Unsteady Storm

Chapter Four

Ije walked past Nedu into the car, climbing into the passenger seat. Nedu exhaled and climbed the driver seat.

"It's good to have you back" he said.

Ije said nothing, she simply faced the car window avoiding his eyes.

"Sooner or later, you will have to stop ignoring me, I've apologized countless times"

Ije opened her mouth to say something then kept quiet with a deeper frown.

Nedu brought the engine to life. "Do you want to take some ice cream?"

"No" she murmured.

"Are you sure?" He stared at her. "Because I know you love ice cream"

Ije groaned. "Nedu, let me be"

Nedu sighed and turned the car towards the exit of the hospital.

***

They arrived home and Ije picked her bag and entered inside, she saw a young girl on the couch. She hissed when the girl greeted her and walked quickly towards their bedroom.

"Ije!" She heard Nedu call from outside.

"What!" She snapped angrily.

In a matter of seconds, he was at the door.

"Who's that prostitute in our sitting room?"

Nedu glared at her disbelievingly. "Really? Prostitute you say?"

Ije folded her arms. "Why is that idiot in my house?"

Nedu shook his head. "She's the new help, her name is Sinachi, Lotanna brought her before I came to pick you up"

Ije eyed him and turned her back to him.

"It's a pity you suspect me of infidelity so early" he chuckled painfully and left the room.

Ije sighed and sat on the bed, tears filled her eyes and she let them roll down her cheek unto her gown.

***
Dumaga, Nedu's twin sister came visiting with her  three year old son, she was a fair and tall woman with a model shape.

"Nedu, you look good" she smiled and hugged him.

Nedu managed a smile hugging her back.

"Where's Ije?"

"She's asleep"

"I'll go and wake her up immediately" Dumaga joked.

Nedu smiled at her lame joke.

"Are you okay?" Dumaga asked.

Nedu nodded bending to pick George, Dumaga's son.

"Hey buddy, how are you?"

George smiled but said nothing.

"Come on, let's enter inside" Nedu gestured to Dumaga.

Dumaga followed him into the sitting room.

"So, how are things going?" Nedu asked as he sat down on a sofa.

"Very good, I finally sold off those dresses you said nobody would wish to buy" she giggled.

"But honestly, those clothes were nothing to write home about"

Dumaga threw her head back and laughed. "You go for what the audience loves and not what you love"

"Well that's true"

They were silent for a short while.

"Dumaga, I have a problem" Nedu stated allowing George to come down from his arms.

"What is it?" She asked with concern.

"I'm having a quarrel with Ije"

Dumaga was surprised. "Your darling wife"

Nedu couldn't help but chuckle. "... Turned to a tigress overnight"

"What happened?"

Nedu took a deep breath before narrating everything that happened.

Dumaga clapped her hands in awe.
"But Nedu, you were a bit mean. You could have explained what the doctor said"

"I know it's my fault but she was being mean, to the extent of calling the maid Lotanna found for her, a prostitute"

"Well, Nedu you have to straighten things out with Ije".

"I'm trying to" he defended himself. "She wouldn't even accept my apologies to begin with and mind you, my patience has limits, if not that I vowed never to hit my wife, I know that I would have slapped her when she called the maid a prostitute"

"Chinedu, it has not reached that extent" Dumaga frowned at him.

"Chidumaga, Ije is tempting me" he frowned back.

"Okay, calm down, anytime you feel like hitting her, just remember how you were blocking our ears with how much you love her"

Nedu laughed and just then, Dumaga's phone rang. She stared at it without picking it.

"I think I have to go, my husband is calling, we are visiting his parents today"

"Okay" he sighed standing up, he dug his hands into his pocket and brought out a two hundred naira note which he handed to George. "Use it and buy sweets okay?"

The boy collected the money with a nod.

"Say thank you nicely, will you?" Dumaga scolded him.

Nedu defended immediately. "Oh come on, he told me thank you in a language only the both of us understand"

Dumaga laughed. "Nedu leave me biko, thank you very much"

"You are welcome"

He escorted them to the gate where they said their goodbyes and left while he returned back to the house, he had showed Sinachi the room she would be staying in and he noticed that she was still arranging her things.

"Sinachi, if any visitor comes again, tell the person that I'm not around" he said simply and climbed up to his room.

Ije was still on the bed sleeping but she soon turned and stood up. "Why didn't you call me when Dumaga came?"

"I thought you were asleep"

"No, you concluded that I was asleep"

"The last time I checked on you, you were sleeping"

"Did you bother to check on me again?"

"Listen Ije, I don't know what has come over you but I'm not ready for your squabbles this afternoon"

She swallowed hard that he could hear the phlegm skid down her throat.

"When did we get here, Nedu? When did we start quarrelling? How did you become so uncaring and selfish? Isn't it too early in our marriage for this?"

Nedu gave a bitter smile. "Ije, when did you become so wicked and unforgiving, when did you become so inconsiderate and unfeeling"

"Nedu" her voice trembled. "Please stop, you are hurting me"

"You are not the only one that can get hurt, I'm human too"

Ije's lips quivered. "Then I'm sorry.... I'm really sorry, Nedu. I've missed my husband please, I'm sorry" she was crying again as she stood up and walked closer to him.

Nedu looked shocked. "Ije, I'm sorry too if I sounded uncaring and selfish, I'm sorry if I've behaved wrongly towards you... Two wrongs don't make a right...."

"It's okay" she muttered cleaning her eyes.

Nedu pulled her to a tight hug and she began to sob afresh.

How do you see this chapter?
Do you think this reconciliation will last for long?
I hope it does.

Please don't forget to vote, comment and share.