C5 Just one more fag

"I'm pregnant so—" Jeff jumped off her lap and stood next to her legs that hung over the side of the bed. "So, you might have a little brother or sister soon."

"Might? But why are you having a baby with him, if you're sick? Look what happened when you tried to tell him you weren't feeling well yesterday!"

Michael's questions hung in the air like a ghost everyone refused to acknowledge. The tension in the room was palpable.

"She loves him. Besides, maybe it'll be a girl and he'll like her and spend more time with us. Right, Dad?" Jeff looked up at his father hopefully while Michael scowled at his father.

"Boys-!" Eve's voice was sharp and warned that they were treading on dangerous ground; both boys looked at the floor ashamed.

"I love you all. I just get busy at work sometimes. I need to work so that your fees are paid and-" Troy breezily began his rehearsed explanation.

"If we went to a less expensive school, would you get home in time for dinner? I wouldn't mind going to a cheaper school. Right, Jeff?" Tears welled in Michael's eyes. Jeff nodded solemnly while rubbing his mother's tummy.

Astounded, Troy attempted to assimilate when he'd become the enemy of his boys. Michael was angry and he didn't know why. To his horror, Evelyn was wiping tears from her eyes.

"Mummy, please don't cry. You know when you cry Jeff starts to cry too then you tell people you have allergies," Michael wiped the tears from her face.

For the second time within minutes, Troy felt as if a rug had been pulled from beneath him. Taking a deep breath and acting much calmer than he felt he walked around the bed.

He gently lifted his wife into his arms and held her as he kissed her face and neck. His heart pounding in his chest was the only indication of the panic he felt as he sat on the bed stroking her back.

His mother-in-law walked in and told him there were visitors from church outside. Troy shook his head and asked her to ask them to wait a bit longer.

Lifting the sheets away from the bed he gently placed his wife in the centre of the bed and instructed his youngest son to take off his school blazer and shoes and jump into the bed with his mother. Patting her shoulder blade length hair into place he tucked them both into the single bed.

He then got his eldest son to put the bags they'd bought in the cupboard on the right side of the bed and under the bed.

Pulling the handkerchief, which she always insisted on him keeping in the inside pocket of his jacket out, he wiped her last tears and told her to blow her nose while he held the handkerchief.

Touching his forefinger to his tongue a few times he wiped away the tears that were at the corners of her eyes.

"Michael, if anyone says anything to upset her you have my full permission to escort them out. Got it?" Troy's tone was firm; it was obvious he didn't expect anything other than full obedience.

His son smiled at the final expression his father had used because it was his mother's.

"Got it, Jeff, you keep her warm and calm, okay?"

"Okay, Mike," Jeff smiled and kissed his mother. "I love you."

Evelyn smiled, "I love you too, Peanut. Thank you."

Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain of his emotions Troy checked the room over, looked at his wife's and sons and kissed his wife on the forehead, and told her that he was stepping out to make a phone call.

The disappointment on her face was like a slap in the face, unpleasant, yet expected. The accusing looks on his children's faces were also hard to take.

Regret flashed across his face as he ran a hand over his recently shaved head. Turning his back to them he opened the door and greeted the visitors from church and excused himself for the moment.

Pausing at the nurse's station before taking the stairs down and out of the building, Troy felt the tension lift slightly off his shoulders as the sun his face.

He noticed the flowers and cultured hedges and the wooden benches that bordered the car park and sat at the one furthest from the main entrance while affording him a view of who was entering and leaving the building.

He watched as her friends and their husbands rushed into the building. They were their friends actually and he knew the ladies would ask where he was. Minutes later he saw all the husbands walk out and head in his direction.

Grinning as he approached Troy, Devin shouted, "Man, even when she's sick she knows exactly where you are. Are you sure she doesn't have a tracking device put in the suits she buys you?"

Devin clapped Troy's back as they exchanged an extended handshake.

They were all more or less the same height and varying shades of dark brown. Egged on by peer pressure ¾ of the 8 men were muscular and well-toned.

The other two were stocky and fit and just barely so. All of them were strikingly good-looking in unconventional ways.

Devin had beautiful, long eyelashes and a smile that would be worthy of a toothpaste advertisement. His strong, square jaw and fine cheekbones created a look that was more than pleasant to look at.

As he released his friend's hand to greet the others Troy's mind flashed back to the first page of his wife's diary.

A cold sweat formed on his brow as he wondered if his wife would consider any of these men for the affairs she'd alluded to. Was she fed up to the point of cheating on him as a diversion or a reason to end their marriage?

Would any of these men tell him if they found themselves seducing or being seduced by his wife? Troy lit another cigarette and noted that visiting hour would be over within the half-hour.

"Slow down on those, TT," Charles, his wife's younger sister's husband said pointing to Troy's cigarette.

"Hey, if my hot wife was on the verge of death, I'd be crapping my pants too. I'm surprised she isn't in a coma with all that blood she lost. Ko, chi-i chakazoita nezuro (what happened yesterday)?" Tom, his wife's best friend's husband asked with a chuckle.

Troy narrated the previous day's events.

Charles laughed, "Ask for forgiveness man. Those women don't forget. Apa (as it is), you have a history of just disappointing her and now you almost killed her. Watondiisa patight (you've put me in a tight spot) for the next few weeks. The Chibwe women will be watching us both like hawks."

At Charles' comment, the other men looked at Troy. Tom was the first to ask what other disappointments Charles was talking about. Charles was quick to list the ones he knew of which were all prior to Troy marrying Eve.

Charles seemed surprised and pleased to be the only bearer of the truth but sheepishly mentioned that he couldn't expose his older brother-in-law so brutally in his time of need just as, Cassandra, his wife came towards the men.

Troy's phone rang as the other wives filed out of the hospital front door and he shook everyone's hand before turning and walking further away from the group.

Several minutes later as the sun was setting Troy turned his phone off as, yet another call came through. Time to face the music,’ he thought as he headed towards the hospital doors.