"Janet, did I hear you right? I mean, did you just say that we should try and have children?" Janet frowned at me in an unusual manner. It was obvious that she wasn't happy with the question that I had asked her.
"Ishmael, why are you asking that question?" Janet why now? Having children is the most normal thing for any couple to do. But with Janet, I was beginning to even regret my being wth her. What kind of a family could we still have, after what she made me go through?
"Janet why now? I mean why didn't you think of that before?"
"And is it too late to try?"
"No, but I want to know why now?"
"But Ishmael what are you afraid of? I mean as husband and wife why can't we start doing things together for once?" Yes Janet, I hear o. We were a family before, but it will be hard even trying to be one again. I sighed and got up and told her I was going out.
"So when am I seeing you, Ishmael? When are you coming back?" I opened the front door and smiled at her.
"Soon."
"Soon when?" She got up and walked up to me and surprisingly put her arms around my shoulders. I stared into her eyes and could hardly believe that this was the same Janet that had told me not to touch her.
She then pressed her lips against mine and left it there. I was compelled to react, perhaps because Janet knew I wouldn't refuse to commit myself. Her move was tempting, but I knew Janet had a motive for becoming so lovable. She would do everything in her power to really know what I was up to.
"Come back to me darling, okay?" She moved her lips away from mine and smiled at me. She then passed a finger across my jaws down to my chest. "I'll be in the bedroom waiting for you." She winked at me and then let out an unseemingly wicked smile like someone trying to lure me into a trap.
I opened the door and left the house with no fixed destination in mind. I only wanted to go somewhere and quietly plan on what to do next.
As I got into my car and reversed the car out of the gate I saw a woman standing in the far distance, by the road side. Looking at her I had the impression that she was lost and needed directions. I pulled over and stopped the car beside her and wind the front passenger glass down.
"Hello mada...." I couldn't complete the word madam because I recognized the woman.
It was Linda.
" Linda, what are you doing here?" I looked around to see if she was alone or if she was accompanied by someone who might be hiding somewhere. But there was no car and no one in sight. "Linda, get into the car." Linda quietly obeyed and got into the car. She got in and never even bothered to greet me.
As we left, I kept glancing at her from time to time. I knew she didn't come because she wanted to see me. Something had to be wrong for her to appear a few hundred meters away from my house.
"Linda, how are you?" Linda stared at the empty road without saying a word. It was as if she was seeing something that engaged her whole attention. She ignored me and kept quiet. Her silence bothered me and it forced me to stop the car along the way. Looking at her I tried to figure out what her problem was.
"Linda what is the matter?" Linda wasn't in the mood to talk to me. She kept staring silently at the road until I started the car again. I was just about to move when she said something in a faint voice.
"Take me home." I turned off the ignition and observed her. She wasn't intent on facing me, all her attention was still focused on the road. " Ishmael you heard what I...,"
I had to interrupt her at this point. While I was okay seeing her sitting down staring at the road in silence, I was getting fed up with her ignoring me.
"Linda would you mind telling me what is going on?" This last question seemed to have struck her and like a volcano, she erupted.
"Ishmael take me to my house and stop asking questions, okay?!" My shock was tremendous when she shouted. I had thought the drive with her was going to be a peaceful one. But Linda surprised me.
I immediately started the car again and took her down to her house. When we got to the house I stopped the car by the gate and turned off the engine. I knew coming here meant going in with her. But I had no intention of doing that.
I watched as she alighted from the car and closed the door. She then turned and looked angrily at me.
"Are you coming down or not?" I ignored her and started the car. The minute I started the car Linda came around and grabbed my shirt.
"Ishmael don't move the car or you will not like what I will do to you, okay?" My eyes widened with surprise that she was holding my shirt. I was angry but manage to control myself and did some quick thinking.
Immediately, I opened the car door making her shift and remove her hands from my shirt. I stepped out of the car and closed the door and embraced her.
"It's alright Linda, let's go inside." She quietly nodded but told me to wait.
"Ishmael, wait." She brought out the keys to the house from her handbag and gave them to me. I quietly took the keys from her and then placed my arms around her shoulders.
After I opened the door and we went in, Linda turned and brought her lips to meet mine. Here and in front of the door we started kissing. But while we were kissing, I kept thinking about Janet and the strange way she came up to me, and pressed her lips against mine.
With Janet I couldn't reciprocate the attention she had tried to give me. But with Linda it was totally different. I held Linda so tight and it felt good. I felt good holding her once again. It was so magical being able to hold her again, that I forgot how she had ordered me out of her house. In fact, she had even threatened calling the police for me if I didn't leave.
As we broke off from kissing I stared into her lustful eyes and knew she only wanted one thing-that I take her to the bedroom. But I wasn't ready for that. I wanted to know why she had come looking for me.
"Linda why did you come looking for me?" Linda walked away from me and went to sit down. I followed behind and sat down beside her.
" Ishmael why didn't you come to see me again? You simply forgot about me, abi?" I was surprised by that question. In fact I couldn't believe that she had forgotten every word that she uttered just to make me leave her house.
"You threatened to call the police, remember?" Linda looked at me shyly and then placed her head against my shoulder.
"And you took my threats seriously, that you don't want to see me again?"
"Why did you threaten me?"
"That was not my intention, Ishmael. I was worried about something and it just came out."
"Is that why you came by my house?"
"No. Well okay, maybe yes. But to be honest, I don't know what I was thinking." She searched my eyes trying to find out if I believed her or not. I was happy seeing her but was seriously troubled by this strange attitude of hers to appear near my house.
"Linda, if you have a good reason for passing by my house, I want to know what that reason is. "
"Oooh Ishmael!" She got up and smiled at me, "Can I get you something to drink; I mean some wine, whisky, hmm?" I wasn't in the mood to drink and had no reason to accept her drink offering.
"No Linda, I didn't come here to get drunk." Instantly the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by an angry look.
"Ishmael, how dare you come into my house and insult me?!" I got up when I realized that she was about to flare up. I wasn't ready to face her annoying attitude again. I reached for the door and opened it.
