My Husband's Tenant (5) Finale

"Madam, you need to take it easy. We tried our best but...," stated the doctor, pausing.


I looked at the doctor, apprehension gripping me suddenly.


"What's it, doctor? What's wrong with my husband?" I demanded.


He sighed before speaking.

"His injuries were just too severe. We did our best but...I'm sorry, we lost him."


"Lost what, Doctor? I don't understand! What happened to my husband? I want to see him! Take me to him. I want to see Aloy!" I collapsed on the ground and began to scream in anguish with my younger sister, Clara holding and trying to raise me up from the floor...


***
That evening at the hospital was the culmination of the nightmare which began with the phone call from a colleague of Aloy.


The man had informed me that my husband had been coming home that day and had been involved in an accident.


"You need to come to the hospital quickly," he had stated then.


On arriving at the hospital, I learnt he had been taken to the theatre for operation. My sister and I had waited anxiously before the horrible news that Aloy had died!


How could this have happened? A man that left home healthy and alive barely a month ago now dead?


And why was he returning home? He was not due for his onshore break yet. There was so much confusion but the only thing that was clear was that Aloy was gone, I had lost my husband and I was heartbroken, inconsolable...


***
My sorrow over Aloy's death increased considerably when I found out from his friend Syl why he had been coming home that day.


Syl said Aloy had found out I was planning to divorce him and was coming to see me.


"He confided in me, about your intentions. He had looked shocked, stating both of you did not have any major issues so he could not understand why you wanted to leave him," he said.


In a way, that made me feel guilty, that it was because of me he left his base to travel and got involved in the accident.


Maybe, if I did not plan to leave him, he would still be alive, not stone dead in the morgue. Whatever had happened, though I was in love with another man, he was still my husband, the father of my child. There was a bond between us that made me feel sorrowful and weep tears of anguish.


During this period of grief, of mourning, Benji was very supportive. He often came to the house just like many of the other sympathisers and would stay till quite late.


I wanted to lean more on him but I had to be discreet about our affair especially with members of Aloy's family around.


My mother did not want him around, even blaming him for contributing to Aloy's death.


"Why can't he stay away?" she asked hotly one evening after he had left for home and we were upstairs in my bedroom. "Has he no shame? Your husband has not even been buried and he's already hanging around you! Why can't he leave you alone?"


"Mum, let him be! He came just like other sympathisers. What's wrong in that?" I asked her.
"You might not see anything wrong but it's not right," she replied. "A man who made you lose all sense of reasoning, lured you away from your husband. Tell him to keep off or the next time, he shows his face here, there will be trouble!" she warned, wagging a finger at me.


Trouble was also brewing from another direction. After Aloy's burial, while still in his village, some of his kinsmen had come to the house early one morning.


What they came for left me upset and confused.


"Woman," the head of the family began. "You'll have to prove that you had no hand in your husband's death. To do that, you'll swear at our family shrine to prove your innocence, that you did not kill him either through witchcraft, poison or adultery. You are aware of our tradition concerning adultery- it's forbidden for a married woman to have extra-marital affairs because of the consequences. It can affect her family negatively- either the husband or the children can even die.


"If you're innocent, nothing will happen to you. But you know the consequences if you are guilty. So, search yourself carefully before you take the oath in two days."


With that they were gone.


I did not know what to do so I turned to my mother who advised me not to take the oath.


"You know you've been having an affair, committing adultery with that man. So, there's no way you can escape the repercussions of your deeds. I warned you, didn't I but you refused to listen!" she said.


Based on her advise, I sneaked out of the village with Blessing and went back to the city. My husband's family members were not happy that I refused to take the oath, saying all kinds of things, mostly bad, would happen to me or my daughter.


I have decided to ignore them and get on with my life. I have my daughter to take care of. There's also Benji.


I'm not proud of myself, cheating on my husband. I know I'm a bad person who has done something I should not have done. But it was my husband's neglect that pushed me to it.


I hope Aloy's spirit will forgive me so his soul will rest in peace...

The End!

You can also follow us on Facebook

Remember to leave a comment - Or Send comments/suggestions to 08065190885 via sms or whatsapp. You can also join our whatsapp story group on 08065190885

16:00