Chapter Six
Dele sat and waited. He had been waiting for so long. The skies were growing a dark hue and the sun was no where within sight. There was a nagging feeling.

Tiredness. Maybe.
Anger. Most certainly.
Worry. Not entirely.

'Where is Tiwa?' He asked himself as though the question would conjure her.
He sat deep in thought. He was so lost in thought that he did not notice the approaching steps. He did not even move to know the woman, the source of his weariness, now stood before him.

"Good evening"

Tiwa greeted. The greeting alarming the man of his new found company. Dele looked up to find his once missing wife.

"Where have you been?" His improper reply to the greeting was his stoic voice. He never did realize the dread his voice held. He was tired and hungry when he returned to find his wife gone. He knew nothing of her behavior outside his house.
It could not have been the market. Commercial activity would have ended long ago.

What if she went to somewhere indecent?
What would people say of their marriage?
Even worse, what would people say of him?

He was not sure what but he knew that the gossips would range from him not being able to control his wife and that he got married to a loose woman. A harlot.

"I greeted you" her voice remained calm

"And I asked you a question" he said domineeringly as he arose. Shifting back the stool, he previously sat on. His height emphasizing his power.

Tiwa sighed and placed her hands on her hips. The war stance of a woman.
"I was with a friend" her tone still calm and nonchalant. He did not bother to ask the gender of the friend she claimed to have been with. 

"Do you know how long I have waited for you? Do you know what people would say...?"
Her response faded away his continued questioning,

"Here, I thought my husband cared?" She hissed, eyed his full stature and walked in.
Of course, Tiwa lied. She could never picture him in that light. She knew he did not care. He never would.

"Tiwa, Tiwa!" She heard him yell from outside. She held the numerous replies that rang in her head for when she came out.

  "What is wrong with you?" His eyes burning with rage

"You. You are what is wrong with me. I am tired!"

Dele huffed. Tiwa was never like this. She was always calm and submissive.
"I cannot argue with you. It would be useless." He sighed once again and walked to his stool. 

"Stop lazing around and get me something to eat" He was about to seat when he heard her call.

"I do everything. Everything!" her voice cracking from withholding the angry tears.
He turned around sharply to give her a retort.

"You are my wife! IT IS YOUR DUTY TO DO EVERYTHING" His voice was at its climax. Strong, loud and scary.

He gazed hard at her eyes. Challenging her to continue.
She looked away. She gave up.

Quickly, she swatted the tears that tried to betray her. She may have lost this fight but she would not leave looking weak. No.

"I am sorry. I will go make you something," She said shakily as she turned away.
The man just sat. He released a loud breath and just rested. Leaned his back and just closed his eyes. Trying to keep calm.

Speedily, Tiwa made the meal. It was a simple one. Boiled yam and garden egg stew.
She gave no thought to herself. Just wanting this luridity to end. 

She had not eaten anything since the morning. She was tired and her body refused to move faster even when she put all her energy towards trying to make her actions quicker.

After her visit to Demola, she had gone to the market to bargain for food and clothing. She had promised to bring her pay. She went to the houses of many of her customers. On an empty stomach. Journeys, in general, wearied her but the length of this one and the fact that she embarked on it with an empty stomach added more unease.

Upon all these trials, she had had to face during the day, she returned to a raging husband who cared the least about her welfare. Men, they could be so inconsiderate. 

Dele was done with his meal. He rinsed his hand in the bowl beside him and looked to his wife. She sat beside the fire. Her braided hair all directed to the back. The hairstyle was simple and gave way to the full view of her profile.

The cooking fire had not pot over it. Making it resemble an evening bonfire.
In his thoughts, he wondered the reason for her outburst. To him, she had not have right to anger. He did. His reputation could be ruined.

He looked at her once again. Her beauty spoke echoes in her silence.
She must have felt his stare because she turned her head and meet his eyes. He deterred his gaze at the awkwardness of being caught staring. The short time he held her eyes allowed him to see something. Tiredness. 

She was tired. She told the truth.
She thought he wanted her to come clear the dishes. She followed his silent orders. As a good wife should. He had made it lucid earlier that she was meant to do 'everything'.

Tiwa stood up. Her body felt weak to the bone as a result of the lack of nourishment. She was visibly shaking. Dele noticed it and he knew it was not just her limp.

Ignoring the weakness that had over taken her entirety, Tiwa stood and walked slowly to her spouse.

She bent over before him. Slowly. Trying to maximize what was left of her energy reserve. She picked the plates.

"Wait"

"Yes" Her stance was faltering. So was her vision. The lack of vigor was taking control.
He noticed.

Dele rushed to stand behind her. Saving her fall by laying her back flush against his chest. He removed the dishes from her fragile hands. Placing them beside her feet on the ground.
Her breathing was labored.  He lead her carefully to the stool he had just risen from. AS he did, he had an arm wrapped around her waist. 

Balancing the half-conscious woman was not an easy feat but Dele was up to the task.
He sat her down. Reclining her back to the wall. From the look of things he knew she would not be able to hold herself upright. 

"Tiwa, are you alright?"

He was curious. The woman who had been lashing at him not to long ago now struggled to maintain her balance on a stool.
"Ye...s" Her voice was low and almost inaudible.

He squatted to level their heights. He took note of every detail. He then rose a hand to her head and then her neck. He was no healer but he knew a thing or two about the signs of a fever. She showed none. Her temperature was normal.

"Tiwa" he called but go no reply.

"Where had she gone?" He asked himself as he made way to the kitchen where he began to search for something she could eat.

He opened a pot and found three pieces of yam. He gathered what he could find and made his way back to his wife.

He placed the small dish that held the food before her. She did not move to it. So, he set out to help her.

He cut some piece with his fingers. He crushed the morsel between he fingers and rose the food to her lips. She slowly opened.

She chewed and then swallowed. The array of her actions were slow. He waited. He repeated the procedure thrice before she muttered something.
"Thank you"

........................

She opened her eyes tired. IT was nearly dawn. 

She did not recall what transpired the night before. She could not even remember how she had gotten to bed. The only fragment of her memory that remained intact was her husband yelling at her the duties of a wife.

She shivered at the recap.

It was then she realized she had her head on his chest. Her head was not far from his chest as she took note of her surroundings.

'Did he force me to?... No'
A man could not rape his wife, could he?

It was then he stirred in his sleep. Tiwa wanted to run. Right now, she did not see death as a negative alternative. The most irritating part was that he slept very calmly.

The worst happened as she tried to calculate her escape. HE turned.
He wrapped an arm around her and nuzzled at her neck.

'What do I do?' She cried mentally.

Too scared to move she retained her position. Even till some rays of sunlight invaded the dim lit room.

She was done with being read as a slave. Just because she wanted to keep her word to her mother to be the 'perfect wife'. It was then she made up her mind to truly punish her husband for putting invisible bonds around her.

Considering their current position, the hold was quite obvious.

...................

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________

Hey Lovlies.

I don't even know what to call you guys but just know I do this for you.

What do you think?

Dele might just be miss understood or maybe not.

Nobody's truly perfect but I personally think his sins are numerous but whatever

Vote and comment what you think

BYe bye.

Mwah