CHAPTER TWENTY

She wiped all the washed dishes with a napkin, and she arranged them attractively in the plate rack. One chore was now completed; she reached for the broom and set out to sweep the house. She swept every nook and cranny of the house while keeping alert. She finished sweeping, packed the dirt into a dustpan and emptied it into the waste bin which always mysteriously got emptied. She stretched herself; sweeping is such a tedious job in a big house. She glanced at the wall clock; she had been working for seven hours now.

She sat down and wondered where her husband was and how well he could easily sneak out of the house at his own will. She relaxed herself and was about to fall asleep, then she heard footsteps approaching; she quickly got up and pretended to arrange the sofa. Her husband came into the living room and looked around; he was about leaving when she called out to him

"Welcome dear" she said, and her husband stopped in his tracks

"I would like to do the laundry today; may I have yours?"

He turned around to face her. He glared at her for a minute and then gave her a sinister smile "alright, but you will have to select them out for me. I don't know the difference between clean and dirty"

"My pleasure" she said ignoring his malevolent looks

She followed him into his chambers and began sorting out the dirty clothes from the clean. He really did not know the difference between the two as they were lumped up together like a massive ball. It took her a whole lot of time getting them sorted out, but she did not mind the time and effort it took. She checked every pocket on each cloth. It was not there, where was it?

Her husband came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body, "you have not finished sorting them out?"

"No, my love, I am trying to make sure that I get all of them" she feigned a smile

"I see" he humped as he opened his wardrobe

"Dear, I think the cloth you wore today is dirty"

He turned a frown to her "how is that possible?'

"I believe it is better to wash them all, do you not think so too?"

He frowned so much that she shook both inside and outside. He began to laugh, and she nervously joined him.

"It is on the bed"

She walked awkwardly to his bed and picked up the clothes he had worn that day on it. She picked up the trouser and after making sure that he was not looking; she searched his pockets and slid the content into her apron.

"I have got them all. Thank you, my love: I will be leaving now"

"Wait" he commanded sternly, and her heart skipped a beat. She turned slowly and anticipated a slap as he usually gave her one after that command. He gave her a big basket of laundry to her surprise.

"You want to wash my love and so you shall"

She smiled at him relieved and placing the remaining clothes into the basket; she turned around to leave

"Wait honey, there is more" he handed her another basket, and she was amazed

He turned around to search a cloth in his wardrobe while she stood quietly behind him

"And why are you still here?" he asked

"I am waiting in case there are others"

He stared at her for a moment and smiled. He faced his wardrobe again

"That will be all" he said, and she left