My husband now interested in his son’s mother (2)

This is the continuation  of Theo and Philomena’s story started last week. It is true that Philomena married her friend Theo and their relationship waxed stronger. But the Devil threw in a spanner in their marriage, hindering her to conceive. She waited up ten years to conceive but all to no avail.

On the tenth year of their marriage, Theo came home with shocking news which destabilised his wife.

“Philomena (my wife), I had a phone call from someone I didn’t expect. In fact, she travelled home and met my mother who called me on her own phone but handed it over to my strange caller. When I heard her voice, it rang a bell. I recognised her. She was a sister to one of my mother’s tenants. They were living in my mother bungalow which she rented out. She used to sneak into my room and that very act landed her in an accidental pregnancy. I denied it when she told me for the fear of being rejected by my father. She was taken to her village by her brother and that was the last I saw her. It wasn’t long  her brother packed out. Now, she called to say that she had the baby eventually, a male child,” he said, his face expressionless.

“When he said that, I knew my world had ended. My heart sank and the first person I thought it wise to call was my mother, my number one confidant. But when I picked up my phone, Theo guessed what I was about to do and hushed me: ‘Please don’t tell your mother this now, you know how frail she is already. Allow her be, we will sort out this’.

“Instantly, I dropped my phone and sank into the soft cushion in my living room and sobbed endlessly,” Philomena bewailed.

When she sobbed to her satisfaction, she wiped her tears and went to kitchen to prepare dinner which she served Theo. Ever since 10 years she had been married, Philomena had never hesitated preparing her husband’s  meals. That was one of the major advices her mother gave her when she was coming into her matrimonial home and she had always  obeyed no matter the situation she found herself.  Hence when it was time to serve dinner, she did so, without being told. But when his dinner was served, Theo  couldn’t eat well. He had already lost his appetite. The news shocked him as well. The only part of the story which he hadn’t told his wife was that his mother would be coming to visit them in a week’s time with his son and his son’s mum. He reserved that aspect of the news to himself  because that would break Philomena the more.

“I noticed that he forced himself to eat. I ate with him and we didn’t speak a word. The food was tasteless in my mouth  and seemed as if we were eating poison. We had no appetite. I had so many questions running riot in my brain. But I waited till dinner was over. I didn’t want Theo to walk out on me abandoning his food. When we were through, we sat facing each other. He gazed into my eyes and noticed I wanted to ask questions.”

Theo opened up to her. “I can smell it that you are worried dear  and you have a lot in your mind right now. So, feel free to ask. But before you start throwing your questions at me, know it that I have always loved you since ten years we have been married. I have  never had an intension to hurt you and your good parents who have looked up to me as their own son. I have never called you names, never abused you in anyway because of our barreness. I said our barrenness because this situation is not your cross alone. Both of us are in it together. Also know it that I never knew the child existed, I would have told you before I proposed marriage to you so that it wouldn’t look as if I had skeleton in my cupboard. Having said all these, fire your questions,” he said, looking pitifully at his wife.

“Theo,  is  there any other truth you are hiding from me?”

“Okay, yes! I will tell you now that you have asked. My mother is coming with them Tuesday next week to see me. Her name is Stella, the name of the lady who had a child for me  and her son whom she named after me Theo Junior.”

At that Philomena broke down. “Oh that’s his name? I never knew the son I couldn’t give you was existing somewhere. I’m  happy for you Theo but I was thinking that I would have been the one to  bear all your children but look at me, fate has been unfair, unkind  to me. If the worst happens, I will leave you and join my immediate elder sister in Sapele who has been nursing her emotional wounds due to her marriage. I learnt God has blessed her with riches, maybe to pay her back for her marriage.”

“You will go no where, Philomena,  you would do no such thing. You are my wife and nothing would change that. Mama has been sounding very excited on the phone  ever she got wind of my son but her joy would not rub us of our own joy.”

When Theo’s mother, Stella and Theo Junior came, Philomena welcomed them, served them food and drinks. When Theo saw his son, he hugged him. He knew on the spot that the boy was his.  His mother turned his neck to Theo and showed him a birth mark, the same birth mark on her son. “Theo my son, this is a carbon copy of you. He has same birth mark on his neck. This was how you looked when you were ten my son. Gosh! Blood does not  lie. I’m so happy that I have a grandson,” she said, beaming with smiles.

She then turned to Stella, “my daughter,  thank you for not aborting my grandson due to circumstances surrounding  his conception, how you were denied, rejected  and all that. I thank God you took the right decision,  if not my son would have still remained childless,” she said, throwing a quick glance at Philomena.

She beckoned on Theo Junior, “come my grandson, this woman here is your father’s wife,” she said, gazing up to Philomena.

The lad and Philomena stood facing each other. The boy was smiling but Philomena was fighting within herself to hold back tears until the boy spoke. “Grandma, what should I call her? Should I also call her mum when my mum is alive ? Is that proper?”

The question was ignored as if she didn’t hear it. She then called Stella. “The lady who would have been my daughter-in-law, please come. This is Philomena, my son’s wife. She has been a good wife to my son, hmmm,  but it’s just  that her womb has been under lock  and key since ten years she has been married. She is barren and only God knows why. I think she has to thank you for  coming to rescue her. Now that you have brought a grandson to me, I would give her less stress and let her be. But she must respect you. You have free access to this home, after all my son is the father of your son. Feel free to visit at any time, nobody would stop you because you have made me proud and made my son a father. I was a laughing stock in the entire Umuojima village because of Philomena’s barreness but now I think I’m fulfilled,” she said, not giving a damn if Philomena was hurt.

The two ladies (Stella and Philomena)  stood looking at each other for a while before Stella dropped the bombshell.

To be continued