Chapter3:After Divorce: Gathering Pieces of Himself
Walking down the lonely street, Jamole stared thoughtfully in space. He could recall all he had been through in the hands of Stella, all in the name of marriage:
All his life as a janitor at the municipal post office in Antipolo, he never had savings due to the peanut he earned as salary. This had made him to shrink from his responsibility as a husband and lose sheer honor from his wife and among his peers.
He never intended to eschew responsibility and in his gloom, he looked forth to the day he would earn enough money and surprise his wife with all she had ever wanted.
Right about now all that his wife, Stella, nagged about at home and whenever she saw him was her Arabic Coral Gold Ring, even this had deprived them the consummation of their marriage.
Stella had moved into the other bedroom, locked the door and restricted Jamole to spend the night in the sitting room, with a stern warning never to sleep in the sofa but on the cold floor.
“But I thought I promised to buy you the gold ring. Why are you doing this to me, Stella, why?” he had protested when she wouldn’t offer him breakfast.
This was the height of it!
Already, Stella was pained. Tears filled her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. “You are very impossible, Jamole. I regret having you as my husband,” she had fumed and pushed out her fingers, “Take a look at my finger. Can you see any wedding ring on my finger?” she queried and sniffed.
He had raised a thick brow and swallowed hard as he lowered his gaze on her finger. He gave a sullen look in response.
She intoned yet further, “The one you gave me as wedding ring has worn out because it is too cheap and not even silver let alone gold. Only God knows from where you picked that rubbish ring.” She swirled around. “Take a look at me. Do I look elegant as other women? No, because you don’t own up to your responsibility as a husband. You claim to be a salary earner yet I feed you, cloth you and pay the rent!”
Jamole had interrupted her with a snort. His jaw went slack as he fought back tears. “But sweetie, I thought I promised to own to my responsibility. I want you to hold me by my words. Give me a little time to surprise you. Please.” He pled with his arms molded.
The color drained from her face when she snarled at him, “Keep shut, you good-for-nothing husband! It has been one year I celebrated my birthday and another of my birthday is yet to come in few months and you still can’t afford an ordinary Arabic Coral Gold Ring, huh!” she had wailed.
He was jaded and stolen by his melancholy. Expressly they landed on his chest. She had starved him for four days now because of this gold ring.
She pointed firmly at him and poked her finger in his face, while he stood as some frustrated statue. “For your information I don’t have any wedding ring on my finger, so I am as good as any spinsters out there. Until you buy me the gold ring, I cease to be your wife!” she had yelled at the top of her voice.
Jamole’s voice shrieked as he gagged his mouth with his arms. “No don’t do this, Stella. I have been making plans toward getting a better job so I can take care of you. I am trying my best. I promise to come through once I am done with my plans. Soon you are going to smile because I will adorn your finger with the Arabic gold ring and whatever you need.”
She interposed him with her finger which clicked repeatedly in the direction of the door. “Now leave my house. I am leaving for work. I can’t leave you behind because I don’t trust you with my food and my property.”
That was the problem!
Right about now he was being possessed by the pangs of hunger. Since it was obvious she was going to deny him his transport fare, feeding became a necessity else he wouldn’t have the vigor to walk to his work place.
His palms stroked his stomach. “Please dear if you starve me how am I going to have the energy to work? Please, give me food. I am famished. You know quite well my job demands strain and energy, and I don’t have money to eat out,” he had pleaded.
She shot her thunderous gaze at him. “I don’t want to push you Jamole! Now leave!” she had growled maddeningly at him.
And when he hesitated, she pushed him and he stumbled toward the door. He settled his gaze on her as she drove away.
Jamole snapped out of the thought, grinned, tossed his head in pain and walked on…