[Story] Empty promises – S01 E09

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 9

“I will love and support you, I will be there for you always. I will provide for you and our unborn kids. No harm will come to you and I will never raise a finger at you. You have become my wife, the bone of my bone and the flesh or my flesh I will love you till eternity and will never ever hurt you. This are my promises to you Avala. I promised never to make you have doubt in me…

Tony promised me all this and many more during the night after our wedding. I have ever felt so loved. He cuddled me up into himself and kept talking.

“You covered my shame and did not expose me to ridicule after I was robbed and all I got was taken away. You single handed sponsored our wedding and even paid for my wedding attire. All the expenses was on you and yet you did not complain. I know I did not make a mistake in choosing you. I kept saying from the moment I set my eyes on you at that supermarket I knew that you are my wife and it has become a reality. I love you so much baby and I promise to make it up to you. I know we had plans of spending our honey moon in Paris or any country of your choice but we can’t afford that anymore due to what happened but I will put a smile on your face all the days of our lives together. I promise you…just mark my word I will make you the luckiest woman alive, you will be the envy of your friends….

I listened with a blossomed smile on my face. I did not want him to stop speaking. I was enjoying every bit of his lifetime assurance.

More promises poured into my ear and it was like a fine rhythm.

Tony said since he encountered some bad fortune with the arm men who took all he has, he won’t be able to maintain his own place, it was better we all stay together at mine until he bounce back. With time he will be able to get a far better place for us.

I spent a month at home with Tony after my wedding before resuming back to the office.

Tony also went back to work.

Sometimes he will want to use my car which I will leave for him and go with a taxi.

After two months I discovered that I was pregnant and when I told Tony he appeared to be very happy.

I was happy too, having a child of my own and also for Tony will be one of the greatest feeling of all time.

The whole expenses was still on me and nothing was coming from Tony’s side yet. I understand that with time he will bounce back so I did not bother him with anything.

I was already three months pregnancy when I began to notice Halima’s bad attitude towards me, she spend all day watching the television and hardly do her usual chores.

I kept ignoring because of Tony and my condition.

I came back from work one day, tired and famished and all I needed was food and rest.

But I found out that Halima have not prepared anything, she was busy watching a television show and did not even bother standing up to help with the bags in my hands when I came in.

I asked her why she has not prepared anything and she said because she was a human being and not a machine.

“I’m a human like you and not a computer or machine. I get tired too. You can go to your expensive restaurant and eat or you can try and cook for yourself. When your husband comes back I will make something for him to eat but right now I need my own rest.

I was not surprised at her tone of voice or her ill attitude because she has being giving me sign for long but I chose to ignore. What could be giving her such wings?

What right did she has to tell me that she can’t step into the kitchen to make food for me because she was tired?

Halima has been at home all day and did not go anywhere so why is she complaining of tiredness?

I paid her the exact salary she demanded and Tony was even in support of that. So why should I come back to an empty pot and unkempt house?

“Did you realize who you are actually talking to? Halima, if you are tired of the work why not leave. Resigned and leave my house…there are a lot of other ladies out there searching for job. The only reason why you still have a job here is because of my husband, if not I’m sure you will not even get a chance of working under my roof.

She rolled her eyes at me and said.

“You did not employ me, Mr Tony did and I answer more to him than to you. What is too difficult for you to understand the fact that I can’t cook this evening because I’m tired?

I took two steps closer to where she sat with her leg crossed.

“Tony recommended you for me and I accepted because of him. Tony is not paying your salary but I do and if you are intelligent enough you will know that you are living under my roof.

She laugh sarcastically, clapped her hands together and said.

“What kind of wife are you to expose your husband’s weakness like this? So you want to announce to the world that you have money more than Tony…?

I was trying to calm the beast in me because all I wanted to do was to beat the girl up and throw her things out. I try to calm my raging nerve. It was pointless exchanging words with some useless and arrogant maid. I will leave it for Tony. He must throw her out or I will be forced to do so.

I was in my room when Tony came back that night.

He was smelling of cigarette and alcohol. i ignored the foul smell and asked him to sack Halima. I told him about the altercation we had earlier before his return.

He asked Halima why she will challenge me but Halima complained that she was tired and needed rest which she explained in a very nice way but I refused to reason with her.

Tony asked her to go ahead and make the evening food for us and she did.

I did not need her presence in the house and I insisted that she must be sacked. Tony slept off leaving me to whine like a child.

The following morning I woke Tony up with Halima’s case again.

Tony asked me to calm down but I refused, and went to the kitchen repeatedly saying that Halima must leave my house.

Halima came out and began to speak to Tony. She was saying it so loud so that I can hear her clearly.

“Yesterday your wife was shouting that she pay the bills, she owns this house and you don’t have money. She called you a wretched man right in this sitting room and I asked her never to say such because is a disrespect to your person and that was what provoke her. Is not just because of the food but because I try to correct her from saying bad things about you.

I was dressed for work that morning and holding a bottle water which I just took from the fridge. I stood, watching the devilish maid pour lies into Tony’s ears.

That was how Tony fly to my side.

Even without asking question, he descended on me and started pounding me like drum.

He beat me up. I kept shouting that Halima was lying that I never said such but he beat me without mercy as he try to exercise his authority over me.

I suffered miscarriage after that beating and was in the hospital for a week before returning home.

Tony broke his promise again of not ever going to lay his finger on me. He failed his promise and caused me to loss my unborn child.

My pregnancy went down in blood, I watched a life that I was trying to nurture went out of me because of Tony and his wicked maid.

He came begging and asking me to forgive him for overacting. He even promised to kick Halima out but I should give him till month end and she will be paid off.

He promised never to repeat such again, that he will never raise a hand on me.

I hope this time around he will keep to his promises because I can’t take another beating from him. I may be forced to fight back.