Que Sera Sera 2

The friendship between Tutu and Jide grew and over the years they became each other’s confidant. They were practically a part of each other’s lives but Jide did not let Tutu know that he was having a bad marriage.  Tutu was quite young and Jide was afraid to lose the innocent friendship that she provided. He could get away in her space when he had a bad argument at home. Although Jide knew that what he felt for Tutu was true love, yet he did all he could to make his marriage work. He took good care of his wife, provided all that she needed, they went on holidays and sudden getaways just to spark some flame, but the fire wouldn’t burn. Either Jide’s heart was with Tutu or his wife just was not interested. In all of these, Jide’s wife Oyibo did not know anything about her husband’s “smallie” friend, Tutu.

The word compatibility did not exist in the marriage between Jide and Oyibo. Oyibo fought Jide at any given opportunity. He accused him of everything and rained abuses on him at the slightest provocation. Their marriage was a sham, he knew it and although it hurt him, yet, somewhere deep within, he had a good feeling that Tutu would be there for him. He also knew that his marriage to Oyibo could send him to an early grave. He gave his best, but it wasn’t working and as much as he tried to, he could never figure out why Oyibo seemed so disconnected and unhappy. She attacked him for having male friends, fought him whenever he said hello to a lady even if it was a relation. She practically destroyed friendships that Jide built years before she came along and Jide felt totally helpless.

He started to look sick; those who knew him, when they saw him, knew that things were not well with him. He was so stressed that even Tutu’s friendship could not provide the succour that he so badly needed. However, somewhere in all of the drama, Tutu who had gained admission into the University freely gave her virginity to Jide.( I wonder what more succour Jide needed)

Life was gradually going out of Jide. He wanted out of the marriage but then what would his family say and how would the society see him? He couldn’t bear to be the one to stigmatise his family name. All his married siblings were still happily married, no, he wouldn’t let his marriage fail, more so, it would break his mother’s heart and he hated the thought so much.

A few more years of living with Oyibo, and the marital problems persisted, Jide became a shadow of his former self, even Tutu could not understand what was going on as Jide had taken a decision to shut everyone out of his marital issues, it was his cross to carry and he carried it all by himself.

At some point, Jide’s family realized that their brother had grown very distant from everything happening around him. He was always physically present but hardly laughed or made jokes like he did in the past. It was time for them to act and so some of them went to Jide’s house while he was out of town, Oyibo had gone to run some errands, and by the time she got home, all her stuff had been thrown out of the house.

Without making a fuss, Oyibo quickly packed her stuff, put them in the car and drove off with her children. She never contacted Jide who had no idea that his family planned to go on such a rampage.

Upon returning and learning of what his family did, Jide made several attempts to find out where Oyibo and their children were, he also called her phones but she neither picked nor returned his calls. This was understandable, she was angry. Eventually, Jide discovered where she was but she denied him access to his children. Jide knew that he had to be in his children’s lives and so he made sure that he provided every single thing Oyibo said that they needed. A few months later, Oyibo disappeared with the children to an undisclosed location.  

To be concluded….. (Later today I promise)