FIRST ENCOUNTER

The night was calm as I hear the chirping birds forming a melodious chorus with their sound, I was in the kitchen fixing up dinner for hubby and me as newlyweds. The joy on my face can never be overemphasis, he stole my breath away by accepting to settle down with me, I never knew marriage could be this joyous and romantic, I must say.

I walked into the living room and down to the dining, and as I arranged the cutleries and plates at their appropriate places without a mistake of such, my parents thought to me that, in fact, they made me attend etiquette classes just for that singular act. The dining was set, and the disk-like cooked yam and egg sauce with a touch of veggies as instructed by hubby was prepared

"My love, your food is ready, let's eat"

I said with a desirable smile that glows.

" Ok Dear, am coming," he said with a smile round about his cheekbone.

He got off the living room and walked towards the dining while I went into the kitchen to get some bottled water and two glass cups to refresh the food as we both shall eat. He stretches out the dining sit for me to seat while he hurriedly opened the plate of yam and the sauce to dish out, I quickly got up to sway him off knowing that it was my duty as a wife but he relented with a smile and said.

"Don't worry, let me serve you my queen" I felt a crimson blush on my face just for that statement, I smiled and relaxed for the meal.

After he dished for the both of us, he sat down and we both shared the grace as we ate, I was excited that I had to take a sip of the glass of water before the meal proper, in the course of that, I felt a forceful slap on my cheekbone that the glass cup and water poured all over the table and rolled down to the floor, the glass cup broke but he never cared about it knowing the shock, I placed my both palms on my right cheek trying to quench the pains if possible and gazed at him simmered with anger.

"What sort of meal is this? Sylvia? how can you pack up the whole sack of salt into the egg sauce and then broke my glass cup as well?" his body was locked up with rage.

"What!?" That was all I could voice out at his presence, I tried tasting the food but the shock in me made me not feel the taste of it, feeling sobered but stuttering in my breath.

"Is it that bad"? I later summoned the courage to speak.

"Are you kidding me?" he said striking a fist to venture on my face but I quickly got up and ran to the kitchen in a hast, I kept on pondering what could be his reason for the slap and then a fist. how possible?

"Come out of there oo, you think this is your father's house where you cook salty meals now and then, I am trying to control my blood level and here you are punching it the more for me" Richard flared out with those words, but I never bulged, I knelt on the floor after locking myself up in the kitchen room, feeling myself over the mistake of the day, but that shouldn't make him flare up I whispered to myself, touching my cheek slowly with my left palm in a bit to suppress the pain.

It's only been six months through our marriage and a slap and then a fist?

Richard has never flared up like this, he doesn't strike me like the abusive person I knew back then in school, he was never troublesome nor stubborn in things or people around him, knowing his family background as a pastors son and proprietress as a mother, so the feeling of hitting a woman never struck my memory.

He was kind of a nerd in school, brilliant, calm, and a churchgoer, or so I thought. One wouldn't have thought otherwise but surprise can beat even the strongest.

I thought about how to apologize to him for my mistakes and promise never to do such again, I got up from the ground after some hours trying to peep through the kitchen door to check if he was still in the living room, I gasp out when I discovered he has left, with a bit of a relieve I decided to prepare another meal as a token of my remorse towards my actions.

After much preparations, this time I was careful enough to taste the sauce over and over again to ensure that there was no mishap in it, after much ado, I took the meal to the bedroom, creeping slowly towards the bedroom and then I cling on the door to feel if he was inside, I felt a bit of footstep juggling about, I lowered my tray stocked with the egg sauce and boiled disk like a yam with a mango juice to go with it for my pleadings.

"My love, please am sorry, I won't do it again, don't be mad at me" I wept out loud, feeling so sobered at my doings after a while I knelt down close to the dish and tried to encourage him to eat my second meal as prepared.

I felt a still quietness around the room, no panting, no juggling around, I felt the need of knocking again but I relented at it and decided to push the door open.

He was sitting down on the corporate chair, placing his hands on the desktop table, that act of his shows to me that he wanted to take a bit of what I prepared, so I quickly rushed in and place the food on the table while I ran downstairs to get a glass cup.

The night ended with a smile and an embrace of joy, I felt elated that he forgave me.