Things Fall Apart

Night Thoughts

Later that afternoon Okonkwo came in from working in the fields very tired and groggy. He fell right to sleep without eating his meals and would stay asleep until early the next morning. He had said nothing about the absence of the boys and would probably forget it when he woke up.

Ikemefuna lay in his bed that night and thought about all he'd learned. He still could not wrap his mind around the idea. The magical and fictional world he had in his head of living a life with Nwoye as a husband would not have been accepted. Ha had no choice but to have his thoughts consume him and him alone. Then Ikemefuna remembered who brought such thoughts into perspective. 

Ikemefuna hopped out of bed and tip-toed to where Nwoye was soundly sleeping. Ikemefuna sat at the foot of the bed and shook Nwoyes foot to wake him smoothly without waking Okonkwo who was snoring across the room. 

Nwoye's eyes flittered open and Ikemefuna smiled at how delicate his eyelashes were. Nwoye stared in disbelief to see Ikemefuna's eyes twinkle intently.

Nwoye sat up. "What is it?"

Ikemefuna shifted his leg, which still throbbed from the short walk  to Nwoye's bed. "I just wanted to ask you something. It's about earlier...."

"Well, what is it?"

"When you confessed to me, was that just... to say what needed to be said? Or was it more than that?"

"Honestly, I didn't think you would feel the same way. I didn't know what to think when you said otherwise. I'm still trying to discombobulate everything in my head."

Ikemefuna nodded and accepted that it would be the best response he was going to get that night.

They sat there in the quiet until Nwoye's stomach rumbled. "It feels like I have an evil spirit inside of me needed to be fed," he chuckled.

"Morning is hours away. Then maybe we can feast on delicious locusts!" Ikemefuna licked his lips. 

"I think my evil spirit will be very satisfied with that," Nwoye responded  by patting his belly. They both laughed until the snore of Okonkwo  startled them. They still laughed, only quieter.

Though Okonkwo was yards away, the two talked and stayed up until morning.