The Valentine day divorce (Part 4)

By Chinyere Obi-Obasi

At the next court meeting, the Respondent had come in looking sober. He wore a plain blue shirt on top of a black pair of trousers.

The Petitioner had come in and sat in her usual place at the back. Close to the door. She was no longer looking as haughty as before. Possibly as an aftermath of the last court appearance.

The judge observed but he didn’t know what happened.

The Respondent took his position in the witness stand, this time there was no form of exuberance. He was formal in his posture.

His counsel continued the examination in chief, ‘so the last time before you knelt down to appeal to the Petitioner you said you went away for 5 years what exactly happened?

The Respondent cleared his voice and looked at the judge and the Petitioner before replying. ‘There was a time I was going through a huge financial difficulty. I tried to communicate my position to my wife and many others around me but somehow they did not seem to understand me. I was frustrated and felt alone and unloved and unwanted. I began to do one thing I hate and that was nag. One day after an outburst when I raised my hand to almost hit my wife but remembered on time that she was the weaker vessel, I told myself it was better I left to clear my head so I don’t become violent one day.’

’Are you justifying your action of abandoning your family for 5 years?’ his counsel asked.

’No. Never. I am not justifying my action but I truly am tired. I have done everything possible to earn my place back in the life of my wife but I have met only brick walls. I have apologized to her people. I have apologized to my children. I have apologized to her friends. I have gone to her Pastor and right now everyone has accepted my apology and asked her to forgive me but she has bluntly refused.‘

’Many times I have asked myself, what unforgivable crime have I committed that nobody in this world has not committed?’

At this point his voice broke and he stopped in his track. The judge was sad. He has never seen any man so contrite in his court. He looked at the Petitioner who this time put her head down. The judge wished he knew all that was going on in her mind.

His counsel continued, ‘considering the Petitioner’s position till this moment, what do you have to say and what do you want from this court?’

’Riri, I am sorry once again to have abandoned you for 5 years. I have no excuse and not cooking up one. At that time I left to gather my mind together you knew I had lost a whole consignment. I was heartbroken and didn’t know what to do. Even when I left unceremoniously I still made sure I provided your needs though I was not there unfortunately to cater for other needs of yours. I was too ashamed of myself and unfortunately when I began to make moves to come back that is when you filed this action in court. After thinking of everything and the length I have gone to secure your forgiveness and failed, I have decided to give up. Since that is what you truly want, I will allow the court to grant you the divorce you seek. It is obvious I have hurt you to a point of no redemption. Thank God we do not have any teenager any longer. Once the divorce is final I will be out of your life forever though not out of the children’s lives.’

’I will relocate to another country far far away from you where I will not remind you of my person. I will start a new life after all I am just 64 years old. I wish you the best in life and may the next man in your life treat you better than I have done. Amen.’

There was heavy silence in the court room. The Petitioner avoided peoples’ eyes because she could feel their eyes on her.

The Petitioner’s counsel further asked him, is that your final answer?

The question threw everyone off guard and people laughed heartily. ‘Order! Order!’ The clerk shouted.

That question came at the right time to douse the heaviness in the room.

Only the Respondent did not smile even when he said, ‘my Lord, that is my final answer. I have given up. Two and half years in this court of begging and begging my wife has finally taken its toll on me. I have reassessed the situation; it is better I stop wasting my time and time of this Honourable court and move on. I guess that is how my own destiny is playing out.

’That will be all my Lord,’ the Respondent’s counsel said before gathering his robe, shrugging his shoulders in an exaggerated manner and sitting down like a man who has done his utmost best.

The Judge faced the Petitioner’s counsel, ‘do you want to cross examine the Respondent?’

The Petitioner’s counsel stood up slowly. Before now he had this nonchalant attitude. As a lawyer who had specialized in handling divorce matters he has installed a system in his subconsciousness whereby he always detached himself emotionally from every divorce case he is handling either as a Petitioner’ counsel or Respondent’s counsel. This particular one was difficult because not one of his client has gone the length this Respondent has gone to win anybody back. He was not sure he would have done the same.

My Lord I appeal for adjournment to enable me confer with the Petitioner on the issues the Respondent has raised. Not doing so will mean my not giving my client the opportunity to counter some of the issues raised by the respondent.

Very well counsel. I am just thinking, I want to see the Petitioner and Respondent and both of you in my chambers at the end of business today. Will 3pm be alright for all of you?

’Yes,’ both counsel replied.

’Very well then. Matter adjourned to 3pm in my chambers.’

‘As the court pleases.’

You may now step down,’  the Judge said to the Respondent who replied with, ‘thank you my Lord.