Silent treatment

Let’s Talk to Ikhlas and Silas

Written by David B on June 15, 2023. Posted in Blog. 3 Comments

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name of your choosing)

Participant 127a: I prefer Ikhlas

Participant 127b: Silas

DBM: Hello Ikhlas and Silas. How would you describe yourselves?

Ikhlas: There is not much to me

Silas: I am not perfect.

DBM: How happy are you on a scale of 1 to 10?

Ikhlas: 6

Silas: 2

DBM: What do you want to talk about?

Ikhlas: My husband is refusing to talk to me, and I don’t understand why. There is a pending issue we have to address but he doesn’t want to talk about it with me. He’s not returned to the house for the past five days. I don’t know where he is staying, and he’s not willing to tell me either. I offended him and apologized but he keeps ignoring my calls.

DBM: How did you wrong him?

Ikhlas: He got to find out our five-year-old daughter isn’t his biological child. No, I did NOT have an affair. I underwent an IVF treatment which spur a pregnancy. I did it without his consent because he wouldn’t have agreed to it.

DBM: Why wouldn’t he have agreed to it?

Ikhlas: We don’t have the money

DBM: How did he find out that he’s not the father?

Ikhlas: He took a DNA paternity test and there was no confirmation of genetic match

DBM: Sir, do you mind me asking what motivated you to take the test?

Silas: I suspected it the dawn my daughter turned 5

DBM: How much did the IVF treatment cost?

Ikhlas: $12,000

Silas: Where did you get that kind of money from?

Ikhlas: Ken

Silas: What?

DBM: Who is Ken?

Ikhlas: My husband’s brother

Silas: Step-brother. You know very well I don’t speak to him, so why did you have to go and borrow his money?

Ikhlas: It wasn’t a loan. He gave it to us for free

Silas: Who is the us? Look, I don’t give a fuck. You know very well that I’ve not spoken to him in over 29 years. Why do you have to embarrass me like that?

Ikhlas: We needed the help babe

Silas: You and who needed his help?

DBM: Can I step in please?

Ikhlas: Yes

DBM: Why aren’t you talking to your brother?

Silas: I don’t want to talk about him

DBM: Noted, I will respect that.

Ikhlas: Because he feels he is a product of an affair his father had

DBM: Your husband doesn’t want to talk about his brother. Please let’s leave it as that

Ikhlas: Dave, Ken is a good guy. And he’s been trying so hard to have a relationship with his only brother, but my husband doesn’t seem to be open to that. Ken hasn’t done him any wrong. I feel that my husband’s anger isn’t directed to the right person. Ken is my brother-in-law, and I will not deny him that privilege. Also, God has blessed him, he’s rich.

DBM: Why did you undergo In Vitro fertilization without your husband’s knowledge?

Ikhlas: We were having trouble getting pregnant after eight years of marriage. The doctor evaluated the both of us and identified low sperm count to be the problem. My husband has fewer than 12 million sperm per millimeter, and a less than 30 million sperm total per ejaculation. The doctor explained that his chance of getting me pregnant decreased, due to his decreasing sperm counts. He suggested assisted reproductive techniques and my husband hasn’t been interested since. What have I done so wrong that you cannot find it in your heart to forgive me?

Silas: I can never trust you again

Ikhlas: Why don’t you want to talk about it with me then? Do you have to leave the house to express your mistrust?

DBM: He’s pissed at you, that is why

Ikhlas: And I’ve realized my mistake. I am sorry. Please don’t shut me out like that; I miss sitting with you.

Silas: Why did you make me believe the pregnancy was mine? Why did you make me raise our daughter as if she were my flesh and blood?

Ikhlas: You’re still her father. You love her

Silas: You lied and kept this very important information from me. You still don’t get it, do you?

Ikhlas: I do, and I am very sorry my love

Silas: Again, in what world is she my biological child?

DBM: She was born during your marriage to her mother. That, by default makes you her biological father and legal guardian.

Ikhlas: Yes, that’s true

DBM: You already have an established relationship with your baby girl. Do you think you can try to put your daughter’s best interest first, and maybe, your bruised ego second? Because as it stands now, you’re the only father your little girl knows as her own.

Silas: How do I explain this to my family and friends?

