Chapter 17

Everyone with their issues

Patrick sat at the reception in the hospital. He was waiting to take his wife home. The doctor had checked and cleared her to go home.

When he saw her coming towards the reception, he got up and walked towards her.

She did not say anything. And he decided did not say anything at first but later changed his mind when they got into the car.

“Michelle, I’m so sorry…” He started.

“Please save it. Just get me back to my hotel.”

“Please, I’m begging you in the name of God. I’ve been a very foolish man and I regret everything I’ve done to you. A man of my repute should not be caught in this kind of situation.  I’m sure that girl used charms on me…”

“Please Patrick, I’m not interested in your… whatever it is you are trying to say… I’m having a headache. I need to sleep now…”

“Michelle please. I’m begging you. Please forgive me. You are a good Christian and the bible says we should forgive. Bico. Immediately Tadeke told me what happened, I rushed to come to you. She said she had spoken to you and that you seem to be ok but I just had to come. It’s all my fault and I regret my actions. Please Michy, Bico, Nnwanem.”

She did not reply him.

Her left wrist was bandaged. She had suffered a broken wrist from her encounter with Jennifer. The corner of her left eye also had a bandage. Her lips were also a little swollen.

She rested her head on the head rest and closed her eyes.

Patrick touched her arm but she shrugged his hand away.

“Michelle, I know you still love me. I will deal with that girl myself. Her charms have worn off and I will deal with her mercilessly. Please Michy, I need you back in my life. You are my life and you mean the whole world to me. Please say something. I beg you in the name of God.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what to tell you now. Just get me back to my hotel. I need to sleep.”

“Bassey, go to our house…” Patrick ordered to the driver.

“Yes sir.” He replied.

The driver made a quick turn, turning the car in the opposite direction.

Michelle rose up her head.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“We are going home?”

“Bassey, stop this car now!” She ordered the driver.

“Bassey, you keep going.” Patrick countered.

“Patrick, tell him to stop this car now….”

“Common, Michy, why are you doing this to me?”

“So you want to force me back to the house abi? Keep going now…”

“Michy, for Christ sake, what else do you want me to do? I have apologized to you. I have begged you for forgiveness. I have pleaded. I have done everything. What else do you want me to do?”

She did not reply.

The driver made another turn that led into their street.

The street was quiet. It was a Sunday morning and many folks were either indoors or had gone to church.

When they got to the gate of the house, the driver honked. Almost immediately, the gateman started pushing the gate open.

When Michelle saw the house, she closed her eyes and sighed.

Patrick saw her reaction but looked away.

The driver moved into the compound.

The gatemen closed the gate after him.

Patrick got down from the car. Michelle remained in the car.

He went round to where she sat and opened the door.

She stayed put.

“Michy, do you want me to kneel down. I will. Please…”

He was going on his knees when she said, “Please don’t do that. I beg you.”

She got down from the car and walked towards the house.

Patrick followed. A smile cornered his lips.

*        *        *

Tadeke sat at the table nearest to the glass. She wanted to make sure she could see whoever it was when he arrived. She wanted to see him before he saw her. She also wanted to get an idea of how they operated. She was nervous.

She sipped on the orange juice in the long glass cup.

She looked at her wristwatch. It was about four minutes to the meeting time. She was told that they never missed their appointment and were always on time.

She went back to the game she was playing a game on her tablet.

“Good evening madam” A voice said.

She almost jumped. She was startled. She had obviously been engrossed in the game she was playing so much that she had missed his entrance.

He was a tall man in his early or mid-forties. He was handsome, broad chested with clean shaved mustache. He looked like he spent sometime at the gym. His muscles were lean and fit. He looked alive. His eyes were warm and relaxed. 

He was not what she was expecting.

“Sorry, how may I help you?” She asked politely.

“My name is Femi Oleku.”

“Ok..?”

“XFS..?”

She recognized the acronym.

Femi sat down.

Tadeke could not believe her eyes. He did not look like what she was expecting at all. He had a charm with his eyes.

“I can see you are surprised…” Femi said looking at her.

“No not really? Just that you startled me.”

“Sorry for that. I did not mean to…”

“No that’s ok. I’m fine. ”

“Ok, so first things first. We have rules that we abide strictly by. Our price is non-negotiable. We don’t dabble beyond the boundaries of our agreement.  We agree and we do.”

