Why isn’t she the wife?

I picked up my phone and looked at the name on the screen before I smiled and answered the call.

‘Assalamu alaikum, and there is no need to worry, we haven’t forgotten that you are hosting us this afternoon.’ I said to my friend Barira before she even replied my salam.

‘Wa alaikumussalam Bint but I wasn’t calling to remind you. In fact, quite the opposite, I am calling to tell you that we have to cancel the meeting or at least postpone it till another time.’ She replied.

‘Really? At this late hour, when we have all prepared for it and are just waiting for the next two hours? How can you do this to us after you’ve made sure we have it in out diaries for the last fortnight?’ I demanded.

‘I’m sorry Bint. I just encountered some emergency and I truly believe I won’t be able to host you people in the circumstances.’ She replied, dejectedly.

‘An emergency, I hope it’s not too serious.’ I enquired.

‘Well it depends on how you look at it. To me it’s the worst emergency ever but to some it might just be a little problem.’ Barira explained enigmatically.

‘I see, and is it something you want to talk about?’ I asked.

‘Yes, if you have the time to spare Bint. But before then, do me the favour of telling all our members that today’s lunch meeting is off.

As the Amirah of the group, they will take it better coming from you.

And of course no one will force you to give any explanations you are not ready to give. Can you please oblige me?’ she pleaded.

‘Yes of course, like you said, as the Amirah of Ladies Parliament, it is expected of me to communicate any vital information to members. I will do that and come over to see you soon. In sha Allah.’ I promised.

‘Until you come then, thanks a lot.’ Barira said and hung up. I drove to her house as soon as I have sent the last of the messages to our group members. With Tahir out of town, I didn’t have to worry about making his lunch before leaving home. And as if she was glued to the door, Barira opened it for me the moment I knocked.

‘Assalamu alaikum Hajiya Bee, you were right by the door, I see.’ I joked.

‘Yes I was. Wa alaikumussalam, you are welcome Bint. As soon as you offered to come, I suddenly couldn’t wait to see you. So I came downstairs and waited.’ She explained.

‘So what’s the emergency?’ I asked, the moment I took a seat.

‘Everything seems fine in your lovely home.’ I observed.

‘Well, appearances can be deceptive, like they say. Here, take a look at this.’ And with that response she handed me a beautifully wrapped package with a lovely greeting card on top of it. ‘Open it and see.’

She instructed. I did as I was told by opening the card first and then the gift, which was a lovely set of designer cosmetics including a perfume, a shower gel and a body lotion.

‘Oh how nice of Jibo to present this to you on your birthday. And just look at the lovely words he wrote on the card. Isn’t he just romantic?

I had no idea your birthday was today. Was that why you cancelled our group lunch because he wants to give you a quiet birthday treat, just the two of you?’ I asked, smiling.

‘No it isn’t my birthday and the gift wasn’t meant for me.’ She answered sadly.

‘But here it says to ‘My dearest darling, the love of my life and the apple of my soul,….’

‘I know what it says,’ she replied, interrupting my reading. ‘But it was apparently meant for Madam 2 and the driver mistakenly brought it to me.’

‘And who is Madam 2? I thought you were an only wife?’ I asked.

‘I thought so too. Until today I never knew she existed. You see about an hour after he left for work, Jibo’s office driver came and delivered this to my house girl. I opened it and immediately knew there was a problem. One, it wasn’t my birthday, and even on my birthdays I had to drop hints for him to remember. And two, he usually bought nicely-worded birthday cards and sign his name at the bottom, he never wasted time writing any extra endearments like you have seen, in his handwriting. So I quickly rang the driver and asked him to come back. When he returned I asked him:

‘Are you sure this gift was for me?’

‘Yes, Oga said I should bring it to you.’ He answered.

‘But it’s not my birthday, that’s way I was surprised to get it.’ I replied.

‘Well, he did say “Take it to Madam and tell her I will be there after work.” The driver insisted before suddenly saying ‘Oh my God, maybe he meant Madam 2?’ Then abruptly close his mouth shut.

‘Madam who? What did you just say?’ I demanded.

‘I mean, maybe he didn’t mean you. Maybe he meant someone else.’ He replied, his voice shaking.

‘And who is that someone else. I distinctly heard you say Madam 2, who is she? Look you either tell me who you mean or I will keep you here till my husband returns. Then you will have to explain why you brought me something else’s message.’ I threatened.

‘No Hajiya, please let me go. Please save my job and let me go.’ He begged.

‘In that case tell me about this madam.’ I barked.

‘Ok Ma, I will tell you everything. She is a woman everyone in the office calls Madam 2. When I started working there three years ago, I thought she was Alhaji’s second wife. But I once overheard some staff saying that Oga was such a nice man, his only weakness was this one mistress that he’s keeping. I asked who she was and they told me the woman known as Madam 2.’ The driver explained.

‘You mean he was with her since the last three years?‘ I asked in shock.

‘No Ma, they have been together for five years now. My colleagues told me she used to work at the office but since she became involved with Oga two years earlier, she left and took up private business with the money he gave her. At least that was what I was told.‘ He disclosed.

‘I see, so everyone in the office knows about her?’ I asked, trying hard to control myself.

‘Yes Ma. And I’m truly doomed today because Oga will deal with me for this mix-up.’ He lamented.

‘Don’t worry I will get you another job if you lose this one. I promise. Just get back to the office and pretend you took this message to the right place don’t say a word to him until he calls you, because when she fails to call and say ‘thank you’ he might reach her himself.

Then he will find out what happened. When he does, don’t say we’d had this conversation. Tell him you only delivered the gift to me and left. I will handle everything my way, do you hear?‘ I asked.

‘Yes Hajiya.’ He replied, still scared.

‘Ok take this and buy yourself a recharge card.’ I said, giving him a N1000 note. And I sat here after he left, devastated and wondering what to do next. I was deeply hurt and disappointed that he could descend to the point of adultery. I mean what else does it mean when a man keeps a mistress? So I kept wondering what to do since. I knew I couldn’t host you people knowing what turmoil my mind was in. and I also needed to know what to do about my marriage which I now know is ruined.’

To be continued.