A Couple of Three... Episode 3

It was the most quiet dinner time they had had since they got married. Kunle missed the chatting and laughing at dinner time. The atmosphere was exceptionally tense.
Tade sat across the table from Sewa but he concentrated on his meal like an exam. Sewa on the other hand tried to make small talk but she quickly adjusted after several 'hmm, yes, okay' responses, with her husband gulping so much water and asking for a refill of his glass on several occasions.

"Baby, is it peppery?" She began to feel guilty. She must have added too much chili just the way Tade liked it, she thought and gave herself a mental slap.

"Not really... water please." Kunle requested again.

Sewa quietly passed the jug of water and that was the end of small talk.
She thought she saw Tade smile when she asked her husband about the excess chili in the soup, and her stomach churned at the thought of Tade enjoying the meal all by himself.

She was quick to pack up the dishes and when Tade offered to help, she immediately refused. She was happy her husband followed her to the kitchen instead. Kunle stood beside the refrigerator and watched his wife wash the dishes for a few seconds.

"I need to lie down..." He made his way out of the kitchen before Sewa could give a response.

In minutes, Sewa was done with her kitchen duties and would normally be ready to catch up with Tade, but for the way her husband was feeling.
She walked out of the kitchen and saw Tade still seated at the dining, busy with his phone.

"I'm leaving...

"Hope you enjoyed..."

They talked at the same time yet again.

"You go first." Tade said this time around.

"Hope you enjoyed the meal?" She asked as she walked past Tade towards the stairs leading to her bedroom. She needed something to help her feel better, especially after spending hours preparing the meal.

"Why art thou so downcast my love, my maiden? Thy meal remaineth nourishment to my soul."

Tade stood up from the chair, and began delivering his lines like an actor in a stage play. He stretched his arms and walked towards Sewa for proper delivery of his lines. He kept at his acting till the smile forming on Sewa's lips turned into a small laugh.

"Naughty you. Get out jor..." Sewa hit him playfully with the napkin in her hand. She walked back to the dining to drop the napkin.

"But seriously, the meal made sense... as always" Tade winked at her.
"I guess it's good night. The mister needs you..." Tade continued.

"No, you were about to say something." She inquired.

"It's nothing serious. It can't wait till the morrow." They both laughed at his response.

"So sorry dear. I'll see you in the morning, and we would do all the catching up we need to do." Sewa said as she moved her tiny body hurriedly up the stairs. One more minute with Tade would have led to endless gist. She didn't wait for a response from Tade.

"Night" Tade said to himself, watched her climb the stairs, before leaving for his room.

***
"I need to leave tomorrow" He typed and pressed the 'send' button.


***

"He leaves tomorrow" Kunle said quietly without lifting his head from his iPad, once his wife stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Why?" Sewa asked casually, as she walked to the shelf, took out her night dress and began undressing.

"He leaves first thing in the morning. I don't really care how." Kunle switched off his iPad, and placed it on the bedside table. He put off the lamp and shut his eyes.

"But baby, we already discussed this..." She put her arms on his shoulders, and turned his face towards her.

"Discussed what exactly?" Kunle was furious. He sat up on the bed and looked sternly into his wife's eyes.

"I'm not dumb, okay? You know I've given a careful thought to all the stories about your friends, featuring a Tade, and here comes the famous Tade, a man of that stature and... and..." Kunle stopped mid-way.

...I'm not having this conversation with you. He leaves in the morning... Good night." He moved his body away from his wife, and pulled the blanket over himself.

"So what am I supposed to tell him, that we can't host him anymore, that he should get the hell out, that my husband doesn't... whatever..." Sewa hissed, pulled the other part of the blanket over her body, and looked aimlessly into the ceiling.

***

"You sef, how could you?... What happened to all the hotels around?" Fikayo dished out the questions as she prepared herself for church.

It was a different ball game on Sundays. She woke up earlier than usual on Sundays, prepared breakfast and lunch for her husband, packed his meal and other things for work, followed him to the hospital before driving herself to church. This Sunday was no exception, Bosun was on duty again.

"I'll stop by. Let me wake the doctor o. I don't even understand the way they arrange these shifts. Enh?...
....For them not to remember that a child of God has to be in church on Sunday, can you imagine?
.... And he seems contended with the whole arrangement." Fikayo changed the topic to her situation.

Sewa laughed freely. She was unable to get enough sleep, and had decided to get some work done on her next book. She excused herself from the bedroom, where her husband seemed to be having a nice sleep after giving her a piece of his mind, and came downstairs to sit with a bowl of ice cream and biscuits. She had made little progress on the manuscript before calling Fikayo. She was familiar with Fikayo's routine and was glad that she was awake when she called.

"But you should understand his job. People get sick on Sundays too, so they need doctors..." Sewa laughed.

"I know... But not every Sunday, haba. Let me tell you something, this is how the devil works o..." Fikayo continued.

"Before you know it, he would have succeeded in..." She paused unconsciously to respond to her husband who finally woke up to get ready for work.

"I'll call you later..." Fikayo tried to hang up.

"No, don't call me later. Come here as soon as you leave the hospital, please." Sewa pleaded and got Fikayo to agree to come before hanging up.

She smiled at the idea that sprung up in her mind to get Tade to leave the house without any awkwardness. She went back to her laptop and continued with the manuscript. She saw his reflection from her laptop, and was a bit frightened at first.

"Morning..." His husky early morning voice sent chills down her spine.

"Tade, I've told you not to creep up on me like that again." She closed the laptop and turned to see him standing by the armchair.

"Desewa?! What is wrong with you..." Kunle walked out angrily towards the kitchen and helped himself with a glass of water, before heading back to the bedroom. He had had enough.

