THE MARRIAGE BATTLE
EPISODE 11
One year Later, Adaobi was rushed to the hospital where she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named Kunle and Mami was called to look after them.
After Ayo left for work leaving Adaobi un-der the care of Mami one fine morning, Mami walked up to her angrily in her be-droom.
Mami: ‘Come Adaobi’ she said angrily ‘am I your maid in this house that every morning, all I do is wake up and prepare food for you and your husband?
Adaobi: Good morning Mami but I thought you said that is what you will be doing till I get better since I gave birth throu-gh CS?
Mami: Are you the first woman that gave birth throu-gh CS? Is it not your mate that gave birth and are still up and doing?
Adaobi: I am sorry Mami, I promise you that I will take care of my home and husband without involving you.
Mami: You better do because I am not your maid and as such, you should treat me accordingly.
Adaobi: Yes Mami.
Mami: Good. Now go to the kitchen and prepare pounded yam and pepper soup for me.
Adaobi: What?
Mami: Are you deaf? I said go to the kitchen and prepare me pounded yam and pepper soup.
Adaobi: But Mami, I was told not to indulge in anything that will stress me, I haven’t healed properly.
Mami: Does it look to you like I care? Go to the kitchen this minute before you see the other side of me.
Adaobi: Okay, let me attend to my son first and put him to be-d and then I will do what you requested for.
Mami: ‘You better hurry up’ she said and walked away.
Few minutes later, Adaobi went to the kitchen and prepared what Mami requested for while Mami was in the the sitting room watching Zeeworld for it was the station she loved so much.
Adaobi: Mami, your food is re-ady and is at the dinning.
Mami: Good. Now I have some dirty clothes for you to wash and they are in my room,get them washed and ironed properly.
Adaobi: I am sorry Mami, I am too tired and don’t think I will do that now, maybe tomorrow or next.
Mami: And when did this nons-en-se start?
Adaobi: What Nons-en-se?
Mami: When did you start saying you can’t do what I asked you to do?
Adaobi: I am sorry Mami but I thought you c@m£ to help in looking after me and your grandchild not the other way round?
Mami: Oh! So because I c@m£ to look after you that means that you won’t do what I asked you to do, is that it? For one week, I have been bathing, cooking for you and looking after your child while you recover, isn’t that enough?
Adaobi: and I thank you but right now is not the time for me to stress myself for I am not completing healed from my injuries. Mami, remember that I was stitched?
Mami: And so? Listen here Adaobi, I wouldn’t have allowed my son get entagled with you and just because you are his wife doesn’t mean that I will love you just the way you want me to. I am his mother and will forever be and you to me, you are Adaobi the igbo girl he should never have married.
Adaobi: With tears in her eyes said ‘ why then did you agree to come take care of me if you hate me this much?
Mami: Because I don’t want to lose my son.
Adaobi: kept quiet for a few minutes and said ‘I will go and wash your clothes Mami’ and walked away.
Later in the evening, When Ayo returned from work, Mami served him dinner and while he was eating he asked who prepared the meal.
Ayo: Wow! Mami who pounded this yam, it’s so smooth and it feels nice and who prepared this soup?
Mami: Hmmm My son, I have been so busy since you left for work.
Your wife told me she wanted to eat pounded yam and pepper soup and I thought why not prepare yours along. As I am talking to you now, my whole b©dy is paining me because I had to pound yam twice for she said the one I prepared was too small.
Ayo: You! Mami, pounded this yam?
Mami: Yes my son,you know I cant allow her pound yam because her b©dy is still not so strong.
Ayo: You must have been throu-gh a lot and I am sorry.
Mami: that is the reason I am here now, what are you sorry about? the only thing I want you to do is tell her that the stress of looking after her and my grandchild is too much. She shouldn’t be adding more to it.
Ayo: Sorry Mami, I will talk to her.
Mami: That is all I nee-d.
Ayo: This food is so tasty Mami, at first, I thought it was my wife that prepared it.
Mami: Hmmmm… Prepare what? I did joor. I even cleaned the house, scru-bbe-d the floor… hmmm, my b©dy is aching me badly.
Ayo: ‘Sorry Mami’ he said and after he finished eating, he went to his room he shared with his wife.
Adaobi: Hope you enjoyed your dinner.
Ayo: ‘I did and I do not like what you did’ he said frowning.
Adaobi: What did I do again?
Ayo: How can you allow my mother to pound yam for you and requested she do it again, telling her that the one she made was not enough?
Adaobi: Excuse me, what did you just say?
Ayo: Listen, I know you and my mother do not get along but that does not give you the liberty to treat her the way and manner you like. Treat her just the way you will treat your mother and not the way your treat slave.
Adaobi: But sweetheart…..
Ayo: St©p plea-se! You have no excuse for what you did and plea-se don’t do it again for I won’t take it from you if you treat her badly.
