(EPISODE 3)THE DECLINE OF LOVE: AN EDUCATIVE TALE

EPISODE 3

Daniel had not tasted home-made meal within six months of his marriage to Sophia.
Thursday morning came and Sophia made no move to prepare breakfast before Daniel left home for the office, she did not even get out of bed until Daniel had left for work. However, Daniel did not seem to mind much; he could take some tea or coffee at the office and come home for a delicious meal he thought. He came back from work but Sophia did not prepare any meal instead she was dressed ready to have lunch In a restaurant as usual. Although Daniel was disappointed, he did not show it. On Friday, when the same situation repeated itself, he could not help but express his disappointment , Sophia’s excuse however, was that there was no house-help. This to Daniel was rather too flimsy but he checked his rising temper. Sophia said some sweet words and promised to start cooking for him.

---

Daniel was getting fed up with the messy state of domestic affairs; the food was never ready on time, it was neither cooked well or cooked in the manner he had been used to for a long time. He found Sophia’s irregularities and inefficiency both irritating and provoking but all Sophia wanted was an house maid. For a fortnight he tried his best to hide his irritation hoping that Sophia would finally settle down to a domestic pattern like Heritage for although he did not express it, he could not imagine himself stopping so low as to eat meals prepared by a house maid. In all his thirty years of marriage life it had never happened to him. She was so proud that she boasted to her friends ”she could not be bothered with domestic activities” she often told them but what Sophia failed to realize was that all those hotels exotic dishes had been partly to please her and partly to keep up with Joneses.

One Saturday afternoon, Sophia prepared amala which was Daniel’s favorite food. She did not often prepare it because she did not know how to stir it without coming up with a full dishes of yamflour knots. Since Heritage left, Daniel had never enjoyed the food he liked best and this had become a regular source of annoyance. On this particular Saturday afternoon, Sophia prepared it as usual or perhaps worse than usual.
”Since my wife left this hose I have never tasted any good yamflour dish. You just don’t know how to prepare it like Heritage and if this is what you expect me to eat I’d rather go out and have something better.” Daniel spited, Sophia was still yet to understand that part of 'the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.'
Sophia was deeply hurt, her eyes flashed anger and bitter quarrel followed, Daniel left the house and did not return till two o’clock clock in the morning and while Daniel was gone Sophia burnt Daniel and Heritage's thirty year old wedding album, packed the ashes and placed them on the cover of the album. As soon as Daniel came back, Sophia rose to her feet and held up the album for Daniel to see. At first he didn’t understand but then his tired brain slowly revived and the meaning of the ashes and album came clear to him. His limbs went weak, realizing that she had hurt him Sophia bursted out laughing, a laughter that seem to mock his existence. His anger rendering him speechless, he seized Sophia roughly by the shoulders and gave her to heavy slaps on the left cheek. Daniel asked for food and Sophia took it that he had asked for trouble instead of food.
”Food? “ Sophia asked in angry surprise , ”Was she not good enough to cook for you?“ she asked stressing the words ’cook’ and ’give’
Seething with wild rage, Sophia searched his eyes for an explanation of his whereabouts and for an apology but nothing came forth from him.
With a grim expression on her face, she began. ”You,” she said, pointing accusing finger at Daniel.
”You useless man! I asked you for money you refused to give me, I prepared what I could but you rejected the food and now you want another food. No food without money, tell your girlfriend who you went to give money to give you food. Daniel I hope you’re heard me.”
Sophia continued, ”Daniel I can’t understand you anymore these days. I can’t understand your stinginess, why do you have to clutch money tightly in your fists? But of course you’re spending it on useless girls”
”I wish I had known. I only wish I had realized that you’re nothing but a useless, stingy, unfaithful, thoughtless, wicked . . . .” she didn’t end the sentence with the word ’man’ when two heavy slaps landed on her right and left cheeks respectively. Her cheeks burned from the slap he had given her and she couldn’t help but weep.
”I wish I had known what a useless harlot, crazy money maniac i was marrying. A bitch of a woman! Child of nobody, hopeless bastard! Lustful idiot! Why? Are you the only woman in the world? Money! Money!! Money!!! Today money for car, tomorrow money for damask. If you’re not content with what I have to offer then pack out of my house and out of my life and go your way. What more can i do to satisfy the queen of harlots? Ordinary twenty-one year old telephone operator riding a car and still not satisfied! You want me to take money from bank again and go to jail if caught? I tell you this, you’re not worth going to jail for, not you. Not even thousands of you!“ Daniel’s voice thundered through the night air.

---

Daniel knew he had made mistake marrying Sophia. They had always been good as lovers but now as husband and wife things were different. They always get on each others nerves and they never seem to see eye to eye anymore, he expected too much from Sophia whereas Sophia had very little or nothing to offer as a wife and he was thoroughly disappointed in her. To crown it all Daniel was in the red, his monthly salary got him nowhere with Sophia running the house with twice as much money as Heritage spent every month. For Sophia reality came short of expectation while for Daniel, Sophia fell beyond the standard of an average wife and with each passing day their relationship deteriorated. Sophia broke down and wept regretfully, the sweet, loving and adorable man who used to be her lover did not exist anymore; she wanted desperately to confide in somebody who could give her sympathy. She regretted marrying Daniel, Sophia had begun to realize and regret the mistake she made in moving in with Daniel. She was sure beyond doubt that she would have been better off living outside as his mistress.

---

image source
STAY TUNED FOR EPISODE 4