Tadeke nodded.

“You can’t call us. Be we can and would call you. You can’t visit our office but we can see you anywhere of your choice. We technically don’t exist. Our clients are bounded to us by trust. If you decide to drop the cat, we disappear. Untraceable. We don’t tolerate indiscipline…”

She listened intently. She admired his eloquence and panache.

“Ok wait a second. Money paid is non-refundable? What if you fail in your assignment…?” She enquired.

“We never fail. That’s why your friend introduced you to us in the first place. Our clientele are highly placed people in the country. A list of our clientele will convince you. We don’t joke with our work. ”

“Really? You mean you haven’t failed on your assignment before?”

“Never madam. We are that good and that’s our pride.”

“So what is the drive behind your organization…?”

He smiled. “Simple. We clear every doubt.”

“Interesting. So why go covert?”

He looked away and said nothing.

Tadeke sipped her juice. They obviously don’t like too much question especially questions that pock nosed into their affairs. She let it pass.

“So madam what can we do for you?” He finally asked.

“I need you to look into my husband. I’m not saying he is cheating on me. I just need to know if he is not…”

“Ok. I hope you friend has brought you up to speed of how much such task will cost you?”

“Yes she has… she mentioned something within the range of 3million or so...”

“Well… that’s often depends on what you want to know, when you want to know it, and how you want us to communicate the truth tgo you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Ok. You have some concerns about your husband, right?”

“Well kinda…”

“It’s alright. Just tell us what you want us to do. One of our agents will call you afterwards so that work can start in earnest.”

“I see.”

“Give us his name, home and office address, phone numbers, email address, height, weight, his pictures and every information about him we need to know. The more information we have about him, the more closer we can get to the truth.”

“That’s a lot of information. I don’t have all of that right now…”

“I thought so too. We would stay in touch.”

“How? I don’t have your number.”

“Don’t worry we have your number. You don’t call us, we call you.”

“So when should I be expecting your call so I can prepare?”

“We will call you madam. Don’t worry. When we call you, you will have them by then.”

“How do you know that…?”

She was playing with her tablet. When she heard no response, she looked up.

The man had disappeared.

“Spooky…” She muttered.

She looked outside the glass. She could see his back as he walked quickly to a black jeep that was parked very close to her car.

 Do they stalk people?  She thought.

She watched as the car pulled out of the park and made its way out.

She remembered what he said, “Don’t worry we have your number. You don’t call us, we call you. When we call you, you will be ready…”

But how? How do they do that? They must be stalking their clients. Jesus! What have I gotten myself into?

She looked behind her. Everyone else was busy chatting the evening away. She looked at her wristwatch again. It was getting late.

She got up from her seat and was about to leave when a young lady approached her.

“Good evening madam.”

Startled Tadeke jumped. “Lord where do people keep popping up from today sef…?”

“I’m so sorry….”

“You startled me, I tell you. But it’s no problem. How may I help you…?”

Tadeke was analyzing the lady.

“Are you in a hurry?” The young woman asked.

Tadeke was taken aback. The lady did not look like she was looking for money as many of them seem to be seeking. She looked properly dressed and looked proper.

“I may be able to share a minute…”

The lady sat down. Tadeke joined her.

“I don’t know you and you obviously don’t know me but I needed to speak to a complete stranger about something bothering me. I’ve been in here for almost 3 hours now seeking whom it is I can approach with this concern. I spotted you before that man walked in. immediately he left, I decided to approach you… Please don’t be angry …”

Tadeke was disturbed by the young woman’s situation. She looked like she had been crying or had not had sufficient sleep in a while.

“My name is Susan. Susan Nwabodo. I’m a HR consultant and I work with Syril Spenser Consulting Firm. I am married to Uche Nwabodo. A very wonderful husband…”

She was quiet and looked at her fingers.

Tadeke felt the emotions running through her body. She reached out and touched Susan’s hand.

“It is well my dear, you can share whatever it is with me…“

Susan looked up, her eyes were teary.

“I’m so sorry…”

“No no no. It’s ok...”

Tadeke helped her with a napkin.

Susan took it and wiped her eyes.

“I’m so sorry… We’ve been married for over five years now but we have no child…” She sobbed.

Tadeke went over to sit by her side. She wrapped her right arm around the young woman’s shoulder.

