WE NEED EACH OTHER

The next morning came, and Lola dresses herself up in a casual but nice dress to do some groceries shopping for Malik and the kids as she had promised a day earlier.

As she is walking around the room trying to get herself ready for the trip to the market, her husband judin who was lying on the bed, watching her did not really look comfortable, after all the school is on vacation. Why would she be dressed this early morning? "Where are you going to?" Judin asks.

"I have an appointment." Lola replies not looking at her husband but focusing on her edges as she looks at it in the mirror.

"An appointment?" He asks and sits on the bed. "This early morning?"

"Yes I do." Lola answers still focused on her edges.

"What sort of appointment is th-"

"Since when did you care about my whereabouts?" She asks cutting him off.

"I need to know all details about your whereabouts because I am your husband." Judin says sternly.

The manner and tone he said it got her very annoyed. She drops the hair brush she was using in laying her edges and faces her husband very annoyed. "Husband you say? The one that doesn't fulfill his duties?"

"Oh please let's not talk about that again this morning." Judin says trying to get back to sleep again.

The issue of sexual duties was already something they had fought over countless times. Now Judin is tired of it and doesn't want to hear more about it.

"You asked for it man, so don't you dare run from it. Been married to you for good sixteen years and we have only been intimate just five times. Does it even make sense to you?"

"Go for your appointment woman." Judin says as he had finally gotten a better sleeping position. "Have a wonderful day ahead."

Lola tries to hold back the tears in eyes and swallow the words in her mouth, but it didn't go as she planned. "I pray our daughter never gets associated with a man like you in the future."

"You really what to do this now?" Judin asks in a loud voice as he gets up from his lying position and sits on the bed again. "Just stop it okay, I do not want us to exchange words, because I never pray my son marries a woman like you in the future too."

Bombshell!!! What did he mean? Did he by any means find out about her extra marital affairs? He had never used such words on her before. Lola thinks of what could warrant that statement from him, she was scared to talk but later found the courage to. "What do you mean by that?"

"Everyone knows you are with me because of money, isn't it?"

His answer was quite disrespecting, but at least it was better than him telling her about the extra marital affairs she had been having. She looks at her husband for a while, something came to her mind and it was divorce.

"I that is what you really think of me, let's divorce." She fumes even though he was right.

"Divorce?" Judin scoffs. "I am sure you don't want to start bluffing now. You and I both know you never truly want the divorce."

"You think I can not divorce you?"

"Of course you can." Judin smiles. "But you won't."

"You are so unbelievable." Lola says and laughs a little. "What makes you think I won't divorce you?"

"What about your political ambition?" He asks with a devilish smile.

"I will still pursue it when it's time."

"Who is going to sponsor your campaign?" He asks again.

Now she gets where he is driving at. "Judin!" She calls loudly.

"You need my money to sponsor your campaign and I need your political influence too on my businesses and investments." He gives another devilish smile. "We need each other so badly that we can't divorce."

"Judin!" She calls again loudly with tears in her eyes and her voice already trembling.

"So just stop the bluffing and play your role well so that our kids and all of our descendants would stay rich forever, you know how Burundi is. Getting rich is a very difficult task but staying rich is most difficult."

"I thought I married a difficult man." Lola whispers with the tears still in her eyes. "But I was wrong, I married a monster who is only obsessed with money."

"We are both obsessed with money. You married me because of money and I married you because of your future political influence on my businesses and investments."

"So you married me because of my political ambition?"

"Yes." Judin nods. "I only care about my money and my kids. You are the least of my problems woman. So be careful with whatever it is you decide to do."

He says and goes back to sleep, leaving his wife to think and try to understand everything he just said.

Lola looks at her husband lay in the bed with tears in her eyes. What exactly has she gotten herself into? She starts regretting ever bringing up the divorce issue. Now, she is aware of the honest truth that can actually kill her. If she stayed in the house for a minute longer, something terrible might happen, as she had the thought of stabbing her husband to death. She has always had the mind that she was the very wicked person for marrying someone she never loves because of money.

She wipes her face with the back of palm, picks up her bag and keys then walks straight to her car, ignoring the greeting of her so annoying maid. Still in the mood, Lola drives out in a very high speed.

The maid stands at the spot after greeting her madam but gave a very suspicious smile immediately she drives off. She walks to Lola's matrimonial room and takes a peep at judin who is already snoring silently. "Sleepy head." She whispers to herself and smiles.

"Come inside!" Judin says loudly stop laying on the bed with his eyes closed.