DIARIES (ENTRY #31)

STRIPPED

I stood there watching the father of my child walk away from me. I felt like my life was over, how was I ever supposed to look TK in the face again? What stories would Oladunni be told about the reason for the collapse of our marriage? Would she be told her mother was a cheating woman? TK might not be a saint either but I realized the truth in the saying that it is the person who gets caught that is labeled a thief.

I followed TK into the house

Me: TK please wait let me explain. It is not what it looks like I swear. I have never cheated on you.

TK: Liar! I want you out of my house by dawn.

Me: I am not going anywhere; we have to work this out!

TK: If you think I would live under the same roof with you, you are out of my mind. You have a ticket to the States for tomorrow I suggest you use it.

Me: And leave our daughter? She needs her mother!

TK: She is my daughter and you are not fit to raise her!

Me: TK! How can you even say that?

TK: By the time I am done with you, you won’t know what hit you. Have you no shame? Parading yourself around town with an old lover! The same lover that threatened the foundation of our marriage from day one! Allowing him to grope you in public so shamelessly and carelessly that someone could actually take a picture and send to me. If this becomes a scandal or blackmail case I won’t forgive you.

Me: It won’t get out; he was the one who sent it. Emeka sent you the pictures.

TK: What sort of twisted game are you both playing? Is that why you had a ticket to America? Was he blackmailing you?

Me: No. It’s complicated TK!

TK: That is all you keep saying. It’s complicated. “Uncomplicate” it for me then!

Me: I …

I didn’t know what to say. I had no justification for my actions, for my carelessness, for my insatiable appetite for adventure. How could I justify something that was as plain as the nose on my face? I didn’t sleep with Emeka but I had still cheated …with my emotions, my time, and my attention.

TK: Were you going to tell me before you got on that plane tomorrow?

I didn’t respond. I was numb.

TK: You were going to take my daughter away from me because of an ex-lover who is clearly insane. You were going to throw away our marriage and life together for a man who only comes to stir up trouble when things are going good for you. He didn’t even respect you enough to let you tell me for yourself, he sent me pictures and you think I am the villain you need to get away from? You can go Anjola…but not with my daughter.

TK grabbed his car keys from a stool in the living room and headed out of the house. I became aware of my surrounding. Rosemary and Oladunni’s nanny were in a corner watching the show down. I crumbled to the ground and burst into tears. They rushed towards me and started trying to soothe me.

Me: Rosemary. Please go and bring Oladunni for me.

Rosemary: Madam she is not here.

Me: What? Where is she?

Rosemary: Oga took her to grandma’s house before you came home.

Oladunni was at The Villa, if I wanted to see her I had to go through The Duchess.

I drove to The Villa that night. I was told by Iya Bade the housekeeper that everyone had gone to bed. I told her it was an emergency. She took me to the Duchess’s private quarters and went to wake her up.

The Duchess: What can I do for you Anjola?

Me: Please I would like to take my daughter home.

The Duchess: I am afraid you can’t do that. Tokunboh specifically instructed me not to allow you touch her.

Me: I am her mother and she shouldn’t have to pay for my mistakes. She needs me.

The Duchess: You should have thought about that before you did whatever it is you did to annoy Tokunboh.

Me: This is between my husband and me.  Please stay out of it.

The Duchess: Everything is between you and your husband yet I somehow end up in the middle of the matter. I knew Tokunboh should never have married you. You can’t handle this life…its way above your class.

Me: I will not tolerate your insults any longer! Why do you constantly berate me? Is your son any better? I might not have a name that opens doors or the kind of pedigree you have but am I not better than the children you have raised? You stand here and judge me yet your first son is a liar and a cheat not capable of staying married. Your second son is timid and withdrawn! Since I met him he has probably never said more than two words to me because he is constantly looking at you for approval before he even breathes. Your only daughter has been divorced twice at 32! Your husband practically licks your feet in public and follows you around like a lost puppy and you stand here telling me this disaster you call a family is way above my class! What an irony.

The Duchess reached out and slapped me across my cheek.

The Duchess: You will regret every single word you have said to me today, every single one. Now get out of my house!

I knew she was a lost cause so I left The Villa and headed back home. I honked my horn for Adamu to open the gate but he came outside instead

Me: Adamu, open the gate. It’s me.

Adamu: Madam Abeg no vex o. Oga talk say make I no open gate for you.

Me: What is the meaning of that rubbish?  Open the gate at once!

Adamu: Madam Abeg I no go fit open am.

I called TK’s phones. He didn’t take my call. It was almost midnight and I didn’t have anywhere to go. I called Linda. She asked me to come over to her house. Thankfully her husband was away on a business trip.

I told her everything that had been going and she looked at me in disbelief

Linda: Anjola! You didn’t even tell me all of this before and I told you to stay away from that guy! Why didn’t you listen?

