Almost all the activities in the school’s clinic were put on hold as soon as we rushed in. Obviously, some eyes got interested in our case that their carriers’ ears stood erect. For a second I wondered if they were there to see us rush in. I even saw one leave her mouth open when I gave a cursory gaze at her direction.
I am very shy, and Neche knows too well; maybe that was why I got to see those staring eyes. In fact, she noticed how shy I could be the very first day we met. It was in a business meeting between the company she was working for and the company I work for.
“Seems like this guru is really a shy type.”
I heard her right behind me as I was ordering for my lunch at the canteen of the hotel we all lodged in. It was the sweetest voice I’d heard all my life. Before I turned to see whose voice it was, I prayed within micro seconds in my heart that the voice should be referring to me. And of course, my prayer was answered. I smiled broadly as I turned and noticed that the voice was actually referring to me. Nothing mattered to me then than the heavenly smile on her face. My mouth was left ajar and I was obviously lost in my gaze at her.
“What?” The smile spread the more across her face even in her eyes.
“Well, I’m speechless now.”
“You mind a lunch with you?”
I couldn’t say anything but smiled with the side of my mouth and then nodded my head to mean I don’t mind.
That was the beginning of our union. Things went rosy that before we both knew it, we were man and wife. Neche suggested few days after she say yes to my marriage proposal that I would always do the talking as the man of the house wherever we go so it would help me let go off shyness. It really had helped me, but seemed like that afternoon in the clinic, I became shy again.
“We are Kamsi’s parents. Please, where is she?” We were facing the nurse at the back of the counter.
“Madam, calm down please.” She noticed Neche’s grip on my left arm as she shivered.
I looked at Neche, who was unease. I placed my right palm on her hands and them cuddled them softly. The nurse directed us to where kamsi was. We rushed in quietly so we wouldn’t disturb her, but we found her sleeping innocently. As Neche sobbed quietly as we approached the bed she laid on, I felt so heavy in my heart because I felt everything was the way they were for my sake. I’d really repented, but that’s if she could believe it. Thinking about the how everything started and had gotten to that pitiful state, I couldn’t hold back the tears from dropping. I was surprised to see the look on her face when I sniffed after some tears had dropped off my eyes. She was surprised to see me shed tears. The look on her face wondered why I was so weak to shed a tear. When she looked on at me with that wonder, I turned and faced the wall and wept.
I didn’t weep for long because I thought it wise to put myself together and man up. My household shouldn’t be in disarray and have me weep, no way. I wiped off my tears and turned to face Neche, but still found her staring at me, and I was caught in the trap that I had no choice than to return the stare.
The world suddenly became so quiet that we almost could hear our eyes blink. The only thing that differentiated us from a statue was out heart beat- yes heart beat because our hearts were beating as one that moment. Amidst the silence, our hearts started pumping faster, making our chest to be expanding and contrasting obviously. Neche, like me, wanted to say something, but no one was willing to break that silence.
“Excuse me Sir and Ma, the proprietress wants to see you.” A nurse broke the silence…
