Make it Work

Make it Work

I lay back and close my eyes while holding the tablet close to my chest. Before I know it, I dosed off for most of the journey. Woke up when we were getting closer to home and started listening to their conversation.

“…… he has always been that person that was there for me more than anyone else in this world, Vimbai sighs heavily, But I have not been the best of wives and even the best or supportive as a person in his life.” she points out to Tanya.

“Do not worry, where there is will, there is always a way, so do not stress over anything. It will be okay, she encourages her, I will be here to support you both through everything.”

“Now we are here, you should prepare to wake up your husband!” she suggests

“I do not think that would be a good idea, for me to wake him up.” she replies.

“Why?”

“There is no need for that, I am already awake!” I interject into their conversation.

Wake up to sit straight and continue, “I will be the one to open the gates!”

“Well that is obvious, you are the man! But there is no need for that because I will not be staying here for that long.” Tanya replies

“Why not?” I ask her.

“I have to do a lot of things and not all of us are established like you boy!” she replies.

She continues, “Besides, you have your wife here to look after you.”

Now what can I do to make her stay and not leave because at the moment I am not yet comfortable to be left alone with Vimbai. And I wonder why she is still not saying much after all this time she has said a handful of words in my presence.

“Okay, we are here now you two, I will be back to check up on you but might be a while.” Tanyaradzwa states while parking in front of the gate.

“Thank you!” Vimbai shows her gratitude towards her for driving us home.

Tanyaradzwa lay her hand on Vimbai’s shoulder smiles and replies, “Do not sweat it, sister in law! And remember what me and Tendai told you back there.”

Vimbai goes face down demurs, “Ohh, okay, I will.”

She leaves the car and head inside, leaving me and Tanyaradzwa inside the car.

“You should go and check on her, seems like she is not doing well at all.” She demurs and continues, “Whatever is going on regardless of everything, you should take care of her. Treat her well……

“But……!”

“No buts! Come on Michael, you are better than this! I do not even get why you are doing this!” she shouts.

“I hear you Tanyaradzwa! I will try my best.”

Leave the car and head inside without even turning back to look at my sister leave. Why is she trying to make things harder for me? There she is in the kitchen and it looks like she is already making something to eat. I pass by her without even saying a thing and heard to the guest room and lay down for a while as I sleep.

Thirty – Minutes later

A knock comes from the door, I slightly lift my head up to look and there she is standing staring at me.

“The food is ready.”

I slowly wake up and walk up to her smile and say, “Great! Because I am pretty much hungry and have not had anything to eat in a long-time, let us go and eat now.”

I take her hand and walk with her to the kitchen.

“Wow! Butternut squash and white bean soup, let me quickly take a seat and dig in.” shout with excitement as I sit on the table to eat.

Vimbai just standing there watching me as I eat the food she has cooked for the first time in my life and it is not bad at all, actually it is pretty much good. I smile as I savour the food in my mouth every time I put it in my mouth.

“Are you not going to eat too? Your food is getting cold!” I get up from where I am seated and take her by the waist, dragged a chair and helped her settle.

Silence hits the table as both of us concentrate on what is inside of our plates. At this moment I am enjoying a meal with my wife without even thinking about everything that has occurred. I really wish things were different with us not withholding happiness because of what has occurred in our lives.

“Would you like anything else?” she enquires after seeing that I have finished eating everything in my plate.

“No, thank you! I am full now. All I need right now is a bit of rest.” I remain seated, watch her as she eats.

“So, how has everything been during my slumber?”

“Hard, but I think I managed everything well.” She looks at me and continues, “I tried to make sure everything is up to date, everything was tough to handle but I managed.”

“Good and my things are where they have always been?” rise from the chair, “I mean my work things? I presume they are where they always are?”

“No, I actually remodelled your office a bit and made some little improvements and there are in labelled drawers to make it easier for you to find them.”

“Thank you, I will be heading there now to start working.”

I look at her for a few seconds as she eats and turn to look in the direction I am about to go.

“Do you need anything before I go?” I ask.

“No, I will just go and rest for a little while I am feeling a little bit tired.” She gets up from the chair and set the dirty plates into the dish washer.

Best I get to the office and do my work before I change my mind now. I leave the kitchen and heard to my office and upon getting there I immediately begin working on a new project.

