COURT CHRONICLES: AJAYI VS AJAYI 2

 

“Your honor, first let me say this, nothing anybody say can make me stay with my husband, I made the decision to leave this marriage twenty-six years ago…” The entire court gasped for air or expressed their shock as if on que.

“Order!” The bailiff commanded and we all kept quiet.

“Please continue Mrs. Ajayi.” The judge encouraged.

“I decided then and I have been patiently waiting for today. I didn’t want to say anything for the same reason I didn’t leave years ago. I didn’t want my children to grow up in a broken home or learn of their fathers’ shortcomings. I married my husband as a young lady, and I told him my boundaries. I explained to him the horror my father put my mother through and how it turned her into an insecure and bitter woman. I begged him not to ever make me feel like that and he promised. I started suspecting him when I was pregnant with our second son. My husband changed and wouldn’t come home on time. The little things he normally did that made me happy, he stopped it. My concern was not his priority anymore. I began to feel unseen and unimportant. I called my husband; I reminded him of his promises, but he dismissed me. Having my second son was a very traumatic experience for me and I thought I had a good support system, but my husband wasn’t available for me emotionally or physically. I begged this man many times, relating my fears and insecurity, he said I was nagging, insecure and projecting my fears on him. I was crying day and night and explaining myself to my husband, he didn’t do anything about it. So, I put all my attention on my children and business and learnt to live with the new version of him. I was thinking maybe I was insecure for no reason, or I was letting my mother’s experience reflect on me. I tried very hard to move on, but I just knew in my spirit this man was cheating on me. I got pregnant with my last child, Deola, it was then I caught my husband red handed with another woman! I was coming from the clinic, and I needed to buy some drugs urgently, I went to his office to get the money and as luck would have it, his secretary was not on seat, I opened his office door and I found my husband and his secretary in hot romance, almost tearing each other’s clothes off.  It was the worst day of my life; I thought I was going to die.” Tears were flowing freely from her face by now and the court officer handed her a tissue paper. She accepted it, thanked him, cleaned her face, sipped from the water in front of her and continue talking.

“My lord, as I was saying, I didn’t know how I got home that day, it was a miracle that I didn’t lose the baby because I was already under stress and that was the reason I needed the drugs. I didn’t know how I ended up at my mom’s house on my way home, I narrated what I just saw, and she sympathized with me, she told me it’s a burden most women have to carry especially when they are pregnant. she said my husband will come home and beg me and as long as he begs me, he loves me and doesn’t want to lose me, and I should forgive him and try to forget what I saw. I asked my mother, ‘what if he’s not remorseful?’ She said, ‘it means he doesn’t really care,’ and I should not kill myself and fixed my love on my children, business and wellbeing. She emphasized that if I die, the other woman will move in and take over my children and home. I cleaned my eyes, and I went home. On my way home I had a lot of time to reflect and as we African women do, I somehow believed it was my fault my husband stepped out. I waited for my husband to come home and beg me, he came home after several hours and the first thing he said to me was, “So now that you have seen what you are looking for, are you happy? You will just die.” It was like ten people punched me in the face, my heart flew out of my body, I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked my husband if that was the apology I deserved, and he told me he will never apologize for finding happiness. I asked him,”

“What about me? What about our children? What are we?” Your honor, he looked me straight in the eyes and say,”

“You are my duty! You can stay or leave after you have this baby but not with my children!”

“It was there and then I decided I was over, and I was only performing my duties as a wife” She stopped and faced her husband whose mouth was ajar and was covered in sweat.  There was a lot of mummering going on in the court. Some were sympathizing with the man and others were for her

“And so? So she kept that for twenty-five years? Fear women!”

“It’s a long time now, she should have forgiven him.”

“Men are really scum, and he was saying he loves her.”

“Women dey endure o.”

“Wicked woman! She for don try kill this man oo.”

“Wow! This is revenge served cold.”

“Order! The court officer said.”

“Akin, do you remember? I’m sure you do, or have you forgotten? I begged you; I told you not to turn me to a bitter woman, I told you not to ever make me feel unsafe in my own home but what did you do? You did exactly that!” she said almost yelling and for the first time I could hear anger in her voice as she turned her attention back to the judge.

“Your honor, this man broke my heart, took away my security and made me into the woman I didn’t want to be! A woman who was just coexisting with her husband, who had no love and is full of anger. I gave you everything! I was faithful, loyal and supportive. I left my dreams to follow yours, I gave up my happiness that worried you, I told you my fears and you used everything to hurt me! I have been full of raging anger since that day, but I was not going to leave my children for another person to raise. My husband carried on with his extra martials affairs, he as deviant, carefree and didn’t care I knew about his numerous affairs. My husband only stopped when he had a health scare, and the doctor told him he could die, and his business also hit some rocks too. I decided to keep quiet and not see anything he was doing but he thought he had peace.” she shook her head and smiled coyly before facing her husband.

“You thought you broke me, right? Clipped my wings? Put me in my place, right? I began to plan my exit. I promised myself I will wait till all my children are settled and married; I didn’t want to put them through that pain of a broken home I had endured as a child. I began to save my money, I told him to put anything he wants to buy for us in our children’s name and if it was a gift for me, it should only carry my name. At first, he resisted but later he began putting our children’s name on things. When he bought me a car and put it in both of our names, I refused to drive it until he put it in my name. I was securing my future and counting days to my freedom, all the while carrying on with my wifely duty as if nothing happened, but I was so bitter and unhappy deep down. I stopped loving my husband a long time ago and was just coexisting with him. I stopped telling him things about myself and didn’t bother him with any of my responsibilities. Abi Akin, did I put my personal finances on you? Did I put my emotional needs on you? You thought I was a fool, right? You thought I was an understanding wife? You thought I was a good wife, quiet, submissive and obedient? Yes, I was, but it was because I had checked out a long time ago.” She shifted her gaze back to the judge and continued.

“I want to go and pursue my life, I gave you thirty-one years and it’s time to go and do the things I wanted to do, no children to think of, no husband to hold me down. I have secured a Canadian visa, and I am going to study to be what I have always wanted to be, an artist. The dream he said I should leave to be his wife and mother of your children. I could have gone without you knowing but I want to release you to be able to marry one of you mistresses or a new woman if need be. My lord. This is why I want to divorce my husband.”

The court was really quiet, and the judge was looking at Mrs. Ajayi as if she wanted read her soul. The judge opened her mouth and closed it about three times, it seemed she didn’t know what to say to Mrs. Ajayi so she asked Mr. Ajayi instead.

“What do you have to say to all these Mr. Ajayi?”

Mr. Ajayi looked perplexed; the shock was visible on him. He was having difficulty talking and for a moment I thought he would have a heart attack.

“I am sorry Aduke.” Was all he could murmur out.

“You are sorry? You are sorry now? It’s too late Akin! I left many years ago!”

THE END.

 

If you were the judge, what will you do? Will you send them to mediation or dissolve the marriage. Do you think Mrs. Ajayi should forgive her husband and stay or you think she should leave and go after her dreams. Let’s hear your thoughts,

WRITTEN AND EDITED BY: OLATORERA OLOWONYO

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