Endless Tears Episode 11
Tina paced the kitchen nervously. Her brain was in overdrive and she
did not have the slightest idea about what to do. It has been three days
since the abominable Miss Lisa entered the house and the house was
practically on fire, but that was not what was getting on Tina’s nerves.
Ever since Amara moved into another room, Tina hadn’t set her eyes on
her. She had practically locked herself inside the room without opening
the door. No single sound came out of the room and it was beginning to
scare Tina to death. Since she hadn’t even opened the door, it was
obvious that she hadn’t eaten anything for the past three days.
The frustration was too much for Tina to handle and she paraded Amara’s
door endlessly, knocking loud and hard enough to rouse the dead and
speaking both softly and sharply through the door, but she hadn’t
received even a sound in response. She had repeatedly left meals by the
door, hoping that Amara would at least eat, even if she did not want to
see anyone but she always ended up retrieving the cold meals untouched
until Lisa yelled her brains out, threatening to get her fired if she
continued to waste her ‘husband’s resources on a hopeless village
dropout’.
Fear gripped Tina as she wondered what had happened to Amara. Three
days! Yet Amara was not opening the door. She had pushed aside negative
thoughts at first but since yesterday, she couldn’t but think about evil
things. ‘What if she slipped and fell in the bathroom?’… ‘She might be
terribly sick’… All her attempts to stop her fears proved abortive. She
had tried to bring the matter up before Mr. Alex but she never got to
meet him alone and every time she got to mention Amara’s name Miss Lisa
would shut her up instantly, saying that she and her hussy were not
interested in spoiling their mood with the ‘village tramp’ and that she
should mind her business and do what she was employed to do instead of
carrying gossips. Mr. Alex had also seemed to be in perfect sync with
Miss Lisa. Tina did not believe that a man could be so cold and
heartless.
“Hey” Tina jerked and saw Tola looking at her with a frown. “Do you want
to drill holes into the expensive kitchen tiles? What is eating you
up?” Tola asked.
Tina did not need to be told that Tola disliked Amara, it had been
obvious since day one, but still, Tina felt obliged to share her worry,
hoping beyond hope that Tola would put aside her hatred and help her
find a solution to this issue. “I am worried Tola” Tina responded.
Tola hissed. “I can see that clearly. My question is why?”
Tina hesitated then threw caution to the wind as anxiety took over. “It
is our madam, Amara. She has not opened the door to her room for the
past three days. I am getting scared.
Tola frowned deeply, looking terribly worried to the surprise and relief
of Tina. “Oh my God! And you are just telling me now? You always spend
time with her and since she was always used to staying in her room, I
did not notice anything weird” she seemed startled now.
This made Tina more worried. “I know. I should have told you but I
thought she just wanted to be left alone and was sulking because of Miss
Lisa’s arrival, but this is the third day Tola. She has been in there
without eating for three days. I am so scared.”
“Jesus” she breathed. “Let’s go there again” she started out of the kitchen instantly and Tina hastily followed.
When they got to Amara’s room, the knocked and banged endlessly and
called out but there was no response. They tried to open the door but it
was firmly locked. Sweat gathered on Tina’s forehead and she wiped it
away, feeling cold all over. Her heart raced in fear.
“Jesus! What are we going to do Tina?” Tola asked getting equally agitated.
“I don’t know” Tina almost screamed. “That is why I told you. Miss Lisa
knows but she does not give a damn. She hasn’t allowed me to tell Mr.
Alex either” she swallowed. “What if… what if something happened to her?
What if…”
“Oh Tina, shut up. You are beginning to scare me” Tola mouthed
nervously. “Come, let’s see if we can find a spare key to open the door”
Tina nodded, even though she had already done that before, searching
again was a very good idea.
**********
**********
I raised my hand weakly and rubbed my hot face. I heard knocks on the
door but totally ignored it and the voices that came afterwards. Even
if I wanted to answer, there was no strength left in me to talk. I
mustered enough strength to push myself off the bed and almost fell back
down.
I had stayed in the room ever since I received the bomb shell from Alex
and even now, the words still made me double over in pain. During my
three days of ‘room arrest’, I have cried more than I have ever cried in
my life. The tears just kept pouring and pouring until there was no
strength left in me to cry. The water from the tap in the toilet’s
washing-hand basin was the only thing sustaining me.
The three days have been terribly hard, filled with pain and intense
hunger which was almost maddening, probably because I am pregnant and my
baby was demanding food. I whispered to my baby every now and then,
telling myself that I am not alone. I continued to comfort my child,
begging him to bear with me. The isolation was necessary.
After staying alone, the reality of loneliness dawned on me. I finally
reached a resolve. I have reached my terminal where crying is concerned.
I have finally realized that crying over Alex was a hopeless cause and a
waste of time and energy. All I have in this world is my child, whom I
would continue to cherish, no matter what I am up against.
