All About My Bruises (pt 7/8)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Four years later

My life as a secret student wife of Sam was sapping me of strength. I was slimmer, leaning on the thin and a little on the sticky side. My eyeballs have sunken so into their socket that it was a miracle I was not simply blind. The bones on my shoulder could hold a full cup of water and I would be running and it would not pour away. My cheekbones stood as if to say to the world, "Here I am." I was now gawky. I did not mind as long as I get to have my degree in law. I drove all the way to Nsukka any day I have lectures, which was almost every day; I came back all the way to Enugu whenever the lectures were done. I have already formed the habit of waking up in the wee hours of the morning to get breakfast ready for Sam. I made his dinner right after I finish getting the things for my school ready. I would put the food in the microwave. When he has eaten and gone off to work, I got ready and drove off to school. fun stuff

I was done with my studies and it was time for National Youth Service Corps. I knew I had to do something fast if I wanted to go to the youth service with my set. It was not as if they would grant me a private one. I was done with my five years of law school and I have already had my call up and I was ready for my NYSC. I was to go to Yola for it. It was not something I could just uproot and go to without making people all over the world suspicious and even making some panic. I needed my husband's permission. I could not possibly tell him that I was going to my NYSC. He would freak out but then knowing Sam, I did not know what his reaction would be. I decided that it was time to employ my strength as a woman. That was why I was still very alert and awake by one in the morning. He has gotten worst as the year went by. He now came back very early in the morning like one or two in the morning. I cooked today because I did not want to take any chance that he might not want food. When the doorbell rang, I went to get it. I was in one of my most provocative nightgowns, the one he bought for me from Italy. It was red and, long but was slashed all the way to my waist. It came with pants. I left my hair down. He came in, and, as usual, he was reeking of rose perfume. I have gotten used to it. He went out in the morning smelling a certain masculine perfume but came back smelling rose or some other female scent. I didn't care.

"Welcome, dear. You are very early today," I gushed as I gave him a very warm kiss on his foul-smelling lips. He smoked. I hated it when he smoked. I thanked my stars that he was drunk but he was not roaring drunk. He was sober enough to have a decent conversation with.

He was wearing a black suit. Usually, he left the suit in his car for me to go and get. I didn't know how he did it but his ties are always dirty when he got back and the red one he was wearing did not escape.

"Thank you, dear. I have told you to stop waiting up for me. It is not good for you." he staggered into the living room.

He told me that a long time ago and I have stopped but then, he would not know because he was never sober enough to know that I need to be awake if he did not wish to sleep on the doorsteps.

"I know you told me so but I miss you a lot when you are not home so I make sure that you are home before I could get a good night sleep. That is how much I love you darling."

"Yeah, that is good to know that someone loves me."

It is good to know that I am not planning to kill you moron.

"Are you hungry? I cooked something." I smiled.

"Now that you mentioned it, I realize that I am very hungry. Working can be very distracting. I must have forgotten to eat while I was working. Serve me something please before I sleep. I am very tired."

I bet you are. You must have been doing something very hard. I can easily imagine them all, you unfaithful son of a cross-eyed misbegotten diseased whore.

"Of course, I shall get you something to eat. Have a seat in the dining room. I also wish to discuss something very important with you." I sashayed my waist from one angle to another in an exaggerated seductive move.

He went and sat down on the new dining table that I bought last year after the one that was there mysteriously spoilt. The set was now in my Nsukka apartment, along with so many other things that got spoilt in Sam's house.

I went into the kitchen and came out with the fried chicken and fried rice that I cooked for him. I actually cooked it for Prof. Ozoike as I went to visit him today. The man was now the father that I never got in contact with. He understood me. He has been helping me since he found out about my situation in my second year. I, in return, was very grateful for his help. I served the hot food to the man that I called husband. He was trying hard not to bow down his mighty head and start sleeping. That would not be good. I wanted to talk to him about my family or something I planned to use my family to lie about. I sat down and started telling him the story I have cooked up.

"I have not gone to see my family since we got married. I was thinking that it was high time I went to see them. A man came from the village and told me that my father was sick. He said that my mother was taking care of him. My sister Tochi is married and he told me that she just had a baby. My mother cannot go for the "Omugu" so she asked him to ask me to go and stay with my kid sister."

"You have a sister? I didn't know you have a sister. Anyway, that is good timing. I need to leave the country again for business. I am going to Dubai for three months, maybe more. What did she give birth to?" I could tell that he did not really care. He was just making conversation.

I was surprised by the question. I have not added a baby gender in my little tale. I expected him to ask me how long I was going to stay. I was still tempted to tell him that she gave birth to a monkey. "She gave birth to a baby boy."

