The Valentine day divorce (Part 3)

By Chinyere Obi-Obasi

At this point the judge got very interested. ‘So tell me how did you meet the Petitioner?’

’I met the Petitioner when I went to see my uncle. She was a pretty young lady even prettier now,’ he said and looked in her direction with admiration while nodding his head.

Everyone laughed with the clerk shouting order! Order! All eyes turned to the Petitioner who of course tried very hard to suppress her smile.

Unmindful of the noise around him, he continued his story. ‘Immediately I saw her I knew she was the one. That day she was wearing a blue jeans pair of fitted trousers with white top that was on her waist like this.’

He demonstrated by touching his midriff to show where her top rested.

Someone in court whispered to another, ‘today is today.’

Something in me said that is your wife. I felt this shock that passed through me like electric current.

Even the judge couldn’t help smiled while other people laughed.

That time I was just fresh out of youth service and had got a job with a bank. I was not looking bad then and even now you will agree. Involuntarily someone clapped. The court clerk shouted order! Order! Everyone privately agreed that indeed he was not looking bad in his Agbada. His hair was well combed and unlike people of his age who are beginning to go bald, he still had a considerable amount of hair.

‘I approached her sharply because I was sure of what I heard in my spirit. It was obvious she liked me because though she was shy and just couldn’t look into my eyes then but she also didn’t drive me away. I immediately requested to see her parents but she refused. I don’t know you she told me. I told her what my name was and what my close friends call me which is Meks. I told her I was working in a bank and though my salary was small but it will grow and I will give her everything she wanted. That I will make her a millionaire’s wife very soon. She laughed and told me if she marries me it will not be because of what I just said it was because she liked me. That my Lord was one quality of my wife that few have. She is a transparent and a person of integrity and of course demands same measure from everyone. My Lord he turned to the judge as if seeking his help, we cannot all be the same. My wife is intentional in whatever she does. And before she takes any step, she would have thought about it long enough. That is why I am taking this action of hers serious. If she has said she was going to divorce me; she means it. My Lord we must stop her;  if she divorces me, I am finished. My life would have been ruined not by anybody but by myself.’

The judge understood it. He was appealing for his intervention. The judge was sure he has tried. It is now a case of, you can take a horse to a river but you cannot force it to drink water.

The Respondent overwhelmed with emotion paused and looked down. There was silence in the court.

‘So tell us what happened next?’ his counsel asked.

’Hold on,’ the judge said and rapped on the table for the attention of the court registrar.

The registrar stood up and faced the judge. ‘It is obvious that we are going to take some time on this matter. I will retire to chambers and you will ask the counsel here to take dates.’

‘I have asked the registrar to give all of you except the first two cases on the cause list dates. ‘I don’t want to keep you here endlessly.’ As the court pleases everyone said. The judge stood up and went into his chambers. About 20 minutes later he came out to see that court was almost full. He wanted to ask the registrar why when it hit him, they were there to hear gist. People love to listen to stories. He didn’t blame them. This divorce proceeding is interesting and full of lessons for everyone.

The Registrar  announced their matter and once again the Respondent came up to the witness stand to continue his story. So before the short break you wanted to tell us what happened next after you expressed yourself to the Petitioner.’

’I had no doubt in my mind that she was the one so I treated her like egg and on Valentine day exactly one month after I first saw her, I went with some of my friends to tell her parents that I saw a flower in his garden that I came to pluck to beautify my own garden.’

At this time even the Registrar joined in laughing. The Petitioner couldn’t also help smiling as she remembered that day. That was one thing few knew about her soon to be ex-husband. He had a powerful sense of humour and can charm even the devil and worse, he will not even laugh at his own jokes. After the laughter died; he went in to tell the court how he was well received by the parents.

’What are those things you found special about the Petitioner?’

’My wife you mean?’ he asked, looking in her direction and winking at her. ‘A lot, first I was the first and I am sure the only one this beautiful lady has given herself to if you know what I mean. I was shocked after the wedding that she preserved herself for an unworthy person like me and for that I once again what to say thank you to her.’

’Riri you know I am not a bad person. I cherish you. I misbehaved for a whole 5 years when I went away and literally abandoned you and the children. Riri I wasn’t living with any woman. It was not because of any woman, I swear to God Almighty. I just took the most foolish decision in my life but I see now God is going to use it to make me a better person.’

’Riri someone said I was suffering from middle age crisis. I don’t care the name; whatever crisis it was wants to take my beautiful wife and family away from me. I will not allow it.’

By this time the Petitioner was in tears. The Respondent came down from the witness stand and knelt down. ‘Please forgive me. Please take me back. If you leave me my life will be meaningless and I will die like a fowl.’

Though it was a sobering moment people  chuckled at the last statement.*

The Respondent couldn’t be bothered. He was in a world of his own.

‘Riri I never stopped taking care of you and children financially. At least my stupidity recognized the no-go areas.’

*’But I honestly cannot imagine the loneliness and frustration you have been through for someone who preserved herself for a man.’

At this point the judge knew it was time to have another adjournment. In all his years in the bench he has never seen such a contrite Respondent. Never.  He tapped the table and Registrar asked both counsel to take dates for adjournment. By this time the Respondent was on his feet and with a handkerchief  given to him by someone in the court, he wiped his face. He had told himself that he was going to do everything within his power to woo his wife back even if it meant rolling in the mud!