Blaring from the radio was the 4pm news. Lydia knew what it meant - the close of the day's work - and she so much dreaded it. She wished she never had to leave work for home but there were no two ways about it. It was ironical that the other workers always seemed eager to close for the day and go home to their families. But it was a different feeling for Lydia, and having to deal with an abusive husband at home made it so for her.
Two years ago when she said 'Yes' to his proposal, Lydia never thought being Jake's wife would become hell on earth for her. Jake, someone she had courted for a whole year turned out to be an inveterate drunk immediately after marriage. Everyday, he would conclude the day's work by paying a visit to different bars in town with his guys, lavish money on hookers and come back home very late at night. Whenever his wife queried him on his whereabouts, he would make sure he gave her a good beating to emphasise why "the man of the house shouldn't be questioned in his own home.'
Lydia could hardly remember a night that she would not have to go to bed with a swollen face or a brutally punched body part. She had complained bitterly to their church pastor but the clergyman always made it a duty to remind her of her marriage vows - "for better, for worse", "till death do us part."
Today, as she left work for home, it was with a frightful heart as usual. But this time around, it was not the fear of getting beaten by Jake. It was the fear of what she had resolved to do to him. She got lost in her thoughts and did not notice that the traffic light had turned green until an impatient driver behind her honked furiously to startle her out of her thoughts. She squeezed the steering wheel as she drove off.
Ten minutes past twelve in the morning, a violent rapping at the gate woke her up. She knew it was Jake, drunk to stupor as usual. She reached for something under the bed and sighed in relief knowing that it was still there. Then she proceeded to open the gate for her husband. A gesture Jake responded to by driving into the compound recklessly and almost hitting her.
"What took you so long to come open the gate for me, ehn, you stupid woman? Jake cussed her.
She gave him no response and walked back inside after closing the gate. That irked Jake all the more as he ran after her into the bedroom, yelling.
"Am I not talking to you, Lydia? Are you mad?"
Jake queried her. Before she could turn to speak, he threw a punch at her. As if predicted it, she dashed sideways, dodging his blow. Then she reached for the item she had earlier placed under the bed.
"If you dare raise a finger at me this night, Jake, I will stab the life out of you." She warned, brandishing the knife at him.
"What? You threaten me with a knife under my own roof?" Jake could hardly believe that Lydia was standing up to him. He sprang at her to get hold of the knife but missed a step and fell right into the end of the blade as it sunk into his neck.
This story explores the theme of domestic violence. Yearly, statistics show that over 10 million men and women are abused domestically. Seeing that it is a notorious issue in the society, what are the ways you think domestic violence can be dealt with?
I would love to know what your thoughts are in the comments!
Thanks for reading.
Hmmmm. I sigh.
Domestic violence is a terrible thing to experience. It brands the soul, it scars the mind, and the memories never goes away, no matter the therapy.
To stop or reduce domestic violence, is going to be difficult, but it can be reduced when we know our self worth, leave any relationship with any little signs of it immediately and also learn to defend ourselves, regardless of the gender.
That's my thought 😉