Chapter twelve

Mrs Wabua, the most loved and meritorious lady, whose family dwells amongst the residents of the flats on the third floor seems to have lost the brimful kind of energy she'd always had every morning.

As she stretches out her legs on her huge four-poster bed, whose comfort she had felt for many years, appears to have lost every pleasure around her. With her hands on her laps, she turned her cold face to her loving husband who was still harnessing his sleep with a good measure of snores loud enough to chase away the demons.

The expression on her face is out of the ordinary. She stares in space for a relatively long time in contemplation and looks perturbed.

The clock chimed. Slowly she lifted her face and gazed at the wall clock. Realising that it was 7:00 am, she imprints a morning kiss on her companion's cheek, gets out of bed and enters the bathroom to take a shower.

It was impossible to mistake her sudden dullness because she couldn't compliment her hot bath with the soft humming as she'd always done in the past.

Mr Wabua always adored her soft soothing humming in the morning because it would always feel him with delight and this way, he would start his day with a replenished mind. Perhaps he would have woken up by now if his wife hadn't twisted the routine overnight.

Suddenly, Mr Wabua was spooked out of sleep by the shrilling ringtone from his wife's mobile phone.

"Darling, please pick that call.'' he wobbled with his eyes closed. The phone rang for a moment and stopped. He's startled that she didn't answer the call.

"Why didn't you answer the call?" he asked, slowly opening his drowsy eyes and rubbing them wearily. Soon he noticed that he was in his own company.

"How odd!" he muttered feeling embarrassed and changed to a sitting posture.

Mrs Wabua came out of the shower in a towel wrapped on her large body pursing her lips disapprovingly. Her long hair was still dripping droplets of water trickling down her back.

"Honey, you don't look fine," said Wabua, raising questioning eyebrows.

"Do you think so? I can't explain it myself."

"I wonder what she's rambling about." He muttered and got out of bed and stretched up. It was screaming obvious that something was bothering her.

She took a seat in front of the dressing mirror to primp herself.

" Jina, are you capable of mistreating your niece? Was what I saw yesterday a false imagination? No, it can't be…" she shook her head disagreeing and water from her wet hair drenched her husband's face.

The thought preyed on her mind for so long that it was hard for her to relax or notice that her husband was close.

"Ugh, I have drunk from your head, darling. You must pay for this."

She twisted her head to look at him and the latter noticed a twinkle in her eyes. With his veiny arm, he wrenched her lips with a hot kiss that made his hood move ponderously in his shorts.

"Shall we, darling?" he asked, gesturing to the protruding thing in his shorts.

Mrs Wabua chuckled loudly, drawing her dazzling eyes on the spot.

"Your urge won't be quenched now."

"Why?" he asked with a smirk and his wife wrinkled her forehead puzzled.

"Please help me dry my hair." She giggled trying to divert him.

"That's monstrously unfair." There was hardly any ounce of sexual mood in her; the fact is that the thought of Jina's behaviour towards her poor niece dominated her mind more than anything else.

Mr Wabua took the rejection nobly and repressed his feelings by caressing her long hair.

The long time they had spent together was enough to mould their love into something more beautiful and admirable than indulge in bitterness and regrets towards each other. It appears that their love grew with years.

He stole a glimpse at her reflection and noticed she was distant. She'd been like this since she left Jina's mansion the previous day. After a moment of meditation, he leaned on her back shoulder and started,

"I've been meaning to ask you about something, sweetheart."

"Ok, I am all ears."

"Is there something you aren't telling me?" As soon as he said this, her heart lurched and she quickly twisted on her stool and sat facing him.

Mr Wabua could hardly resist the lure of the radiant face.

"Have I done something wrong?" she raised her eyebrows surprised and her eyes bulged.

"Not exactly, but it's no coincidence that all of a sudden, my bubbly beautiful and loving wife is behaving differently."

She wrinkles her forehead and caresses the bristles on his chin, giving him a radiant smile.

"You look more beautiful and young when you smile."

"But I am merely six and forty. She said and giggled."

"Yeah, the number of years doesn't count. You will always be my baby."

"Baby…" she clapped her hand on her mouth and broke into a chuckle. Eventually, she shifts her bottom in position and held his broad hands giving them a firm squeeze and said,

"You know it's never been my suit to keep secrets from you, but…" She stopped and lowered her face in sadness.

"Yes, but.." he prompted her to speak. The latter is hesitant as she lays out the best way to explain her grievances.

Mr Wabua stared at her impatiently and retorted,

"See, I knew something was troubling you." She lifts her head and stares at him, making him curious.

"Honey, do you still remember when Grace came into our lives; sickly and without anyone to call a relative?"

Mr Wabua reflected on the flashback and his countenance instantly changed.

"The poor girl was so miserable." He affirmed after a retrospection.

"Exactly my point, dear, but we had contrived to take care of her as our own despite the complications involved."

"Yes, but what has she got to do with your gloomy face?" He asked with his eyebrows knitted.

"Our circumstances then were not convenient because our incomes were still meagre, but we never neglected her."

"I wonder what she's driving at." He thought and nodded to keep to her pace,

"Mhm."

She looked away from his probing gaze and said,

" I didn't like the way Jina behaved towards Esther. The poor girl was nervous the whole time…"

Her tone prompted a tinge of sadness in his heart. He clamped his lips and reckoned,

"Esther is such an innocent and adorable girl. Why would she disregard her? I took a liking for her the moment I saw her."

"I will have to talk to her about this." She suggested with a glint of anger in her eyes.

"You will?" He asked anxiously

"Hmh."

"She won't listen. You've known Jina for a long time. Her temper is worse than yours." He said, leapt off and stood aloof, revelling in having triggered her annoyance.

"You owe me, darling. You can't be that mean you know."