up yourself, I will speak for you. I am going to tell our parents everything that I know about your marriage”.
Shana: “You will do no such thing, Ayo. I didn’t make you my advocate so st©p drinking panadol for my headache. I forbid you from ever discussing my marriage with anyone, if you do, we cease to be friends forever”.
Ayomide: “Fine!l-ips sealed. Just make sure that your ghost doesn’t come to disturb me to expo-se me when he finally kills you”, he started the car and drove off.
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Femi had no option but to accept Licia’s conditions because he knew that she would make good her threat of tarnishing his image should he do the contrary. He was however worried about his wife and how she would receive the news. Licia was on his n£¢k and had no option than to take her home with him. His driving into the compound coincided with Ayomide driving in to drop his wife at home.
Femi: “So, you are still following my wife about? What sort of a brother are you?”
Ayomide ignored his rantings, helped Shana to carry her bags to the room and drove away without saying a word to his brother.
Shana was sitting on the sofa in the sitting room when she saw Licia drag in a travelling bag.
Shana: “Excuse me, where do you think you are going with that bag?” she was too weak to stand up and confront her.
Licia: “Madam, plea-se. If you have any questions, ask your husband. I am here to do my job”.
Shana: “Your job? What on earth could that be if I may ask?”
Femi walked in and hvgged Shana to her surprise.
Femi: “I brou-ght in a house help for you, sweetheart. I don’t want you to be stressing yourself doing all the job in the house”.
Shana: “I don’t nee-d a house help, Femi. We never discussed this. What do I nee-d a help for? Besides, this lady is too big serve as a maid”.
Femi: “You worry too much, love. I know I have not been the best husband in recent times and I am willing to make amends that’s why I got you a maid”.
Shana: “No, this is not right. There is no way this old cargo is going to stay in my house as a maid. No way! Hey you”, he turned to Licia, “Leave my house, there is no space for you here”.
Licia: “I will serve you well, madam. I promise”.
Shana’s br@in struck when she heard Licia speak. “I have heard that voice before o, where o, where did I hear her talk? She was trying to remember where she had met Licia in the past.
Question: How do you think is the best way for Shana to approach this situation?
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
EPISODE 18
Shana’s br@in struck when she heard Licia speak. “I have heard that voice before o, where o, where did I hear her talk? She was trying to remember where she had met Licia in the past.
Shana: “Yes, I remember you, the lady at the mall right? This voice sounds like hers even though I couldn’t see your face properly that day”
Licia knew that she had to put up a lot of pretense if she must achieve her goals in the house. She didn’t know that Shana could still recognize her after the short encounter they had at the mall since she had on her head a fascinator that covered her face else she would have made conscious effort to hide her identity.
She switched on her charm and changed her voice, she wasn’t afraid because the native doctor she visited for the concoction she nee-ded had as-sured her that she will be allowed to stay in the house with little resistance, so she felt safe since she had a spiritual backing.
Licia: “Me? I have never met you in my life before”. She lied.
Femi walked up to Shana and wra-pped his arms around her. “I know that you have been going throu-gh a lot recently, my dear. But you don’t have to get worked up. Which man will be stupid enough to bring his mistress home as a maid? You are just imagining things. This lady was recommended by my mother’s friend who runs a corporate maids organization so you have nothing to fear”.
Shana: “How can your mum recommend this kind of a woman? Why didn’t she consult me before taking the decision?
Femi: “Okay, so are you saying that I am lying? Like I am a liar now simply because I don’t want my wife to stress herself in doing all the house chores alone right?”
Shana: “I am not talking about what you did”.
Femi: “Then what are you saying? What can I ever do to plea-se you?” he snapped at her.
Shana knew that her husband was beginning to get angry and she decided to bring down her voice.
“What I am saying is that this lady doesn’t look like a maid to me, she doesn’t look like what your mother recommended”.
Femi: “Fine, then pick up your phone and ask my mum yourself since you don’t believe me”.
Shana: “But Femi, I can remember the voice, I know I didn’t take my time to look at her well enough that day but…”
Femi: “Shhh…relax your br@in. She is your personal maid. Put her on probation for few weeks and if she doesn’t impress you, s£nd her away”.
Shana: “Are you sure about this?”
Femi: “Cross my heart, sweeri. Come to the be-droom, I have a gift for you”.
Shana: “What kind of a gift is that? After you gave me the beating of my life and left me for dead yesterday?”