Ikhlas: I don’t think anyone else knows and should know about it

DBM: Madam, can you please just keep quiet for a minute! Your husband is still processing the shock of what you’ve done. Give him the space to think.

Ikhlas: I’m sorry

DBM: He is refusing to talk about it because it still hurts his feelings, as he’s less proud.

Ikhlas: Nana, I love you wai. I love our marriage so much. I don’t know what we will do without you

Silas: I need time

Ikhlas: How much time? Your daughter keeps asking about your whereabouts and I don’t know what to tell her anymore. She wants to talk to her daddy.

DBM: As much time as he may need. What you did bothers him and he’s trying to figure himself out, so he doesn’t have to resent you and his daughter in the future.

Ikhlas: Dave, can you ask my husband if he still loves me?

Silas: I love you

Ikhlas: Okay!

DBM: I pray you do not let so much time slip by while you’re in the process of figuring things out. Your wife and daughter need you, and the time apart and silent treatment may lengthen the misunderstanding and anger. This in the long run makes all the parties involved suffer from the stress associated with it. Your daughter is innocent in all this, remember.

Silas: Alright!

DBM: Participant 126, Knox, left a question for you: ‘What is the most important thing I should know about you?’

Silas: I finally got to be who I’m supposed to be because of my wife, I’m a father.

DBM: Awww! That’s very sweet of you

Ikhlas: Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, my husband always offers to help with the dishes, which shows me how much he cares about me. It turns me on and gets me horny every time. I reward him with my best sex to destress.

Silas: That’s true

DBM: Five days away from home; don’t you miss your wife?

Silas: I do

DBM: It’s your turn to leave a question behind for the next participant

Silas: Which is ideal, loving smart or hard – and damning the consequence?

Ikhlas: I’m all in favor of my husband’s question.

DBM: Thank you!

Image Credit: Any Lane

Let’s Talk To Fofo

Written by David B on May 15, 2023. Posted in Blog.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name of your choosing)

Participant 104: My name is Fofo

DBM: Hello Fofo. How would you describe yourself?

Fofo: Right now, I am angry

DBM: How happy are you on a scale of 1 to 10?

Fofo: Five

DBM: What do you want to talk about?

Fofo: My husband can be very annoying, and because of that we argue and fight a lot. There are days I just don’t feel like talking to him, especially when it’s that time of the night after an exhausting day at work. Because of one stupid advice given us by his mother on our wedding reception, he wants me to act the way he thinks his mother would have in a good way. Dave, I want to go to be angry when I am mad at my husband. I don’t want to talk to him when I don’t feel like talking to him. I don’t want him to touch my body after a fight. I want to go to bed as mad and wouldn’t want to make peace till I feel like forgiving him. How is that wrong?

DBM: I don’t see anything wrong with it. Going to bed peeved can also mean that I get to wake up the next morning feeling okay

Fofo: Me too, but not my husband. He’d want to make peace, and then fuck me afterwards. Then the next two or three days, he will repeat the same thing he did for us to argue, and the circle continues. Why do people think it’s wrong to go bed irked after a fight or an argument?

DBM: I believe in being your authentic self at all times. People pretend a lot just to sell a false narrative. If I am angry at my partner, I would need time to let go of the anger. Also, staying up later than I should stresses the hell out of me

Fofo: How much time is appropriate?

DBM: I don’t know; we are all different. I can only speak from my perspective and experience. Time could be seconds, minutes, hours, days or even a week. It all depends on the gravity of the fight. I am unable to think rationally when I am angry, that is why I prefer keeping my distance. I am able to make meaningful conversations only when anger hasn’t gotten the best of me

Fofo: My husband says for us not talking about the issue, we start to create divisions between us, and that could lead to more arguing and speaking to one another less and less. He doesn’t want a situation whereby our anger could force one of us to start sleeping on the couch or in another bedroom.

DBM: So, if he can picture all this, why does he get back into doing the very same things that pisses you off?

Fofo: You see what I am dealing with?

DBM: You know yourself and how much bullshit you can take. We all can’t be the same with our approach when it comes to conflict resolution. You need to be true to your feelings at every given moment. If I am in a heated fight or argument with my partner, and I can envisage saying or doing something to hurt this person I dearly love’s feelings, I would walk away from the fight before our relationship is unable to go back to where it used to be. I will go to bed not talking to you, wake up the next morning, and be intentional about rejuvenating what is important to me.

