He could not tell when he got home, but he must have as he he remembered waking up in the middle of the night to pee. His wife slept peacefully beside him. There was no point telling her that just thinking of her had caused him to faint in the office. He shrugged and still sleepy he went back to bed and tried to pull the cover let over him. When he heard the deep sarcastic laughter, he sat up in sheer terror.
There was no one in the room yet he was prepared to swear that a male voice had just laughed in the room. He rubbed his eyes and snapped on the bedside lamp. The room was peaceful, his wife Kike seemed to sleeping peacefully curled up facing him in her sleep.. He stared at the face and wondered why he was so frightened of her. She is just as frightened as I am But he still turned away and resolutely closed his eyes. Maybe I really should think of going to church more often he concluded.
Seemed to have quietened down for a few days and Bode felt peace return to his heart. He even took Kike out on a lunch date about a week later and Arike walked up to their table. Bode was pleased to see her and happily introduced Kike to Arike. Kike invited her to join their table and all three shared lunch making jokes and generally had a good time.
Two days later, Arike paid a surprise call at his office and they chatted.
“You look radiant” Bode observed as he gave Arike a smiling once over.They had always being friends and colleagues. Arike was promoted to be the business manger of their bank and had been transferred to Kaduna when the bank merged with another bank. Kike used to tease that Arike was a better financial expert than him and he would laugh and shrug. Arike got married six months after he did to Kole his best friend who worked for Fortune Oil and gas.
“How is my best friend”, Bode asked now
“Fine I think”
“Don’t you know”?
“I left him in Port Harcourt two weeks ago. remember?”
“Yikes, he is back in that hell hole of kidnappers”?
“It is the oil city and money literally flows on the streets”, Arike laughed
“No wonder you look so wonderful, you have been spending my friend’s money”
Arike laughed and pulled her chair close, “I have a question for you”
“Yeah?”
“What is wrong with Kike”?
Bode stared and clenched his hands under the table, but his expression was still genial
“Wrong? How?”
“Something is wrong and I can sense it”.
Bode looked out the window to gain time for his emotions to stay under control then looked at Arike shaking his head, “I really have no idea what you are talking about. What do you mean”?
Arike gave him a long look and sighed, “well something doesn’t seem right but I can’t put a finger on it either. I just feel something”.
Bode smiled and pretended to be very amused, “You women are always searching for things that does not exist except in your pretty heads”.
Arike laughed. “I know one thing that exist anyway. Kole and I are expecting a baby”.
“Wow!! Congratulations! When?”
“Hey whoa hold your horses, haven’t told your friend yet, just coming from the doctor for the confirmation. Think you can come over to dinner tomorrow night. I am telling him tonight. As my best friend wanted to let you know besides I can’t keep such news to myself. You are going to be godfather by the way”.
Bode laughed and opened his drawer, then closed it again, “You are not going to be drinking alcohol now are you?”
Arike protested laughing, “Bode!, the pregnancy is only six weeks old. I don’t feel any symptoms nor anything. A glass of wine would be harmless”.
They shared a glass and chatted over clients, office and Arike left.
Bode drove home in that happy exhilarated mood,instinctively gave his wife a hug and a kiss.
Kike gave him a look ,sniffed and wrinkled her brows.
“I can smell pregnancy around, have you been talking with a pregnant client Bode? The smell of the foetus is strong on you”.
They both stared at each other in mutual horror as Bode slowly collapsed in a chair shivering with dread.