A/N: SORRY FOR ANY ERRORS IN THIS PART. PLEASE POINT IT OUT. I LIKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
"Stop it."
"Let me go."
"Mama No."
"I want to leave."
Osa woke up with a start soaked in his own sweat. Sleep, they very thing that eluded him had brought about these nightmares. He sat up and forced himself out of bed. He leaned towards the bedside table, picking up his wristwatch. He was grateful that it glowed in the dark. He didn't want to wake Kemi up.
"Osa?"
Too late. She was awake. He dropped the wristwatch and got back on the bed.
"Go back to sleep."
"Were you having a bad dream? What did you dream about?"
It was no dream. His mind had reenacted the incident and now, it played over and over again like a song stuck on repeat. They had only been in Lagos for two nights and those nights had been haunted by one nightmare.
"It was just a nightmare. A silly dream. I'm fine now." He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, recalling how he had to fight his way out of mama's house. Mama had held his torso and Ruth had sat on him. Mama had told him that was the best way for her to get all the children she wanted. He turned away from Kemi and shut his eyes.
"Was it the same dream you had yesterday?"
"Kemi, please, I have to be at work early this morning. This is not the time to discuss this." He said.
He felt her draw close to him. He couldn't stop his skin from freezing up. He hoped she wouldn't notice. His body had developed a mind of his own. A mind that hated Kemi's touch. A mind that was repulsed by Kemi's physical presence. A mind that wanted no form of intimacy with the woman he loved.
Kemi smuggled beside his body, placing her hand around his torso. For her sake, he tired to slow down his breathing. He focused on keeping his body relaxed. In a couple of minutes, Kemi's breathing had slowed to a deep even pace and his body was still rigid but he refused to deny her the comfort she sought.
* * *
Kemi was surprised to wake up alone on the bed. She got off the bed, said her prayers and hurried to the kitchen. She thought about the conversation she had with Osa that morning. There was something different about Osa. He was distant. She busied herself with preparing both their lunch and breakfast. The four-burner gas cooker aided her preparation of rice, stew, pancake and hot water.
Her hands touched the kitchen utensils but her mind embraced the issue that plagued her heart. Osa's nightmare was the chief of all the issues. Who was Ruth? What did mama have to do with this?
She was yet to find out what mama had done to Osa. What could a mother have done to upset her son like that? Mama was fine before they returned from Mayokun's house. Sandra was the only one they met. Efe had taken mama home.
Kemi couldn't believe her ears when Osa said, "Good riddance."
The sound of footsteps on the staircase forced her to focus on the present. Osa walked down the staircase, crossed the living room and stood beside her, peering into the content of the pot. "You're dressed. Why are you rushing off to work?"
"Well, Mrs Johnson," Osa began, placing her hand around his waist. "I'm going to work so I can earn money and you can retire early."
"Oh really?" She found a smile teasing her lips.
"Actually, I'm going to prepare the office for the new secretary's arrival."
"Won't you have breakfast first?" She walked away from him and threw open the white cabinet that stood over the cooker. She brought down two white plates from the stack of plates nestled against each other. "By the way, isn't your secretary supposed to prepare things for you?"
Her hands touched his fingers as she handed him the plates. She let go but it never touched his hand. It fell on the floor, shattering into two parts and several tiny fragments.
"Shit," Osa mumbled. Kemi stared at the plate wig wide eyes. Since when did Osa curse?
They crouched and each picked up one piece of the plate. Osa picked up the pancakes and stuffed one in his mouth. Her handed her the other piece of the broken China.
"Did you just cuss?"
"No. I wouldn't."
She ignored his lie and provided him another plate. "I'm going to have my bath. The rice is almost done so just turn it off after a few minutes. And if you finish eating before I'm done, you can get your lunch from the counter."
She left him to prepare for work. She descended the staircase, dressed in a peach long sleeve top and a fitted black skirt, to find that he was gone. Her eyes lit of a cup of steaming coffee and a plate of pancake on the dining table. She got to the table and picked up the note she found there.
Thanks for the breakfast, my love. Here is yours. I already packed my lunch
Kemi let out a breath. He prepared her breakfast? Was he fine? She settled into the chair. It was warm. He had not been gone long. She picked a pancake and smiled. Maybe Osa's fighting with mama was not a bad thing. Her cheeks flushes as she stared at this curvy handwriting. It was as though someone had cast a love spell on him. His mother should have annoyed him sooner instead of placing cataracts in the rapids of their marriage.
She dialled his number. He picked on the second ring. "Hey you."
"Hey beautiful. Are you missing me already?"
"Maybe," she drawled, dropping the pancake on the plate. "Thanks for the breakfast."
"It's my way of saying thank you for supporting me and never giving up on me. Even though we both know you are the one who made the breakfast."
She giggled at his words. "You didn't let me kiss you goodbye."
