Sleeping with the enemy

‘Sorry I don’t feel sleepy, that’s why I came over here so my movement wont disturb you. I didn’t realise you were still awake.’ I replied from the lone bedroom couch I was sitting on. ‘I had just put off the light after my night supplications when you stepped in. I thought you were coming […]

‘Sorry I don’t feel sleepy, that’s why I came over here so my movement wont disturb you. I didn’t realise you were still awake.’ I replied from the lone bedroom couch I was sitting on.

‘I had just put off the light after my night supplications when you stepped in. I thought you were coming straight to bed but then you went to sit over there and put on the reading lamp. I wonder what’s so captivating that you can’t put it down till tomorrow?’ he enquired.

‘Oh it’s just a new book on natural ways to detox your system and guard against diseases. Nothing so exciting really.‘ I answered.

‘It’s nothing so exciting yet you are willing to spend half the night on a couch reading it at the risk of waking up late tomorrow to get the children ready for school? Haba, Bint, get your priorities right.’ He protested.

‘Ok it’s like this’ I said walking towards the bed to sit next to him ‘I promised my junior colleague Abida a way out of her troubles tomorrow. But I can’t think of anything now.  Try hard as I might I couldn’t find a solution beyond what she proffered and I rejected. So I’m only holding the book but in truth I am not reading it. My mind is working hard at trying to find the right advice for her.’ I explained.

‘And what might her problem be?’ he asked turning to face me.

‘She was distraught to find out that her husband has been working against her. She wanted to walk out on him immediately but I insisted that that wasn’t the best solution.’ I said.

‘What do you mean by working against her? That’s too vague. ‘ Tahir responded.

‘Well those were her words actually. But what she explained was that he always took a lot of interest in what she did and so she wasn’t in the least suspicious when he went out of his way to our immediate boss. They became quite friendly even with the boss’ family. But what amazed Abida was that despite their growing familiarity our boss kept denying her many things she asked for. She said there was a day she applied for a car loan seeing that her car was old and problem-prone, but after meeting all the requirements, management wrote to tell her that she couldn’t get the loan.

The second thing was when officers on her level were listed down for a capacity-building course, out of blues she was told that she didn’t qualify.  And so she alone was taken off the list a day after it was pasted. The final straw was when she was by-passed for promotion though even officers junior to her were moved up. She protested the matter only to be told that she didn’t perform well in the year under review. Knowing how well she believed she had been working, Abida rushed home and poured everything out to her husband.

He was sympathetic enough but when she said she planned to write a petition and list her grievances he said no. He insisted that she should let the matter pass since it had already happened.  She reminded him that it could happen again if she did not show her grievance this time but he said she must not, while offering no other solution. The next day at work Abida disregarded her husband’s advice and went to our boss to protest her mistreatment. He said he was sorry she felt that way but that there was nothing they could do now, they can only avoid such in future. It was not until she was talking to her boss’ wife that she heard what her persecution was all about. Apparently her husband had been calling her boss to campaign against anything she applied for using all sorts of excuses to win the man’s sympathy.’ I concluded.

‘But how is that possible?’ Tahir asked incredulously.

‘It’s not that difficult really. First of all she discusses everything with him at home before she goes to work, so that gives him prior knowledge of what she planned to ask for. Like in the case of the car, he called Abida’s boss and said it was just because he had a new car that she was insisting on getting a new car too. He claimed that her car was fine she was merely trying to compete with him.  He appealed to Boss not to approve her loan application as it will only be a burden on him if she failed to pay. Then when she mentioned the possibility of travelling alone because she had been chosen to attend a course in another town, he begged her boss to remove her name because, he claimed, there was no one else to stay with their children.

But his biggest catch was when he discouraged the management from promoting her. His excuse was that she will grow uncontrollable. That even now with the money she currently earns she feels she is rich enough to afford anything, that by the time her pay is increased, she might start to disrespect him. Now for some foolish reason Abida’s boss kept listening to him and obliging him. According to Boss’ wife it was this last one which involved promotion that kept pricking his conscience. He decided that he had to stop obliging Abida’s husband and said ‘never again’. It was after making this resolve that he told his wife about the problem.’ I narrated.

‘But your boss is also a moral coward, how can he deny a woman what is her legitimate due because her husband can’t accept her progress? ‘ Tahir asked, sitting up. ‘And I honestly never knew there are still men with such low self-esteem.’

‘It seems there are. Anyway she came straight to my office after being with her boss’s wife. Abida cried her heart out and told me she planned to walk out on this marriage because she couldn’t see how she can continue to sleep with the enemy. I begged her to let this go and look out for future misdeed but she wouldn’t even consider it. I finally advised her to confront him with the allegations. If he denied them by simply saying they were untrue and she should disregard the rumour, she should know that he had committed the offence. But if he denied and insists on coming to meet our boss or finding where the rumour started, then she should give him a chance to prove his innocence. Now my problem is, Abida has agreed to take my advice but on condition that if she finds him guilty the marriage is over. She believes that he could not possibly love her if could go around spreading lies in her name and trying to retard her progress. I found her  solution too drastic, so I promised her another. But I have been silently brainstorming since I returned from the office, yet I’ve been unable to find a suitable solution beyond what she herself suggested.’ I confessed.

‘Why didn’t you ask my opinion on the matter?’ he asked.

‘Well mainly because as a man, I’m not sure you would be so sympathetic. Then there is the issue of the possibility that you could do the same to me when the circumstance is right.’ I replied.

‘Believe me Bint, I will never consider doing the same to you. I have enough self-confidence to know that whatever you become in life you cannot be a threat to me you can only complement my own achievements. Again, I believe I will be honest enough to reach out to you if I were disturbed by anything that concerns you, I won’t ask some total stranger to humiliate you on my behalf. So rest assured that with me you’ll have no such case. As for Abida, let her decide what she feels is best once she finds her husband guilty. Do not force your views on her, you are not the one living with a spineless liar.’ He advised.

‘No, I am not’ I said I said reaching out to touch his cheek, ‘my hero is honest and confident.’ I added.