THE PERFECT WIFE

Chapter Ten

Ebere and Amaka found a better life in London. Ebere finally came to accept the fact that her marriage with Nonso was all gone. Every time she sees Ndubisi and his wife having a nice couple time together, she felt bad. She would suddenly remember how she once had such times with Nonso. Memories of the happy days she had with Nonso would come and at those times, her tears would fall not because she was still hurting but because she missed those good old days and never knew when she would have such moments again. As for Amaka, she was happy to be in the midst of her cousins whom she had not seen before. Kevin and Anderson were very nice to her. She had so many toys to play with and had a bigger room compared to the one she had back home although there were times she missed her dad and wished she was back home.

“Mommy, when are we going back home? Why is daddy not calling us and why does he only send letters?” She asked one fateful evening as she sat with her mom outside enjoying the cool evening summer wind.

“Don’t you like it here anymore? Don’t you love playing with Kevin and Anderson?” Ebere asked.

“I do mommy but I miss daddy. Don’t you miss him too?”

Ebere couldn’t answer the question and just smiled to cover it up. She knew she wouldn't be able to lie to her forever most especially with the letters he made Ebuka send every month to her in the name of Nonso. She didn't want Amaka to feel that Nonso ha forgotten about them, so she made Ebuka send letters of love and affection to her every month.

One fateful Friday evening at the shopping mall, she met an old class mate named Alex. She had gone with Amaka to get some groceries as she was sick and tired of staying at home all day long doing nothing.

"Ebere! Is that you?" Alex exclaimed when he saw her. Alex and Ebere had been classmates in secondary school and during that time, he had always had a crush on Ebere. Ebere found it difficult to recognize him at first seeing how handsome and rich he was looking.

"It's me Alex. Alex Okon." He said. At the mention of the name Alex, Ebere recognized him.

"Oh! Alex!" She exclaimed dropping the shopping basket she was holding and the two of them settled for an embrace leaving Amaka to wonder who the strange man was and why her mom had to embrace him.

"How have you been?" Alex asked after detaching from the embrace.

"I'm doing just fine. What about you?" Ebere asked.

"As you can see I'm doing great. Who's this little girl by your side?" He asked seeing Amaka staring at him like he had committed an unpardonable offense.

"This is Amaka my daughter." She replied.

"Amaka, say hello to uncle Alex. He used to be a friend of mine in school."

"Good evening sir." Amaka greeted even if she didn't want to.

"Good evening dear. You're just as beautiful as your mother." Alex teased causing both Amaka and Ebere to smile.

"Since when have you been in London and how's your husband? He is indeed very lucky to have you as a wife. I can't believe I lost you to someone else in the long run." Alex said with a wide grin.

"I think we need enough time to talk about this. I'm in a hurry now and my baby is tired of standing." Ebere replied as politely as possible.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Please can I have your number so I can place a call and discuss when we can see and talk like the good old days." Alex said.

"No problem." Ebere replied as she read out her phone number.

"I'll call you." Alex said waving Ebere and Amaka goodbye.

Alex was very happy to have met Ebere again after so many years. He had always crushed on her back then in secondary school but Ebere had always kept him hanging. He once told her that he would be her husband someday but Ebere jettisoned the funny idea.

"If only I had met you single, I wouldn't have wasted time to ask you out. Your husband is a very lucky man." Alex said to himself.

He wasted no time in putting a call through to Ebere and a meeting was fixed. Even if Ebere was married to someone else, his feelings for her were still very much there.

"You mean your husband cheated on you?" Alex asked Ebere two days after their first meeting as they sat to have a cup of coffee in one of the restaurants in town.

"It's complicated Alex. I don't want to think about it." Ebere replied.

"Who in his right senses will cheat on a woman like you. You're beautiful, modest, intelligent and very productive." Alex said.

"Enough of my issues. What about you? How's your wife and kids?" Ebere asked believing he should already be married.

"Still searching for the perfect wife who will give me my lovely kids." He replied causing Ebere to smile. She could tell that Alex hadn't changed a single bit. He was still the funny Alex she knew from secondary school.

