18 Years After ‘I Do’

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. Leave a Comment

My wife was standing by her friend’s side as she said “I do” to my best friend, who she believes is the man of her dreams. All it took was one intense gaze from me and she tickled from the ends of her hair to the tips of her toe. Dave, finding the correct woman to wife is not easy but I am lucky to have recognized my friend’s wife’s Maid of Honor, who I believe had smiled her way out of my fantasy and come to life. We became friends after the wedding and I realized how much I liked her a lot. Friendship was so easy we didn’t have to impress each other. I was seen as I truly am. I held on to her as the weeks and months passed because I could appreciate her thoughtfulness and introspection. Everything and nothing were on the table for discussion because we enjoyed talking about something. I admired the woman she was. I had also developed trust in her to the extent that, I was sure about my interest in an exclusive relationship with her. She was the right wife fabric I needed to stitch and embroider. I became so consistent in my actions because she was extremely consistent in her care for me.

We dated for 13 months and in those periods, I realized how my emotions towards her often would feel strained, while her feelings of love for me would lessen. I wasn’t always in love with her. She wasn’t always impressed or in awe of me. I did not always desire to be with her. I did not always want to choose her above all others. It was a confusing phase in my life. I imagined talking to other women with whom I felt I was going to be more compatible with. On my 40th birthday, my 7-year-old niece wished me a happy birthday and asked when I was going to get married. I was very surprised at her question. I told her I didn’t know and she said, ‘Uncle, love is not just a feeling. Love is a choice.’

I asked her to explain and she said she doesn’t always love my nephew because they fight and argue a lot. Her brother is unkind to her most of the time but she still loved him even though sometimes her love for him feels further away. That was the conversation that changed my approach to love and marriage. I had forgotten that I really wanted to be with my wife, her flaws and strengths together. I didn’t have to choose her in a perfect state. I didn’t have to know how to be married in order to be a great husband. I didn’t have to know what it looked like in my day-to-day to love a wife, honor and cherish her. It didn’t have to look a certain way to be perfect. And instead of zoning out when things aren’t going or feeling the way I wanted them to be, I would rather talk to her about it.

I asked my wife to marry me a day after my 40th birthday, and we’ve been together since for 18 years. My marriage entails a lot of generosity with kind words and respect. I am a source of help to my wife without being asked. Dave, it has taken me a lot of daily attention, patience and hard work to see these 18-year results happening to us in 2026. And just like any farm, our marriage has gone through its own different seasons, in which I’ve had to nurture the soil, pull unwanted weeds and intentionally adapting to unpredictable weather to yield a healthy bond as harvest. I am doing the work as a man and husband, the best way I know how. And every deposit I have made into my marriage has been so far, worth the effort.

My wife is a good listener but I too listen to her, not with the intention of reacting but to understand her. I’ve never expected perfection from my wife because I am not perfect in my ways. And the Bible was right about one thing, ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” I am reminded to calm whenever I am almost frustrated with her. I am reminded to do what I can to make her happy instead of chasing after what would make me happy from outside.

There is joy in our marriage because we lean on God. There is peace in our marriage because God is in the center of our marriage.

Image Credit: Nude The Photographer

Not Eating

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. Leave a Comment

Wilson: My best friend is in prison. She was being investigated for murdering her husband. She did not confess to the crime but she told me once that she wasn’t going to let him get away with something he had done. My husband is my biggest partner in crime because we gossip together a lot. I jokingly told him about the threat my friend had made one day on the way home from a party, and the next morning, we heard about the demise of my friend’s husband. To be clear David, I don’t know what she did but the medical examiners tested his blood, urine and internal organs to detect lethal substances. He was poisoned.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): By?

Wilson: I don’t know. My friend, allegedly.

DBM: What did her late husband do?

Wilson: He was living a double life.

DBM: An affair?

Wilson: Yes, that had produced a child. Fast forward to April 2026; I found out that my own husband is expecting a child with another woman. I’ve been trying to smile and pretend that everything around me is fine but it’s not. I can forgive my husband but he doesn’t believe I’m capable of letting go. He’s not ate food from my kitchen since April, 12.

DBM: Where’s he feeding then?

Wilson: I don’t know. He comes home not hungry.

DBM: Then he’s not hungry

Wilson: Dave, we’re talking about my husband. He can wake me up at dawn to fry shrimps and put it in sauce for him to eat. His crave for food has no time zone

DBM: How long have you been married?

Wilson: 10 years.

DBM: Kids?

Wilson: Yes. We have children. Initially, I was thinking he probably wasn’t hungry but we’re in June and he’s still not hungry to eat my food?

DBM: Leave the man alone. He doesn’t want to eat your food. That is also okay. The fewer the merrier.

Wilson: But it’s upsetting me.

DBM: Why?

Wilson: He thinks I’m going to poison him

DBM: He specifically told you that?

Wilson: No, but what else could it mean?

DBM: Have you communicated your concerns to him?

Wilson: I have

DBM: And?

Wilson: He doesn’t take it seriously. He tells me not to worry

DBM: Is your husband happily married to you?

Wilson: He has a baby on the way with another woman. Will a happily married man do that?

DBM: Marriages go through tough times like these sometimes. It doesn’t mean it has to shake the foundations on which it was built.

Wilson: Mine is currently shaking. Trust has been broken

DBM: Fair enough. Has the affair been addressed?

Wilson: Yes

DBM: How long has it been going on?

Wilson: 3 years. That is what he told me

DBM: Do you believe him?

Wilson: No

DBM: Does your husband have insight into how he’s hurt you with his actions, or he’s oblivious?

Wilson: He’s apologized

DBM: And?

Wilson: I have forgiven but not forgotten.

DBM: Is he truly sorry for his choice or sorry because he got caught?

Wilson: He is sorry because I found out about the pregnancy

DBM: How did you find out?

Wilson: A friend of mine is a nurse. She informed me about it.

DBM: How did she know?

Wilson: She saw them leaving the hospital where she works, together, in his car. She took a picture of them from a distance.

