Chapter Nineteen

Tiwa stared at Dele. Since he declared that they were going home, he had not said anything. His posture was stiff as a log of wood. His face held a frown too deep. She had seen Dele antsy before; the first few weeks of their marriage had him behaving that way. But he had softened toward her, at least Tiwa hoped.

Did I do anything? Tiwa could not help but question whether she had a hand in his difficult mood.

"Why are we leaving so early?" Tiwa asked her husband as she stood behind him. She waited for an answer from him while he packed the scattered belongings from under the tree. His back was towards her, and she could see the strain with which he carried every item, including the smallest of knives.

Tiwa must have lost her voice, or Dele lost his ears. It must have been either of the two because Tiwa did not see nor hear any response from the husband she questioned after.

"Carry this." Tiwa collected the folded mat that Dele dumped in her hands. She was still looking at him wide-eyed. Where had her talkative husband disappeared to?

If Tiwa thought Dele at the farm was disturbing enough, she was in for the gist. Dele on the walk home was worse. He walked with heavy hair around him, a frown on his brow, and heavy steps.

Tiwa strolled beside Dele. The man had still not said anything. Tiwa was utterly confused. Why was this happening?

Tiwa indulged herself in guesses of the reason for Dele's absurd behavior. She did not even notice when they had reached the clearing in front of their house.

"You should clean up. You are covered with sand." Tiwa heard Dele before he went into the house. Just this morning, he had been bright.

Was he sick?

She decided to check and confirm if he was alright. Worry that she did not understand engulfed her.

"Dele." Tiwa walked into the house. The room was dark, only the entrance of the door brought to light in. The light was not enough to see what was going on in the room, but Tiwa entered anyway.

"Dele."Tiwa was feeling her way through the room. She was as blind as a mouse as it was, but she stepped forward. Despite her pleas for him, she heard nothing.

"Dele," she called again. He must be here! She could swear that she heard him come in, but she got no answer once more.

Tiwa took one blind step forward, then another. Then another. She was making her way to the bed that stood in the middle of the room just fine until she jammed her foot on the limb of the bed.

Her scream filled the room.

"Tiwa!" So, he was inside.

Tiwa felt strong hands wrapped around her arms. Before she knew it, she was floating as Dele carried her to the bed. How he was able to see through the darkness surprised Tiwa. Even more surprising was how he carried her like she weighed nothing.

"Are you alright?" Tiwa felt herself being cradled in his arms after he settled her on the bed. His soft voice sent chills down her spine. Too consumed in the comfort of Dele's arms, Tiwa could not find words to reply. She only nodded her head as she looked at him.

The darkness covered his face, but she knew it was her husband. Her fingers wandered and grazed his chin, touching the hard that covered there. Her palm rested on his forehead, and when she saw his temperature was proper, her fretting subsided.

"I am sorry," Tiwa began to speak after she had settled her face in the nook of his neck. "I would not come to the farm again."

Tiwa heard nothing but Dele's slow breathing. She took it as a queue to continue speaking.

"I slowed your work, and that must be why you are vexed with me.' She sighed. 'I am sorry. I promise to be hardworking so that y...'

"Tiwa." Dele sounded small. "I am not angry with you."

Tiwa heard a sigh. This time it was not hers. She shook her head and moved away from the man. The darkness of the room had masked her, but confusion was in her eyes nonetheless. He had managed to wrap her mind in greater confusion.

"Then why are you silent?"

Like the question implied, Dele remained quiet. Tiwa almost regretted asking before she replied.

"I am thinking." She heard his sigh once again. The sighs were too many already! They were making Tiwa's mind cloud with madness. Tiwa gulped before she asked him another question.

"What are you thinking about?" He was taking his time to answer. She was nestled on his side, and the beat of his heart was all she could hear until he spoke.

"It is nothing." He was answering, but his words were few. Tiwa was accustomed to a Dele spewing a fountain of words.

"You still want me away from the farm then?"

Dele did not answer. He moved his back until it was flat against the bed. He took Tiwa with him during the movement. They settled with Tiwa's head resting on his bicep and her right hand on his Buba covered chest.

"I like the farm," Tiwa spoke. Maybe her words might revive his spirit. "I want to go again."

"You cannot possibly enjoy manual labor." It did. Dele spoke once she was done with her sentences, but his tone did not brighten. At least not yet.

"But I do!" Tiwa spoke with so much passion. She shot up from her position beside him to sit upon the bed. "There's this feeling of accomplishment that comes with raising a heap."

