Cold At Dusk

Chapter Twenty Four

It was mid November. The rain still came like a rare visitor some nights. It was no longer as heavy as it used to be. It was just a light patter on the roof for a short while and it is gone.

The plants in the garden were trying so hard to live. No one came to water them . The saint leaves were now scanty filled with their seeds that had dried and turned a dark shade of brown. The growing pepper had died just like that. The vegetables could still give leaves for cooking soup twice but that was all it had to give. Insects and pest were the fortunate habitats of the garden because it seemed no one remembered there was a garden in the compound anymore.

Kamsi stood at the spot she normally stayed to get a view of the garden from inside the house. It was the window at the dining. She no more had the will to help those helpless plants grow. She could do nothing now but gather the saint leave seeds in a bowl to preserve it for the next year. 

She had just returned from work  before closing time. She needed to go to market but she forgot her ATM card which was in the bag she used the previous day. Mark had stopped giving her money for feeding since she started working. She did not bother ask him since she could afford what they would eat. Their conversation was still scanty since Maka's coming which was a week ago .. Just her greeting and him letting out an acknowledgement gruffly .

Kamsi picks her purse after stuffing all she needed inside it. She walks slowly down the stairs, running her open palm on the cream colored railing of the stairs. She was no longer the woman who hopped down the stairs with almost no worries. She was a different woman, one who seemed to have added twenty more years to her  twenty seven years of age just in a day.

She was fortunate to get a bike just outside the gate which was going to , 'Eke Okigwe ' the town market. She directed the bike man to stop at the bank for her to withdraw before they proceeded to the market. He stopped her at the shop she normally bought provisions . They sold at cheaper prices that even other traders in the market comes to buy from them. She bought green tea and coffee for Mark then proceeded to buy crayfish, dried fish and other necessary things to stock the kitchen.

Her last bus stop in the market was always Nneka's stall. A very large umbrella served as a shade. It was supposed to be blue but rain, sun and dust had renamed it to a multi colored umbrella with just little patches of the original color. A wooden table stood beneath with the weight of different fruits, tomatoes and pepper displayed on it. On the floor beside the table were onions, vegetable leaves and more tomatoes.

"Customer !" Nneka called excitedly as she sited Kamsi.

"How you dey na? " Kamsi asked. She sat on a low bench behind the table.

She was not given a chance to reply as her little son ran out naked from the back of the building she placed him to let out his stool. She ran to catch the boy who was already standing on the road and looking around with zeal as bike after bike sped past him. She lifted him to her shoulder and carried him back to the shade not minding his unwiped buttocks.

Kamsi sold oranges to a buyer in the short time Nneka was away tending to her baby.

"Chai you done try" she said when Kamsi gave her the money. The little boy was now dressed in a neat singlet and short.

"This your belle fit you o. See as you fine" she said, regarding Kamsi.

"God is good " Kamsi replied with a laugh.

They mostly talked about nothing but Kamsi knew when things were not okay with the other woman. Unlike Kamsi, she did not know how to hide her emotions. She let it out on everyone including her customers. She yelled at them especially those trying to price her wares to a very low rate. Today, Nneka was happy. She cheerfully called on customers and patiently attended to those who hearkened to her call.

Kamsi's eyes moved to the little boy who was now sitting on the sandy ground. His dress was without evidence of cleanliness. It made her smile watching him gather empty water cans for whatever agenda that was in his little head.

"Stand up from there! " His mother scolded.

The little boy stood up hurriedly wiping his sandy buttocks with his sandy hands. He hurried and sat on the bench Kamsi was sitting on.

" Customer, pack my vegetable and tomatoes for me na" Kamsi said.

" I know wetin you like. No worry" she said.

Kamsi just sat and she brought the basin of tomatoes for her to select, then she packed it with the vegetable leaves in another bag.
After paying the woman, Kamsi left with the smaller bag containing the vegetables and a Bagco bag containing other food stuffs.

There was a fast food just after the market. Kamsi stood outside that fast food bargaining with a bike man as he had topped the price because of her bags.

"Abeg go " Kamsi dismissed him when he was being stubborn and greedy. She noticed her husband's red Toyota Camry  parked outside the eatery. She felt lucky and stood waiting for him. She saw him walking out of the fast food with two white bags. He threw them into the back seat. She thought of moving in then but waited instead since he would drive past her.

She flagged him down as he approached her but he did not slow down or stop. It seemed as though he sped past her with more speed than was required. She was not cold but she hugged herself. She wrapped her arms around herself making the off- shoulder ankara gown she wore to look more fitting. She threw her head up to force back the tears that did not know when to shed. She knew her husband had seen her and she had also seen the woman that graced the seat beside him.

She hated that it made her thoughts a reality.. Thoughts she did not like. The tears rolled down and she quickly wiped it. She flagged down a bike and hopped on not bothering to negotiate price. Maka had been right..