A few steps distant, running away, on the staircases he stood, "would you allow me take my bath first before I join in?"
As he avoided his wife, his mother was also making her way from her bedroom. Bob Lee heard her shoes stepping and knew she was coming to pass on the same stairs he was standing on, to walk down since it was time to join in for a meal. So,he had to replan.
In his head, "She's so sensitive and nosey, I can't risk crossing paths with her _ no doubt she's going to perceive this foreign scent on me," thoughts raced.
"I think I need a glass of water to quench my thirst," out loud, he made a lying statement to his wife, as he hurried back down.
Pleased to serve her husband, as Ishtar made a move, "No honey, no need to stess yourself on this. I can get the water myself," desparate to dodge his mother, he refused his wife's assistance.
Up on the staircases mother appeared. Her sharp observing eye had already noticed Bob Lee behaving in an uneasy way, infront of his wife.
Bob Lee was the worst in covering his tracks. He was a bad lier, thus could easily expose his bad habits to anyone especially his nosy mother who tended each and every bit of his business.
"Hey son!" As he was fleeing, he heard his mother's voice calling from up on the stairs.
"Damn, no way!" he blurted deep within, not for wifey to hear.
Ishtar, a totally respectful character. Neither was she at any point in life on her husband's neck. She genuinely loved and trusted him. She wasn't a wifey who pokes her nose in any of his matters. She kept her boundaries unless asked.
"I can get a glass of water for you honey as you attend to your mother," in a small voice she spoke, concerned.
"Relax," nervously, in a small voice too, not to reach his mother's ears, he continued to hold her back.
"Mom," he turned his plastic smiling face up at his mother who was sloping down gently, "how have you been mom?" Only for guilt to make a big statement in his eyes.
Having raised him with too much attention, his mother mastered so well every bit of his behaviors and she could tell his prevailing attitude only by his gestures.
Taking an inquisitive glance at him, "Am I missing something here?" She asked, stepping down three more stairs which were left to join them on the floor.
"Ah, not really mom; just returned from work feeling thirsty _ and was like, why not hit the kitchen for a glass of water by myself; that's when I heard your voice calling my name," his gestures were so unsteady, hence more of mom's curiosity.
"Am sure your wife is alway pleasured to serve you, not so Ishtar?" Ishtar nodded with a very willing smile.
"Um... mom, understand that me and Ishtar are now one ever since we made vows at the altar," he improvised saying, "bedsides, for better health of our new family members in her womb who are yet to join us, I got to stop exhausting her." But mom had to make sure he doesn't go anywhere.
As he talked giving uneasy smile, mother was making small footsteps to get more closer to him. He noticed and quickly found a hideout behind his wife's back, where he stood, more distant to his mother.
He began lingering his fingers around Ishtar's bump, pretending to feel the growing twins in there. He pecked her cheek thrice in a row, as he continued to smile more nervously.
Mother laughed indifferently, "I can see... the amount of love you're showering your family is really exceptional."
"Of course mom," with false excitement he replied, "nothing beats my wife and my yet to be born twins in this entire world _ I love them unconditionally," he gave another heavy kiss, this time on Ishtar's lips, to prove mom a point.
A look of perplexity wore Ishtar's face as she wondered about the unusual conduct of her husband and mother-in-law.
"Wow!" Mother exclaimed in false delight, "Ishtar, please bring your husband a glass of drinking water."
Of course mother had an upper hand when it came to decision making over her son. And obediently, serving the husband was Ishtar's hobby. She didn't hesitate to hurry away to fulfill the requirement, unknowingly leaving her husband in a den.
"You're sweating at this time!" His inquisitive mother started, watching closely his guilty face.
Quietly, she walked to him and touched the sweat from his nose so suspiciously. Heart racing, Bob Lee's soul began to ask heavens for protection from his mom, much aware of the pressure she could exert.
Unexpectedly, "who is the lady?" As soon as mother perceived the feminine foreign scent from his clothes which accompanied guilt in his physical expression, she asked.
