THE PERFECT WIFE

Chapter Fourteen

Sandra came home one fateful evening, just few days to Amaka's birthday and started packing her things. She was tired of the kind of life she was living and as she packed her belongings, she handed over her divorce papers to Nonso and asked him to sign it. She felt Nonso had not been responsible towards her at all and she couldn't cope with his present condition. Alhaji had promised to make her alot of money if she would agree to marry him as his sixth wife. After carefully weighing his proposal, she saw it as a better option compared to staying with Nonso where she would have to live from hand to mouth. The reason she had actually come into Nonso's life was because she felt she had a promising future with him but after the problem with Ebere coupled with the financial crises he later found himself, she no longer saw a reason to remain married to him. She was thankful she lost her baby then that way she wouldn't have any more connection with Nonso.

"I'm leaving your house. I am tired of your lifestyle of penury. These are the divorce papers, please do well to pen down your signature. I'm no longer marrying you." She said as she continued packing.

Nonso just kept his gaze fixed at her as of to say, "What took you this long to ask for a divorce? If you had done this earlier, I wouldn't have had to worry about Ebere leaving me again." As a matter of fact, he was very happy that the cause of his problems was finally leaving his life. He had learnt a great lesson from his meeting with Sandra. Not everything in skirts is worth dying for. Some just need to be ignored and the likes of Sandra were the ones. Marrying Sandra made him realize that not until two options are placed before you, you won't know the importance of choice. He made the wrong choice when he decided to dance to the tune of Sandra. Sandra was just a woman by nature of whom God created her to be and nothing more. She wouldn't survive in marriage because all she could offer was her body and nothing more. She never proffered solutions to problems and didn't understand the meaning of "for better for worse" in the marriage vows. Nonso didn't try to stop her and she didn't want to be stopped either. He took the documents from her and carefully penned down his signature. He made sure it was as neat as possible ensuring that anything that could cause irregularity in signature is totally eliminated. He kept his copy which he would submit to his lawyer afterwards incase any issue comes up in the future.

He watched as Sandra took all her belongings and left the house. She didn't say where she was going to and Nonso didn't bother to ask too.

"You can stay here and live all alone. Now I understand why Ebere left you. Tufia! Even if I see you in my dreams I will still wake up and run for my life." She said and banged the door as she took her leave. Nonso heaved a sigh of relief the moment she left. He took in a deep breath and exhaled deeply. It was the purest air he had exchanged in the last two years.

"Finally, the demon after my life has gone." Nonso said. That night was the best night Nonso ever had. He slept so peacefully and even when the mosquitoes disturbed, he didn't take notice of them. He finally saw a chance to get Ebere back. The only reason Ebere wanted a divorce was because of Sandra and now that she is gone, he would be able to get her back.

Nonso resumed work at the real estate enterprise the following day. On his first day at work, Chief Raymond handed a car to him for ease of transportation. He told him it would be his own personal car and not a property of the company. Nonso was dumbfounded as he never saw it coming and moreover, the car was the latest model. Chief Raymond also asked him to stay in one of the duplex in his real estate which were some of the special benefits of those who supervised his business. Nonso was shocked because in just one day, his life had turned around. He couldn't thank God enough because he knew he didn't deserve what he was getting. God was giving him another opportunity to make things right and he wasn't going to waste it. He moved into the well-furnished duplex and with his new car, Nonso felt the sweetness of life again. The only thing left was his wife and daughter and once he gets them back, he would be contented.

Amaka had sent a special invitation to her dad requesting for him to be at the birthday party even if he had promised to attend. It would be held in one of the grand hotels in Lagos and Nonso saw it as an avenue to break the good news of the recent happenings in his life to Ebere. He

remembered that the last birthday that they celebrated together as a family didn't go well but wanted this one to go well. He had used his influence as a one-time CEO of Cubran beverages to get more potential investors to invest in Chief Raymond's company. Those who pulled out from his former business came back to invest and it got chief Raymond really happy. He felt so lucky to have Nonso in his company and he believed that with his presence in the company, it won't be long before they start having branches in other parts of the country.

Nonso drove down to the hotel where Amaka's birthday was to be celebrated in his new car and looking as handsome as he had always been.

