HIDDEN PASSION

His honk broke her reverie,she jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen to put his food in the microwave since he liked his meal steaming hot.she heard his foot steps and quickly went to welcome him.She took his briefcase and blazer before going down on her knees to remove his shoes and socks. she moved with calculated steps to avoid upsetting him.He watched her every move and demanded for his food with an authoritative tone.She ran into the kitchen and soon came out with a tray of  his favourite meal of  Vegetable soup laden with assorted meat and pounded yam.He consumed his meal with gusto. She watched him eat and heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't make any complaint.After his meal, she quickly cleared the dishes and ran off to run his bath.She hated to remember what she now knew, She hated to see the monster her friend of 2 years and husband of 4 years had transformed into but tonight she was going to change everything.

Dabinda and Brumen met at the Barbican Art Gallery in East London,she liked the Art work and was admiring a painting when someone nudged her from behind; she looked back to see a complete stranger. He looked embarrassed and quickly apologized, seeing she wasn't the person he thought her to be. He was moving away when she called out to him "Hey wait a minute, are you just gonna apologize and walk away?" he looked at her confused. "I'm sorry, it was a stupid mistake I made by tou............she interrupted him "Well I will only accept your apologies after you have bought me a cup of coffee" Brumen smiled, shook his head and offered to buy her a cup of coffee and that was the beginning of a romantic tale between them.

Brumen who recently broke up with his longtime girlfriend and had vowed not to love again couldn't believe he was already falling for Dabinda. The very beautiful Dabinda with a good heart and hour glass shape. He loved everything about her and didn't think he could hold on for long. He asked her to move in with him after 5 months of dating which she agreed to instantly because he was everything she wanted in a man. Her folks back in Nigeria didn't mind the fact that she moved in with him when she told them; but they wanted her to come home for the wedding. Dabinda and Brumen were so much in love, it wasn't a surprise when he asked her to marry him a year later.They flew down to Nigeria for the wedding and it was talk of the town for a long time. After the wedding, Brumen decided it was best they relocated finally to Nigeria so their children didn't grow in a foreign land. Dabinda wasn't quite sure she liked the Idea, knowing Brumen had a good Job back in England. She agreed anyway seeing that Brumen had his mind made up; coupled with the fact that his best friend, Bala, had also relocated to Nigeria. Brumen always complained sadly, how his parents made him grow and adopt the ways of the white man.

They moved to Nigeria and bought a house in lekki phase one,Brumen got a job almost immediately with a mouth watering salary and allowance with the connection of his bestfriend Bala, while Dabinda who was a make-up artist back in England, opened a studio in Lekki where she taught people the Art of makeup. Life was good with a baby on the way,they couldn't have asked for a better life. 
Trouble started when Brumen started acting strange around the house. Dabinda didn't understand his recent mood swings rather, she blamed it on stress. Brumen would flare up at very trivial issues that ought to be overlooked. Dabinda was worried and simply concluded he was having an affair. She snooped, ransacked his stuffs when he was out but found nothing implicating. She even went as far as visiting him unannounced at the office but found nothing still. He didn't keep late nights and had a very small circle of friends. In fact, Bala was the only one he spent most of his leisure time with.She knew all his friends in Nigeria and in England, they were all good men *or so they made her believe*. She was heavily pregnant  with their 2nd baby and was due in two months but she went into false labour in the 7th month when her blood pressure sky rocketed. The baby came and didn't change anything. Brumen would come home cuddle the baby and quickly drop him with the nanny before locking himself up in the study.

Dabinda was very worried for her husband and made up her mind to confront him. It was their son's 1st year Birthday in two months and she wanted to organize a party for him but Brumen had been avoiding her, so she waited till he was in the study where he never allowed any one. he called it "The Safe Place", where he got away from the noise and distractions in the house. She was surprised when she turned the knob and the door opened but there was no one inside the study. She looked round but didn't find Brumen. She gave up and went back to their room to check on him but didn't find him there either. She became worried and was just about calling his phone when he appeared. Dabinda looked surprised cos he came in through the way she had already searched. "Where have you been Ben? she queried  "I have searched the whole house looking for you, I searched the study too. At the mention of study, Brumen's eyes lit up in anger  "Why the hell did you go into my study Dabby? are you out of your mind? Dabinda was surprised by his outburst and quickly spoke in her defence;  "I needed to discuss Damian's birthday party with you and you were no where to be found, so what was I supposed to do? besides, I knew you where right there in the study and It's my house too Ben. So cut me some sl,,,,, "
she had barely finished her sentence when Brumen dealt her a resounding slap.She staggered and crashed against the wall. "Who the frigging hell do you think you are Bitch" she was shocked by his reaction, she raised her head to make sure it was Brumen who just hit her; and for the 1st time in years, she saw a different person entirely. His eyes were blazing red and he looked like a demon who just escaped from the pit of hell. Dabinda cowered down in fear as she has never seen him in this fiery mood.She summoned enough strength and ran up to her room.
Immediately, Brumen realized what he had done. He collapsed on the sofa in the living room,crying and begging but Dabinda was nowhere within earshot.