He smiled in his charming way. I still thought that it was a pity that Sam was as handsome as he looked. He was too handsome than was allowed. "That is a good thing. She must be a very strong woman. She has made her husband proud. When will you be leaving?"

"I was thinking that the first of next month will be very good. That will be the day after tomorrow." I wanted to add the amount of time that I would stay but I did not want to push my luck. He might think that I was asking too much.

"That is good. When then do you plan to come back?"

"Eh, that will be a problem. You see, Tochi is a very weak girl and she gave birth at a very tender age. I was wondering if you would allow me to stay with her until she recovers. I don't know when that will be but I hope it will be very soon. She and her son are very sickly according to what my father told me. I hope it is not up to a year but then, we never know." I held my breath.

"One year? That is too long my dear but considering that you have not seen your family for a very long time, I will say that will be okay. You can take the time to stay with your father and mother and also get to stay with your sister. That is okay. You will come back from time to time of course. It will also give us time away from each other. There is this saying about absence and heart and likeness. I don't know they say it though. I guess you must want to buy something for the lot of them?"

My family is not a lot. It is your family that is the lot, I said in my mind. Sam's family was very vile. They did not even hide the fact that they did not like his choice of wife. They insulted me to my face whether Sam was there or not. Tracy was the one that boiled my bubbles the most. She derived joy from watching me being insulted by her many cousins and even their mother and father. I have grown deaf to their insults and accusations. I have since refused to go home to his village in Anambra. He, too, did not like going home. He was a city boy. He only went home when he wanted to show off.

"You are right dear. I need to get so many things for them and to also take my father to the hospital and to get the new baby things and for my sister." I traced my finger over his cheeks as I talked.

"If that is the case, I shall draw up a check for you."

He named an amount and asked me if that was ok with me. It was not even close. He has already stopped eating. I knew that money was big but it was not big enough. I needed more to survive for the next year to come.

"That will be enough but I wanted to take my father to a very good hospital so he could get the best treatment. I don't want it to be said that his daughter that is married to one of the richest bankers in Nigeria could not even take him to a good hospital. That will not be good."

I knew that was the right button because he was a man that cared about what people thought about him and his family which my family was a little connected to. "I want you to take him to the best hospital that you know. I shall increase the money. That should more than take care of it. And I shall transfer for your maintenance."

He talked about me like I was a horse that needed a stable and regular rub down. I smiled inside again. He was falling for the whole thing. He wanted to make an impression through me to my family. That was good by me.

" Now I must go to sleep. If I don't lie down soon, I am afraid I shall sleep standing up and that will not be good."

"It will not be good. Let me take you to bed. Do you want me to join you?" I prayed he would say no.

"Yes dear. I really want you to join me. It has been long. I have been out of my mind with work stuff that I'm neglecting my beautiful wife."

Long is not enough, you slimy son of a whoring cross-eyes diseased prostitute. I hate your touch and everything about you. My mind screamed that but my mouth said something else.

"Then allow me to shower with you." It has been almost a year since he touched me and I liked it like that but I could not possibly tell him. I also knew that it has not been a year since he touched a woman. I bet it was not even up to three hours that he touched a woman. I went to the liquor cabinet and took a courageous swing from the bottle of his expensive French brandy. The vile acid boiled a hot track all the way down to my stomach and went on to my toes. I felt a little dizzy but it was good dizzy. I knew I could not stand his touch and still be sober. After I got tipsy enough, I marched to his room like a witch going to face her sentence of burning at the stakes.

I knew I had to contact my family to cover for me. I did not want him to find out that I was playing him. I needed to tell my family to inform me when a car was delivered to their house or the house I was staying in Nsukka where I planned to ask Tochi to stay so she could be close to her school, UNN. The service was starting at the end of next month; that would give me time to get everything that I would need ready.

I reached his room at the end of the passage on the second floor of his big house and I knocked. He did not answer. I knocked again and no answer. I thought he might be showering so I opened the door and entered. The sight that greeted me was the best I have seen for a very long time. Sam was stretched out on his four posters and he was dozing. I smiled. I went, opened the blanket and entered the bed with him. I am sure he would not remember the rest in the morning. Luck was with me. Tomorrow, I shall do some shopping. Now, it was time to sleep with my husband

CHAPTER NINE

TWO YEARS LATER.

I smiled from coast to coast. I was happy. I was now a barrister. Nothing that existed could have hampered my joy as the elderly judge pronounced me and so many other barristers.

You have earned it.

