Thread by @kyliejoyterundu

Kayode chased me out of our home.

Three years of marriage with two beautiful daughters to show for it, and he chased me.

Chased me like a thief that I was not, chased me like an unfaithful wife that I was not, he chased me..

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#fiction
#shortstory
#kyliejoyterundu

out and brought in another woman.

Now barely two years after, he is here, on his knees, before my family and our kids, begging for me to take him back.

As I stared at him in his burgundy long sleeved kafan and polished black shoes, pleading on his knees before my father and

mother,with nothing but emptiness in my heart,the memories of the pain he put me through,the embarrassment,the heart break, the agony flowed back into my head,fresh as if it were yesterday..

"Wumni please forgive me,” he said, turning towards me, “Please forgive and forget..”

“Kayode,” I began, breaking the silence I had held throughout the beginning of the meeting, “Kayode, I loved you..”

“I know”

"I was a good wife to you, was I not?” he nodded, “no you can tell everybody here, my father is here, my mother, my uncles, tell them if there was ever

a time that I was unfaithful to you, tell them if there was anytime I did not cook your meals. You wouldn’t eat stale foods yet I cooked your meals religiously, even when I was tired. I cleaned our home, raised these girls with no maid to assist me, what did I not do Kayode,

just name it! Say it so that everybody will hear”

"You did everything right” He nodded remorsefully, “you were a good woman that is why I want you back. I don’t know what got into my…”

"Yet you threw me out, out like I was nothing!” I hurled, tears jumping down my face.

"It’s okay” my mother interjected, patting my back consolingly, “Omobinrin mi, it is okay”

“Ehnm,” my father started, shifting to the edge of his seat. He paused, cleared his throat before continuing “Kayode, we have heard you. Wumni, it is okay, there is no need opening past

wounds. Your husband has realized his mistakes and now that he is back to his senses, he has come to ask for our forgiveness. The bible says that to err is only human but to forgive is divine so it is okay. Kayode?”

"Sir”

“Get up”

He lifted his knees off the floor and stood

on his two feet, and my father continued, “We have heard you. We will discuss with our daughter and we will get back to you”

Thank you daddy” he bowed to my father, “thank you mummy, thank you”

—–

My parents persuaded me to forgive Kayode,he didn’t stop coming around either.

It turns out, the other woman was so bad to him that he chased her away and now wanted me back.

I went back, not out of love and forgiveness but as a scorned woman with an agenda.

I was so full of bitterness and pain even after all that time. You see, I used to be a good wife

to Kayode, there was nothing that I would not do for him, nothing I would not do for our home, even when I found he was cheating, I forgave and kept forgiving him yet still, he chased me out. Now I was no longer that sweet loving and meek Omowunmi, he had caused me pain that

changed me and I was determined to make him feel what he made me feel.

"Babe” he called, as he walked into the kitchen.

I was serving lunch to the kids on the table in the center of the kitchen.

“Daddy, daddy!!” the girls ran to hug him.

He embraced them so gleefully, led them back to the table and pulled out a chair for himself.

“Welcome” I smiled to him and stood to serve his food.

As I walked away, I could feel his eyes behind my back, I smiled to myself and glanced over my shoulder only when I had reached

the stove, he was still staring with this big warm smile on his lips. I giggled then proceeded to dishing his meal.

When I brought it, I placed it before him and as I turned to leave, he grabbed me by the hand, looked me warmly in the eyes and said, “I am so sorry for

everything I put you through, for everything I put us through. I promise you, I would never hurt you again, never in this life, I will be the very best husband from here onwards"

True to his promise, he was. He came home on time, same time every day.

He removed all passwords

on his phones. He began to assist me in domestic chores; cleaning the house, bathing the kids and even doing the dishes.

He no longer insisted on eating freshly cooked meals, he ate whatever I served him, as long as it was warm.

My home was full of peace and love, the kids were happy and doing brilliantly at school. Everything was perfect, just the way I had always wanted it to be; but it was a little too late.

I had no more love for Kayode in my heart.

<<<<<>>>>>>

On the fifth

month of my return, his best friend Tony visited us from Abuja.

His office had sent him to Lagos to oversee the completion of a project and because our home was big, Kayode insisted that he should not stay in a hotel but stay with us.