DBM: Is this an isolated event, sort of, or you think it’s a pattern?

Wilson: I think he’s been unfaithful to me all these 10 years with other women.

DBM: How do you know?

Wilson: I just know, from some of the chats on his phone.

DBM: You touched his phone?

Wilson: I had to, when he was asleep

DBM: Do you have the depth and strength to recover from this?

Wilson: I don’t know because I will never trust him again. Dave, I am angry and depressed and I have anxiety. Going through these emotions alone is difficult.

DBM: I can only imagine. Is he at least, showing up for you – to make it up to you?

Wilson: He can start by eating from my kitchen

DBM: This again? Lol! How is that important?

Wilson: It is important to me

DBM: Have you considered seeking counseling from a professional therapist?

Wilson: Yes

DBM: Okay?

Wilson: I’m talking to you.

DBM: I am not a counselor

Wilson: You are to me

DBM: You need to speak with a professional

Wilson: I feel comfortable talking to you about it.

DBM: Understood, but I am not trained for this

Wilson: Ok

DBM: A three-year affair that is producing a child isn’t purely physical. There is a deep emotional connection already built. The intimacy they share has been over amplified, meaning, he perceives the intimacy he shares with you to be lacking something. Something is making your husband drift apart from you.

Wilson: What do I do?

DBM: Talk

Wilson: Over dinner, anaa? I cook, we sit and eat together and talk.

DBM: Yeah!

Wilson: That’s the point I’ve been making all along. He has to start eating from home.

DBM: You’ve really forgiven him?

Wilson: I think so. I want him to end the relationship with her.

DBM: What if he doesn’t want to?

Wilson: I will put myself in a different place doing different things.

DBM: You don’t have plans of poisoning him, do you?

Wilson: Not yet

Image Credit: The Only Abdulla

The Man He’s Not

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. Leave a Comment

Rawline: Hi David. Please do me a favor. This is a picture of my husband making out with the man he’s been sleeping with. Can you post their faces on your page for me?

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Why would I post something like that?

Rawline: You’re not going to post it?

DBM: Make a post of it on your own timeline.

Rawline: I can’t

DBM: Why not?

Rawline: I’m preparing to file for divorce.

DBM: Contact Cila or Manokekame. They might consider posting it.

Rawline: Why don’t you want to share my story?

DBM: This is not a story. You want to humiliate your husband. My platform is not for such purposes. You’re conducting a revenge campaign.

Rawline: Why are men so heartless?

DBM: Some men, not all men

Rawline: I don’t understand why my husband would do this to me

DBM: Have you confronted him about this picture?

Rawline: No. The other guy is also married.

DBM: Confront him!

Rawline: What do I gain from that?

DBM: You live in a society that pushes men like your husband to cower in the closet because of their sexual orientation.

Rawline: What has that got to do with the fact that the man I have children with is a homosexual?

DBM: How did you get this image?

Rawline: Does it matter? I’ve had my husband followed for months. They’ve been meeting at a rented apartment. I got a camera installed. I have a full video of them in the act.

DBM: Let him know you have in your possession, evidence of him being intimate with another man. Let him know you know he’s having sex with men.

Rawline: Dave, all these years I’ve been in a trauma bond with this narcissist and liar. His actions towards me made me believe I was the cause of his unhappiness in the marriage. Why are men like that?

DBM: Some men, not all men.

Rawline: I have been left alone in this miserable marriage to be picking up the pieces.

DBM: I’m very sorry about that.

Rawline: Men are wicked David.

DBM: Can I ask questions?

Rawline: What?

DBM: You had no idea about his sexuality prior to marriage?

Rawline: No

DBM: You had no inkling of a sort?

Rawline: No.

DBM: How has your sex life been like?

Rawline: Normal. Dave, my husband is a strong man. He has no girlish tendencies. I had no suspicions.

DBM: How do you think you’ve both changed since you got married?

Rawline: I realized something was lacking weeks after we got married but I didn’t know what it was. There was no urgency in his desire for me. But when we’re in public, he’s excited about introducing me to his friends and colleagues. After the birth of our first child, he became angry and belligerent. I also realized how withdrawn and anxious he often was. So many things weren’t adding up which was confusing to me.

DBM: What’s your favorite memory of him?

Rawline: He loves our children and treats them better. He’s more loving towards them, he’s happy to see them. He is more enthusiastic when he’s talking to the children. He hugs them and kisses them, and would sacrifice his last money and free time for them. He is a good father and is more interested his children’s lives. But Dave, this marriage is broken and cannot be repaired.

DBM: Have you considered how your life would look like once you’re divorced?

Rawline: I have thought about it. I would rather be alone than to limit myself to a miserable life. I don’t want to model the wrong example of a marriage to my children by staying in a shitty situation. This is not what I signed up for. My issue is, if I had fallen in love with another man, because I wouldn’t want to have an affair, I would leave my husband. Why can’t men be honest with women? I always felt he had been acting differently. He was behaving as if he didn’t want to be with me while he was playing out his fantasies with other men. I was convinced I was the reason for his unhappiness.

DBM: This is your escape route if you’ve been feeling trapped in the marriage. It’s not healthy to endure hopelessness and misery. This is your perfect relief to leave behind all the pain.

Rawline: I really loved my husband, David. To now have to grieve the loss of the man I love, and a marriage I have invested so much of my youth, resources and everything heavily in, the future I thought we were building together as a family. All these years of my life spent with him was a sham. Who does that? I am going to publicly humiliate this guy for what he has done to me.

DBM: Things do not always feel fair or logical in life sometimes. The pain, hurt and fear you’re experiencing aren’t proof that your life is over. You’re not broken.

Rawline: I am broken, David.

DBM: Imagine your best friend came to you this very evening feeling the way you are feeling now – what would you say to her? What would your immediate instinct offer her? You’re not that broken, believe me. Offer yourself the very same kindness you would grace your best friend with. You can find a safe space to heal from this kind of betrayal. Do not lose sight of what gives your life meaning and purpose. Your husband, at this moment, is not your purpose to fulfill.

