Hello All! So I'm writing a book, its about abusive relationships and its titled, "Lets hear it for the wives" This is a summary of my major characters, can you read and tell me if its a book you would be interested to read and hopefully buy when i get published? please be brutally honest, okay? thanks!
LET’S
HEAR IT FOR THE WIVES
Five women in their relationships, they are
people that are envied and admired by all, but inside, they are dying…
(Husband is a pastor in a
popular church, cheats on her with her sister)
The cameras flashed and Foluke smiled accordingly turning as she
was instructed to do. Her husband, Dr. Nsidibe Graham moved closer and bent
down so that their heads were almost on the same level, it must have been a
feat since he was 6ft 6
inches for her 5foot frame. They smiled at the popping
cameras as she wondered if she remembered to close the kitchen window she
opened when she was frying the oil to make the onion stew her husband requested
before they left home.
They turned now as someone called the Dr by name and finally made
their way into the heavily secured banquet hall. They glided down the well
decorated wrought iron stairs into the large hall that was done in gold hue for
the occasion. Still smiling, holding hands and waving to friends, the event was
been televised and Foluke was sure to stick close to her husband.
Their
table was almost front row, middle; they were seated with Ambassador Rotimi Iyalla
and his beautiful Kenyan wife, Naturo.
The
smile slipped from Dr Nsidibe’s mouth momentarily when he saw that he had not
been placed at the governor’s table, he took solace in the fact that it was
next to their table, and drew out the cream brocade covered and red-ribboned
chair for his wife to sit.
She
nodded her thanks and sat down adjusting her off shoulder floor length gold
lame dress on her ample bosom, she belatedly caught her husband’s disapproving
glare.
She
smiled sheepishly and shifted on the chair. She looked around wondering if
Isokhe made it after all. She sincerely hoped so. It will be a very boring date
if she didn’t have a friendly face to keep her company…she sighed and opened
her small gold clutch and quickly checked her face on the small compact mirror
she carried in it, a full fleshy, benign face, almost devoid of any make-up
stared back.
Her
features were normal, but she knew how to play up her best asset, her eyes. She
had on an olive green shadow that accentuated her deep grey eyes giving her a
feral look, her fleshy lips had a dab of glossy brown lip balm, just as her
husband had told her, he said it made her usually large mouth seem smaller.
She
sighed again, if only one of the diets will work, she thought dispassionately,
stealing a look at her husband’s trim, but slightly muscled frame with
something akin to jealousy, he could eat a house and not add anything.
He finally sat down after wandering off to the
other table to shake hands and slap backs and laugh at a stale joke or two, he
called it ‘power walk’ he saw events like this as opportunity to advance
himself in the social ladder.
He
sat down now next to her and turned to her with a smile, leaning in as if he
wanted to give her a peck, “try to look happy instead of looking like a
constipated pig!” he whispered viciously. She nodded obediently, looking down
to hide the hurt in her eyes and smoothening her flowing dress around her lap, the evening had finally begun, she
thought…
(Husband is a successful
consultant, but is a homosexual in secret)
“Hip,
hip! Hurrayyy!!!!” the small crowd shouted as Bertha stood smiling, to say she
was taken off guard was an understatement. Greg had told her three days ago
that he was off to Escravos on an offshore assignment. She had concluded that
he forgot their wedding anniversary again and was planning her huge pity party
for herself when she got home from work that day.
Her
best friend, Kike had called that she made okra soup with amala and she had
decided to branch and collect her portion only for her to show up and walk into
a surprise party planned by her husband Gregg! She smiled at him again and
kissed his neck, she was so overwhelmed by this single act.
Kike
was almost bouncing off the wall with excitement, “I knew you could be punked!”
she yelled as she joined in the embrace, her skinny arms held on to the two of
them, they had all been friends at the university, she was then bunking with a
naïve Bertha who had just joined them from the village. Her brother’s friend,
Greg had taken to her the minute he set eyes on her.
(Husband is an island big boy
who is a drug addict; the secret is kept away from the public at all cost)
Isokhe
dabbed her left eye with more concealer and peered through the throbbing
member, it looked almost normal she concluded and added deep blue eye shadow,
the trick was to wear too much eye make up to distract people from the wound.
She
winced as she put on her bra, her fourth rib on the left side felt as if it was
broken, she stared at her face in the mirror when she was done and marveled at
how well she had hidden her ‘accident’.
She
painfully got to her feet and stepped into the stiff, black dress she had
chosen for the banquet, it was cropped necked and long sleeved, and covered her
usually delectable legs. If she stood apart from friends and didn’t make any
physical contact with anybody, she was sure she will survive the evening without
collapsing in excruciating pain.
She
would have given anything to stay home in grubby sweat shirts and pajama
bottom, or soaking in the hot tub with hot oils and herbs to heal her battered
body, but she had to make an appearance especially since her loving husband Ife
was not up to it.
She
was tired of hearing her mother tell her that she was weak and not a team
player,
“All
men” she would lecture slowly, “are flawed, that’s why they need us Issi, you
have to cover your husband’s mistakes or you are weak and selfish!” she will
say in her characteristic soft, whispery voice, her mother never yelled, but she
got her point across alright! She belonged to the generation of “a lady is seen
and not heard” so shouting was beneath her.
