Cold At Dusk

Chapter Seven

There was a meeting of women in the church, they were debating on how to plan the visit to the Abuja prisons, hospital and the orphanage homes. Some people said, they should pick one place and keep the rest of the money in the women's purse. As innocent as the idea seemed, the Vicar's wife knew it was not totally innocent.

Genevieve Nwachukwu was the Vicar's wife. She was a woman who knew how to carry herself as elegant and as beautiful a person could be. Most people had complimented her that she looked younger than her age. She had never carried a child in her womb , all she had were step children from her first and second husband. She did not like to talk about her first marriage but the souvenir she got in the marriage always made her remember a man that made her feel worthless. Regardless, she loved that souvenir.

She was preparing for the meeting with the women. She loved to look good. She sat down in front of the mirror and began to tie her head gear. Her phone started to ring at that time, she smiled when she saw the caller then picked the phone and put it on speaker while she worked on her head gear. She knew their call always drank time.

"Mummy! " the excited voice on the other end called.

"My Love, how are you doing? " she asked.

She could not even concentrate on the head gear anymore. It had been long she spoke to her step daughter. She wanted to lie on the bed, facing the ceiling and kicking her legs in the air like she was talking to a lover.

"I'm also very well," She said replying to her daughter's question on her well being.

"Mummy, I have something to tell you. Are you ready for it? "

"Yes " she replied, smiling at the mirror.

"Are you ready? "

"I said, yes baby, yes! "

"I'm pregnant! "

She let out a scream, clutching her tummy as she laughed.

"I got the result yesterday," her daughter continued.

"I'm going to be a grandma. I'm happy for you, love. I'm happy for you. "

" I'm overjoyed, ma. It's alot! "

"You are going to take it one step at a time, you are going to be alright." she advised.

"I will. I'm going to start buying baby clothes," her daughter said, excitedly.

"You should. I will get you somethings also. I'm rushing out now. We have a meeting in the church. I will call you later."

"Okay. Greet the Vicar for me."

The call ended and she was still smiling as she finished working on her head gear. She applied a light foundation and finished her almost natural make up with just a pink lip gloss.

Her step sons were playing a video game in the parlor when she came out. The older one, Onyedikachi was seventeen and the other, Chisomaga was sixteen.

"Boys," she called as she stepped to the dining and piled together the plates they had used to eat.

"Aunty, you look beautiful, " Onyedikachi said immediately. It was a tact to distract her from what she wanted to say and Genevieve knew better.

She exhaled, "Come and get your plates to the kitchen, wash and clean up the sink."

"We were coming to do it. I mean it." Chisomaga said.

She smiled, the younger boy looked like a girl especially at times like that.

She walked to the door, "..and please, bathe, help yourself and eat. Do not sit there all day. "

One of the boys ran, hugging her waist from behind. She almost fell.

"Have you taken a picture? " He asked. It was Onyedikachi.

She smiled as he brought out his phone. She walked to her car and posed as she was told to. The boys loved to take pictures of her and they post it and tag her on social media with the caption , "can your mom ever?"

It made her happy that they did not announce it to the world that she was their step mom. They were yet to get  used to calling her 'Mummy' even after six years of being married to their father. She knew it took time. Kamsi had taken time too before she learnt to address her as her mother even though she had been the only mother, the girl ever knew. She groomed her from when she was very little; a job she had totally loved.

She got into the back seat of the car and Eme, her driver drove out of the compound.

*****************************

Mark's stomach grumbled loudly as he stepped down the stairs. He ate last night but it was just dried fish in a new fast food his friend had taken him to. Not his friend, a colleague at work. His definition of friendship was a strict one. His life did not tolerate crowd especially as he knew he was on the spot light and anything could rouse the negative kind of popularity.

He was about heading to the door to leave for work but something caught his attention. He looked at the glass centre table which had different colors of plastic bricks. He was surprised the owner of the bricks was not running around as usual.  She was always awake, running around when he came down each day. He looked at the dining then began to walk slowly to it. He had not expected breakfast but his stainless flask and the glass bowl he normally used to eat were in his tray.

"Good morning, Uncle," Ella said, coming into the parlor.
She was carrying her food in a ceramic plate. With the way she was hopping hurriedly, her spoon fell out from the plate.

She dropped her food on the table close to where Mark was standing.

"I'm coming, " she said, running into the kitchen with her spoon.

He dropped his suitcase on the floor deliberating on how right it was to eat or just walk away and eat in that new restaurant ; They had nice recipes.

" Why are you not eating? "

He stepped one step back as she came in view. She was wearing her small pink night wear, her hair was covered in a black net cap. Ella ran out and hopped into a seat.

"I will eat little. I'm late," he said.

"No problem," Ella shrugged.

Kamsi laughed and rubbed her open palm on her head. He sat down to eat and she went to sit in the parlor. He noted that she did not look angry. He could not even figure her out at the moment. Still, he found it difficult talking to her - She disrespected him. He was waiting for an apology but apparently she felt she did nothing wrong.

He almost laughed at himself. His little had been finishing the whole food in the flask. He stood, buckled his belt back and picked his suitcase from the floor.

"Bye bye, " said Ella who was still lazily eating her food while getting distracted by the littlest things.

"Thank you, " he replied her.

He walked to the parlor and Kamsi was still there.

"How are you doing? " he asked her. It was the first time he was asking about her well being in a while. Their quarrel had never lasted this long. She always came back apologizing.

She didn't reply him. He now wondered how his Aunt had noticed that his wife was pregnant just by looking at her. He could not notice any difference as he looked at her. All he could see was that she was getting more beautiful but she got more beautiful each day. It was a normal thing for her.

"I'm leaving for work " he said suddenly realizing he was late that morning.

"Have a nice day. "

He was already at the door when he heard that. A smile formed on his lips as he stepped out of the house. Things would get better after now, he thought.