“Get in the car now!” Jake yelled at Isabel pointing at the car parked a few meters away.
“But my love….” Isa almost spoke but Jake pushed her shoulder.
“I said get to the car Isabel and stop talking” he frowned furious. Isa looked at his angry face and back at the woman before her who looked as shocked at Jake`s behavior. Slowly she walked away leaving the two standing still.
“Jake, I knew it, I would never have missed recognizing some hilarious behavior at all, you have always been cracked. But what I don’t understand is why your wife called you Mike.” Esther shook her head.
“Because am Mike woman and don’t you ever come close to my family again” Jake scolded her.
“Listen Esther I appreciate you helped my mother raise us but we are grownups now, we don’t need you so stay away from us. “He added looking at the car where Isabel was watching from the window.
“Tell me Jake, how did you get out of prison? Uh no, the big question is, where is your brother if you are out here?” She smiled a knowing smile making Jake almost shake with rage.
“Mmm you seem to know us better uh? Well I got news for you. Am Mike and will always be, Jake is in Prison and you can rest easy” he faked a smile.
“Well, I don’t understand why you are pretending to be your brother but you cannot fool me Jake, of all people in the world am the one who know you both better physically and behavior wise. I might be old and wrinkled but am no fool” Esther raised her face on him and walked away.
“Oh by the way, that mark on your back and the cut in the corner of your ear. Would never fade, you are marked and I for one can never forget the cut I washed and nursed myself for weeks. I remember a small stubborn boy playing with bottles and broke one cutting himself right near the left ear” she smiled and walked on
“Damnmit old hag!” he kicked the ground and composed himself walking to the vehicle. He knew he had to come up with a better idea to convince Isabel before she could start putting the pieces together.
Isabel held her hair twisting it round as Jake sunk in his seat. She shook her head seeing how mad her husband seemed after talking to an ordinary woman. She deliberately kept silent to allow him time to settle and give her an explanation.
“um that was some woman from years back, forget about her she is not important” he started, looking at Isabel.
“I told you forget about her Isa, she’s no one important “ he frowned.
“No I won’t forget her Mike, before we leave this place I want the truth. What was that about being a nanny to some twins? What did she mean? “Isa insisted.
“ okay listen to me Isabel, that woman is my auntie, she stayed with us for a while when I was still a kid and she helped raise me and my cousin, her son, she called us twins because we were born on the same day. The reason I don’t want to have anything to do with her is because she and my mother had a big fight before my mother died and somehow I blame her for her death” Jake lied looking at Isabel to convince her.
“I don’t understand, but….” She almost spoke.
“But nothing Isabel, I don’t want to talk about her, full stop, can we talk about something else now?” he frowned handing her the ice-cream pack he got for her.
They drove back home in silence, Isabel kept thinking about the woman, she wanted to ask her million questions unanswered but Jake gave her no chance at all. She shook her head trying to figure his behavior out and whatever he said wasn’t making any sense. Her mind went back to reflect on one of the days she and Mike had gone out on their third date. She had looked at him and smiled.
“what is it Isabel?” Mike asked her.
“I want to know who Mike Chibende is. We have talked about so many things but I just realized you don’t say much about your family, do you have siblings? Brothers or sisters” she shrugged sipping on her drink.
“Well, my mother died years ago, my father died too a couple of years ago. I was partly raised by mom and spent most of my adolescence age with my father. He had other kids with my step mother, but she has always created a gap between us so we are not really in touch especially after dad passed on. What else, um .. I have no many close relatives, the only person close to a relative I know of is the woman who used to take care of me as a child, she was a great woman but she travelled to South Africa where her daughter took her. I last saw her when I was about 24 and since then I have not set my eyes on her” he smiled shrugging.
“ so that’s my family life. Am much of a loner now and the rest is not to be talked about. You know there are people and things that are better off left unsaid” Mike had told her.
“well, you are right, some family secrets are better off buried. “ she smiled at him.
Now she was wondering if what her husband has told her about the old woman was related to the story he had told her. Though it made no much sense. She decided to brush if off.
“Hey sister, welcome back home” Jane, her sister walked towards the car as Isabel stepped down holding her long dress.
“Thanks Jane, what time did you come?” she asked as the two walked inside.
“I thought of seeing you sis, it’s been a while. Mom sends her greetings and she insists she comes over to wait for the baby.” Jake giggled.
“ I know, but like I told you earlier, Mike said we have to wait till the baby is here before my mother could come. You know how he is these days it’s almost impossible to convince him otherwise, so we will wait till then” Isabel sighed as she sat in the couch.
“ mmmm this your husband sometimes gives me bad vibes, he acts kind of weird and I don’t know how you cope with him” Jane made a face.
“ uhhh mmmmhmh no Jane do not talk ill of my husband now, he’s been under a lot of stress lately and I am sure he will be himself soon” she faked a smile.
“ mm Stress indeed, you know I have never liked the choice of the man you married but he used to be better than what he has become, from a boring workaholic, now is an outgoing talkative and insensitive man. Eish I have no idea how you manage it here sister” Jane added.
Mwanida who was listening in seeing the girls talking, cleared her throat.
“ excuse me madam, the boss said I give you this, he just drove out that he will come back later” she handed her a pack of ice cream she had left in the car with Jake.
“But why didn’t he come inside to tell me that himself? Besides he has not even said hi to my sister” she shook her head.
“I don’t know madam” Mwanida smiled her usual stupid smile.
“Boohoo! I said it” Jane frowned leaning back in the couch and grabbing the pack of ice-cream from the maid`s hands.
“Mwanida get me some spoons I dig in this yummy ice cream “she smiled
Mwanida walked back to the kitchen furious, she hated the sister to Isabel who always acted bossy, she was glad Jake pushed her out of the house. Getting the spoons, she went back and handed it to her and slowly withdrew back to continue doing the laundry.
Isabel narrated the story of the mall scene to her sister who told her something fishy was going on with Mike.
“You have to woke up sister and open your eyes, I don’t want you to regret this marriage of yours. Find out what is going on with your husband and do it fast” she added warning her.
“ yeah you are right, something isn’t right I feel it in my bones, I love Mike no doubt but the kind of man he is becoming is giving me some creep[y feelings. I will have to find that woman again and this time I will do it alone. First I have to give birth because am in no condition to play detective with this heavy bump” she explained.
Twins continues…
