Chapter 17: Chapter 17

CHAPTER 14

Simi entered the room, cramming the room with the tang of curry and thyme. Teju was already dressed for breakfast in his white and blue-striped polo shirt and grey three-quarter trouser. He had stayed back to reply to some of the messages from his WhatsApp contacts and to read a particular entertainment gossip on LindaIkeji blog about the long-standing rivalling between Davido and Wizkid. As far as Teju was concerned, the gossips could be absolutely false, to him, they were merely publicity stunts concocted by the music artistes themselves. Whenever he sees the two artistes together, in a friendly picture, or a video, or on stage, both the blogs and the public appeared stupid. Those who continue to believe that the artistes hated each other were apparently foolhardy; he would say whenever he had the opening to express his views on the subject.

“Food is ready, baby,” Simi said at the threshold of the room with a knowing smile.

The room which served both of them as a bedroom was a typical master bedroom of the well-to-do. The walls were painted white. It was complemented by the fluorescent light bulbs which glowed with blinding radiance. Though there were some abstract arts and pastoral or wildlife landscapes with a few award plaques hung on the walls, the lustrous whiteness made the room look heavenly. It seemed endless. The drawn cream-coloured curtain at the other end of the room appeared farther than it was, likethe far end of a hall.

The red rug which carpeted the room was soft and malleable that it sunk half of the whole feet into itself. It spread its redness infinitely as though the room was flooded with blood. A massive bed, clad in a heavy mahogany bed-frame and upholstered headboard stood condescendingly at the middle of the room, laid neatly with a luxurious cream-coloured cotton sheet and studded with pillows.

At the right side of the bed were a chair and a table. The table was heavily loaded with different shades of lipsticks, lip-glosses, eyeshades, concealers, eyeliners, powders, mirrors, combs, nail files, hair conditioners, and body lotions.

‘That is your second office’

Teju would say this to Simi teasingly whenever she sat down at her table, tending to her already beautiful face with such seriousness that made it seem she was in beauty pageantry. And Simi would fondly tell him to hold his peace because she did it to please herself and not him. At the left side was Teju’s chair and table, piled with a few books, notepads, magazines, newspapers, and a laptop.

Teju looked up from his Infinix Hot 4 Pro. He punched it a few times more and deposited it on his table. He jumped up from his chair as though a scorpion had just stung him and smiled at Simi.

“I’m as hungry as a lion!” he thundered

“Wait, I’m going to do this my own way,” Simi said, stopping him

“What is it again; do you want me to eat you?” Teju mildly dissented

“Shhhhh” Simi responded, dramatically putting her forefinger on her almond-shaped lips as a teacher would threateningly do to a wailing pupil. She took out a napkin which was used as a hand dryer in the kitchen.

“What’s that for, baby?” Teju asked,

“I’m going to put this on for you to complete your breakfast outfit,” Simi said as she started to blindfold Teju

“What is this ceremony of a surprise all about, I’m starving, baby” Teju protested, even though he showed no physical resistance. Simi led Teju downstairs and then to the dining table. She helped him to sit down on his chair and slowly loosen the napkin from his eyes. Teju’s facade blazed with surprise. She had prepared him what was his second best food- coconut rice and fried chicken.

The meal was to be a three-course meal. The first course was a plate of spiced and garnished pepper soup with a big head of catfish. The second course was to be coconut rice, vegetable salad, and chicken. And then the last course, of course, was to be chilled fruit salad and fruit juice, Simi explained in a jovial voice. Teju was astounded. She must have gone through a whole lot of stress preparing such delicacies, he thought. He imagined the pressure she must have endured just to please him. And not even a trace of fatigue could be heard in her voice, or seen in her countenance.

With the careful arrangement of the foods into sections and in order of consumption, it was evident that the effort was a product of thorough masterminding. After having one of the nicest meals KFC had on their menu the previous night, the meal could not have been more delightful. She started to dish up the food and Teju stared along as she did. Though he was dumbfounded for a number of reasons, there was a deep inner joy swelling up frenziedly within him. He wondered, or maybe he tried to imagine what their wedding anniversary would look like.