Rawline: Do you think he’s going to be gay forever?

DBM: I understand that you love him but you may want more from your marriage than he can ever offer you over time.

Rawline: Can a gay man love a woman?

DBM: I think so. If your husband has ever told you he loved you, he probably did. However, loving you doesn’t change his orientation

Rawline: Awwww. David. You’re making me cry. Thank you. I will go ahead with the divorce.

Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto

Pursuit Of Happiness

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. Leave a Comment

Armstrong: I’m considering leaving my wife but I don’t know how to explain my decision to her

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Explain your decision to me

Armstrong: That’s the problem Dave; I don’t have a legal reason. Can a man leave his wife without providing concrete reasons?

DBM: Yes, legally, a man or woman can just wake up one morning and pack up and leave or file for divorce. I’ve had conversations in the past with men and women who did that and the courts granted them divorce.

Armstrong: What kind of divorce did they file?

DBM: I don’t remember exactly but I know someone once mentioned a ‘no-fault divorce’ or something like that. Would you want me to post this conversation on my platform?

Armstrong: Yes, but anonymously.

DBM: Of course. I’m certain the lawyers who often comment on my cases would educate us on these types of filings.

Armstrong: Thank you Dave

DBM: How long have you been married?

Armstrong: I don’t want to give details about my marriage. My wife might read this

DBM: She follows my page?

Armstrong: I don’t know. Women follow your page. That’s all I know

DBM: You have children?

Armstrong: Yes. Don’t ask me how many or their ages

DBM: Why do you want to divorce your wife?

Armstrong: I told you already, I don’t know

DBM: You know!

Armstrong: Lol. There’s no reason. She’s not done anything wrong to me.

DBM: What have you done wrong then?

Armstrong: Lol.

DBM: Because there is rarely ‘no reason’ if we’re to touch on the emotional and psychological subject of it.

Armstrong: I am not happy

DBM: You’re not happy with?

Armstrong: I don’t know Dave

DBM: You know!

Armstrong: Lol. Stop saying I know

DBM: You know! If I am not happy, I may not be happy with myself, my life, my partner, marriage or a particular circumstance. You can’t just say you’re not happy.

Armstrong: I am not happy

DBM: What do you feel is that long-term underlying issue shifting your marriage in the quiet?

Armstrong: I don’t have an answer that would make sense to you.

DBM: Unmet needs?

Armstrong: She meets my needs

DBM: Okay! So, then what are some of the emotions you’re not bold enough to speak about with her? Because you’re clearly emotionally distant, no?

Armstrong: Yes

DBM: Are you happy with your life?

Armstrong: I have a good career. I love my children. I’m happy being a father. I would flourish being a single dad and not a husband.

DBM: And not a husband to your wife or generally being a husband to anyone?

Armstrong: Being a husband to my wife

DBM: Do you find your wife attractive?

Armstrong: I used to

DBM: Why don’t you anymore?

Armstrong: There’s no explanation. Before you ask, there is no new side-chick in the waiting. I’m not seeing anyone. Dave, I just want to be single. I want to be single. I don’t want to be married anymore. I’m not happy

DBM: What would make you happy?

Armstrong: If I’m divorced

DBM: Do you feel safe at home?

Armstrong: What do you mean?

DBM: Do you feel safe around your wife?

Armstrong: Yes, but I don’t want it anymore

DBM: Do you feel seen by your wife?

Armstrong: Sometimes

DBM: Do you feel your wife understands you, as a man in her life?

Armstrong: I don’t know. I don’t care

DBM: When was the last time you had sex with your wife?

Armstrong: I’m not answering that question

DBM: Are you getting sex from another person?

Armstrong: I’m not answering that question

DBM: Do you fancy spending time with your wife?

Armstrong: No

DBM: Do you fancy spending time with your family?

Armstrong: I love spending time with my children.

DBM: This is what I’ve deduced thus far: you might be a good man but not necessarily a great partner to your wife, no?

Armstrong: I’m a good person

DBM: But not good enough for your wife

Armstrong: I am not the husband she deserves

DBM: Have you cheated on your wife before?

Armstrong: Yes

DBM: But you’re not considering leaving your wife for another woman?

Armstrong: Not at the moment. I just want to be single

DBM: Are you sexually compatible with your wife?

Armstrong: Yes

DBM: How about physical intimacy?

Armstrong: I just answered you. We have good sex

DBM: Intimacy isn’t about sex. Good sex is just a complementary factor to build a marriage on easily.

Armstrong: We’re intimate

DBM: Does your marriage burden you?

Armstrong: I think we’re going round and round with your questions. You’re repeating questions with different words.

DBM: I am not. How old are you?

Armstrong: In my 40s

DBM: At what point did you stop being intentional about your marriage?

Armstrong: When she was pregnant with our second child

DBM: What happened?

Armstrong: I don’t want to talk about it

DBM: What happened to you when she was pregnant with your second child?

Armstrong: I fell in love with someone else

DBM: Where is this other person now?

Armstrong: Dead

DBM: What happened to her?

Armstrong: I don’t know

DBM: Let’s talk about your wife

Armstrong: I don’t want to talk about her

DBM: Why not?

Armstrong: I don’t want to talk about her

DBM: Okay then! Would you want to discuss how your decision would make her feel?

Armstrong: She has to understand

DBM: Let’s assume you tell her you want out, and she doesn’t, and would want to fight for her marriage; what would be the way forward?

Armstrong: The way forward wouldn’t be with me. I want to be single

DBM: Why did you get married to her?

Armstrong: I was in love. I don’t know

DBM: Have you considered seeing a marriage counselor?

Armstrong: Yes

DBM: And?

Armstrong: It’s a waste of time. It wouldn’t change how I am feeling

DBM: But have you made the attempt to see one?

Armstrong: No. I know I will be happy if I am no longer married

DBM: Where do you see happiness?

