THE PERFECT WIFE

Chapter Nine

Ndubisi got everything ready for Ebere and Amaka to come stay with them over seas. He informed his two sons Kevin and Anderson that their cousin Chiamaka was coming to visit them. The two boys were very happy as they've never seen Chiamaka before. They've been introduced to one another through video calls but they've never seen in person.

"I can see you two are excited to have Chiamaka come stay with us." Ndubisi said reading the happy expression on the face of his two sons.

"Yes daddy. Is aunt Ebere coming along too?" Kevin, the oldest son who was two years older than Amaka asked.

"Of course, she is." Ndubisi replied.

Ndubisi had also gone through alot in terms of marital. His first wife Meredith who was the mother of Kevin died few days to Kevin's first year birthday and it was really traumatic for him. It took him over a year before he finally learnt to accept the fact that Meredith was gone and gone for good. Knowing that it would be difficult to raise Kevin all by himself, he took another wife Susan who became the mother of his second son Anderson. Luckily for him, Susan was just as nice as Meredith. She brought joy once again into his life and never for once did he regret ever marrying her.

The night before the flight to UK, Ebere felt really bad. She didn't want to leave. She was still so much in love with her husband and wanted the marriage to work out again. But everytime she remembers what Nonso had done to her and the fact that Sandra was still married to him, she felt it would be better to actually leave until she is able to completely forget about him.

"I wish you all the happiness you can ever have." She said before finally going to bed that night.

The following morning, Ebuka himself drove Ebere and Amaka to the airport. He was having the hunch that Nonso might have known about it and might come to the airport too. His hunch was right because Nonso was actually there and only God knows how he found out. Since he wasn't sure of the time of Ebere's flight, he came to the airport even before the first flight took off. He had been looking everywhere to see Ebere and was really glad when he saw her and her daughter coming out of the car. There was this joyous expression written all over his face as if to say,

"Thank God I'm on time to stop you from leaving."

His joy was however cut short when Ebuka appeared to be the one who had drove them to the airport. With Ebuka at the airport, Nonso knew it would be difficult if not even impossible to stop Ebere from leaving. It would have been better if Chigozie had driven them to the airport instead.

Immediately Amaka saw him, she ran to him and with so much joy, Nonso closed her in his warm embrace. Within the space of two months, Amaka had grown bigger in the eyes of Nonso who had really missed his daughter and most especially his wife.

"Daddy when are we coming back home?" Amaka asked. She had really missed their old house and all the toys that were at her disposal to play with. Even if Ebuka had bought her newer and more expensive toys, she still missed the old ones most especially her Barney teddy.

"Why haven't you been coming to visit us at uncle Ebuka's place? Don't you want to play with me anymore?" Little Amaka asked causing Nonso to feel more remorseful for all he had done. He just couldn't believe that their daughter was being affected by the whole thing too. He almost felt like crying but that would be stupid of him especially with Ebere around.

"Very soon honey. You and your mom will be back home very soon." He said.

"Chiamaka come this way." Ebuka said. "Uncle Ndubisi wouldn't be happy if you miss your flight. And besides this is your first time to be on a plane so you shouldn't miss it." Ebuka said.

Amaka was really happy to know she would be on a plane. The six year old was happy to know she would be going abroad. She had heard so many stories about London and her favorite nursery rhyme was "London bridge is falling down."

"Is daddy coming with us too?” She asked.

"No honey, your dad isn't coming with us." Ebere finally spoke. Nonso tried talking to Ebere but their flight was announced and they had to check in. He watched his wife and daughter as they moved in and still looking, they were checked in and he couldn't stop them.

Ebere turned back and their eyes met. He was hoping she would turn back but she went ahead until both of them vanished from his sight. Still hoping, he saw the plane take off and knew it was the end. He couldn't hold back his tears even if he tried to. His tear gland betrayed him sending painful tears down. Ebuka had long gone leaving him without even a word. Nonso couldn't believe that all his effort to get Ebere to forgive him and to stop her from leaving yielded nothing. He felt really devastated and stood there at the airport totally blank and without any knowledge of what step to take next.

When Ebere and Amaka arrived in London, Ndubisi was already at the airport waiting for them. It had been long since she saw Ebere and that was during the burial of their father. He wasn’t pleased with what he saw and was very angry towards Nonso.

“Good afternoon brother Ndubisi.” She greeted.

“Good afternoon little sis. How was your flight?”

“It was fine. How are you?”

“I am fine just missing you guys. Is this my little niece?” Ndubisi asked being the first time he was seeing Amaka since she was born.

“Yes, this is my daughter Chiamaka. Chiamaka this is uncle Ndubisi that I have always been telling you about. Come on greet him.” Ebere said to Amaka who had been looking at the two of them in surprise.

“Good afternoon uncle.” Little Amaka greeted.

“Good afternoon my love. I can’t believe my niece had grown this big and that until now I haven’t set my eyes on her.” He said.

“How are you? Hope you liked the airplane?” he added.

