DEAR HUSBAND,

Last week you did not like how I ironed your clothes, well I am very sorry. I think I was tired and must have not been paying attention. I promise to be more careful next time.
The other week you said I put too much salt in my meat and undercooked my ugali. That was a bit of a shocker considering the fact that my cooking hasn’t changed since you married me six years ago. But I thought, maybe, just maybe I was not in my best moods and I let such mistakes happen. Trust me it won’t happen again.

Dear, all these years I have endured all your criticisms, taken them in my stride and purposed to learn from my mistakes. I thank you for making me a better cook, ironer, mother….
But of all the cruel things you have said to me, the worst happened some time back. The cruelty of it all just shook me to the core.
You said I was FAT!
FAT? ME?
You know what, you were right I am fat and I resolved to do something about it. So I stopped eating because you said I should look like Wambui from next door. I think it is paying off; my clothes fit me better these days. Even Junior said so. Oh that boy is growing up so fast and is becoming more like you each day, it melts my heart.
I don’t know about Baby, I think she takes after me and that scares me because the other day as she played with the neighbour’s kids, she looked FAT! I know she’s only 3 but she does need to look good so that her future can be bright and comfortable. I decided to start her on a diet almost like the one I am on, Dear, I think you would be proud of me now.

So, aside from all that I just wanted to let you know that the other day, I got a real fright, Baby was sick and I had to rush her to hospital. I think it’s the time you were on the business trip to South Africa. Anyway she was really ill in the middle of the night and Driver took us to hospital, she was crying so much and looking up at me with sad, dull eyes.
Doctor said she had to be admitted, and that it was serious. I started to cry, I dint know what to do and wished you were around. Can you imagine my shock when the doctor told me Baby had anorexia!!
ANOREXIA?
But she’s just 3, how can that be?
I got my answer, Doctor said I made her anorexic, I starved her to death…. He was not sure she would make it.
That night as I sat and watched over my little angel, I prayed, prayed so hard.
That’s when the dawning came.

Now I am standing in our bedroom packing. Do you know what I am putting in my suitcase, MY clothes! My plus-size blouses and skirts that you loathed so much. In YOUR closet am leaving all the size 0 dresses and stilettos.
Dear I think you should know that I unruffled all your clothes that I had ironed. I think its time you learnt to iron because in all my years with you, never has my ironing changed. I do them just like my mother taught me.
Speaking of lessons from my mother, she taught me better that to be treated like this by a man.
Baby is my pride and joy, and you are not going to take away her esteem and ruin her life like you did mine. Junior too is my love and watching him behave like you is sickening. At 5 a boy should not treat women like slaves in fact at any age a man should never treat women as lesser beings.

So, I guess this is goodbye. And don’t think I didn’t know about your ‘business trips’