A week later, Ifeoma and Fikayo were yet to have another confrontation about issues.
It was like they were both walking on the edge of a knife trying not to get wounded. But how do you walk on the edge of a knife and not get wounded? They were both scared to sit down and have a conversation about their issues because they didn't want it to get bigger again. But the strain that was between them was as obvious as anything, they didn't talk or joke together as before and they only went by their everyday activities.
None was ready to compromise and start the 'talk' again so they just kept on going through each day acting like everything was perfectly okay. But was it?
Ifeoma stepped out of the kitchen into the living room and sighed when she saw how her husband who just returned from work littered it with his suit jacket, shoes and socks. She had told him several times to stop undressing anyhow but he still kept on doing it.
She proceeded to pick up everything. Trying so hard not to burst out what she had been trying to keep within. She didn't want to complicate their misunderstanding, especially not now that she didn't understand her husband anymore.
Fikayo was sitting on their spacious bed, pressing his phone with all focus when Ifeoma walked in.
"Welcome, how was work?" Ifeoma asked.
"Fine, thank you" He replied, while still focused on his phone.
Ifeoma took a long look at him. Normally, he would have given more details about work, or asked about her own day and just like that. They would start gisting and gossiping about coworkers, bosses and other stuffs. But not these days.
Ifeoma sighed yet again.
" Uhm, Dinner is ready. I'm going to set the table" She announced.
"Okay" That was Fikayo's response.
***
"Jesus!" Fikayo spitted our his rice as soon as it entered his mouth.
Ifeoma was alarmed.
"What is it?" Ifeoma questioned at the same time that Mama said the same thing.
"Oma, do you want to kill us in this house? What is this?" Fikayo snapped.
"What is what? What's wrong now?" Ifeoma looked at him wondering what she did again.
"Taste your food!" Fikayo simply said.
Ifeoma proceeded to put a spoon of rice in her mouth and she also spitted it out immediately.
"Oh my God!" She exclaimed.
"See? Is that what you used hours to cook? Salt?!" Fikayo mocked.
"I... I don't understand. I didn't put that much salt for it to be this salty." Ifeoma said, trying to rack her brain on how it was possible.
"You didn't add too much salt, so you used salt water to cook?" Fikayo asked his tone laced with sarcasm.
" Hm. If I talk now, you people will say I've come o. Imagine giving an old woman like me so much salt. Is that an antic to kill me?" Mama contributed.
"Mama, you can talk about this one. I'm so disappointed right now. What were you thinking? I came back from work and I meet this? Is this fair? Are you trying to punish me for telling you to pick between your friends and I?"
Ifeoma was speechless, she stared at the food, her husband and then mama.
She just couldn't fathom how she could make such mistake.
Did she forget that she already added salt and then went ahead to add salt again?
Not knowing how to defend such reckless act, she did what was expected and right."I'm so sorry. I... I honestly don't understand how I made such mistake. I'm sorry. I'll cook another one" She apologized as she stood up quickly and started to pack the food.
"Cook another one? You keep wasting food just anyhow! And who has the time to wait for you to finish cooking rice again, cook it for yourself alone. I'm going to order food from African Kitchen. I don't want to eat another salty food. Mama, what should I order for you?" Fikayo said going through his phone to place an order.
"Amala and gbegiri with ewedu soup. They should add intestines and cow leg too. I haven't had it in days because your wife can't cook good soup" Mama said as she threw a look at Ifeoma who just stared at them.
"This is why I like that Sewa girl that you used to date before. That one that you introduced to me first. She was so respectful, decent and such a good cook. Babies surrounded that girl so much that I'm sure if you had married her, we would have been carrying your third baby. But no, you had to break up with such a nice girl to marry this one that has nothing but beauty" Mama threw again.
Ifeoma could take anything but being compared to an ex of his husband was one she won't take. The same one that he still cheated on her with even while they were already dating.
That same one!
"Mama, I'm not going to seat down and watch you keep insulting me" Ifeoma said.
"Will you shut it? A whole five years, not one child. Only plenty miscarriages. And you are talking" Mama continued.
"Fikayo, are you not listening to your mother right now? Won't you shun her?" Ifeoma directed to her husband.
"What should I say to it? Is she not saying the truth? Please, leave me alone" Fikayo dismissed.
Mama smiled.
Ifeoma was even more shocked.She stood up and simply walked into her bathroom and there she began to cry her eyes out while also praying."God, give me my own child" Was the highlight of her prayer point.
TO BE CONTINUED...