Kari traced the loose ends of the mat as she stared out of the open window. The night breeze taunted the candle light, the flame swayed.
‘If he finishes early enough, he will come today’, Yingi had told her the day before.
Now as she let her fingers play with the loose ends of the mat, she heard manly voices enter into the sitting room. A brief conversation and the others were gone. His voice remained, calling out to Yingi. His second sentence asked of her. Warmth filled her belly in response. Her lower abdomen ached, the blood flow increased. She stood, adjusted the cloth in between her legs and sat again. Yingi’s voice emerged from the kitchen and carried on to the sitting room. They spoke and laughed. Their voices were loud enough to hear the full conversation. He was too tired. He would not eat. Where was his wife? And how was she doing?
Yingi replied, “She must be on her mat already”.
He was rather resigned, “I’ll just rest then”.
Kari stood, but when his footsteps approached, she remained hidden, by the side of the door. He passed by to his room, next to hers. As Yingi moved through the corridors to her own room, Kari emerged from behind the door. They stood staring. The dim glow of the lantern in Yingi’s hand revealed Yingi’s face; old, weary and knowing.
Splashing sounds of water were heard outside; Ebikefe was having a quick bath. Kari lingered at her room door, facing Yingi.
“You want something?” Yingi asked.
“I wanted to greet him, make sure he is well…”
Yingi spared a brief smile. “Are you not on your period?”
Silence.
“I would have… just greet him and left”
Silence lingered. Kari gripped her wrapper firmly, gently removed her stare and returned to her mat. She extended her big toe to quench the candle at the center of the room. Staring into the darkness, she gently loosed the thread she had weaved at the corners of the mat. If he had come earlier, they would have at least spoken. How did his day go? Did he think of her too? Now it was night already, Yingi said so.
Ebikefe whistled as he entered into his room.
“You want to call the spirits here?” Yingi called out from the corridors.
Ebikefe whistled on.
“You will not have a meal this night?” Yingi’s voice had softened into a plea.
“I am full my mother. And you need to go and rest too” He patted her shoulders, gently nudging her to her room.
“And where is my wife?”
Kari’s eyes flickered open.
“The young lady is trying to have some rest Ebikefe.”
“Sleep well” Ebikefe said as Yingi entered into her room, and closed the door.
Kari’s eyes shut tightly as he came in and gently lay next to her.
“Are you sure you’re asleep? I saw the candle light go off not too long ago” He whispered very softly, the sound traveled through her ears, her abdomen vibrated in response, the blood flow increased. She let out a soft chuckle.
“I thought as much” His breath on her neck intercepted and prevented the cool night breeze. She nestled closer. He covered them both with a cover cloth.
“How are you?” He breathed out.
He was not speaking but breathing. The words came in, not to her ears but to her head, neck and shoulders. He spoke and her whole body responded, but only her lips parted to say, “fine”.
“Fine?”
“Cramps”
“Sorry” His arms won through her shallow resistance and rested on her stomach.
“Not there” and she found herself lowering his fingers till they rested on her lower abdomen. He rubbed for a while and retrieved his hands to wrap around her.
“How was your day?” He breathed out again, and lay on his back. She grieved the absence of the warmth from his chest.
“I’m so tired. We were preparing the house”
“Oh..” she said.
“You thought we would be staying here? With Mama all over our necks”
Kari offered a short chuckle. “I think….Mama might say that maybe it’s too soon”
“Yes. But we need to start our family. We’ll leave first thing in the morning”.
It was the very words she wanted to hear on the second night after her marriage. Now she loved him more than anything else. He pulled up the cover cloth to her chin and she nestled into him. Her abdomen vibrated from the rush of blood, the pain churned, but his love outweighed.
✦ ✦ ✦