Chidalu coughed hysterically reaching for the glass of water on the table, her eyes were red and puffy. She reached for the water and slurped quickly she almost choked on it. Then she stopped, inhaled deeply and placed the glass on the table with a force I thought it would break. Whatever emotions she felt didn’t ignite remorse to the act I committed six years ago. Chidalu deserved it most especially Ejike.
“You meant you actually murdered Ejike?” She inquired again half- heartedly hopeful I would reply in the negative and it would be a tasteless and insensitive joke and we would all forget about it, but she knew I meant every word I uttered, she knew I wasn’t the type to tell jokes and I was vengeful. Forgiveness was never in my dictionary moreso jokes.
“Yes I did” I replied solemnly starring at her with disdain. I just told her that I killed Ejike her husband six years ago.
“Why did you kill him?” she half whispered staring at nothingness. This wasn’t the expression I envisaged from her, I expected an exploding reaction but like always she was calm and calculating.
“He promised to leave you for me and that he had stopped sleeping with you only for you to…”
I paused for few seconds unable to complete my statement and continued,
“Do you know how it felt to be betrayed and have the rug pulled forcefully under your feet? I loved him with every fiber of my being I practically lived for him, I gave him everything my body my heart and soul and he deceived me”.
I realized I was screaming when I had stopped speaking. Then it occurred to me that I was telling this woman sitting across the dinning table that the father of her children betrayed me with her. Maybe I was actually insane but giving a care was the least thing on my mind.
Silence filled the room, nerve wrecking silence. I guess I had forgotten how excruciatingly calm she could be in the midst of calamity. How could she be so calm doesn’t she understand the gravity of my confession. She pouted and deep horizontal lines creased her forehead she still was not looking at me though I stared into her eyes like I wanted to pierce into her soul, then she flashed me a look and looked away like I was an unceremonious insect. She reached for the glass of water and gulped in seconds then placed the glass carefully on the table like it was an egg she didn’t want to break. She strengthened her beautiful long slim fingers and inspected her nails, they were painted light blue the type our late mother would call ashewo colour. The artificial nails were long and smoothly filed. She still wore her gold wedding band and it shone. I knew she was thinking or maybe she wasn’t, maybe she needed time to process her emotions and my confession.
Then she took the Oxford dictionary on the table and started reading which got me the whole aggravated. Okay I guess she was trying to make an insane woman out of me or probably she was bent on driving me crazy. I opened my mouth to speak but it hung open. What would I tell her, the details of how I had slept with her husband?
What Ejike and I shared was special, sacred and timeless. He was my soulmate, my man, I had visited Chidalu for a vacation and one night I had been thirsty so I went downstairs to get some water and he was there with his fine self binging on some fruits. I had always had a crush on him and I never hid it.
“Cant sleep?” he asked trying so hard to concentrate on my face with little effort. I wore a transparent red nightie and nothing was underneath. “Yes” I replied sharply and you?” I asked “same here” he replied. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottled water then turned to go upstairs nevertheless I stopped in my track pulled out a chair and sat in front of him. He couldn’t resist the temptation before him and before I knew it we were devouring each others lips and fondling our privates. I stopped mid-fondling.
“I have to go to bed” I muttered. I wasn’t going to let him have me downstairs at the dinning table in my sister’s house at least not our first time I had other plans.
I turned and slowly walked upstairs leaving him with mind blowing erection and so horny he nearly pleaded. By the time I woke up from sleep the next day he had gone to work. I helped my sister with some of the chores and went back to school. I had a quiz and needed to be in school to prepare better but I knew that was me being economic with the truth. I wanted Ejike to miss me and come for me. I barely concentrated on the lectures and the day was almost gone when my phone rang and it was him. My heart fluttered and my stomach lurched I had to lay my left hand on it and pressed it. I waited for it to ring again before I answered.
To be Continued…..
NEXT: Eating the Devil’s Pie 2