After my service, I went to the law school at Agbani in Enugu. I knew the bible told us not to be proud but I was so very proud of myself today that I was surprised thunder did not strike me dead for being so proud but I was happy. I was twenty-five and I was a lawyer. I made something out of my once bleak future. And the funny part of it was that the man I married did not even know anything about it. I bet he was at the office now directing how much money to be channelled into his private account. The man was a slimy bastard that I was going to divorce as fast as I could manage.

I was glad that I was done with law school and mostly happy that I finished it well coming out among the best in the graduate set. What more could I ask for? I really put my heart into passing out well and I'm glad I did just that.

The ceremony was taking place at the school compound, which was the law school. The place was filled to the brim with people from all over the state and some outside the state that came on the invitation. I looked at all the happy families taking photos together. I wished suddenly that someone had come for me. I took pictures alone and cheered myself when I was called to the stage. It was a trifle pitiful but I did not mind. I was still envious of those that their families attended the celebration.

I was really sad that no one close to me could come to the celebration. I could not invite my family to the ceremony. If I did that, words might get out that I was now a lawyer and it might reach Sam before I am able to tell him. It was true that no one in my family would actually go out of their way to tell Sam anything but I did not want to take any chance that it might happen. As the saying went," words fly" and I did not want my new achievement to fly to my husband before I was able to tell him. I could not also tell Oge because she was out of the country with her man.

I looked around. I was wearing a brown suit and black hilled shoes. I liked the way I was looking. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I did not know when someone walked up behind me.

"I believe congratulations are in order, counsellor one." This was said by Israel Ochiugo. He was wearing a trouser suit as we have been doing for the better part of the last six years. Wearing suits or corporate wear was required of every law student. He looked nice and handsome in the cloth. I, too, was wearing a trouser suit. I packed my hair up and completed the outfit with black high hilled sandals and earrings. My make-up was very light.

He came to join me where I was sitting at the end of the hall. I did not want people to keep coming to congratulate me. Even those I didn't know came over to offer congrats. I hid beside the big plant of unknown origin. I trust Israel to be the one that would fine me.

The man was relentless in his pursuit of me. I wondered what he would say if I should tell him that I was already married. I knew back in second year that the guy was into me but I did not know that he would still be very into me up to our final and the very final level. The funny thing was also that he was in my department and I did not notice until our final year in UNN, maybe it was because I was always busy. Well, whatever it was, I was not going to let it spoil the best day of my life. Even if my best friend and Prof. Ozoike were not here to enjoy it with me, I would not let anything in this world spoil it for me. Oge was not here because she was on her honeymoon with the man she said that she loved and has married. I attended their wedding last month in Abuja. She was now in Italy for her honeymoon with her big belly always in the way. She was pregnant before she got married. I could tell when I met Henry that he was crazy about Oge and the love was returned. As for prof. Ozoike insisted I call him Mr. and not prof, he had a nasty heart attack and he was hospitalized. I went to see him and he told me that he was ready to meet his maker at which point the wife dealt him a resounding slap. I couldn't hold my laughter. He said himself that nothing would make him miss this day.

Facing Israel, I said, "I believe so my good friend. And I believe the same is in order for you."

He pulled up a seat beside me and sat down. He crossed his long legs and looked at me with so much joy in his eyes. The man did not even try to hide the fact that he liked me. He sipped his drink.

"I was also hoping to be a good friend to you as you so called me. I would so love it if you would give me your number."

I faked a shocked face and looked at him with my mouth open. "Why Mr Ochiugo? No finesse in your request. One would think that it is your right to have my number." I arranged my features again. He smiled at my little drama.

"I have been giving you space for the last four years. If I give you more space dear, you will end up in space. I think this is the last chance I have had with you. If I let you go now without getting anything to contact you again, you might as well be a figment of my dream, a dream that lasted for good four years." He looked so sincere that it broke my heart. I could not for the life of me, refuse to give the man my number. He meant well.

"Well, since you asked so nicely and you are right, four years is a long time for a dream, I will give it to you. But don't call me unless you absolutely have to fall off a bridge. Just kidding."

I gave him my number.

He gave a really bright smile. He sipped his drink. "May I call you, Adaeze?"

I felt bad for him. I did not know about love but I have learnt from reading that unreciprocated love hurt like hell and I knew that he must feel something strong for me. Everyone in the school knew that he liked me a lot and he did not try to hide it from them.

"I am sorry if I have treated you badly. I assure you that it was not intentional."

"You can make up for it by going out to dinner with me. I would so appreciate it."

I decided then that it was not fair to lead the poor besotted man on. I have to tell him that I was married. "I have being avoiding you Israel not because I hate you but because I am already married and my husband does not like sharing."

