Yeside quickly dropped her handbag and headed to the kitchen.
Thankfully, Olamide was asleep. Praise God for little mercies. Her conversation with Mabel on the way home was still playing in her head.
Mabel had suddenly offered her a ride home. Yeside was still calculating how to get home from the office. Her car was with the mechanic.
Mabel was an Assistant Partner in the prestigious law firm Yeside worked for. The firm had come to the University to administer tests in Yeside's final year. Of course, Yeside was one of the successful candidates. There were slight hitches concerning the service year but Dad easily sorted things out and Yeside served with the firm. She quickly rose to the position of Associate Partner. She sure was a high-flyer.
'Thank God it's Friday. I hope we can make it in good time for me to stop at the market to buy the ingredients for Pepper soup', Mabel said cheerfully.
Yeside wondered how peaceful this drive with Mabel would be. She had planned to just enjoy the drive while surfing the web - Facebook in particular. She was looking forward to just flipping through posts, learning more about humans in general and the weirder ones in particular...
'Would you like some sweets? My husband is the one that introduced them to me, now I'm so addicted to them'
Mabel broke into Yeside's thoughts.
'Oh Lord, I hope we're not going to have this 'My husband is so perfect' discussion', Yeside groaned inwardly as she restrained herself from rolling her eyes.
She didn't feel like hearing about 'perfect' husbands. She knew those women were lying through their teeth. Who knew Wole, our own meek Wole, would turn out to be such a snake? Perfect my foot!
'I hope I can convince my sister to help me watch my baby tomorrow. I'm thinking of going to work; Oga Hassan pleaded with me to come and review the research report for the court appearance on Monday. I'm not sure I'll be able to concentrate, if I take it home to review.'
Mabel broke into Yeside's thoughts again. As Mabel went through her routine of waking up early to cook and prepare for work, packing meals for herself, her husband and their kids, maintaining a top-notch career, keeping her husband satisfied and helping her older daughter out with her homework, Yeside wondered what Mabel's husband's role was in the house. Was he there just to eat, sleep, procreate and replenish the earth? She was contributing financially too so he should help with domestic chores too, right?
This woman was slaving away for this man to 'maintain' a marriage, Yeside thought. For what? Just to maintain her 'Mrs' title? You just had a baby a few months ago, girl! Hearing about Mabel's routine was making Yeside dizzy.
'You feel under-utilized, right?', Yeside answered as Mabel was expressing sorrow because her husband does not like 'swallow' and soups.
'I have to keep innovating so that meal times are not too boring. I keep looking for variants. My daughter doesn't like shrimps so I'm also constrained. I love to cook'
'You need to take a chill pill', Yeside thought as she smiled dutifully, dropping exclamation marks at the right places.
Mabel was monopolizing the conversation but Yeside did not mind. Who needs virtual life lessons from Facebook when there is a life lesson right in the car?
'I'll need to make the sauce for Fried Rice tomorrow. I'll make the Fried Rice on Sunday so we can use it for Monday's lunch'
'Fried Rice sauce? I haven't heard of such.'
'How do you make your Fried Rice?'
Yeside described her Fried Rice routine to Mabel. She really felt like eating some Fried Rice. Maybe she should make Fried Rice this Sunday.
'Ah, that one is not usually so sweet.'
Mabel went on to describe her own Fried Rice routine.
As Mabel described her routine, Yeside's thoughts drifted to yesterday's events.
..............................
She had got home, all excited and all ready to try the tips she got from the Facebook group. She had asked anonymously for tips on how to encourage her not so eager husband in bed. It sure was time for another baby. According to her Yearly Planner, she should have had 2 babies now. They had to make up for the time they lost convincing everyone that they were made for each other.
Marriage with Wole was nothing like what she thought it would be. No breakfast in bed, no pampering, nothing. She wondered why he allowed her waste three years convincing anyone about anything. They were all right after all. They sure saw what she was too blind to see. She felt like such a fool.
'I have sent you to this man to help him', the words came again from within.
Those were the words she received when she flippantly prayed about Wole's proposal seven years ago.
'Welcome darling', Yeside stood up and hugged Wole. She took his laptop bag and began to remove his tie.
'Can I have that back?', Wole barked at Yeside. Olamide was startled and started crying.
Yeside quickly returned the laptop bag and picked up her 2 year old son, rocking him.
'Hey, put that boy down and don't turn him into a wimp. SHUT UP, BOY! I'm having a headache. Who is watching that nonsense on TV? Don't you know there is a live match?', Wole barked the questions out in quick succession.
'Hey, who are you barking at? If you're frustrated, please leave that at the door. The 'nonsense' I'm watching is 'Sunflower Girls', an exciting TV series about 4 ladies and how they find opportunities to brighten their days. You're welcome to join me'
Wole and Yeside began to exchange words.
'Maybe I'll be less bitter if you made me feel like a woman instead of hugging your laptop and the TV remote more', Yeside blurted out in anger.
Wole went silent for 30 seconds. Then he turned and walked back out through the door.
That's good riddance to bad rubbish, Yeside thought. Who did he think he was, talking to her the way he did? Nonsense. Let him go out and think about his life. She'll just spend the time caring for Olamide and surfing the web...
Yeside checked the time. It was 11:30pm. She had slept off on the couch after putting Olamide to sleep at 8pm. Maybe she should get a live-in maid. This current arrangement was quite stressful for her. Thank God for her car and the nearby playgroup she could leave Olamide in the mornings and pick him up in the evenings before heading home. Thank God home was not too far from work too. Still, the stress was beginning to tell on her. Wole's insistence on not hiring a maid was a huge problem for Yeside...Even the Proverbs 31 woman had help.
Yeside called Wole's phone number but it was switched off. She called Kunle, his bosom friend and his number was switched off too.
'Well, omo lomo o le pa iya oniya. Wole is a grown man', she thought as she turned off the lights. She tossed and turned a bit and drifted off to sleep.
She was startled when she heard some noise. She checked her bedside clock - 12:30am.
She went to the sitting room and found him in his drunken glory. Olawole Ibukunoluwa Akingbade was drunk...And what was that underlying smell?
Please leave comments with suggestions on how you believe the story should unfold....Please credit 'The Women Stories' if you choose to share. Thank you.
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