Cold At Dusk

Chapter Twenty

Kamsi and Mark were sitted in the reception of Okechuku's hospital, "Saving Grace Hospital "
As usual, the place was filled with patients holding their tallies, waiting to be attended to. Kamsi and her husband sat on the orange colored seats arranged in the reception. She was licking the third orange from the oranges she bought from a hawker on the steet. She pressed the sides of the fruit in a desperate attempt to free  all the citrus juice from it into her mouth .

She had called Okechukwu who asked them to wait for a while. Mark was impatient. He rubbed his hands together then tapped his carefully polished brown shoes on the tiled floor. He looked at Kamsi who had now overturned the orange and was eating the roughage. He looked around the large hall filled with people before he leaned closer to her.

"Stop doing that " he scolded , his tone not failing to convey the irritation and embarrassment he felt.

Kamsi stood up and threw away the oranges she had licked in a trash can that was at the corner. Three months gone, her belly was beginning to expand to accommodate the foetus growing in her womb. Anyone could see it in the corporate gown she wore.

She got back to her seat beside Mark, her legs pressed tightly together and her hands together. She did not like to irritate him. Her phone beeped and she looked it, it was a message from Okechukwu. It read,
"You can come up now ."

" He said we can come up" Kamsi said to her husband, already standing up.

" How do you know, did he call you now? " he asked, still sitting.

"He sent me a message " Kamsi replied, defeating the urge to roll her eyes.

He stood up and followed her towards the stairs.

"So he also sends you messages plus special treatment? " he asked as he walked behind her.

"I told you, he's  Michelle's brother. You have met him before in.. "

"I know very well who he is " Mark said, cutting her off.

She had her lips turned down and she sighed softly as they clmbed the stairs. They were both silent till they got to the doctor's office.

"You are welcome " Okechukwu said once they got into the office. When he sighted Mark, he rose up from his seat and greeted Mark with a handshake which Mark reciprocated.

"Kedu? " Mark asked.

" All fine sir. Please there is seat" Okechukwu replied.

While Kamsi sat on one of the back chairs facing the doctor, Mark sat on the red sofa behind Kamsi.

"I'm not a patient " he said.

Okechukwu laughed then fully faced Kamsi .

"How are you faring" he asked.

"I think I'm doing fine. Though I don't know what they put in crayfish these days,  it does not smell or taste the same. I can not eat it anymore " she replied.

" What do you use in place of crayfish which is the chief ingredient in the kitchen ?" he asked, smiling warmly.

"Sometimes I grind fish or I don't bother at all "

Okey laughed, " There could be nothing actually wrong with crayfish. It could just be the pregnancy." he said, " Not to worry, it will all return to normal "

" Okay sir"

" Hope you feed well. You should eat whenever you are hungry and eat right " the doctor said.

Mark sat on the cushion, looking at them as Kamsi answered the questions she was asked. He could not see Kamsi's face but he could notice, she raised her shoulders in excitement and she laughed too often.. It annoyed him. He felt the doctor was being overly friendly with his wife. His questions were too friendly and the way he smiled was as if he was not talking to a mare patient but one he was well acquainted with. He just watched the duo, his understanding and endurance reducing by the tick of the clock's second hand .

The session with the doctor finally came to an end. Kamsi and her husband silently progressed to the pharmacy which was at the down floor . Kamsi sat down and waited while he stood at the counter and paid for the Multivitamin tablets the doctor recommended. When he was done, he walked out of the pharmacy without even looking at his wife. Kamsi stood and followed him on seeing him exit.

" You forgot I was with you ? " Kamsi asked, walking fast to meet up with him.

He kept walking to the place where his car was parked amongst other cars in the parking lot. without replying her. He got into the driver's seat and she hurried into the car for fear of being left behind. She did not know the cause of his current mood swing.

"You will drop me at work, please " she said as she buckled the seat belt.

" You are going to stop coming to this hospital " he stated, staring ahead as he drove through the gates of the hospital.

" How ? I have to be doing this antenatal check up " she replied, totally perplexed .

" You heard me. This is not the only hospital in Okigwe "

He still stared ahead . Kamsi looked at him with eyes dimmed in confusion, disbelief, whatever emotion that described the ridiculousness and absurdity of the moment.

" This hospital, there's nothing wrong with it. You have to at least tell me your reason " Kamsi said.

" Start going to the general hospital. It's even closer to the house " he said then looked at her briefly.

" Hmm" She let out heavily.

He parked at the side of the road where he did not obstruct others cars.

" Come down here " he said, without looking at her.

" I'm going to the head quarters " she complained.

" I'm not going that way. That's why I said you should come down " he said.

"Baby, it's not even up to a five minutes drive to the place "

" Please come down naa. I have places to be" he said, stamping his foot, clearly irritated.

Kamsi came down at the side of the road and stood while he drove away. She did not get a bike to her work place but went home instead. Her spirit was dying slowly but she kept trying to be strong for no other but the being growing in her womb.