THE BEST OF ME episode 6

#THE_BEST_OF_ME
February 28th, 2019. 8:30PM

Day 6 of 35

episode 6

Ellie had her first trial that morning, it had gone exactly how she had thought it would go. Yande was waiting for her in the interrogation room.

'Good afternoon Yande.' She fmgreeted going to take a seat in her corner

'Good afternoon Ellie, how did the trial go?'

'Just waiting my time, can judgement be passed already.' She said before clicking her tongue

'Why so you badly want to be in here?'

She laughed.

'Its not funny.'

'And what makes you think I am spending the rest of my life in here?' She asked

'It seems you have it all figured out.'

'Oh yes I do.' She responded

'We can begin. After the tournament, what followed?'

'Most interesting part of my marriage.' She said with a chuckle

'You know Yande, the foundation you make for any structure is very important.'

'I am aware.'

'You can be such a party pooper.' She said getting up and doing funny dances

'Ellie this is am interrogation room.'

'Put this in your report too.' She said sarcastically as she continued to dance

Yande sighed, he was really losing it with her but he was stuck with her jnti the 35 days of interrogation were done with.

'Ellie.'

'Whatever.' She said going to seat

'Switch on the damn recorder.' She said seriously and Yande did as told

***

I didn't work Saturdays, Saturdays were meant for family time and for the first time my husband had an errand to run on a Saturday.

***

I paused, a little tear almost escaping my eye. I remembered this day as if it happened just yesterday.

'Ellie.' Yande said

'Sorry I will continue.'

'You don't have to.' He said

I stood up and drunk from his bottle of water, I needed to stay focused. I couldn't lose myself, at least not now.

Yande watched me as I put myself together, he wasn't saying a word or scribbling anything down on his paper.

'You can switch the recorder on.' I said

***

I was in the kitchen cleaning fish, I wanted to prepare it for lunch with some Lumanda; his favorite food then some mopani as snacks.

Ellen was seated on her chair looking at me as if learning the little things that would help her in future.

His cologne got me first before i could even see him, i didn't bother turning around.

'I won't be back for lunch.' He said

I put the folk I was using to remove the fish scales and washed my hands, I turned around whilst wiping them on my chitenge.

I looked at him, clad in beige chino pants and a burgundy golf t shirt.

'You look good.'

Were the only words that managed to come out of my mouth

'Thank you.' He responded trying not to look me in the eyes

'Daddy can I come with you?' Ellen asked

'No princess, daddy has very important work things to do today.' He said scooping her in his arms making her laugh, he was such a perfect father.

'Bashi Ellen can I have a word with you.' I said

He put her down as she was still laughing and followed me to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him

'You wanted to have a word with me.' He said looking at his watch

'Do you have anything to say to me?' I asked trying to keep my voice down

'What do you mean?'

I looked at him feeling insulted.

'You have never gone out on a Saturday, you know Saturday is the only day we spend as a family seeing how busy our lives are.'

'Don't make a big deal out of this, you know our expenses keep going up by the day and if our income remains the same who do you think will take care of the rest?' He fired back at me

I almost laughed.

This man was forgetting I was an accountant by profession and if there was anything I knew like the back of my palm were figures, I would know when we were not spending right and I knew right there that something was totally amiss.

'And your coming home late is also part of making more money for us?'

'Its just been two days Ellie.'

I stared hard at him without a word

***

Yande looked at me without a word, I had not realized that a tears were falling from my eyes.

'You are allowed to.' He said

I held myself together and drunk more water, I wasn't going to cry over spilt milk. Mwewa had made his bed and now he was laying in it.

I smiled at Yande, we can go on.

***

'Two days and you have come home late with no explanation, two days and you haven't had proper meals from home.' I yelled, something I didn't intend to do

He looked at me as if I had lost my mind, maybe that is what had happened but I didn't care.

'Ellie I don't see why you are making a fuss about all this, I have always been home early and it's not like I go anywhere suspicious.'

'Exactly my point, I don't know you anymore. I don't know what you do anymore, maybe that is why I am like this.'

He shook his head.

'I don't know what is wrong with you but you have got to get yourself together, this is not the woman I married.' He said firmly

I stood there speechless, as if that wasn't enough he turned around to say, 'Get whatever ideas in your head in place because you might just become one of those nagging wives.'

I watched drained as he had walked out. My husband was gone just like that.

***

'What was your conclusion from all this?' Yande asked

I chuckled

'I loved Mwewa, with everything in me I did and when he walked out that day I felt like I was the one in the wrong.'

'Why is that?'

'Yande an abuser will manipulate its victim to a point where the abused begins to feel like they are the one in the wrong. I began to feel that way, even though a part of me knew that I had lost my man to the dogs another part decided to crucify myself.'

There was silence, Yande was writing in his note book.

'What are you writing?' I asked

'What you are telling me.'

'And the recorder?'

'Incase I miss something.' He said and I couldn't help but laugh

'What's funny?'

'Nothing Yande.' I responded before standing up, it was almost time for me to go back to my cell.

'Tell me something Ellie, you seem like you don't love your husband anymore. I mean did you do it because you fell out of love with him?'

I looked at him and smiled.

'Nobody consciously inflicts the same pain on someone that they have gone through, Mwewa hurt me emotionally what I did was hurt him physically. I didn't do to him half the things he did to me, but I swear by the time I am done with him; we will be even.'