He didn't reply for several seconds. "I can't hear you. Speak up."
"I said you didn't let me kiss you goodbye." She traced his handwriting on the note with her fingers while she placed a noisy kiss on the phone. He did the same too and they giggled.
"Okay, I have to eat now."
"Bye, I love you."
She set the phone down and read his note against. The corners of her lips submitted to a grin. This marriage was quickly becoming all she had imagined and more.
***
Kemi's upbeat mood kept a smile on her face as she got into her car and drove to her office. She got to Jude's bus stop first. He got into the car and she drove to Ijeoma's bus stop, swaying gently to Tuface's African Queen playing on her car's stereo system.
"I can't see her anywhere." Her eyes scanned the road side for Ijeoma.
Jude stared out from the back seat. "Do you think she could have boards a bus?"
"I hope not. It looks like it is going to rain. She would not want to be jumping buses in the rain."
Kemi drew in a deep breath of the air conditioned air as she packed by the curb. Her eyes strolled past the workers and students scattered around the bus stop and waiting for a bus. Some of them were crowded around the danfo buses.
Kemi added, "Why would she want to pass up a free ride?"
"Because I'm in it." Jude's deep voice showed no emotion. Kemi couldn't tell how he felt because his facial features were blank.
"No," Kemi shook her head, causing her bob to slap across her face. "She wouldn't. That would be childish."
"Have you met that woman? There was one time when she-" Jude's speech ended as he snorted. "Look at her. She's getting into that bus."
Kemi rolled down her window and yelled. "Ij, I'm over here."
She watched Ijeoma enter the bus without a second glance in their direction. She had seen them. Kemi was sure of it. She had seen them and decided that they didn't exist. Kemi pursed her lips.
Jude placed his hand against the door handle. "Should I go to her?"
"Don't worry. It's fine," Kemi sat back in her chair. If Ijeoma had decided that she would rather take a bus, filled with different strangers forced to sit down side by side, than a free ride that was fine but ignoring her was not. "She won't listen to you."
Kemi unbuckled her seat belt. Her tongue desired to give Ijeoma a verbal lashing. The danfo roared to life, coughing and spluttering black fumes in its wake as it began its journey for the day.
"There she goes." Jude sighed.
Kemi put on her seat belt and turned on the car engine. "I hope she doesn't regret it."
***
She arrived at the office early enough to find a parking space. Jude got out of the car and slung his laptop bag across his shoulder. He walked to the driver's window. "Thanks for the ride. I'm greeting my car back in two days time and you can finally be free of me."
Kemi returned his dazzling smile. "You're welcome for as long as you need."
"I don't want to impose." He stuck his lean fingers into the pocket of his well pressed pants.
"If you ever need a ride anywhere," Kemi picked her bag from the passengers seat before turning off the engine. "Let me know."
Jude looked up, a small frown playing on his lips. "It's beginning to drizzle. I hope Ij makes it on time."
Kemi cranked her brow at Jude's use of Ijeoma's nickname. She had earlier suspected that there was something going on between them. Something like the aftermath of a sour relationship. She would have voiced out her opinion but her words got stuck in her throat when she noticed the grey Land Rover pulling into the parking space beside her small black car.
"Ijeoma better come quick if she wants to keep her job." Kemi stepped out of the car and locked the door.
She locked her car, smiled at Jude and progressed to the two storey building that housed their office. She didn't want to give Mrs. Afolabi her a chance to eat off her head. She picked up her pace as she hurried over the interlocking stones, to the staircase bordered by metal railings and beyond the sliding doors. She got in and looked towards the car park. Jude had engaged Mrs. Afolabi in a conversation. She prayed that Ijeoma would make it to work before Mrs. Afolabi got to her desk.
Kemi exchanged greeting with the receptionist before hurrying up the staircase to the room she shared with Ijeoma and two others. Hussein, a tall man with a bald scalp and a bearded jawline, typed on the desktop computer before him. Kehinde had a phone to her ear and threw her meaty fingers this way and that as she yelled into the phone. Ijeoma's seat was empty.
"Hussein. Kehinde. Good morning." She nodded at the pregnant woman. Kehinde nodded back but Hussein kept his eyes on his system.
"It's good that you are here on time. I heard Mrs. Afolabi is on a war path this morning," He said.
"Why?" Kemi eyes Hussein's desk. Unlike hers, everything had a place including his business cards that leaned against the wooden wall that separated their desks into sections.
"She was denied her promotion," Hussein replied.
"You should have seen her Kemi. You missed. I swear, Saturday workers get all the good gist." Kehinde dropped the phone halfway through her explanation. "Where is miss Kenechukwu?"
"I have no idea. She took the bus today," Kemi said. She settled into her seat and prayed that Ijeoma would beat the rain and make it upstairs soon. She brought her phone out her bag and dialled Ijeoma's number but a recorded static voice told her that Ijeoma's line was unavailable.