(EPISODE 1) FADED LOVE: AN EDUCATIVE TALE

EPISODE ONE

Daniel and Heritage have been married for 30years and counting, and are blessed with two lovely and beautiful children; Tola who is their first child and Kemi their second child age 25 and 23 respectively. They are wealthy enough to finance their children’s education overseas.

Heritage fondly called mama Tola, had just returned from a Christmas party, still holding her gele in one hand, she sat beside her husband, becoming slightly curious about his pensive mood. She asked him what the problem was but he did not know how or where to begin

"Heritage, I want to talk to you. There is something I have to tell you.” he said.

Heritage shifted in her position and moved closer to her husband, looking inquiringly into his eyes.

“I am having another wife." he declared solemnly.
Heritage moved away from him in shock. Her head gear dropped on the floor, her limbs went weak and she gazed at him, unbelief in her eyes, then her eyes misted with tears.

She stared at the man she had loved for so long, her blurred vision wandering over his face. She breathed in and composed herself as the initial shock wore off, then she nodded her head. She gave her consent even though with great reluctance.

Daniel shook his head,

“No that’s not the point,” he said. "The two of you cannot live here.” he added.

Suddenly, Heritage got the message. Her husband was not seeking her consent but her absence. This was the rudest shock of her life. ‘oh no! This could not be true’, she said in her heart. Her chest felt tight and her throat became dry. She wished it was all a nightmare but there sat her husband, the only man she had ever known in all her life, piercing her heart with a poisoned arrow and yet thinking he was merely piercing it with a broom stick.

“My mother will gladly welcome your company and care," he rattled on and on about his house in the hometown in which his mother is living but Heritage was hardly listening.

She felt dizzy with shock and disappointment, she was covered with sweat, her heart whirling in confusion and her head pounding heavily as if it would break into pieces. She clutched her husband’s agbada and tearfully pleaded with him not to send her away.

“Daniel, Please! Sanu mi! please do not do this to me, this is not part of our marriage vows, think of our children, let me always remain their mother, where would I go, what shall… ?”

“I have asked you to go stay with my mother in Ikire, am going out now to warm the car for your journey and by the time I get back I want to see all your load packed” Daniel cut in.

With that last sentence which seemed to him enough solution to the hell he had created, he rose to his feet and the door banged behind him. Within a few minutes his car roared into life.
Inside the bedroom, Heritage kept talking to herself, 'Daniel don't do this to me. Please, God! Ori mi, Elena mi, don't let this happen to me." She remembered the day of bethrothal and their marriage vows, she burst into tears. No! No!! No!!! She muttered in between sobs. "Please God, you see my heart, forgive me wherever have gone wrong but don't let this happen to me, oh fate be kind and smile upon me! " her heart cried out in anguish.

---

Heritage was one of those women who could never look their husband in the face. Even the polluted air of Lagos which she breath for 30years had not had the power to contaminate her gentle nature and her noble and lofty ideals.

Daniel, her husband knew in his sober moments which became quite infrequent, that he had nothing against her. Only circumstances were against her, the pressure from the other woman weighed heavily against her.

She was too ashamed to let people know of the situation, she felt completely shattered. After thirty years of marriage that was the least she expected to happen. She decided to packed her things, what she packed didn't matter. Her eyes blurred with tears, she was still packing when her husband came back to announce irritably that he could not wait forever, he snapped the lock on the two boxes and carried them himself to the car. "Please, Daniel ..." she began. Daniel swung round and glared at her ordering her to shut up and get out of his bedroom. A cold shiver ran through her spine but she was determined to continue pleading until he grant her request to remain in his house.
Then an angry passion seized him and for the first time since they became husband and wife, he hit her so hard that she fell on the floor "Useless woman" he hissed and steered her out of the house.

Heritage took a last look at the house she suffered to build with her husband but with tears blurring her sight she could not see clearly. The car set off, Heritage left the home she had built and known for thirty years, she left the man whom she had known and loved all her life.

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