Episode 28
That fateful day, I went there with Bongajum. As planned, he was the one who knocked at the gate, and after a few minutes the security man opened and allowed us inside the compound.
My heart was beating fast as we walked in.
Immediately M.J saw me, she shouted in surprise, "What is she doing here?"
Before the situation could turn ugly, Bongajum quickly raised his hand and spoke calmly.
"Please calm down," he pleaded. "As you can see, she is still suffering from the accident. She has nowhere to stay for now. I was the one who met her stranded. I am about to travel again for work, so I am begging you to allow her to stay here and continue working just for a short while."
He continued explaining gently.
"When I return from my voyage, I will come and take her away. Please, just let her work here for even two weeks."
M.J looked uncertain at first, but after thinking for a moment she finally agreed. It was not really because of kindness. There was another reason.
Later that evening when Tara returned from work, she told him everything that had happened. Surprisingly, he did not argue much about my presence.
The truth was that before I left the earlier, M.J had been having small quarrels with Tara because of her cooking. Tara never liked the way she prepared food.
So when I came back, she secretly asked me to teach her how to cook properly, but she warned me not to let her husband know that I was the one guiding her.
She wanted him to believe she had improved on her own.
For me, my real mission was different.
I was not there only to cook. I needed to find out where Tara kept the documents that could prove the bank transactions he made when he emptied my account.
My cooking skills became the reason I was allowed to stay in the house again.
Of course, I taught M.J how to cook. But I did not teach her everything I knew.
Some of the special tricks my mother taught me, and the small secrets my grandmother passed down to her, I kept to myself.
I only showed her the general methods that everyone used when preparing our local dishes. But the little details that made the food truly special, I kept hidden.
For example, when preparing khati-khati, there was a tiny spice mixture my grandmother used. Just a small pinch of it could change the whole taste of the meal.
The same applied to how I prepared country bitter-leaf soup and okro soup.
I showed M.J the steps, but not the final secrets that made the dishes taste unforgettable.
There is a saying that men can find food anywhere outside the house if they want to satisfy their hunger. But the kind of food that brings peace to a man's heart is usually found at home with a caring wife.
M.J was trying her best to please Tara in every possible way. She wanted him to see her as the perfect partner.
Sometimes she overdid it.
Whenever Tara returned home, she rushed to greet him loudly.
"Daddy, you are back!"
"Daddy, what will you eat?"
"Honey, how was work?"
"Honey, let me remove your shoes."
She did everything with so much excitement that sometimes it looked forced.
As for me, when I was once married to him, I was not always like that. After cooking, cleaning, and managing the shop all day, I often became tired at night.
Sometimes I just wanted to rest.
Back then, Tara used to drink with friends after work. Many nights he returned home drunk while some household bills were still waiting to be paid.
One day, in anger, I called him irresponsible because he kept wasting money at the bar instead of helping with our responsibilities.
He took it as disrespect.
He believed I spoke that way because the house belonged to me.
But the truth was simple.
Respect in marriage grows when both people are making effort. Love alone is not enough.
Imagine a husband spending the whole evening in bars after carrying passengers in his taxi all day, while his wife waits alone at home. Then he returns after midnight expecting a warm welcome, hot food, and sweet words.
Sometimes even asking his tired wife to wake up and heat his food again.
No woman finds that easy.
That was the kind of tension that slowly destroyed our marriage.
And in the end, he took everything and disappeared.
Now I was back in the same house, watching him live comfortably with another woman.
But my time was coming.
One evening, something unexpected happened.
Tara returned from work earlier than usual.
When he entered the house, he found M.J relaxing in the living room with her legs crossed, watching television.
Meanwhile, I was in the kitchen stirring a pot of soup.
He looked surprised.
"Why are you the one cooking?" he asked.
M.J quickly made an excuse and told him she was tired.
As I cooked, I did not realize that I was softly humming a song.
My voice had almost fully recovered by then.
Suddenly he paused and listened carefully.
"That song…" he said slowly. "I remember that song."
My heart skipped.
I was not expecting him to come home that early, so I had been humming the same song I used to hum during the days when we were still married.
I only hummed that song when I was truly happy.
And strangely enough, Bongajum had brought happiness back into my life.
But now that small mistake had exposed me.
Tara turned slowly toward me and stared closely.
