*"Couples Issue" - Chapter 3: The Rot*
1489 Words
*Tags: Drama, Serious, Urban, Bad Ending, Nest of Characters*
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The flat smelled like defeat.
Two weeks after Amaka left, Tunde stood in the kitchen and stared at the ₦18,700 estimated bill on the table. It had NEPA’s stamp and a red _DISCONNECT NOTICE_. The fridge was empty except for water and two eggs. The fan wasn’t moving because there was no light, and there was no light because there was no money.
Chike was back.
He came on a Tuesday with the same Ghana-Must-Go and a new air of entitlement.
“Bro, I heard what happened. I can’t leave you like this.”
Tunde didn’t have the energy to fight. He just nodded and pointed at the couch.
That was the first mistake.
*Part 1: The Whispers Start*
Amaka was in Ibadan.
She was sleeping in her mother’s parlour with Kemi and Kunle on a mat. Her mother, Mama Nkechi, prayed every morning and every night.
“My daughter, God will fight for you. That boy is not serious.”
Amaka didn’t cry anymore. She was numb. She woke up at 5am to do sales calls. Her IG page @AmakaLuxuryHair was dying.
Then the comments started.
_“Scammer. Don’t buy from her.”_
_“Her husband beats her and uses her money.”_
_“She’s sleeping with customers to make sales.”_
All from one account: @luxuryhair_deals247. Zero posts. 3 followers.
Amaka blocked it. It made a new one.
She called her supplier. “Aunty, people are saying bad things.”
The supplier stopped answering her calls.
In one month, her sales dropped from ₦400,000 to ₦120,000.
“Who is doing this?” she asked Ngozi on the phone.
Ngozi was quiet for 3 seconds. “...Chike.”
In Magodo, Chike was drinking Star with Tayo.
“My brother thinks he’s wise. He chased me out. Now let’s see how he’ll feed his children.”
He laughed and typed another comment.
*Part 2: The Confrontation*
Tunde found out on a Friday.
He was driving Chinedu’s Uber, waiting at Ikeja City Mall, when a notification popped up. Someone tagged him.
It was a screenshot of Amaka’s business page. The comment: _“Don’t patronize this cheat. Ask her husband Tunde Okafor.”_
His blood went hot.
He drove straight to Magodo. No plan.
Tayo’s compound had 4 flats. Chike’s slippers were outside.
Tunde banged the door.
Chike opened it, chewing suya. “Ah, my brother. You came to beg?”
“Are you mad? Are you the one commenting on my wife’s page?”
Chike smiled. “Prove it.”
Tunde grabbed his shirt. “You want to ruin her? After everything?”
The next 30 seconds were noise.
Fists. Shouting. A pot fell. Tayo came out. Neighbors came out. Phones came out.
Someone called the police.
At the station, the DPO looked at both of them. “Family matter. Settle it or pay bail.”
Bail: ₦50,000.
Tunde called Chinedu. Chinedu sent ₦30k. Tunde added the ₦20k he had saved for house rent.
He came home at 2am with a split lip, torn shirt, and ₦0 in his account.
Chike was already asleep on the couch, snoring.
*Part 3: The Look*
Amaka came back that weekend. Not to stay. To pick more things.
She saw Tunde’s face.
“What happened to you?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me, Tunde.”
He told her. About the comments. About Magodo. About the police.
Amaka listened. Then she said the words that cut deeper than the slap he didn’t give.
“I thought you changed.”
“I did! He’s trying to destroy us!”
“By fighting him in the street you’re helping him, Tunde. You’re proving him right.”
She packed in silence. Baby clothes. Shoes. The blender.
Tunde watched her and felt 6 years disappearing.
Before she left, she turned.
“The twins asked about you. I told them Daddy is working.”
She paused. “Are you?”
She left.
Chike came out from the room after she left. “See, I told you women—”
“Shut up.” Tunde’s voice was low. “If you say one more word, get out.”
Chike went back to the couch.
*Part 4: The Rebuilding Falls Apart*
September.
Rent was due: ₦450,000. Landlord’s agent came with a demand letter.
