'Good evening, Papa' I heard my husband say over the phone.

There is only one person my husband calls that name.

Papa T.

I was immediately restless, I didn’t know if I should stay in our bedroom or go to the sitting room. I decided to leave the bedroom, I stood up, walked to the door, and shut the door behind me. But I didn't go to the sitting room, I stood there at the door to eavesdrop on my husband’s side of the conversation.

I couldn’t make so much sense with the responses of my husband as they were filled with many 'Yes, Sir’ and 'No, Sir'.

I heard him say goodbye, and the next thing I knew was that the door to our room opened and we were there looking at each other’s faces. He looked at me, shook his head, and went to the sitting room.

I followed him to the sitting room and went down on my knees before him. Funny how much I had knelt down for him since the night I confessed to him, it was more than I have knelt down for him in the past three years.

I knelt down and held on to his leg pleading. The children were at my his parent’s home since they were on a short break in school so we had the whole apartment to ourselves.

I could have been a fly for all the reaction  I got from Dare. After few minutes of his silence, I heard him say ‘Papa T is in Lagos, he wants to come over to the house on Sunday evening.'

And with that, he stood up and went back to the room leaving me still kneeling down.

From his reaction, I couldn’t say whether he knew I was the one who told Papa about the situation of things in our home. I couldn’t even be bothered about how he felt, I was happy that regardless of his feelings at the moment, Papa was involved, and if there is anything I know, my husband would definitely listen to Papa.

The silence at home continued from that Wednesday evening when Papa called till on Sunday afternoon when we came back from church.

I got busy preparing food for my husband as well as the important visitor that was coming later in the day.

A few minutes after 4pm, I heard the doorbell ring, and I knew the moment I have been waiting for is here. I went to the door, but I got the shock of my life, not only was Papa T around, but he also came with his wife; Mama Esther.

I greeted them and welcomed them into our home, they came into the sitting room while I went to call Dare. He came into the sitting room and greeted them, as they were catching up on some past events, I went to the kitchen to get water and groundnut for our guests.

As I got to the kitchen, my mind went to Pastor T's wife; Mama Esther, how I had always been in awe of that woman. 

Mama Esther has been a woman I have loved right from the moment I met her physically about 10 years ago that was 2 years before our wedding. My then-fiance-now-husband took me on his trip to Jos to their home while we were courting, and it was love at first sight.

As a much younger lady then, I used to wonder how one woman could be all that she was, as at the time I met her, she was a wife to Papa, a mother to four boys, as well a school owner; yes, this the woman built her own school and manages the school affairs although she has a principal who oversees things.

I remember those nights when I was paired to talk to her while my husband was talking to Papa, she had  spent that time telling me to submit to my husband, how respecting him was one of the greatest gifts I could possibly give to him, and how I must always strive to do him good all the days of my life. 

She had told me how we would definitely have our trying times, times when the easiest decision to make would be to walk away from each other, but we should never let go of ourselves, and we are to stand side-by-side as a team against whatever comes our way.

At that time, I couldn't imagine that anything which had the capacity of leading us to separation could ever happen to us, but how wrong could I possibly be?

All of that thoughts came rushing as I leaned against the standing fridge in the kitchen.

When I came back into the sitting room, we all gisted for a while with Mama teasing me on how fresh I looked and how much my skin is glowing, and how she can fully attest that my husband is doing a good job grooming me.

When she mentioned him grooming me, I didn’t know what response to give, so I just smiled.

Then I heard Papa take a deep breath after which he said, ‘Let us Pray’.

He told my husband to pray for us.

After the prayers, Papa T went straight into the purpose of their visit, how I had come to Jos to see him, how I explained everything that happened with my colleague; Daniel.

He asked for what my husband had to say, Dare cleared his throat as he adjusted himself on the chair, and seeing the hurt in my husband's face was too much for me to bear, my heart broke into several pieces if that were possible.

 

 Episode 4 Next Week Thursday...