"ADE'S JOURNAL", 42
Hide, he is coming. The shock from his blow jolts me out of a dream and I hold my neck to ease the pain. He is not here, beside me or in the room. His beating me, has reduced and my parents betrayed me by sending me back to him. My friend is afraid and I don't blame her. Nightmare's of reading about my death hunts her. My husband threw punches at my neck the night before and I ran home to escape. But my retired Parents can't take on a stray and won't be one of those people with divorced children. They benefit from his miserable hand outs he gives them and I've lost two sisters in the Libyan desert. Two dreamers that died in the hands of human traffickers. My savings gone to killers and parents that turn me back to my abuser.
I will leave today, I have got a teaching job. The one with kindergarten children running all around me as we learn a, b C's. Fifteen thousand Naira is small, but my friend survives somehow. No need for transport money, just walk from her mushroom apartment to work. It's my husband's language, before him, I never looked down on anyone or abused any tribe. He insults me and everyone else, beat me into quiting my job and now his isn't certain. I suspect I know where he is. The maid that loves Nollywood movies and came to Lagos to dethrone her madam and bosses wife. What delusions she has about me, about a woman married to a hypocritical fanatic. I know he has sneaked up into her room again. I just need the confirmation, so that the church members will see him for who he is. So that my divorce will be quick and expedient.
I push open the maids door, the same one sleeping with my driver. And there is my lazy husband, pounding hard to prove he can perform. Working hard with his assisted sexual enhanced performance.
The maid spots me and shoves him off and the phone in my hand, quietly goes into the jumpsuit I made the week before.
I cover my mouth and walk away backwards. Not because I am surprised, but because I have to act surprised and broken. He launched at me with her sweat still on him. The blow is intense and I see my teeth fly out of my mouth, at least two.1
What have you done? He accused me and Jack's my neck with both hands, lifting me high up, until the wall supports me.
I whispered the words help me and bite and swallow his skin and flesh. Today is different, he means to hide his sin and my finding out. I tuck the phone into my pant from the unfinished pocket hole I intensionally left unfinished. I plead and beg and could see the maid was smiling. She would be in my position soon enough. He turned to smile at her and I kicked him in the groin and ran. I trip and fall and keep running, if there is a chance that I could survive. I will take it, he dived and taps my feet and I fall and then he kneels on my stomach with force. Just seven years ago, he was on his knees asking me to marry him. He swore his mother's hatred of me would not affect his love for me, his father ignoring me meant nothing. Said, she was a troubleshooting woman that fought all her brother's wife. I questioned it in my heart, but didn't want to sin further. I was fornicating with him and wanted it to be all legal and true. Even though the love had faded, I believed e could rekindle it.
Right now the love in his eyes were real, he loved to see me in pain and loved how he was crushing my neck. I heard it snap and stopped feeling anything.
The baby, I whispered, trying to save our child.
Who wants it? I have another, the one my family approved. You will be buried and forgotten, the lazy twarth that fell off the stairs. He was cruel and mean and I cursed the day I met him and promised him that God was not asleep. I slid into a deep slumber and faded permanent from this cruel life.
My friend was crying and had arrived at the hospital with police men and women. Screaming that he was lying, saying I didn't fall. Begging the doctor's to check my neck, asking them to test the maid and asking for an arrest. His church members, the doctors didn't believe her. But on re-examining the body, the doctor's were in shock. Her eck bones were crushed, this was clearly murder. The maid panicked and ran away, but was caught by border police. The evidence was painful to watch and listen to. The voice of the maid, telling him to finish her quickly. The laughter and sex after, the plan and lies they planned to tell the doctor's. But it was her voice telling her parents to get their priorities right, to protect her daughter, while she grows up. And not to excuse any form of abuse from anyone. Her daughter was present and testified against him. A painful experience that could have been avoided, if she had just walked away sooner.
Instead, I was Strangled By A Wicked Horizon, The Serial Cheater inflicted.
The perpetrators were escorted out of court in handcuffs with church members reigning abuses at the man and the maid.