The door to the bedroom was slightly open. My husband knelt on the edge of the bed with his eyes shut.
"God, why have you forsaken me?" He sniffed. "Please give me back my job, so that I can look after my wife and children."
He heaved and snorted mucus on the bed. I had to intervene, but I couldn't do it. I had a feeling if I interfered with his prayer it would hurt his pride as a man.
His career mistake haunted him. His smile and affection was an afterthought, not even my dark skin and pear-shaped body excited him in the bedroom. I won't lie it bothered me. Although he struggled, I couldn't abandon my man. I planned a romantic getaway to try and bring the happiness back into him. I left our two beautiful bundles of joy with my sister and headed for Samfya beach.
The sunlight glistened his light-skinned bald head, he took off his glasses to wipe the sweat on his forehead like a male model on a TV advert. As he drank the last sip of his beer, the liquid dripped down from the corners of his mouth into his neatly trimmed dark beard, while his smile enthralled my heart as he stared at the still blue water of Lake Bangweulu. He let me wipe the liquid from his chin and mouth. I ached to kiss him, but the crowd on the upper deck of the boat cruise made me shy to attempt it.
The excruciating afternoon heat parched my throat. I had emptied the bottle trying to search for the source of the bittersweet goodness of the gold liquid beverage, and I required a chilled refill. I scanned for the waiter among the seated people he was nowhere to be seen, so I decided I would serve myself at the bar. My full bladder denied me of that privilege because toilets were below deck and if I waited my bladder would explode.
Beside me, stood my tall athletic husband who held on to the railing admiring the beauty of the lake. I slapped my husband's behind hard that it reverberated on the deck followed by snickers among the people behind me.
"Yes, my bonita," he deviously smiled.
I bit my lip. He hasn't said that to me in a long time. I feel like my ovaries are prepping for a third child.
"I'm gonna get another drink, do you want one?"
"Get me a bottle of water and one for yourself," he smiled.
I stuck my tongue out.
On the stairs, I met a voluptuous woman with torn denim short jeans, a dark blue bra covered with a transparent white shirt she tied around her flat belly, and her silky wavy hair tied in a ponytail. I shook my head in disbelief hoping my husband wouldn't be mesmerised by her.
After I relieved myself, I bought a chilled cider and a bottle of water. On the way up, I abruptly halted as my husband argued loudly with a woman.
"That was a long time ago, I can't leave my wife for you," he said.
"Will this convince you?"
It was followed by kissing sounds. Rooted to the spot, my mind raced with thoughts of murder.
"What are you doing? You're not supposed to kiss me, Janet," he said.
"Janet..."
As in Janet Mwape Bwalya, my husband's ex-girlfriend and a menace. My anxiety was replaced with the anger I had to stop her from stealing my husband.
I dropped the drinks not minding the spillage then I removed my slipper and held it in my hand. I jogged up the stairs glared at him and Janet. I charged at Janet with the slipper in my hand to beat her. She sidestepped, and I went over the railing plunging into the water like a stone.
I swim to the top and they rescued me and provided me with a towel. On the way back to the hotel, my husband apologised, but I was extremely angry to respond.
At the Pink hotel, I locked myself in the bathroom to calm down dry myself and hide from Mark, my husband. He knocked softly on the door.
"Sara...honey, can I come in?"
Now, we are on a first-name basis.
"come in."
I wrapped the towel around me and unlocked the door for him.
"Are you okay? I ordered some tea for you," he pauses like he's trying to think of what to say next. "I'm sorry about what Janet did, she asked me to give her acting tips," he drew closer to me.
"Oh, when did kissing become acting tips?" I glared at him hoping he'd see how angry I was.
He held my hand.
"Honey, babe. Janet, acted unprofessional she was not supposed to do that."
His eyes were filled with regret and I was angry at him for allowing that Jezebel to put her filthy lips on him when it's been months since he kissed me. A loud bang made me jump and hug him.
"What was that?"
"Someone must be at the door. I'm going to check," he said.
He let go of me then proceeded to check who was at the door.
"What are you doing here?" he said.
A woman whose voice I recognized entered the room.
"Where's your wife I need to speak to her," she said.
"Janet, you don't walk into someone's house uninvited and start making demands it is being disrespectful," he said.
They were in a heated argument until I interrupted them when I entered the room clothed in a bathrobe I grabbed from the bathroom. She surprised me when she kneeled and held her hands together like she was about to pray.
"I'm very sorry I kissed your husband. He was only giving me tips on how to be a better actress," her lips quivered and tears rolled down her bleached cheeks. "Please, forgive me I was only following the script for my upcoming movie."
Janet wore a long figure dress that accentuated her voluptuous body. The slit in the dress exposed her bleached thigh. She never looked this beautiful in the past.
"You and I have a dark history, but I'm going to show you that am sorry," she gestured to the big shopping bag on the bed. "I bought you a gift and I wanted to invite you and Mark to dinner all paid for by me."
My husband glanced in the shopping bag and his Jaw dropped.
"Honey, she has learned her lesson." he said.
I felt the heat rising within me.
"Honey, if rumours start spreading, it could ruin our marriage."
"What happened was a mistake. Please, forgive her. Do it for me, honey," he kneeled next to her and stared at me with his beautiful brown eyes. He's gorgeous without his glasses.
Janet sobbed. I sauntered to her. My husband stood and attempted to deter me from violence.
"What's in the bag?"
My husband hastily grabbed it and exuded excitement as he handed me the bag.
"I bought you another dress because the other one got wet when you dived into the lake and something for you and your husband."
From the bag, I removed a summer dress, expensive branded summer slippers, then I paused on the last item. I could see my husband's eyes lit up where he kneeled. Janet was trying to be a saint in front of my husband. Anyway, let me play along.
"You are forgiven."
My husband smiled.
"Thank you, God bless you."
She tried to hug me, but I stopped her.
"First, kneel so that I can pray for you."
"Okay," she nervously smiled.
She kneeled so did my husband. They closed their eyes and waited for me to start praying. I grabbed one of the expensive slippers extended my hand behind me, gripped the slipper then brought it down hard on her face that her scream startled my husband. She fell and clutched her face.
"You devil, you want to finish my marriage," I tossed the black g-string at her.
My husband rushed to help her but she scampered for her life and stood by the door. She insulted my husband, his ancestors and called me a demon who lacked manners and class. The slipper had left a red mark on her face. Her insults grew vulgar. To shut her up, I flung the slipper at her. She yelped and fled.
I chased her out of the room. In the hallway, while she fled, I hurled the g-string at her.
"Don't you ever come near my husband again."
When I returned, my husband shook his head. I expected an argument but the most unlikely thing happened. He roared with laughter and wiped his tears as he laughed. My husband was back.
End.