Nigh – forty minutes later, there she is standing at the door staring at me. This just feels weird because at this moment I can feel myself becoming slowly uneasy but I hold my own suppressing the anxiety of being looked at and continuing my work as before. But she is showing no sign of even wanting to move from the door.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” I close my laptop and put it to the side.

She walks into the room and replies, “No, I could not sleep and I was bored where I was, so I just thought maybe just coming and see my husband work will bring out a much better feeling out of me!”

“I suppose that would be true but as you can see I am busy and I need the whole space to myself, I will attend to you after I have finished what I am doing.” Re open my laptop and continue with my work.

But she is not moving yet, rather just keeps on staring at me as I work and I bet I cannot force her out of the room. All I can do is let her be and besides if I do anything bad to her my sister would kill me. Best I stop doing what I am doing so I can attend to her and then continue later but really after a small period of time working is a bummer. Close the laptop again, put away the rest of the equipment and walk to her and wheezed.

“So what plans did you have for you and me?” put my hands on her chin and look at her in her soulful eyes and I smile.

“But first, we need something to enjoy as we have the you me time, I recommend some ………. Uhhh, did you by any chance get fruits?”

She giggles and answers, “Yes, I did we have umm; apples, grapes, oranges; hmmm bananas too……..!

“Stop right there! Bananas, oranges and grapes will do it, Ohh berries for you and grapes for me since you are with child.” Interjected and suggest as I grabbed her hand to go to the kitchen.

“But that’s not fair! What if I am craving grapes too?”

“Not a chance!”

Grab a lot of fruits from the kitchen and head outside to relax on the lawn.

“So, can you update me on how life has been while I was in a comma?” I pick a grape from the basket and throw it in my mouth.

She is about to open her mouth to answer, my phone rings. Take it out of my pocket to see who is calling and there he is the one I thought was my friend calling. I decline and return my attention to Vimbai.

“You can proceed now!” throw the phone a distant away to listen to my wife speak.

“There is nothing much to tell really, I was always busy waiting for you to wake up.” She picks a banana and begins peeling it off.

Should I bring up the fact that I saw her with Mr Steve? No, she is pregnant and stressing a pregnant woman is not ideal she might lose her child.

“So, what were you working on in your office?” she comes closer to me as she takes a bite of the banana.

“A new project I would like to do, something personal!”

“Ohh, I am sure as your wife personal can also be shared with me!? Vimbai closes the gap between us.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing!” shyly while she withdraws her eyes from looking at me.

I remain emotionally aloof but do not push her away rather I reminisce of the times we had before that were great. She looks beautiful.

“Come here!” hold her in my arms and damn her skin feels as soft as ever.

“Hmmmm, this feels nice, brings back memories.” Rub on her shoulder gently.

“You mean like that time you made me do all that crazy stuff?” stares into my eyes and lays her hand on my chest.

“I do not recall crazy, but I do recall fun. But the memories I mean are not those kinds of memories.”

There is a moment of silence with her in my arms, for the first time in a while I have a clear head, from before the accident to after the accident. And there she is still reaching for the fruits in the basket. She seems to be at peace, why would I spoil this perfect moment with her, all I ever wanted.

“Are you going to finish those grapes?” she stretches her hand over to take them.

Immediately I grab her hand, “The grapes are not good for pregnancy, you can eat the apples and the berries there since you finished the bananas already.”

“How the hell would you know about what pregnancy needs?” stops eating and directs all her attention to me.

“Easy, I studied ever since. I have put more work into knowing how to take care of my family and …….”

“I cannot remember how many times you told me about that!” she laughs closing her mouth with her hand.

“I do not get what is funny!”

“Nothing.” she takes an apple and took a huge bite out of it to shut herself up.

I draw her forehead closer to my lips, gentle place my lips on her forehead, hold her tighter.

“HMMMM, we are going to be fine right?” she sets herself comfortably on my chest.

“I hope so.” Rub my hand on her hair, “I like the new hairdo.” I breathe audibly.

I continue, “It is getting late, let us get inside now and prepare dinner.”

We both get up from the law, I pick up the basket, hold her and we walk into the house. I leave her in the living room, sleeping on the couch and tell her to wait for me as I cook the food. A few hours later I return to find her asleep on the couch and there and then I return to the kitchen to preserve the food and heard straight for the bedroom upstairs grab two blankets and head to the living room and sleep by her side.