Stay

chapter 9

Maria was waiting when I arrived home one night from my work with a worried look on her face. She is the housekeeper Nanna had suggested to be with me during the day after she has observed that I tend to space out after the buffalo incident. Maria has been a great help and she can also be trusted to be with the children whenever I stayed late from my job. 

"What is it Maria? Why are you looking worried?" I asked.

"Your husband is mad angry, the children messed up his papers on the study table," she answered and I raised my eyebrow at her?

"Why is that so?" I asked

''I told the boys to stay in the living room while I was preparing dinner but they decided to play instead. I let them as long as they stay in the house where I can hear them. But William brought the milk with him and he accidentally toppled the milk over and it all spilled on the papers that were on the table in Alex's study." Maria narrated.

The house that Alex bought for us after we got engaged is a two-story house with four bedrooms and a guest room which is located downstairs. The recent renovation of the house by the previous owner had combined the two bedrooms together for an ensuite bathroom and a huge walk-in closet. 

When we moved in Alex have decided to convert the closet into an office. It was convenient for him as he usually does most of his work in the evenings but when I gave birth to William we found it also convenient to put the crib and all things related to babies in the same room. It wasn't a problem and Alex love to work and keep watch of William and then Wilhelm. And until now there was no problem. The children come and go in this room as it was their nursery.

"Surely Alex wouldn't be that mad? It was an accident. Where are the boys now?" I asked as I got inside the house and placed my bag inside my own office before I search for my boys.

"They were in their room but I think they went out in the garden after Alex said something," Maria answered.

I sighed and hoped that it wasn't that bad. Had he forgotten he got five and three years old boys? Why was he putting important documents on the table anyway?

I walked outside and went to the garden. They brightened up when they saw me and they ran and hugged me. Wilhelm whispered to me that their daddy is angry. William moved so I can sit between them.

William is five and already understood the full impact of his actions. I turned my body towards him and dried his tears and asked quietly what happened. He explained what happened and I also fondly listened to Wilhelm as he described what he did as a three-year-old could do.

"Have you said sorry and asked daddy for forgiveness?" I asked and they both nodded their heads. 

If circumstances have been different I would have gone to Alex and described to him the look on his children's faces and probably laughed about it with him. But instead I got worried. What if it's his way of telling me that he is not happy with us anymore?

So I sat with the children for a while in the garden and let them talk to calm their nerves and fear of their daddy as I let each boy nestled to me.

After a while we get back in the house and I seek Alex out. I found him in the nursery room angrily tearing the desk cover I put on his table some time ago as he angrily glanced at me.

"Do you know what your boys did? Those were school records that were destroyed by your children!" He asked and throw angrily the crumpled papers at the corner of the room.

"Alex you know the boys love to play, why did you put your things on the table anyway?" I reasoned quietly. "It wasn't a problem before...you know they always come and go in this room. Their toys are here too. Please don't make it hard for the children. They're very afraid of you right now." I told him and exasperated with him at the same time.

I didn't get to say more as he raised his hand and said, " It wasn't a problem before because you were here taking care of the children. But now you have someone else running the household while you stay out late. What office stayed that late all the time anyway?'' He barked as he looked at me.

''You knew when I told you that mine isn't a regular office hours. We are currently renovating five condo units and a house at the same time. I cannot just finish the day without making sure that the orders are made and some changes for some furniture are exactly measured.'' I explained calmly even though I wanted to shout that the children aren't just my responsibilities. 

''Then for goodness sake get a job that works on a regular office hour.'' He said angrily as he gathered the toys from the cabinet with one swoop and throw them on the floor. And this time my anger can't be suppressed anymore.

"Maria is more capable than what you give her credit for. Why don't you do your responsibilities as a father as well? Why can't you stop running off to your tutorial classes in the evening when you could have spent it with your children?'' I asked angrily. ''The boys are all scared of you right now because of what they believed is their fault when you knew too well that it is yours too for leaving the papers on the table,'' I said to him with my voice rising. Now I know my boys will be traumatized further with our fight.

''You know damn well why I took on those classes! We needed the money.'' He said as he yanked the boxes and pushed it towards the door. I don't know where he's going to put the children's toys. 

But before I move out of the way I looked at him really hard in the eye for the first time and asked him very quietly, ''Is it really about the money Alex? Or with a certain blond girl called Gwyneth Adams.?" I dropped the bombshell. The look in his face was indescribable. Now he knew that I know of his infidelity. He only stared at me and tried to search for a reply but I didn't wait for any. 

 And with that I descended the stairs and settled all my children for the night in the guest room which is also my office.

It was past seven o'clock in the morning when I heard a soft knock on the door and since I guessed it would be Alex I didn't bother to answer.

''I would be leaving for work now. I have pancakes on the counter and your coffee ready,'' he said quietly. As soon as he closed the front door I got up and went to the kitchen. And prepared me for the day. I am done with his bullshit but I will always love his pancakes.

Maria arrived on time and I told her to use the guest room as the nursery room. The children shouldn't be allowed to play in the study. And besides their toys are no longer there. I knew Alex had a bit of a temper but he always managed to keep it and it was only last night that he seemed to lost it. I went upstairs to clean and keep the children's toys in their room and to keep some in my office.

After my mention of Gwyneth last night I thought he would come down and decide to talk once and for all about us. But he didn't but if he did I didn't know for I was too exhausted from work that I fell asleep right away.