“Yes uncle but I slept all through.” Little Amaka said and then facing her mother, she asked, “mommy, why didn’t daddy come with us? Daddy was with us today but he didn’t enter the plane with us? Why didn’t he enter the plane with us?”

Ebere looked at Ndubisi as if to say, “What do I tell her now?”

“You see honey, your daddy and mommy…..”

“Daddy and mommy are really busy with so much now so mommy has to be the one to take you with her as she would look after you better than when you are with daddy. That was why daddy didn’t come with us because his work is at home while mine is here.” Ebere quickly cut in not wanting Amaka to know of the issues on ground most especially at her very young age.

“When are we going back home?” she asked.

“Honey, but we just arrived here. How can you be talking about going back home now?” Ebere asked.

“Yes my love, you just got to London. Don’t you want to see the London bridge that you sing in your rhyme. London bridge is falling down falling down falling down. London bridge is falling down my fair lady.” Ndubisi said and sang simultaneously.

“Really uncle? Will I be able to see the London bridge?” Amaka asked in bewilderment.

“Yes my love and I can take you there now if you want us to go now.”

“Yepee!” Amaka exclaimed throwing her hands up and taking advantage of the opportunity, uncle Ndubisi lifted her up.

Ebere felt like crying knowing that the family she had just started building was already falling apart and that there was nothing she could do about it. Here she was going to visit a happy family whereas her own family falling apart.

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth?” Ndubisi asked on seeing that Amaka was already asleep.

“It’s best for her not to know now. I feel bad taking her away from her father. It is I who had lost my place as a wife but as for Amaka she is still and will always remain Nonso’s daughter.” Ebere said.

Sandra's pregnancy was due and she was expecting her baby any time. That evening as she was preparing dinner, she started having labour pains. Nonso was around but was deep in thoughts. He didn't hear Sandra screaming because his thoughts were far away from his body. When he turned, he saw that Sandra's water had burst and he quickly rushed her to the hospital. Sandra had difficulty in giving birth and after spending so many hours in labour, she finally gave birth to a baby boy. However, the baby didn't cry. The doctors tried all their best to make him cry but it didn't. Alas!

It was a still birth.

Nonso was in the waiting room pacing up and down.

"Doctor, how is she and the baby?" he asked in anticipation.

"Sir we tried our best but your wife didn't arrive here early enough so she had a hard time. The baby was too weak to make it so we lost him."

The doctor said and went back to his normal duties.

Nonso felt bad when he realized it was a boy and that he couldn't survive. He went inside the ward and found Sandra crying.

"What happened to our baby?" Sandra asked in tears.

"I'm sorry dear but the baby is gone." Nonso replied.

"Nooo! My baby isn't dead." Sandra cried like someone who had gone in sane or something.

"It's okay dear. God will provide us with another one." Nonso said trying to sound encouraging even if hero felt bad. He wished the baby had actually survived so he could have both sexes and the stop giving birth but the baby had refused.

Nonso had to take the baby and bury it. He took the baby to his village and buried him there. It pained Nonso to know that his first son didn't come to stay.

It was as result of the burial of the baby that led to Chinyere and his mother knowing that Ebere had left him. Nonso told them everything that happened and his mother was really sad.

"What came over you my son? Your father didn't marry two wives. Why did it have to be you?" she said.

"Brother, aunt Ebere didn't deserve the way you treated her. Now that she left you, how does it feel?" Chinyere asked.

"My wife will come back. I am certain." he said.

"My family will be whole again. I promise you people." He said reassuringly.

"What about your second wife?” What do you plan to do with her?" Chinyere asked.

"I don't know but all I know is that Ebere will forgive me. It’s just a matter of time." He said.

Situations turned from bad to worse after the company lost most of its potential investors forcing him to sell his car just to pay the loan he collected from the bank. He had to move from the two-bedroom flat apartment which he had rented for Ebere before to a room and parlor apartment which he could afford its rent.

Life became a living hell in just a span of six months. Nonso finally realized that Ebere was the one making him come out as a strongman. Without Ebere by his side he was a weakling and a coward.

The company lost most of its workers because of lack of salaries and when he sought to get a loan from the bank a second time, he was turned down.

Nonso became a frustrated man and Sandra couldn't help him in anyway. She had turned out to be the queen of nagging and complaining. Nonso couldn't give her money for her regular upkeep anymore and she was complaining of how wretched he was.

"If you know you wouldn't be able to take care of me why did you come to marry me?" she would say.

"You are the reason I'm in this mess today and besides you forced me to marry you." Nonso would say too.

The two of them argued constantly and Nonso was getting pissed off with her attitude already.

"I never knew you were like this. Your ex-wife really tried." She would say.

"And that is why she is an angel." He would also say.

"If only you could be half the woman Ebere was then my life wouldn't have been this way."

"What are you insinuating? That I brought you bad luck or what?"

"I would have been happy if it was just bad luck you brought me. You are bad luck yourself."

Nonso began to realize that not all that glitter is gold. He finally realized that Ebere was a thousand times better than Sandra in all regards.