“I see the way my husband looks at kids and it’s so painful.  I know he is trying to keep it but it’s obvious its killing him inside too. Sometimes, I see him thinking… lost in thought for a long time and when I ask what he was thinking about, he would say nothing…. But I knew what it was…”

“Ok my dear calm down. It’s amazing how you walk up to a complete stranger and share something so secret to you like this…”

“Everyone else thinks I’m crazy. They think I’m losing my mind… They are tired of listening to me….”

Tadeke sighed.

“I’m not a doctor and I do not know what would be the most appropriate questions to ask but…”

“We have tried everything…” she began to sob again. “And I’m so tired of everything. Many times when my husband travels outside the country, I worry a lot. I often imagine he has found another woman out there that has gotten pregnant for him. ”

“Hmmmm….”

“But he has never given me a reason to doubt him. But you know, it’s only a matter of time…”

“Ok, let me tell you something, my elder sister did not have kids until 18 years after their wedding. Her husband stayed true to her side. He will often say, she is the bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh. This is on both of us. They have four kids now. ”

Susan wiped her face.

“Nobody said it was an easy ride. I know many nights when the wife, that’s my elder sister will call me and ask me to pray for her. She would ask me to pray for her so many times in one night, it made me weary. But her husband is one of the few men of integrity in the world that I know. He stood with her all through their ordeal. But today, that’s in the past…”

“I have heard and read about many of those stories. But it’s not just the situation that bothers me. It’s my husband. ”

“Why? As he given you any reason to be suspicious?”

“No. But he’s so calm and relaxed about it. We pray together about it everyday. He encourages me and all but when we are with friends and families outside, I see how he plays with the kids and that always crushes my heart. But how do you confront such an issue?”

Tadeke sighed and sat back. She held her arms akimbo. Something she saw her husband do when he was deep in thought.

“I have taken too much of your time already…” Susan said.

“No, it’s ok.” Tadeke replied calmly.

“I honestly don’t know what to do… It makes me sick.”

“I don’t know if my words will make any difference but hear me out. Because you do not have a child does not make you any less a woman. You need to realize that. Otherwise, we should be getting pregnant every other nine months.  Or when a woman hits menopause, she should go and die. No. God isn’t that wicked. If you don’t know your position as a woman in this world, the traditions of our people will ruin you. They say women were only made to give birth to children and if she doesn’t, then she’s not a woman. A woman is a man with emotions, compassion, feelings, strength, love, grace, beauty, warmth and I can go on. That’s why she was given the womb. Men cannot nurture children because they don’t have what we have. And they can never. I often tell my friends, if you always wait for your spouse to make you feel like a woman, you will one day be disappointed. You have to know that for yourself. The womb does not make the woman, the woman makes the womb. It’s that simple.  Ok, if you have ten kids for your husband, do you think that will quench all his yearning for you…?”

“No…” This stranger had Susan’s attention.

“Men seek out for something from us beyond just having kids. That’s what makes us women. And trust me when I say it’s more than sex they are looking for. They need someone to boost their ego. They need someone to confide in when all the chips are down. They need someone to feed them and nurture them like babies. Men need women. They were lonely and God made us to fill that gap. We keep them company. We give them succor. We make them feel like kings. We give them something to want to live and die for. We make them feel strong. We give them counsel. We help them see things better. We feed them. And you know who does these wonderful things…? We, women.”

“Hmmm…. Am I fortunate to have walked up to you or what?” Susan was smiling now.

Tadeke looked at her wristwatch.

“I have to go now. But do me a favor, go back home, take a nice long warm bath. Play one of your favorite music and just feel special like a woman. You should enjoy the privilege that God has given you—being a woman.”

“I sure will do that.”

“Give me your card. We should hang out sometime…”

“Yes we should.” Susan replied with excitement. She felt relieved.

Susan handed her card to Tadeke. Tadeke did the same.

The two women hugged and each went to their special homes. And probably to their special moments all by themselves.

*        *        *

Dr. Felix Nduka sat at his desk. He was a man in his late-forties. He looked primped and proper. He spoke with so much eloquence, he would have being a wonderful candidate at the polls.

He carried himself with grace and he spoke like his words were endlessly smooth.

He would definitely win any lady’s heart with his charming demeanor. He was definitely a doctor to chat with. He knew his work.

