“How do I handle this?” was the question I kept asking myself. Not one but two reports on the same issue. From the way it was reported to me, I knew something was wrong somewhere. It was either the ladies have collaborated to tarnish our image or what they have said to me was true.
We live in a compound that I always describe as proper face me I face you. We are about twelve families in the compound; the single ladies in the compound occupy the three single rooms. Quarrelling in our compound especially on Saturdays is a constant. People quarrel over everything. I have had my own fair share of quarrelling too. Not as if I’m the troublesome type, but there are days you cannot help but let fellow tenants know you too can talk.
To avoid getting into situations that would make me exchange words with fellow tenants, I decided to keep to myself. I hardly stood to discuss with anybody in the compound. Some of the compound people misconstrued it for arrogance; Mama Fine-boy and Iya Kay had once asked me who I thought I was.
I kept my distance from the two and they hardly talk to me. Since we don’t get along, the two ladies would always look for a way to show me how much they despised me. Everybody in the compound knows we don’t get along.
You can imagine the kind of shock I suffered when Mama Fine-boy called me aside to tell me what she described as in ‘my best interest’. I followed her to the front of the
compound, the part we call ‘frontage’ to hear what she had to tell me. I did a quick mental calculation of what she possibly had to say. Nothing came to mind.
“Madam, this thing has been going on in the compound for a long time now, you need to find a way to put a stop to it. Your husband peeps at the women in this compound when they are in the toilet or bathing in the outside at night.I know you will find it difficult to believe me. But before God and man, I just told you what your Oga does in this compound.”
I didn’t believe her. I made it abundantly clear to her that her plans for my family would not work. To my surprise, she walked out without uttering a word. Could it be true, was she lying; how do I confront my husband in case what this woman said was right. These were the many questions on my mind all day.
I remembered my husband had complained he had run into some of those women having their baths outside at night. I didn’t take it seriously. I had no reason to. The women in the compound are fond of doing that to the extent that people in the compound no longer see it as anything.
After some days, I decided to thrash what Mama Fine-boy told me. “She is up to something”, I told myself. By that weekend, Iya Kay approached me and narrated how her daughter saw my husband peeping at Queen while she was in the bathroom. I stood there rooted to the ground. Are these women up to some mischief or are they saying exactly what they saw. The way they reported the issue was what surprised me most. They all claimed they didn’t want the gist to spread to other tenants in the compound.
To be honest with you, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how best to confront my husband with that allegation. If it was the truth, how can I save my face in that compound; a compound that I didn’t want to have anything to do with anybody. I wanted to mind my business.
That night, I found what I considered the best way to confront my husband on the issue. I found a way to tell him a story of one man in compound where I grew; how the man was notorious for peeping at ladies in the compound. I looked closely at him while I narrated the story to him. My husband did not betray any emotion. He condemned the act but harped more on the ladies whom he said would not respect themselves. I listened with rapt attention as he went on and on in condemning the ladies. At the end of his stories, I asked him if he had ever done it. He looked at me and asked “what manner of question was that?!”
I told him I would be disappointed if my husband is caught peeping at ladies. He looked, shook his head and said “women!”
From that day, I made up my mind to find out the whole truth. And the truth, I found . My husband peeps at women. I was not told. I saw him myself. What a huge shock! I didn’t confront him.
I looked for a way to end that habit without hurting his ego in anyway. I started making trouble that I was tired of staying in that compound. He resisted me initially but caved in after about two months of constant nagging. I guess he got the message. He cooperated with me in the house hunt.
We have found a new a apartment very far from where we currently reside. We will be moving out soon. I haven’t heard anything for long now.
I thank God the habit didn’t cause any serious scandal in the compound. At least we can move out with some dignity.
Do you have any story you want to share with us? E-mail story to 9jastarz@gmail.com
