The Sword Called Divorce (Episode 10)

“I…I…I didn’t  plan that.” As soon as the words left his mouth he knew how stupid they sounded. Whoever planned an erection? Besides she was his wife and his body could respond however it wanted.
“Just let go of me.” She said stiffly.
“It’s just telling you how much I miss you.”
“Miss sex, you mean.” She said sharply, slowly turning away.
He didn’t know what he was thinking when he pulled her into his arms and planted his lips on hers. Being typical Nike, she tried to struggle at first, but he didn’t let go.
Slowly but steadily her resistance weakened.

Nike didn’t know what kind of hold her husband had over her; even in her stubbornness, she couldn’t deny the flickering attraction between them; it had always been there and hadn’t disappeared over the years.
It had been that way when they first ,met, no matter how angry she was with him; she always melted the moment he touched her.
Once she’d confessed it to him during the early years of their marriage and he’d joked about it telling her he had magic fingers.
Even now, the magic seemed not to have diminished with time, neither had her attraction to him faltered.
It was as though he’d bewitched her, because one kiss led to another and it wasn’t long before they were entangled in each other’s bodies. How could you hate a man so much and still be fatally attracted to him?
She was working on her divorce and yet here she was sleeping with him; the enemy. Her husband who’d betrayed her. She felt no remorse, actually. She even felt good, whole…better than she’d felt in a long time. But she’d never tell him that.
This didn’t change anything. He’d caught her in a moment of weakness. She reassured herself.
And that’s exactly what she told him thirty minutes later when they were exhausted from love making.
“Keep telling yourself that.” He said quietly, as he pulled on his trousers.
“I mean it. It doesn’t change anything. You took advantage of me.” She watched him as he dressed, too ashamed to do same.
He laughed humourlessly. “Took advantage? Listen to yourself Nike. You’re not eighteen or naïve anymore. You’re denying what you feel for me.” He placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “But I won’t deny that I love you. I love you very much. Like I did the very first day.”
She stared at him at a loss for words.
He cracked a small smile. “Think about it, love. I’m gonna take a drive around and see if I’ll see Marie. She might be stranded or something.”
And with that he left.

Nike didn’t let her mind dwell on the words he’d left lingering in her mind. She’d forgotten what a charmer her husband was.
What exactly was she feeling? She asked herself. There was no doubt she detested him for what he’d done to her. But still her body tingled whenever he stood so close to her. Just like it had the very first day.
Still she couldn’t erase what he’d done from her head. The picture of Izie and Joe always sent a shudder down her spine.

Marie didn’t come home that week. She didn’t show up in school and no one had an idea of her whereabouts.
Nike had gone crazy with worry. She was moody and gave in to bouts of tears every now and then. She would sit Joe down and paint different scenarios of what could have possibly happened to their  daughter.
“Maybe she’s been kidnapped.”
“There’d be a ransom call.” Joe replied, wearily.
“Or she ran away and is staying with prostitutes.” Was her next suggestion.
“Our daughter never seemed like the type who wanted prostitution for a career.” Joe said.
She turned on him. “How can you joke at a time like this? Our daughter is missing!”
“And we’ve told the police. Let’s see what they come up with.”
“That bunch of incompetent losers? They’re more interested in kissing your ass than finding our daughter. Imagine the stupid Commissioner asking us to ‘drop something for the boys’ if we want a thorough job done.”
“And we talked to Pastor Briggs. The church is praying. She’ll be fine.” Joe said with a conviction he wasn’t feeling.
“Haven’t you noticed we haven’t been in God’s good graces these past weeks? I don’t think He’d listen to any prayer made on our behalf.”
“Nike, don’t say that. God won’t abandon us now.”
“Well, we abandoned him first.” She shrugged.
“I don’t know where this conversation is going.”
“Forget about it.” She stood and went into the room.
They hadn’t talked about the incident since it happened. Nike had not made any declarations of truce, although they were more comfortable with each other than before. One night, she’d come knocking on the door to the guest room, saying she couldn’t sleep and could she please stay awhile with him.
They’d slept on the same bed that night for the first time in a while and had been content just holding each other.
He’d sensed her fear and also sensed something else; guilt. She blamed herself for what had happened to Marie. She never voiced it out but he knew she was afraid of what could have befallen their daughter.

“Daddy, where is Marie?” Bella asked for the umpteenth time that week. She too was feeling the absence of her elder sister. She’d woken up one night in the room where she usually slept with Marie and bawled her eyes out.
“Sweetheart. She’s coming back soon, ok?” Nike replied with a slight quiver in her voce.
“She said we’re going to watch Dora the Explorer.” She pronounced ‘explorer’ as ‘esploraar’
“Daddy and I will watch it with you, ok?” Nike gave her a quick hug.

It was exactly ten days later when the Babalolas got a surprise visit. It was Monday evening and they’d just returned from a visit to the police station and had gotten no progress report. The police kept saying…”We’re working on it.”
It had been a depressing visit for them and Joe and Nike had come back together feeling drained. And Joe had then suggested they pray like a family just as they used to.
Nike looked at him, astonished. It had been a while since her husband initiated a prayer session. They held hands with Bella and went on their knees to pray.
As the prayer was going on; Nike felt something strange happen to her, it was as though something shifted in her heart. It was like a certain bond was formed in that moment; a bond that had been missing. She knew something had happened in her but she couldn’t tell what.
All she knew was that it was a good feeling and she savoured it.

The knock on the door sounded at exactly twenty-seven minutes to nine pm. Joe took note of this because he wondered who’d be visiting at this time. They’d gotten a lot of condolence visits during the period of Marie’s disappearance that he began to wonder if they were praying for his daughter to truly be dead.
He wondered if this was one of such visits.
“Daddy, the door.” Bella pointed.
He rose and went to the door. “Who is it?”
“Izie.”

(To be continued…)