THE HONOURABLE MAN

Episode 24

Baby Sam is three months old now and Janet insists on hiring a live in nanny to help take care of the baby, Bryce doesn’t like the idea, he wants his son in the hands of his mother always but Janet wants her life back, she is tired of baby-sitting day in and day out.

“Janet the baby is still too young and this is your child we are talking about so how can you say you are tired of baby-sitting him? I’m pretty sure most mothers don’t even want to trust another person to take care of their babies. I hired a maid to come clean and do the laundry every week so you don’t have to do anything besides taking care of the baby, so what is the problem now?” he is puzzled and frustrated.

“I miss my life, I can’t go to the movies with my friends anymore, I can’t go out for lunch or shopping with my friends not with Sam crying every two minutes and needing me to feed him, change his diaper and rock him to sleep. I literally have to do everything for him and it’s exhausting I need a break okay and I want my life back,” she yells out of frustration.

It hurts him to hear her talk about their child in that manner, he is the most precious valuable gift but she is making him out to be a burden and a hold on her life.

He forgives her and convinces himself she wasn’t ready for motherhood and perhaps with time she will change. He reluctantly agrees to get a live in nanny as he is afraid that Janet will not give her best in taking care of the baby, he is worried she might neglect him.

He hires a forty year old woman recommended by Selena and he is impressed by her. Ms Clara has four children and she is a house wife who raised all her children on her own and therefore she has experience and the patience needed to take good care of a baby.

**

One evening Bryce gets home after work and Janet is nowhere to be seen, he questions the nanny where she went and she informs him that she left around 10 am to meet up with friends and hasn’t been back since. Bryce is infuriated and concerned at the same time, he takes out his phone to call her but she suddenly walks in wearing high heels and a very tight bodycon mini dress.

She has a new hairstyle on and has had her manicure done and the clothing bags she is carrying reveal that she went shopping and it doesn’t look like baby clothes. Ms Clara presumes that things are about to get heated so she immediately excuses herself.

“What is the meaning of this huh, why are you behaving this way?” he glowers. “I’m sorry but I honestly don’t know what it is you are mad about,” she shoves past him and struts towards the stairs heading to the bedroom but he grabs her arm to stop her. She frowns and pulls away from his grip. “What the hell is your problem?” she cusses. “Janet please I’m begging you, you can’t be doing this, how can you leave the baby with the nanny all day? He needs breast milk and not to spend the whole day drinking formula.”

“Oh so this is what this is all about, come on, most babies drink formula from birth because there are mothers who actually choose not to breastfeed and formula is as good as breast milk besides I’m here now and he will suckle the whole night so quit making a big deal out of nothing.”

Janet keeps up with her behaviour and Sam grows up spending more time with Ms Clara, he bonds with her instead of his own mother and Bryce doesn’t like it. He is grateful Clara is good to his son but she is not family and this compels him to ask his mother to indefinitely come and live with them so she can be the one to take care of Sam.

Ms Monroe is overjoyed and pleased to help raise her grandson therefore she rents out her house and moves in with Bryce. Janet is angry at him for inviting his mother to stay with them without first seeking her approval but he doesn’t hesitate to let her know it’s his house and he made the best decision for his child since she has failed to put their child first and be a proper mother to him.

Sam grows up attached to his dad and grandma since his mother has little time for him, Bryce soon accepts that motherhood is just not for everyone and he is glad that he has custody of his child. If he and Janet were not living together and she got sole custody of Sam then his son was going to be neglected and ill-treated.

Bryce cares about Janet, he may not be in love with her but he loves her as the mother of his child and he wants the best for her but she has been a difficult person and has done everything in her power to push him away. He is lonely and miserable earlier than expected, everyday it’s arguments and fights. His one wish to give his son a happy family where he would get both his mother and father’s love didn’t come true.

One evening Janet’s phone rings and she runs upstairs to answer it, a few minutes later she climbs downstairs looking all glammed up. When questioned of where she intends to go she claims she is meeting some friends for dinner and a movie later. Ms Monroe stays out of their issues, her only focus is her helpless innocent grandchild.

She just observes quietly and convinces herself they are adults who are capable of handling their issues on their own, she doesn’t want the stress of being in the middle of it.

Bryce is relieved his mother hasn’t intervened, he really doesn’t feel like discussing his relationship with her.

Janet has been going out almost every day, what kind of friends don’t get tired of meeting daily and do they not have jobs or other responsibilities to keep them busy? He would often wonder.