Must Read: Taking Chances

7 years ago

Must Read: Taking Chances

Jide drove into his compound at about 6pm today. Adamu had opened the gate with eyes wide open, it was unusual for his boss to be home at this time. Not on a Friday anyway!
Jide manoeuvred his car swiftly to the parking space specially
designated for his prized ‘baby’. If Adamu’s face had registered
surprise, he hadn’t notice. He was simply happy, today was Friday. It
meant fun and relaxation, he wanted to enjoy it to the fullest and spend it with his wife.

He smiled at the thought. when had he finally realised what the word ‘wife’ meant? And why was he even referring it to Daisy? He halted that line of thought, switched of the car stereo and climbed down.
‘home sweet home!’ he said to himself. How lovely a feeling it was, returning to a house that didn’t exude the former emptiness it had; to companionship-visibly scarce but palpable nonetheless; then a wonderful meal; and a pretty movie-crazed wife. He chuckled at this & made for
the house.

Jide couldnt place when and how he had started looking forward to coming home, all he knew was that he had suddenly developed the urge, somehow, he’d gotten tired of staying out late to spite his wife and prove to himself that he was in control of his life.

Few minutes ago he’d envied a young couple he’d seen while driving. They were gardening outside their home, oblivious to the world around them.

Even though he wasn’t one to muddle in dirt, gardening, he knew they was an intrinsic value to what they were doing, something he and Daisy
didn’t share. Anger ate him up at first, then gradually he turned green with envy. He had unconsciously craved for what they shared, even
decided to work towards building one.
Now in the parlor, he frowned. Daisy was nowhere in sight, a glance further, revealed his food awaiting him on the Dining, that was a normal occurrence.

He hadn’t failed to notice that Daisy had avoided him successfully the past months, infact it had always been the highlight of his evening
whenever he happened to return early. But today, the emptiness strangely affected him and he desperately wanted to see Daisy. Even if they didn’t get to talking, her presence would suffice. When last had he even
seen her? He wondered.
Jide moved further, stopping only to cast a disappointed glance at the arranged plates on the dining, he was hungry quite alright, but the food wouldn’t quench all the hunger raging in him.
At the hallway, again he stopped in front of his former room. He felt a
powerful urge to open the door, if only to take a peek at the one woman
who he was strangely missing this night. But He didn’t get to doing
that, the knowledge that she’d be surprised at this attitude of his,
stopped him midway, just inches to the door knob.
He sighed, pulled back his hand, then made for his own room; surprised
stiff at his thoughts and action this night.
In his room later on, he felt a painful constriction in his heart as he
saw the room for what it was-‘a study’. He couldn’t wait to be out.
******
Jide hungrily dug into his dinner of semovita and Egusi soup, the
quietness of the parlour forgotten and the cravings and wanting to see
Daisy relegated to the back.
He chewed on a piece of meat for a minute and then sipped the glass of
juice he had helped himself to from the freezer. Even if he hadn’t
personally bought them, he knew there was never a shortage of it in the
house. Somehow he had caught on with Daisy love for juice, even wondered
why but couldn’t pursue further. They weren’t in talking terms anyway.
Whoever had postulated that the way to man’s heart was through his meal,
jide thought, weren’t wrong one bit, for his heart was satiated with
this meal and each balls of semo he swallowed increased his love and
admiration for his wife this night.

His lovely wife, he thought again. They were so many questions he wanted to ask her, questions like why she took daily nocturnal trips to the kitchen to take juice? He also wanted to know why she so loved music, movies and all that silly stuffs she watched? Then where had she learnt to cook this well? Howcome she had all the characteristic of a Nigeria-made wife, yet had lived in America? For how long too? He wanted to know.

These were pointers that there was a history to her, a history he so wanted to unravel, he most importantly wanted to know why she had agreed to marry him and stick with him against all odds, was there something she saw in him that he and other women he’d dated didn’t see? He needed these answers desperately. But he didn’t fail to note that getting these answers depended on the chance of them ever getting together. Not that he was planning on giving up the chase anytime soon.

