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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

READ: Surviving The Twilight (Part 3)


NB: This is the final story in a three-part series. Please click Here to read the previous parts 

5:30 - I pulled onto the express again racing toward a private beach, I knew a couple of dealers there, but they only sell the soft stuff, not the heroin or cocaine my wife was addicted to, but maybe they could give me information or probably even sighted her. I arrived at the beach a few minutes later and it was deserted, I had somehow forgot the time of the day and figured the dealers would probably be asleep. They say love adds the mumu factor, I honestly just saw the truth to that.  I drove out of the beach and made 3 more stops  around places I felt she could have gone.  With no luck anywhere i see the morning twilight graze the early morning sky, in its beauty. I feel my sanity slipping away from me, all we had to do was survive this twilight, day break will come soon, I prayed.  How am I still  in love with this bundle of work I call a wife? Any man should have backed off, packed his bags and run. How can i tolerate all of Victoria's habits without question? Her drug use habit for one is  so bad it has threatened  the lives of her and everyone around her, to the tiniest fabrics of their being. We have both lost friends and family because of her drug addiction. Her father hasn't asked after us in years, he specifically blames Vicky's drug addiction on her marrying me and her refusal to marry the person she had been betrothed to. The worst part of all this is that in the long run I'm giving out so much love and taking a chance on someone that may never fully reciprocate, understand or feel the same way for me. I think it's true what they say that love is for the insane.
More..
6:45- My heart says a silent prayer as I drive by a Catholic Church. If God is there he'd have mercy on me in the pureness of my heart and Intentions. It's nothing religious. As i continue my drive on the goose chase journey to no where, i approach a traffic light and hear my phone beep of a received text. I silently prayed it was something positive though I wasn't expecting anyone to call me with good news. I picked up my phone to see a Debit Alert, i hissed and was about to toss the phone on the passenger seat when it hit me. I hadn't done any bank transaction that morning. Vicky was with my wallet and in it were my ATM cards if i was receiving any bank alerts it means she just recently used my bank card and the best part these texts came with the location of where the transaction took place. The moment I saw moment i read the location as "First Bank/Obalende" I knew exactly where she was. I returned to the express gunning for a rough neighbourhood close to the 3rd mainland bridge. 

We stopped at a building there once after returning from a friend's party from the mainland. Funny story that day, she had pulled me into the neighbourhood and said a woman there sold her fresh water fish, she couldn't get anywhere else on the island. Of course it brought a curious thought to my mind because Victoria rarely cooked, but like i said earlier, love lets  you acknowledge your stupidities but never let's you fully accept the reality. So I parked In front of the white building that simply read "Cold Room Here", just right beside the building was a First Bank branch, where she  used my ATM card that fateful day. She walked into the building and I sat in the car and waited. Time flies quickly when you're playing Angry Birds, I looked up a few minutes  later and realised she had been gone 30minutes. After awhile I got out of the car and walked Into the building. There was a garage-style stall open, freezers left and right in the stall, but no sign of Vicky. I walked further into the shop calling out, eventually a light skinned man came out from an inner room he spoke in an heavily Igbo-accented pidgin "Yes who you dey find?". 
"A woman, My wife she entered  inside this place to buy fresh fish or something like that" I replied confused. He paused and looked into my eyes like he was trying to see through me "fresh fish?" he chuckled" "abi na your wife be Vicky?" I nodded   " Una and this una Oyinbo, dey there dey nod like lizard. Any how sha follow me" he waved his hands in the direction of the inner room he just came from and I followed him. I entered the poorly lit room and found her sprawled on the floor. Her eyeballs rolled back into her eye sockets revealing only her white  sclera. One wrist tied with a tiny rope, the other holding on to an empty syringe. She was barely conscious, her laboured and forced breathing was the only thing that confirmed she was still alive. That was the third time I had seen her like that so my panic was controlled, but I will never forget the "fresh fish" ruse, I still laugh about it even. 

7:45 "Oga carry your wife Comot here, I wan go back sleep" I heard the accented Igbo voice and snapped out of my momentary trance. I picked my wallet and cards scattered on the floor, slowly lifted Victoria and carried her in my arms towards by car. I laid her in the passenger seat and belted her in and kissed her forehead 

8:30am-  "I'm thirsty I need water" I heard a voice from beside me. She was finally awake, I had been driving for almost 45 minutes. "Hey, how do you feel?" I replied. "Fine" she answered and sat up. We made a stop at a store to get water and continued the drive. After a while of silence as we approached home she spoke "Why do you put up with me?" She asked almost sobbing. I smiled and looked at her over my shoulder "I guess that's what people do when they're In love" i replied and shrugged. "I'm sorry I am such a mess, I'm sorry I'm such a screw up, I'm sorry and I'm ready to make this work" she said in between sobs "and i love you, always had, always will" she added with tears trickling down her cheeks and reached across and gave a soft on my cheek. "I love you too" I replied simply and focused on the road, I was afraid saying anything else would ruin the moment. Her Visa Application interview was at 11:00am hopefully her high would have worn off  and she would be sober enough for the interview . My brother in America had promised to get her into a rehab centre in America and I am willing to send her there and give us another chance at a proper married life. Despite all this craziness, I haven't given up yet.

 On the radio I could hear New Day by Alicia Keys playing in the background, I turned it up, smiled and thought to myself "Perfect".

The End 

Twitter: @ToyeTrill

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