A February Story… part 2

Photo credit – depositphotos.com

Leye stayed in the car after parking it. He just sat there, gathering the resolve to step out of the car, walk into the elevator, arrive at the floor of his home and face his wife. He was in no haste really, so he picked up his phone and scrolled through his messages. He was half expecting some messages from Tina apologizing or telling him it was a prank or at least explaining what had really happened.

Nothing.

He hissed and put the phone into his pocket. He probably shouldn’t have dropped her on the road like that… and he probably should call her to check if she got home safely too. But he didn’t care, at least not right now anyway.

He finally stepped out of the car, stretched and then did the things he didn’t want to.

He walked to the elevator, got into the cart, pressed the panel with the number 10, and when he arrived, walked to his door and stopped.

He took a deep breath.

Here we go again.

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Linda jerked up from her slumber. She had fallen asleep while pretending (to herself) to read the book. She slowly got up and stood for a minute to get her bearings.

She looked towards the door.

He was back!

She took two steps towards the door without thinking and then stopped. And waited.

She could almost feel his hesitation, his unwillingness to open the door.

After what seemed like a long time, she finally heard his keys rattle in the lock.

She took a deep breath.

Here we go again.

Leye opened the door and found the woman they called his wife standing some way off, staring straight at him, like she had been waiting for him to come in. She probably was.

He took three steps into the house, closed the door behind him and turned to face her.

They stared at each other for ten awkward and highly uncomfortable good seconds.

How they hated each other.

“Hey.”… Leye

“Hey.”… Linda

Yep. They had become “hey” people over time. The conversation would probably end here except…

“There’s dinner if you’re hungry.”

“Oh. I’m not.”

“Good. Cos I packed it up already.”

Scores!

He half-smiled.

Linda walked towards where her husband stood. His eyes followed her carefully, not knowing what to expect.

As she got closer, Leye did a quick check to see if she had anything in her hands. The scar on his hand was proof of what could happen when he was unprepared…

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It had been a typical day, much earlier into their marriage, and much earlier into their ‘problems’ also. He had just gotten back from his ‘appointment’, thinking then that she was oblivious to his affair. He had walked in and faked the I’ve-had-a-really-long-day-at-work-but-I’ve-still-missed-my-baby smile. She walked towards him, reciprocating with a welcome-home-my-dear-busy-husband-who-I’ve-missed-so-much smile. He was impressed.

And totally fooled.

She had gotten really close to him and made to embrace him. At the last second, he ‘mistakenly’ spotted the knife moving at help km per second towards his chest.

To cut the long story short, he had an ugly scar on his hand. It could have been worse… really and terribly worse.

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So here she was, gliding towards him again; after he had cheated on her again; harmless from what he could see but…

She reached him and he instinctively took a step back.

She stared at him for a second and then reached out for the back of his neck.

He couldn’t react. Oh no, he was dead!

She leaned forward and kissed him. Softly at first and then with renewed passion as he responded and kissed her back. How long had it been since he felt this way?

After what seemed like an eternity, she stepped back and took a breath. She smiled at him, her hand tracing his facial features.

“Goodnight Leye.”

And with that she turned and walked into the bedroom.

He stood for a few seconds, trying to understand what had just happened. At that moment, he realized that he still loved Linda… beneath all the hate.

He sighed and went in to get ready for bed. Linda was already asleep.

When he was set, he turned off the lights and got into bed, and then stared at her.

His Linda!

He eased behind her and held her in a warm cuddle.

Linda smiled.

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Leye didn’t know what exactly it was that woke him, but he kept his eyes closed and his arms around his wife.

He was about drifting back to sleep when he felt the cold steel on his head.

And a quiet voice, silk as the night, almost in a whisper…

“Leyeeeeeeeee…”