Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Maka admired her surroundings as she waited for the door to be opened. She looked at how bland the environment was. For the first time, she realized that it lacked the touch of nature. She could not decorate the whole estate with flowers but she could plant flowers around her own house. It could even serve as a demarcation for her as she did not have a fence. It could also be a mark distinguishing her house from the other similar white storey buildings with brown roofings.
Oluchi opened the door. She was a young girl in her early twenties working as a Nanny while she waited for admission into the university.
"You are welcome, ma," She greeted
She immediately bent to collect Maka's bag but she held on tightly to it. The young girl loved to do extra things outside her job of taking care of her daughter and she did not want that.
"How are you doing? " She asked, walking into the house.
"I'm fine, ma. Blossom is sleeping, " Oluchi replied slowly walking behind her after hurriedly bolting the door.
"She returned home early," She stated.
"She did not go to school. Her midterm break started on Wednesday. "
She did not know. She could not have known when she returned home in the evening just when Oluchi was leaving. She would then put a cartoon for her little girl and then go up to work on some cases.
"You can go now," Maka said without looking at the girl.
Maka slumped in a chair and kicked off her black stilettos. She had left the house very early for the court just for her client to call and say he fell off from the bed and broke his neck and leg. It was not funny to her but the impossibility of the flimsy excuse made her laugh so hard.
"So Sir, do you sleep on a bunk? " she asked.
"No, my foam, my bed. " The man had replied.
"You see" She said, "You can not be the one to make me appear mad. You will have to find another attorney. Bye."
She did not wait for him to say another word before she ended the call. She should have known that she was actually coming to defend a liar. She did not mind defending a liar but she preferred the 'liar' being honest to the lawyer. That was how her plans for the day changed and she did not want to go back to the firm.
Oluchi came out with her big bead handbag containing the clothes she always brought to wear while she took care of the baby.
"There's nothing else you want me to do for you? " She asked.
"No, I will do the rest by myself. "
She stood and followed her to the door.
"Here, for your transport," she said, handing her some money.
"Aunty, there's no need. I have my transport money," Oluchi refused.
"Abeg, when will you stop all this your drama? Collect money joor. "
"Auntiee," Oluchi laughed then collected the money.
"Don't bother coming tomorrow, " Maka said before she closed the door.
"Okay ma. Thank you ma."
Immediately she went back to the parlour, she picked her phone to call Kamsi again.
It was Friday. The day that marked the three years anniversary for Mark and Kamsi. Maka always called Kamsi on that day each year to congratulate her and tease her a little. It had never been a big ceremony for the couple. They never threw a party or had an outing but Maka knew Kamsi would have loved all that. She had been trying to call her all morning but she was not picking up. Somehow it got her scared. The last time Kamsi's phone had rang for so long and she did not pick up, something had gone wrong .
...but it is their anniversary. What could possibly go wrong? She questioned as she stared at the phone that was dialing Kamsi's number again.
Maka turned to the door leading to the kitchen as Blossom walked in a pink balloon dress and her purple slippers on her feet. Lines of sleep still decorated her face.
"Darling, come here," Maka called.
She walked to Maka and settled in her arms.
"What of Aunty Oyuchi? " She asked.
"She has gone home, " Maka replied.
"Why? She said she'll help me do my midterm project when I wake up. Is it night, why did she go? " The little girl complained about crying.
"Don't worry. I will help you do it. "
"You don't know how to do it. It's only Aunty Oyuchi that knows it, " Blossom said, tears already running down her eyes.
Maka hugged her close and said, "Stop crying. Go and bring it, let me see. "
The little girl wandered off and Maka tried calling her friend one more time.
"The number you are trying to call, is not reachable. To send... "
The number had stopped ringing and was no more reachable. It could be the network or her phone could have been stolen. She dialed Mark's line which he picked on the first ring.
"Maka, Good morning. How are you? " he asked.
" What happened to Kamsi's phone. Why is she not picking her calls? " She asked instead of replying to the pleasantries.
There was silence on the other end before Mark replied, "I would not know. She should be at work."
" Hmm, okay. Happy anniversary to you both. "
"Yes, Thank you. " he replied.
Maka bowed her head in her palms as the call ended. It was difficult for her even impossible to stop wondering why she could not reach Kamsi.
"Mummy, are we going to stay in the study room?" Blossom asked, standing at the door with her, 'Boss baby ' school bag.
"Blom, keep it. We'll do it later " Maka replied still with her head in her hands.
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When Maka said, "Happy anniversary to you both. "
Mark had to take a minute to remember what the date was. He had totally forgotten. He had been quick to reply, "Yes, thank you. "
It was always Kamsi that reminded him of their wedding anniversary. He always gave the excuse that he was not good with dates. Some days, he could also have a lot of work to get to and a busy day entirely and it just skips his mind but all that could be called excuses also.