Armstrong: My next chapter should be a happy place

DBM: Just be careful about placing your happiness to an unknown destination. We men very much are addicted to the high of finding our happy spots somewhere else. Yes, your next chapter could be your happy place, but happiness isn’t somewhere else. Happiness is where you are, and until you sit to seriously analyze your choices, you may never appreciate the happiness in where you find yourself today.

Armstrong: Gotta go Dave. Thanks for chatting

Image Credit: Savia Rocks

The Marriage I Want

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Neff: I had been kicked out of my house after living there for 7 years. My former landlord’s son was relocating from London and she needed to host him and her grandchildren in the building I was renting. It was an impromptu alert that cost me a lot of money, my time and basic freedom. It was not an easy year to be dealing with the scene of being kicked out of the place I had called and made home for years. Dave, this is the story about how I met my wife. My wife was a colleague from work. We were friends, though we weren’t close.

Four months after my eviction notice had been served, our employer planned a staff retreat to take us out of the office and put us together in another location, where we were charged to work together on some non-work-related projects. It was one of those retreats for us to step away from our regular day-to-day stuff to focus on the bigger picture. The retreat helped me to remove myself from the distraction of not still finding a house to rent. It was also an opportunity for me to see the way I interacted with everybody in the company. The retreat ended and I was tasked to carry along a few of the activity items to my house.

My wife, who was then a colleague, decided to give me a ride back home because my car wouldn’t start that morning. We got home, and she insisted on helping me carry the activity items to my living room. She realized I was in the process of packing out and wondered why. She wasn’t the type of friend I discussed personal issues with, but on that day, something about the way she expressed her concern, made me open up to her. Dave, sometimes help just land better when they come from a familiar, yet not so familiar face. As it turned out, she lived in a 3-bedroom house all by herself and wasn’t going to mind having me as her housemate. The catch in her proposal was for me to pay half of the rent, which I was more than willing to. I am still not sure what caused this beautiful woman to invest in me with that level of kindness.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Do you know how she was perceiving you or your friendship/work relationship?

Neff: I know she had a lot of respect for me and had in one or more occasions, called me an intelligent man.

DBM: How did you feel when she first addressed you as such?

Neff: It was a good feeling. I felt seen and appreciated. I became a friend to her

DBM: Okay! So, you moved in with her?

Neff: Yes. A week after moving in to her house, I started taking notice of the kinds of books she read. Her bookshelves were absolutely impressive to the extent that, I did not see myself going out of my way to be reading her books, so I could have access to enter into her world, in order to engage her in her zone naturally. Our conversations surrounding her books, which I read 70% of, revealed a lot of commonality and shared interests.

DBM: How fond of her were you?

Neff: I liked her. I wasn’t sure to what extent but I knew how much I liked her.

DBM: How much did you like her?

Neff: Really much. She invited me to hang out with her and her friends. I got to know her friends; they got to know me.

DBM: Did you find her attractive?

Neff: Yes. My wife is a very attractive woman. Our friendship grew to a point where I wanted to invest myself fully, and I did. My love for her grew because I put in the work.

DBM: How long did you stay in her house?

Neff: Three years as her co-tenant

DBM: Would you advise your single sister to accommodate a stray man in her home for three years?

Neff: No Dave.

DBM: Why not?

Neff: Because a lot of our guys have not passed the safety test after being vetted by many women. Who we invite to our homes say a lot about what we think of our homes. I had good character; I had good morals. She knew who I was before letting me in. But most importantly, she was familiar with and also had trust in my presence, thus, why she allowed me to stay.

DBM: How long had you been working together by then?

Neff: Six years. Dave, life gives all of us different experiences. This was just one of mine, and my wife’s intuition was working to protect her. She knew whether her decision to invite me to stay with her was right or wrong before leaning into it. Secondly, we worked in the same office. She knew me. I knew her. And she knew she would feel comfortable, supported and understood by me. That was who I was to her at work and I think that was one of the reasons why she did not hesitate to talk herself out of what felt real.

DBM: What do you think felt real?

Neff: Her kindness. My wife is very kind to me to this day.

DBM: At what point did you realize you were falling in love with her?

Neff: When I noticed I was excited do things I’ve done a thousand times before because it was with her. I was never bored. Repeating activities with her felt new and exciting. But I knew I was falling in love with her when I got so mad at our boss one time for raising his voice at her. It was so unusual of me to go out of my way to defend her honor in that circumstance. My sense of empathy toward her had increased.

DBM: How did you know she was falling for you too?

Neff: Dave, I knew. She felt secure and comfortable being around me. Anytime I cheered her on, she developed this new courage to expand and become better at whatever she was doing. She was also willing to sit through hours of a sport game on radio or TV, just to spend time with me. It wasn’t a struggle for either of us to make time.

DBM: How long have you been married?

Neff: 21 years

DBM: Have you cheated on your wife since you got married?

Neff: No. But it had occurred to me a couple of times in the past. I just did not act on it. Our marriage became boring and monotonous for me at a point.

DBM: Why did you not act on the urge?

Neff: Because excitement in the bedroom can be rekindled. There was no need seeking outside assistance. There other reason was that, being unfaithful to my wife meant, I would have no right to demand a monogamous commitment, nor have the moral high ground to chastise her for seeing other men. If I can have my cake and eat it, then my wife can attempt to have her cake and eat it too. My dad used to tell us a husband is supposed to love, trust and be honest with his wife but he cheated on my mother. When my mother betrayed him by also sleeping with another man, he got so upset and furious and could not forgive her. They ended up getting a divorce. That’s not what I want.

DBM: What in your opinion has made your marriage a success?

