For the Dream of 5 Years: Chapter Twenty-Five: Two Men with Wives' Tales

"I will go out with Stacy tomorrow night for her friend's birthday party. I will be back sometime the following day," said Michelle removing her clothes to get in the shower. "Why the sudden need to inform me? You haven't done so in years; you take a bath, leave, and come back when you please. What's so special about this birthday?" He asked, slamming shut his laptop flap. "Sometimes I need to remember how it felt to have someone care about every move I make," she sneered, turning around to pick her towel from the coat hunger near the door. "Wait! What's that on your back, Michelle?" Dave asked, moving closer to read the works on her back. "Did you get a tattoo? Eeh Michelle? Wow! I can't believe this! When did you do this?" He asked, putting his hands on his head, puzzled. "You mean to tell me you saw this tattoo for the first time today?" Michelle asked, wrapping herself with the towel and tucking it under her armpit. She started moving to exit the bedroom and head to the bathroom. When Dave held her hand and jerked her towards him so forcefully, she almost fell. "Was it a suggestion from that friend of yours? What was her name? Stacy. Was it Stacy? The drinking, the tattoo, and the long drives? Is it her?" He asked so angrily that Michelle could feel his hot breath coming out of his nose. Dave had been angry for a long time but always thought Michelle would turn around. However, things were getting out of hand, and he was losing his wife. "You are hurting my arm! If you were a good husband, you could have seen the tattoo the same day I had it, maybe while making some sweet love, giving me a massage, or just stroking my back and watching me sleep. But no! You were probably thinking about the next child support and how you would sneak money from our bitcoin wallet without me knowing. Let me go take a shower!" She screamed, shoved her hand off his, and went into the bathroom. Dave followed her into the shower, walking so swiftly that they attracted Lisa's attention. "Ooh, it is about Dickson. Is it? Is he the reason you have a tattoo on your back, about something to do with 'watch my boots'? Is it? Can I undo Dickson? Can I? Let's talk about it once and for all! I am tired of your attitude!" He shouted, trying to drown the sound of the shower and the water splashes on Michelle. "No. It is not about Dickson; he didn't know you were injecting him inside his mother. It is you, Dave. It is you and your mother. Do you think I don't know she is the one who set you up with Shanice? Do you think I don't know her plot with Lisa in this house? Do you think I'm stupid? I will tell you. I am stupid, Dave. I am stupid, so thick in my head for wanting to kill myself with guilt for kissing a boy when my husband was raising another family. I am stupid for cutting my ties with him, even after learning about your other family...," she said, still under the shower, water dripping from her head to her toes. "Wait, you did what? Did you kiss someone? Who is he?" Dave moved closer, and he was dripping wet too. "Ooh, shut up your mouth! It is not like I have a child with him, or I pay child support and sleep with him from time to time," she yelled. "What do you want, Michelle? Do you want to sleep with another man? Do you want to have another man's child? What is it that you want, Michelle? Why don't you divorce me and get it over with? You are unhappy in this house," he shrieked. "Oh, the big word, DIVORCE! So that you can bring Shanice into my house? I am many things, Dave, but I am not a divorcee, and I won't be. I have invested so much in this family and am sticking around. I wanted to go, I left you, Dave, but you camped in my house as if to watch over me, not to get rid of the pregnancy. I chose to come back, and I saw your efforts. I thought you were truly sorry. However, healing is not abrupt or guaranteed with a child outside marriage. I thought I would heal. It is your mess. Please don't force me to change; you will adapt to what you created. It is too late now. I have dealt with your bullshit, and I have sipped from your cup of trash," she yelled, crying and hiding her tears under the water dripping down her face. "What do you want? Tell me what you want, and I will give it to you!" Dave said, frustrated for noticing Michelle cry again. "SPACE! I need my space; I want to shower alone and breathe! Please let me breathe!" She yelled, crying loudly. Dave left the bathroom dripping wet. He changed his clothes and left in his car for a drive. Michelle continued showering in a mixture of water, soap, and tears. "They have been fighting in the bathroom, mom," Lisa whispered with excitement over a call to Dave's mom. "Dave left the house an hour ago, and Michelle just left a few minutes ago, both angry.”That's great, my daughter. That's your cue. Make your move soon," she said. "I will, mom. I can already sense an attraction. The other day, he told me he would increase my salary since he liked how I treated the children and carried myself. He said that I was looking at my chest," Said Lisa. "I know my son very well; I knew he would fall for your beauty and charm. Charm him more, dear," said Dave's mother. Dave cried so much in his car. He cursed the day he met Shanice. He decided to call his family doctor, Steve. "I don't know what to do with her anymore. She is no longer herself, Steve," he