Solitude – Episode 16

 

 

SOLITUDE

 

_16_

 

“I hope your happiness does not depend on a man, be your own happy. Create your own happiness.”

 

AUGUST

 

The day has gone just perfectly, after attending to Thelma I talked to some judges that I know concerning the case and they have assured me that it is a walk over except we have to put into consideration the child’s mental state. In as much as we want to win, the child still needs that connection with her mother and I am pretty sure Thelma is not the kind of woman to put up such a messed-up fight.

 

For a Monday this day has sure been more colorful than blue, I am sitted in Nella’s office packing up the last of my belongings that I had left earlier. She doesn’t look like she is going anywhere and so I am curious.

 

‘You are still working?’ I ask

 

‘No.’ she responds looking at her phone for the umpteenth time

 

‘Been stood up?’

 

She smiles, the smile doesn’t reach her eyes

 

‘Is it that obvious?’

 

‘You have been looking at your phone for the past hour.’

 

‘I guess I better go home.’ She says getting up

 

‘Let me take you out for dinner.’ I say, the words escape my mouth faster than I intend them to

 

She looks at me searchingly

 

‘Why would you want to take me out for dinner?’

 

‘Well, I don’t know. So that your night doesn’t go to waste?’ I say with a shrug

 

She smiles

 

‘I would love to August.’

 

‘But you are forbidden grounds.’ She adds

 

I know she is telling the truth but I am curios to know her, the past months we have been working together I have noticed things about her that the common eye can not see. Nella is focused, not the kind of focus that makes her stuck up; but that kind of sexy boss lady focus. She works diligently with the will to learn; her curiosity makes it easy to teach her because she is always asking where she doesn’t understand. Perfecting everything she is taught so that you don’t have to go through it all over again.

 

She has her eyes on the ball but also very friendly, I have noticed how people in the office have moved from hating her to loving her. They have tried to scratch her skin with crawls but it’s like its so thick they haven’t been able to penetrate, if anything she has changed them – into becoming better people.

 

 

On top of that, she is beautiful, maybe one of the few genuinely beautiful women I have come across. I am not saying there is anything wrong with makeup, I mean she is a professional make up artist but even when she wears it; her skin still shows her real beauty. Her skin is flawless it makes me want to touch it, feel it.

 

‘Hello.’ She says waving a hand on my face

 

I smile

 

‘I am sorry, I just thought since you have been stood up it would be a good idea to take you out.’

 

‘Go home and love your woman August.’ She says carrying her things

 

‘I will do just that.’

 

‘Good.’ She says

 

‘Good night Ms. Mphanda.’

 

‘Good night Mr. Cochrane.’

 

I watch as she walks in the doorway until she disappears into the elevator. I carry my things and leave as well, she might have a point. I don’t think Chanda would be happy knowing that I am getting personal with the woman she hates the most.

 

I get home after 7PM, Chanda must be home because the lights are on. She has moved back into her apartment, according to her she wants space to be able to work on her own but I know its only because she is trying to punish me for accepting to work with Nella.

 

‘Hey baby.’ I say

 

She rolls her eyes

 

I am honestly getting tired of this attitude.

 

‘What now?’ I ask putting my case down

 

‘So how was work with your new friend?’

 

‘Work was fine thank you, how was work?’ I ask kissing her wine-soaked lips

 

She walks away, she is in my t shirt, the black one that reveals her bottom. Another day I would have loved to hold her by the bottom and pin her against the wall, exploring her lips and everything I know belongs to me but not today.

 

She comes back with the bottle of wine, I figured she has had too much to drink because it is almost empty.

 

‘Babe today is a Monday.’

 

‘And the stomach only opens on Tuesday?’

 

I ignore the sarcasm; I am too tired for this. So, I walk to the bedroom upstairs but I can feel her following me.

 

‘Now you are going to start walking away from me huh? Is this what it has come to?’ she asks

 

‘Chanda you have had too much to drink.’ I say removing my tie

 

‘Chanda? Really August today you call me Chanda?’

 

I sigh.

 

I remove my shirt, followed by my trousers.

 

‘I am talking to you damnit!’ she yells

 

I remove the rest of my clothes and hit the shower

 

‘The water will be warm in case you want to join me.’ I say on top of my voice

 

 

‘Now you are walking away from me?’ she furiously asks following me into the bathroom

 

‘What the hell do you want to hear huh?’ I ask

 

‘Just tell me that I am no longer good enough for you .’

 

I look at her with disbelief, the blood instantly draining from my face

 

‘Woman I have been with you for the longest time what in God’s name makes you think that I would just walk away from you?’

 

‘I see how you talk to her; I see how you work with her. I see all that August and I am scared.’ She says now in tears as the water hits her, making the clothes wet

 

‘Are you even hearing yourself?’ I ask turning off the water

 

I grab the bath towel and wrap it around my waist

 

She follows me as I walk out of the bathroom

 

‘I just want us to go back to how we used to be August, I don’t want to fight anymore.’

 

‘I am not fighting with you; I am not fighting you. I don’t know what is wrong with you but you have got to sort your issues out!’

 

‘Don’t yell at me!’

 

‘I am not yelling!’

 

‘Of course, you are!’ She says now in tears

 

We are both quiet, I watch as she helplessly cries until she begins to sober up.

 

‘You like her don’t you.’ She says finally

 

‘What.’

 

She smiles through the tears that have started to fall again

 

‘You like her August, I know you better than anyone does.’

 

‘Babe.’

 

‘Don’t you dare babe me August.’ She says sniffing

 

She moves to the closet and picks one of her pajamas.

 

‘I will be down stairs.’ I say with a heavy sigh

 

‘August I am doing life with you, I have come a long way with you. We have been through so much together. I have lost everything else but not you, whatever you do just remember that I am not going down without a fight.’

 

I look at her wordlessly

 

‘Either me or no one else.’

 

‘Are you threatening me?’

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‘Take it however you like, but I have said my peace. When you are done fantasizing about her, you will find me in bed.’ She says getting under the covers

 

For a minute I almost don’t recognize her, this is not the woman I fell in love with. This is an amount of crazy that I can’t put up with. I just can’t. Chanda has lost herself and I am not sure I am willing to walk this road with her. If this is what for better for worse is, I don’t know how married people do it. Because I cant