“Ok, interesting.” He said picking up his phone.

Wole sat across the other end of the desk.

“So let me ask you a question…?”

“Ok.”

“What are the qualities you look out for in a woman?”

“Well... I’m sure I have same qualities like most men. God fearing, beautiful, smart, good cook, tall, hardworking, career woman, house keeper, a wonderful mother, honest, faithful, good dresser, physically fit, sexually sound and all that…” Wole said with a smile.

Dr. Felix looked at his phone again like he was expecting a call.

“Ok. But I would correct you. Not all men are looking for all the qualities you just mentioned…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Not all men are looking for a woman who is tall for example and not every man is looking for a woman who is a career woman…”

“Well.. yeah but a lot of men would at least want some of the qualities I mentioned.”

“Ok good. Now, the second question…” Dr. Felix looked enquiring at Wole.

Wole nodded.

“And say you find a woman with all these qualities, what are you going to offer her…?”

“I don’t get you.”

“What qualities do you have that makes you think a man like you is worthy to be her husband?”

Wole rubbed his hand on his head.

“Well, I don’t have to be perfect like her. She would love me for being me.”

“Now, you are getting my point already. The qualities you are asking for are not high or perfect but my point is, if you are looking for a woman that has all these qualities, you must have qualities that would complement them… It’s not just about what you want but also about what she wants”

“You lost me…” Wole cuts him before he finished his statement.

“Ok... let me put it like this, you need a woman who is honest and faithful, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you honest and faithful?”

Wole looked away.

“I’m not trying to make this hard but I’m just saying we should be honest in our expectations. Don’t expect what you cannot give.”

“I get that.”

“Let me gist you about my own life. When I got married to my wife, I expected everything to be perfect. My wife was everything you wanted in a woman. She is sweet to the teeth and I mean sweet to the teeth. Godfearing, loving, caring, intelligent, great cook, coca-cola at its best, tall, slim, career woman and all that. And I was just this dude who wanted to marry her. But two years after we got married, things were not going smoothly as I had anticipated. I thought I had rushed into my marriage to soon. I began to wonder what went wrong. After trying everything I knew, I went to see my dad one day. I told him how things had gone sour all of a sudden and it seemed that my wife has changed completely.  He took a deep breathe, and with a knowing smile he said, ‘Felix, you’re being totally selfish. So I’m going to make this really simple: marriage is not for you.‘  I looked at him funny. At that point, he waited for the word to sink in before he continued. My dad was not a hurried speaker.”

“Interesting.” Wole adjusted in his chair.

The doctor continued, “He then went on to say, ‘You don’t marry to make yourself happy. More than that, your marriage isn’t for you. You’re marrying for a family. Not just for the in-laws and all of that nonsense, but for your future children. Who do you want to help you raise them? Who do you want to influence them? Marriage isn’t for you. It’s not about you. Marriage is about the person you married. So the qualities you are looking out for is not for you, it is for your future—your children.’

It was in that moment that I knew my wife was the right person I married. I realized that I wanted to make her happy; to see her smile everyday, to make her laugh everyday. I remember times we went to visit my nieces before we got married; the way they loved to see her was wonderful to behold. I just knew she was the one with whom I wanted to build my own family. You get…?”

“I think so…”

“My father’s advice was both shocking and revelatory. I can see that familiar look in your eyes. It went against the grain of today’s western philosophy that many of us are beginning to imbibe, which is if it doesn’t make you happy, you can get a new one. No, a true marriage or true love is never about you. It’s about the person you love—their wants, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams. Selfishness demands, ‘What’s in it for me?’ while love asks, ‘What can I give’ Sometime ago…”

Wole adjusted in his chair. He wasn’t sure where this was going anymore but it sure sounded like it would be clearer as they went on.

“Go on” He said.

“You need a cup of tea?”

Before Wole replied, the doctor pulled up the intercom and spoke, “Can you bring me a cup of tea for my guest. Thank you.”

He dropped the intercom.

The doctor continued, “Sometime ago, my wife showed me what it means to love selflessly. For many months, my heart had been hardening with a mixture of fear and resentment. Then, after the pressure had built up to where neither of us could stand it, emotions erupted. I was callous. I was selfish. But instead of matching my selfishness, she did something beyond wonderful—she showed an outpouring of love. Laying aside all the pain and anguish I had caused her, she lovingly took me in her arms and soothed my soul. God! My heart melted that day.  Now, I’m sure you are wondering where this is going…?”

