“I’m tired of you. Did I ask you to become paralyzed? I’m tired of this marriage.”
Linda froze in the hospital hallway, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest. The doctor, serious and direct, raised his voice gently but firmly.
“Linda, your husband is now paralyzed for life. You will have to stay with him and take care of him properly, because he will need you.”
Linda stepped back, her trembling hands clutching her handbag.
“What? Paralyzed for life? Me, take care of him? Me? I can’t stay with a paralyzed husband, a paralyzed man. No, I can’t handle that.”
The doctor sighed as if he had expected that reaction.
“Calm down, Linda. If you don’t do it, you risk breaking his spirit, killing him little by little. You have to take care of him. You have to give him the love he needs. This is when he needs you most.”
Linda lowered her eyes, biting her lower lip. She knew he was telling the truth, but her mind refused to accept reality. After a few seconds, she murmured almost to herself,
“All right, fine. I understand. I’ll try.”
Kofi, sitting in his wheelchair, watched her silently. His expression showed neither anger nor sadness, only a slow patience and a quiet attentiveness. He felt the weight of his wife’s shock, but deep down, he had already begun planning his little test, his way of finding out how far her loyalty truly went.
The drive back home was long and silent. Linda drove without meeting Kofi’s eyes. At every red light, she thought about her friends, the outings, the trips, and then reality struck her again. She would have to stay, at least for a while, with a man who could no longer walk.
When they arrived home, the butler opened the door and took in the scene. Kofi was gently transferred into his wheelchair by Linda, who placed him in the main living room. The house, vast and luxurious, suddenly seemed too big, too quiet. The white walls reflected the sunlight streaming through the large windows, but that light warmed nothing in Linda’s heart.
She dropped her bags on the sofa, sat down, and took out her phone. Her fingers were already gliding across the screen, sending quick messages to her friends and to some of the men she was seeing. Kofi watched her for a few moments without moving, observing every gesture, every expression. The silence between them was heavy, but he said nothing. He simply took note of everything he saw.
The next morning, the faithful maid, Affi, arrived as usual. She carried a gentle, reassuring energy that contrasted sharply with the cold, distant atmosphere of the house. She approached Kofi, knelt slightly beside his wheelchair, and smiled at him.
“Good morning, Mr. Kofi. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything today. Just take your time and rest.”
Kofi felt immense relief. His voice, calm but firm, replied,
“Thank you. You’re the only one who still believes in me.”
While Linda was already leaving for another impromptu outing, Affi prepared Kofi’s breakfast, checked his medicine, and adjusted the wheelchair to make it as comfortable as possible. Every gesture she made was proof of care, devotion, and attention, and Kofi began to feel a warmth he had not known in a long time.
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