Cold At Dusk

Chapter Thirty Nine

When harmattan came, it was the brutal sun which shone from morning to night and the loud noise of the wind that first announced its presence.

"This is not harmattan." Mark said one morning, "What is harmattan without cold ?"

He was standing outside staring at the place that was formerly their garden with his hands in his pocket.  He could not do more than wearing shorts with the hotness of the weather.

"Your food is on the dining " Kamsi announced through the window.

"Babe, wait! " He called as he spun on his heels but She had left there already.

He stalked into the house still with his hands in his pocket. He pushed the door  of the guest room which had become Kamsi's studio.  Three different paintings were lined on the table infront of an open window to dry. She was sitted on a stool facing the window,  just staring out with folded arms.

"You are ignoring me " He stated, "Why are you ignoring me? "

As if to give him a positive answer, she did not reply his question.
He kicked around a roll of toilet paper on the floor  for a while before he sat down on the bed.

"Don't play like that in here,  you would spoil something " She scolded him .

He smiled, then sighed. "That's the idea"

She only turned and  glared at him in anger then she turned back to the window.

"What's with the attitude? " He asked,  rubbing a hand on his bald head.

" Two nights ago, I told you  we needed to talk and you  shooed me away  saying you will come around with what you want to say to me " She replied , still facing the window.

He waited,  playing with his beards. She was silent but he knew that could not be the end of the speech, maybe the next words would be insults and he braced himself for it.

"You must think that I do not have aspirations in this life because I'm with you. It's true I have made too many mistakes in this marriage, but you are wrong to think I always want to remain as I was yesterday "

He tapped his foot on the floor without rhythm  after she stopped talking.
"It's quite typical of you to be overly emotional over nothing " He said.

She scoffed. "I'm not even being emotional right now "

He sighed, stood and walked to the end of the room, leaning on the wall, he asked waving his hand around the room , "When are you getting rid of the madness you started in this room"

"So it's now madness, " She laughed humorlessly, "Was I not mad when you met me in university ?"

He shook his head tiredly, "Kamsi,  you don't grow. There  are things you should have outgrown by now"

"Wait" She said, rising from her seat, "Are we talking about the same thing here? "

"Yes, arguing with me " He replied.
There was silence and they stood,  in a deadly eye combat then Kamsi laughed.

"You are actually right. I should have outgrown  arguing with you "

She left the room leaving him standing there, his hands in his pocket and legs crossed at the ankles.  He wondered what was going on in her at that time. Since knowing  women,  he knew they had a talent in misinterpreting words and intentions.

He came out from the room and walked to the parlor. There was a Christ Embassy Church service going on  and Kamsi was dancing and singing along with the choruses.  He knew it was Sunday but was surprised earlier when she did not dress to go for church.