Obsession

Cynthia had always wanted a blackberry Z10 phone, and so when Dave her husband gave her as a birthday gift, she was beside herself with joy. Dave felt she deserved the best for being a supportive wife, so he didn’t hesitate to fulfil her desire despite the fact that it drilled a hole in his pocket. Cynthia gradually adjusted to her new phone, got more conversant with chats, and in little or no time, became inseparable from her phone. Dave wasn’t so pleased with the development and cautioned her severally of which Cynthia feigned numb. He decided to let go when it became obvious his words no longer held water. Cynthia on the other hand enjoyed the chats especially the group chats. She practically belonged to six groups both on BBM and Whatsapp which got her really preoccupied. Unfortunately for her, she was oblivious to the fact that her attitude had created a gulf between them. The situation was so bad that most times she got her cooking burnt leaving Dave to either go to bed hungry or fix some cereal for himself.

Dave grew weary of his 2 year old marriage and decided to confide in his friend Steve. Steve on the other hand wasn’t surprised because he also has a similar experience.

“Our wives have replaced us with inanimate objects and I hope they won’t regret their actions someday”, Steve remarked irritably. He narrated how his wife forgot their baby at the day care centre because she was busy watching her favourite series on DSTV.

“Really?” Dave exclaimed “I don’t understand how a woman will replace her loved ones with an inanimate object, they complain we rarely spend time with them and now that we want to spend more time with them, they are too preoccupied to notice,” Dave concluded.
“Well for me, I eventually got an alternative” Steve said.
“Alternative? I don’t understand please” replied Dave in astonishment.

Steve explained how he also turned to social media to keep him busy and somehow along the line he got introduced to online dating and some porn sites. At least he could satisfy his urge when his wife is busy doing something else, moreso it is safer for him because he wouldn’t contract any disease online or be saddled with the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.

“You mean you do all this without your wife’s knowledge?” Dave asked

“Yes, even much more right there under her nose but she is too busy to notice.” Steve answered. “You better find a solution to your own situation too or you will die of frustration,” he warned Dave.Dave left his friend while pondering over their conversation. He was more disturbed than ever because he couldn’t fathom going into pornography or online dating at this early stage of his marriage. He still loved his wife and can’t bring himself to cheat on her, emotionally or otherwise. “There must certainly be a way out of this mess,” he said to himself as he drove back home.

Dave got home to the welcome of a thick smoke which was as a result of another ‘burnt offering’ from his wife. Apparently she was chatting with a friend while the food was on fire. She got carried away until the smoke jolted her back to her senses. She rushed to the smoke filled kitchen, forgetting her health challenge and began to cough profusely. She knew she was about having an asthma attack so she dashed to her room to get the inhaler. It was in that process that Dave walked in, he managed to put off the gas cooker opened the doors and windows for ventilation as he beckoned on his wife to go to the car. Dave later joined her in the car and asked her what happened. Poor Cynthia tried to explain amidst tears which made Dave feel so sorry for her. He also realised that it was the best time to address the issue of her obsession with her phone.

“Honey, don’t you think it is time you gained control over the use of your phone? What would have happened if you couldn’t get to your inhaler on time?” Dave asked.

Cynthia stared back at him as reality hit her; she had been so obsessed with her phone which would have cost her life and marriage.

“I am sorry Dave, I have been so stupid, please forgive me,” Cynthia confessed. Dave pulled her close to assure her that she had been forgiven while thanking God in his heart that he had finally gotten a solution to their problem.

Most times we get so attached to some things which are capable of ruining our joy, peace or relationship if not properly dealt with. That seemingly unimportant thing can develop into a dangerous habit if not curbed. Yes, it’s important to have a social life but not to the detriment of our spouse, children or our lives. The bottom line is moderation; we should be able to manage our social life in tandem with other aspects of our lives.

We should also be careful with whom we share our problems with. Most times we might end up having the wrong counsel if we are not careful.

Finally, ‘chopping off a man’s head is not an antidote to his headache’, this simply means we shouldn’t try to correct a wrong by doing another wrong. It’s possible our spouse may hurt us but using the wrong approach to address the issue will only worsen the situation. May God help us to make wise decisions.

Thank you once again for your time, Please feel free to drop your comments and contributions or send me a mail through info@iretiadeoyinleye.com, or iretioyinleye@gmail.com. Remember also to share the link with others too. Till I come your way again next week, make that marriage work!