Fubuki's Challenge

This is a challenge. A testament of your strength and love. Another kick connects with your stomach, knocking the wind out you out yet again. Don’t falter. If you were to give up now, all your previous efforts would be for naught; you would be deemed a weakling and a failure. Through sheer perseverance and iron will, you will make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. If you hold out for long enough, she will realize the errors of her ways and everything will go back to normal. All you gotta do is persist. Don’t succumb to defeat. DON’T.

Another blow to stomach, you hack and vomit up saliva and water. It seems like this is the last of the violent barrage for now as your challenge bearer pulls back. You uncradle your hands from your head and painfully raise your it to meet her gaze. Your wife, Shirakami Fubuki, still as beautiful as ever stands before your battered and bruised body. She says something but the numerous kicks to your head has severely befuddled all your senses, it’s a struggle to see straight or hear right. All you can make out is a face of annoyance before she spits on you and turns heel, leaving you alone in the bedroom. Now free from danger, you roll on to your back and spread your beaten arms and legs. Breathing is ragged and your chest feels like it’s going collapse in on its self. It hurts, it really hurts. But this is nothing. You’ve gone through this song and dance countless times. You’ll recover in no time. And once you’ve recovered, you can try your luck again; you can try to get your wife back again. You will save her from this madness she has been inflicted with.

It hasn’t always been like this. Of course It hasn’t. You would never marry a known abuser. No before she was someone completely different. A nice woman, incredibly caring, kind, understanding, funny… Basically the woman of your dreams and it sure did feel like a dream when she awkwardly reciprocated your feelings. It was the second greatest moment in your life. First being when you got on one knee before her and proposed to her. You will never forget the absolute look of joy on her face, the tears of happiness she shed and the warm and tight embrace she enveloped you in after you slipped the ring on. It was pure bliss and you never wanted it to end.

And it seemed like it would never end at the time. The start of married life was heavenly. You moved into her apartment, albeit a little small for two people but it was cozy and homely nonetheless. She suggested you quit your job and let her take care of the making money as she made almost quadruple your salary. At first you were reluctant, even if she did make more money than you could imagine, you felt you would be nothing but a leech and a bum if you didn’t work but she helped realize that you can be just you can be even more help if you took care of all the apartment’s needs and her needs. It was then when you decided to become a house husband.

Being a house husband was greater than you imagined. All the chores you used dread doing as teenager was lost on you. You did everything you could to make sure the apartment was in tip top shape and you did it with all the love and care you could muster. And the best part was when Fubuki came home after work. You would always greet her with a big hug, a delicious meal and a refreshing bath. That smile that spread across her face when she stepped through the door and saw your face was to die for. It seemed as if those days would continue forever, you wished they did.

But as time went on, Fubuki returned from work later and later, growing increasingly tired and seemingly stressed with each day. She no longer wore that signature smile that melted your heart or reciprocated any affection but that didn’t stop you servicing her and loving her all you could.

Until one day when she came back from work, somehow looking even more tired and stressed then she had before. You dared to ask what’s wrong and she responded by throwing a fist straight into your face and began to rant about something but you don’t remember as you were too shocked too even listen, sure it hurt to be punched but the surge of emotions was felt so much more. Feeling anger and wanting to retaliate, confusion as being punched by your wife was the last thing you expected but mostly sorrow. How could she do that, how can she hurt someone she loves so easily? At that moment you were ready to leave her, not willing to tolerate such behavior but the realization dawned on you as if it were a message from the gods. Fubuki didn’t do anything bad, she’s just going through a bad time and didn’t have an outlet for it. As her husband it’s one of your duties to stick with her through those bad times and guide her to recovery. If you were to abandon her just over this, you would be a terrible husband, no a terrible person. It’s then when steeled your resolve to stay with Fubuki to show her that no matter what happens you will always be there for her and that you are not such a weak person to falter before abuse. You continued to love her.

It’s been a year since the first mishap. The beatings and berating just got worse and worse but through it you got stronger and stronger, able to love and care for her despite your battered body and damaged psyche. These physical and mental scars she has given you are just proof of your strength and love.

This is but a challenge. A challenge to remain standing despite whatever she throws at you. Tomorrow you will send her off and greet her as usually you do; with love, care and respect. Your diligence will pay off and eventually she come back to being the once lovely woman she was. Just don’t falter.