Adaobi: it’s obvious you don’t want to listen to what I have to say.
Ayo: There is nothing there for me to listen to. I have seen the way my mother treats you and my son, it is enough for me to say that she loves you, just go out there and apologise to her.
Adaobi: alright she said for peace to reign and went to apologise to Mami who was acting all up ‘Mami, I am sorry if I have offended or wronged you in anyway, plea-se forgive me’.
Mami: if my son had not told you to come to me and apologise, so you wouldn’t have done that?
Adaobi: ‘Mami, I am sorry again’ she said trying to control her anger.
Mami: ‘From now on, if you want to live in peace in this house, you better do as I say’ she commanded ‘You are forgiven, you can go now’.
Adaobi: Looked at the woman whom she thought she was beginning to love as a mother, shook her head and went to attend to her son.
She didn’t bother to tell her husband that she was the one that prepared the dinner he ate ‘seems Mami will lie to achieve her goal’ she said to herself.
___________&
The following day, as Adaobi was busy preparing Lunch for the family, a knock was heard at the door and she went to check who the person was.
Adoabi: When she opened the door, she saw Kemi smiling at her with her luggage ‘Hi Kemi’ she said and hvgged her ‘plea-se come in’.
Kemi: ‘Good day Adaobi and hey Mami’ she said as she went to her.
Mami: How are you my daughter?
Kemi: I am fine Mami and the house is so boring without you, I thought it will be nice to come and spend some time with you people here.
Adaobi: Errrm, sorry to interrupt you Kemi but why didn’t you call that you were coming?
Mami: What do you mean why didn’t she call?
Adaobi: Mami, I am sorry but I thought she is supposed to call if she is coming to my house? Look at her luggage she said as she pointed to them ‘she is coming to stay here for a very long time.
Mami: And so, what if she is staying here for a long time? Isn’t this house my son’s and her brother’s house?
Adaobi: But Mami, it is my house too. If any of my family members were to visit, they will have to let me know not just barge into my home like that.
Mami: That is your family and not us. There is a difference between us and them for this is my son’s house.
Adaobi: Mami plea-se…..
Mami: Don’t Mami me plea-se, she is here alre-ady and there is nothing you can do about it.
Adaobi: Okay but Kemi, next time when you are coming to my house, do let us know before time.
Mami: ‘Adaobi you must be very stupid for uttering such nons£nce to her in my pres£nce’ she said as Adaobi looked at her again and walked away leaving mother and child in the sitting room.
Kemi: Mami! It seems the tension in this house is too much because I can feel it.
Mami: Don’t mind that stupid girl, she is trying to lord over me. Go to our room and freshen up while I ask Adaobi to get food re-ady for you To eat.
Kemi: ‘Yes Mami’ she said and went to her room.
Adaobi served Mami and Kemi their meal and after they finished eating, Mami called Adaobi to come clean the table and wash the dishes.
Adaobi: ‘Mami, I can’t believe you called me here to clear this place’ she said feeling perplexed.
Mami: and what is wrong with that?
Adaobi: Because I can’t and will not do it while Kemi is here.
Kemi: Adaobi, I do not like the way and manner you talk to my mother.
Mami: I am happy that you are seeing that for yourself my daughter,that is how she has been talking to me ever since I c@m£ to this house.
Adaobi: ‘When you are done with whatever you are doing, Kemi clear the place and wash my dishes’ she said and was about to walk away again when Kemi st©pped her.
Kemi: ‘Adaobi’ she called out ‘you don’t dare walk away from my mother’.
Adaobi: ‘Kemi, this is my house and my home, I will not allow Mami rule over me here. If you or Mami are looking for who to lord over, not in my own house. I can’t be scared of you or anyone in my own house na, it is not done and never done’ she said as she looked at them boldly.
Mami: So you have the nerve to walk away the first time and want to do it again abi?
Adaobi: Mami, I don’t want to talk or say anything about you or anyone to my husband but all these things you have been doing to me lately has to st©p.
Mami: ‘How dare you’ she sl@pped her ‘how dare you talk to me that way.
Adaobi: ‘Mami you sl@pped me’ she said tou-ching her cheek..
Mami: ‘and what will you do? What will you do’ she asked standing firmly and looking straight into her eyes.
Adaobi: if not because you are my mother, God knows that I would have retaliated but I am respecting you and this should be the last time you l@yyour hands on me.
Kemi: Are you threatening her?
Adaobi: turning to Kemi said ‘Kemi, I can tolerate your mother doing anything to me, I won’t complain but I won’t tolerate anyone or anyb©dy laying his or her hands on me not even if the person is family, I won’t. Turning to Mami again ‘this should be the last time you l@yyour hands on me for there won’t be a second time else…..
Mami: Else what? No! Complete your statement.
