WILL YOU STOP? A FLASH FICTION STORY

Philip hovered around the corner as Abigail scrubbed the bathroom. Her jaws were clenched as she focused only on the spot she was scrubbing.

Philip cleared his throat as he picked a rag from the floor and dusted a furniture in the living room. 

“This place has become so dusty in the meantime,” he said as he watched her still scrubbing the same spot -even though the place was already spotless- her back to him.

“I am sorry about what happened. I didn’t intend to cause any trouble. I just wanted to make those politicians know that people’s lives are not cattle. You feel me? I’m sorry.”

Abigail hissed as she stepped out of the bathroom with bloodshot eyes.

Philip wanted to hug her but he knew better.

“I’m very sorry–”

“There’s no need to apologize bros. You’ll do it again, probably in two weeks time,” Abigail said in a very stern voice.

“I cannot say I won’t stand up for the rights of those who have no voices–”

A brush landed on Philip’s head and he was stunned.

“I would like to call you mad but it’s uncalled for. Is it until I become a widow I will rest? Ehnn! I have three small children and if you die, there’s nothing to even keep us going because everything you have, you have gone and put it in charity and other nonsense investments that won’t probably yield results,” Abigail screeched. 

“You misunderstand me. I have life insurance and other investments that can take care of us–”

“I want a divorce.”

Philip was flabbergasted. She had a determined look and her eyes were unflinching. 

“You can’t be serious right now…”

“Give me and my children this house or buy us another property since you have money. It shouldn’t be hard. Then make sure you pay child support till the hour of your death.”

“What are you saying?” Philip asked bemused.

“I better be single than be called a widow. At least, if I’m divorced I can remarry and that’s better than being the widow of a man who never knew when to stop. You have literally offended all the politicians and people that matter because you say you are speaking up against corruption. Are there no other lawyers? Do they do what you are doing? Can you not choose peace and stability over chaos? Don’t you realize you have a family of your own that comprises a young wife and three children? Should we die too?”

Philip stepped back as Abigail flung a remote at him. 

“I’m very sorry Abbie. Honestly, I’m doing it so others can live comfortably.”

“If not for that Governor that came to our rescue when your parents who are also politicians by the way, disowned you, how would we have returned to our house without a cent to our name? You’ve taken loans to help those people and our house became collateral. Thank God for that Governor. Philip, is it me you want to make a laughing stock?”

“That’s not true. We’ll be fine.”

“Go and be fine on your own. I want to save my children because one day, God forbid, my child may go to school and not return because you are their father,” Abigail quivered as she spoke. She leaned on the armrest of one of the sofas as she wept.

“I’m sorry,” Philip said and attempted to hug her but she waved him off.

“I want to stay apart from a man, a husband that keeps putting his life at risk and forgetting he has a young family!”

“I’m sorry, please.”

“Just stop. Know when to stop. Don’t go out one day and be brought back dead, I wouldn’t be able to bear it. I can’t. So just give me a divorce, please!”

Philip felt like a rug had been removed from his feet. His eyes glistened with tears as he inhaled the floral smell of detergents.

“I promise not to make you weep like this anymore but I can’t guarantee you that I will not stop at nothing to bring down the wicked threshold of the politicians that killed those helpless children and rendered their families vulnerable because I wouldn’t want that done to my offspring,” Philip stated, matter-of-factly.

“So what are you saying?” Abigail looked at him, awash with a sense of doom.

“I won’t stop. But I’ll give you the divorce so you can live in peace with the children.”

Abigail felt a knot in her stomach as she recognized the look in his eyes. 

“Please Philip, listen to reason. There must be another way around it. I can’t lose you. I didn’t mean what I said,” she said and rushed over to him.

“I also can’t live alone,” Philip said as he fixed his eyes on his slippers, “I need you… to help me.“

Abigail hugged him as tears rolled down her eyes. It was at this point that she knew the meaning of ’till death do us part’. 

“I love you,” Philip said but she didn’t respond, she just squeezed his back.

“The first step is to send our children to my parents. We have to ensure they are kept alive and taken care of and I need you to always be honest with me but please, don’t make me regret this,” Abigail said as she broke apart from the hug and turned to stare into his eyes, “promise me I won’t regret the decision to stay?”

“I promise. With God on our side, we’ll finish a good fight of faith!”

As Philip hugged Abigail, her daughter came out of the hallway with a fluffy white teddy bear. 

“Mummy, I want–”

A bullet pierced her hand and blood trickled down the teddy bear.

“Bend down!” Abigail shouted.

Philip pushed Abigail away and shielded the child with his back. A bullet tore into his back but he dragged the child behind one of the sofas.

Gunshots filled the air as bullets tore through the fluffy sofas. 

Abigail lay on the floor crying and wondering if she had made the right decision. 

A few minutes later, the gunshots stopped and Philip crawled towards his wife who was still crying.

Abigail ignored him as she crawled into the hallway, past their room to the other room occupied by her twin boys. 

As she opened the door, she saw the two of them lying on their beds peacefully. Josiah held his robot while Joshua was sprawled on his bed snoring. Abigail sighed in relief.

“I’ll take Benita to the hospital…”

“You’ve been shot, luckily it’s not that deep but we need to go to a hospital now. We are all going to the hospital,” Abigail said and shook the boys till they were wide awake.

Philip rushed to the parlor and carried Benita -who was still crying and clutching onto her teddy bear- through the backdoor the car. Abigail followed suit, carrying the boys and the car key before they sped out of the compound.

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