I managed to drag my dehydrated self to the bathroom and relieved my
full bladder before quenching my killing thirst by drinking from the tap
in the toilet. My eyes seemed to have sunk into their sockets as I
looked at myself in the mirror. I was a shadow of myself and I knew I
would have to change that. Despite my starvation, my breasts were much
fuller than they were months back, giving me a more shapely body than I
originally possessed and I knew it was due to the pregnancy. After
drinking my fill, I washed my face and left the bathroom slowly. There
was no strength left in me due to lack of food and the water I just
drank woke up a hunger that could not be ignored. It was disheartening
that I had to treat Tina the way I did but I just could not see anyone.
If I had seen her earlier, I was pretty sure I would take my anger out
on her and that would be terrible since she did not deserve it.
I opened the door of my room and walked out weakly, grabbing the walls
for support whenever my legs shook. I was on the verge of a new
beginning and the first step would be to quench this abominable hunger. I
held the railings of the stairs in a viselike grip as I went down.
Immediately I got to the landing of the stairs, Tina and Tola stopped
the search they involved in and turned, nearly jumping out of their
skins when they saw me.
“Amara” Tina gasped.
This was the first time she called me by my name since she discovered
that I was Alex’s wife and I was pleased by the timing. Now, I could
confidently call her my friend. “Christ! You have almost killed me with
worry” she jumped to my side instantly. “This is terrible! How can you
be so inconsiderate in your condition?”
“Thanks Tina” I managed weakly as I bent from extreme hunger. “And you
too Tola” I whispered, remembering that I heard her worried voice,
minutes ago. “Thanks for your concern” I swallowed. “I am terribly
hungry though” I smiled weakly at Tina.
She jumped to action right away, going into the kitchen and working with
lightning speed, condemning my actions like a mother as she worked. I
sat in the kitchen with her, contented to hear her angry words. Tola
hung around, not saying anything. I smiled softly at her and relaxed
against the backrest of the chair with my eyes closed.
A plate of indomie was placed at my front faster than I imagined and I
attacked it like a hungry lion. As I ate, she took a large piece of
chicken from the microwave and put it on my plate. I ate like I have
never eaten before and the rich aroma of piping hot tea drifted to my
nostrils and my desire to eat increased several degrees. She placed the
steaming cup before me and stood back to watch me eat. I grabbed the cup
instantly, taking a careful sip before continuing my meal, muffling my
thanks between mouthfuls.
After draining the last drop of tea minutes later, I could confidently say that my hunger had been quenched.
“Why did you lock yourself in?” Tina asked with a disapproving frown.
“I was charting a new course”. I smiled at her confusion and stood up,
walking out of the kitchen with Tina at my heels. “By the way, where is
Alex’s mistress?” I asked unconcerned as I made for my room. Tina
followed me, probably to make sure I did not lock myself in again.
“She went shopping” she responded.
I nodded with my smile still intact. “I would take my bath and get
dressed. I need you to follow me somewhere. Are you free” I asked.
“Of course. Where are we going?” she asked as we entered my room.
“We are going shopping”. Her eyes widened.
**********
**********
Tina and I left the house and returned hours later with several heavy
nylon bags. She had insisted we take a driver but I was not interested,
the idea of walking around was more appealing to me and we later got a
taxi to bring us home, due to the weight of the bags. The bags were
filled with clothes, and definitely, more than half were baby clothes
and toys. I hadn’t been able to leave behind a single baby thing. Lisa
assured me that there was more than enough money in the credit card and I
asked her to teach me how to use it which she did eagerly. We bought
the clothes from a cheap store and I found myself smiling genuinely with
thoughts of my child floating around my head.
Apart from buying baby things, I had decided to harken to the words of
my parents by buying some suitable clothes for myself. I bought mostly
gowns which were free from just beneath my bust because this would
conceal my tummy effectively. The clothes were so beautiful and I could
not wait to try them on. My three days indoors made me come to the
conclusion that my parents had been right after all. I couldn’t stick
with Alex. Despite my dislike for the word ‘divorce’, I was forced to
see the reality of the fact that there is no future for Alex and me,
because even if through some sheer miracle, I forgive him for all he has
done, I would never forget, and the pain would hunt our relationship
till the end of my days. Right from the time that Alex told me I was
nothing more than a betting competition to him, everything called love
that I felt for him died instantly, replaced by hatred which grew with
each passing minute. I only have my child, my parents and myself; the
earlier I accept that, the better. There is one other person who loves
me though; I smiled at Tina, grateful to God that she is with me.
“Why do I have the nagging feeling that these clothes look more than what we actually bought?” she asked with a frown.
I smiled and changed the subject. “I am happy you finally call me Amara.
At least, something good came out of locking myself up in the room” I
said as we entered the house.
She scoffed “The only thing you achieved with that is putting your child
at risk. We need to go to the hospital to have you properly checked-up”
I laughed. “It is not that serious. My little baby boy also agrees that the fast was necessary” I replied confidently.
She snorted as we entered the house.