Neff: My marriage is 21 years old because I know who I am. My wife knows who she is. Individually, we know what makes us happy and can feel good all by ourselves without needing each other’s validation. We believe in our separate strengths and have fulfilled and pursued our dreams. We have achieved life goals independently, grabbed life changing opportunities and can function on our own without the help or support of the other. We built ourselves and careers as individuals before we became an ‘us. I married a woman who I genuinely love seeing walk into the room. Dave, believe me when I say I still smile when my wife shows up. The bond I’ve intentionally built with my bride is strong and can endure temptations. Respect is the third seasoning in our soup. I respect my wife so much. Probably that is why my love and trust in her hasn’t deteriorated that quickly. We communicate very well and would resolve a disagreement with a Hug, kiss, sex or all three at a go. My marriage is successful because I touch my wife every day. I hold her hand. I give randoms hugs. Slightly squeezes parts of her body. She touches parts of my body randomly, every day. This is what it means to be held for 21 years.

Image Credit: Gustavo Fring

I Need A Drink

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Ranger: Hi David. Quick question. Is it every conversation you have in your inbox that you post publicly?

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Hey Kwasi. How are you doing? No! Majority of the people who reach out to me would later ask me not to post their chat with me, and I always respect that. Why do ask?

Ranger: I’m not sure if I would want mine shared publicly

DBM: That’s okay!

Ranger: Are you sure it wouldn’t bother you?

DBM: It wouldn’t be a problem.

Ranger: You said you’re not a counselor?

DBM: I’m not a counselor.

Ranger: My wife just asked me to take a side chick and bang with no emotional attachment.

DBM: What was her reason?

Ranger: She wants me to offer my easygoing, fun and no expectations version of myself to that other woman because she (my wife) expects a lot from me and I’m always complaining she’s too rigid. Dave, my wife no longer craves for my dick like I crave for her pussy.

DBM: How long have you been married?

Ranger: 7 years.

DBM: You have children?

Ranger: 2

DBM: So, you need an escape?

Ranger: What do you mean?

DBM: An escape from the chores and responsibilities of being a husband and father to two young kids?

Ranger: You’re missing the point

DBM: What’s the point?

Ranger: What goes with a meal?

DBM: Water

Ranger: My meals usually go with a drink. I need a drink, Dave.

DBM: Well, your wife is giving you the go-ahead to get a drink, no? They will play their roles to the T. Go get ‘em’.

Ranger: My wife is up to something. That’s what I’m thinking.

DBM: Your wife discovered your true character in due time, and may have made peace with it. That’s what I’m thinking.

Ranger: I don’t understand

DMB: Ask yourself why you have gotten to this stage in your marriage where she is very comfortable giving less of herself to you than you deserve? She knows you’re already cheating on her and are deserving of less than her best. She’s not interested in being an accessory to your lies and infidelity. Reason why she’s enabling you to go have a drink or two out there.

Ranger: I had just one affair, one, and she doesn’t even know about it.

DBM: Okay!

Ranger: Can you post so I know what people think of my issue?

Image Credit: Didsss

It Takes Two

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Phyliss: I feel alone. I’ve been downplaying it but I feel so alone in my marriage. I don’t think my husband sees or values me.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): How long have you been married?

Phyliss: 9 years. He’s a great father to our children but he’s terrible at being a husband to me.

DBM: Terrible in what sense?

Phyliss: I need him to be present to my needs but he thinks I’m needy. He’s not offering the connection and conversation I crave for. My husband is supposed to be my best friend, Dave.

DBM: Do you have friends?

Phyliss: I do

DBM: Who is your best friend?

Phyliss: My husband

DBM: Who is your second-best friend?

Phyliss: I don’t have one

DBM: You do

Phyliss: They’re not my best friends. They’re just friends.

DBM: Prior to meeting your husband, who was your closest friend?

Phyliss: Jane

DBM: Where is Jane in your life right now?

Phyliss: We talk but we’re not so close

DBM: Why are you no longer that close?

Phyliss: Because my husband wanted to become my closest friend after we got married.

DBM: How long has it been since you noticed the drifting apart?

Phyliss: It’s been 5 years. I just want him to be as loving and supportive as he used to be. I wish I can make him get off his phone after work and on weekends. He barely looks up from his phone or laptop. Our conversations at home, most of the time centers around the children or the bills. There is an invisible wall between us anytime I sit across the room. I’m withering away, Dave.

DBM: You’re choosing to wither away. Have you spoken to him about your current experience at home?

Phyliss: He snaps and tags me as needy

DBM: Why did you get married?

Phyliss: I fell in love. I was ready to start a family with someone. When I met my husband, I realized I wanted to see him more. I wanted to talk to him more. I imagined a future with him in it. There was exciting sexual tension between us and it became clear that we weren’t just friends.

DBM: Why do you think he chose to marry you?

Phyliss: Maybe he thought that was what he had to do, and then later discovered that, no matter how hard he tried loving me, he yearned to be single again?

DBM: It could be possible but have you asked him why he married you?

Phyliss: Yes. He said he was in love. But his actions say otherwise. I think my husband wishes he could be single again and stay single.

DBM: If that is what he wants, could you grant him that?

Phyliss: No Dave. I don’t think so. We have children we’re raising together.

DBM: Do you work?

Phyliss: Yes. Dave, I’ve stood by this guy through his hardest seasons in life. When we married, it wasn’t long before he became unemployed. And for 14 months, I kept food in the fridge, paid all the bills, helped him to settle his debts because I assumed his debts were mine too; warmed his side of the bed at night. I did everything I could to make my husband stay motivated and happy. I took on responsibilities without complaining just to keep our heads above water. I have sacrificed my own downtime in order for him to pursue his dreams.

DBM: Is your husband happy in the marriage?

Phyliss: I don’t think so.

DBM: So, you can clearly read into him?

Phyliss: Yes.

DBM: Are you happily married?

Phyliss: No, but I don’t want to throw away what we have built together.

DBM: What percentage of what you have built together is his contribution?

Phyliss: I’m the one who wants the marriage to work

DBM: I know, but still grade it.

Phyliss: I’d say 35%

DBM: 35% of his effort has been put into the nine years of marriage to work?

Phyliss: Yes.

DBM: Is he a responsible father to his children?

Phyliss: He is.

DBM: So, he will take care of them, whether or not you’re together?