“3 months notice. Pay or pack.”
Tunde had ₦80,000.
Amaka sent ₦40,000 from Ibadan. “For the kids’ food.”
He was ₦330,000 short.
He started doing 16-hour Uber shifts. Sleeping in the car. Bathing at the filling station.
He made ₦18,000 on good days. Chinedu took 40%. Fuel took another 10k.
He sent Amaka ₦25,000 and lied: “Business is picking up.”
Amaka was working her sales rep job. ₦120,000 a month. ₦40,000 went to Ngozi for feeding. ₦30,000 to her mother. ₦20,000 to the kids’ new school in Ibadan.
She had ₦30,000 left for herself.
At night, they called.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“How are the kids?”
“They’re fine.”
No one said “I miss you.”
No one said “Come back.”
*Part 5: Chike’s Endgame*
Chike wasn’t stupid. He knew Tunde was broke.
So he started small.
₦2,000 from Tunde’s wallet.
The gas cylinder “finished fast.”
Food from the fridge disappearing.
When Tunde complained, Chike said “Maybe rat.”
Then he went bigger.
The landlord’s agent came again. Tunde was not home. Chike opened the door.
“Oga, my brother said he will pay next week. He traveled.”
The agent left.
That night, Tunde came back and found a quit notice on the door.
“FINAL NOTICE: 7 DAYS.”
Tunde lost it.
“WHY DID YOU TALK TO HIM?!”
Chike stood up. “Because you’re never here! You’re always driving! You’re a failure!”
They didn’t fight. Tunde just looked at him and saw a stranger.
“Pack your things. Tonight.”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll call the police myself.”
Chike packed. But before he left, he said:
“You’ll be back here begging me in one month. Mark my words.”
He left.
The flat was quiet. Too quiet.
*Part 6: The Last Good Days - A Lie*
Tunde begged Amaka to come for Kunle’s birthday.
She came. One day.
They bought cake. ₦8,000. They took pictures. They smiled.
Neighbors clapped: “God has restored them.”
At night, after the kids slept, they sat in the dark. No light.
“Are you happy?” Tunde asked.
“I’m trying to be,” Amaka said.
“I love you.”
“I know.”
She didn’t say it back.
Before she left the next morning, she hugged him. Long.
Then she pulled back.
“Tunde, I can’t keep doing this. I’m tired of hoping.”
She got into the bus to Ibadan.
*Part 7: The Night Before The End*
Wednesday. Hot. No light.
Tunde came back with ₦3,200.
The bill was on the table: ₦18,700.
He called Amaka.
“Babe, NEPA bill came.”
“I know. I saw the alert. I have ₦11,000.”
“Send it.”
“I need it for food here.”
“So what do we do?”
Silence.
“I used the money for bail,” Tunde said.
“And I told you not to go and fight him!” Amaka shouted.
The twins started crying. Kemi: “Daddy, it’s hot.”
Tunde shouted back. Amaka shouted back.
“YOU’RE JUST LIKE YOUR FAMILY! ALWAYS CAUSING PROBLEMS!”
“AND YOU’RE JUST LIKE YOUR FRIEND! ALWAYS TELLING YOU TO LEAVE!”
His hand went up.
Not to hit. Just up. In frustration.
Amaka flinched.
Time stopped.
In that flinch, Tunde saw everything: the 6 years, the church, the fasting, the 90k, the ice cream, all of it turn to dust.
He dropped his hand.
“I didn’t—”
“Don’t touch me.”
She walked to the room. Locked the door.
Tunde sat on the floor. The generator next door was the only sound.
*End of Chapter 3*
4am.
Amaka came out with two bags. The twins were asleep on her back and in her hand.
She didn’t look at him.
“I’m done giving second chances to people who only change when they’re about to lose everything,” she whispered.
She left.
Tunde didn’t follow her.
He sat there until morning, when the agent came and put another notice on the door.
Two weeks later, Chike moved back in with a new bag and a smirk.
And in Ibadan, Amaka deleted the last picture of them from her phone.
The rot had won.
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*End of Chapter 3*
- Writer