Me: Linda there is no use crying over spilled milk. I know my marriage is over but I want to get my daughter back. That’s all I want!

Linda: You signed a pre-nup that you would forfeit custody in the event of a divorce how do you intend to get out of that?

Me: The pre-nup says custody of all children conceived in the marriage and not children born in the marriage, I was pregnant for Oladunni before we got married.

Linda: Even at that, you have no job, no source of income and now your character is questionable because TK has evidence of your supposed infidelity – the pictures and emails. Not to even add your failed attempt at kidnapping his daughter. Quite frankly Anjola this doesn’t look good o!

Me: So what do I do? Am I supposed to just walk away and leave my daughter without a mother?

Linda: I think you should talk to TK. He knows how important it is for Oladunni to have you in her life. Maybe he would be willing to settle outside of court and grant you some form of shared custody. He might even forgive you, don’t conclude that your marriage is over. You fought for your marriage before; you can fight for it again.

Me: I am done fighting. TK is not a saint either. Did I not tell you I have confirmed he is cheating?

Linda: The only other option is to get evidence of your own of his infidelity. That way he would be more willing to settle out of court and reach a compromise. He can’t afford the scandal neither can his family.

Me: That makes sense.

Linda: Meanwhile you can stay here as long as you need to. You know I am here for you no matter what you need.

I declined Linda’s offer and checked into a hotel. Fortunately, I had personal accounts which I had funded over the years, thanks to TK’s generosity. My car had also been bought in my name the previous year as my birthday present from TK that was the only possession I had in my name.

I got the name of a “guy” that could help through Linda. She said he did some undercover work for her husband. I gave him TK’s details, his routine, his plate number, office address, picture and everything he would need to track him. I also gave him Bee’s address. I had her address thanks to Emeka and I knew it was only a matter of time before Tony (the guy I had hired) gave me concrete evidence of TK’s infidelity.

A week after I still hadn’t seen Oladunni. I was not allowed entrance into The Villa or my own home and Rosemary (my informant in the house) had confirmed to me that Oladunni was still at The Villa with her grandmother. Her nanny had also been taken there to go and look after her. This development gave me a little form of relief. I knew at some point I would have to tell my family what was going on especially when TK initiated the divorce process. Tony also had not gotten me any evidence as he insisted that TK only went to her apartment and stayed there for a while and they never went out so getting a picture was difficult.

I also had not spoken to Emeka since the night I found out what he had been doing. He had been calling but I hadn’t taken any of his calls and he had stopped calling after a few days. That evening I was crying as usual when Tony came to my hotel room bearing good news. He had eventually gotten pictures of TK and Bee when they went out to dinner the night before. There were pictures of them holding hands, one of her sitting on his laps and another one of him kissing her on the forehead. A pang of jealousy hit me.She was so beautiful and young and they looked happy together. The way TK looked at her in the pictures, like he was willing to protect her at any cost made me realize that it wasn’t just an affair for TK. He was in love with her. Tony had also given me a name, her name was Bella.

I waited till late in the evening and knowing I wouldn’t be able to see TK in the house, I went to his office. Most of the staff had left but he was still there. He obviously hadn’t left any instructions about my access to the office because the few staff in the building welcomed me warmly.

I was armed with my evidence. My intention was to have a one on one conversation and reach a compromise that gave me access to my daughter. I walked into his office and met TK at his desk…tipsy!

I didn’t know why he had been drinking and I didn’t bother asking.

TK: What are you doing here?

Me: I came to talk.

TK: In that?

He asked referring to my outfit.

I had dressed to kill because the pictures of Bella had intimidated me plus I needed to make a statement. I was wearing a black lacy dress that ended way above my knee and a pair of red high heeled pumps. My hair was hanging loose and going all the way down to my waist and I had sprayed a generous amount of my Hypnotic Poison perfume just because I know the fragrance drives TK crazy.

I smiled and seductively sat on the table beside him.

Me: Yes

He slipped his hand inside my dress and I didn’t stop him.

TK: You came here to seduce me didn’t you?

Me: Is it working?

TK:Yes!

We made love right there on his desk just like old times. I knew he was drunk but I didn’t care. I wanted to feel wanted by my husband. Afterwards he said,

TK: I hope you know this doesn’t change anything. I still want you gone.

Me: I wasn’t hoping it would. I just wanted you to know the stakes are higher now.

TK: What do you mean?

I reached into my handbag, and pulled out the pictures of him and ‘Bee” and flung them across the table.

I saw the blood drain from his face.

Me: The game is over TK. I know about Bella…your mistress!

I was unprepared for his response. He flashed me his sexy, dimpled smile and said;

TK: Sweetheart, Bella is not my mistress. She is my daughter!