PART 26
“NWALA: THE BITTERSWEET STORY”
©️ Opeyemi Akintunde.
As Inspired by the LIVING WORD.
I was back at the house. I was staring at the ceiling wondering what I ought to do.
A knock at my door intercepted my thoughts.
“Who is there?”
“Amara!”
“Come in” I said
Amara settled in on my bed.
“Are you okay?” she asked
“I am fine”
“Can I discuss something with you”
“Shoot” I said
“Alright! Thank you. Nwala like you know, Life has throw lemons at me, and with God’s help through your family, I am gradually making lemonades out of it. For years after my parents died, I have come to terms to living off the remnants of others, No offense, but when mum goes shopping, and she gets you five tops for instance, she will generously get me two, but most times you usually end up not liking most of the wears and you give them to me. At this point, I think I don’t mind if you give me something you may not be using any more”
“Like what?” I asked
“Reuben”
I lost her for some seconds. It felt like my brain froze. The effrontery! The well-articulated speech! The begging with Wisdom!
The trance or premonition about her and Reuben ending up together flashed before me…
“Amara, please leave my room!”
“I will leave after you tell me where you stand with him. You have not left this house for a whole week, that tells me there is trouble in your paradise”
“And you noticed I have not left this house in a week, and your insensitive self did not think of asking if all was well, instead, you came here to snatch my boyfriend. Well, since you came here to find out my relationship status, here is your answer… My relationship is fine… can you leave right now?”
“I know it is not fine”
“Amara! What is it? What do you want to hear” I yelled
“The truth!”
“Oh you think you can take what I drop? No you can’t take this, because this is beyond you…”
“Try me” Amara replied defiantly
I was losing it by the minute…
“Can you marry a man who may be relegated to the wheelchair forever?” I said making it sound like a big deal.
“You said “May be relegated”, you are not sure, if I were you, considering the fact that he is a Godly man, being on a wheelchair will be the least of my worries”
“So you wouldn’t mind not having kids? Amara! he is partially paralyzed from his waist down” I said screaming in frustration.
“At least he is only partly paralyzed, does that not give you hope that things will get better” Amara said defiantly again
“So while I wait, I won’t enjoy love making? Or how do you think romance and lovemaking will be with a partially paralyzed man?”
“Nwala, is marriage all about sex?” Amara asked
“Is it not?”
“No… my dear, if marriage was only about sex, why do women who give their husband good sex not keep their homes? Nwala, which would you prefer, a wife-beater and emotionally abusive husband who is good in sex? Or a good loving, caring husband who is not good in bed?”
“That’s a rhetorical question, the second option is the most logical one, but sweetheart what is marriage without good sex?” I asked
“What is marriage without peace?” Amara answered my question with a question.
I went mute and that gave Amara the time to say more.
“Nwala, I would rather marry a man who is Godly, caring, loving and gives me peace, than a man who will eventually kill me before my time.
Don’t you think having peace and living a long life is better than a short life full of sex”
“So Amara, you can marry an impotent man?”
“Yes… Nwala, what is impotency?” She asked
“Inability to make love to a woman” I answered
“No that is limiting it to one area of life. Impotency in a man is the inability of a man to meet his partner’s needs. And my dear, we have several needs: there is material needs, financial needs, emotional needs… Nwala, some men are financially impotent, but good on bed… Ask the wife how she is coping. Some men are emotionally impotent, they may be good on bed but the wife does not feel loved… Nwala, if a man is lacking in one area, you live with it and enjoy other areas he is potent and productive”
“How do I cope with this?”
“If I were in your shoes, I would take my mind off sex, adopt kids, build and enjoy a friendship and love-based marriage”
“Your father and I have not had sexual intercourse in the last fifteen years because of your father’s health condition…”
My mother revealed herself from the corner she had been eavesdropping. She entered the room after the big revelation. I was shocked about the fifteen years. My parents still behaved like lovebirds, hugging and kissing themselves all over the house.
“Sex is part of the marriage pack, alongside friendship, peace, communication, love, and so on… It is not the main thing. Nwala, Amara came to me asking if I was serious about giving her Reuben if you were not interested, and I told her to come ask you personally for the last time. Just as I wanted a good life for you, so also I owe her a good life, her mother was my best friend, sister, helper, so Amara’s joy is important to me”
I stood staring at both of them with so much emotions tugging at my heart; from disbelief, betrayal, indecision all happening to me at the same time.
“Give me sometime to think about it” I replied
“How long” You have left him for a week, and this is the best time to get his attention. Now, he will be hurting and needing a friend…” Amara said
I couldn’t believe Amara had it all thought out.
“Give me a day” I said with a note of finality in my voice.
To be continued.
