His desperate remedy

Tahir had just walked into the sitting room, for his daily network news ritual at 9pm, when my phone began to ring. Before I could reach it and pick he was already seated next to me on the settee. When I finally reached the phone and lifted it to see my caller, I quickly decided […]

Tahir had just walked into the sitting room, for his daily network news ritual at 9pm, when my phone began to ring. Before I could reach it and pick he was already seated next to me on the settee. When I finally reached the phone and lifted it to see my caller, I quickly decided it wasn’t the kind of call to pick while sitting next to him. So I answered the call and rose to leave at the same time. But Tahir will have none of that. He grabbed my skirt-wrapper and dragged me back to where I was seated. 

‘If there is no one plotting against me at the other end of the line, why don’t you just pick your call here?’ He joked.

‘I can pick the call here but that will mean disturbing your news-viewing or don’t you mind that?’ I replied, covering the mouth piece to prevent Kubra from hearing his comments. 

‘At least tell me whose call is so important that you can’t ignore it during the one hour that’s sacred to us in this house?’ He demanded in mock anger. 

‘It’s Kubra, and we do have some unfinished business that can’t wait. But I promise to keep it short.’ I whispered, before walking away. ‘Hello, sorry I kept you waiting since I picked the call. Tahir was in a Clinging Ivy mood today. He said I should pick the call while sitting right next to him because it is our sacred news-viewing hour. As if we do anything other than watch network news. Any way, how have you been since we last met?’ I asked.

‘I’ve been fine alhamdulillah. In fact I just received a call from my joker of a husband and decided to update you with the latest gist. You know I told you last week that he was yet to respond to my request for a divorce letter. Well he phoned an hour ago and said he wanted my address because we needed to talk. I told him that in these days of the telephone, we need not meet before we can talk. So I urged him to say whatever he wanted to say because I was free to listen. He reluctantly agreed and started off by apologising for all that he did wrong. He didn’t know what came over him that he even thought of taking another wife but he will certainly make things right for all of us if I would just pack my things and return. He said the main house was there untouched, just like I left it, because he allowed no one to go near it. Finally, his great joker, that he is willing to divorce his new wife once I assured him that I will return, along with our children, to resume our old and happy life.’ Kubra disclosed.

‘And what did you say to that?’ I asked.

‘I told him that his new wife wasn’t my problem, so her being there or not won’t make any difference to me. I said that if I were to consider resuming this marriage, then he will have to be in a position to take care of us. I advised him to look for something to do first, to prove to me he is ready to pick our bills henceforth, then I will be ready to remain in this marriage. As it is, I can only see him coming after me because he no longer has a breadwinner to care for him, and I told him so. But he protested my condition and asked me where he will get a job now that he’s almost fifty years old and had no work experience. I told him that he can borrow money to start some business venture, anything, to make him self-reliant. I even advised him to contact his rich uncle and ask for some venture capital with which to start. But I emphasised that until he does so I will not even consider a reconciliation. Then I told him my second condition, which is that I will remain in my new home and his wife can move into the main building in our old house because I have already bought this house and gone to a lot of trouble to settle in it, so I won’t even consider leaving it now. Therefore if he wants to resume this marriage he will have to start shuttling between his two houses. He protested that things won’t be the same as before if we remain in my new house, and I frankly told him that things won’t ever be the same because he has to learn to feed and provide for two branches of his family from now on. After a little silence he replied that he will think about my conditions and get back to me tomorrow.’ Kubra concluded.

‘That’s very good Kubra, the conditions you gave are the right ones. For someone who had been married for 15 years and yet never knew how to cater for his family, he had a big break in life. It is now time for him to face reality and learn to be a responsible husband. In any case it is what all other husbands do, so you are not exactly asking for the moon. If he calls and agrees tomorrow, please resume the marriage, even if it’s for the sake of your children. But if he tries to wriggle out of any of the conditions, stand your ground and insist. He has to be made to grow up.’ I advised.

‘Thanks a lot Hajiya Bint. This is just what I need. A strong moral support.’ Kubra declared, gratefully.