Fofo: My husband is the most important person to me

DBM: So, you go back to him to continue with the discussion

Fofo: What if he’s not ready to talk at the time you want to talk?

DBM: You let him be, because when you were not in the mood, you expected him to respect your space, no?

Fofo: This is where I think his point comes to play; we all keep dragging our feet till we’re both not interested in being friends again

DBM: Again, I can only speak from what works for me. I would rather go to bed angry and not have to talk to you, or look at your ‘stupid’ face, than to pretend to be okay with you till I am not… And then would say or do something which would be completely out of line. That wouldn’t be me going to sleep as honest as I could ever be with you. I refuse to hide my anger, simply because we have to work things out by hook or by crook. That isn’t honesty. Sometimes, in my anger and not talking to you, I am in a silent prayer to GOD to help me figure you or the basis of our argument out. I need my sleep to be able to process all the anger and pent-up feelings and emotions.

Fofo: I hate my husband’s stupid guts when he wants sex from me at these particular times too

DBM: You enjoy having sex with your husband?

Fofo: I do

DBM: This is what I would do if I were in your shoes; I would go to bed angry alright, facing the other side of the bed. Then wake up at dawn while he’s fast asleep, to speak to GOD from within to help you understand your husband. While in prayer, put your hand on your husband’s crotch. Does your husband sleep naked?

Fofo: Sometimes. Other times too in his briefs.

DBM: This particular evening, he would be wearing his briefs because you’re both mad at each other. Allow your hand to rest on his briefs, and then gently massage his penis and testicles. He will feel your touch and then would open his eyes to see what you are up to. Angry or not, the body can be somewhat ready for sex in the early mornings. Dawn sex can bring you and your husband closer together. Also, climaxing before getting out of bed can put the both of you in a beautiful mood for the rest of the day.

Fofo: My husband is the type who wouldn’t want us to discuss a problem in detail after a fight. If we are on good terms, he would trash it and pretend nothing has happened, simply because sex is back on the table. It’s like, he never remembers what were fighting about

DBM: Again, it’s not about winning an argument; it’s about making peace with the one person that you love. Not every fight would be resolved before we both go to bed; that is why we can agree to talk about it after we’ve woken up the next morning with a fresh attitude. The fresh attitude is inspired after the dawn broadcast. Fighting on the battle field is an art. You need to know how to pick these fights wisely

Fofo: Why do you guys use sex as your chip?

DBM: Have you ever wondered why the majority of men season while we age? Because sex is mostly a man’s cascade of youth

Fofo: Thank you Dave for chatting with me

DBM: You’re welcome. May I know how long you’ve been married, please?

Fofo: Seven years

DBM: Make it your best day today.

Image Credit: Cottonbro Studio

Let’s Talk To Bubune

Written by David B on May 7, 2023. Posted in Blog. 1 Comment

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name of your choosing)

Participant 98: I’m Bubune

DBM: Hello Bubune. How would you describe yourself?

Bubune: Born-again husband

DBM: How happy are you on a scale of 1 to 10?

Bubune: Eight out of 10

DBM: What do you want to talk about?

Bubune: I was 29 years old when I married my wife. I did not love her as at that time because I wasn’t ready for love. In hindsight, I would say I was marrying a wife while I still had other girls on my mind. I wasn’t secure in the woman I was marrying; I wasn’t satisfied when we settled for the honeymoon. I knew she loved me more than I liked her because it was supposed to be casual sex with no strings attached. But she got pregnant, and her dad being the Area Head of their church, decided we got married. Abortion was off the table. A wedding was planned in less than three months, and part of our package was to travel outside Ghana, a week after the wedding.

DBM: How did you two know each other?

Bubune: My dad is also a retired Apostle. Our parents were friends

DBM: Okay?

Bubune: When we left the shores of Ghana, I was all my wife had. She doesn’t make friends easily, and she couldn’t relate to my kinds of friends either. Here I was with a woman I did not love and feared hurting her feelings because she would have been devastated.

DBM: Why were you having sex with her – if you did not like her?

Bubune: You mean before marriage?

