Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 4
Two days later, I got a call from Enobong. She told me she had seen a house and that I should come and help her park to the new apartment.
Since I had resolved to find the father of her kids, I went there without hesitation.
The hotel was not that far from my house, so I was there in less than no time.
“Why is your face like this?” she asked as soon as she saw me.
“My marriage is in danger.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“You must save my marriage.”
“You are scaring me. What is the matter?”
“My family has this feeling that your kids are mine. That is why you must save my marriage by helping me find the father of these kids.”
“No please. This is not happening. Why would they think of such a thing?”
She paused for a while and then added:
“I am sorry for pulling you into this mess. We will do this together. But first, help me park these things to my apartment.”
My mind was not at rest.
“Why do bad things happen to good people? Why?” I asked.
“I am very sorry. I believe there will be a solution to all these.”
The pain was too much. That feeling you experience when you are openly accused of what you know nothing about. Very painful.
We parked to the new house. I had to spend sometimes there as my own house had been turned to a living hell for me.
I did not eat anything for three days.
I knew very well that if my wife was to file for a divorce, she will have the custody of my son. How was I going to cope?
“Why would my wife turn my own son against me?” I soliloquized.
I lost a lot of weight.
“Where is the friend who introduced you to the other man? Where can we find him?” I asked breaking the silence.
It was a small company that specialized in table water production.
I was introduced to the Managing Director.
After introducing myself, I told him I was looking for one Mr. Cletus Collins.
“Is everything alright?” the MD asked.
“Everything is not alright Sir. My marriage is crashing and he is the only one to save my marriage. Please I desperately want to see him. Save my marriage please.”
“In as much as I don’t really understand what really the problem is, I am willing to help. But there’s a problem. It is a truth that Mr. Collins once worked with us here, but not anymore. As a matter of fact, I do not even know where he is at the moment. He left about 5 months ago.”
“I do not mean to disrespect Sir. Please from his file, is there no clue as to how to find him? Not even his phone number?”
“Like I said, I don’t have anything that can link us to him. It is the policy of this company to handover your file to you once you are sacked or when you resigned. In his case, he resigned. I think he must have gotten a new job.”
There was silence.
My only hope was dashed.
I stood up and was about to exit from the door when he echoed:
“The only way I can help you is if you can find his girlfriend, Jenny.”
I turned almost immediately.
“Please where is she?” I asked desperately.
He gave me the address and immediately, I proceeded to the address.
I met Jenny at the address and told her I was looking for Mr. Cletus Collins.
“I am respecting you because you look responsible,” Jenny said. “I am even looking for Collins. We broke up 3 months ago and he ran away with my money. If you find him, tell him that he should return my money.”
If not that she said I looked responsible, I would have vented my frustration on her for sending me such a message to Collins.
“Please do you have his number? Any where I can reach him?” I asked.
“Oga! E be like say you no dey hear word. I say I dey follow find ahm. Im number no dey go.
Infact, I been don delete ahm tey tey. But im still dey this Uyo. People dey see ahm.”
I left my number with her in case she stumbled on Collins as I went home disappointed.
I tried everything humanly possible to convince my wife that I did not do it, but my wife did not want to listen.
The painful part was the fact that she dragged my son into it.
I made a huge mistake. I should have corrected the impression back at the hospital.
But how was I to know that the mistake was capable of damaging the trust I had built with my wife for many years.
My own house became a living hell for me.
I pleaded with my wife all day.
One night she came to my room. I was still awake.
“I don’t want you to see me as a bad woman, at least not yet,” she began. “What pains me is the fact that you were not at the hospital when I was in labor. You told me you could not withstand seeing me in pains. I understood with you. But the fact that you traveled to Lagos and single handedly delivered a lady of her three kids is killing me slowly. You even spent five weeks at the hospital with them and you want me to believe it was all a coincidence? Wow! What a coincidence! You have disgraced, embarrassed and humiliated me before the whole world. Go and enjoy the money and fame you both have made, but I assure you that it will soon fade away.”
I tried to say something, but she became angry and I kept quiet.
“I’ll give you two options because of our son. Option 1. Convince me that this whole thing was a coincidence. That you never knew this lady from Adam. Option 2. Find the father of those kids. If you can fulfill any of these options within seven days, then you will save this marriage from collapsing. The shame is too much. I have kept something for you in the sitting room. Good night.”
I sprang up from bed and ran to the sitting room. There I saw it. The most dreaded thing I’ve always tried to avoid.
DIVORCE PAPERS.
© Ezekiel Umoren
#ezekstory