Ebere really had a nice time with Alex who was able to make her laugh and forget the pains that Nonso had caused her. He personally drove her home and promised to have another fun time with her as soon as he gets a free time to do so.

"Who's the young man that just dropped you?" Ndubisi asked. He wasn't at home when Ebere left earlier that day but was told that she had some where important to go when he returned from work and asked after Ebere. Seeing the young man dropping her from the car, gave him a reason to smile and to believe that Ebere was finally learning to move on.

"Oh! He's Alex an old friend from secondary school. I bumped into him two days ago at the grocery shop and he asked for us to meet.

"Wow! That's nice. Hope you had a good time with him?" Ndubisi asked.

"Yes I did. Where's Susan and the kids?" Ebere asked smartly changing the subject of discussion. She didn't want Ndubisi to start conceiving any funny ideas.

"They went out about an hour ago. I think she took them to the park." He replied.

"Alright, let me go in and rest. I'm really exhausted." She said as she faced the stair case that led to her bedroom upstairs.

Alex and Ebere started hanging out together and he became very much interested in her. With him in the picture, Ebere felt alive again and no longer felt the pains of betrayal that Nonso had inflicted on her fragile heart. It wasn't long after that he started expressing his love for Ebere.

"Ebere, I know it's not easy for you but I want you to know that I love you and have always loved you even back then in secondary school." Alex confessed leaving Ebere in total shock. Though she had been noticing the kind gestures of Alex towards her as not just an act of kindness but of something deeper, she wasn't ready to love again as a part of her was still attached to Nonso.

"Look, Alex, I don't want to hurt you nor do I want to give you false hopes. I'm still married to my husband by law and not until my marriage with him is annulled, I can't be with someone else." Ebere replied.

"I understand you perfectly well and I'm not going to put under pressure. I'll wait till your marriage with Nonso is annulled." Alex replied.

"Please Alex, don't get your hopes too high. I still have to go back and face Nonso again and don't forget that he is the father of my daughter so he would always be a part of my life." Ebere said.

"I understand all these and I won't deprive your daughter the chance to be with her parents." Alex said.

Ebere had to tell him to wait till she ends her marriage with Nonso after that she'll consider his proposal.

Knowing that Amaka was growing up and sooner or later she might come to know what was going on, she decided it would be wise to end every form of tie with Nonso and then reveal the truth to Amaka. She knew it would hurt her to find out that her parents were no longer going to be together but one thing that still got her concerned was the fact that Amaka would always be a reason for her to connect with Nonso but she knew it was something that would always be there. Amaka needs her father and she wouldn’t want to take that away from her. “It’s time to return home after a period of one year and six months.” She said to herself.

The following day, she decided to tell Ndubisi about her plans to return home.

“I am thinking it is time to tell Amaka the truth. I don’t want to deceive her anymore with the letters Ebuka sends to her in the name of her father. I think it’s time for her to know that her mommy and daddy can’t be together anymore.” Ebere said.

“How do you plan to do that?” Ndubisi asked.

“I think it is time to go back home and officially end my marriage with Nonso. No matter how long I stay here, I am still married to him by law and that would hinder me from moving on and settling down if someone else should come my way.” She replied talking about Alex who was already showing interest in her.

“Are you sure about that? Have you thought about well enough? Are you sure you are ready to see Nonso again?” Ndubisi asked almost immediately. He was not comfortable that Ebere was already going back to Nigeria in just a span of less than two years. He was thinking it was too early for to go back as her feelings may awaken when she sees Nonso again. He knew how much Ebere loved Nonso and saw her affected she was when Nonso hurt her but there was nothing he could do about it as she had already made up her mind.

“Yes I am sure and I also want to sell my shares in Cubran beverages and use the money to start up something small.” She replied unknown to her that Cubran beverages was no more.

“Alright dear, so when do you plan to go back?” he asked.

“Next week Saturday and please help me to tell brother Gozie to get our divorce papers ready.” She replied.

