by Kiru Taye
She waited outside for Joshua. A light breeze filled the atmosphere with salty air. She brushed back the loose strands of her hair already tied up in a single bunch and plaited in a braid. The last thing she wanted was loose hair getting tangled in the tree branches.
The sea sparkled, its hue the sapphire of the Niger Delta under the glowing African sunshine. Fishermen and their boats rocked in the water as they went about their business.
As always, the view was breathtaking, making Christy yearn for the past. Making her feel at home.
Joshua came out dressed in white T-shirt and grey cargo trousers and hiking boots. He also carried a rucksack.
“You ready?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Come on. Our guides are already at the dock.”
They walked down, side by side, Christy’s awareness of Joshua increasing with every footstep. She caught the scent of his aftershave. Its spiciness made her inhale deeply.
Two men dressed as forest rangers waited for them at the docks.
“I didn’t know we were getting a special tour,” she commented before they reached the wooden walkway.
“I’m a major patron of the reserve. I guess it’s one of the perks.” Joshua lifted his shoulders in a dismissive shrug.
For a moment, Christy was so astounded she paused in her stride. He stopped and watched her, his expression unreadable.
“You meant it,” she stated as it hit her that her view of Joshua had always been single-minded and from her own perspective. There really had been a side of him she’d never noticed before. Had she really been locked away in the ivory tower of her own wants as he’d implied?
“As I meant everything else I said to you,” he replied, his tone ominous, his expression still unreadable.
Guilt assaulted her. She had no time to act on it as one of the officers approached them.
“Good morning, Mr. Inemi-Spiff. It’s good to see you again,” the man said.
“Thank you, Osaki.” Joshua shook the man’s hand. “This is my wife, Christy.”
“It’s good to meet you, madam.” The man bowed slightly. “We’re ready for you.”
When Joshua took Christy’s hand to help her on board the small boat, the strength of his arm made her skin sting with heat, her responsiveness to him rising again. She ignored the feeling and concentrated on sitting down comfortably.
Joshua sat opposite, his gaze intent, making her more self-conscious as she remembered what had passed between them earlier.
The boat pulled away from the dock, the movement and sound continuous. She realized they were using two boats—she and Joshua on one, the officers on the other. Two other men steered, one standing at the helm of each boat. They could navigate these smaller boats through the delta swamp forest a lot easier than the bigger yacht they’d used for their arrival at Brass.
The white sand of the beach disappeared as they headed upriver toward the emerald forest.
“So when did you develop an interest in the forest reserve?” she asked when they were out on open water.
“The interest has always been there since I grew up in this area, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I knew I could do something with it.”
“How come you never told me about it?”
“I told you our first night together in Godson Villa when we shared the most intimate things about each other,” he said.
Though his voice was even, uneasiness snaked down Christy’s back as she noticed the tautness around his jaw.
Blushing, her mind travelled back to that night. She’d been more interested in feeling Joshua than listening to his words. Truthfully, he’d shared his deepest aspirations, one of which was a passion to protect the wildlife and habitat of the region.
How had she forgotten something that was so important to the man she cared about? How could she have forgotten he’d bared his soul to her that day, in that place? Her uneasiness increased as her cheeks smarted with hot guilt. He was right. She’d been too focused on her own aspirations and needs, and she’d neglected his.
“I don’t know how I forgot, but I’m sorry,” she said, her remorse nearly choking her. Christy bit back tears. What else had she neglected?
He gave her a short nod but said nothing.
“So tell me, what are your plans?” she asked.
He kept silent but studied her intently. He was going to ignore her and not answer. Perhaps she deserved the cold shoulder after her actions. Still, she wanted to know.
She had issued divorce proceedings because she couldn’t bear to live with a man who’d placed her needs secondary to those of her parents. Truth was, her guilt ranked as high as his.
Married and finally free of the influence of her domineering father, she’d focused on making her dreams come true. In the same period, Joshua’s relationship with her father had become closer. Julius Godson treated Joshua like a son—the heir he craved—something she could never be.
Then it hit her, regret flashing heat all over her body. She resented Joshua, for being everything her father wanted in a child. The perfect son—successful, honorable, suave, and most of all, a man.
Joshua was correct. She’d transferred her anger at her father for wanting to control her life to Joshua. Unfairly.
So things weren’t perfect between them now. Surely, they’d shared something special once. Their first time together, Joshua had revealed more than his body with her—he’d bared his soul. It hadn’t been the calculated action of a man bent on duping her and her family. He’d already had her body and she would’ve done anything to keep him. He hadn’t needed to disclose the pain of losing his parents or his aspirations.
Couldn’t they reconnect again? She wanted to find out if he had anything as close to what lay in her heart for him. Or she’d spend the rest of her life after the divorce wondering.
“Please.” She reached across and placed her hand on top of his. “Tell me. I promise I won’t forget.”
He trailed his gaze to her hand on top of his before returning to her face.
“Currently, we’re focusing on raising awareness. Some of the local species of animals, especially monkeys, are becoming endangered because of poaching activities.”