The smell of money could be noticed around him. He had just stayed barely a week in the new company but had received benefits that would have taken him months of work to get. When Amaka saw her dad, she ran to embrace him. She noticed the new car and being the inquisitive type, asked if it was his.

"Yes honey do you like it?" Nonso asked.

"Yes daddy, I can't wait to have a ride in it." She said looking very happy. She was really happy to have her dad around. She could remember how she didn't get to enjoy her 7th birthday just because her dad wasn't there. Even if uncle Ndubisi had tried all he could to make her day, she still felt incomplete without her dad.

"Thank you for coming daddy." She said still wearing her beautiful smile which made her look so much like her mother.

"Anything for you my love." He replied returning the smile.

Ebere was standing few metres away watching in admiration. Seeing how happy Amaka was with Nonso, she felt it would be unfair to take away that happiness. That day was the last day of their agreement and it is the day Nonso would hand over the signed divorce papers.

Nonso tried to lift Amaka up but noticed she had added some weight.

"My baby has grown bigger than I thought." He said after dropping her trying to hide the fact that he just carried something really heavy.

"Of course daddy. I'm no longer the little Amaka you used to lift and throw up just anyhow." She said with so much pride.

The two of them walked back to join the rest of the guests that were already inside waiting for the chief celebrant to come in. Ebere couldn't believe her eyes when he saw Nonso looking really different from how he had looked the last time he saw him. He was looking really handsome with a nice haircut and well shaved beards. That was the Nonso she has always known him not to be and not the one that looked like he would die in the next couple of minutes. She was actually pleased with what she was seeing and couldn't take her eyes off him.

The birthday party was a success and Amaka had a great time especially with her dad. It appeared Amaka missed her dad more than Ebere had expected. After the party, Ebuka had to drive home with Onyebuchi and Amaka leaving Nonso and Ebere at the venue. Nonso walked up to Ebere and told her everything that happened and how Sandra had left him. He was hoping if he told Ebere that Sandra had finally divorced him and that he now had a chance to save their marriage and have his family back again, it would change Ebere's mind and he wouldn't have to sign the divorce papers as that was the last day of their agreement but he was wrong. It appeared as if Ebere cared less and still very much wanted the marriage to be annuled.

"Honey, please give me this last chance to prove to you how much I love you. I promise never to hurt you ever again. I know I was really stupid but I have realized my mistake and that you are the only one for me." He said.

Ebere tried looking away as she didn't want to appear weak before Nonso but Nonso won't stop. When Nonso had told her that she was no longer legally married to Sandra, a part of her was happy. She saw it as an opportunity to forgive Nonso and have her family again but everytime she recalls her he had hurt her and the pains he had made her pass through, she was scared to take the risk of going through such pains again.

"Honey please, without you in my life I'm nothing. If soulmates really existed, then you are my soul mate." Nonso said.

"Nonso, please stop this. You're making a scene." Ebere said knowing that they were not alone and that other people were watching.

"And what does it matter if I'm creating a scene? I'm only being honest here. Is that also wrong too?" Nonso asked grabbing Ebere by the hand. He tried hugging her but Ebere wouldn't yield as she tried to control the tears that were able betraying her tear glands.

"Nonso please stop." Ebere begged.

"I won't stop dear. I won't! I love you and it's the truth. I don't care what people think but I'm being honest here. I know I was stupid. I know I made a mistake but not a single day has passed in the last two years that I haven't thought of you. Not a single moment have passed by these last two years that I don't regret what I did to you. I know it's hard for you but why can't you just give me another chance? Why can't you give me the chance to love you once again?" Nonso asked and this time, he was already shedding tears.

Ebere tried not to look at him on the eye as it was making her feel guilty but she knew she had to act strong too. She became so emotional that she couldn't hold back her own tears anymore. Her heart was still so much attached to Nonso but her mind wasn't. While her heart kept voicing out "reconciliation", her mind was telling her "separation." Knowing that Nonso wouldn't stop and not wanting to give in to him at that moment, she took off her ring and gave it to him.

"I'm sorry Nonso. I am happy with my present life and I don't want you to hurt me ever again."

She dropped the ring in his palm and left him alone. The moment she took off the ring, Nonso knew it was the end. He fell on his knees as he lost his grip over her. Still hoping that Ebere would change her mind, Ebere opened the door of her car, started the engine and left. At that point Nonso knew there was no way he could ever get Ebere back again.