Three is a crowd: Spare time and fear mothers-in-law

(Continued from last issue)

David and Diane have been married for years; then there is Julie, the young secretary whose axis collides with the couple’s in ways none of them saw coming.

DAVID

“So, are you ready to tell me what’s going on?” my mother asked directly.

We had been sitting in her living room for a few minutes, drinking tea and making small talk about everything from the weather to her garden, when, obviously tired of the charade, she got straight to what she instinctively knew had really brought me.

I took a deep breath and then told her everything, from how Julie had been acting strangely, to her telling me about Diane showing up at the site and what she had said about the site being ‘matrimonial property’, and finally, how Julie now wanted me to put her name on a title to the manager’s unit.

“Can you believe her! After everything I’ve done for her!”

I exclaimed, my tone a mixture of disbelief and hurt. My mother did not respond immediately, and when she did, in sharp contrast to my emotional tone, hers was calm and measured.

“I thought that what you do for her, you are doing for your son.”

“Yes, but…….”

“There are no ‘buts’; what you do for her, you do for your son, and you don’t measure or keep track of what you do for your children,” she interrupted firmly.

Her tone brooked no argument, and chastised, I remained silent. In any case, I suspected that she had more to say, and I was soon proven right.

“What’s wrong with her asking for a permanent home for Junior? Don’t your other children have one?” she demanded challengingly.

My sense of righteous indignation was suddenly replaced by embarrassment as the truth of her words sank in, and I hung my head in shame.

And then, like most parents once they see that their reproach has created sufficient remorse, her tone went from tough and admonishing, to gentle and counselling.

“Julie is a good woman; your father saw it, I saw it, and I know you did too. You just need to trust your instincts more, and stop listening to that wife of yours; that one is a snake, and you need to beware of her, because snakes are always looking to strike and spread their poison. Mark my words as the words of your mother, who loves you more than life itself, and wants nothing but the best for you – your wife is a snake, and not just a snake, but a poisonous one.”

DIANE

I had been parked at my vantage point across the street from the apartment complex for over an hour, waiting expectantly for the doctor to arrive, so that I could capture that on my phone and send it to David as irrefutable proof that his whore was cheating on him, but so far, there had been no sign of him, and my patience was beginning to wear thin.

I had been so certain that he would race over as soon as we finished our call, that I had hurried my own departure from the house to ensure that I did not miss his arrival at the complex, but now, after more than an hour, I was beginning to second-guess myself.

He had sounded like he was at work when I called; what if he could not get away immediately? What if he planned to see her after work instead?

For a second, I considered calling him to get an idea of where he was, and try to figure out if I should keep waiting, or just leave, but quickly dismissed the idea; the doctor was not as dumb as David’s whore; so, if I called again, he might get suspicious, and that could ruin everything.

Instead, I decided to give it another thirty minutes, and if he still had not shown up, I would wrap it up and leave. After all, in the grand scheme of things, I had already accomplished what I set out to achieve; now that David knew his whore was only after his property, he would dump her like a hot potato, and I could finally have my husband back.

Of course, it would have been great to have proof of her infidelity as well as her greed, but knowing David, and how much he cared about protecting his money and assets, she had been as good as gone the minute she asked him for a share of those; so, I did not really need this additional evidence.

When half an hour later, the doctor still had not arrived, I admitted that this expedition had been a total waste of time, and starting up the car, rejoined the traffic heading into town.

JULIE

Work had always been a good distraction tool for me; so, once I had cried my heart out, I pulled myself together and began busying myself with chores around the apartment.

Since I had not gone to the site, I had not bothered sending Junior to daycare either; so, in addition to the chores, I had him to take care of, and had just put him in his playpen with a pile of stacking toys to keep him busy, when the sound of a key in the front door made me freeze.

There was only one person, other than myself, with a key to the apartment, and straightening up slowly, I turned to face the door, my heart racing wildly. What was he back for; to continue the fight, or to make amends?

Even though it probably only took a few seconds, it seemed like forever before the door finally opened, and David walked in. As soon as our eyes met, I knew he was not back for a fight; his demeanor was sheepish, almost embarrassed, and in his eyes, I saw remorse, and the apology I had been praying for.

Pushing the front door shut behind him, he crossed the room to me in three giant strides, and then without a word, pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. All the tension, fear, uncertainty and raw hurt I had been consumed by in the hours since he had stormed out, came rushing out in a wave of tears, and clinging to him, I sobbed into his chest.

This time though, my tears were not tears of hurt and anxiety, but rather of relief and gratitude that whatever powers might be, they had heard my prayers and brought David back.

We stayed like that, until tired of being ignored, Junior began demanding for our attention: “Mummy, ……..Dada…..Mummy, …… Mummy!”

David loosened his tight embrace, but did not immediately let go of me, as he held me at arm’s length with one hand, and tilted up my face with the other, so that he was looking me straight in the eye.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, his tone earnest and genuine. “It’s alright,” I whispered, forgiving him without reservation as I saw the sincerity in his eyes.

“I love you,” he declared with that same sincerity.

I’m sure he had said he loved me before, but I could not remember him ever sounding like he meant it more, and hearing him say it this way, my heart felt so full, I thought it would burst.

“I love you too,” I answered quietly. “Mummy!” Junior shouted impatiently, and with a short laugh, David gave me a quick peck before releasing me reluctantly and turning to tend to Junior.

margaretwamanga@yahoo.com

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