"BOYS WILL BE BOYS"

Ozzie’s mouth dropped. The snort and tears she had been trying to no avail to control suddenly ceased.

She stared at her mother aghast. She could hardly believe what she had just heard. She had heard this a thousand times before but had never argued about it because she believed people who held that position where either stupid or bent from life's many trials. But right now, sitting on the floor in the living room of the house she had grown up, the first place she had even thought of running to for comfort when her world had come crashing down, looking at the woman who had raised her and who she held at the highest esteem, she felt like her ears were bleeding.

“Biko why are you looking at me like I said something the ears have never heard” her mother said without remorse.

 “Mummy what did you just say?” ozzie managed to say

“Look my daughter,”her mum adjusted her wrapper she tied around her chest concealing the sheer nightee she wore underneath “there’s nothing new under the sun. the way you burst in here weeping like someone had died ,you had me worried. So what your husband  cheated on you? He’s not the first man to do it, he will not be the last. All men cheat, it’s their nature. You cannot because of that end your marriage na.eh. what would people say?”

Ozioma just looked at her mother. With all her education and influence. She was a professor for crying out loud. How could such words come out of her mouth? Surely she was too learned and exposed to think that way.

“How dare you say all men cheat? Father never cheated on you when he was alive. He adored you.everyone knew  that”

Her mother scoffed, “he never got caught doesn’t mean he never did, it just means he was smart” seeing as her statement had made her daughters already huge eyes grow unbelievably larger, she decided to take another route, after all the girl had adored her father, so she added softly ,”maybe if he had lived longer he would have cheated.”

After staring at her mother for a few more seconds ozzie gave a dry laugh. Why had she come here for consolation. Her mother had always been as sensitive as the harmattan winds in the north. She smiled sadly. At least mother had been able to shock her tears to a halt.

“Does he know you saw him?”her mother said after some time

“No, I just drove off. I called him when I saw him. He said he was still in Abuja . He’s due back tomorrow though” her voice was husky from all the crying.

“Good. Leave it that way. You’re the wife. You have to remember that. No matter how many whores he goes around with, you are the one who has his ring and children. After all he takes good care of you.”

“Wow. Lucky me.”ozzie rolled her swollen eyes.

Mother ignored the sarcasm “you can’t stay here. Take your children home and prepare for your husband's coming. Be the good wife you’ve always been I nugo. Ada m”

Ozzie had already begun gathering the few things she had brought from the car. Her daughters’ boxes which she had packed hurriedly were still in the car. She called her twin six year old, Adaeze and Adaugo. They came in from the adjoining room, a smaller sitting room, they stood there looking at her and suddenly she felt bad that she had broken down in front of them.

“It’s okay girls. Mummy is fine. Let’s go home.”

As she drove home she pondered over what her mum said and what she would do.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Two months later she made her decision as she searched her deepest trunk box. Everything Leo, her cheating husband had said after that incident felt like a lie, even the sweet little nothings and the romantic gestures she loved about him suddenly felt choreographed. He had looked her in the face on several occasions and lied. Her angel had grown horns. Soon the heartbreak and betrayal turned to anger and bitterness.  

His presence had begun to irritate her and they had begun to fight often.She had refused to confront him about it initially but one day a month ago during one of their fights it had slipped out. After he had gotten over the initial shock he had tried to deny it but the look on her face begged that he not insult her intelligence. He had walked out on her that day and thus begun two weeks of cold war. During that time he hardly came home. He had come back one night drunk as a skunk and had almost raped her. He had told her that she should have been grateful that he still came home to her and catered to her and her childrens' needs, her shopping sprees,  their family vacations, et cetera.

The final flame that sunk her already broken heart was the message she received about an hour ago. Apparently it was the side-chick, thanking her for taking good care of “their”man. Telling her to put more effort in her cooking so “their” husband  wouldn’t always be so hungry whenever he came over to her place. She had begun weeping again when she saw her two daughters standing there looking at her. That was when she had the epiphany. No, this wouldn’t be the legacy she would leave her children. What in the world was she teaching them?

She finally found what she was looking for. Her M.BA,  very well preserved because husband ‘bae’ hadn’t wanted  her to stress herself by working. That day was the day she begun applying for a job and consciously saving money to live a happier life with her girls. She wouldn’t stay with a cheating husband and pretend like it didn’t break her heart every time he walked out the door, knowing he was going to see someone else. That day she begun the process of instilling in her girl’s the fact that not all men cheat, her father, God rest his soul didn’t. she begun to teach them not to lower their standard because a shocking majority could not live by it. After all instead of the girls being taught to accept the philandering ways of men weren’t boys supposed to be taught discipline and self control?