A Promise From My Heart

13.

YUSUF’S POV

The obscurity of the day echoed my mood. Grey blanketed the sky, an unbroken coat that had been there since sunrise. In the morning, when I woke up in a cold bed, I assumed it wanted to rain, maybe heavily with the dense gloom that washed the sky. Instead, the rain came as a light drizzle for a short while. Few minutes away from home, there was a heavy downpour somewhere else.

I gazed through the window. People left the building either to the parking lot or the gate where they could get a vehicle to their various destinations. I took a brief look at my wrist watch. It was four o’clock, closing time for most government workers. It had been a long day. Time dragged. Ten minutes felt like an hour. The cheerless atmosphere at work was not helpful. We lost a staff to a car accident the day before. He was a good and hardworking man. His death left everyone moody.

There was a lot of work to do and an unfinished file to complete which was due to be submitted by eight the following morning. My madam had some documents she needed me to type and memos which would also be circulated the following day to edit. My arms hurt from typing for so long and the muscle in my back was cramped from sitting in the same place for hours. I needed a hot bath to relieve those pains. The mood at work and my own personal mood made everything depressing.

“I am going home, Yusuf.” Luka, a colleague who I shared the little office with, said.

“I will take my leave now.” I started to arrange my table and pack my things into my bag.

“And your car don spoil. If not eh, you for drop me for that junction where I fit get bus wey dey go my side (And your car is faulty. You would have dropped me at that junction where it would be easy to get a bus going to my destination).”

“I don tell Obinna say we go follow am. (I have told Obinna that we will be going home with him).”

“Good.”

Just in time, Obinna walked into our office. “Una don ready (Are you ready?).”

“Yes.” We replied in unison.

“Okay, let’s go before that traffic become worse than it already is”

The car ride was not quiet with Obinna and Luka talking about anything that came to their mind, mostly about politics and the country’s economy. I contributed when I did not zoom out of their conversation. There was so much on my mind for me to talk about something that won’t even ease my problems. Obinna dropped me at the junction of the hospital.

“How is your wife’s health?” Luka asked as I was about to get down.

“Getting better.” How I wish that was true. Amy was not speaking to me since I lost the grip on my anger.

“Abeg, send our regards to her.” Obinna chipped in.

“I will tell her.”

The visit to the hospital was pointless. My wife won’t still talk to me but would talk to everyone around her. Mummy who had been there noticed and had called me to a corner to ask me what was wrong.

“Couples fight, mummy.” Was my reply. “We will get over it.”Sadness feathered my heart. Surely, we will. She nodded in understanding.