Your Change is Coming

us?"

  "I'm sorry that I have hurt you, Margaret. It was not supposed to have happened."

  "You've made it happened. I was completely faithful to you throughout our marriage."

  "I'm so sorry, Margaret."

  "Did she fulfill your carnal desires?"

  "Where is this conversation leading to?"

  "Is she younger than me, Phil?"

  "It doesn't really matter."

  "It matters to me. How could you lie down with another woman?"

  "I'm really sorry, Margaret."

  "You will be sorry, Phil."

  "Who is she? And where did you meet her?"

  "As I said before it really doesn't matter."

  "It matters to me," shouted Margaret.

  Phil kept quiet with his eyes staring at the floor. There was no hiding place. He had to face the music. Margaret was rightfully angry with him. Phil had fallen into temptation in a big way. Unlike Phil, Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife infatuations. Phil was held captive to his desires for Naomi. Everyone knew that Naomi's was very beautiful woman. History was repeated again. Biblical lessons illustrating King David affairs with Beersheba weren't learnt.

  "Do think Naomi is attractive?"

  "You know she is."

  "Do you find her attractive?"

  "She is an attractive young lady."

  "What do you find attractive about her?"

  "Why are there some many questions about Naomi?"

  "Am I making you feeling uncomfortable, Phil?"

  "A little bit."

  "Good. You should be."

  "What is this all about?"

  "I saw the way your eyes looked at her like a man who won the lottery. You were far too attentive to her" and "She looked very embarrassed when you offered to help her with her coat."

  "I was just trying to be friendly."

  "Were you overfriendly with her?"

  "I think you are reading into something that is not there."

  "I don't think so. How friendly have you been with her?"

  "What on earth are you getting at?"

  "You know very well what I am saying, Phil. I want you to be honest with me. How friendly have you been with her?"

  "I'm not answering you."

  "Why are you so afraid to tell me the truth?" and "You can't hide the truth forever. It will come out sooner or later."

  "How can you preach the gospel and live a lie."

  "It's been hard living with myself."

  "You need to confess the truth, Phil."

  "I admit that I had a brief affair with Naomi."

  "I hate you and I don't want to you touch me."

  "I'm so sorry, love."

  "Don't you dare call me, love?"

  Margaret slapped Phil hard across his face and Phil held her hands tightly anticipating another strike. He was displeased with her reaction.

  "I hate you for ruining my life. Why don't you leave Phil?"

  "I'm not going anywhere Margaret. We can work it out together with support."

  "In the past I would have fought for our marriage. I am tired of trying."

  "We can't give up on our marriage."

  "You don't respect our marriage, Phil."

  "I'm sorry, Margaret. It won't happen again."

  Before Margaret slammed shut the door she argued with Phil, "It won't happen again because it's over."

  Phil held his head in shame. Margaret was absolutely furious with Phil. She pace up and down the bedroom floor and threw Phil's clothes out of the bedroom window. She picked up the remote control and she threw it at Phil's head missing him by a whisker.

  "I'm leaving you, Phil and don't you dear touch me again."

  Phil stood a lonely figure locked inside of the spare bedroom. The spare bedroom lack warmth and affection which only Margaret could bring. He was angry with himself for deceiving his wife. He was overwhelmed with guilt and grief. Phil contemplated suicide. He was preparing to hang himself from the light bulb cord until he was interrupted by loud bangs on the door.

  "Open the door, Phil."

  "No."

  "Open the door."

  "Not until you calm down."

  Phil refused to open the door to Margaret. The whole atmosphere was unusually quiet. Margaret was angry with Phil and she was repetitively kicking the spare bedroom door. Phil had never seen her looking that menacing before. He was scared for his life.

  "Open the door, Phil."

  "Not until you are calm."

  "Open the door to me, Phil," demanded Margaret.

  "Why did you have an affair with Naomi?" cried Margaret.

  "It just happened."

  "I want to know why?"

  "It was brief."

  "How long have you been seeing her?"

  "Not long."

  "Was it months or years?"

  "It was a few months."

  "How many months was this going on, Phil."

  "It wasn't a serious relationship."

  "I need to know everything. You owe it to me?"

  "Five months."

  "How long was it?"

  "Five months."

  "How could you share my bed with another woman?"

  "I can see that I've hurt you. Can we discuss this tomorrow?"