These were the thoughts coursing through his mind when Daisy walked in and headed for her favourite chair directly opposite the television.

Jide pushed the food away, he was satisfied already, carried the dishes to the kitchen-something he’d never done-then went to join Daisy in the parlour.

Daisy was surfing through the stations then. Two guesses and you would get where she would land. He thought amused.

And he was right, Daisy stopped at Trace Tv, settled comfortably in her chair and concentrated on the television without as much as a glance his way. Jide wasn’t sure if she’d seen him or was simply pretending.
Whichever, he didn’t care, he was satisfied with his just concluded meal and this luck of seeing Daisy afterall. The quiet company she would share was worth millions at this hour. He would even be willing to allow her usurp his 9:00 news hours just so she could linger more. It would soon be 8pm which meant her time would end in an hours time if
they were to go by their previous ‘agreed’ viewing time, that was
offcourse, before that fateful night. He could swear that, that had changed a lot.

Well, he mused he was out to make it right and somehow get Daisy to love him once again, her present countenance spoke volumes that she was done
with and couldn’t care less about him.

********

Daisy swam round, lazily in the pool, though today was Saturday, she wasn’t making her weekly trip to the market, that and much more had been covered yesterday. Today was designated to swimming and then off she
would go.

Daisy was feeling unusually happy, it wasn’t just because Brenda was
arriving today but also because she had finally broken off the senseless
fright Jide’s presence created in her. Last night was evidence enough.

The Daisy of months ago, wouldn’t have dared come out while Jide was
around, much less braved up to watch TV while he was right there in the
parlour! She had quickly switched off the television and scurried to her
room when she heard the early sound of his arrival. But after much
deliberation and chastisement on her weakness, she’d finally decided to
take Brenda’s advice to get a life. And that began with shaking off
Jide’s hold on her, emotionally, physically and psychologically.

She’d noticed that Jide’s countenance had been different, his face
didn’t hold that scowl it always had, infact she’d felt him staring at
her from where he sat across her. He even spoke to her for the first
time ever!
‘its okay, you can leave it here’ he had said when she had picked the
remote to switch over to a news station for him since it was his turn to
watch the Television.

That had halted her. She’d been stiffened by the fact that he’d actually
spoken to her and not because of what he’d said.
‘Nothing new’s happening i guess’ he had added rather calmly and
patronizing!
Daisy was all smiles now with the way she had reacted then. For She had
changed the channel regardless to CNN, stood up and left the parlor
without a word or reply to him.
‘thumbs up Daisy, you actually have a star in your ‘getting a life gig’
Daisy hailed herself and plunged deeper into the water.

Much as she didn’t understand what had happened or had gotten into Jide,
she wasn’t about to turn all jelly and putty on him. Not now anyways
when operation ‘get your life back’ was underway’
The sound of a car honk startled Daisy out of her musing, she raised up
her head to see a car drive into the compound.
‘now what’s that’ she said.
The occupants came out amidst loud music from the car that reverberated
the atmosphere, they were three guys and one of them seemed familiar to
her.

They were now dancing unpreturbed to the music that filtered from the
car. They hadn’t noticed her, but then she was out of view, the ‘Y’
shaped shrub shaded her, so that she alone could see them through the
shrub.

One of the guys entered back into the car, and soon the ceaseless honk
was heard, piercing further into the already noisy atmosphere, making a
disorganized sound. The other two didn’t seem bothered by the sound,
instead they intensified their dancing.
‘Jeez!’ Daisy said rolling her eyes. ‘bunch of noise makers’ she added and plunged again into the water.

Minutes later, when she noticed that the sound had died, she went back to her peeping hole through the shrub, She saw that they were at the other side of the pathway, standing at the basketball court. Jide had joined them now, and guess what he had offered them? her juice! What happened to his stock of wines resting undisturbed in the cabinet at the kitchen? Daisy cursed silently.

But then again, that actually was the least of her problem, problem now was how she was going to pass through into the house, dressed in swim wear! She had left the towel hoping to sun-dry after swimming and the big scarf she had opted for wouldn’t suffice.