“Where are you coming from?” Alex’s voice rang out silently. I glanced
over at the couch and saw him looking at me. Lisa was lying on the chair
with her head on his laps, feeding him crackers. My glance did not take
more than a second and I continued up with stairs without a word,
pulling the bags of clothes along.
“Are you deaf? I said where are you coming from?” he repeated with more authority.
“Are you blind? You have eyes, use them” I returned as I paused.
“Are you talking to me?” he boomed with surprise showing in his voice. I
turned to look at him squarely and Tina quickly got out of the way.
“Are you daft as well as blind? Of course, I am talking to you. I see no
reason why I should owe you any explanation for my movements. Need I
remind you of the words of the very same agreement we signed? I am
allowed to do whatsoever I feel like in this house. After serious
thinking, I have decided that the agreement is probably the only
sensible thing that has happened to me ever since I met you. Secondly, I
greatly hope you keep the credit card you gave me loaded with money
because I am a pregnant woman who would need a lot of cash to keep up
with the demands of motherhood. That should not be a problem since you
seem to possess more money than brain. The former Amara is gone. She
died three days ago. You better not mess with the woman standing here,
because if you do, you would taste the wrath of a woman’s scorn.” I
paused to catch my breath and continued calmly. “I am the woman of the
house here and I expect my demands to be met. If you find that you would
not be able to cope with me and want to grant me the divorce I asked
for earlier, I would be more than happy to sign the divorce papers, but
be rest assured Alex…” I smiled “… that I would destroy your life just
as you destroyed mine before I leave you alone”
“You threaten me?” I asked with a softly deceptive voice which made him sound terribly dangerous.
I smiled sweetly. “No sweetheart, it is not a threat; it is a promise”
I turned and marched up to my bedroom, leaving them stunned and
speechless. When I finally sat on my bed, I realized that Tina was
looking at me like I had grown four heads. I smiled.
“Mr. Alex does not take threats lightly” she said, looking agitated.
I nodded. “I am not expecting him to” I said. “Thanks for your help
today Tina, I am totally exhausted” I sighed. “Yes! I have something for
you” I declared and she frowned.
I checked the nylon bags and saw the one I was looking for. It was a
nylon filled with clothes. I gave it to her and her eyes widened. “This
is for you” I grinned happily.
“No” she gasped. “It can’t be for me.” She gasped more when she checked
the clothes. While we shopped, I had noticed her eyes hovering dreamily
over some clothes and I had taken note. In order to pick out the clothes
and some more without her notice, I had sent her to get me something,
picking the clothes behind her back. “I can’t possibly wear these” she
seemed close to tears. “And they are really expensive”
I smiled affectionately at her. “Oh Tina, come on. Do you know the
magnitude of what you have been doing for me? A truck load of clothes
would not be able fully appreciate your help. When I needed a friend,
you were there”
“But I did not ask for anything in return”
“I know. I just noticed that you loved these clothes and bought them,
besides, you deserve more for putting up with my insatiable choices
today without complaining. Here” I gave her another nylon which was just
halfway full. “For Tola. I don’t want her getting jealous. She was also
worried about me earlier, so she deserves it” I smiled.
She thanked me profusely and the excitement of having clothes took over
her. I saw sadness flash in her eyes and became curious. “It is just a
shame that I won’t be able to wear them anytime soon since I have to
always be in my uniform” she explained.
I had totally forgotten about that little piece of detail. An idea
popped into my head and I grinned. “We would salvage that situation now.
Follow me” I stood and charged out of the room with Tina following in
confusion and agitation. I could hear Lisa’s angry voice screaming at a
silent Alex and I smiled, knowing that I was the subject of discussion. I
got to the sitting room and Lisa fell silent as she glared at me.
“Yes” I began. “Remember, I told you I would be taking charge of some
things as the madam of the house? Well, I am about to change something. I
just bought some clothes for my dear friend here but noticed that the
uniform she is mandated to wear would restrict her from putting on the
clothes and I won’t have that. From today, I put an end to the uniform.
The girls would put on anything they feel like, but for moderacy, they
would be restricted to putting on gowns. I just decided to let you know”
I said with an air of indifference, ignoring Tina’s gasp.
“You must be joking. Who do you think you are to enforce laws in this
house?” Lisa yelled with her hands furiously jammed to her waist as she
tapped her feet, standing pensively.
I glanced at her like a piece of pest. “Last time I checked, I wasn’t a
comedian. And whenever I talk in this house, you keep your filthy mouth
shut because I am the only one with the legal rights in this house, not
you. You are nothing more than a concubine or a mistress who is enjoying
the privilege of being in this house. Now, shut your mouth because I am
talking to my husband, not you and I won’t have you interrupt my
speech” I shifted my eyes to Alex. “The issue of this uniform is not up
for discussion and has been settled because I have given my approval” I
faced a pale-faced Tina. “You can go Tina, inform Tola about this and I
wish to see you both changed with immediate effect. The three of us
would go shopping tomorrow to select more gowns for you both” I said
finally and walked up the stairs with my head held high.