He lifted her hand and traced circles in her palm.
She tried hard to resist, but couldn’t shake the recurring pulse of sensation that travelled down to her belly.
“Joshua,” she said, and coughed to clear the lump lodged in her throat. “If you don’t stop what you’re doing, I won’t be able to understand a word you’re saying.”
Telling him the truth, a flush of embarrassment crept up her face but she preferred the stinging heat over not paying attention to his words again. Even safer when he stopped his action and released her hand with a triumphant curve of his lips.
“The animals are hunted for bush-meat, a local delicacy. So we need to educate the people as well as provide an alternative source of income for the hunters.”
“Oh,” was all she could say. She’d occasionally been offered the fresh-roasted delicacy on the highways while travelling, but had never really given much thought about the species or the impact on their habitat.
“Hang on,” she said when an idea occurred to her. “I’m sure I read somewhere recently that the Ebola virus was linked to bush-meat because some poachers didn’t check if the animals were already diseased before selling them on or eating them.”
“Exactly.” Joshua eyes sparkled as he grinned at her. “Although there are no confirmed cases of the virus here, we still need to be vigilant.”
“I guess that bush-meat’s off the dinner menu,” she said without much thought.
“Does that mean you’re cooking dinner for me sometime soon?” he asked, the corners of his lips twitching with suppressed amusement.
She smiled weakly and avoided the knowing look in his eyes by glancing away into the approaching forest.
Soon, they were deep in the mangrove swamp. She took her camera out, rea
dy to snap pictures. She didn’t know when she’d next get the chance to do something like this again. Or if she’d get to do it again with Joshua. As he pointed out the rare birds and even rarer monkeys, she snapped pictures and even snuck in some of him surreptitiously.
The sights and sounds of the swamp took over. Her initial unease fled, replaced by excitement as they got intimate with nature. Seeing Joshua’s enthusiasm and passion for flora and fauna increased her admiration for him. She experienced being with him like she was getting to know him all over again. There was an echo of falling in love; the nervous tension, the racing pulse, the need to hang on every word he said, to get up close and personal with him.
Perhaps the jungle heat frazzled her brain, making every sound, sight, and touch even more primeval. Still, the increasing awareness of the short time they had together drove her almost to desperate need. Would they be able to salvage their marriage in time? The anxious thought plagued her mind.
They stopped for lunch—Fein Beriba and Fein Indi, a snack meal of spicy roasted plantain and fish that had been prepared and packed in Joshua’s rucksack by the Godson Villa cook.
Joshua seemed oblivious to her emotional state. Or perhaps he did know, and it was all a manifestation of his siege tactics. At one point, he leaned across and swiped the tip of his tongue at the corner of her lips. Her pulse jumped while the rest of her became pliant.
Frustration swept through her when he moved back with a teasing smile and continued his meal as if he hadn’t just raised her body temperature to boiling point. The only thing that stopped her from crossing the little distance that separated them and sitting on his lap were the guides eating their lunches not far from them.
Heart thumping, she was ready to throw caution to the wind. Ready to give in, if it meant some alone time with him.
After lunch, they toured some more before heading back downriver toward Brass. As they neared the edge of the forest, the two rangers spoke animatedly in the local Ijaw language before turning Joshua.
“Sir, the activities of that boat seem suspicious. We need to investigate before they get away,” Osaki said.
Christy turned and noticed another boat in the distance, but she couldn’t make out how many occupants were in it.
“I’m going with you. I want to find out who they are, too,” Joshua said.
“Okay, sir. My officer will take your wife back to Brass as this might take a while.”
“Good idea,” Joshua said before turning to Christy. “He’ll make sure you get back home safely.”
A pang of panic rumbled in Christy’s belly. “Joshua, I want to stay with you.”
“Listen. I won’t be long. We just need to make sure there’s nothing wrong going on here. I’ll be back before you know it.” He leaned forward and whispered, “Plus, you need to get yourself ready for me. We have unfinished business I hope to complete tonight.”
With that, he gave her a brief kiss and silenced her protest. A beat pulsed through her core. She squeezed her thighs together but got no relief.
Joshua stood and swapped places with the other officer. He sat down and his gaze remained on Christy as his boat pursued the other boat, disappearing into the thickness of the swamp.
The man at the helm of her boat maintained their course out to sea before turning toward Brass. When they arrived at the dock, the officer escorted her up to Godson Villa before returning to the boat.
Walking through the house without Joshua left her feeling out of sorts. After spending the past few days with him never far from her, a strange restlessness rocked through her body in his absence.
Her anticipation of his return heightened. She showered and changed into a mid-length, short-sleeved green and white Ankara dress. One of her own designs, it had a low neckline and flared out from the waist in a classic fifties style. She loved the feminine fashion from that era, and completed the look with a wide, white belt and kitten-heeled sandals.
As she waited, her anticipation turned to alarm when Joshua didn’t return and the sun made its descent into the sea. Fighting the urge to panic that threatened to make her sick, she asked the servants if anyone had heard from Joshua. When the replies were negative and with no other options available, she requested the chauffeur to drive her to the police station.