I did not mind as Tony had been a friend to me as well. In fact, during the trying times of my marriage to Kayode, right up to the moment he threw me out of our home and brought in another woman, Tony was there to give me a listening ear and words to strengthen me.

The day he

arrived, Kayode picked him up from the airport and me and the girls received him warmly when he walked through our door.

Tony, full of energy, charisma, kindness, a peace maker and very good with kids, we liked having him around.

On the third day of his visit, Kayode

travelled for a business meeting as was his custom, leaving us in the care of Tony.

I didn’t mind. I enjoyed having him around, not only was he my friend and confidant, he was very helpful around the house.

At 37 years old and unmarried, he was older than me with six

years yet he never let me clean up after him when he ate – he would take his plates to the sink, wash them as well as every other plate that had been sitting on the sink.

He was a pure and complete gentleman.

One Wednesday, he offered to drive the kids to their school as he

was not going to work that day. I allowed him, feeling ever grateful for his help.

When he got back, we ate and then it began to rain.

We settled down to a bottle of wine in the sitting room, each of us with a blanket, gisting and simply enjoying the weather….

I don't remember who started what, all I remember is the warmth of his breath against my lips, his fingers touching my skin, pulling down the straps of my vest and cupping my small breast in his palms.

We made love on the floor of the sitting room, for the very first time and

it was the best sex of my life!

With Kayode, I faked every emotion but with Tony, I let myself go and he took me to heights I didn’t even know existed.

I came thrice.

And we didn’t stop, it was too good to stop.

When Kayode returned, we carried on as normal, sneakily

finding ways to satisfy each other, as if he wasn’t there.

For the first time in a long time, I was happy, very happy…

<<>>
By the end of his project, he confessed to being in love with me and I too confessed the same.

<<<<<<>>>>>>>

I found out that I was pregnant months after Tony’s departure.  I knew that it wasn’t Kayodes’ but I told him anyway and he ignorantly concluded that it was his.

He even called Tony as his best friend to inform him of the ‘good news’, Tony then

called me right afterwards and together, we laughed at Kayode’s foolishness!

I went on to have the baby in the U.S.A and it was a boy. Kayode could almost not contain himself, he was so happy to have a son at last, so much so that he bought me a Benz, renovated my kitchen and

held a huge party for my sake and that of the new baby.

Tony was there for the party.

That night, when the party was over and everyone had returned to their destination and my household had all gone to bed, I snuck into Tony’s room and there, he made sweet love to me.

_____________

My affair with Tony thrived, and by the third year, I bore him another son.

Kayode believing the sons were for him practically began to worship me. He handled me like an egg, giving me every and anything I wanted – all I needed to do was ask.

He did everything

in his power to make sure that I was happy and at peace with him over the wrong he had done me years back, it was like he was spending every day of his life trying to make up for the past but little did he know that I did not care anymore.

No matter what he did to impress me,

in whatever magnitude, it meant nothing to me.

I would laugh with him, thank him, ride him crazily in the bedroom, do all my duties as a wife with such meek composure but all of that was a facade to cover the bitterness and the hatred for him that truly dwelled in my heart

Now, I had two sons who were citizens of U.S.A, my daughters already had their passports so did I and Tony.

<<<<>>>
On the anniversary of mine and Tony’s fourth year together and in adherence to our plan, I waited for Kayode to go to work then I packed my bags with that of

of the children, took whatever thing I may need, dropped a letter of confession – a letter depicting my true thoughts and feelings and I left the house for the airport where Tony was already waiting for us.

—–

Hours later as the plane sped through the night sky, I

grinned to myself as I imagined the look on Kayode’s face as he read my letter.

god, I wish I was there to witness it firsthand. To watch the pain crawl up into his eyes, the betrayal arrest his chest, and the shock weaken his knees or maybe his back, as he probably

would be sitting reading it since I left the letter on the edge of our bed…

What a show it would have been, what a satisfying show! 

I turned my head to Tony sleeping besides me, and my kids – all four of them on the opposite isle of the plane

and my heart rejoiced in triumph. We were going away to start a new life – together, far away from the shores of Nigeria.

I won.

Never you push a good woman, never you take her love and devotion for granted for you could be creating a demon with your very own hands.

Chicago, here we come!

The End

Written by Kylie Joy Terundu.