(Continued from last issue)
David and Diane have been married for years; then there is Julie, the young secretary whose axis collides with the couple’s in ways none of them saw coming.
DAVID
Sticking with my plan, I left work as soon as it struck five, and passing by the mall, picked up a bottle of Diane’s favourite wine and then on impulse, a bouquet of roses.
She was not home when I got there, but the children were, and in a further attempt to woo and butter her up, I helped them with their homework, and ensured they were showered and changed before dinner.
However, by seven thirty, she still was not back, and while it was not overly late, I was surprised that she had missed the children’s evening routine without letting me know she was running late, especially since she hadn’t made prior arrangements to ensure that routine was followed.
It just was not like her, or to be more precise, it wasn’t like the new her, who had of late been acting like she was competing in a ‘Best wife and mother’ contest.
It was not until the children finished their dinner a little after eight, and she still was not back that I began to get concerned; not wanting to worry them, I put the children to bed before trying to call her.
She did not answer her phone, and trying to stay calm, I told myself that probably meant she was driving home and was just stuck in traffic, but that did not stop me from calling back almost every five minutes. Each time, the phone rang and rang with no response.
JULIE
Time rushed by, and before I knew it, it was late afternoon and I was anxious to get back to the flat before David did.
“It’s only four; he hasn’t even left work yet!” Kenneth argued, when I told him I had to leave.
He was visibly frustrated and I could not blame him; not only was I in a hurry to leave to go and meet another man, but Junior had been unusually hyper and had not slept even once all day, making it impossible for Kenneth and I to have any quality, private or intimate time together.
“I don’t want to get caught up in the rush hour traffic,” I explained patiently.
“Of course; we don’t want to keep the mighty David waiting, do we?” he sneered sarcastically.
“Kenneth, please don’t,” I shook my head, my tone part pleading, part warning.
His snide comments in reference to my relationship with David were becoming tiresome, and although I was trying hard to be patient and understanding of his feelings, my patience was beginning to wear thin. Fortunately, he took the hint.
“Fine; I’ll call you a cab,” he sighed in resignation, and picked up his phone.
“Thank you,” I nodded and then began collecting Junior’s things.
The cab arrived a short while later, and although there was still a slight frostiness between us, I did not want to leave Kenneth’s place with any lingering tension or anger between us, so I stopped briefly at the front door to kiss him gently on the lips.
“I’ll call you,” I promised quietly, then pecked him once more before moving on.
Thankfully rush hour had not started yet, so I was back at the apartment with at least half an hour to spare before David’s usual arrival time.
Junior had finally fallen asleep during the drive over, and as soon as we arrived, I went and put him to bed, then quickly changed into a loose kaftan that I normally wore around the flat, so it would look like I had been there all along.
Although David no longer stayed for dinner, I put on a pot of coffee and set out a dish of nuts for him to snack on when he arrived.
However, half an hour, then an hour went by, and there was no sign of him; I initially thought he was simply held up in traffic and would be there soon, but when it grew dark and he still had not shown up, I knew he was not coming, and realized I had left Kenneth and hurried back, all for nothing.
DIANE
As the day began to wind down, I became almost anxious at the thought of going home; I did not want to see David again – not just yet. I did not want to look at him and remember how he had looked at me last night, or to be more precise, how he had looked at me, but seen her, and I certainly did not want to pick up the scent of her or their bastard baby on him when he walked in.
Far safer to stay away until he had at least had the chance to wash their scent off.
“Think I’m going to call it a day; are you about to head out as well?” Tracy asked conversationally, while shutting down her computer, standing up and stretching tiredly.
“Not just yet; there are still a few things I want to finish up, but you go ahead.”
“You got in before me, and you’re staying later than me; are you sure you’re okay?” she asked laughingly, though there was something in her tone that said it was a genuine question, and not really a joke.
“Of course I am; I just figured I would rather be doing something productive than sitting in traffic,” I answered dismissively.
“Now you’re making me feel lazy!”
“Don’t be silly, you do this all the time, so I figure it’s about time I took a turn at being the workaholic.”
“Just as long as you don’t work too hard and keep that husband of yours waiting for his dinner,” she wagged her finger at me in mock seriousness.
“I don’t think there’s anything that can keep him waiting for his dinner,” I laughed.
“Well, that is true; there’s not much that can keep a man from his food,” she laughed back, and then picked up her purse.
“That said, I’m going to get going and make sure mine gets his too. The new maid arrived yesterday and is still completely green on how I want things done, so I had better get back before she burns down the house.”
“Good point; you go on, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” I waved her off, and after a last goodbye, she finally did leave, leaving me our office to myself.
After she was gone, I stood up and stretched as well, rolling my neck and shoulders to work out the kinks. I was tired, just not ready to go home yet.
margaretwamanga@yahoo.com
Source: The Observer
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