CHOICE

35

"Just eat it na. Even if it's a little." Stella pleads with her husband as she dips her hands in a blue bowl on the dining table to wash her hands.
"Don't even tell me that. You think it's easy? I have been managing that thing you call soup since nine days or so. I'm done and that's it." Zephaniah says and runs upstairs.
"What's wrong with ewedu? It's something I have been eating since little and this is not too much of my fault you know...." She starts before she is cut off by Zephaniah's return jingling his car key.
  "Nothing is ever your fault. Zephaniah is always the guilty one."
"That's not what I mean and you know it. If you had allowed me to cook for you before we got married I would have detected your hatred for okro and ewedu. I would have learnt have to cook that one you like." She explains.
   "Just stop trying to justify yourself. I get it now." He moves towards the door of the duplex.
    "Where are you off to?"
"My mother's place."
   "What do you want her to think of me?"
"Whatever she wants to. It's not like I'm going to tell her what actually happened." He opens the door and exits.
Stella sits on one of the dining chairs and places her head in between her palms. "Jessica caused this. This shouldn't have happened if she didn't insist."

The door to the Chuks' five bedroom flat apartment opens and Zephaniah strides in. He goes into the kitchen and begins to open the pots one after the other.
"What do you want?" He looks back to see Jael standing arms akimbo glaring at him.
  "What does it look like?"
"You had better explain yourself so you don't suffer in silence." She says and turns to leave the kitchen.
"Wait!" Zephaniah shouts in reply.
She doesn't stop and he runs after to the living room.
"Jael don't be like this."
"What do you want?"
     "I'm hungry. I need to eat."
"Last time I checked you have a wife."
   "So?"
"Don't tell me she can't cook." Jael asks and bursts out in laughter.
"Really?"
"What? I'm asking na. Why else would you be here?"
   "Just give me something to eat please." He pleads.
"There's no food at home. We're having a fast session from church."
    "Won't you people break?"
  "That's when Daddy comes back. Besides Zechariah doesn't stay here again and I can't use my money to get you something to eat. If Zechariah was still around you could have gotten something to eat from his wardrobe. But right now, it's a sorry case." She submits and puts on the television. Afterwards, she sits down on a chair directly opposite the television and engages herself in the health reality show.
  Zephaniah comes to sit beside her and she spares him s glance before she returns her gaze to the television.
  "Don't be like this na. Where are those things you bake anyways? Don't you have them around anymore?"
"Even if I do I won't give you. Besides, I don't."
  "How come you don't?"
"I gave the last one out this morning as a peace offering for my fast. I didn't ask you not to know how to cook did I? Besides why didn't you ask your wife to cook for you? Is your character still that bad? That lady must be enduring a lot oo. I can't endure a man like that. Never in my...." Jael starts hitting her hands together at intervals.
   "I'm still here you know."
"You think I don't know? I'm telling you so you can change."
    "Can I at least give you money to help me get something down the street?" Zephaniah offers pleadingly.
  "I'm on a fast and is too tired to walk down the street."
   "Please na."
"Fine fine. Don't kill me with pleads. And you better change your character so your wife can treat you better." She advises standing up to go on the errand.
  "Did I tell you I offended her?"
"It's like you are no longer hungry abi?"
   "Ah! I'm very sorry ma'am. Please don't be annoyed."
  "Better. I will be back soon. What do you want to eat though?"
"Pounded yam and egusi soup." He stretches two #1000 notes to her and she takes it.
"Two wraps are okay." He says again and she nods in understanding before leaving the house. He looks around for a while before changing the television show to another showing a children animation cartoon.

Exactly what happens when you and your spouse are not from the same tribe. I don't mean tribe literally. I mean tribe as when you're in agreement with each other. Zephaniah should have gone hungry 😂😂😂. Jael sef ehn, see the way she was dishing him insults upon insults with calm 😂😂😂😂. What do you think about this chapter? Do vote 🌟 comment and share. Thanks a bunch 💕.
Yours in Ink; Bethel ™