Isokhe
sighed as she remembered the day she had confided to her mother about Ife’s
problem, she had sniffed as if the air was suddenly polluted, wrinkling her pert
nose, then she had turned to Isokhe with a steely glare, “tattlers perish in
the everlasting fire, wives are not to bear tales of their husbands, Issi”
Isokhe
had opened her mouth to protest but her mother had raised a small well
manicured hand up to stop her, she wasn’t done dishing out wisdom to her impetuous
daughter,
“A
three fold cord is not easily broken, and I should not be the third party in your
cord, God should be, use you knees woman!” Isokhe sighed heavily again,
Straightening
the black dress, she limped to the bathroom and opened her medicine cabinet and
brought out a bottle of Midol, she took three oval tablets and swallowed them
dry. Then she sat on the closed bidet and waited for the drug to kick in, she
needed the numbness to make it through the night, she thought as she closed her
eyes and leaned her head back, she allowed her mind to wander to her happy
place, a dangerous place, she knew, but she felt sometimes she needed to live
or die, even if it’s a just a fantasy…
(Husband is a public servant who
embezzles m*oney, who is also a mummy’s boy)
Alhaji
Musa folded the last item of clothing into the compact travel bag and
straightened up, he saw Dinatu, his wife of eight years staring at him from
across the bedroom and smiled and shook his head at the same time, “it’s a four
day trip, I don’t know why you’re sulking” he said as he walked over to her and
rubbed her shoulders, she looked up at him with large puppy looking eyes, “then
why are you taking so much cloths?” she asked in a whiny voice, he tilted her
cheek up, “the minister said I may attend the book launch on his behalf after
the conference, I’m just being prepared, like a scout” he said with a smile, he
bent and planted a kiss on her lips, she sighed, “then why cant I come?” she
asked for the umpteenth time, “because mama said she’s coming and wont be fair
if we both leave home, eh?” he answered a little exasperated, he moved away now
and sat on the well made bed picking up his phone, “okay, I won’t nag, but know
that I miss every minute you’re away” she said in a small voice, he raised a
finger as he put the phone to his ear, “hello your Excellency” he said pausing,
“yes sir, I’m on my way now to the airport sir” he replied nodding his head,
“um, my wife can take me sir, its no trouble” he looked over at her with raised
eyebrows, she nodded her assent, “okay sir” he said now, “thank you sir, I look
forward to it too” he ended the call and put the phone into the pocket of his navy
blue brocade jalabia. She stood up as well, “I have to drive you to the
airport?” she asked already dreading the task, “no dear, he said his driver is
already on his way here” as if to buttress the point, the doorbell chimed,
“speak of the devil” he said chuckling and holding her waist as he picked up
the travel bag with the other hand, “concentrate on entertaining mama, I’m sure
you will both have enough to keep you busy” he said rubbing the small of her
back, she purred, “massages when you return?” she asked lifting her face up to
receive a kiss, “massages and more” he whispered into her ear as they got to
the bedroom door, they heard a knock, Alhaji Musa opened it, their live-in help
Aminat stared up at him, “the minister’s driver is here alhaji” she said in a
low voice she used only when she was talking to him. Dinatu stared at her
irritated, if she was not related to her husband’s family, she would have
kicked the stupid girl out for making passes at her husband, “thank you Amina,
please bring the pot of tuwo out of the fridge and warm it” Dinatu said
dismissively, then turning to hug and kiss her husband, “but there’s no one in
the house to eat it” Aminat replied haughtily, Dinatu turned sharply, “do it
because I said so!” Aminat paused for a while then turned and stomped away
murmuring about wasteful wives, Dinatu turned to her husband, “I hope mama will
take her away this time, I’m fed up with her insulting attitude” Alhaji smiled
indulgently, “she’s just a child Dina, treat her like one of our girls”
“One
of our girls wont be that insulting to me and get away with it!” she retorted,
“I’m
telling you if that girl thinks she can come into my matrimonial home and
seduce my husb—” he gently placed a finger on her lips cutting her off, “no one
can take me away from you, I’m completely yours, please I will miss my flight
at this rate” he reiterated checking his gold Rolex wristwatch. She saw him out
to the army green colored SUV the minister sent to pick him; it had the government
crest and no plate numbers.
She
waved to the driver as she hugged him again and planted another kiss on his
lips, “be safe my love” she whispered to him, the same thing she did every time
he took a trip, “may Allah be merciful to us” came his usual reply before he
got into the car, the driver shut the door and saluted smartly before he jumped
into the driver seat and drove out of the plush quarters, Dinatu stood there
for a long time, thanking Allah for giving her such a wonderful husband and
blessing her with three beautiful daughters, her life would have been perfect
if she didn’t have that stupid help, but she wasn’t complaining she knew women
with worse fates she concluded and headed back into the house to see if Aminat
had carried out her instructions or not…
*
(Husband is impotent and lives off her)
Osas
sat up on the bed with his head on his hands; a crumpled letter lay between his
legs. He lifted his head when the phone started to ring, then dropped it back.
Chichi walked in and picked up the ringing phone, answering it, “oh good
evening sir, no he is not back yet sir” she replied when Osas gestured for her
to end the call, “I will let him know sir, thank you sir” she paused, “my
regards to her too” she ended the call and sat down slowly near her fiancé of
nine years. She rubbed his back slowly as she stared into space, “it’s not the
end of the world love” she said in a small voice, he shrugged her hand off
angrily, “if you don’t have anything better than psycho babble to say just shut
up and leave me alone!” he spat out viciously, Chichi winced but didn’t move,
he took a deep breath and rubbed his head, “baby I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—“
he cut off shaking his head, she squeezed his hands and raised her head to look
at him, “I’ll run the bath for you, and later massage your body with that oil
you love so much, I’m sure you’ll feel better” she muttered quietly as she
wondered how she was going to tell her friends that her wedding plans were
postponed again…
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