The Affair

36. Shock

I've come to realize that life is never just black and white but a kaleidoscope of colours of varying shades. Things are rarely ever as simple as you may think.

Was there an emergency at the hospital?'

Doctor Audu sighed as he walked inside his house. He dropped his bag by the door, ignoring the question his son, Benjamin just asked.

'Dad?' He called, his voice filled with worry. 'Is it that patient again? What's that her name again... the one that has two men causing trouble over her?'

'What's for dinner?' He asked instead. Heading straight for the kitchen.

Benjamin shook his head and sighed.

'You're a doctor. You should know better than to eat at...' he turned to glance at the clock on the wall, '... 12:45 in the morning!'

'I'm too tired for this.'

'That's the issue! You're overworking yourself! On my first day of housemanship, you warned me that it'll be tasking. Do you remember?' He paused. 'But you also said that I should always ensure that I get enough rest because a healthy mind equals a healthy patient.'

Doctor Audu didn't answer. He opened a pot on the gas cooker to check its contents. Beans. He shook his head and opened the kitchen cabinet. He took out a packet of crackers biscuits and opened it to eat.

'I took leave from the hospital to check on you. Even over the phone I can tell you're stressed out.' He scratched his head when Doctor Audu remained quiet. 'Mum's death... it hurt me too but throwing yourself into your work won't change what happened. I didn't complain at first because I felt it was a good distraction at the time. That maybe you were doing it to atone in some way but it's been five years Dad. Five years! You can't keep pushing yourself like this. You will burn out and I'm not ready to lose you too!'

Doctor Audu paused, he dropped the biscuit he was eating on the counter and left the kitchen. Benjamin scratched and called after him.

'Dad! I've never seen you this preoccupied about a patient before! Not even the one that survived a fall from a five story building. Dad!'

Doctor Audu calmly climbed up the stairs until he got to his bedroom and quietly shut the door. Benjamin just stood at the foot of the stairs and combed his hand through his hair in frustration.

'Stubborn old man.'

                                                                                          ***

Hope knocked at the door of Kosi's house repeatedly but when she got no answer, tried the handle and it opened.

'Kosi?' She called out cautiously as she stepped into the house, looking around for any sign of him.

The house was in disarray. Leftover and empty snack packets littered the parlour and centre table. There was a shirt hanging from a chair at the dining table.

'Kosi? Are you okay?'

She called again as she opened the door to the kitchen and immediately covered her nose in disgust. The smell of rotted food was poignant and she quickly ran out of the kitchen to escape the stench emanating from a pot on the gas cooker.

'Oh hell no! The fuck?! Kosi! Where the fuck are you?!'

Hope marched to the bedroom door, pushing it open with so much force it slammed into the wall. Kosi was sprawled on his bed, the duvet barely covering his naked body. The room was a bit dark because the lights were off and the blinds drawn. Hope gasped when she noticed half of Kosi's butt cheek sticking out of the duvet but it slowly turned to a smile as she stood admiring his firm behind. Her gaze slowly drifted to a half empty bottle of Calypso standing next to a can of coke.