I was on the shores of Greece on the far stretched waters, the sun cast its golden rays upon the deck and the vessel swayed with the rhythm of the sea.
I wanted my life to be like this everyday, a vacation, with absolutely no worries from the HR team or an annoying customer. As the yacht sailed, I felt liberated, not a single care on my shoulder, I was just in so much peace and awe of the beautiful shores of Greece. The ride was a long one and I closed my eyes briefly to immerse myself in a peaceful rest, until I heard the sound of the alarm clock.
It was 5.30am.
Goodness, Greece was just a dream. I was back to my regular life. The one that required me to get ready to be at work before 9am.
I got out of the bed I shared with my husband Chike for three years. I walked into the bathroom, brushed my teeth and watched morning prayers online with my church home. I decided to fry plantain and make scrambled eggs for breakfast, but first I had to brew Chike’s coffee. I loved tea, but my husband could not do without coffee.
It was almost 7am when Chike came out of the bedroom in his suit and tie, he was ready for work, while I prepared breakfast, he was in the shower and getting ready for work.
“Good morning beautiful,” he greeted and placed his briefcase on the table.
“Good morning,” I said as I placed some plantains in the plate I was going to serve him with.
“It’s going to be a hectic day today, I have meetings back to back,” Chike informed me.
“Do you want me to pack up lunch for you?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, I will order food from the eatery,” he replied.
I didn’t like my husband eating from all the restaurants close to his office, because he usual had to send someone else to get the food, usually his secretary Linda. I didn’t like her for any good reason.
The first reason was because she was very attractive and she had a great body figure that made anything she wore scream of perfection. I was not blessed with the assets she had to draw men to her like a magnet, so the first reason for my not liking her was my insecurity.
The second, third fourth and every other reason would not make any sense, except she was always in close proximity to my husband, she spent forty or more hours a week with him in the office.
If there was any reason for her to lose her job, I would bring it on. I would fuel the fire and possibly set her up. She respected me, she greeted me well. She owed me that, but I didn’t trust her around my husband. He always spoke highly of her which made me even more angry.
“Okay,” I responded as I poured the coffee into his favorite red mug, one that we got when we went to Disneyland in Paris.
“What’s your day going to be like?” Chike asked.
“I have a presentation in the afternoon and a few errands to run before coming home,” I replied dryly.
“Sweet,” he replied and then took a gulp from the coffee mug while he scrolled through his phone. He seemed deeply engrossed with whatever he was reading.
He did this every morning. I cant shake off the feeling that something is up. He was glued to his phone, he no longer wanted packed lunch, he came home late and was too tired to watch a movie or eat dinner.
Last night his phone rang four times and he ignored the calls. I told him it was okay to answer, but he said it was his job and whatever they had to say could wait till morning.
He waited till I was asleep and he went to the bathroom and was there for almost an hour. I wasn’t sleeping, I heard every single noise, tip toe, phone notification. I heard everything but pretended to be asleep.
On the weekends when he was home, he would take his phone calls in a different room or in the car, or abruptly end phone calls when I walked into the room. I found it rather strange. My birthday was not coming up, so it didn’t sound like he was planning to surprise me. I felt it was something more sinister in my spirit.
We had not had sex in a month and he had stopped initiating. Whenever I initiated sex, he would pull the ‘tired” card on me.
I pulled up to the gates of my home at 6.45pm. It was a long day and the traffic made me tired and sleepy, but I left work early so I could beat traffic in certain areas of town. It worked. I needed to make dinner for myself. Chike may or may not eat, but regardless I would still make something. I could have ordered fast food, but I felt like cooking tonight so I stopped at the store and bought steak.
I walked into the house and turned on the lights and then the TV. I walked up the stairs and went into my bedroom to undress and take a shower. It was my ritual every single day. I listened to music through the speakers as I scrubbed my body with the liquid shea butter soap I bought when I went to London earlier this year. After my cold shower, I decided to wear my favorite lavender lounge outfit. It was not in the chest of drawers, so I decided to look in the clean laundry basket, it was not there. Strange. Maybe it was in the closet. I decided to look in the closet I shared with my husband, occasionally I put folded clothes in the drawer section of the closet. Chike’s clothes were neatly arranged in rows. He was a very tidy person. I opened the first drawer and took the clothes that were neatly arranged piece by piece. I opened the next drawer which consisted of socks and underwear, mostly Chike’s. Nestled in between two pairs of black socks and his boxer shorts was a bra. The lace trim glowed as the over head lights in the room rested on it. It obviously did not belong to me. It was not my size. It was a D cup, I wore a B cup bra. I had never seen it before, how did it get in here?
For a moment, time stood still as I tried to make out what was in my hand. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind and I could not make sense of a single one of them. I held onto the bra. It was now a reality. I could not unsee this and life in this house would no longer be the same.
With seething rage I picked up my phone and decided to make a phone call.
But to who?
to be continued
WHISTLING BEAUTIFUL 