Adaobi: ‘I won’t say anything again until you try this stupid act of yours again then you will know what will happen’ she said and walked away.
Mami: ‘Shame on you! You were nothing when my son brou-ght you into this house oooo, you were nothing when he married you and now you want me to worsh!pand bow down for you, it won’t happen Adaobi and there is nothing you will do to me. You see this house, it will not contain me and you from now on; did you hear me, it won’t contain both of us and I will make sure of it. Stupid igbo girl’ she said.
Kemi: But Mami, did you have to sl@p her? That was too extreme.
Mami: Didn’t you see the way she was talking to me? She does not have respect or regard me as her mother in law and I will deal with her.
.
.
Chaiiiii,can you feel the heat or I should on AC?
If you’re Adaobi, what will you do at this junction?
.
.
THE MARRIAGE BATTLE
EPISODE 12
Kemi: But Mami, did you have to sl@p her? That was too extreme.
Mami: Didn’t you see the way she was talking to me? She does not have respect or regard me as her mother in law and I will deal with her.
Kemi: Even at that Mami, you shouldn’t have sl@pped her, she is a married woman for God’s sake.
Mami: And so? So I can’t bring her back to her s-en-ses?
Kemi: By sl@pping her? Mami it is obvious you don’t like her but she is married alre-ady to Ayo and why don’t you learn to plea-se accept her for who she is.
Mami: Accept her for who she is? She is not a nice person oooo. she wants to eat where she has not sown.
Kemi: Mami plea-se learn to live in peace and take her just the way she is.
Mami: Come Kemi, whose side are you on?
Kemi: I am on your side Mami but then…
Mami: Eh eh! Don’t give me any sermon just clear the table and go and wash the dishes.
Kemi: Yes Mami but plea-se take it easy.
Mami: Take what easy? She has not seen anything yet.
Kemi: ‘Hmmmm…okay ooo. I don’t like the tension in this house’ she said as she cleared the table.
Mami: Well, what can I say but welcome on board.
__________
When Ayo returned from work, Mami quic-kly went to him before he entered his room and requested for his attention.
Ayo: What happened today again Mami because I know that this one you didn’t allow me settle in, something must have happened.
Mami: talk to your wife Ayo for I will not have her disrespect me in a very rude manner while I am in my own son’s house.
Ayo: What happened today again he asked as Kemi stepped into the sitting room ‘ Ah! Kemi, when did you get here and why didn’t you tell me you were coming?
Kemi: Good day brother, sorry I didn’t inform you earlier. I thought of surprising you.
Ayo: Hahaaha…. This is your own kind of surprise abi? Anyway, welcome to my house and how is school?
Kemi: ‘School is very fine’ she said smiling.
Ayo: Good to know.Turning to Mami he said ‘Ermmm Mami, what were you saying again?
Mami: I said you should talk to your wife for she was disrespectful and rude to me.
Ayo: rude to you as in how?
Kemi: she walked away from Mami while she was talking to her.
Ayo: She didn’t do that, No! I don’t believe that.
Kemi: She did Brother because I was there when it happened.
Ayo: Hmmm, What really happened?
Kemi: ‘Nothing much except that Mami was reprimanding her and she walked away’ she said while Mami kept mute nodding her head.
Ayo: ‘I am sorry Mami and I will talk to her’ he said and went to his room.
Adaobi: Welcome honey, how was work?
Ayo: How could you be so disrespectful to my mother, how could you walk away from her while she was talking to you? What has come over you?
Adaobi: Don’t you dare scream or shout at me today Ayo, I won’t have it from you today.
Ayo: What?
Adaobi: You heard me Ayo, you heard me and I am not going to go out there and apologize for anything, I did nothing wrong.
Ayo: What has come over you? Why do you hate my mother so much?
Adaobi: Is that what she told you, that I hate her?
Ayo: It seems so to be because everytime I come home, I get news from her everyday about your behavior towards her.
Adaobi: Really? Have you ever asked me what happened? Everytime you come back from work, your mother feed you with all her lies and stories and instead of you to ask me what happened, you don’t, you side her without asking of my own side of the story.
Ayo: What are you talking about?
Adaobi: What you un-derstand Ayo because I am really beginning to feel like we are not couples or p@rtners.
Ayo: What do you mean? Of course we are husband and wife.
Adaobi: And are you not supposed to listen to your wife and all I have to say? Is my say or decision not important?
Ayo: I don’t un-derstand what you are saying? You know you are important to me.
Adaobi: Then why don’t I feel like it these past days?
Ayo: What are you talking about; you are getting me confused with all these sayings of yours.
Adaobi: I feel like this our relationsh!pdoes not involve only you and me, it involves your mother, me and you. Is that how it is supposed to be?
Ayo: ‘I am sorry if you are feeling that way’ he said as he walked to her and held her hands ‘you know that you are important to me and you and Kunle are the most priceless people in my life right now’.
