I dialed Mr. Smith’s phone and he picked. I told him that I was trying to reach Olaedo but she was not taking my call. I begged him to give Olaedo phone because I want to talk with her.

Mr. Smith told me that he went to buy something from the street. That gave me an idea of where he would be, so I quickly went to their street.

I searched and saw him in a beer parlour taking an alcoholic drink. He was slightly drunk. I feigned anger and told him that he was not supposed to be in that kind of place.

“Mr. Smith what are you doing here? You are a married man and your wife is pregnant. You are supposed to be at home with her.”
Mr. Smith didn’t utter any word.

“You are good man; you should not do what will make your wife and other people to suspect you.”

“It’s not my fault. My wife is giving me stress. I don’t have rest of mind. Sometimes even when I’m driving, I would be lost in thought.”

“Ha! What exactly is happening?”

“Ola is accusing me of being promiscuous just because I always come back late from work. All I’m trying to do is to work hard and take good care of her.”

“Why would she accuse you unnecessarily? Is she trying to divert attention from herself?”

That statement actually got Mr. Smith’s attention.

“Please can you explain what you mean by what just said?” Mr. Smith requested.

“Never mind, just try and take good care of yourself. But you still need to watch your wife closely. I don’t know why good men would always suffer in the hands of bad women.Whereas good women will remain unmarried. It beats my imagination.” I pretended as if I was crying.

“What is the matter? Why are you crying?”

“I am not crying. It’s just that I don’t like seeing good men like you suffer.”

“Please can you tell me what I can do to make Olaedo happy. I love her so much.”

“Olaedo is happy. Nothing is wrong with her. You provide everything she needs. The challenge is that this character runs in their blood. That was how her mother was maltreating her husband. Her mother was a promiscuous woman, so she was always accusing her husband in a bid to cover her tracks.”

“What will I do in this situation. I love Olaedo.”
I was already boiling inside with anger. How can he keep saying that he love Olaedo upon everything I have said against her?

“Mr. Smith don’t worry. Continue to show her love. With prayers, she will change.”

“I believe so. I still feel that the pregnancy is part of her problem because she was not behaving this way before now.”

“You are right. That is why I said that you should continue to show her love. Please go home. It is getting late.”

“Olaedo locked me out,” Mr. Smith informed me.

“Don’t worry yourself. Is she not your wife? She will open door for you.”

Mr. Smith stood and left and I dialled Olaedo’s phone.

“Olaedo my sister you are in trouble. Can you believe that as I was passing now, I saw your husband and another lady in a beer parlour drinking beer? Immediately he saw me, he quickly got up. The lady was even reluctant to let him go.”

“Linda have you seen what I have been passing through,” Olaedo lamented.

“Don’t worry, just calm down. If he gets home, open the door for him. Demand that he must tell you where he is coming from. A responsible man would have waited or even begged you to open door for him when you locked him out. Rather he went out to carry another woman. Smith should thank his stars that I am not the one he is toying with her emotion this way, I would have thought him a bitter lesson. Though I still trust you, I know what you can do.”

“Don’t worry, if Smith enter this house today, I will teach him that level have changed. He will understand that I’m no longer the small quiet girl he married,” she vowed.

“That is my friend; you have gotten the solution. But then, don’t mention my name. Smith knew that I saw him. So he will be suspecting that I will tell you.”

“I am not a baby. I know how to handle it. I would not betray you.”

Olaedo was already prepared for fight before her husband came home. Immediately he knocked on the door, she opened it and give him a slap across the face. Thereafter, he held his cloth and demanded to know where he was coming from.

Her husband tried to calm her down but she kicked him on the stomach. That was more than Smith could take so he gave her a beating of her life. The next day I went to see Olaedo and met her in a sorry state.

“Olaedo what is this? Do you mean that your husband did this to you?”

“Yes o. Smith wanted to kill me,” Olaedo cried. She closed her eyes tightly and as she opened it, tears poured out like river. She was in pain.

“Even in this condition. He is a monster. So what are you doing about it? Have you contacted your people?”

“No.”

“You mean you have not told your mother what happened?” I asked, feigning anger.

“My mother will blame me. Remember that I was the first to hit Smith. Where would I say I learnt it from. My mother hardly talks back at my father not to talk of raising her hand against him. I regret my approach.”

“Your father was a good man. Women respect good men. Don’t compare your condition with that of your mother. These are two parallel lines that can never meet.”

“You are right. My father took good care of my mother. But Smith is taking good care of me too.”

“Of course, he is taking good care of you by sleeping with everything in skirt. Don’t be deceived by this beautiful house and the small money he is giving you.

Your peace of mind is paramount. A man approached me recently that he wants to marry me. He is ten times richer than your husband. When I made my inquiries, I discovered that he is promiscuous. My sister I ran away. He is still disturbing me but I have made up my mind, it is over.”

“Linda I am confused. I don’t know what to do,” Olaedo told me with an expectation of an advice.

“Pack few of your belongings and move out of this house. Threaten him that you are no longer interested in the marriage. At that point, he will know that you are serious. Trust me, he will come to beg you. By the time he comes, you give him condition. No cheating, no beating, no coming home late.”

“Linda no! I will not leave my matrimonial home. I will fight from inside.”

“It’s okay. I think you are right. But then, I will take you to a native doctor.” Linda promised.