The lunch was boring and lengthy. The dining was as quiet as a graveyard even as I and Kamsi slowly scooped our food from our plates. Neche just sat and watched us, she must have eaten enough from my hit the previous night.
To break the silence, Neche stood up and dragged a seat close to Kamsi who then looked up with both pity and shyness to meet Neche's pitiful gaze, and then back to her almost empty plate. Neche nestled close to her and gently carressed her left palm over the hairdo on Kamsi's little scalp.
"Dad promised to take you out this evening, sweetie. Do you mind the Kechi's ice-cream outlet?"
I raised a brow almost immediately. Neche and I never discussed that. She gave me a rather sharp look which communicated to me that I just had to do it. Kamsi just waved her head to the left and to the right, and then looked at me. I quickly smiled and then said, "finish up sweetie so we will get u dressed up for this date."
My little baby felt a little relieved with that, and of course I was happy. I quickly took my plates to the kitchen since Neche was busy with our daughter's hair. I dashed upstairs to prepare for the perfect impromptu date.
Neche stood at the door post when we drove in. She wore a vague smile which I guessed was for Neche alone or maybe she was learning how to smile again. Because it had been long since we last experienced a happy home and good things were becoming very strange and abnormal.
Kamsi hopped down as soon as I opened the door, and ran straight to my wife's opened arm. Neche lifted and carried her, and all I could hear was their chuckling as I brought out the goodies I bought for her. As I approached them, Kamsi was all about her kiddie narration on how the evening date went, mentioning the few places we spent time in and at. I walked past them with the light loads that almost occupied the much my hands could carry to open the door for them.
Kamsi's tiny and appealing voice saturated all over the sitting room. She was obviously narrating in glee as I put the loads in their designated places. I brought Neche's portion to her of which she appreciated with smile; though her smile was ambiguous because I didn't know if it was well received or Kamsi girlie talk made her smile at that instance. I grew jealous because she seemed to pay more attention to our daughter.
Lying beside my wife that night as we laid to sleep, I wanted to say many things to make sure everything has been settled indeed, but how to begin became a problem. I just lied still with my eyes glowing in the dim light in our room, and wondered. I decided to move my hand slowly to touch her but it seemed like it suddenly became static. Just then I did move the hand and it rested on hers. It felt so strange touching my wife that way, I couldnt even remember, let alone talk about when we kissed, romanced or made love. She spoke up when I made an attempt to start caressing her hand.
"Buchi, please let's rest for tonight I beg." she said like she was irritated by my touch.
"Baby, I know you are..."
"Buchi." she called out interrupting me like she doesn't want to hear my voice. "Do u want sex?"
"Haba, you are not a sex toy baby." I replied in defence.
"Then leave me alone to sleep." She readjusted and covered herself with the blanket.
I just looked at her in disappointment, and then sat up not too long after that with much confusion; that was when I remembered the divorce case this afternoon, and then the invitation to meet with the lawyer. I became restless. I looked at her once again, she was then sleeping obviously.
I left the room shortly after that and plodded down the stairs and collapsed into a single seater chair in the sitting room. So many things were running through my mind. I was already seeing myself as a divorcee. "How would I face life becoming a bachelor again after several years with a queen. The fear of meeting another woman who would be less angelic enveloped me strongly. Only God could save me from the mess that I've gotten myself into." was all that I was thinking about. I was just taking deep pitiful breath intermittently until I fell asleep.
A tap from Neche woke me up,
"Are you not going to work today?"
I looked at the large wall clock that was made with Kamsi's picture behind me, it was already twelve minutes past six o'clock.
"I'm not going to work today." I said sinking the more into the chair trying to go back to sleep.
"Then go upstairs and sleep. You know you will have to take Kamsi to school and it won't be nice if she discovers you slept here."
I opened my eyes to watch her talk but she was already leaving. She hadn't taken up to four steps when I spoke up.
"Is it all about Kamsi?"
She stopped in her tracks the moment I asked that question, turned and asked like a teacher asking the dullest student in her class a question.
"Who is it all about then?"
"Us!" I said almost screaming.
"It's all about us!" I continued. "Me, you, and Kamsi!"
She raised a brow as she watched me try to prove my point. I continued;
"We are a family, and that's a fact!"
She cut me off immediately I said that with a calm voice that was rather a mockery.
"Well, I have to prepare Kamsi's breakfast because she will be up any moment." She turned and walked towards the kitchen.
It was as if the beast in me was reawakened. I stood up almost immediately as she left and walked into the kitchen, and there she was trying to light up the gas cooker. I stood some steps away behind her. She noticed my presence and turned to face me.
"You want to come hit me again?" I could see the tears gathering already in her eyes. "Hit me, I'm ready." the tears dropped now.
I became weak. My wife now sees herself not just as my sex toy, but also as my punch bag.
"Tomorrow by 12noon would be the time for the meeting with the lawyer."...
Stay tuned for episode V...
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