Phyliss: He will.

DBM: Have you tried couples therapy?

Phyliss: We’ve met our pastor and his wife and few of our church elders but everyone seems to think I have to do more to keep my husband interested in the marriage. I’ve been doing the more they’re suggesting to me.

DBM: Ugh! Don’t even tell me about church people. Smh! I’m referring to professional counseling

Phyliss: No. He wouldn’t participate. I know my husband. I’m just sad that he’s no longer happy to be with me. What would you have done Dave, if you were in my shoes?

DBM: Before I got married, one of the vows my spouse and I agreed on was that, should we ever reach that point in our union, where we’re no longer that much into each other, and are finding other people and what they mean to us attractive, we would first sit and discuss the changes in our feelings and wants and desires, and then propose whether or not we’d be in an open-marriage/relationship or simply go our separate ways. It doesn’t mean the love we once felt for one another wasn’t strong enough. People change, and sometimes, when people show you how far they’ve gone in their change – it’s them simply being sincere with you without wanting to say as much. Even if it makes no sense to you the wife who still is very much interested in, and connected to them and the history shared.

Phyliss: I don’t know what to do

DBM: Stand on patience and be present to what makes you happy. Whatever used to make you happy before you met your husband, find that thing and explore it all over again. Remind yourself, not with words but your energy and presence that marriage is not all there is to you.

Phyliss: I’m still sad but thank you.

Image Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko

Car Prank

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Karen: My husband surprised me with a 2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing RWD last year, as my Christmas present. I didn’t ask for it. In fact, I would have rather preferred the money given to me to invest in personal projects but anyway, I loved the gesture. I drove the car for exactly one week, and then all of a sudden, he was the one using the car. He would leave his car behind and tell me to drive that instead. I let it slide for a couple of weeks because I thought it’s still for the family’s use. But now, I don’t have access to the car anymore. He’s taken over and wants me to use his old car instead. I don’t understand why he would do that to me.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Gurl, that was your husband’s dream car. He bought it specifically for himself, but through the courtesy of you.

Karen: How so?

DBM: Smh! Has he ever given you a huge sum of money for say, the house or to support your personal project or dream?

Karen: Yes

DBM: And, did he, within the span of a month or less, come up with an imaginary urgent excuse just to borrow money from you?

Karen: Yes

DBM: Knowing very well you were going to tap into the very same money he had gifted you?

Karen: Hmmm

DBM: Good! Now do the math with the car scenario.

Karen: That would be disappointing if he never intended giving me that car.

DBM: He never intended giving you that Cadillac, sorry.

Karen: I’m saddened by that

DBM: Do you work?

Karen: Yes

DBM: A good job?

Karen: A very good job

DBM: Save money and buy your own car if you wish to.

Karen: I’m very disappointed in my husband.

DBM: Don’t be. Men have the tendency to pretend to be low maintenance when in reality, we choose to minimize or deny our true feelings, acting as if we’re unaware of our expectations, desires and limits. We know exactly what we do to you. Believe me when I tell you this.

Karen: I believe you

DBM: Do not underestimate any man who pretends to give up what they really want and be agreeable.

Karen: What do I do now?

DBM: You do nothing. It’s his car. Pretend you appreciate the gesture and let go. If he wants you to drive the car, he will hand over the keys.

Karen: What if I don’t want it anymore?

DBM: Then you don’t want it anymore. There is still a used car at home, no?

Karen: Yes.

DBM: Drive that one. Life goes on.

Karen: Ok

DBM: Are you happy in the marriage?

Karen: Yes

DBM: You believe he loves you?

Karen: He does

DBM: You love him as much, no?

Karen: I do.

DBM: He respects and honors you?

Karen: He does

DBM: He treats you right and would do right by you?

Karen: Yes

DBM: He speaks to and with you with respect?

Karen: Yes

DBM: It’s just a car. Today, it might be a struggle to trust or love on him and his intentions for you because he furnished you with a whirlpool of Cadillac CT4-V emotions. Get over it, so tomorrow, you can be open to the idea of feeling like the luckiest woman in the world – because he loves you.

Karen: But should I still trust in him?

DBM: DO NOT TRUST A MAN. I tell you ladies all the time but you continue leading with your hearts. Believe a man if he tells you he loves you but DO NOT TRUST the hell out of him. Believing in us goes a long way in making us feel we matter. We wouldn’t act out if we know you believe in us.

Karen: But would you act out if you know I don’t trust you.

DBM: I will pretend to be hurt but I can hold on to the fact that you at least, believe in me. Men are very cunning. I am telling you this as a man myself; especially those who’ve got their shit together, got a little swag of attitude, and knows their place from left to right. Do not be led by passion and throw caution to the wind. Be alert to our nonchalant charm when we make you feel something.

Karen: Thank you David.

Image Credit: Danmds

Water is tasty

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Awal: Hello David. Can I share my 31 years of experience in marriage?

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Oh wow! 31 years? Yes, I want to learn

Awal: Your surname, is it Mbir or Bondze Mbir?

DBM: Bondze-Mbir.

Awal: Where is the name from?

DBM: Winneba.

Awal: Simpa. Do you speak Efutu?

DBM: No!

Awal: Have you been there before?

DBM: Once. I am Fante though

Awal: Fante is your mother’s side?

DBM: Yes. Elmina.

Awal: Have you been there before?

DBM: Yes. Once

Awal: Ok. To my story; It was love at first sight when I looked into the eyes of my wife for the first time. I was healing from a heartbreak and thought I was done with the dating game. I had always been afraid of what might go wrong in a relationship. I wasn’t great at committing to just one woman because I was afraid of missing out on something better in the future. A lot of ‘what ifs’ played on my mind and because of that, I became the ladies’ man. I went for the finest girls I could persuade, the perfect shapes, the best I could attract but could not offer my best to them. In hindsight, I did not know what it was that I actually wanted, and therefore, was chasing the types of women I thought I could have. My intentions weren’t sincere. I was leading girls on just to get them to like me. I knew none of them could break through to get me to be loyal to one girl. This is a past of mine I regret.

