Why my marriage failed

Part 2

By Henry

Lord grant me a beautiful family. Instill in me a soul of working hard without looking and admiring other people’s property. Give me a wife who will be understanding and help me reach that bridge of peaceful life. Life of having my own empire. Lord, here is my humble request. Amen!

This was my daily prayer while working as a casual labourer at Majengo Construction. At this time, I had completed my grade 12. I was accommodated by one of my childhood friend, Chris short form of Christopher. We played hide and seek with Chris and even schooled together.

Chris came to the city earlier than me. He was a supervisor at Majengo Construction. He’s the one who gave me the idea of coming to the city. The city of the sun as many called it.

‘It’s high time buddy you think of moving out of this village.’

‘Chris that’s true but I don’t know anyone out there…’

‘Hold on, does it mean you don’t know Chris?’

I nodded my head as an assurance of knowing him. This was the conversation at Jenga Mwili Hotel. It was during the December holiday. We had ordered tea and two mandazi each. The sun was saying goodbye to the trees. He gave me two days to think about that.

That’s how I landed in the city under the care of Chris. After working for two years at Majengo Construction, I got a new friend called Sonia. Sonia was the tea girl who used to serve us porridge at 10 O clock and githeri at noon. I used to pay her every Saturday afternoon. That’s the time all of us at the site were being paid.

She was keen on her business through her Uji and githeri bookkeeping record. Whenever there were some leftovers, she used to call me to go and eat.

‘I know God will open ways. Just eat and drink. Do not fear.’

She repeated these words almost daily during her visit to the construction site. Chris told me that he has me with Sonia having a family. I took it as a normal joke.

The second year in my usual place, Sonia called me aside. She pulled me from my workmates. It was earlier in the morning. She told me that I will not be paying for her porridge, mandazi, and githeri anymore. When I tried to insist to know why she did that, she responded that I should never be inquisitive about her decision.

‘Kindly accept that offer and don’t try to change my wish for you,’ she responded to me. Quickly she grabbed her kiondo and the containers and left the place. She saluted me.

I shared this daytime testimony with Chris. He was silent for a moment and responded politely, ‘brother to be honest with you, this is your wife. She loves you.’

I left the house and took a hike around the estate. I bought some groundnuts at the vendor. I thought about Chris response and tried to compare it with Sonia response of telling me not to question her good will help. I was kicking some plastic bottles on my way. I remembered my deplorable state back in the village and concluded that I can’t have a future with Sonia.

It was on Sunday after doing the house chores; I received a call from Sonia. She wanted to see me at the bus stop. The way she was sounding on the phone, all was not well with her. I didn’t question her. I obeyed her commandments of not questioning her. I took a boda boda and went to meet her as she requested.

When I reached the bus stop, I called her. She was seated in one of the sheds around with the company of a lady. My heartbeat was very fast. I felt like asking questions but I remembered her rule.

‘This is my sister Maggy and don’t look at us as if you have seen ghosts.’

‘No am okay Sonia and it's my pleasure to meet you Maggy.’

We had a handshake and they requested me to accompany them. I didn’t know where they were taking me. I followed the law of not asking anything. Their chat was a girl talk and I didn’t participate in it at all. We reached this well-secured house. The decoration of the wall paint and the trees around made me feel see heaven on my heart.

‘Welcome to our humble place. This is my sister’s home and her husband is a foreign country,’ Sonia said as her sister went to another room.

‘I am grateful Sonia,’ I responded.

She came with a glass of water and offered me. Sonia went ahead to switch the television on and there was a program of Sundowner on KBC TV.

‘Maggy this is the man of my life that I have been telling you about. I love him and am making this first confession in front of him in your presence.’

I felt like the wind to come and blow me out of that sister's meeting. She was shedding tears and saying that if she can’t have me in her life, then she will not have a reason of being alive. Imagine this drama!

The sister was soft-spoken. She knew the depth of Sonia words. She took her cheque book and offered us half a million for us to start our own life. Sonia told her to write the cheque under my name.

My life in marriage started like that. We went home to see my people and part of the money; we used to complete the house project I started while in the city.

We opened a hotel next to Majengo construction. The business was doing well as we got the deal of supplying meals to the management and their staff. Apart from that we also ventured to outside catering and opened another branch within the Central Business District.

Most of the time, her sister used to visit us and wish us all the best in our business. We gave Chris a chance of being a general manager. This is because he was well conversant with the city and had many contacts.

Chris helped us to started online food services. He introduced the business to other platforms and we were happy with the business progress.

Now we had our own home, no more rentals. Sonia and I got an apartment for Chris, fully furnished and he had also his driver. We valued his efforts in our business. He was also grateful.

I traveled to the United States to go and further my studies through a scholarship. This was a lifetime chance I got from Majengo Construction for being a good supplier for the last ten years. It was a prayer answered which will help our business to increase. It was a three-year study opportunity.

My Sonia agreed that since we have two children and no hurry of adding another one, I can take three years in the US and come back. This is what I prayed for, someone who understands and helps me to build my dream.

We had video calls during my tenure in the US and also sending her gifts. I prayed daily as usual to God to help me complete these studies successfully and return back home safely.

I told my lovely Sonia how I passed my exams and my duration was over in this foreign land. It was on Sunday afternoon when I landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. I was welcomed with a note written KARIBU NYUMBANI DAD. This was Keithan, my son. He had grown. My little Hanny had a bunch of flowers.  I saw my Sonia from a distance she looked disturbed, she had a child in her arms.

‘Who is this little one being carried?’

‘Dad that’s our little Jay. Mum said you are the one who sent Jay to her...

    Photo Courtesy: Google