Ella’s Diary: Tales Of A Sweet Bitter Love(3)

             3.

While Ella waited for Xandro to come home from work, she was silently hoping that he will come back late, so that she would have a reason to start the lecture- something to use as an opening. Heaven must have refused to listen to her silent prayers because before she even finished the prayer, she heard Xandro parking his car in the garage.
Ella was angry that Xandro has taken her grand opening from her.
Xandro entered the house full of smiles, she tried to smile back but Xandro knew something was wrong and asked her what she wanted to talk about.
‘I just felt we should review our marriage’, she said calmly. Her voice was devoid of emotions. One would have thought she was talking to one of her staff.
Xandro looked at her for about a minute before replying, ‘Ella, I was looking forward to a better welcome but it seems like I won’t be getting that. So what is it we need to review’, he asked carefully.

‘I need you to listen carefully to all I have to say. This marriage is not going as I expected. I am totally sad and miserable…’
‘Ella, before you go on I need to be sure of something. I also agree that this marriage has taken a yabaleft turning but I want to know if I am the one making you miserable and if yes, what have I ever done?’
Ella was dumb for a few seconds but she quickly recovered. She had not expected Xandro to reply her calmly and with such answer.
‘Xandro, you simply don’t understand me. You won’t even compromise on anything. You are kind of trying to change me into who I am and trying to destroy everything I have ever worked for all my life’
‘Ella, something tells me that this discussion is not actually about our marriage but your work. Am I right?’ Xandro’s eyes searched Ella’s eyes carefully.
Ella felt like he could read into her mind and even to the deepest places of her soul where her insecurities and doubts laid. This made her furious, ‘Oh, you really think you’ve worked it all out, right? Like you know me better than anyone. So what if it is about my job, this marriage has done nothing but hinder my job. You want me to leave my job because of you, everything I have worked for just because I love you?, Ella questioned Xandro tauntingly with her voice so raised that a deaf man would receive a fast healing.
‘Ella, I love you so much and I love what you do. I wouldn’t even think of taking that away from you but all I ask for is that you place us, our marriage and me above your work, just like I place you above everything. You need to learn how to make compromise…’
Ella interrupted before Xandro could finish his calm reply, ‘it is you who needs to learn how to compromise. It is you who need to know that there is something called understanding. I want to work like I use to do before I got married, how difficult can that be for a sharp guy like you to understand? I never asked you to reduce your working hours or place me and our marriage before your job. You decided to do so, don’t expect the same from me Xandro’, she replied coldly.

The tension around them was so hot that a pot of beans would have been cooked in less than five minutes.
‘What exactly are you afraid of Ella? I think you don’t trust me, you are afraid I would disappoint or hurt you. I can’t promise that you won’t be hurt in our marriage but I have promised and told you times without number that I will never knowingly hurt you. Trust me dearie’, he pleaded.

Ella refused to say anything. Something told her Xandro was right but another voice told her not to be beguiled. When Xandro discovered that Ella wouldn’t reply. He broke the silence. ‘Ella, what exactly do you want? What do you want me to do? Ask for anything but not a divorce, because I swore before God and a whole congregation to stay with you till death do us part and it is only six months or thereabout. We still have a long way to go.’

‘Don’t be silly Xandro’, Ella replied with a little smile tugging her lips,’I don’t want a divorce, I love you and you know it. All that I ask for is that you leave me alone and let me do my job like I used to do before we got married. You know, a little compromise and understanding is all i ask for and I promise you won’t regret it dear’, she added affectionately.
‘Ella, I wish you truly know what compromise and understanding means in marriage. I can only hope you don’t regret this. But I will give you what you want if that it what will make you happy. You can travel as many times as you want and stay at work for as long as you want. I will always be here for you, or at least I hope so’, Xandro replied her.

Ella was so happy and she hugged Xandro so tight that he could barely breath.
‘I love you so much Xandro. I knew you would understand. I know you will always be here for me.’

A tiny voice asked her how she could be so sure Xandro would always be there for her. She dismissed the thought and savoured her victory.

Holla,
Thanks for dropping by again. Ella definitely got what she wanted. She is one determined woman. But you have to read the last part on Thursday to know if she truly got what she wanted.

I love you for reading and following Ella’s Diary. Just in case you missed the first two parts here are the links:
https://labakeblogs.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/ellas-diary-tales-of-a-sweet-bitter-love/

https://labakeblogs.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/ellas-diary-tales-of-a-sweet-bitter-love-2/

Love you all 🙂

Oyekan Oluwaseun O