But Ishtar was on her way coming infront of them with a glass of water when her mother-in-law turned the eyes, "Gosh, that was fast!" She exclaimed.
As it was mother's will to protect Ishtar's feelings from getting hurt, like she had always done in the past before Ishtar became her daughter in law, she didn't go any further into interrogating her son.
"Ishtar, please go on and serve your honey," mother smiled indifferently, with her eyes on Bob Lee, "I can see he has had a very... long evening."
However, it wasn't over yet.
Intrigued, a smile quirked corners of Ishtar's mouth as she served water to the husband. "Why all the weird gestures!" At the back of her mind she wondered, watching how her mother-in-law was inspecting the husband with a sharp gaze.
Highly burdened, frowning and forcing a smile, Bob Lee poured the water in his mouth and gestured as it went down his throat like it was some kind of bitter medicine.
"You wont succed in your game son, watch me coming after you!" At the back of her mind his mother spoke with authority, ready to go to war against his unfaithfulness.
The following evening, at Nadia's place Bob Lee was. Laying on a sofa with his legs on her laps, dressed in a white bedroom gown, Bob Lee received a foot massage from Nadia's soft hands. They both chewed popcorn from a yellow bowl while a Netflix show played on television, on a wall infront of them.
As days went by, Nadia Browne became a breathtaking treasure Bob Lee couldn't be without. Adultery became the order of the day, which turned Bob Lee into a careless CEO.
Oftentimes, the most important meetings which required him to attend in person, never did he bother to show up. This gave Sonia a very hard time as his personal secretary, as she still need guidance as a fresher.
He even started to see going to the office as a disease that too plagued his happiness and disadvantaged his plans as a young rich man to spend a good time with his true love.
As one of the meetings took palce, he was at the beach chilling under the sun with his white moonlight Nadia Browne, smearing a lotion on his back while he sipped on tequila sunrise, a tasty cocktail.
Reports from close friends and associates increased to his mom's awareness, informing her about how her married son lives lavish nowadays, being spotted with an unknown beautiful young lady in cinemas, enjoying a good time on beaches in most cases, and cruising with a dropped top of his two seater automobile with the same young lady on the passenger's seat.
"Of course my son is alright!" Mother said to Ishtar who asked worriedly if there was something bothering her husband that he never wanted to disclose to her.
"Coming home late night, sometimes returns in the morning, rarely does he pick when I call and... he doesn't want anything to do with my hands touching him nowadays," Ishtar could not wait to seek answers from mother-in-law.
"Are you sure nothing is bothering him mom? I'm so worried," she expressed her feeling.
Only for mother to gaze sorrily, burdened with the fact that she had betrayed Ishtar's loyalty by keeping such a heartbreaking secret, "I'm evil... just like my son," silently, deep within she held herself accountable.
However, she knew if she disclosed the facts which were taking place behind Ishtar's back, it was going to yield too much abnormal pain which was going to damage Ishtar so deeply, beyond repair. Hence affecting the unborn babies in her womb in a long run.
"Perhaps, she may end up abandoning my son if she gets to know about this, oh no! How will I bare the loss? My foolish son can't loose such a wonderful woman..." Somehow selfish, thoughts raced in mom's minds.
"See, am calling him but he makes the phone busy, seriously! He can't pick instantly like he used to!" Ishtar couldn't imagine how drastic life can flip.
She sniffed, whipping her eyes off peeping tears using a middle finger.
"Calm down, I'm going to talk to him," Mother hated the fact that such a kindhearted, calm and intelligent young woman was suffering innocently.
She stood up immediately from a bulcony chair, "excuse me," asked Ishtar, and hurried away, leaving behind her glass, half of watermelon juice on which she was sipping, on a small table. In Ishtar's mind she thought that maybe mother-in-law had gone to ease herself. She stayed seated, gesturing away in a heap of thoughts.
In her bedroom, as soon as she got inside, mother-in-law closed the door behind, leaned against it heavily burdened in the soul and frowned in pain.