Nothing would make Sarah turn down an offer to have strawberry blended with vanilla with the best waffles sprinkled on top, not even the biggest turbulence. Once you placed the offer on the table, even the calmest storm would sleep at the thought of it. Tunde, her husband of ten years definitely knew this, so he was certain this offer would get her out of the room after days of locking herself up.
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“Babe, let's go have some ice-cream at Cold stone” He said, waiting for positive responses from within. There was silence. She didn't budge. He anticipated foot steps, but the silence lingered. He always had a store of patience when it came to dealing with Sarah, but he was beginning to run out of it.
It was four long days of silence. His once energetic and vibrant wife had been drawn into a world of depression. She wouldn't leave her room, talk, or return calls. He wanted to fight for her, but after this, he deserved to take a break from fruitless attempts.
Tunde's throat felt like it had been denied water the entire day. He wasn't the kind to have his sleep interrupted, but he couldn't help it, tonight.
He walked through the corridor to get water.He moved up gently without a sound, trying not to wake anyone around. He wanted to make the next turn to the kitchen, when his ears discerned whispers from the living room. No one else was in the house besides his wife who was obviously on a lockdown, so the whispers were questionable.
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“My in-law, good morning o,” Kalu, Sarah's immediate younger brother whom he could have sworn was his wife's arch enemy, greeted. He was in shock. Why would he be in their home at such an ungodly hour, obviously fraternising with his wife in a way that was unusual?
Kalu’s greedy display at their traditional wedding came rushing in his mind all over again. When the elders had requested the bride to be brought forth like it was customary, Kalu emerged like a lion from its hiding, as if to devour someone. He protested, making unreasonable demands of another male goat, before the bride would be ushered in.
Pleas from all around fell on deaf ears. It was this same unfortunate human who was in his sitting room,drinking from his expensive drink he had got from his last trip to France.
“Baby, I'm sorry about the way I have acted of late. Please, give me time, I'll come around.” He wanted to ignore her and walk away, just to get even for the days she had made him feel unwanted. He made to step away from her, when her hands grabbed his and her head fell right on his chest.
Her tears wet his silk pyjamas, as his hands wiped them slowly and gently.
Kalu spent a lot more time in the house. Each time he asked why he visited, Sarah dismissed the discussion, covering it up with a topic he definitely got too engrossed in, that the topic of Tinde’s visit would die a natural death.
Tunde was to be away on his usual business trips. Sarah made it a point of duty to have late evening calls with him to unwind and fill her ears with his voice.
She lay there on the sofa engaged in a heart warming conversation, when Kalu’s voice interrupted her call as he emerged from the guest room.
Sarah, where's the money I asked,”he barked.
“Kalu, I don't have any more money na. I have told you. Just let me son stay with mama till I can pay him visits, please.” Sarah kept begging Kalu who wouldn't listen. Kalu slammed the door behind him violently. She suddenly remembered she was on a call with her husband, and had not ended the call. She thought she had muted the call before Kalu's outburst, but that was far from it.
Sarah froze.
She began to live in fear the days afterwards. Her mind was in doubt. Did Tunde hear her conversation with Kalu? If he did, why didn't he say anything about it after he had called the next day?
Tunde was to return that day from his trip. Her usual excitement had gone. She didn't really know what to expect from him. A part of her urged her to relax, with the consolation that she must have ended the call immediately Kalu began to yell.
His arrival time was 4pm. It was 7:00pm on her clock, but he was nowhere to be found. She dailed his number several times, but couldn't reach him. The first day passed, so did the second and third.
“Sister, I haven't been able to reach my husband o.” Sarah had poured out her heart to Tunde’s elder sister, after she couldn't reach her. Nora wanted to tell her he had visited, but she restrained herself just when the words were about to be let out. There was more to this, she thought.
Sarah's misery grew worse by the day. Her thoughts had got the best of her. The door Bell's thud interrupted her thought that moment.
“Madam, you've been served” She reaches out to get the envelope that had been stretched and walked in to have a look
She stared long and hard. She wished she had told him. She cursed Kalu for coming into her home, and blamed herself for giving in to his blackmail.
He had blocked him. It explained the reason she couldn't reach him in weeks. She just hoped for a chance to say something, to explain herself, but she had lost that chance the moment she chose not to share this secret with Tunde.