HOW TO HELP A DRUNKARD HUSBAND

HELP, MY HUSBAND IS A DRUNKARD

She opened the fridge and took out a cold Tusker and a bottle full of Johnnie Walker.

She walked from the kitchen to the living room where her husband was sitting on the sofa, watching a late night movie. The children were asleep.

She placed the Tusker and the Johnnie Walker on the table next to her husband and stood.

His eyes lit up on watching the alcohol.

“Care for a drink?” She invited him, pointing to the alcohol with her eyes.

He looked at her confused. She has never supported his drinking. So many times she has been mad at him for drinking. She has never allowed alcohol in the house and now she’s brought alcohol to him wearing a smile.

“You want me to drink?” He asked

“Yes, I want us to celebrate. You always want a drink when you celebrate, right?” She said.

“What are we celebrating?” He questioned.

“We’re celebrating my life. I have liver cancer and the doctor has told me I have at most a year to live” she answered.

His eyes bulged. His lips trembled.

“What?! Oh no, cancer?” He freaked out.

“Yes” she said.

“What? How? No no.. How will I manage without you? How will I raise the kids?.. No, this is not true… My love, I am sorry.. Which hospital did you go to?” He asked as he stood up looking at her. She was still standing.

“Sit down my love. Please” she requested him.

He sat down on the sofa.

“I don’t have cancer. I was joking. But if you continue drinking, you will likely get cancer. And the way you felt, that is how I will feel. Why do you want to harm your health and hurt your family?” She confessed.

He breathed heavily as he calmed himself down.

“Please don’t ever scare me like that again” he pleaded.

“Please stop putting your health at risk, you have a family” she pleaded.

“Even if you might not get liver cancer, scientifically proven, you also put yourself at risk of getting memory loss, high blood pressure, cirrhosis, pancreas inflammation, stroke and heart disease. All that because of this” she said pointing at the Tusker and Johnnie Walker bottles.

He looked at her. She is suddenly intelligently weird.

“Here” she gave him her phone.

“What am I to do with it?” He asked.

She sat on the arm rest of the chair and said, “See how your hand is shaking, you cannot even be stable as you hold a phone. Alcohol is damaging your nerves”

He held her phone with his two hands to prove her wrong.

The husband and wife looked at each other.

She went to the albums in her phone and showed him a photo of a gruesome car accident.

“You see this photo. This photo is of a man who died in a car accident because of drunk driving” she said showing him the picture.

“But my love, I don’t take much when I need to drive. I know my limits. Have I ever had an accident?” he argued.

“I know my limits. That is exactly what the man who was driving that car said. That man was the husband of my friend, Wanja. Wanja’s husband used to say what you are saying. He not only killed himself in the accident, but also another man and his pregnant wife who were in the car he crushed into. Now Wanja is a widow, struggling to raise her three children” the wife spoke.

The husband looked at his wife and said “Sorry”

“Why don’t you drink at home? Why do you have to go to the bar?” The wife asked.

The husband shook his head saying, “No, I can’t drink at home. I don’t want to expose my children to alcohol”

“Why? Is it because you know your drinking is not something honourable? Why do something you don’t want your children to grow up to do?” She asked

He said nothing.

“Look at this next photo” she said swiping to the next picture on her phone.

“This is the photo of you at the office party. Drunk and shouting”

She swiped to the next photo.

“This is the photo of you with the woman you were flirting with when intoxicated”

Next photo.

“This is the photo of you heckling like a boy at the bar. Drunk”

Next photo.

“This is the photo of you the night you disrespected me in front of your friends, shouting you want a divorce, calling me a prostitute. I forgave because you were high”

Next photo.

“This is the photo of me. A selfie I took the night you came home drunk, we had an argument. I slapped you, you beat me up. I made you sleep on the sofa and you peed in your pants while sleeping”

Next photo.

“This is the photo of you when you stayed home because your boss warned you from coming to work drunk”

He looked away ashamed.