He had been so angry the night before so even if he used to remember, it was right for him to forget this one time. He could not understand why his wife kept on giving him a headache at every chance she got. He had stated in more actions and less words that Okechukwu was not family, that he was a threat to their marriage but Kamsi still kept a close relationship with the man to the extent of starting to paint again just to be selling to him.
He heard her banging on the door till she stopped. He also heard the yelling while he just sat in the parlor waiting till the knocks seized. He came outside late that night to call her inside but to meet no one outside the door and he checked the environment but no signs of her.
He did not want to conclude till morning came and he called his brother, Joseph. He exchanged pleasantries and they talked for long. Knowing Joseph, if Kamsi slept in their house, he would have approached him with the topic but Joseph did not.
He dressed for work in the morning just to come out and meet Kamsi sitting on the stairs outside. She stood up immediately, he opened the door.
"Where did you sleep last night? " he had asked.
He waited for her to reply, blocking the entrance. She only let out a laugh and shook her head. The act infuriated him but not as much as when she said,
"Get out of my way."
The slap he landed on her face was without thinking. It did not take a minute for the same slap to return to his face. He had been caught unawares but he managed to move his face and the slap was just a brush of her palm on his cheek but he got the message alright.
"You slapped me? " he asked in disbelief.
Without a reply, she pushed him and went into the house. He had stood there for minutes wondering how the tables had turned so quickly.
In his office after Maka called, he could not stop thinking of the events of last night and early morning. He was not one to hit a woman. He had let his anger rule him and he regretted it but it still shocked him that Kamsi had thought to hit him back.
He dialed his wife's number and indeed it was not available. He found himself standing up from his seat to go look for his friend and colleague, Kingsley. He found him at the reception where he loved to stay instead of his office. He said, little spaces suffocate him.
"I'm going home. I don't know if I'll be back. Please if anything, stand in for me."
"Sure. Any problems? " Kingsley asked.
"No, none at all, " Mark replied quickly, walking to the glass slide door.
He got home and the first thing he noticed was that the front door was not locked. He tried to put on a calm composure as he walked into the house but all that faded when he realized he was alone in the house.
He went to her room. Everything seemed arranged but he would not be so sure. He hardly went into her room. The bed was neatly arranged. Her cupboard stood at a corner with her cosmetics arranged on it. Her wardrobe door was closed. He took out his phone and dialed her number but it did not go through.
It was possible she had a Low battery. It had to be, he thought. He felt she was at work and would return in the evening but he sat in the parlor and waited till evening and when the November wind blew the gates, his confused head thought Kamsi was knocking. He waited for the gates to be opened but nothing happened.
In the kitchen, the plate of Pasta she had covered was still there now spoiled, including the remaining pasta in the pot. He rubbed his open palm on his head thinking of who to call.
Darkness was slowly starting to envelope the earth and he was standing at the rail outside the front door waiting for a knock. He did not want to involve others in his family affairs but he was out of options.
He walked towards the gate to meet Timothy who was sitting on a bench outside with his wife, their hands intertwined.
"Good evening, Sir, " the young woman greeted.
"Ah, you came for the weekend! How you dey na?" Mark asked with a wide smile.
"I'm fine, Sir," She replied then she went into the small gate house.
" Timothy, did my wife tell you where she was going to? " he asked.
Timothy's face conveyed the absurdity of the question and Mark understood. It was a stupid question.
"Na only for night when you lock am for outside, I follow am talk," he replied.
Mark swallowed hard then looked towards the house then back at Timothy.
"I don't want to hear that again," he said sternly.
Timothy nodded though unmoved by Mark's grim face.
"E be like say e don travel. She carry big box pass here for morning, " he said like he was relaying any normal news.
"Okay. Thank you," Mark said, trying not to express any form of emotion before his gateman. He locked up the shock, the rage, the chaos and other emotions inside of him as he walked away.
"Sir, my transfer na next year o," Timothy said as he was about heading back to the house.
"I did not request for your transfer," Mark said, turning to face him.
"Na me do am, Sir. I wan change environment."
"That's alright, " he said and resumed walking towards the house.
His thoughts roamed about places Kamsi could go to. He wondered if she was even still in Okigwe. He wanted to place calls to everyone he knew but he would seem stupid. He had never wanted anything to announce to the world the problems in his marriage.
He could not sleep that night. He tried his wife's line one more time. It rang twice then it was no longer available. He could not believe he was the one in that state of chaos, unable to put a rein on the affairs of his marriage. It was all like a dream to him but the dream was real, so real.