DBM: Yes

Bubune: She wanted to try sex for the first time. I was one of the few friends she had and could talk to about it. Our friendship wasn’t that tight but she knew she could trust me.

DBM: How old was she?

Bubune: 23 or 24. She knew I did not love her, even on our wedding day, because I had a serious girlfriend – though I was exploring outside the relationship with other girls.

DBM: Yeah, a woman knows when you are not that much into her. She will know when you are not excited about her; when you do not miss or want her; when you do not see a future together with her in it

Bubune: Unfortunately, she did not mind being stuck with me

DBM: Her reasons being?

Bubune: Initially, she thought dependability and monetary refuge could make up for love. I had a good paying job in Canada, and was living the life. She also had the nerve, sanguinity and a hefty amount of hope in her future with me. She told me once, ‘you will learn how to love me one day.’

DBM: Were you her first boyfriend?

Bubune: I think so. She was a virgin when we had sex

DBM: ‘You will learn how to love me one day’. Did you?

Bubune: I did

DBM: At what point did you start realizing it?

Bubune: My text messages with her started putting smiles on my face for no apparent reason. There were no butterflies in my stomach, or anything. All I know is, I could trust her, and tell her everything. I could tell her about the women I was hooking up with, the sex-gone-bad a day or night before; the new girl I thought I was falling in love with or flirting with me, etc.

DBM: Interesting. She wasn’t peeved or jealous?

Bubune: She probably was but I think she denied her feelings of rage and jealousy. She could make fun of me or be cynical to the extent that, I rather begun assuming she didn’t care about me anymore.

DBM: Was how she felt about you significant?

Bubune: I thought it wasn’t till it was

DBM: How did that thought make you feel?

Bubune: Worried and sad. I had hit rock-bottom because her behavior kept me guessing and wanting her not to leave me hanging. She could be aloof and holding back on her true feelings when I was being foolish with other women. It got to a point; I would intentionally have an affair or flirt with ladies for her to see – just to get a reaction, but she wouldn’t show any. She would act normal and encourage me to do what makes me happy.

DBM: Were you happy doing all that?

Bubune: I was lonely, honestly

DBM: You couldn’t have been lonely; you had the affection and attention of others, no?

Bubune: Yeah, but not that of my wife’s. She had lost the interest she used to have in me. And she looked happier

DBM: I’d rather be alone than to be lonely

Bubune: I didn’t want to be alone, and I didn’t want to be lonely

DBM: So, what did you do?

Bubune: I had to change and build attraction. My wife needed convincing so I became better at getting her attracted to how good I could make her feel.

DBM: You build on a love relationship; you don’t just find one

Bubune: Fact! I started respecting her as my wife and gave her all of my attention. I heard her when she spoke, and I made attempts to understand her concerns. I became very supportive, and invested in her interests and passions. I learnt about them and could stimulate her mind. I took notice of where I stood in her life and our marriage and showed up in my best self. I started having a positive outlook on life in general, and I was happy about it and even proud of myself.

DBM: Vulnerability sometimes involves, offering someone your whole truth without them asking for it

Bubune: I was vulnerable enough to re-align my priorities and self. I recognized where I had gone wrong with my wife, and I made the efforts to make it right by her

DBM: Did she see the effort you were putting into reaching her?

Bubune: She did

DBM: How do you feel about your wife right now?

Bubune: My wife wants me to be for her, so I cheer really hard now. I love her so dearly, I want to continually honor and serve her, give off my best to inspire her and never cease praying for our happiness together as a unit.

DBM: How long have you been married?

Bubune: 26 years

DBM: Oh, wow!

Bubune: Seven out of those years, I did not consider her feelings. I lied and lived a selfish life. And it wasn’t just a fleeting lapse in my judgement

DBM: There are a ton of husbands out there biting the dust with blurred lines in their marriages. What would you tell a wife who is finding it difficult to recover from the pain of betrayal?

Bubune: Every wound has its own way of healing. Heal at your own pace and forgive your husband if he is deserving of your forgiveness. If he keeps showing you that he never really is with you on the journey, do not spend the rest of your life with him. Go solo

Image Credit: Rdne Stock Project

Tag: Silent treatment

Let’s Talk to Ikhlas and Silas

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Let’s Talk To Bubune

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