CHAPTER 7
As Teju finally drove homeward, he thought of how agreeable and hospitable he had become. He was amused with himself. If the man who sold him the flowers had done what he did on a normal day, he was sure to have him sued. It amused him that he had become munificent and warm-tempered, a temper he had obtained for the sake of Simi and the love he had for her, and perhaps, for the sake of their imminent first wedding anniversary.
He got home some minutes past six, and he knew well enough that he was pretty late. But there was nothing much to worry about since an apology and some gifts would pacify a comprehending wife. He knocked softly on the door. Even the sounds of my knocks had become sexier and romantic these days, he thought.
"Who's there?" The familiar and excited soprano voice called out from inside as though she was expecting someone other than her husband.
"Well, guess who?" Teju raised his baritone voice.
"My naughty baby" the voice which seemed much nearer to the door replied
Teju had hidden the gift behind him with his left hand, and when she opened the door, he gave her a warm side hug with his right hand. He planted a kiss on her forehead as she clung to him. Her lavender cologne sailed into his nostrils and disseminated its renewing sensation through his internal system. The tight warmth of her body was homely and comely, like a woman's warmth for the unborn child in her womb. She disengaged from him and frowned.
"You are twenty minutes late," she said
"I'm sorry, baby. You know what? I've got you something special" Teju said in a tone which seemed to say ‘that’s why I’m late’.
"What is that?" She asked trying to peep behind him.
“Oh, you’re a goddamn spy, your pretty long neck almost helped you spy on what I’ve got here,” Teju said retreating back a little from her
"Oh come on" she laughed "Don't get me uninterested" she pursued
"Of course, you won't get uninterested. Getting uninterested is not that simple"
“All right, you win. I'm dying to see it. So can you please show me and keep me from dying!"
“Well, you would have to die first before seeing this,” he said
“What?”
“I mean you would have to close your eyes first, baby”
“Okay” she signed and closed her eyes
Teju stretched out the parcel and the flowers in his hands
“Here baby, open your eyes,” he said,
She opened her eyes and let out a short scream, covering her mouth with both hands in the process. She snatched both the flowers and parcel from him
“What flowers are these?" She asked inhaling the crisp floral scent
"Daffodils!" Teju announced as though he had not been told but had known it naturally.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, my dear" Teju said as she jumped at him with her strong feminine arms tight around him
"You are a darling, you're so sweet," she said.
She had started to undo the parcel. She scuttled to the sitting room for a better view, and Teju followed. She opened up the parcel, and her face lit up with a wow that it was needless to exclaim it. She tried the necklace on. She was smiling her face off. She looked beautiful as ever, and the smile on her face gave life to it. The gold colour of the necklace blended with her coffee-brown skin, making her look like an Egyptian princess. Teju was satisfied with this, as long as Simi smiled the way she did, he was satisfied. He would not bother to solicit her laughter; probably seeking her laughter was seeking too much. She ran to the large mirror in the room upstairs with a vibrancy you would think only men had. She sized up herself in the mirror, stroking the necklace and parading herself. Teju stood at the door of the room and fed his eyes with her dramatic euphoria. If he could be x-rayed as he stood there, one would see his bones dancing the waltz with his viscera.
"Oh my God, it's so beautiful!" She exclaimed at the mirror,
“Just like you baby,” Teju said, giving an approving nod behind her and thanking his stars that he had made a good choice. She turned to him, and he saw happiness sketched like a piece of drawing on her face. She usually seemed younger and innocent when she gave her happy-smile, a smile he was persuaded he could never find with another woman, a smile that told so much of the soulful bliss several inches beneath her skin.
"Baby, you're the sweetest thing I can ever have!" she said, her voice thickly padded with an enthralling excitement, and Teju knew it was from her heart. She sank her lips into his, and it mesmerised him. He held her waist, drew her to himself and ate her lips as he would have eaten a golden apple without breath.
Some minutes later, they had got dressed up for their pre-wedding anniversary date. Teju wore a white shirt and blue waistcoat, with his black slim-fitted trouser and black but white-nosed footwear. Simi was also beautifully dressed in her gold-coloured gown which was set aglow with crystal-coloured stones under the fluorescent light.
Before heading out, they had taken a few selfie pictures and videos in the sitting room, sometimes with their tongues out, sometimes with playful winks, sometimes with the peace sign, and sometimes with their teeth glinting against the flash of the camera.
As usual, Simi had taken to her Instagram handle to post the pictures as they drove out of the compound.
Hey folks, going out with my hubby tonight. Our first wedding anniversary coming in a week’s time, jeez! I feel so lucky. Don’t ya’ll wish your hubby is as cute as mine? (Blush [emoji X3])
#weddinganniversary #weddinganniversarypictures #marriage #happymarriedlife #relationshipgoals #outonadate
Simi would have posted the same on her Twitter handle and her followers would haveliked and retweether tweet, creating waves of awareness in a speed of light. However, Teju had talked her out of Twitter three months ago when he forecasted that, if care was not taken, Twitter would be a very accurate and unfailing timeline for every action Simi undertook in her leisure, including those he was involved in, like making love perhaps.