The officers there were no more forthcoming. They promised to investigate and keep her informed. In the meantime, they advised her to go back to the house in case Joshua returned or tried to make contact.
At Godson Villa, darkness crept in, surrounding the house with an eerie mood like a shroud. A knot tightened in her stomach, her body chilling with goose bumps though the night air was warm.
Something had happened to Joshua. The sun rose in the day. Both were certainties. Otherwise, why hadn’t he returned?
She told herself to stay calm. She ran up to her room and dug in her handbag, searching for her phone that Joshua had switched off. She hadn’t needed it the past few days. Now she did.
She turned it on, frustration speared through her body when she found no network coverage. Heart pounding, she walked around the house trying to see if the signal would increase, but no luck.
As night deepened, gradually despair crept over her, filling her with self-recriminations.
If Joshua were injured, she was at fault. She was getting what she’d asked for. Hadn’t she wanted him out of her life? Hadn’t she stubbornly insisted she didn’t love or need him, that she only wanted divorce?
She’d told him she hated him. Well, if he were injured or dead, then he’d be out of her life. For good.
“No!” She sobbed as hot emotions filled her, tears rolling down her face.
Yes, she’d said those things. But she didn’t want Joshua dead or injured. Regret prickled her skin; sorrow clouded her mind.
“What have I done?” She crumpled in a heap on her bed. “I want Joshua happy and alive. Please let him come home.”
The curtains flapped in the wind as if in answer. She got off the bed and onto her knees beside the bed. For the first time in years, she prayed, asking for Joshua’s safe return. She bargained, offering to cancel the divorce if he did.
That night, she changed into her nightie, and sat outside on the balcony in a vigil, with a blanket wrapped around her, waiting and hoping.
Chapter Eight
Christy dreamed she was floating, wrapped in warmth, the air filled with the sound of birds, the scent of the jungle, and Joshua.
“Joshua, please come home,” she whispered in a soft prayer and snuggled closer into the hard warmth surrounding her.
“I am, sweetheart,” a deep voice that sounded very much like her husband’s replied.
“Oh, stop teasing me.” She sobbed, tears seeping through her lashes. “I’ve been up all night worrying about you. I know I’ve been difficult lately, but you don’t have to punish me this way.”
“Christy, wake up.”
She jolted, alertness crashing through her sleeping mind as her body hit the firmness of a mattress. She lifted her eyelids. The grey light of early dawn filtering through the curtains announced a new day.
Joshua stood at the edge of the bed, dressed in the clothes he’d worn when they’d gone to the forest reserve. Was she still dreaming?
“Joshua!” She scrambled up from the bed, untangling the blanket still wrapped around her nightie-clad body. Had he carried her in from the balcony?
“Yes, it’s me.”
He curved his lips in a smile that was pure Joshua. A burst like sunlight hit her. Joshua was home. Her prayers had been answered. Pure exhilaration raced through her veins. She wanted to jump on him, touch him, and kiss him just to confirm he was truly standing before her.
Applying restraint, she bit her lip. “What happened?”
She tried to keep the worry from her voice. As much as she was glad to see her husband again, they still had so many unresolved issues. She couldn’t go jumping on him like they were still happily married.
“It t
ook us a while to catch up with the other boat,” he replied. “We suspected they were hunters, but because of our presence, they couldn’t do anything.”
“Oh.” She had imagined the worst; Joshua kidnapped for ransom.
“Osaki wanted to do more patrolling just in case. Since it was already dark, I decided to stay with him and return this morning. I had no means of contacting you.”
Christy glanced out the window. Relief at seeing Joshua again lifted her shoulders. She turned back to face him. His chin was covered in day-old stubble, and she had an urge to rub her palm against it. To feel his roughness against her smoothness.
“Welcome home,” she said instead.
“Thank you.”
Joshua studied her like a hawk, his black eyes keeping her enraptured. Her skin prickled with heat under his ardent observation.
“You know it’s quite dumb sleeping out on the balcony.”
His voice sounded rough and raw. Regretful?
“What else was I supposed to do? I thought you were injured, kidnapped, or killed.”
“I wasn’t, but you could’ve made yourself ill sleeping outside in the cold.”
“Well, I was fine. I had the blanket. I couldn’t sleep in a comfortable bed while thinking you were out there in all sorts of trouble. I just couldn’t.”
“It would have worked out great for you, if something had happened to me.”
“Of course not! How can you say that?”
“Yesterday, you complained about being trapped with me. If I’d never come back, you’d be free. You wouldn’t have to worry about divorce.”
“I know what I said.” Horror and shame roughened her words. “But it doesn’t mean I want you dead.”
“So you care about me, then?” he asked gently.
“You’re a human being. Of course I care.” Wanting him back safe and healthy was one thing, but she couldn’t start confessing feelings and giving him the upper hand.
“But you hated me a few days ago.” Joshua took a step in her direction.
“I didn’t mean it. I was just angry with you.”