Chapter 43: Chapter 43

CHAPTER 38

Walking into the house, it was silent. It was the archetypal silence of that Black Friday night ‘when the devil took the water to drink’, except for the multiple tiny sounds the drizzling rain made upon the roof. It sounded as though a large crowd were slapping their hands from the distant. The hallway was dark, and the darkness bore down on his brows, making him feel sleepy. Only the intermittent flashes of the red lightning that lighted the hallway started him back to consciousness.

Teju walked in wearily. He was completely drenched, and the water on him dripped down on the floor like a leaking pipe. He was already in the sitting room when he heard a womanly voice weeping. He turned slowly and looked at the stairs. He saw Simi sitting and wailing silently to herself, oblivious of his presence. Teju stared at her, confused. The wife who was tired of her husband and who wanted a divorce does not mourn the death of her wedlock. She would rather celebrate it, but it seemed quite on the contrary for Simi.

Teju dragged himself to the stairs and stared at the weeping Simi as he would stare at a mystifying artefact. Teju knew it made no sense if he asked why she was crying. For his benefit, he no longer considered himself as her husband, and he did not deserve to know why she was weeping. But Simi looked at him. She looked at him, not with that air of disdain and rejection, not with the eyes that made him zero himself off to nothing, not with the facial expression that made him think he was a good-for-nothing ghost. She looked at him with eyes that made him melt, that made him cast pity on her, and that made him feel he was the only one on earth that could comfort and dry her tears.

"I'm so...rry" Simi burst out amidst sobs, and Teju wondered if he had heard her well.

"I'm sorry... baby," Simi said again.

Teju stared, dumbfounded. Did she just call him baby? He thought. The word ‘baby’ seemed so strange that it seemed it was not in the English vocabulary. Or probably the word sounded strange because it seemed it had been used out of context. It had been ages since she had called him ‘baby’.

And what did she mean by 'sorry'? He thought. It was unpardonable and mean for her to say sorry only to give him the papers of divorce to sign. It was like telling him sorry before putting a bullet through his head. Teju still stared, speechless. The only sound that came from him was the sound of the dripping water on the floor.

"Forgive me, I know I have done you a lot of wrongs, and I hope you'll find a place in your heart to forgive me. Please, forgive me, I’m so sorry" Simi pleaded yet again.

Teju had not blinked his eyes since he had started staring at her. Though he shivered from the cold, he was immobile. The only part of his body that moved was his teeth which gnashed against each other like rams in a fight. Simi asking for forgiveness from him was like God asking for forgiveness from the devil.

"I was carried away, I was lost in jealousy and suspicion, I trusted my friend, and distrusted you. I was ignorant Teju, I was blind and numb, I was childish and naughty, Teju. I admit you've always loved me the same no matter what, I can see it all clearly now, I can see how much a fool I am for not loving you enough to see the truth... please forgive me, baby" Simi said, falling at his feet and tugging passionately at his wet trousers.

Teju knew she was pleading with him especially for ditching him that night and for all those offensive rants he had endured. It dawned on him. She had finally found out the truth about Tiwa's true identity. It made him feel lighter, as though he was just coming from the restroom. But he wondered how she could have known. He knew Tiwa confessing her crime to Simi was the last thing she would do.

"How did you know?"

Teju found his voice as his teeth continued to gnash. Simi told him she had seen the video message Tiwa had sent that evening to his laptop through Skype. Tiwa had revealed her schemes and intentions in the message. She had also requested for a rendezvous in her mansion for an unspecified deal. Simi was already at home when Tiwa sent the video message. She had been curious to know who sent the message. Apparently, she had thought that it was a message from one of his girlfriends.

She was heartbroken, proving that not only men break ladies' hearts. A lady could also break another lady’s heart. There had been no need for recording Tiwa's conversation with him in the first place, only if he had known. Probably if he had not done any recording, Tiwa would still be alive by now. But then, Tiwa was already a beast that could not be caged or tamed. Her death was the only way to secure a married life that was free from such qualms.

"She gave me this for you to sign" Simi explained as she shoved pieces of papers into Teju's wet hands. They were the papers of divorce. The papers shook violently in his hands. He had expected to hold the papers as someone who had no choice than to sign it, but he was holding the papers as someone who would tear them into pieces.

"I know she did," Teju said tearing the paper into divisible halves. Simi's face lightened in surprise

"How did you know?"

"I have read your chats, I've seen the pictures and I followed you to the restaurant yesterday... "

Simi did not wait still Teju completed his speech. She must have felt that what he did during their marital crisis was for the greater good. She jumped up and embraced him tightly that he thought his back would snap. She did not mind his heavily dampen body as she would have on a normal day.

Teju knew he needed not to say a word further. They had sinned against each other. They have forgiven each other, and they were happy with their reunion. Teju decided not to talk about Tiwa. It was better not to mention her death or his involvement in it. He wanted to savour the happiness of his reunion as long as his fate wished.

"Blood!" Teju exclaimed. They quickly disengaged. The blood was from Simi. It flowed from under her, and spontaneously, she held her belly in agony. Teju stared at Simi. At first, he was confused, then looking into Simi’s eyes tainted with inner pain, he knew.

"How long have you been pregnant?" Teju snapped at her.

"Two weeks" Simi replied, twisting in pain.

"You carried our baby for two weeks, and you never told me?"

Tears rolled merrily down his cheeks. The thought that he was close to becoming a father without his knowledge scared him. But the thought that he had lost his first seed in a miscarriage was the twinge that made his cells twitch.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Tiwa asked me to abort it, and I was angry with you that I couldn’t tell you.... and I was so confused" Simi said.

“But I did not read that in your chats” Teju countered.

“Well, we met a few times and we spoke about it. I guess I was stupid enough....”

“No, no, no” Teju interrupted.

She had been through a lot. No wonder she looked skinny and ill-used. She kept a lot to herself. She had endured something too heavy for her to bear, possibly because she still loved him. It made his blood boil. It made him wish he could see Tiwa again, and kill her once again. Even if she was going to become a zombie, he was going to have her killed yet again

"Now, we've lost the baby," Teju said ruefully, staring at Simi's eyes which begged for forgiveness. Though he ought to be angry with her, he should feel hurt by her decisions, all he could feel at that moment as his tears soaked his face was a strong and deep love; a possible strength in an actual weakness.

"I love you" declared Teju. Simi stared at him with eyes that told so much. Her face was full of gratitude for the love despite her shortcomings.

"I love you too" she muttered and collapsed into his arms.