Happily Never After.... #3

The boys were called, and they shyly stood there being gaped at by all but their father. The more Tope and Temi grew now, the more they looked strikingly like their father. I removed MY boys from their gaze and gave them all they would need for the next few hours safely watching tv in my room. All his friends started asking him questions about the boys, and at least he got their names right. He oddly sounded like a proud father. This got me royally pissed. This are the same children he never bothered to look at even once since their birth. Then I heard his best friend announcing that Tayo had lied to him when he swore he would never touch me again after the rape. I went back into the kitchen to get them some muffins and cold drink, all the while thinking to myself. So Tayo had told his friend about an event that marred my life? Had sworn never to touch me again? Why had his friend sounded so disappointed? I put the thought aside, and served the drinks. It was only his "female friend" that had the courage to question me on the age of my boys. And she joked about it saying no one would have guessed it with my petite stature. From what I had heard through the walls, I seem to understand what she was insinuating so I took a seat and told her what she was curious to know. Yes, they are my boys, conceived in my womb, carried by me, and brought to the world with my help. I took the opportunity and looked at Tayo's best friend to make him realise my displeasure. True, I was raped in Tayo's family house on my wedding night. It was no concern of his and I wonder why Tayo had to let him in on it. Nevertheless, should I have been punished for being brutally raped by being denied a fruit of the womb? And then just to rattle up my husband, I finished my speech by telling them not to be surprised if they came next and found a beautiful girl that chooses to look more like me than her father in the house. As expected, this erupted some denial from Tayo, so I shut him up quick and nicely. Really, enough of my topic being chewed upon by his friends so I put an end to it and excused myself. Tayo's best friend, Kay  as he is popularly called had turned white (if that's possible), and what he said next stopped me from slipping out of the room. "You aren't going to leave him are you? Not after giving him 3children, not after all he's done, you are never going to leave him!!!". This outburst shocked not just me, but Tayo and his friends into silence. "He's my husband, Kay" was all I could think of saying. "But I saw you first! I met you before he did. I loved you long before he took any notice of you!" This gave me chills as it dawned on me. I suddenly felt sick remembering all the good gestures I ever extended to Kay and what he must have thought of it. "What more could I have done to make you leave him? I did everything Aishat asked me to. I would have preferred to just get Tayo out of the way, but Aishat begged me not to. She told me that you would leave him if you were unhappy in your marriage. She said he would hate you if you were soiled, and would never touch you. Now she is reaping the fruit of my labour and I still don't have you!"  Tayo and his other friends recovered from their shock as everyone realised what Kay was taking responsibility for. Kay wasn't done rambling though as he kept saying Tayo ruined it all, he shouldn't have remained married to me, and he was never supposed to touch me, not after I was raped! This jeered me alert and I was done listening. With every strength I could muster, I  ordered him out of my house!.

Shortly after Kay was forced out, I asked everyone else to kindly excuse me. All, except my husband. I could see the plea in his eyes but I didn't need it. As far as I was concerned, nothing had changed. I am still the same lady that was raped by 3 men on her wedding night. God only answered my prayers and chose to end my misery. I didn't offend anyone that much. I only suffered as a result of jealousy, envy and a bit of stupidity on Tayo's part. Tayo had always shared everything with Kay, and although I forbade him from talking about me to his friends, I'm sure he exempted his best friend "Kay"! We stood there staring at each other for what seemed like hours before I excused myself to return upstairs to my children.
I do not blame Kay, because he didn't ruin my marriage. I blame Tayo. We could have still worked it out, we could have let love lead us, we could have gotten through it together, we could have taken comfort in our kids, as gifts from Allah. Instead, he rejected me, shut me out, ignored his boys' existence, and decided to get comfort out of his home. Home? This has never felt much like a home anyway.
For the sake of the children, I have remained in a loveless marriage. I should have made sure the man I fell in love with 4years ago would stick with me through it all. It was all that ran through my mind as I dialled my lawyer's number.

It's high time I got that divorce....