"Feeling of accomplishment?" His tone was lifting.

"Yes?" Tiwa smiled a childlike grin. "I have done what they said I could not."

"Tiwa?" Dele's chest shook with laughter.

"Yes?" The smile was in her voice.

"It's a heap of sand." His laugh was in his voice too.

"I know." Tiwa returned to rest her head on his chest. "My parents did not let me go to farms because they thought I was incapable of doing such work."

Tiwa felt his head move. Dele had shaken his head from side to side. She knew he was considering her words.

"I should allow you to come to the farm then?"

"Yes," Tiwa placed on hand over his chest and angled her head to his. "Please."

"Very well," Tiwa felt his arms wrap around her waist and draw her even tighter to his chest. It was as if he was reassuring himself of something. "You can come again."

Dele drew closer to his wife until the minuscule gap between them became nonexistent.

"Come here." Tiwa was astounded. Where did Dele want her to come again? He pressed her to himself as he buried her face in the recess of her neck.

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"When was the last time you went?"

Yesterday, she got Dele's permission to come to the farm. So, she came. Today, unlike yesterday, it was afternoon, and they were still here.

Dele was twenty yards away from Tiwa and Abeo. He was striking the ground with a hoe. Now and then, Tiwa would look back to see her man--muscles taut, sweat dripping from his arms and back.

From yesterday's discussion, Tiwa learned that Abeo was from Igbohu. The village she had run to find refuge, refuge from her childhood bully--now, her husband.

She could no longer endure Dele's rejection, mockery, and pity. Tiwa ran during her sixteenth year and to stay at Igbohu until she was ripe for marriage. It took painful pleas and pillows full of tears, but she was able to convince her mother.

The plan was for her stay with her aunt to last merely two years, after which she would go to her husband's house. Things did not follow the plan. Her husband did not come for her, not until she was seven years had passed since she first ran.

She spent so much time at the other village that it seemed like she belonged there than her native home.

She recounted the festivals with Abeo, the dishes, and the old medicine woman.

"Iya Subomi, that woman." Tiwa smiled. "She gave me the most painful massages."

"Iya Subomi, the medicine woman?" Tiwa watched Abeo's face contour with a question.

"Yes. Is anything the matter?"

"She is my grandmother!"

"Is it true!" The nurse was Tiwa's primary caretaker during the time she departed from her village of origin.

While the gist had been ongoing, Dele was deflected to the peripheral. He had brought her here. At first, the couple was together with Abeo. Tiwa was happy, but Dele left. His face was tight like yesterday. He did as he did the day before. He told her he was fine.

Deep down, Tiwa felt he was not, but she did not act on her intuition.

Abeo was not overly hilarious or spoken, but he was relatable and a good listener.

Tiwa learned that he had been under Dele's employ for only four months. Tunde, Dele's friend, was his family friend. It was under Tunde's recommendation that he came to work with Dele.

Tiwa spent the whole afternoon gisting with Abeo. Her glances at Dele worried her. He was hitting the ground so much that one could guess that he hated the ground that brought forth his income.

Tiwa could not take it anymore. She could no longer watch him, just like that.

She took precise steps and was careful to remain behind him. She knew Dele would never hurt her, but the way that hoe was rising up and down was fearful enough. Tiwa was not taking chances.

She lightly tapped his waist. When he straightened up to his full height, she looked up at him with a smile. But that smile fell when he did not return it. She did not expect him to light up, but she wished he was not so down.

"Come and rest a bit."

Dele did not answer. He went back to packing soil with his hoe to raise yam heaps. Tiwa felt her heart fall as she turned away from him to walk to the mango tree, the shade provider.

Tiwa was seated on the mat when she saw Dele coming. His brown dashiki showcased his arms. It was completely stained with sweat and wet soil. She looked behind him and saw he had completed the half-done heap he was at when she first called him.

He took his seat beside her on the mat. After long moments of silence, Tiwa mustered the courage to break the silence.

"Why are you silent again? Did I do something? Are you angry?"

"No, Tiwa. I am not vexed." He did not look at her as he spoke.

How does he act one way and behave in another? Which did he want her to follow?

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Halo rosies!

Surprise, surprise. (Antracia, you better be surprised!)

I posted in the middle of the week. I'm proud of myself. I hope you like it. If things go according to plan, another chapter's gonna come on Saturday. Fingers crossed.

I'm so excited for the next chapter! You guys get ready!!!

Till next time.

Keep all things rosie🌹🌹🌹.

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Thank you  promisenjamba. You are a darling. I hope you like this chapter!