My Husband's Blindness

Three p.m.

Alan walked like a determined man sure of his decision. There was no way he was going to change his mind anymore. The program was figuratively an Ishmael to him, and he had to put an end to it. Walking with him was a young lady with pale brown skin, and a little boy who looked like her but with different eyes. While his were hazel with flecks of gold at the centre, hers were brown. There was no doubt that he had taken Alan’s eyes. 

As they approached the house, Alan slowed his pace enough for Rachael to notice.

“You’re nervous huh?”

 Racheal asked looking up at him. She was 5feet, 4inches tall, an average lady’s height, but in comparison to him, she was short.

“It is that obvious right?”

Alan didn’t know where his determination had fled to. His nervousness was back.

“Well, for one thing, your hands are sweaty, as I can see you’ve been rubbing it down your trousers for a while now, and you aren’t looking at my eyes directly”.

“I can’t help it Racheal. You know them… It’s what my life has always been. I know it’s the right thing to do, but I don’t know how convinced I will sound”.

“Hey A.”, she whispered, holding both his hands after she had steadied Ben, the little boy, by her side. 

“Look at me”

Alan lowered his eyes to meet her gaze and tried his best to return her smile. 

She continued “You don’t owe them an explanation. You are only telling them because you love them, so don’t think about it too much. If they love you they’ll support you even if it may take them a while to get to it… So don’t worry. I will be there all the way and God will be there too like he has always been.”

“Thanks, Rachael.” 

Her speech gave him a little strength, but he knew he would need more than a little strength to face the remainder of the day. Right now though he resolved to go on with what he had. He perked her gently on her forehead and lifted the little boy.

“Let’s do this kiddo,” he said to Ben.

“Let’s do this kiddo” Ben replied excitedly. This made himself and Rachael burst out in laughter. Just as they continued walking, they heard a car horn close to them.

“So where are these beautiful beings heading to this late afternoon?”

Alan could tell who it was that was speaking to them even without seeing the person’s face. It was his younger brother Matthew Phillips.

The blue 2007 Toyota Corolla’s back door opened immediately it came to a halt.

“Hop in fellows and let’s go have fun”

“Good afternoon Matthew” Rachael greeted

“Good afternoon uncle” Ben greeted as he had been taught to do anytime he met an adult.

“You have to teach me some manners Ben”, Matthew said as he ruffled the young boy’s black hair.

“But we know you still won’t learn. I have been trying all these years and see where you are”, Alan teased as they all got settled in the car.

They were already close to the house when Matthew picked them. So it didn’t take up to a minute before he pulled over at the driveway of their parent’s house. Waiting outside the house were Alan's Mom, Dad, Richard and his family.

The family was made up of three sons, three close brothers of the same parents. 

Today was like every other Sunday where they all came together to eat dinner with their parents. But as they got down from the car, hugging and exchanging pleasantries as well as throwing verbal jabs at each other, Alan knew this Sunday would be different.

Five p.m.

Maureen could not believe her eyes. The evening was going so well until… She couldn’t even wrap her head around what Alan said, or the harsh exchanges he had with her husband. When it came to both of them, nobody could stand in the way of their arguments. Not her, not even Michael or Richard.

They were both stubborn, unwilling to give in to each other opinions or give room for middle grounds. She had expected something like this to happen, but she never thought it would go this bad. 

From the moment she took a look at Alan, she could tell something was wrong. He didn’t give his full smile, and he spoke in measured tones. She knew her firstborn. He was always the first to crack a joke, but this evening he wasn’t even laughing at other people’s jokes.

“Are you ok Alan?” she had asked.

Like a good son who didn’t want his mum to be worried, he replied “I’m doing ok. Don’t worry about me”.

Before she could question him further, he began discussing his colleague who behaved like her in being meticulous.

“She can’t stand a squeezed paper on the desk for even a minute. Does that ring a bell mum?”

He smiled at her as everyone cracked up at the tease. Maureen knew he was changing the subject and she was determined to get him to spill the beans. Little did she know that the beans would spill faster than she had anticipated. 

They had all taken their favourite appetizer; cucumber bites with creamed tomatoes. She had learnt the recipe from her mother and no matter what the meal was going to be, the entire family always requested it. Sometimes she was tempted to decline the request because they ate it like it was the main course. Today she had specially prepared it because Richard’s son was going to be a year old next week, and since Richard had planned to travel with his family, making them unable to make next Sunday hangout, she had decided to include the celebration in her meal preparation today.

As she stepped into the kitchen with her two daughters-in-law to bring in the main course of chicken jollof rice and butter salad, she heard the men talk football as her grandchildren whispered to themselves. She was more than content with her household.

Within two minutes of dishing the food and getting it to them on the dining table, Maureen began to hear raised voices. She stood still, and as if on cue, her daughters-in-law did the same.

“Are you serious Alan?” She heard her husband say.

“Yes, Dad. I have been trying to tell you these past months ___”

“Tell me what son? That you are a quitter huh?”

“Dad just listen to me” Alan tried to speak calmly

By this time, Maureen was out without the food and trying to make her husband lower his voice. 

“Take it easy honey. Remember the little kids are here” Maureen interceded

“You don’t tell me to calm down woman. Can you hear your son?”

Rachael moved closer to the kids and ushered them upstairs out of the dining room.

“Let’s go watch T.V a bit kids while the grown-ups talk”

“Let’s go ___”

“Shh. Not now Ben. Let’s go”

Rachael noticed Ben’s change of happy countenance, but she chose to ignore it for now. 

“Let this inevitable moment pass quickly Lord”. She prayed silently.

Alan continued not missing his pace.

"Mum I just told Dad I won’t be continuing my program anymore and that’s why he is all upset. It was never my idea in the first place. You both made me do it because you thought that was best for me. I listened then because I didn’t know better. Now I do and I don’t want to continue."

He paused a little while before speaking more quietly again.

"Mum it's been plaguing me… I didn't how to tell you both because I was afraid of how you will take it”.

Maureen saw the sincerity in her son’s face. She saw the resignation in her other sons' faces. She knew they would have loved to step in but didn’t know how either. Her husband’s expectations of Alan were too much. He had been a cooperative son all these years. She had thought he would rebel a long time ago, but she could tell he was stronger than his father gave him credit for. 

As a wife, she had spoken with her husband on countless occasions to let him give Alan the chance to pave his path, but he never listened. He never saw anything wrong with his insistence. 

“You will continue your Master’s degree program in Psychology and then you’ll move straight to your PhD. Do you understand me, son…"

“I will not Dad. And if all my years of devotion to you are not enough proof that I’m matured to make my own decisions and gain your support for it, then it means I’m not worthy to be your son”

Alan didn’t take a second look at his father. Instead, he hugged his mother, shook his brothers, called for Rachael and Ben and walked out of the door without looking back. 

Maureen could hear Ben trying to say something pointing in the direction of his cousins, but his father’s fast pace drained his words out. She watched her husband leave the dining room too. There was no more jolly meal to be served and enjoyed. She wasn’t even sure when she’ll see Alan and his family again. 

Still lost in her thoughts, she watched as Richard took his family out as well, leaving just herself and Matthew at the table. 

“Don’t starve yourself son. Eat something”

Matthew nodded and went to serve himself. She was certain he would get her a plate of food like the good son he also was. Her boys were good men. Her husband was also good, he just had a certain blindness…

The End