It was unusual for Henry not to be at home by 7 pm. Sandra was worried, she checked the kitchen, toilet and wardrobe as if Henry was playing hide and seek with her.
"It's been long he played games with me", she thought to herself.
"Since the day I screamed at him in the presence of his friends".
Sandra got married to Henry about a year ago, their love began in the office where they met during work. Henry was the senior accountant of the firm while she was an intern trying to find her feet.
"I don't tolerate disrespect", he had answered in response to one of her questions about red flags in a woman.
She was brought up in a Godly home so she didn't see herself as disrespectful. Growing up, she has been the exemplary child that others should emulate.
That fateful day, he hosted his friends at home. Henry and his group of friends had a tradition of going to each other's house during weekends just to chill and have a good time. It was Henry's turn but Sandra did not welcome the idea.
"Why must you guys meet every weekend?" She asked him.
"Babe, come on! It's just a few hours and we have been doing it for long".
"Change is a constant part of life, you guys need to change this tradition". She had argued.
"There is no need to belabor this issue, the next time it would get to my turn again would be in about two months", he explained.
"I will not prepare the food o", she warned.
"It's alright, I understand your displeasure. I will buy food from the restaurant down the street", Henry conceded.
Sandra was still not pleased with the agreement but she did not know why she was uncomfortable with the arrangement.
Soon, the friends began to arrive but Sandra could not come out to welcome them.
"Honey, my friends are here, come say hello" Henry had urged her when he came into the room.
"I don't want to say hello to anyone," she responded rudely, "go and stay with your friends and leave me alone".
Henry didn't understand her again "what happened to my Sandra", he thought to himself as he walked back to the sitting room.
Back with his friends, he pretended was well and joined them in watching the basketball game that was showing on the television.
At about 8pm, Sandra emerged in the sitting room, "will you spend the whole day with friends, abandoning your pregnant wife?" she yelled at him without saying a word to his friends.
Henry was shocked, not only did she disrespect him but also, she did it in public.
"We were about leaving", Kelvin said signalling the others to join him.
"Talk to you later" they echoed to Henry and left.
"What was that for?" He queried when they were alone.
"I was tired of the noise they were making"
"Is that why you had to put on such a show of shame? And is that the way to tell me that you are pregnant?" Henry was furious.
"I just said that to ensure you understood the seriousness of my displeasure"
"So are you pregnant or not?" Henry asked impatiently.
"I am not" she answered curtly.
The next few days passed with Henry saying nothing to her. He would not even look at her.
Sandra felt guilty and her conscience pricked her but she didn't want to beg him. She resorted to sleeping in sexy wears so as to make it up to him through love making but he stopped sleeping in the room.
Despite these changes, Henry's pattern of coming home before dark did not change so it came as a surprise to her when she came home few minutes after 7pm but he was not home yet.
She noticed that some of his clothes were gone from the wardrobe and became worried.
She got herself to call his phone but his number was not reachable.
She then decided to call Kelvin, his close friend.
"He mentioned something about traveling to Lagos tonight and leaving the country tomorrow by first flight" he told her over the phone.
She rushed out of the house without ending the call and entered the first taxi she saw "airport!" She screamed.
"The price would be..."
"I don't bloody car, drive me quickly, time is of the essence, I won't pay you if I miss my flight" she threatened.
On getting to the airport, she quickly paid the driver and ran in but, the last flight just took off.
"Please, stop that flight", she told the airport staff "I can't loose my husband, please".
"We can't do that ma" she replied politely.
Then she saw a figure like his through her teary eyes. She wiped her eyes with the hem of her gown.
It was him.
"I am sorry", she said, "I should have apologized a long time ago but please forgive me"
"That was all I wanted to hear after your disrespect, I needed to know you were sorry"
"Does that mean you forgive me?" She asked hoping.
"On one condition", he said pointing to the seats occupied by a few men, his friends.
"You have to offset the cost of planning this flight just to make you come back to your senses. All bills are on you"
The gentlemen came up smiling, Kelvin was here. Then it all made sense to her.
They planned it to make it look like he was leaving her to travel so as to get her to right her wrongs.
"How much did all these cost?" She asked.
"$100" Kelvin chipped in.
"My husband would pay", she said laughing.
"Let's go home"
The image is mine.
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