"Oh no... baby, i'm sorry...." Sewa stood up from the sofa, tied her night robe properly around her body and rushed off to meet her husband.

He stepped out of his room at the same time and smiled as he watched his tiny baby run off to meet her husband. He walked back into his room and made a phone call.

"Yep... Sure... But make sure the cab gets here early enough... Okay..." Tade hung up, took his towel and went to the shower.

***
Fikayo got down from the car with her husband's lunch pack in one hand and his bag in the other. She walked to the driver's seat where her husband just alighted, and was standing outside. She tried to make him shut the door as usual so that they could both walk to his office, but Bosun stopped her.

"You should hurry. You don't want to get stuck in that Maryland traffic." Bosun said as he collected the bag and lunch pack from his wife and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Pray for us; I'll see you soon, bye..." He waited till Fikayo started the car and began making her way out of Eko Hospital.

Fikayo had only just begun her ride to Sewa's place when her phone started to ring. She answered hurriedly and dropped the call. She had to make a first stop at Gbagada, before heading to Ikoyi.

She inserted her women of faith CD and sang 'wonderful, merciful, saviour' as she drove on. She was certain there would be no church service for her that day. Yes, there were days like that, but God understood. She decided to start her church service in the car, just before the main interruptions would begin.

***
"Le boo, le fire.... You dey dazzle this morning o (You're dazzling this morning)." Chioma got into the car, hugged her friend and was about to commence her usual Sunday chat.

"Shhh, early Sunday morning...." Fikayo tried to stop her friend from making her usual noise. She was already listening to Joyce Meyer's preaching before arriving at Gbagada to pick Chioma up.

"Wetin? No be church we dey go? (What is it? Are we not going to church?)" Chioma was confused.

Fikayo paused the CD, greeted Chioma properly and explained that they would attend the second service. There was something urgent that she had to quickly attend to at Ikoyi that morning. After much persuasion from Chioma, she explained that Tade was around and his presence was going to be a big problem.
Chioma was particularly excited that her dear sister-in-the-lord friend deemed it fit to involve her in the action. She had heard tales of the trio: Sewa, Tade, and Fikayo, from Fikayo; but each story was centered around Tade.

Fikayo asked after Chioma's little girl and she responded nonchalantly that she left her with her baby-daddy. Fikayo intensified her preaching from previous times, on how Chioma should do the right thing and live a life that was well-pleasing to God. Chioma nodded her head all through Fikayo's admonition.

***

The ride to Parkview Estate was faster than Fikayo expected. As she made her way into the estate, she noticed Kunle driving out of the gate. She tried to wave him down but he seemed to be in such a hurry. She honked to draw the attention of the gate man, and stop him from closing the gate before she drove in.

She thought she heard voices as she stepped down from the car, but she was wrong.

Chioma got down from the car without being asked. She was not about to miss out on whatever the urgent situation was that had brought them to Ikoyi on a Sunday morning.

"Morning Fifi..." Sewa stepped out of the house to meet her friend, gave her brief hug and was introduced to Chioma. She smiled and gave Chioma a side hug and ushered both ladies into the house. She was about dragging Fikayo upstairs when Tade stepped out of his room.

"Ladies..." He announced.

Fikayo let go of Sewa's hands and ran towards Tade. They hugged briefly and Tade chanted the Fifi for longer than usual. He stopped himself abruptly when his phone began to ring. He stepped back into the room to receive his call.

"He has to leave. Did you see Kunle on your way in? He's furious. We had a big fight last night and this morning. I don't know what to do." Sewa whispered, after succeeding in dragging her friend into the study once Tade stepped back into his room.

"He said he doesn't want to come back home to meet him. You should have seen him. I've never seen Kunle this way..." Sewa sighed.

"Calm down. We would just tell him politely that we made other arrangements when we discussed last night. Let's book an hotel for him right here and now... Besides, this move was totally wrong; exceptionally wrong. You always forget that you're now married..."

"But I was just being myself now; plain and open; no secrets..." Sewa tried to defend herself.

"There's no such thing as plain and open o... Let's hurry. He listens to me, I'll figure something out..."

Fikayo made her way out of the study. Sewa adjusted her dress without any need for the adjustment in the first place, fixed her smile, and walked out after Fikayo.
By the time the ladies were out, Tade was also out of the room; this time, he had pulled out the two smallest boxes that he came with to the main door.

"Tade, what's going on...

"Where are you going?"

"Ladies... Ladies..." Tade tried to cut through the questions coming from both Sewa and Fikayo at the same time.

He walked towards them and explained that a cab was waiting for him outside the gate and he had to leave. He would be in town for a few more days before heading to Australia. He had left the biggest box in the guest room for Sewa. He brought some things for Fikayo also. Sewa would understand when she opens the box, He said.
They would all catch up later. He already made plans for them to have a nice time before his return. He was grateful for Sewa's hospitality. He apologized to Fikayo for his surprise entry into the country, after which he hugged the ladies one after the other, without forgetting to give Sewa a light peck on the cheek. He also apologized to Chioma for not having enough time to meet her properly but he had to hurry. He rushed out of the house with the two boxes, leaving the ladies with their mouths ajar.

"What just happened?" Chioma tried to ask Fikayo who still looked puzzled, and watched Sewa run out of the house to see Tade off.
It was then she noticed the dress Sewa was wearing. She felt a tinge of jealousy rising up on her inside but she rebuked the feeling immediately.

"I'll be right back..." Fikayo hurried after Sewa, leaving Chioma in the sitting room.

"He's gone..." Sewa tried to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

Fikayo was quick enough to catch her before she lost her balance. She hugged her tightly and patted her back.

"It is well... Okay?..." Fikayo said as she continued with the patting.

*** A Couple of Three by FAITH TUNDE-YARA
*** Photo credit: www.webrwanda.com