Even if from her words, it sounded like she was no longer affected by Nonso, Ndubisi was still having his doubts. He knew how it feels to love deeply love someone and he knew the love that Ebere had for Nonso was second to none.

“Alright dear, I will get everything ready before Saturday.” He replied.

Nonso took out the photo album and was going through his wedding pictures with Ebere. He could still remember the joy that day brought to him. He could still remember how he saw no other woman other than Ebere to be the one he would spend the rest of his life with. He could still remember how beautiful Ebere had appeared and how he couldn't wait to tie the knot with her. How they both kissed and the first night they had together during their honeymoon. Those memories though painful made him smile. He really missed Ebere and wished he never made any mistake which had cost him his wife. He thought of Amaka and the joy she had brought into their lives when she was born. How he was there when she took her first step and how happy Ebere had been. The memories of the happy family he had with Ebere in contrast to the one he now had with Sandra made him want to cry. He blamed himself for his lack of self-control. All he ever wanted was just a night with Sandra and nothing more. It was his lust that had put him in his current predicament.

Sandra had been an added problem to his life. She had nothing to offer than her body. He was no longer interested in the only thing she had to offer because it was not helping to solve his problems. The company had shut down and he wasn't having a job anymore. No company would hire him because he had always been a standing figure in the business world and his inability to sustain his flourishing business made other employers to reject his application.

Sandra on her part couldn't take the stress that Nonso's new life presented before her. She hooked up with an alhaji and it was through him that she was able to take care of herself. She would leave very early and come back very late. She had no regards for Nonso and didn't treat him as a husband anymore. She would always tell him to go and consult the gods to know where he had offended them.

"You are despicable and not worthy to be called a man." She would say.

Nonso was reduced to nothing but a mere existing fellow. He didn't know what to do with life any more. There was no way he could reach Ebere to ask her to forgive him so things could start working well with him again. He knew he had made a mistake but he still deserves a second chance.

Ebere called Ebuka to let him know that she was ready to face Nonso again and to annul their marriage. She explained to him that life overseas had been really good and Ndubisi her elder brother really did everything in his power to make sure she didn't feel like her world had crumbled. Ebuka was glad to hear that and he quickly informed Chigozie to get the divorce papers ready. Although Chigozie wasn't happy with the decision, he was left with no choice. He still insisted that Nonso deserves a second chance and that the marriage shouldn't just end that way but Ebuka wouldn't want to hear that.

Nonso had gone out to look for a job but he didn't get any. It was already a year and nine months since he got separated from Ebere. He had an option of saving his company by selling Ebere's shares but he didn't. Knowing that the business would collapse, he pulled out her stocks and invested them elsewhere. He was still hoping Ebere would come back and he would apologize to her.

On getting home one night after a fruitless search for a job, he realized that Sandra had brought a visitor home. He walked straight to the bedroom and found his wife in bed with someone else. He almost got a heart attack. He stood for minutes wondering what to do.

Sandra and her so called lover didn't even take note of his presence and out of anger, he went to the kitchen to get a knife. He was ready to kill somebody that evening but the so called lover was able to run away before he returned from the kitchen.

"Why are you angry?” Sandra asked.

“You have refused to touch me and you expect me to be begging you? Look since you are too busy to know that your wife needs you, I decided to get my satisfaction elsewhere." She said.

Nonso just held the knife and couldn't do anything with it. He was bitter and frustrated at the same time.

“Ebere would never have done that." He thought.

He trusted Ebere and still believed that she wouldn't allow any other man to touch her even while away. Ebere was a principled lady, she was beautiful yet expensive. She had respect for herself and she was what he would call "a perfect wife."

Nonso decided to let Sandra's family know of her recent conduct because it was improper for a married lady to do that in their culture.

Ebere and Amaka were ready to fly back to Nigeria. She was ready to face her husband again. She was ready to put an end to their ties. She was ready to give him the freedom he always wanted. She knew it would affect their daughter Amaka but it was the best thing to do. She never planned on sharing her husband with any other lady and she wasn't ready to tear a couple apart.