"Are you okay my love?,"
resonated the solemn voice of Robert's wife, Emily. She'd ask this question over and again bothering on the worries that overwhelmed her concerning her husband's state of mind. Why she worried? Her man Robert was hugely in debt. Her marital vows to him kept her going despite their debt status. So, it had become a norm for her to ask if he was 'alright' since she'd not have him wander in his thoughts all by himself all the time. His thoughts were borne out of fear of ever becoming debt-free someday, but thinking wasn't going to lead anywhere therefore, she preferred they talked about anything and everything together; no matter how insignificant.
Robert snapped out of his lost state.
"Yes wifey, all will be fine,"
he replied, turning to face her for a moment and forcing a broad smile. Emily knew he faked that smile, just to make her feel good. Nevertheless she acknowledged his smile with a cheerful laughter. 'What?' He asked, confused."The look on your face is absurd".Robert joined in the laughter which was now becoming contagious.Soon, it subsided and the couple stopped for a moment.
'Baby?'
Robert initiated, as he broke the long silence that followed,
'Yea, what?'
Emily whispered.
"Do you sometimes wish you were married to someone else now that I am indebted?
"Hell no! She shrugged. My world,she added, you baby, are the best thing that has happened to me and like I always say, I'll choose you over the cutest and wealthiest man in the world...any day, anytime. I know time is ticking, yet nothing has changed towards how I feel about you".
Robert was calm all through her speech, his ears ached to hear these words of affirmation.He needed them all the time, especially now, when he had nothing to show for all his years of labour. Coming from the woman he promised the world and loved from his youth, these words of affirmation meant so much. But truth be told, sometimes he felt like he had failed as a man.He had failed his wife who still stood by him through thick and thin. Emily drew close and pressed a warm kiss on his left cheek.Then came a rush of tears from Robert's eyes.They'd turned red with emotions.She let him weep like a child he once was.This hadn't been her first time seeing him cry.She never joined him while he cried, after all, a woman should be strong for her husband especially in his lowest state so her experienced mother told her.
'Hey', she stated with eyes full of reassuring faith, It's just debt, not a death sentence". We'll be fine,
the couple echoed in one voice.
"This too will pass".
Robert was an engineer with one of the top tech holdings in the world. He was never a broke guy. In fact, his visionary drive was what attracted Emily to him on that rainy evening on campus. She thought he was an extraordinary youth full of dreams. A guy like this will go far she assured herself.She still thought so even after the company where he worked crumbled somehow and left them heavily indebted to the government of the state.It was huge and they were broke.Notwithstanding, they kept faith alive.
One call changed everything.
One cool morning, the Robert's were at home brainstorming ways to come out of debt when a call came from another engineering firm, asking Robert to prepare himself for a major multi-billion job. The airing voice questioned his identity and asked him to confirm his identity. When he did,the voice said Robert's expertise was needed as a matter of urgency.Not just that, he was asked to state his price which he did without hesitation. He was prepared for this day and when it came, he refused to take chances.After the call, the Robert's excitement could not be quantified.The couple jumped, sang, danced kissed and cried.
"Didn't I tell u baby, that Debt is just a phase? We are stinkingly rich baby !!!"
their voices echoed within the walls, when they became conscious, they turned down their voices and chattered in whispers.
It wasn't safe to scream such aloud...🤐
