The Suitcase

Photo credit; periea

I was thinking about my twenty-plus marriage and wondering how hubby and I have made it this far; marriage truly is not for the faint-hearted. It is easily a task that requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Men are like babies inside, they appear tough and hard but are soft and vulnerable when push comes to shove especially in the home and more so when they deal with the woman. I am quick to take sides with the men till I listen to both parties and investigate the issue at hand because women are naturally terrors. lol!

As I was lost in thought, a certain event came to my mind and I got upset all over again like the first time. A few years ago, Vic and I were invited to a harvest and bazaar event in a Catholic Church in Lagos by a good friend of ours. This is an event that usually happens towards the end of the year in churches for the purpose of raising funds. 

I was unavoidably unavailable to attend the event and so Vic had to go alone to honor our friend who invited other friends as well. The event went well according to Vic and that was all he said. This is one thing that agitates me in my marriage and I'm sure I am not the only woman who feels this way; Vic like most men do not know how to gist, give a blow by blow accounts of event unlike the women who will tell you what each guest wore, the colognes used, those with body odor, the people who frowned at them and those who bought things on credit.

I had to practically make Vic talk, I asked a lot of questions as usual as inquisitive as I am, who came? what did you guys eat? did the host treat you well? how was the environment? were they happy that you came? did you buy anything to support the harvest?

It was that last question that revealed why he was not interested in discussing the events of that day. He said yes that he bought an item during the auction. He said that it was only one item that caught his attention and so he bid for it and made sure that he bought it. He described the item as a really unique suitcase that he knew I would love and so he had purchased it to give me as a gift. The way he described the suitcase got me all excited and I asked where it was so I could see it but he kept quiet and I thought that maybe he forgot it at the venue.

He did not bring the suitcase home but he did not forget it either; a lady who was a distant friend of ours was at the event and he told me that as soon as he won the bid and the suitcase was brought to him, the lady started to ask him for it. He told her that he wanted to give it to me but she kept asking for it as if her life depended on it. She said that she loved it and wanted it. Well, I do not get it, if you wanted it, you would have joined in the bid for it. Vic said he was not sure how to react in that situation and after he explained to her why he couldn't give it to her a couple of times and she continued to ask for it; he had no choice but to let her have it for his own sanity. He also said it was ungentlemanly to say no to a lady, really?

He was not in the least pleased with what transpired at the event and after he told me what happened, I was not sure who to be upset with, Vic or my friend who disrespected me by asking for what my husband had purchased without thinking of how I would feel. I was going to ask her to return the suitcase but Vic asked me not to. I wanted to tell her that I wouldn't put her husband in that sort of situation. Anytime, I am getting ready to take a trip, I think of the suitcase that never made it home.

Both Vic and our friend goofed but who goofed more? 

By the way, it feels so good to write again after a long hiatus