The Whistle

He would call her every 30 minutes.

"Hey love" he says, I am just checking on you.

He never came home late.

He would say ‘I love you’ often.

As he returned home from the office,

His booth would be full of groceries.

Goodies for the children, gifts for her.

That had always been the pattern whenever he was having an affair.

And she knew it.

His affairs always lasted a few weeks.

At most 3 months.

He was too self-conceited to be careless.

He will have condoms in his wallet.

Whatever he bought for the lady he is having the affair with,

He bought for her too.

She would receive unexpected cash transfers from him.

His love making also put her first. he took his time until she arrived.

Once the affair was over,

things would return to normal.

His wallet will be devoid of condoms.

The goodies would cease.

The sudden cash gifts will also cease.

Normal is also very nice.

He loved her to death.

He never sherked his responsibility.

But that edge was lacking.

She noticed the pattern three years into their marriage.

At first it seemed as if he was just being erratic.

A lipstick here, a strange perfume there.

Her instinct piqued, yet doused by his ebullient care, attention and generosity.

It was too much of a contrast

But it was true!

She had since seen the pattern repeat itself

more than 20 times in the course of their 8 year long marriage.

She deliberately turned a blind eye to it.

But he knew she knew.

She would sometimes joke about the strange smells and lipstick.

He would smile sheepishly, never saying a word.

But this time things were different.

He would go to work and not return on time.

There was no gift or cash transfer.

There was no tenderness of any kind.

Business meetings upon business meetings.

He sometimes completely ignored her and the children for weeks.

The handshake had gotten past the elbow.

Those more powerful than her had stepped in.

Her husband’s moth had flown too close to the fire

There was no point in fighting.

He was never around

She ran to her mother

Mummy, what should I do?

Her mother smiled.

Her mother gave her a whistle.

Call his name three times and blow this whistle.

He will return home to you in the morning.

But you must never use this whistle twice.

If you do, he will run mad

Once he is back home

Do everything to make sure he doesn’t stray again.

She did it.

He came back home.

She returned the whistle to her mother.

Three years later, her mother died.

He started hearing a strange noise.

A whistling sound.

became an issue

He couldn’t sleep, eat or function.

Doctors called it Schizophrenia

She ran to her mother’s relatives.

Was there a sacrifice her mother does that she needed to do?

Did somebody blow the whistle a second time?

Nobody knew anything about the whistle

She seemed to have lost either way Her man,

Her man whom she wrestled out of the clutches of the husband

snatcher had been taken by the whistle

He fought hard against the noise

The hooting only became louder

Until his head ached and his eyes flooded

 Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!

No relenting His wife ran to a brother

 This was what I did! Please save my husband!

The brother heard Can I see your husband?

They rushed to the hospital

Look into my eyes brother, Keep your eyes locked in mine.

He looked into the brother’s eyes. The brother grabbed his head.

You fowl spirit of affliction! Get out in Jesus name.

The switch was flicked off. Just like that!

The foolish things of this world, confounded the wise.

He believed He was discharged. He was free.

His business was restored Only the sane can cheat.

Only the sane can be angry.

Only the sane can forgive. He was sane. He forgave her.

He was grateful she fought for him His marriage was restored.

He never strayed again.

The End