said, mid-sobs. "What is the matter, Dave? Do this, let's meet at the coffee shop in the Blue Valley Mall in 30 minutes. I have some free time," The doctor told Dave. Dave turned back immediately and headed to the Mall. He ordered black coffee at the mall without sugar and continued sipping, waiting for Steve to arrive. After a few minutes, a middle-aged man, tall in jeans and a white T-shirt, walked through the door. "He looked contented, a happily married man, and an accomplished man with a big grin plastered on his face all the time," thought Dave. "Hi Steve, how are you?" Asked Dave, who had already calmed down and composed himself like a man. After a few pleasantries, Dave was already laughing at Steve's jokes, his mood so bright he had forgotten what had transpired in the morning in his house. "How is your wife?" Steve asked, noting it was the right time to ask about it. "She is a stranger, Steve; she is someone I have never met. Can you imagine she comes home drunk? She hasn't cooked for us for so long, leaving everything to the nanny. I recently noticed a tattoo on her back," he said. "What did the tattoo say?" The doc asked. "Something about boots..." said Dave. "As long as it doesn't say 'F me harder Sean,' or Sam, or any other name not Dave, there is nothing to worry about," Steve said, trying so hard to stop the laughter that wanted to escape his chest because of his comment. "Her dressing has changed; you might think she is a college girl. Do you imagine she resigned from her job?" Dave continued. "Oh, that seems serious. Remember when I told you she needed to be checked for depression?" Steve asked. "Sometimes I blame myself, especially when I remember how my friend and I planned to introduce Shanice to us, pretending I didn't know her before the introduction. But still, she is going too far with her revenge," said Dave. "Is she looking for another job now that she resigned from her teaching job?" Steve asked. "No, she is already working. She has a boss called Stacy, and her work entails coffee dates with her, long rides alone, and getting tattoos," Said Dave. They both laughed at that comment. "Seriously, Doc, this is a serious matter. It is affecting my children and me. She is not well; I think it is time she seeks a professional to diagnose and prescribe something to her," said Dave. "Well, Dave, I hear you. I will find a way of suggesting that to her when she comes for her next annual check-up," he said, sipping on a second cup of white coffee. "I don't remember the last time I made love to my wife. Those people change so suddenly, you don't recognize them anymore," the doc said, leaning on his seat as if to show Dave he shouldn't be so alarmed by the happenings in his marriage. "I don't believe you, Steve. You and Angie? Listen, you don't have to make me feel better by painting marriage black," Said Dave, leaning back. "No. True story, Angie and I are just a show in public, but back in the house, we are partners, sharing a house. I do my stuff outside, she does hers outside, and inside the house, we raise the children," said Steve, looking more serious. "Oh my God, why did I come to you then? You are messed up more than I am," said Dave, laughing so hard he choked on his coffee. "Can you imagine that the house we live in, after paying a mortgage for ten years, turns out it was hers?" The doc said, laughing hard, his facial expressions changing from happy to sad to confused, as if he was reliving the memories of when he found out about the mortgage. "My friend, women are no joke," He said, wiping tears that had escaped his eyes from the hearty laughter. "You lie! What the hell?" Dave exclaimed, his jaw-dropping to his chest. "Believe me, my friend. I found the title deed in her school documents folder once, and when I comforted her, she just said I could stop paying the mortgage. I was lost for words. What could you have done? Either way, you could have paid for a mortgage anyway. So, I just kept quiet and have never uttered a word about it until today; I've only told you," Said Steve, wearing a sad face. "Sorry, man. That must have hurt like a knife in the chest," said Dave. "Is that what killed your romance with her?" Dave asked. "No, we buried that issue of the house immediately, but I thought I was okay until months later when I found myself pursuing one of my nurses. When she found out about the affair, she became something else. Touching her was all of a sudden disgusting. We only kissed or held hands when it was indispensable. Mostly for the time for the photos and her social media updates. I know she has a boyfriend, but what can I do, man? Divorce is out of the question, and there's so much at stake, our reputation, the children, you know?" Continued Dave. "So, what do you intend on doing now? You know, about your romance and family values?" Asked Dave. "I don't know, man, I suggested a marriage counsellor to her, and she just sneered and rolled her eyes," said the doc. "How will you be able to convince my wife if you couldn't convince yours?" Dave asked. "I haven't cheated on your wife; she doesn't resent me," said Steve, leaning forward to sip more coffee. "You have a point. I don't want my marriage to end up as many do. I made a mistake, and I can't apologize enough. I want my sweet Michelle back," said Dave. They left the coffee shop, checked into a meat joint for Nyama Choma , and talked for hours before heading home.