When my wife was carrying my younger son Zillion in her womb, she asked me to promise her a gift when she puts to birth.
2months after, Zillion came.
A month later when I was sure she could go out with the baby, I took her to a big phone shop.
She had asked me for a particular phone.
My mother inlaw went with us. I didn’t know she was listening to our conversation with the dealer.
When she heard the price, her mood changed immediately. The front desk guys noticed it but couldn’t ask why.
Standing right there, I took my mind back to years ago when this woman was with me in an uncompleted building.
One night being our first day of washing clothes for people, we had finished this set of dresses and the owner asked us to deliver that same night.
We had not eaten since morning because the little money we had, we used it for buying of soap and starch.
We waited and eventually went to the man’s house at 9pm when he returned from work and handed the clothes to the wife.
She took it into their room.
1hour later, no one came out to see us. We waited and waited until the househelp finally came out and excitedly I felt she brought our money.
She approached me and said she wants to lock the door, they’re going to bed.
My wife was pregnant, she had not eaten and her stomach was beginning to hurt.
We got up, walked out and left their compound. They never paid us till today. It’s been a decade and yesterday evening I went to wash my car, lo and behold, the man who pleaded with me to park it in his own side so he could wash is the same man whom I washed dresses for and he refused to pay me till today.
He didn’t even know me.
I only introduced myself when I paid him and was driving out. Never seen a human statue but I think I saw a human being stand like one yesterday.
That night he did that to us, my wife and I trekked a distance going back because we didn’t have any money for byke.
Finally we saw one aboki boy charging phones for people, my wife gave me her small Nokia phone for us to use and borrow money from that boy so we could eat.
The boy graciously gave us 1000naira and kept the phone. We never saw that phone again.
Back at the phone shop, I knew nothing could equal the price of her sacrifices. I brought out my card and gave them to pay for the phone.
Till we drove home, my mother inlaw didn’t say a word in the car. She was worried that her daughter just wasted my money.
She called her into the room and started complaining bitterly and my wife told her a little story about us.
She couldn’t hold back her tears and she came into my room to say thank you Inlaw.
When you have a wife that stood with you in your trying moments and she fought with you to conquer, the little you can do is appreciate her.
Show her you have not forgotten her love and sacrifices.
Several marriages hit the rocks during trying moments. If yours survived because your spouse had to stand with you, never take it for granted.
-Dr. Bakia T Thomas
Neighbourhood Child Foundation