I could not help laughing at the expression on Israel's face. He looked like he saw a ghost or better, heard about a ghost. Israel was a good man and he deserved good things. The problem was that I was beginning to like him and that was not a good thing. I had promised myself that before I could get involved with another man, I must ensure I was done with Sam and his family. I have not done that yet. So why was my heart fluttering and hoping that Israel would ask me out again? I must be out of my tiny head. Besides, he was yet to regain his speech. He dropped his drink on the floor and leaned over his seat as if to say that the closer he got the more sense the whole thing would make.

"That is unbelievable Mrs...?

"Aninze," I completed for him. As I expected, he recognized the name. His face looked like someone hit him from behind. I pitied him and myself.

"I hope you are not talking about the Aninze of CBN. Your husband is like one of the richest people in Nigeria." He made the statement sound like a huge deal which it was to him but not to me.

I was suddenly glad that I had the good mind to use my maiden name for my education. Everyone might know about Mrs. Aninze but no one knew about Adaeze Ezigbo. I did not know what got into my mind to give him my married name but I just did.

"Yes, I am talking about the Aninze and, yes, my husband is one of the richest men in Nigeria. It is only too bad that riches cannot buy happiness."

"Are you trying to tell me that you are unhappy with your marriage? How did you even end up with the man? He must be at least ten years older than you are."

"You ask so many things at a time and ten years is not that much? I know that you have more than six-year on me. What I am trying to tell you is that today is a day of celebration for me and I will not let you or anyone spoil it for me so let's drink and forget Sam for a second." The way he was going on about Sam was putting a damper on my joy today.

"Okay then, if that is what you want but I still want to take you out if you will let me. I will like the chance to get to know you better as friends of course. And you are right. I have seven years on you."

My heart did a crazy summersault. Be still my sinful heart. I tried not to smile out but inside, I was doing gymnastic. I did not know when what I felt for him changed but it did. I was very glad that he still wanted to take me out. It would be my first official date. Wait, it was not a date but a friendly come-and-eat-with-me thing. I sure wished it was a date so that I could understand a little of what Oge had been harping about. Funnily enough, I did not feel any guilt that I might be betraying Sam.

"That will be okay by me. I don't have anything to do on Sunday evening. Maybe that will be good for you?" I chose Sunday evening because that was the time that Sam would stay out all night and come back at the wee hour of the morning. I have long told him that I did not like his late-night partying and he has taken to going to the event without me in tow. That was just fine by me.

"That would be great. I will pick you up by seven. Hope you will be ready by then?"

"We shall see," was all I said as I walked into the main party to join the crowd. I was unconscious of the soft and gentle eyes that followed my movement. My back was turned to Israel.

I felt like a little nymph inside me was just determined to make trouble. I had this sudden urge to have a little fun with Israel, to consider him my friend and just loosen up. I have been so uptight for the past seven years and I thought it was about time to loosen up or I might just break. Dinner with him was exactly what my body needed.

*************

A knock sounded at the gate. I could not believe that I was actually nervous about going out with Israel. The next sound that came was the bell. The next thing was the car horn. Adamu, our gateman, always has the Sunday off to stay with his family. I knew it was up to me to open the gate but I was still deciding which shoe to wear. I gave up. I wore the fancy house slippers that Sam bought me and went to the gate. I even forgot that the gate was electronic and that I could open it from inside the house. I opened it and he drove in with his black convertible. Sam bought me that car last two years. He was looking very handsome in his black shirt and blue jeans, I noted as he stepped out of the car. He removed his glasses. He looked around and frowned.

"So much for showing off my car. Are these cars yours?"

"Yes. My husband believes in letting me have the very latest of everything. I have more cars than I can drive."

It was the first time I was proud of the many useless cars that Sam bought me. "But you are not here to ogle my cars, are you? Come in. I want you to help me choose the cloth to wear. Sam married me right out of secondary school. I do not know much about going out and such. My best friend is on her honeymoon or she would have helped me."

I was wearing a short, sleeveless, sky blue gown; I knew that it brought out my curves but I did not care. I wanted to feel beautiful and I was feeling it.

"I don't know much about women wardrobes but I will like you to wear something comfortable. What you have on looks stunning and you walk comfortably so I think it will do nicely."

I smiled inside. The last time I wanted to wear something comfortable for my date with Sam he had said, "Where are you wearing that thing to? Where we are going, it is only the rich that come there and you are not wearing that thing if you are following me. I want you to wear something tight and sexy. I want people to fall down looking at my sexy wife." And just like that, I removed my very modest dress and my very comfortable shoes and wore something very short, indecent and immoral, and fancy flat shoes that made me walk funnily. He did not care of course as long as I looked stupidly sexy.

