The Love of My Life

“Will you Femi, take Maria as your lawful wedded wife to cherish in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do you part?”

“Yes I do.” Smiling sheepishly looking at Femi, my boyfriend of two years who is now my husband.

I held him with my strength as if assuring him that the future is beautiful for us. He leaned over and kissed me.

“I love you Maria. I love you so much.”

“I love you too Femi.” I replied.

“I promise to love and cherish you forever. Thanks for accepting to be mine.” He said with tears in his eyes.

And yes I will cherish Femi with all my heart.

I had prayed and waited on God for a future partner and Femi came my way, a knight in shining armour.

“I will cherish you too and I promise to love you and honor you as my husband.” I whispered, tears falling down my eyes as I looked at the love of my life, wiping his tears away with his white handkerchief.

FIVE YEARS LATER

“Femi, are you fine?” I held the hands of my husband of five years and he withdrew his hands, drank his coffee and left the house. I rushed after him.

“Femi! What is wrong? Have I offended you?” I asked curiously.

He looked at me, and then entered the car beckoning on the gateman to open the door.

“Femi!” I cried as he drove off.

It has been three days since he last spoke to me. I miss our conversations. I miss him. But what could be happening?”

IN THE EVENING

I closed from work very early and cooked his special meal thinking that would be an antidote to his mood. The table was set as I await the love of my life.

The bedroom was lit with beautiful candles and the pillow with the special words Femi said to me on the day of our wedding “I will love and cherish you forever.”

When it was five minutes past seven, I rushed in to change to the sexy lingerie I had bought. I wanted the night to be a special one for us. I wanted the love of my life back as I lay on the couch eagerly waiting for Femi.

FEMI’S PLACE OF WORK

Femi laid his head on his office desk till his Secretary came in to wake him up from his slumber.

Secretary: Sir, its 9 0’clock.

Femi: Oh! (Checks his wristwatch yawning) Thank you. I will leave once its 10pm

Secretary: Alright Sir.

The secretary hesitated for a while, Femi looked hard at her trying to understand why she was still standing. As if suddenly getting the answer to his question, he said: “It is fine. You can go home.”

“Thank you Sir. I appreciate.” The secretary hurried out as if afraid Femi might change his mind if she delayed for a second.

AT HOME

I waited anxiously for Femi.

“But why is Femi not here? This is 9pm. Hope he is fine?” I thought. I kept pacing the room silently praying for the safety of my husband. He doesn’t keep late nights well, except for the day before yesterday when he came in at 9pm even though he gave no explanation for the lateness.

I kept on with my silent prayers, hoping that Femi would be fine wherever he is.

 “Should I call his friend?” I thought.

“No!” I decided against it, at least not for now. I will call if he is not back by 10pm. I kept on praying till I slept off.

2 HOURS LATER

The knock at the door woke me up from sleep. I rushed to the door and opened to see Femi looking so tired.

“Hope you are fine? I have been so worried about you.” I hugged him, taking his bag from his hands and he gently pushed me away.

“Femi please now. I am very sorry if I have wronged you.” I said.

He looked at me and headed to the room. He opened and suddenly stopped. Staring hard at the romantic display in the room.

“What is all this?” he asked.

“Femi I love you. I am dying silently. I have missed you and our conversation. I miss us. Please I am sorry for whichever way I may have wronged you.” I pleaded.

“Then have pity on me.” He said

“Pity? What pity?’ I asked silently.

“Give me a child!” he said.

I was surprised.

“This is the fifth year Maria. The fifth year. Get pregnant or is that too hard for you to do?”

“But I am not the maker of children? Why are you doing this Femi?” I pleaded, silently sobbing.

“Stop! Please stop. There is no need for tears. Just stop please!” he said.

“Femi, please don’t get tired. Let us keep praying and hoping that things will work out fine. We are the joyful parents of good children. Please Femi.” I said sobbing.