DBM: It was all about sex, I guess?

Awal: Yes, and a need for casual companionship.

DBM: Okay!

Awal: While at it I met this other girl. The one who broke my heart before I met my wife. She was the perfect girl I was willing to let my guard down for. It is kind of hard to gauge this particular situation because I didn’t see it coming. She was the first girl I would do things for out of the kindness of my heart with no intention of getting something in return. I loved her and I could not control that moment and outcome. I didn’t know I was capable of falling in love. This made me get lost in my worries and fears. I didn’t want to take her for granted. This was the comical part; she was the first girl I prayed to God about.

DBM: You liked her that much?

Awal: I loved her.

DBM: What happened?

Awal: Unbeknownst to me, she was the cousin of one of the many girls I had played and dumped. She planted herself in my life at the right moment with the help of her cousin who knew a lot about my daily routine, and got me wrapped around her finger in all the wrong ways I couldn’t see coming. To cut the miserable story short, I lost a lot of money in the process of her short-term revenge diversion game. We were planning to get married when she left me to go marry someone else. I nearly committed suicide.

DBM: How did you find out it was a conspiracy?

Awal: The cousin I used to fuck with came to my office to tell me why I was never going to see her cousin again. And truly, I never saw her cousin again.

DBM: Wait! The one you played was the one in your office in this scenario?

Awal: Yes. I didn’t set eyes on the one I was planning marriage with again.

DBM: There was no further communication, breakup, closure, etc.

Awal: Nothing. We were on good terms the night before her cousin’s visit to my office.

DBM: Did you live together?

Awal: No, but I had rented a house for her. Bought a brand-new car for her. Paid her debts and loans. Spent on her. I spent monies I hadn’t even spent on myself before on her because I wanted to impress. She made me fall in love hard, Dave.

DBM: What in your opinion, made her stand out and not blend in?

Awal: She made me a priority in the beginning stages of our relationship and I thought that had set the precedent for how I would reciprocate. I believed she was consistently into who I was, and was happy to be all in with me. I didn’t see the reason to be pulling her back and forth in the games I used to play.

DBM: You never had a sense of her hiding something from you?

Awal: No.

DBM: How long were you together?

Awal: 1 year and six months. After her cousin’s visit to my office, I went to the house I had rented in her name and she had packed out. It happened so fast I couldn’t make the head or tail of it.

DBM: Did you find out where she had gone to?

Awal: The cousin mentioned at the office that she had traveled abroad to be with her husband, which I did not believe. But she made me understand she had it all planned out because she knew I liked beautiful women. Her cousin was the perfect beauty to seduce and lead me on, mess me around and then discard me. She disappeared in a puff of smoke, Dave.

DBM: How did you meet your wife?

Awal: After finding out that she had packed out, I went back to my car with the intention of driving to the police station to make a formal complaint. It was a really hard time period for me because I had made a quick turn in a corner onto the main street without really paying attention to the road. Truthfully, she appeared from nowhere into the crossing and I hit her with my car. I stopped and immediately ran out to see if she was okay. She was bleeding profusely. My second worse nightmare in life was when I first came in contact with my wife. I did not know what to do that instance. A few guys came over to help me carry her to my car. We sent her to the nearest hospital, and that was when it hit me, she could die. I broke into uncontrollable tears. It all started coming back to me, the love of my life that had vanished on me. The dream to be married that had been taken away from me by a vengeful woman and her cousin. The money I had lost. The innocent lady I had maimed and wasn’t sure whether she could fight for her life or not at the hospital.

DBM: I can only imagine your devastation

Awal: God being so good, she gained consciousness on the second day and I was allowed to see her. She looked at me oddly and managed to smile at me. I knelt by her bed and asked for forgiveness. She lifted her right hand to touch my shoulder and I looked straight into her eyes with tears in mine. She smiled with mercy and grace in eyes for me. Something inside of me loosened. I was touched by her smile. I was moved by the look in her eyes. That look threw a hint of light to shine through my darkness. That was the beginning of our attraction and friendship and relationship and later, marriage.

DBM: What else about her genuinely got you hooked?

Awal: She wasn’t performing to win my attention. A lot of the girls I usually would go for in the past I think put on a show to match my performances. She was deeper than a performance.

DBM: Was she your usual type?

Awal: No. But I felt safe and the connection felt real. I didn’t have to perform or impress. I experienced an honest feeling oozing out of me.

DBM: Did she feel the same way towards you?

Awal: She was developing likeness for me.

DBM: What else got you hooked?

Awal: She knew how to listen and make me feel heard and seen. There was warmth in how she made me feel seen. I could be myself around her, Dave. She made me laugh. She made me smile. She knew how to tease me softly and sweetly. It lightened my world and made me feel like I could be alive and lighter all over again. I felt at ease. She embraced my walls with peace. She had an independent life of her own. An impressive life, as a matter of fact. Goal driven, passionate about her career, super smart and intelligent. Very hardworking and forceful. That, was attractive to me. She was a complete package of her own who just happened to like being around me too. She didn’t need me to be her knight and shining armor. She wanted me to ride along her journey. My wife is a lady. She carries her presence without trying too hard for attention or validation.

DBM: Is she the only woman you’ve been with since you married?

Awal: She’s the only woman I’ve been with since hitting her with my car. There’s nothing brand new out there that can’t be drawn from my well at home.

DBM: Water is tasty.

Awal: Lol. Dave, my well is sourced from an underground aquifer deep in my wife’s soil. It’s naturally filtered but a little bit of high concentration of her soil minerals can easily influence her taste to sparkling water. Sometimes, she tastes like spring water. Most times, she’s regular tap water but she can be ionized with rich minerals to raise her pH level to a smoother alkaline water. Her water can be distilled. Water is tasty when you’re thirsty enough. How old are you, Dave?