  "No. I am not going to make it easier for you, Phil."

  "Okay. It's in the past."

  "Why, Phil?"

  "If you must know we weren't getting on with each other. We were arguing about our children."

  "That is no excuse for infidelity."

  "When our eldest son, John went to University last October you were grieving over him. You weren't concerns about my needs."

  "I don't care about your needs. I love all my children."

  "What about Alan."

  "Alan was stopped and searched. He was arrested by the police in Lower Ashworth."

  "He is a mischievous young man."

  "He is old enough to go to jail."

  "Alan is a lovely boy."

  "He was expelled from school for supplying marijuana to kids."

  "He made a mistake. You need to give him space and time to learn from his mistake."

  "Alan has always been in trouble with the law and I'm fed up of having the police visiting us at least once a week. I want him to leave the house now."

  "Alan is my baby. You can leave the house Phil."

  "He's sixteen years old and six foot two."

  "He is still my baby."

  "He is old enough to know what is right from wrong."

  "You are a middle aged man and you don't know the difference between good and bad."

  "Alan has brought shame and disgrace to our family. I have had enough of living under this constant pressure. We weren't sleeping in the same bedroom. I was sleeping in the spare bedroom whilst you were sleeping in the master bedroom."

  "Oh dear you use our children to cover up your infidelity."

  "Forget it."

  "No. I won't forget it. Does she make you feel happier? Does she make you feel good?"

  "No."

  "Don't lie to me, Phil," shouted a tearful Margaret.

  "Okay she made me feels good. Is that what you want to hear?"

  "I want to hear that you've changed your nasty ways. I thought you were born again. And I thought you could be trusted."

  "I have changed my ways most of the time. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

  "You're a born again liar, Phil. Open the door."

  Phil opened the door of the spare bedroom and Margaret picked up the remote control again and threw it at Phil this time hitting him at the side of his head. It hurt him leaving a red bruise across his forehead.

  "You are a rotten scum. Get out of here. I hate you, Phil," shouted Margaret at the top of her voice."

  "We can work it out together."

  "They are no longer we."

  "I'm not leaving you, Margaret."

  "You are a fraudster and I don't trust you anymore. What's keeping you here,
Phil? Doesn't she want you anymore?"

  "We can work it out together in time, Margaret."

  "Isn't she returning your affection anymore?

  Or has Mantel moved onto the scene?"

  "It's nothing like that. We've made a pack to end the relationship."

  "Was it nice to have two women cooing after you, Phil?"

  "I am so sorry, love."

  "Why don't you go away, Phil" and "Don't you dare call me love again."

  She slammed the spare bedroom door narrowly missing Phil fingers. Margret had lost control of her emotions. She was betrayed by her husband she had trusted and supported for over twenty years. Margaret was humiliated. He was the shadow of the man she once knew. Phil cowed behind the spare bedroom door. He felt a sense of relief for not having to face Margaret temper again. But he knew he had to communicate with her tomorrow about his infidelity. Tonight, he was having a much needed space away from Margaret to lick his wounds. Phil slept in the spare bedroom tossing and turning throughout the night.

  Twenty-three

  There was a loud knock on the front door. It was past Jayne's bedtime. You could hear someone singing Christmas carols outside of the house. It was Naomi's dad, Fred, who was dancing and singing on the street pavement drawing unwelcomed attention to himself from the neighbours. He sung, "Away in a manger no crib for a bed."

  One of the female neighbours was obviously not amused as it was the Easter holidays. Jeff hoped that this miserable neighbour would not phone the police to report that there was a maniac on the loose. She didn't see the funnier side of life. She once shouted at Jeff for mowing his lawn on Sunday afternoon. She held strong traditional and religious beliefs that everyone should keep Sunday as a holy day.

  "Open the door, man," shouted Naomi's dad.

  "I am coming," screamed Jeff.

  "Hurry up," cried Fred.

  Jeff was a bald headed man wearing silver brim glasses. He rushed out of the toilet pulling his trouser up. He hardly had time to flush the toilet. A foul smell filled the lounge reaching to the front door. Jeff opened the front door to his father in law.

  "Hello, Fred."

  "Hello, Jeff."

  "Fred. It's good to see you. Come on in."

  "What is that horrendous smell coming out of your house, man?"

  "It's the toilet."

  "Let me look at Jeff. You have changed a lot since the last time