“You promised to cherish me. Have you forgotten? This is where the words matter now. In difficult times as this. Please stay with me.” I cried.

As if my words settled in, Femi looked at me, opening his arms to hug me.

“I love you so much Maria. You are the love of my life and yes I will cherish you.” He held on to me, kissing me deeply. I hugged him with the same passion, unbuttoning his shirt as he made way with my lingerie, to the admiration of my beautiful body.

A YEAR LATER

“I am no longer interested. I want out!”

“Mr. Femi take it easy. Are you really sure this is what you want?” Mrs. Ada, the Christian marriage counsellor asked.

“Yes this is what I want.” Femi said with disgust.

“I am tired. This is sixth year and nothing is forthcoming. Not even a miscarriage from her.” He said.

All this while, Femi avoided looking at me. I kept on looking with tears falling down my eyes.

“She is barren! I don’t want a barren woman. Let her sort herself out! Let her appease her village people!” he said.

I kept on crying.

“Mr. Femi, but your……” Mrs. Ada said till I interrupted her.

“But Femi, is this the kind of love you have for me?” I asked. “The love that withers at the sight of challenges? You promised to cherish and love me forever. Is this where your forever stops?’

“Enough Maria! Enough Maria! If you were in my shoes, you would have done the same. So spare me those stories. I want a divorce!”

“If she were to be in your shoes, she won’t do the same.” Mrs. Ada said.

“Says who?” Femi asked. “Let her be in my shoes first now. She is the one that is barren.”

“No! You are!” Mrs Ada said.

“What?!” Femi asked.

“Yes you are Femi.” I said.

He looked at us confused. “What do you mean by I am the one barren? You are the one suffering from barrenness not me. Different hospitals confirmed it.”

“No, they all confirmed that you are impotent.” I said

“That can’t be. Doctor Akin the family doctor confirmed that you are the one who has a problem not me.” Femi said.

“No you are the one.” Doctor Akin walked in. “Femi you are impotent and has been the one responsible for the delay. Your wife is okay.”

“What?” Femi said visibly shaken.  “What do you mean by I am the one impotent?”

“The result showed that you are impotent and your wife knows about it.” Doctor Akin said.

“You do?” Femi asked and I nodded in confirmation.

Femi broke down in tears.

“I am finished” he said

“No you are not finished because I am here with you and together we will wither the storm.” I said.

He kept sobbing. “You mean that I, Femi is impotent? God!” he sobbed.

Femi turned to me and said “No please don’t stay with me.”

“I will stay with you Femi, it is the vow we made before God. Remember that we both vowed to stay together in sickness and in health and for richer or poorer. I love you Femi and you are not alone in this at all.”

“I don’t deserve you Maria.” He said.

“You do. You deserve love. I love you Femi and I will stay with you no matter what.” I said, wiping his tears.  “We will always be together and we will live to carry our own beautiful children.” I said, hugging him.

“But you will get tired. You won’t stay.” He said.

“She has known about your impotency all the while and refused divorce because she understands the meaning of marriage and the vow you both made before God. She loved you despite it all.  She kept the result away from you in order not to hurt your feelings.” Mrs. Ada said.

“But it can be treated and there is every chance that you both can still have children. But we will have to start the fertility treatments immediately.” Dr. Akin stated.

“I don’t deserve you Maria. Please forgive me.” He said.

“I have forgiven you even before you asked. You cannot hurt me Femi, because I have forgiven you ahead of whatever may happen. I hope you will stay with me.”

“I should be asking if you will stay with me. “ he said.

I smiled because I know without a doubt that I am here to stay and with him is where my heart belongs.

“I will stay with you now and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow and forever. I still promise to cherish, love and honor you as my husband.”

“I will cherish you ….”He broke down in tears “I hope that you will believe me this time.

“I do and I pray that God helps us.”

THE END.

Writer: Esther Adeyanju

For more of my writeups, Follow on Facebook: Essylad

Instagram: @essylad. 

Twitter: @essyladblog

Thank you.