"So where are we going to?" I asked the man that has taken a sit in the visitor's sitting room.

"I wanted to take you to the best place in town but if I know your husband from what you have told me, you have been there many times so I am going to take you to my favourite place in town."

"What if I don't like the place?" I was simply trying to be difficult. I knew I would like to go out with him anywhere.

"Oh, I assure you, you will love it as I do. They make the best Italian food."

I talked as I went into my closet. "You are taking me to an international restaurant, how do you know that I have international stomach?"

"They also serve local food if you want but I will like you to try out some of the glorious Italian food. They are simply yummy."

"I love the sound of that. I can't wait to taste it." And true enough, I could not wait to taste the food he talked about.

*************

"I enjoyed myself a lot. Thank you, Israel." I was really grateful to him for many things. One of them was for giving me the best food that I had ever tasted. The food we ate that night was simply heavenly. I had wanted to lick my plate like a child. The people there were good. They were not like those in the places that Sam took me. He took me to places where the waitress would so much like to sleep with the men in tow and the women if they were willing.

The place was in a quiet side of Enugu that I did not even know existed. It was called Antonio's Place and it was in a place called Transeculu Avenue. It was decorated with less colorful light and soft music that did not interrupt the conversation. And we had the best conversation as far as I was concerned.

"You are welcome Adaeze. I am glad you enjoyed it. I was a little afraid that your husband might have brought you here once or twice. Now I am glad that you enjoyed this with me." He stopped the car outside the gate so he could open the gate.

I decided that it was better I bade him good night. I stepped down from the car. He looked at me and frowned again. It seemed that Israel liked frowning. No wonder he had such amount of wrinkles on his face at such a very young age. He had told me that he was thirty. "Do not worry about the gate. I shall close it as I go in. thank you again."

"Why Adaeze, so like you. You are not going to invite me in for coffee? I was praying that you would but I guess that would be asking God for too much. At least, let me escort you to the doorstep."

I laughed; I did a lot of that this night. I must have forgotten how to laugh since I married Sam. "You may but it ends at the door step."

He landed me up to the stairs, at the entrance of the house. He looked at me like he wanted to see the very bane of my soul. I was very uncomfortable by that look on his face. "Is anything the matter Israel?"

"That is for me to ask. Is anything the matter? You are not happy in your marriage. Why are you still in it? It is eleven in the night and I am sure that your husband is not yet at home. Everybody in this town knows that your husband is cheating on you. Do you not care?"

Just like that he has managed to spoil a really wonderful night. But I knew I owe him that much. I trusted Israel. I did not know when but I have come to trust him.

"I know all about the wildlife of my husband. I just chose to ignore it. I plan to divorce him after I get down on my feet financially. And for where my husband might be by this time of the night, I don't really care if he is in bed with the best of them. It is better that way, he will not have to ask me for anything when he comes in for the night. Now that I have satisfied your curiosity, can I go into my house?" I could not help my voice.

"I am sorry if I sounded rude. I could not help it. I am sorry. I just hope that you will let me take you out again. Please do not say no."

The kind of hope that was plastered on his face was catching. I could not find it in my heart to refuse him if I tried. I simply liked Israel a lot.

"I shall love that a lot. Let us see what happens next weekend. I am going to be very busy this week looking for a job."

"You are looking for a job? That is not good. You were one of the best graduates. You are supposed to have a bucket full of offers from companies and the likes of that. You cannot be looking for a job. Even the worst students have gotten a job."

"That's not what I'm saying. I have offers, so many of them if I must tell you. I do not know the one to choose so that is why I am going to take this week to look at all the offers and get to know them."

"Ok then, I shall see you again next weekend. I am travelling to Abuja to do something for my father. I know I shall miss you a lot. I just hope that you will find time to miss me too." He smiled as he said that. He was adorable when he wanted to be.

I did not want to give him the idea that I was into him even when I knew that I was so into him. "I am sure I shall miss you as much as I miss my convertible and I don't drive that car."

He smiled as I knew he would. He understood a joke when he saw one. "Are you trying to say that you would not miss me Adaeze? You break my heart. But it is alright, I will survive, I promise you." He turned and started leaving. He paused at the gate and looked back at me. My heart skipped three beats. Be still my jumpy heart. I smiled at him. He waved and left. I stood there until I heard his car drove away. I sighed. I liked him but I could never do anything with him, not while I was still tied to Sam.