(Continued from Thin Blood III)
William spends the first full night at Marion’s house. It is a bold step, one he has not been courageous enough to take, even though there have been opportunities. The difference, perhaps, is because this time he told Marion that his wife was away attending a seminar or conference and would be gone overnight. Marion immediately convinced him that it would be a good opportunity for them to spend the first full night together.
It didn’t take much to convince him, because that is what he wanted anyway. He had always wanted to spend the night at her place on days when Hellen was away, but he had always lacked courage. What would people, particularly other teachers in the staff quarters, say when they saw him leaving the staff quarters in the morning?
But ever since she proposed that he moves in with her, William has been considering the idea and it looks more and more attractive every day. Moving in with her will take him away from Hellen and their very toxic marriage. It will also take him away from his brothers, who like reminding him at every turn that he is a failure. They may not do it verbally, but their actions speak very loudly. For instance, Donald has just purchased a new Toyota Hilux while Richard bought a Toyota Rumion just six months ago.
Richard bought his car second-hand, but it is a car. William doesn’t have a car. He has a motorcycle, but it is an ordinary boda boda that he bought second-hand from a man who had been frustrated by his riders. Astonishingly, his brothers are living better lives than he is, and moving away from them will be good for his mental health.
William and Hellen have three children and they are all in boarding school. That means that most of the time it is usually just him and Hellen at home, and it is becoming more and more clear that they cannot stand each other. Hellen would never agree to a separation, but it is not because she loves him, but because of her image and survival. Hellen cares a lot about other people’s perceptions of her, and she would never want to be associated with a failed marriage. She would also be worried about her survival because depends on him for literally everything.
William feels that he is now ready to break free. That is why last evening he rode to his house, took several of his clothes, and rode back to Marion’s house. Marion prepared his favorite dish, matoke with beef. They ate and even watched a movie before finally heading off to bed. Marion left the bed early because when William finally wakes up, she is not there. But it is 8 a.m. and the sun is already up.
William finds that Marion has already prepared breakfast and that it is already on the table. She has already mopped the house, and he can hear her humming a tune in the bathroom as she does her laundry.
“Good morning my love,” he says with a smile as he pushes the door of the bathroom open.
“Good morning babe,” she replies as she stands upright. She wipes her hands on her lesso. “I see that you are awake. Did you have a good night’s rest?”
“You didn’t let me rest, but I had a good night.”
Marion laughs, and William feels like a teenager all over again.
He remembers his college girlfriend, Ruth, whom he really should have married. They dated from the second year of university until after graduation. Ruth is the woman who made him feel what Marion is making him feel. Except that with Ruth, nothing was stopping their love because he was unencumbered. They intended to get married.
After graduation, they returned to their respective villages and got BOM teaching gigs in local schools. But they kept their relationship alive through phone calls and they came close to getting married. They discussed and even agreed on a date when William would visit Ruth’s home semi-officially, just to announce his intentions. Dowry negotiation dates would be set thereafter.
Unknown to Ruth, however, William was already cheating on her with his younger brother’s girlfriend. But he still intended to marry Ruth. As far as he was concerned, he and Hellen were just having fun. A week before the day he was to visit Ruth’s home in Othaya, Hellen announced that she was pregnant and made it clear that they would have to get married urgently to “cover the shame”.
That is the day he stopped picking up Ruth’s calls. Two days later he blocked her. When a few months later Hellen posted their wedding photos on Facebook and tagged him, Ruth left a bitter note that Hellen immediately deleted. A few years later, William learned, again through photos on Facebook, that Ruth got married to a Nyeri-based doctor. By that time, he was already regretting his decision to dump her for Hellen.
Ironically, he is now cheating on Hellen with another woman. The difference between now and then is that he is legally married to Hellen, and therefore he cannot marry Marion without first divorcing Hellen. Besides, Hellen is the mother of his three children, and therefore it will be difficult to remove her from their matrimonial home.
But after spending one full night here, he has decided to choose his happiness. He has decided to live with Marion here, even before she builds the other house.
“I love you so much babe, and I want to come and live with you,” he says, pulling her to himself, ignoring the cold hands that have been doing laundry. “I have decided that my happiness is more important than anything else.”
“I am so happy to hear you say that,” Marion says. “But I want you to promise me one thing.”
“What is that?”
“That you will not abandon your children because of me.”
William is surprised, He had always imagined that Marion would try to make him cut off all links with his family. He knows she is a good woman, but then again which woman wants her man to continue associating with another woman in the name of children?
“You are a good man, William; otherwise I wouldn’t want to be with you,” she continues. “But sometimes love and romance makes people forget their responsibilities. I don’t want that to happen to you. Whatever differences you have with your wife that led us to this relationship have nothing to do with your children. So please promise me that you will continue to take care of your children.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you. Let’s go and have breakfast. I will finish up on the laundry later.”
She leads him to the sitting room and serves breakfast.
*
After her snake husband slithered away from her, Hellen ran back and almost collided with Julia in the darkness. Almost immediately, the dim lights came on and Julia led her back the way they had come. Hellen wants to run, but Julia restrains her. They walk back up the stairs until they get to the ground floor, where the sun is now shining brightly. They are received by the same young lady who had served them breakfast.
“Madam, please wait here,” she tells Julia. “Your friend needs to undergo cleansing.”
Hellen looks at Julia questioningly, but her friend just smiles and nods. Julia follows the lady into a large bathroom, and the lady orders her to strip. Hellen hesitates, waiting for the lady to leave, but she doesn’t. Slowly, Hellen removes her clothes, leaving her bra and underpants.
“Remove everything, and then step into the shower.”
Hellen obeys.
Immediately she steps under the shower, and a warm, red liquid starts flowing all over her. Hellen panics, imagining it is blood. It probably is. She shuts her eyes and mouth shut tightly. The liquid flows for about five minutes and then stops. Then another liquid starts flowing, and it has the distinctive smell of shampoo. It flows for three minutes and stops. Then hot hair starts blowing all over her body until she is completely dry.
The young lady approaches her with a small spray bottle and sprays it all over her body paying particular attention to her private parts.
“You are now ready to meet your husband. Please follow me.”
“What about my clothes?”
“They are already in your husband’s bedroom.”
Hellen wonders whether she is expected to wander through the corridors while naked, but then a side door opens and the girl leads her through a flight of stairs that lead to a massive wooden door. The opens as they approach, and the lady steps aside to allow Hellen to enter. When the door shuts itself, Hellen realizes that the girl has not entered. She is all alone in the massive bedroom.
“Do not be afraid, my love. This is your husband’s bedroom, which you will share from time to time,” a voice says. It seems to be coming from the roof. Hellen is already too spooked by the happenings of this house to be frightened anymore. “Please lie on the bed, your husband will join you shortly.”
Hellen obeys, and a few minutes later an old bearded man appears. His thin body is heavily wrinkled, and he appears to be at least two hundred years old. He is stark naked, and it is not a pleasant site to see. He climbs on the bed beside Hellen and kisses her on the lips. Hellen cringes. His breath is smelling of cigarettes and chewed tobacco.
“Make me happy darling, and I will fulfill all the desires of your heart,” he says, nibbling Hellen’s ear. Hellen wonders whether Donald is worth all the trouble she is undergoing.
“It is too late to change your mind now,” the old man says, reading her mind. “You are mine now, and William will have to die as a sacrifice to me. But first things first. Today is our maiden day together so make me happy.”
He pulls her closer to his body with surprising strength, and kisses her again, this time deeply. One of his rickety hands is groping her, his bony hands scratching her skin like dead twigs.
Hellen closes her eyes and wishes she could die.
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