I WAS WRONG ABOUT MARRIAGE (STORY)

I WAS WRONG ABOUT MARRIAGE

It was raining outside.

He pulled up a sit for his wife. She sat down.

The candles were lit. Love songs playing in the background.

Their children were away for a sleep over at their cousin’s place.

He had planned all this.

He poured some chicken stew on her plate.

After saying a prayer, he told her “Dinner is served”

They dug in the meal. Laughing. Talking.

“You look so beautiful” he told her as he dubbed a napkin on his lips.

“You keep me beautiful” she said.

“You know, I was wrong about marriage” he told her.

“What do you mean my love?” She asked.

“Please don’t take what I am about to say the wrong way” he added.

“I promise. You can tell me anything” she assured him rubbing his fingers.

“When you and I were getting married, I had the wrong perspective. The friends I had would say that marriage is a prison. I entered our marriage with mixed feelings thinking they might be right. But doing marriage with you has shown me marriage is not a prison but the blessing that set me free. In marriage I have grown the most, I have known things about me that I didn’t know. Being responsible for you and our children brings me fulfilment. Loving you has made me a better man. I am so glad that I married you. I have no mixed feelings any more. I am certain and proud of what we have. I hate that line, pingu ya maisha, marriage to me is a place I willingly stay” he said.

“Aww. That is so deep my husband. I am so glad I am married to you” she told him.

“You know my old friends used to scare me and tell me that marriage will be boring. That I will get tired of having sex with one woman and eventually will start sleeping around and cheating. That I need to have a chick on the side. But they were wrong. I don’t want sex, I want to make love. I am not a man fuelled by lust but love. Faithfulness is so stress free. I look at how stressed and on the edge men who cheat are, they are getting more vaginas but have no peace. Faithfulness makes love making so sweet. I can never get tired of your body. I have studied your body inside out and still want to explore. I love what you did to me last night in bed, that orgasm was so sweet. Can we do it again tonight, please?”

She chuckled saying, “Oh you’re going to get that and more. Your wish is my command. You don’t have to beg”

“I used to be told that in marriage I will have to roar so that you don’t sit on me, that so many husbands are demeaned by their wives. At some point I saw you as my indirect enemy. I am glad I got cured of such nonsense. Look at me, I cook for you sometimes and I love it. I love serving you. Before marriage I was tempted to think like a boy, in our marriage, I reason like a grown man. Boys think of sex, self, bravado and pride; grown men think of intimacy, the woman they love, character and humility” he said.

“When you talk like that you turn me on” she said.

“I will eat you up” he said.

“Eat all you want hun. I too was wrong about marriage. I was reading articles, books and magazines about marriage. They say a wife should be this, that. Don’t do this or that. It made me think marriage is like a career with a job title. It all got me scared and constantly doubting myself if I am a good enough wife. Until when I got the revelation that before marriage you were my best friend and in marriage you’re still my best friend. I don’t need to complicate things. When with a best friend there is no pressure or a certain way to act. Thank you for not making our marriage a burden or a struggle. All these years, you’re still the one” she said.

He got up of his seat and walk to her.

He kissed her passionately, got her up her seat.

He led her to the sofa set, there they made love as the candle flames danced.

© Dayan Masinde and Akello Oliech