They ate quietly, only the tinkling of the crockery filled the air as though they were militant believers that chatting while eating was against table etiquettes. Simi would often steal looks at Teju, and it appeared she was satisfied with the way he dealt with the food- as if his life depended on it. Teju felt the meal needed his complete attention from start to finish. He had to enjoy the meal as best as he could, and chatting could deprive him of that. He was already in the middle of the second course when he reached out for Simi. She was gently munching the mouthful of rice in her mouth, he held her hand, and squeezed it affectionately.

“You know what? You remind me of my mom. This coconut rice reminds me of the first and the last time my mom cooked coconut rice for us on one of those Christmas mornings. I fell in love with coconut rice instantly, even though I never had enough of it. But here I am today, eating coconut rice just as delicious as the one that made me fall madly in love with it in the first place. Thank you so much, my love. You are a gift, and I’m grateful” Teju said in a supple voice ridden with passion. He stared into her eyes as she nodded her head shyly and gave that mischievous grin.

“Thank you for looking after me, baby,” he said as he leaned forward and lodged a kiss on her oily, relaxed and tender lips. For Teju, it was such a refreshing moment. He could still feel the sweet impression of her lips adhering to his lips even minutes after kissing her. Teju had no doubt that his friend’s recommendation of Ebun was not entirely accurate. Though he could not deny the strong prospect that Ebun would be a good pleasure-giver in bed and that he had a yielding streak to the temptations, he knew she could never be Simi to him. She could never even replace Simi for a night. Besides, Simi does not deserve to be cheated on. Their sexual life was at its best blossom and it was completely needless to put Ebun on a bed-hopping list.

“Baby” Simi called as Teju took a spoonful of coconut rice enmeshed with vegetable salad into his mouth.

“Yes... darling?” Teju mumbled, masticating the rice and salad in his mouth.

“I need a coffee maker and a washing machine, I think the stress I go through trying to manage the house and my office simultaneously is killing, and you know we could be expecting our child anytime soon,” Simi said, her gaze fixed on her half-filled plate of rice.

Teju had stopped eating all the while. He had been staring at her, wondering why she would not look at him in the face. He would be happier if Simi felt less a burden to him. He gently held her hand again and said

“Look at me” Simi obeyed “You deserve more than that, baby. And I promise you before this year runs out, I would get you both”. Her face erupted with excitement as she threw her hands around his shoulders, gave him a peck and then a warm hug.

“You're such a darling.... oh lest I forget, don’t you think it’s a good idea if we go out this afternoon to my Mom and Dad’s place- just to visit them prior to our first wedding anniversary,” Simi suggested

“Magnificent idea!” exclaimed Teju, “It's being a while I have visited, I should be ashamed of myself. Hope they don’t feel like I have only come to snatch you away from their family” Teju said in a suggestive manner.

The living room pealed with her laughter as she replied: “Mom and Dad understand, their thoughts are not usually cynical”.

When they had finished with the last course of the meal, Teju could not move. It was as if heavy cobblestones were sitting inside of him. He was filled to the brim. When he was growing up, he had heard and even witnessed a lot of controversies generated from the issue of marriage, and his earlier perception of it was pretty damning. He had learned that marriage was the largest human institution but the most complex and unresolved. He had thought marriage was insurmountably complicated than people think, and he hated to think of it. He wanted to avoid marriage, he wanted to escape it. But here he was today, feeling like the luckiest man in the world, even though he had not gambled, even though he had married the woman he loved.

He walked up the stairs in slow motion like molasses in January. He envisaged his wife’s smile, and he smiled to himself. He was convinced that people had made marriage complicated, much as they had complicated the nature of love itself. He never thought he was going to have a happy married life. But he had it now almost on a platter, only because he and his wife had that sort of love that binds everything one needs to keep a marriage alive, burning and consuming. He lay on the succulent bed which seemed to ride on a cushion of air. He felt heavy and sedated as his body buried itself in the bed. His eyes were heavy, and he could carry them no more