THE TRIAL

CHAPTER 2

          “What was going on with my husband?” I wondered. David had never been so lost in all our years together. He was slowly drifting away. “God please give me a hint, what exactly is wrong with my husband” I pleaded as tears rolled my eyes. He had left for work but I could still feel his lost presence. For the past three days, he had been all look and not see. He would stare so long at something but yet I could tell he wasn’t seeing anything. He would make little or no conversations at home. He was becoming a shadow of himself. “Was it the childlessness we suffered? No, it couldn’t be.” I said out loud. We had gone past that (at least I thought so) tears really flowing now, I picked up my bible and started speaking to my God. When I was done, I realized I had been praying for almost three hours. It seemed to me that God was so far away. He wasn’t answering, I would call for so long but it seemed he didn’t hear me. My faith was too strong to forsake God now.

          I left for work after my prayers and tidying of the kitchen. I owned a big book store that sold Christian books and c.ds. I was really blessed through my bookstore. I always found fulfillment just staying in the store and listening to people narrate how one book or another had touched their lives and appealed to their situations. My store was sometimes very full with lots of people buying and placing orders. I entered into my office after greeting my staff and giving them a few instructions. As I entered the office, I observed the arrangement of all the papers done by my competent personal assistant, a young lady called Esther.

          I missed my husband terribly. The man I had married six years ago. The vibrant, unpredictable man. So full of life and love. I still loved him, but I missed the old him. Now he had become so predictable. It was all work and home shuttle for him. No unexpected visits in the store, or unexpected supply of flowers. “Good old days” I thought. The early stages of marriage, all the going to exotic places, summer trips, church activities we attended together. It was really a wonderful time. All the church members knew us. We were even nicknamed by some of them as the “HONEYBEE COUPLE” We were always all over each other.

Mere thinking of these in my comfortable office, the fuchsia pink flowery wallpapers, the black leather chairs, the glass table and the beautiful flowers decorating the office brought tears to my eyes. I had a red single couch, bought by my husband on one of his business trips to France. All was still beautiful then. Most times then, my husband would come over every one of his lunch breaks to have a nap before returning to his office. He called it a nap, but I knew he always stopped by to see me. “Sighs and more sighs” I couldn’t stop sighing as I recalled vividly one of the days when I challenged him telling him he just needed to owe up to the fact that he always came to see and not take a nap. It was really a memorable time. Once in a while, my husband would come in, in haste and shut the door, lock it to be precise. He would pick me up and make love to me on that same couch. I would sometimes protest saying someone might come in, but he knew too well to believe that. He would ignore me and I would give up and succumb to his gentle and sweet caresses. He really understood me in many ways than one.

His muscled body, dark chocolate eyes, well chiseled jaw line. I guess those were the first things that got me attracted to him. He was a man of great height too. An overwhelming six feet five inches. Against my five feet seven inches. He was very beautifully chocolate skinned. To even crown it all, he was a very strong Christian. He had all is priorities right. I jumped when he proposed to marry me like I had no other hope.

“Where had that man gone to?” I asked myself. My store was unusually full today, so I just stayed in my little office until someone came in to ask for help. It was my policy to have my store closed by 8.00pm so that all my staff could go home and have quality rest. No matter how full it was, today been no exception, we had to close by the appointed time.

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         On getting to my office, I noticed a pile of work papers. I had a lot of work to do. Reluctantly, I dropped down on my sit and started clearing my table arranging them according to their due date.

“To my office Mr. David, I heard from the left corner of my desk. I sluggishly stood up, put away my suitcase carefully and headed towards Mrs. Alison’s office.

Mrs. Alison was a beautiful young woman who married at an equally young age to a very wealthy man. She was five feet and six inches tall. She had deep brown eyes and was very slender. She was the owner of the oil firm as well as the manger. She had really done well for herself. Her husband on the other hand was a man of forty-five years while she was twenty-eight. What she saw in the older man, only she knew.

She had called me to her office demanding reasons why I had acting weird all through the week. She asked if I needed some time off to rest. I had denied all her accusations and told I was better now. Which was a lie! Owing to the fact that behind her, on her beautiful crystal clear wallpaper, I was seeing those numbers along with its dripping blood. “If we are done ma’am, I would love to return back to my desk” I spoke up, trying to act normal in order not to increase her suspicion. I really needed this nightmare to come to an end and fast if I must add.

Questions flooded my thoughts as to whether I should tell our church pastor or even my wife. I couldn’t think straight anymore, my life was becoming a puzzle that I couldn’t solve.

          I jerked backwards suddenly, as I felt my face been showered with kisses. I came back to reality immediately, not sure how long I had been gone. I found Mrs. Alison’s blouse unbuttoned all the way down, displaying her bra and breasts. I had never seen any other woman’s private parts apart from my wife’s. “Mr. David, what do you say, we have a little bit of fun while we are at work?” Mrs. Alison uttered noticing my surprised face. Before I could reply, she shoved me on her couch and started trying to unzip my trousers. “What do you think you are doing ma?” I asked her forcefully trying to zip my trousers and shoving her off my body. She began to say things, but all that came out were those numbers. I couldn’t move. I suddenly became numb. I just watched as she took off all her clothes and started taking mine off too. I kept on thinking of my wife and the sin that was about take place. It was like I had been pinned to the couch. Then as the anticipated worst was about to happen, my phone rang. She sighed and urged me to remain calm and not pick up the phone. I pushed her aside and reached for my phone. She tried pulling me back, but I was quicker than she was. I picked up my phone, and I saw the caller ID. “MY WORLD” I muttered.

“Who?” Mrs. Alison asked. With a sigh of relief, I answered her smiling “My wife”.