Chapter 64: Chapter 64

: Afloat

******

Chris

Holy ghost fire!

"Nee what the hell?" I shouted.

"What" she pouted sultrily her hands splayed on her thick thighs.

I jumped off the bed to the other edge of the room, as far as I could get.

"She left already how long are you going to be celibate for? I want you! I have needs and so do you " she whined.

"Okay lets do a recap; I don't know how you got it all twisted but I am still legally married and you and I are not about to continue my marriage. The only thing we should focus on is raising our beautiful daughter! Please don't allow my mother put ideas in your head and cover yourself up, you look desperate" I Shouted fuming.

The loud bang of the door hit me on way out but not before I saw the look in her eyes.

Rejection

This was the first time I was ever saying No to her! Just in this moment it dawned on me. It is something I should have done more often and firmly.

Quite understandably now that I look back at it I indulged her a lot, Now it made sense what deepened the animosity between me and Temi.

*****

Pamela

2years later

After drowning for a long time Pamela was finally afloat or so she thought, for the entire activities of the last one year for her entailed surgery  residency and her children. It was all she could focus on so she did.

Finishing residency in 2 weeks times, she stared into her cup wondering how far she has come. The eery peace and quiet that sat in her home as the kids were not around her only comfort.

Every weekend their father was around here in the states and sent someone to pick them up, The interface which was a kind bubbly woman was all the communication between them.

Anger and pride being the most evident thing on both our minds.

Its been 379 days without seeing his face or hearing his voice! Slowly even the edge of the pain began to fade.

The last one year I listened to everybody blame me for leaving my home for not fighting for it but you see it is easy to throw rocks or give your opinions when you are not the one other at the end. We live in a world where all we do is talk but actions should speak louder than words shouldn't it.

I stared into my earl great tea cup and wondered if I did the right thing by leaving my home.

Of course not!

Marriages were for life and I still wrote down his name everyday for we were still legally married. Did I also wonder if he continued off where we left our marriage with her

Yes!

A big fat yes!

But why then did I not forgive him?

Because I held on to his mistake so tight, it made me bitter. There were nights I wondered if he never cheated Daniel will never have had that surgery, I will not have lost my baby, we will have remained us! The more I thought about what was lost the more I lost sight of what I had!

Staying will have meant sharing, If there was something I couldn't do was sharing him but who was I kidding I shared him everyday for the 3 years of our marriage.

Enough reminiscing I got up to prepare for my morning flight, I was flying back to Lagos today for Tishe's wedding ceremony which was to take place over the weekend. The wedding invitation came alongside a hotel reservation after all I had no place to stay and staying in their family house while bumping with her side of the family which is also my husband's side is not something I wanted anytime soon.

Tishe was the kindest to me in all my actual marriage to Chris, I couldn't let her down by refusing to attend her wedding. She promised me Chris wasn't attending anyway and since he had the kids with him for the weekend I believed her

******

Lagos, Nigeria

"You ready?" Shola asked, looking as dapper as he could be in a gold Agbada with matching cap.

I smiled up at him because in the last two years he has partially become my rock after Liz. There were times I cried so hard and he tried to make me smile, moving to a new place to live with no friends and two kids.

He was finally seeing someone now also after grieving for so long for his dead wife. She was so beautiful and a perfect fit to his craziness.

I needed an anchor tonight which was why I invited him on short notice after he picked me up from the airport.

I had on a wine lace gown, it was sewn by tishe and  fit to perfection. It was the dinner after the engagement party tonight and the main white wedding was tomorrow morning.

The pomp and opulence that surrounded me reminded me of exactly where I was and my heart ached terribly. In there were my husbands family, the elite of the elite and I was going to get a lot of talk and side talk tonight.

"I'll never be! I wish I can just run back somewhere and hide. What if I.." I barely finished the statement before he cut me off.

"You can't hide all your life. Plus you ain't no chicken" he said pulling me out of the car.

For a little while he stopped to stare at me and I felt weird, almost kind of shy. Its been a while I dressed up but even I cleaned up real nice today.

I had braids in today tiny braids which I got done yesterday.  But the gown was the main show stopper it was wine coral lace with gold beads. It had triangle shapes cut out around the waist and back to show bare skin, the full 8 pieces skirt clung tight to every turn of my lower body. The full sleeves which had gold stones all over it that matched my gold heels, my hair was left bare, all in  were saying just one statement tonight.

Give them!

"Wow! I am just seeing the full look. I like it though." He whistled.

"Shut up Pervert! I'll tell your babe"

"At least I can look and appreciate. Even if its another mans wife." He said this with a sad look in his eyes.

I smiled at him shaking my head. We walked hand in hand into the beautifully decorated hall and I shivered seeing so many familiar faces.

I used to walk in this cycle with my husband but certainly all they will do tonight is criticise me.

The woman who left her husband!

Not long after we greeted the couple and settled down the rumours began and the harshness of the words brazenly spoken around made me cringe.

Look at her! Daring to come here with another man after leaving her home, shameless woman.

This came from the sour faced wife of the minister of Finance.

Brazen slut, This came from the woman sitting next to her. Someone who have hard almost 6 cosmetic surgeries to hold her sagging breasts after being unable to keep her straying husband.

I held on tight to Shola's hand and he looked so angry and tense. He rubbed gentle circles on my back while telling me to relax.

"She looks fake anyway with her head like bathing bowl" he whispered into my ear a little too close for comfort. I laughed a little leaning into him and just in that moment my husband of who I have not laid eyes on in 2years 2months 6hours probably 20minutes walked in.

yes somehow, my mind and body counted everyone spent away from him.

Raising my head from where they were previously lowered smiling to our private joke, I saw him.

Life wasn't fair

He looked the same! He still had the ability to make my heart clench from longing and sheer love.

The entire idea of it made tears sting my eyes. For a little while I was grateful I did not see him once in the last two years.

Just for a little while we stood staring at each other, another mans hand on my waist. His hands in the pocket of the kaftan he wore staring straight at me.

He looked every bit my king.

Just this once in three years I couldn't read his eyes or his emotions nothing.

He looked different, more cold, more unreachable, more handsome. The undeniable sexual magnetism between us that always made us sparkle in bed was building already.

God I missed him!

So just this once I looked my fill. His honey brown eyes were still the same, his bushy brows and lashes still the same. That pouty mouth though drawn together in a sneer, while his perfect curls which my hands itched to ruffle stayed in place.

He was walking closer to us right now, yet I couldn't bring my self to take a step away or towards him. Until I heard his soft silken drawl "Pamela"

One word just my name and it elicited so much responses and feelings from me.

How can I love you so much, and hate you so much.

Sometimes I wonder if it is truly because one can't exist without the other and they treaded on a tiny fine balance.

"Christopher" I replied.

******