Why my marriage failed

Part 4

By Henry

I was transferred to K City as a communication officer. After three months I moved in with my family. We started adapting to this new environment.

K city was a cool place for any hard-working person to stay. It was not cold like Eldoret town. The weather, living standard, social life was good. I remember when I came; the staff had organized a welcoming party. This is what motivated me that this place is wonderful.

My wife Kelly was hardworking. She had already familiarized herself with the people around her. She enjoyed farming a lot. People wondered how such light skin young lady like her can opt to do manual jobs. She had a phrase that, beauty without brain is allowing yourself to be a litmus paper in the hands of hungry and angry men.

She loved maize farming. She got an acre of land which was leased to her for five years. She also got some connections to cereals around and exchanged contacts with people in the transport industry. Within a span of one year, the agribusiness was doing well.

As I prepared myself early for the job, she was also preparing kids for school. By the time I was leaving for office work, she carried her jembe and a bottle of water to the farm as I also dropped kids to school on my way. We were given a house by the company. This helped us not to struggle with house rent and school fees. The kids' fee was catered by the company education insurance.

For every step we made, we thanked God. We promised to be faithful to our children and to God. Also, we had a small garden with traditional vegetables; sukuma wiki, kunde, managu, nyanya, which Kelly maintained well. There were some flowers around the yard also.

Every weekend, Sunday we used to spend at Eden Garden. It was a beautiful place more so when you have a family company. We used to do some vlogging, having photo sessions around the waterfall, taking some Ice cream. The best part was the formula 1 computer game with 3d video glasses. Kelly used to scream. Mostly when she was on lane one…

My mum and sister decided to visit us at K City. According to my culture, shaving the hair of a newborn is done by my mother. We had our third born, Jeru. I sent a Uber driver to go and pick them. This is because I had a busy schedule in the office and Kelly had a healing wound after that Caesarean section.

She was three months after giving birth to our child. Mum and sister were well received. They had carried for us some bananas, sugarcane, avocados, curdled milk, groundnuts, wheat, and sorghum for the porridge. It’s mum who was narrating all this in the evening as we were watching the news at prime time. My sister and mum are comedians, they like giving sentiments and laughing loud. This made me feel sorry for Kelly, that laughter would make her stitches lose. She was more than happy with their visit.

‘My child Kelly, thanks for giving us another child. I know it was not easy, I thank God you are doing well. Ariririiiiiiii… my mother is a professional in ululation. The whole house went into laughter. She started dancing. Now we were watching her, she was our scene reporter. She pulled Kelly and hugged her for the job well done…

After staying with us for about six months, communication started changing in our matrimonial home. Mum was demanding a car before she goes home. The reason for saying this is that, Kelly and I are driving.

My sister on the other side was also demanding her own house. She also wanted to stay and start her own farming. She wanted to be in the league of my lovely Kelly.

They started shouting to our children whenever they requested mum to sing and dance for them. She even stopped them call her shosh. They loved their aunt. She was good at playing hide and seeks. Mostly that song of children while playing with a robe;

Public van, public van

number 28.

I went for a ride but now i stepped on the break

blue band by by zero

zero point zero is a round and a round.

I am a girl, you are a boy

this is a factor that you must do

salute for the king and bend for the queen.

Close your eyes and count to 15

This cold communication extended even to our matrimonial bed. At times my mother would knock very earlier in the morning to ask when the car will be delivered to take her home…

My sister would also ask Kelly, ‘when is your husband planning to settle my request? That’s what am waiting for before going to upcountry to pick my belonging.’

Our house started being hell on earth. We didn't have our privacy anymore. The children would report to me daily what shosh and aunt said to them. I didn’t have the energy to argue with my family members. Like how can I start questioning my mum? How can I start asking my sister about her cold war with my wife?

‘It’s high time you move this mother and sister of yours out of my house.’

‘My dear wife it’s not easy as you think.’

‘Okay let me and my kids move out and leave you with them. It seems they are very important than my wounds and kids….’

‘Please Kelly, don’t say that, I can’t lend you my ears at this wee hour of the night with such utterances…

She covered herself and the newborn. She showed me her backs. This has never happened before since we got married.

The next day I came from the office, I didn’t find my kids; I went straight to the bedroom, checking the wardrobe, there were no clothes, purses, necklaces, shoes of my Kelly.

‘Mum where is Kelly and the children?’

‘They left saying they have left this house for us.’

‘Mum, you saw them pack and you didn’t even bother to call me?

    Photo Courtesy; Google