Adaobi: Then learn to listen and ask me questions before jumping into conclusion.
Ayo: Yes! Yes! Yes! I am so sorry for that. I haven’t really been asking you what happened but you should know that my mother is all that I have got, she brou-ght me up and made me what I am today. I don’t just like seeing her upset.
Adaobi: I know and God knows that I love her as much as you do but it shouldn’t make you turn a blind eye to her faults too.
Ayo: I know and I know that my mother can be difficult sometimes but you have to try and accept her the way she is.
Adaobi: I know that! That is why I am over looking her shortcoming.
Ayo: but you didn’t have to walk away from her while she was talking to you.
Adaobi: I know and I am very sorry but she didn’t also have to sl@p me the way she did.
Ayo: She did what?
Adaobi: Sl@pped me!
Ayo: but she didn’t say anything about sl@pping you.
Adaobi: ‘I know’ she said and smiled.
Ayo: What really happened?
Adaobi explained all that transpired and Ayo who was initially angry at his wife, left the be-droom and went to confront his mother.
Ayo: Mami how could you do such a thing? How could you sl@p my wife in her own house?
Mami: Errm Ayo, did she tell you what she really did and what prompted it?
Ayo: Mami no matter what she did, it does not give you the right to l@yyour hands on her in her own house.
Mami: But Ayo!
Ayo: Mami don’t. This is her house and as such she is at liberty to do whatever she wants to do. Turning to Adaobi who was in the sitting room while he was confronting his mother ‘Sweetheart, Whatever my mother says, never you disrespect or walk away from her and Kemi’
Kemi: Yes brother.
Ayo: My wife is like a sister to you and an elder sister for that matter, she is not your maid and on no account should you look at her like the maid of the house. Whatever she ask you to do, do it and clean up whatever mess you create yourself not allowing her to talk or allowing Mami to ask her to do it, I will not condone that in this house.
Mami: it seems she has br@inwashed you, you didn believe us or you think we are lying?
Ayo: Mami plea-se, I am not re-ady for any story of who did and didn’t and plea-se Mami, never you raise your hand on her again. Infact, this should be the last time such thing is heard of in my house for I will not condone it from you or anyone is that clear?
Mami: I have heard.
Ayo: ‘Good’ turning to Adaobi he said ‘plea-se apologize to her’.
Adaobi: Mami I am sorry.
Mami: Of what use will that be if it is going to happen again?
Ayo: Mami plea-se accept her apology.
Mami: Hmmm, I have heard.
Ayo: Good. Mami, apologise to Adaobi for sl@pping her.
Mami: ‘I am sorry too’ she said.
Ayo: ‘Good and plea-se, I nee-d peace in this house not a warfront’ he said and went back to his room.
________________
The week that followed suit after the incident bec@m£ worse for Mami made life unbearable for Adaobi.
Mami:’ I am hungry ooooo’ she said it out loud for Adaobi who was in the be-droom attending to Kunle to hear.
Kemi: Mami but why don’t you go to the kitchen and get something to eat or should I go and prepare something for you?
Mami: Noooo my daughter, I don’t want you close to that kitchen before they will start saying this is my kitchen and as such you cannot go in there without my conscent.
Kemi: Mami, there is soup in the fridge, I can prepare eba or semo for you to eat with the soup.
Mami: ‘Thanks but I don’t want you near that kitchen plea-se, I am hungry ooo’ she said it out loud again.
Adaobi who was in the room attending to Kunle, put him to sleep and went to the sitting room where Mami and Kemi were and greeted Mami who ignored her for that has been the way things has been since Ayo reprimanded all of them for she has never spoken to her or said any word to her.
Adaobi: Kemi plea-se come and prepare food for Mami for she is very hungry.
Kemi: Okay.
Mami: Hmmm some people are feeling too big to prepare food for me theirself, what wont I see?
Adaobi: Ermmm Kemi don’t worry, I will prepare it.
Kemi: Okay.
Adaobi went into the kitchen and made Mami food, set it on the table and told her that it is re-ady.
Mami: ‘Hmmm this food sef’ she said as she opened the meal in front of her.
Kemi: Mami what happened to the food?
Mami: this food is somehow, the semo itself doesn’t look good, and it is small.
Adaobi: who was in the sitting room listening to what she was saying said ‘Mami if you don’t like the food or want me to prepare another you should say so instead of saying negative things about the food I took my time to prepare for you.
Mami: I don’t want to say anything oooo before they will say I have started again.
Adaobi: Ignoring her comment said to Kemi ‘Why don’t you prepare whatever Mami nee-ds since she doesn’t want my food?
Kemi: Okay! Mami what would you like to eat?
Mami: ‘Nothing ooo, I will manage this one’ she said frowning her face.
.
.
This woman get problem….
.
Your comments will determine the next episode.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 13