The Roberts - Introduction

The year was 2005. Mr. Roberts walked into his home at the odd hour of 3:00am. He kicked off his shoes and pushed them into a corner. His right foot was about to make contact with the first step when the living room lights came on.

He turned around to find his wife standing by the switch. His eyes followed her as she made her way to the sofa and took a seat. He waited with baited breath for what she was going to say. Some nights she would cry, sometimes she would give him the silent treatment but of late, most nights she argued with him.

It wasn’t until she was in her seat with her legs crossed that she opened her mouth to speak. “It’s 3:00am” she muttered after pointing at the clock on the wall. Truth be told, Mr. Roberts felt guilty but he was in no mood to be called out – at least not tonight. “Yes, I know” he replied coyly and turned on his heel.

His foot made contact with the second step when the next statement followed, or rather, the question. “What am I supposed to tell your children when they ask me questions? Your son is old enough to remember things. What am I supposed to tell him when he asks me why you come home late from work or why you don’t look at mummy or touch her?”.

Mrs. Roberts was angrier than hurt. She’d been hurt too many times to be hurt anymore but the tears welled up in her eyes anyway and her voice cracked just thinking about how unjust her husband was being. She pushed back the tears with one big swallow and looked sternly at Mark.

“Abena, I am tired. I have had a long day. You can tell your son whatever you like” Mark responded, refusing to feel guilt. His leg moved to the third step. The clock’s minute hand could be heard clicking in the silence of the night.

“So, who were you with?” Abena asked like she cared. She wanted to rile him up. She wanted to hurt him.

Mark turned around and came down the stairs. He gave his wife a long hard stare.

“Where are you going to go? What are you going to do? You have no money and no job. Who’s going to take care of the children if not me? This attitude is getting frustrating. I was out with other women. Accept that and deal with it. You should be lucky I am not leaving you like Charles did his wife. I am a good man and a good father. You should be grateful.”

Abena didn’t bother to react. She watched Mark climb the stairs until all she could hear was the sound of his footsteps and their bedroom door shutting. She looked over at the clock. The minute hand had just come to rest on 3. It was 3:15am.

She sat at the dining table and played with her fingers as she often liked to do when she was deep in thought. Mark was a wide-eyed dreamer when she’d met him. He had great idea but terrible plans of execution. With her degree in Business Administration and training from her father, she had turned his idea into a successful business. He had asked her to stay home and raise the children. He said he owed her everything and so she would never have to work a day in her life. He had promised her the world and given her a small village in the middle of nowhere.

If she left, she would have to start from scratch. She would be grinding and hustling trying to feed 3 children while he lived the life of his dreams unrestrained, with different women. No, leaving him was a mercy she could not afford to bestow.

If she stayed, he would still win. She would still lose. As the second-hand ticked past the minute hand, she made a realization that many women before her had done. If she played the game fairly, she would always be at the bottom. It really was a man’s world.

Three months later, Mark Roberts died suddenly of a heart attack while on his way home from one of his trysts. The funeral was held and the moment Mark’s body entered the ground, Abena wiped her tears. One by one, each Manager was removed for different reasons until she was named the Managing Director of the company. She was in charge of it all.

The world was hers for the taking and she would take it without apology.

In a few years, the company expanded into a multi-million enterprise. The family of four was moved out of their modest home in the suburb of Adenta to a mansion in the heart of Cantoments.

As the family of four stood, admiring the home they had made, Abena looked at her children with pride. “Children, life is a game. We play the game to win. Today, we have won.”

Hell, hath no fury like a woman scorned.

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The Roberts will be coming to your screens every other Friday with family drama, murder and mystery. Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already so you don't miss out whenever a new episode drops.