The Lives We Lived

22: Shredded Paper

Kemi was out of the bed long before his eyes fluttered open. He dashed into the bathroom and followed his bathing ritual before putting on his work clothes and hurrying downstairs. His wife was seated at the dinning table, having a breakfast of tea and ginger biscuits.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked, struggling to knot his tie as he bounded down the staircase.

"You didn't ask me to." She glanced at him then returned her eyes to her food.

"Do I have to? I thought it was our thing. I sleep in late and you wake me up?" He smiled at her.  His tie finally knotted in the shape he wanted and stood firm against his chest.

"Since when did I become your alarm clock. I did tell you to go to bed early and you refused," She pointed out. He ignored her words and settled into the chair beside her.

"I'll try my best to be home before nine," He said. Between collating the bank's financial records and carrying out his daily managerial duties, he was buried underneath a ton of unfinished work. Courtesy of the manager who occupied the post before him.

"I hope I won't keep you from your work." He didn't miss the cynicism in her voice. She was still angry about last night. Was it just last night or was she still angry about the fact that he left her at the hotel?

"We just haven't had time to talk about the issues bothering us," He said.

She sent him a sickly sweet smile. "We did during the weekend. We had the whole weekend and you went to work."

He bowed his head, unable to speak. If he had tried talking to her instead of walking out or leaving her in the hotel, maybe they wouldn't have had this fight but the deed was already done. He just had to try and fix it.

She spoke after several minutes of silence. "If you want to spend time with me, you'll make time for me."

"I don't have time this week,"

"This weekend?"

"I'm going to Benin." He said.

She wiped her lips with a napkin and picked up her bag. Her next words were laced with frost. "What for?"

"Mama wants me to bring her things."

"Can't you just send it through a transport line and have Efe pick it up from the bus station?" She glided to the kitchen with her plates and returned with his food flask.

"She wants me to personally deliver her box."

She thrust the food flask at his chest. As held it to prevent the impact, his fingers latched unto hers. She sighed, "Were you even going to tell me?"

"Kemi," he called as she freed her hands from his hold. Standing to his full height, he dropped the food flask on the table and wrapped his hand around her waist. His lips caressed hers in the gentlest of ways but she remained rigid with her eyes fixated on anywhere but his face. "I'm already so stressed this week. I don't want us to argue."

"And that is my fault?" She barked, pulling away from him.

"I will make it up to you soon, I promise." God knew how much he wanted to restore the balance that mama's presence had usurped. Why did mama's visit always bring out the worst in Kemi?

"I don't know why you suddenly have a change if heart. Just know that I'm following you to Benin," She replied, before leaving for work. He gathered his belongings and locked the main door, hoping he could speak to her but she had already pulled out of their house and she was driving down the street. He sighed and walked to his car. Kemi following him to Benin only spelt one word; chaos.