"Are you leaving without giving me a kiss?", My wife asked me while she made a girly sad face. I was almost at the door when she said it, it was already a norm in our house to kiss before we left for work. I ran back to her and kissed her on the fire head and whispered I love you. I was already running late for work and I had to take the kids to school, my wife usually brings them back. That was our arrangement.
And so before I left, I turned around and looked at the woman I had married 7 years ago, still as beautiful as the first day I saw her, "Obi'm, I love you my dear wife", I was holding our 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, they all smiled. Because of them, I was willing to move the heavens to see that this relationship survived any storm. I was a lucky man, I now have the family I had always dreamed of.
I rushed my kids to school and headed back to work. Being a doctor is as stressful as it could get. I worked almost 18 hours a day and barely had time to spend, do all my extra time and free breaks were with my family. I remember when I first met her at the bank, she was just fresh out of service and working part-time in the bank. Immediately I saw her, I knew instantly that she was the one. Dark, elegant, tall, endowed, dimples, you name it, she had everything.
While I was clerking a patient, my phone rang, it was principal Adam, why is the Principal of my children's school calling me? I wondered, my wife usually attends to all school-related matter and I just dropped my kids barely 2 hours ago, hope nothing is wrong. I picked.
"Mr shreds, your 5-year-old daughter is sick and I would recommend you take her home, I've tried to call your wife on several occasions but she is not picking up my call, so I had to call you."
I appreciated him and told him I'll get back to him. I called my wife, she was supposed to be at work by this time and would be pretty busy, being a manager isn't easy. Wierd, she did not pick my calls too, hope all is well. I tried her office line and it wasn't reachable, weird also.
So I rushed back to my kid's school and checked on my daughter, not again, she forgets to take her drugs. She was having an acute autoimmune disorder and her drugs were at home. So I decided to take her home and give her the drugs.
On getting home, I see my wife's car in the garage, weird, did something happen? Is that why she isn't picking her calls! God I became scared and I packed outside and I rushed towards my house, I didn't even bother knocking, I just opened the door and couldn't believe what I saw.
I stood in shock as the events following next broke the very core of my existence. My daughter entered the house and stood still with me. Innocently, she asked
"Daddy, why is mummy naked with Uncle Joe? Why didn't you buy new clothes for mummy and uncle Joe?"
I carried my daughter and close her eyes and whispered to her,
"Darling, mummy has enough new clothes, she chooses not to wear them when I'm not around, with Uncle Joe".
Joe was her best friend since I could remember, I guess I understand the meaning of best friend now.
"HONEY I can explain, it's not what you think, oh God, I'm so sorry, it's the work of the Devil, baby please I'm sorry".
I just stood still holding and daughter, I could not breathe, I could not think, tears just kept rolling from my eyes uncontrollably, I thought I had everything, I thought I had the perfect family, I thought I was enough for her.
I covered my daughter's face and walked past both of them to give her her drugs. After some minutes, I had the door close, Joe had run out, my wife was now in my daughter's room begging me to forgive her.
God this hurts so much, why does my heart feel as though it's going to explode into a million pieces.
"Daddy, why is mummy crying? Tell her sorry", then my daughter ran to my wife and hugged her.
"Shreds, for the sake of our family, for the sake of our daughter, for the sake of our children, please forgive me".
My innocent daughter who didn't know what was happening joined my wife and began to cry. I couldn't bear to hear her cry, I hugged them both, I forgive you.
Well, I guess I meant it when I said I was willing to do anything to see that my marriage survives, for my kids, half bread is better than none I guess.
Three days later, I'm in a bar, drinking alone and recalling what happened, and how our marriage has gone from good to bad, how we barely see eye to eye, how it feels as though I and my wife were strangers once again.
"Hello handsome, are you single?", I looked up to see a beautiful woman, dressed in a black short gown standing beside me.
I stared at my ring, stared at the lady, and stared back at my wedding ring, then I removed it and placed it inside my pocket...
"Hello beautiful, I'm Shreds, and yes, I'm single".
I said I forgave her, I didn't say I forgot what she did!