Then he asked in a suspicious voice,
"Who are you…? Are you not…?"
Episode 29
"Are you not my wife?" he asked slowly. "You remind me of her. Who are you?"
The question froze my heart for a moment. I knew things had changed since the last time he saw me. I had gained some weight, my face had healed, and my voice had returned almost completely to normal. Still, there were little things that could easily give me away.
Before I could answer, his wife quickly stepped in to cover the moment.
"Honey, you are back already?" she said with a smile. "I didn't expect you this early."
"I forgot something in the house," he replied, still staring in my direction.
Then she quickly added, "I was the one cooking. I just asked her to help stir the pot for me."
Tara frowned slightly.
"But that song…" he said slowly. "It reminds me of my ex-wife."
"Which song, darling?" she asked, pretending not to understand.
"The one she was humming," he replied, pointing slightly toward the kitchen. Then he turned to me again. "Who are you?"
"It's just a song, my love," M.J said quickly, laughing softly.
The truth was she did not even realize that he was right.
As I stood there quietly, memories began rushing into my mind. I remembered how Tara used to come into the kitchen when we were still married. Whenever I was cooking and humming that same melody, he used to hug me from behind and smile.
He would whisper sweetly, "Each time I hear you humming this melody, I know the food will be delicious, like sweet music to my soul."
I would laugh and reply, "Really?"
And he would answer, "Of course."
But now that memory no longer felt sweet.
Back in the present, he was still staring at me suspiciously.
"Tell me who you are," he demanded.
"I am just a housemaid," I replied quietly, lowering my eyes.
He looked at me for a moment, then turned away impatiently.
"Darling, go back to your work," his girlfriend told him quickly. Then he added, "When I return later, you will explain exactly how you know that song and why you were singing it."
I immediately knew I was in serious trouble.
When he left the kitchen, my mind started racing. I remembered clearly that I once told him my mother had taught me that song when I was a child. I used to hum it whenever I was happy or remembering her.
Only a few people knew that melody.
If he continued asking questions, he would surely discover the truth.
I had to act fast.
Quietly, I took out the small secret phone Bongajum had given me and called him.
I quickly explained everything that had just happened.
He told me to calm down first.
"Don't panic," he said. "Just follow the plan carefully."
Then he gave me another idea, one that might help delay Tara's suspicions while I searched for the documents we needed.
Later that evening Tara returned home again. This time his curiosity had grown stronger.
I told him politely that I would explain everything after he had finished dinner with his wife.
Every night they usually sat together to eat while I served them.
As I placed the food on the dining table, my heart was beating fast. I knew my cover could be blown at any moment if I made the wrong move.
Tara went to take his bath quickly and came back to the dining room almost immediately. M.J joined him at the table.
They began eating.
After tasting the food, Tara suddenly looked at her seriously.
"You did not cook this meal," he said firmly.
She froze.
"Ever since the other maid left, I discovered you were cooking badly," he continued bluntly. "Tell me the truth now before I make a serious decision."
M.J lowered her head.
"I am sorry," she said quietly. "She is the one who has been cooking."
Tara's face hardened.
"So we have been living with our enemy in this house," he muttered.
I was standing quietly in the corridor, pretending to clean while secretly listening to their conversation.
"Today will be her final day here," he whispered coldly.
My heart skipped.
Then he added something even more frightening.
"I already told the gateman to watch her closely. She must not leave the compound. She must not even try to jump over the fence."
M.J looked confused.
"Why?" she asked nervously.
Tara continued speaking in a low voice.
"I know why she ran away from the hospital that day. She never wanted me to see her face."
Then he took out a picture he had once hidden from his future wife and showed it to her.
"Look carefully," he said. "Is this not the same woman working here as our housemaid?"
M.J stared at the picture and then looked toward the corridor.
"Yes… it looks like her," she admitted.
"The same person who has been working here?" he asked again.
"Yes," she said slowly.
Tara nodded quietly.
"I see."
Then he leaned closer and spoke in a darker tone.
"Do you still remember where I kept my gun and the rope?"
M.J swallowed nervously.
"Yes."
Tara's eyes hardened.
"Good," he said.
"Because tonight… everything ends."
"Who is she?" M.J asked fearfully.
He looked toward the corridor if I was there but I had hidden myself by a corner.
"You will soon find out."