Femi: “I don’t know what c@m£ over me, I was drun!k, when the effect of the alcohol cleared and I got back my s-en-ses, I tried to call you but your number was switched off. It won’t happen again, I promise”.
Shana: “It had better not or else this time around I won’t hesitate to tell our parents everything”.
Femi: “Yes, ma’am”.
Somewhere from the corner she was standing, Licia was looking at the couple with Envy, she wanted Femi all to herself and that was why she had humbled herself to become a maid so that she can be close enough to get his wife out of the way and take over his heart and home.
That night, Femi and Shana made love while Licia was in her room fuming and dialing his number repeatedly.
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Early the next morning, after he got dressed for work, Femi peered into his wife face and saw that she was slee-ping soundly, then he ti-ptoed into the guest room and tapped gently on the door. Licia opened the door and allowed him in.
Licia: “What are you looking for here? Go back to your wife”.
Femi: “Hey, don’t tell me someb©dy is jealous alre-ady. I warned you about is but you insisted that you can cope”.
Licia: “Is that why you refused to pick my calls last night?”
Femi: “Oh Lord, you will never cease to amaze me, Licia. I thought the rationale between your moving in here was so we can always have face to face contact rather than talking over the phone”.
Licia: “You are just avoiding the t©pic. You were on t©p her, having S-x with her and that was why you refused to pick my calls”.
Femi: “Oh yeah, and what is wrong with that? She is my wife so?”
Licia: “Well, what it means is that you have to give it to me this morning. I warned you that you must treat us equally if you want peace in this house. You gave it to her yesterday, you will give it to me this morning”. She c@m£ close to his and brou-ght herl-ips over his.
Femi: “No, babe. I have to run to work, it’s a work day remember?”
Licia: “How many minutes does it take to have a quic-kie? Besides, this is just 6: 30pm, so you have no excuse”.
Few minutes later, Femi rushed out to his car after a sizzling h0t doggie quic-kie session.
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Shana woke and c@m£ into the sitting room and discovered that the place was yet to be cleaned. She walked over to the kitchen and there in the sink were the dishes of the previous night. “I thought I have a house help? It is almost 9pm and my house help is yet to wake up? What is she doing in my house then?” she walked over to the guest room and pounded on the door, Licia was soundly asleep, she had the habit of falling into a de-ep sleep immediately after S-x. Another pound on the door and she jumped up, wra-pped her b©dy with a wra-pper and opened the door. “This woman will f0rç£ me to commit murder one of these days. Why on earth is she knocking on the door like that? Because she feels this is her house? Well, by the time I am throu-gh with her, she will pack her things and run away”, she caused un-der her breath.
Licia: “Good morning, ma”, she said as she opened the door.
Shana: “Morning. Are you just waking up?”
Licia: “Yes, erm…no”.
Shana: “Yes and no, what is that? Anyway, it is almost 9am and you are yet to begin your work for the day. Why is that?”
Licia: “Sorry ma, I have battling with this headache since yesterday and I didn’t sleep all night?”
Shana: “Why didn’t you sleep at night? Are you a witch?”
Licia: “No o. I have a very complex system, anytime I change environment I find it difficult to sleep at night”.
Shana: “Come and get some pain reliefs for your headache and I nee-d the sitting room and kitchen tidied immediately. I will like to take fried plantain and fried eggs with custard this morning. I don’t take my breakfast later than 10am and I don’t eat in a dirty sitting room neither do I allow my food to be prepared in a dirty kitchen. It is alre-ady past 9, meaning you have less than one hour to go, I don’t know how you are going to achieve that”. She turned to leave the room.
Licia: “What!” she exclaimed with disbelief.
Shana turned around.
“Did you say anything to me?”
Licia: “No, ma. I was talking to myself”.
Shana: “Better!” she turned around, went into her room and coll@psed in laughter. “By the time I am throu-gh with that thing that calls herself a maid, she will go back to wherever my mother in law picked her from. Wow, it feels so good to have someb©dy to order about. No wonder Femi enjoys lording it over me. Well. Since I can’t stand up to Femi, this maid will bear the brunt of my transferred aggression”.
Licia walked over to the kitchen carrying a poisonous substance un-der her dress. “Let me see how you will drink this custard in peace today. You think you can just command me about and go free, you better say your last prayer in place of prayer before meal”.
Question: Is this the end of the road for Shana? Was it wise of her to accept a maid she knows nothing about?
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 19