YOU KNOW IT - Short Story

“You know it, you can feel it, the signs are there… she’s cheating on you”

“It’s not true”

“Then explain the secrecy. The skittishness. You’ve been deceived big time and it feels like your whole life”

“It’s not true!”

“You see, that is the only answer you have because it’s the only thing you amount to”

“Liar!”

“Am I?... who is your suspect… James? He is always around her”

“He is her assistant!”

“Yes, he for sure assist’s her with the that thing you haven’t given her”

“Shut up!”

“Daniel?”

“He is her boss”

“That’s how it starts, next thing you know, she’s calling him daddy”… “Where are you going?”

“Away from you. You are not going to fill my head with lies. I refuse to believe you”

“Believe it or not, there’s a reason she comes back from work late, and I tell you it’s not because of the numbers”

“Shove the numbers up where the sun don’t shine”

“Oh, she’s shoving something, but it’s not yours… woah, slow down tiger, you want to hit me? You think it will solve your problems? News flash, it won’t. you want to know why? Because your problem is you! You are so pathetic, so weak… if I were a woman I would have cheated on you since day one, so kudos to your wife, she held out this long”

“Stay the hell away from me!”

“Your wife is a whore”

“Say that one more time and…”

“Your wife is a whore. And there’s nothing you can do about it asides from kill yourself cause, you are the inadequacy in her life. Plus, you know it’s true and there’s nothing you can do about it… so?”

“So what. You just said there’s nothing I can do about it”

“What’s that song y’all sing… right, you, made a way…”

“You want me to kill myself”

“Not before you kill your cheating wife and her lover… what do you say? Let’s drive home and catch her in the act? You know she’s home… you can’t leave without your keys”

“So what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know, you tell me, I’m not the one with a whore for a wife… never married, knew women early enough to know they can’t be trusted… so just drive, don’t get us killed as we are on route and then a plan will come”

.

.

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“This is insane”

“You driving recklessly, yes. You want to kill them a spirit or what?”

“Why am I listening to you?”

“Because you know I’m right, I’m always right”

“This is crazy… this is madness”

“No, you haven’t gotten the picture yet… on that King size bed where you both first made love and some babies… where she professed undying love for you… where you did things only couples should do, should say. Now there is another man in your bed. Doing those things, saying those things… touching those places… making new babies. To crown it all, she’s telling him how much she loved him, just like she said to you… so unless you want to father another man’s child and not know it till he is 18 and he needs blood then you find out that your blood doesn’t match… you better drive faster”… “that’s it”.

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“What are you waiting for, take this gun, run in there and pop them”

“What did you get that from!”

“I am a very resourceful man, and I have my friend’s backs. Now go”

“What if I’m wrong?”

“You’ve come this far only to stop at a “what if”? you are indeed dumber than I thought. Did I not paint a clear enough picture? Okay, let me repaint… There’s Daniel, James and probably another guy in there. Go and f those S.O.B’s up for their treachery… that’s it”

“I’ll just talk to her first, at least to find out what is going on…

“Big baby is the substitute for the word I want to call you and it starts with a b and ends with an h. Guns blazing is the only solution. It doesn’t give you answers but closure. Grow the hell up!”

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“Babe?? Why won’t you pick up? Why? Is it because it’s true? Is it because you are currently hurting me in the worse way possible?” … “what happened to trust huh, what happened to I love you! Shit! I was such a fool. I know it, I feel it and I just want to pretend like a coward and say I don’t know. But I’m done. It all ends tonight! Pick up or not, I’m coming into the house and for your sake I hope you are not in” he says and braces himself as he enters the house, bursting the door open.

“Shit, he is here… what do we do?” he hears a male voice say in his living room.

“sush, he’ll find out” he heard his wife voice saying. He instantly goes red. He walks over to the entrance of the living room where he sees a figure. He head butts the person, tackles him and is strangling him when the lights come on

“Surprise!” everyone shouts but all the voices die down as they see him strangling the man.

“Wh… What is going on?” his wife asks. He looks around and sees some of their friends and colleagues, his wife with a cake in her hand. He looks at the man and back to his wife, then to the others, before he stands up and helps the man up too. The others share looks with each other, before they start singing slowly, as his wife approaches him.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you!”

“uh, babe, what’s all this?”

“It’s your birthday my dearest husband. What’s all this?”

“I don’t understand” he said.

“What’s there not to understand. It’s your birthday, I threw you a surprise party”

“So, this is what you’ve been planning all this while… all the late nights”

“I’ll answer that, but you need to blow these candles” she says, her irritation growing.

“There” he said after blowing the candles.

“whoo!” the crowd cheers.

“So?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s what all the late nights have been for. I’ve been planning this for months”

“Why the secrecy?”

“Because it was supposed to be surprise. I don’t know, I just don’t see a thank you in your statement”

“Sorry, thank you… it’s just. I – thought … I thought you were cheating on me” he says as he runs his hand through his head.

“What! Chea… you… are you insane?”

“Maybe. I’m sorry I had such suspicions but your secret movements and skittishness put me off. And then there was this guy who kept telling me you were cheating and…”

“This guy… sounds more convincing than your wife”

“Yes… no. I mean… Look, he gave me a gun and all to shoot you and whoever you were cheating with”

“A gun”

“Yes”

“Where is it?”

“Where is what?”

“The gun?” she asks and he looks to his hands and can’t find them.

“Wh… well I – I had them on me, they were in my hands when I sent you this angry voice mail and said a couple of things”

“And where is this man?” he looks around and does not see the man.

“He – he’s not here”

“Have you been drinking?”

“No. no – I think this was just a big misunderstanding, I should have never doubted you. I’m sorry” he says but she looks away from him. “Please. It will never happen again” he says and she stares at him for a while.

“Forgiven, because it’s your birthday. But never again doubt my love for you”

“Never. I love you”

“I love you too” they hug each other and as he hugs her, he looks ahead of him and he sees him. The man smiles to him. As he is abut withdrawing from his hug with his wife, he looks around and sees the man was gone. It was then he realized.

It was all in my head.

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