When skeletons haunt

ZAWADI LOMPISHA

I’ve had a relatively nice year so far. I like to rate my year by how many of my married friends and acquaintances stay married and how many single ones remain in healthy relationships.

The last two years have been chaotic on relationships front. Some of my married friends, myself included have had their marriages challenged by infidelity, illness, children, work or even money.

Some of the single ones have needed rescuing from abusive relationships, affairs with married men and general stupidity. So, there I was thinking that this is my year of exhalation, then my cell phone rang.

a lost college love

When I looked at the name flashing on the screen, I was panic-stricken! It was Jeremiah or Jere as we call him.

Jere is my friend Ruth’s husband. I watched the phone ring for a little while trying to imagine worst-case scenario. Then I answered trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Hi Zawadi," Jere answered rather formally. "Let me cut straight to the chase. Ruth and I would like to meet you to talk about something concerning her."

I asked him when and where he wanted to meet. He promptly referred me to Ruth with these words, "You two probably need to talk anyway."

I went to their house and found Ruth, who wasn’t surprised to see me. Jere had told her he was going to call me.

"So why didn’t you call me before he did!" I whined.

"Well, I am still trying to come to terms with what has happened," answered Ruth with a defeated look on her face. She put a huge flask of tea in front of us and some of her delicious homemade muffins. That was her way of saying "buckle up". It’s going to be a wild ride.

When we were at the university, Ruth had an Ethiopian boyfriend, Gabre. They were in love and had promised to each other forever.

The two were inseparable. As graduation approached, Gabre’s family that was living in the US, asked him to join them.

Gabre tried protesting. He told his family that he had a Kenyan girlfriend he wanted to marry and that he wanted to make his life here.

His family would hear none of it and Gabre wasn’t man enough to stand up for his girl. Ruth was devastated when after graduation, Gabre left for the US.

He however pledged to come back and marry her. Ruth cried all the way from the airport and for two weeks after that.

Airport pledge

They communicated during the first year then Gabre dropped off the face of the earth. Ruth eventually recovered, met Jere, got married and had children.

Before Ruth married Jere, we asked her about Gabre’s pledge and all agreed he was time barred. As a result, Jere didn’t need know about ‘some silly pledge at the airport’.

Now, you can imagine Ruth’s shock when Jere came home the other day looking rather disturbed, to tell her that he’d had a strange visitor at the office that day.

Apparently, Gabre was in town. He’d done his investigations and found out that Ruth was married. He then looked for Jere and informed him that he had come for his wife. What nerve!

Ruth was shocked beyond words. All Jere wanted to know was the truth. Ruth told him that Gabre had made a pledge at the airport but she didn’t think much of it and besides, they hadn’t been in touch in more than 15 years.

However, Jere insisted on knowing if there were any more secrets, hence his wanting to meet with me, the one person who knew the truth.

Well, the meeting between Jere, Ruth and I hasn’t happened yet. Ruth and I are hoping that Jere will believe us. If he doesn’t, the ride will only get wilder.

Are there any skeletons in your closet that your spouse needs to know about? Please find a way of letting them out.