She put the phone aside and said, “Tell me my love, are those honorable photos of you? Are those photos of a man who is supposed to be a married man and a father of four amazing children? Are you proud looking at those photos of you? Your children are grown ups, they already know you drink. One of them said he hopes he doesn’t grow up to be like you. He hates the nonsense you talk and your breath when you are drunk”

He rubbed his hips. He was unsettled. Embarrassed.

“You want a drink honey? You seem uneasy? A drink might make you relax?” She asked reaching out for the Tusker.

“Don’t be sarcastic” he told her.

She retreated back to sit on the arm rest of the sofa he was sitting on saying, “I am not being sarcastic, it’s what you do. Each time you get uneasy, each time we face a problem, each time life gets tough; you drink. But does your drinking solve problems? No, in fact it makes things worse. Why don’t you talk to me when things get tough? Why don’t we pray as a couple when storms rage? Alcohol offers no solution”

“I don’t drink only when trouble comes. Honey, I also drink to feel good. It gives me confidence. What am I supposed to do when with my friends? Drink soda? Juice?”

She kissed his forehead and said, “Maybe you need to change your friends if the only place you bond is in the bar, if your friends are influencing you to live a dangerous, less honourable and unhealthy lifestyle. You know, the dangers of peer pressure is that a group of men can actually make each other feel what they are doing is OK even though they are all heading in the wrong direction. Besides, I married a King. My King doesn’t need alcohol to be confident. If a man needs to be high in order to roar, then his roar is fake. By the way honey, I don’t mean to burst your bubble but your confidence in bed has decreased. You don’t get as erect as before, your hardness is not as rock solid as it used to be, your libido doesn’t last. I am a suffering wife”

He looked at her then lifted his pants to look at his penis.

She peeped inside his pants.

“What?! You’re joking, right?” He got alarmed.

“I am serious. And that is also because of the alcohol. You are damaging your body and I am caught in the middle. Plus I hate your alcohol breath, I struggle to kiss you” she told him.

She noticed the sad look on his face. A man gets shaken when he learns his performance in bed isn’t that good.

She kissed his cheek and said, “Sorry if that hurt you. I am saying all these out of love. You need to know. I want my sober, confident and sexy husband back”

Silence.

“You have wasted so much money on alcohol” she broke the silence.

“We have the money my love. You have a wealthy husband. Drinking is a way of celebrating my hard work and success” he tried to justify.

“Hmm… A wealthy husband yet when your mother asked you to build an extension of her house you claimed you have no money” she teased him.

He gave out a grin and told her, “Don’t be clever”

She rubbed his shoulder and spoke further, “I am serious. I was counting the other day how much you have spent on alcohol over the past five years. Buying for yourself and your friends at the bar. It’s approximately three million Kenya shillings. Here, on this table. The Johnnie Walker and Tusker, this is nine thousand, seven hundred worth of alcohol. That money would have done a lot. If you want to truly celebrate your success, take your children for outings more, invest in their future, pamper your mom, support a needy person in society”

“I did not buy this Johnnie Walker and Tusker, you did” he said looking at her with a cheeky smile.

“I bought with my own money because even though I hate your drinking, I still love you. Alcohol seems to mean so much to you” she told him as she kissed his forehead.

She stood up and spoke further, “Anyway, time for me to sleep. All this talk and seeing your penis has made me horny. But I will leave you to your drink. Enjoy”

“Wait” he interjected as he took the Johnnie Walker and Tusker with him to the kitchen. She followed him.

He opened the bottles and poured the alcohol down the drain in the kitchen sink.

“What are you doing?” She asked him.

“I am done with alcohol. No more drinking. Your sober King is back.

“But are you not wasting? You should have given them to your friend Benja, he loves to drink” she asked.

“Nope. If something is not good for me why should I encourage my friend to do it?” He answered.

She smiled and said, “You are such a turn on right now, I am literally soaking wet for you. Find me in bed honey. I have something sweet for you, tonight you will be drunk in my love”

She left the kitchen and walked to the bedroom excited.

He rushed. Threw the empty alcohol bottles in the bin. Caught up with her before the got in bed. Grabbed her butt gently from behind. She turned to face him. They passionately kissed. They sensually fell on the bed.