Click here  to read Episode 3 

Dare cleared his throat and started talking.

'Papa, I don't know what I did wrong to her that she decided that the best way to get back at me is to have an affair with a colleague of hers' Dare said and stopped talking.

At that statement, something on the inside of me got loosened.

Why was he exonerating himself now, making me look like the one who caused all the problems? 

Was he not the one who was insensitive to my needs, wasn't he the one who didn't notice when I made a new hair or even wore a new dress, was he not the one who didn't notice me until I got so starved of his affection that the smallest form of affection which was what Daniel showed me turned to such a big deal? 

I sat down there moving between two emotional extremes; being sober and being annoyed.

Papa must have seen all that emotion on my face and knew I was about to open my mouth and disrupt the process going on.

He looked at me, called my name and he placed his index finger on his closed lips, it was a subtle way of telling people to keep their mouth shut and I bottled up all the emotions going on on the inside of me.

I suddenly became sober again, I was willing to give this marriage of mine anything it takes even if it meant keeping quiet when I had a lot to say.

Papa started talking.

'Dare, I don't think the best thing to do at the moment is to trade blames. I'm sure if we ask Esther her side of the story, she'll have things to say too. So, we are not exchanging blames here, we are only working on the way forward' Papa T said while looking at the both of us.

'Do you want to go out of this union?' He asked both of us

Then he called our names.

Esther?

I shook my head from one side to the other in response, to which Papa said, 'I don't want gestures, answer with your mouth.'

'I don't want to go out. I want my marriage to work' I answered

Dare? He called my husband and we all waited for his response

In those few seconds before Dare answered, I literally felt as though my heart was in my mouth.

Although I knew he is a Christian, but what will I do if he says he wants a divorce?

Will he ever be able to forgive me?

All of those questions ran through my heart as we waited for him to talk.

'I want this marriage to work. I am not leaving' Dare replied Papa

At his response, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been keeping before then.

Papa T went on 'So, I am glad you are both on the same page concerning what you want. There is this marriage counselor I want both of you to talk to, she is a Christian, she is a personal friend of mine and when I was praying to God about this case, this was the name that was highlighted for me to introduce you to'. Papa T said as he stretched out his hand to pick up his phone from the center table.

He called Mrs. Taiwo right there and she told him of her availability to see us on Thursday of that week. Then he dictated the number of the woman to us.

With the major purpose of the visit out of the way, we got into a more relaxed atmosphere where Papa T and Dare left the sitting room while Mummy Esther who is also my namesake and I remained in the sitting room talking. 

The words she said to me are not words I would forget in a hurry.

The week went by so fast and before I knew it, it was Thursday and here we are in the counselor's office.

'How are you both doing?' This was the first question Mrs. Taiwo asked us after we had comfortably had our sit in her office.

She turned her eyes to Dare which was his cue to talk.

'I'm doing fine' was all he said.

'I know you are doing fine but I want to know how you are feeling ever since your wife confessed her deeds?' She asked again while maintaining eye contact with Dare.

'Am I supposed to answer your question while she is here?' Dare asked the counselor

'Yes, she is your wife and has seen you at your lowest state all these years, but unless you want her to go out, she doesn't have to go out, at least not yet' Mrs. T replied

Dare cleared his throat which has always been his way of keeping his emotions away from the surface and started talking.

' I feel like I have failed as her husband, I thought she was happy with me. I work as hard as I work just to make sure she is as comfortable as I could possibly make her be. Her decision to work was not because we needed the money to live okay, but just because she wanted to contribute her own quota to the corporate world. I had always known she was a smart woman even before we got married and her decision to work after the kids didn't need her to pick diapers after them was a decision that although I didn't really like but had to go with because I love and respect her opinions. I wish I had held my ground on her not going back into the corporate world, at least all of this could have been avoided' My husband finished his response.

I sat there stunned wondering how a simple question as how are you could have an answer that went on for over one minute. I looked at Mrs. Taiwo, and she looked satisfied, it was as though she had Dare exactly where she needed him to be. 

Her next statement confirmed it.

'I'm happy you're talking now, I want you to lay everything bare, there will be sessions I will ask your wife to go out, but at the moment, we still need her here'

'So, Mrs. Esther, how are you?' She looked at me and smiled.

'I didn't need her to coerce me to talk, wasn't I the one who started this problem in the first place?' I thought in my heart

'I am not fine. I can't believe I actually had an affair with someone who isn't my husband' I said feeling more remorseful than I felt on the day I confessed to Dare if that were possible.

' What pushed you into the hands of another man? Mrs. T asked me

My husband's name was on my lips because, in all fairness, he was the one who pushed me into the hands of Daniel. From not affirming me with his words to choosing his work over spending time with me. All of that thoughts only remained in my mind as I couldn't voice them out.

The noise from Mrs. T snapping her fingers brought me out of wandering land.

'What pushed me out was the feeling of neglect I was getting from Dare, while I knew he cared about me, I didn't feel that care anymore, and that led me into the hands of another man' I answered.

Are you both ready to fight for your marriage? 

We both nodded as Mrs. Taiwo smiled...

Episode 5... Next week Thursday.