“Sure.” Wole nodded. He had not gotten the point.

“My point is, marriage is not for you. It’s not about you. You are not the center of your marriage. And not until you realize this, you will only look out for things in a woman that would satisfy your selfish desires and not for things that will help build you a future. I often advice single men, don’t get married until you know why you are here. Discover yourself first and then the woman who would fit into your purpose would just be a breeze easy… what kin of future do you want to have? What kind of culture and values do you want to imbibe in your kids? What are you willing to give and not get to make sure your family is your pride? You need to answer these questions. Then, you will find out that because a woman I stall does not mean she will add value to the life of your kids. Because a woman is sexually good does not mean she would stay when the chips are down. It’s more of value and content than all the outward packaging that seems to be the stem of today’s woman of choice.”

Wole nodded in agreement.

“But not to be rude, I don’t see how that helps me much…”

“Ok, you dated two ladies before, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know… I guess I wasn’t sure what I wanted.”

“Now that’s the point. You were not sure what you wanted and you thought by keeping the two of them, one day you will discover who was right for you, right?”

“Yeah… kind of”

“Yeah kind of. It’s not peculiar to you alone. A lot of single men have come to me and asked this question; how do I know the right woman for me? And I often answer with a few questions, have you discovered what you want to do with your life? If you have, then, have you found the areas where you are lacking and you need help to get to that desired future? If you have, then half of the problem is solved. Many young men get married without knowing this and when they are already five years into the marriage, it is then they realize that the woman does not know how to invest money. Or she does not know how to analyze situations or she has a very insufficient IQ etc. You need to hear the kind of complaint I hear from young guys, you will laugh.”

“This makes marriage a complex thing oooo.”

“How?”

“It’s becoming more of a formula than anything else. Get your dream settled, find your weakness, and then find a woman to fill that weakness… I’m paraphrasing now…”

“Yeah, you did well… think about it, why and when did God make a woman?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”

Felix laughed.

Wole drank from the tea that was brought for him.

“Yes, we both were not there but the bible gives us the account of what happened. A woman was created only after God had made man, and given him a task to do. God then found out that man was lonely. He then made a woman to fill that space. He called her helpmeet. Now what this tells me is that, no matter how ‘get it all perfect’ we are as men, we have an opening that a woman will fill.”

“So what happens to men who do not get married…?”

“That’s not the bone of contention here. We are talking about you. So stay with me. We will get to that soon.”

“Ok”

“So God gave man a ‘job’, a house, a garden, and made in commander of everything around him. But, man was lonely. And this is the way I interpret that; the woman who eventually becomes your wife should not just be there to fulfill your sexual desires, but to help you fulfill your goals in life. She should help you reach you dreams. She is your helpmeet. So she is beyond all the physical looks. Even though I can tell you that physical looks counts too. Your kids would look good too. But it shouldn’t be the priority…”

“I think I’m beginning to see your point.”

He helped himself with the tea.

“So let’s make this easy. What are the names of the two ladies you dated?”

“Bolaji and Fatima. Why?”

“No worries. Now a few questions; what do they have in common? What do they have unique? What don’t they have? Now what exactly do you want? If you answer all these questions prayerfully and sincerely, I can tell you, you would have found your answer. I said prayerfully because it easy to get sidetracked by our feelings…”

“Do I have to answer these questions now?”

“Would be great if you can but most times, I ask my clients to go and think about the questions very well before they answer.”

“But that’s more money naaa.”

“No, our next meeting will come at no cost. It’s just a follow up to our discussion today.”

“Ok, I see. Let me go and think about it.”

“Ok that will be fine. It’s time for my next client to come in. I had spent more time with you than I usually do with my clients.” Felix smiled.

Wole got to his feet and shook hands with the doctor.

On his way out, he turned to the doctor and said, “Your friend said you will be worth it and I think I agree with him.”

“That’s glad to hear. When you get to see Paul, please say hello to him on my behalf.”

“I sure will.”

The next client was walking towards the door. It was a woman carrying a baby. She looked bewildered.

Everyone with their own issues, Wole thought.

He walked towards the elevator.

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CHAPTER 18 Coming Soon

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