The violence continued and Dabinda would cover her face in layers of foundation when she had to go out. She knew her husband needed help; but help from what? that was a mystery she was yet to unravel. She still couldn't put her finger to what it was, or was he possessed? she asked herself  and shook the thoughts out of her head almost immediately because she didn't believe in such things. She decided to confide in his childhood friend Bala, whom they relocated to Nigeria together. 
Bala, Brumen's childhood friend all the way from England, was the only person Brumen respected amongst his friends. They were so close they acted like lovers. Anytime Bala came visiting, they would lock themselves in the study and she could hear them giggling like newly wedded couple. She was glad her husband had someone like Bala as a friend but the only snag was that Bala refused getting married to any woman; not even her single friends she introduced to him or tried to match make him with. Dabinda once complained to Brumen; but he was indifferent about his friend's relationship status. She wasn't surprised he supported his friend. After all, Brumen once said if not that she forced love out of him, he was ready to stay single and enjoy life with Bala. She didn't think much of that statement rather she laughed and said she was glad she forced love out of him. 

She got dressed and headed straight to Bala's Mansion. She wondered why Bala had such a gigantic house to himself. but then, she remembered it was willed to him by his billionaire father. She didn't call Bala before heading to his house because she didn't want him calling Brumen, to inform him she was on her way to see him. Then again, she was certain she would meet Bala in the house being a Saturday and Brumen, his best pal had traveled to South Africa for a conference. 
She got to his gate and parked her car outside. She walked into the compound after the gate-man let her in without questioning since she was a familiar face in the house. She knew her way around the house because Brumen made it their 2nd home. She got in, looked around but found no one, not even one of the staff that catered to his needs. She was certain Bala was home because his favorite weekend Jeep was parked outside. Then her eyes caught the customized towel she made for Brumen on his last birthday which she packed herself when putting his things together for the trip. 
She moved closer and held it to the light and was convinced it was the same towel because it had Brumen's BVLGARI scent all over it. She was yet to fathom what Brumen's towel was doing lying in Bala's living room; when she heard a voice from a room upstairs. She was about to shout Bala's name but changed her mind. Maybe Brumen came by Bala's house before his flight because he left 3 hours before his flight.She smiled at the thought "These men will never stop amusing me" but she thought again 'He had a shower before he left the house why would he have a shower here again? Then she opened her eyes in shock as though discovering a Gold Mine. Yes! she exclaimed to herself, he must have come here with his mistress for a quick one before jetting out with her. Her heart sank at the thought but she shook her head again. 

"No! whatever it is, Bala better be ready to spill because it's his house, and he knew what went down in it. He was sure going to tell her who the hell her husband was sleeping with, that has turned him into a monster at home. With that in mind, she stormed upstairs, following the sound where the noise came from. She thought again and then stopped herself midway."could it be Bala's staff taking for granted their master's absence, to engage in a hasty sexual rendezvous? because that noise was definitely moans from love making. Anyway, she said aloud, "Whatever it is,I'm about to find out".

Dabinda finally got to the door with a warning sign OUT OF BOUND! she was so upset and was about banging on the door when she remembered she had a microscope for the studio in her bag. She took it out and peered into the tiny hole on the door and what she saw was to be a life changing trauma. 
Right inside the room was Brumen, her husband and Bala, his best friend, Stark naked! with Brumen pumping right into Bala's Shit hole. She was shocked beyond description. She looked round again and saw bottles of champagne littered on the table and on the floor and then she saw some white substance on a tray. COCAINE!!!!. Dabinda couldn't take this all in, she was heart broken. She started gasping for breath. She was choking on this latest discovery. Her husband of many years, GAY AND A DRUG ADDICT????? she blanked out and slumped on the floor......

Dabinda thought she must have passed out for a while when she woke up with a head ache and remembered where she was and what she had seen. The door with the warning sign was still locked. she quietly got up dusted herself and peered into the hole again.This time they were seated still naked, sniffing from the tray with the white substance. Dabinda had seen enough. She quickly walked out of the house, straight into her car and drove home. She wasn't going to take this. No way! She was going to deal with him for this deceit and dual personality.

It was the D-Day and Brumen was due back that evening. she had mapped out a plan and she was going to try it out on her husband. She had gotten some concoction from a woman in the herb market where she was told to sprinkle some in his food that would make his penis shrink at the sight of a naked body. She was going to destroy his manhood. She cared less about that because she was never going to make love to him again. And if that plan failed, she would simply file for a divorce and go back to England with the children.