DBM: 41

Awal: Who taught you that phrase? Water is tasty isn’t for your generation

DBM: I can be an unassuming gentle bad boy sometimes. I know a thing or two about the water I drink.

Awal: What kind of water do you drink?

DBM: Mine also has sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and chloride (Cl⁻) dissolved in it. Sometimes it tastes sweet. Other times, it’s sour. It tastes bitter or salty once in a while when we’re mad at each other. But this morning, it certainly was umami

Awal: Lol.

DBM: What do you think is sustaining your marriage?

Awal: Contentment. Having a sense that I am enough. My wife is enough. Every moment in our marriage is enough, whether good or bad. Finding sufficiency in the enough and accepting what and who I chose to have in my life to do life with in this present moment. There’s nothing to compare if you dwell, commit to and savor the enough.

DBM: This was a good conversation. Thank you for your time.

Awal: Thank you.

Imagine Credit: RDNE

Everybody Hurts

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Theodore: My mother filed for divorce on their 25th wedding anniversary party which was organized by my dad, her now ex-husband. It was a reunion for the whole family, none of their friends invited, which I thought was weird at first. Then I later came to find out that she had specifically insisted she didn’t want any friends coming to the celebration. She wanted just the families from both sides in attendance.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Oh my! How old were you that year?

Theodore: I was 23

DBM: When did this happen?

Theodore: 2017

DBM: Fairly recent

Theodore: Yes. They raised three kids in total; built their careers and navigated through all sorts of illnesses and life events. My mother surprised us with her decision.

DBM: Was it a mutual decision on the day of the announcement?

Theodore: It took my dad by surprise too. He didn’t see it coming. He wouldn’t have spent money on a party meant to announce the death of his marriage.

DBM: Do you know why your mother chose to opt out?

Theodore: My mum is a very private person. And also, peaceful. She told the three of us after the party, that, she and my father stopped laughing together early in their marriage. Which eventually, became a struggle for her. Decisions my father made with other women were some of the hardest moments that tested their marriage, and ultimately, shifted her feelings for him. Nothing else he did or said could pull her love back to him.

DBM: When you say ‘the three of us’, you mean your siblings?

Theodore: Yes

DBM: Okay! Did she put a date to the ‘early’ years she stopped laughing?

Theodore: Four years into the marriage. Nothing felt right to her afterwards because all the memories that now stayed with her were the bad choices my father made to break them apart.

DBM: I do understand that part. It’s never about the material stuff or how nice you make people believe your marriage looks. The shared experiences and memories left on the hearts of our minds are what we hold on to – when all is said and done.

Theodore: Yes

DBM: Do you know why your mother stayed that long?

Theodore: Yes. She stayed for us. She was in the middle of raising young children. Her life revolved around us. But she said she never stopped counting the years to when my younger sister would turn 19.

DBM: Tell me a little about growing up under their roof.

Theodore: My mother was the present parent. My dad, not so much. Now that I’m a father myself, I understand the importance of being present in my child’s life because the years go by so fast, we don’t get the time back.

DBM: How old is your child?

Theodore: 4-year-old. I and my siblings were very vulnerable to the influence at home. We saw a lot. We heard a lot. We analyzed a lot and I don’t think my father realized we were soaking up all kinds of information we came across at home, pertaining to how he treated my mother and how that made us feel. We were like sponges. I soaked up my father’s mannerisms and some traits. My sister and brother soaked up their own habits from either my mother or father. When we came of age, our mother was the only role model at home we could look up to.

DBM: Why do you say that?

Theodore: Our mother was the one always involved in our lives. Our father compensated us with fancy gifts and outings. He woke up very early to go to work and we wouldn’t see him until later in the night. He was the busy parent. That was the picture he painted for us to see.

DBM: Did your mother work?

Theodore: My mother is a surgeon.

DBM: Ha!

Theodore: Yes

DBM: What are some of the mannerisms and traits you picked up from your dad?

Theodore: The unhealthy bits and pieces of his pattern that I witnessed for the early years of my life were manifesting in my marriage. I was staying out late, engaging in casual sex with old flames, getting home late to take my shower, and watch TV or be on my phone, hoping not to be bothered until I fell asleep on the couch. I remember how my father used to tell my sister to be quiet because he was tired and not in the mood to play with her. I catch myself repeating the same thing with my son. I was also lying to my wife a lot about my whereabouts.

DBM: How long have you been married?

Theodore: 5 years. I’m trying to break from these habits but it’s still a difficult task

DBM: You’re at liberty to choose your own path. However, you need to understand that, you signed up for this whole parenthood thing, and it involves just more than paying the bills.

Theodore: I know

DBM: Anyways, what’s life like for your sister?

Theodore: We’re all thriving in our careers. But I think my sister is always ending up having relationships with emotionally unavailable men. She’s been engaging in various behaviors I used to see my mother display at home when we were kids, to get the attention of my father. I know she has lost faith in men.

DBM: I’ve lost my chain of thought. Why did you reach out to me?

Theodore: I came across a conversation between my mother and my wife. She was advising my wife to divorce me if she’s no longer interested in the marriage. It took me by surprise because why would my own mother say that to the mother of my child?

DBM: Because you’re your father’s son. Your mother lived through all of that, and knows this about you. And wouldn’t want her daughter in love suffering in the process because of it.

Theodore: But she crossed the line, don’t you think so?

DBM: The fact that a woman makes the decision to marry you doesn’t necessarily mean she has to accept all there is to you. She’s been understanding enough. She’s been patient enough. A wife is not supposed to be the only one wanting her marriage to get better.

Theodore: I want my marriage to get better.

DBM: Then be better. I don’t think your mother crossed a line. She knows the heartache and pain in staying married to a man like you. Something you will never understand.

Theodore: I understand

DBM: If you say so. How is your father doing?

Theodore: He is fine. He married again.

DBM: Good for him. You see, life goes on, regardless

Theodore: Yes. He got married two months after their divorce finalized.

DBM: Life still goes on. Life is meant to be lived.

Theodore: Yes

Image Credit: Isabela Catao

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