Caroline W. Nderitu

"Honey, I'm home!" Shouted Dave as he pushed the shopping bags through the door. "Dave, you practically live here; you are here during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every other time apart from at night," Michelle said, coming from the bathroom. "Well, home is where your heart is?" He said, making his usual dance walk towards Michelle. "Remember what our counsellor says; we should do things that we mutually agree on," she said. "Tell me on my face that you don't like me here. Why are you taking a shower this early? Is it not because you know I will get in anytime, and we would make love, like every other day, Darling? For three months now, your cookie has been my breakfast," He said, tickling, kissing, and caressing her, making her towel fall on the floor. "The counsellor said we could move in together if we felt comfortable enough and if we could make love without feelings of resentment. We have been making love for the las...

Dan watched as Michelle drove out of the compound and thought she would come back with the sour flour for the porridge she was craving, or she would buy an already cooked porridge. He imagined her coming with the doctor to treat his disorder, bringing her children to play in the compound, or not returning. He was right; the night came, he was still at the window, looking outside for the Range, but Michelle didn't show up. He hoped Michelle would return with a taxi if the Range had developed some technical problems; she did not show up. He sat by the window the entire day, the whole night, lights off, back aching as he froze in the cold. He was not going to cry; he was a man. He would no longer beg Michelle; she would come to him of her free will, just like she did on his twenty-fifth birthday. Days passed, and Dan locked himself in the house; he did not go to the garage. He rarely ate or exercised. He was sad and empty. He wanted Michelle to make his big house a home. Michelle, not...

"We are starting this meeting at the request of our daughter, Michelle Kagiri, and our son, Dave Oluoch. You two have decided to reach out to us for guidance and counselling during this time your marriage is going through a bumpy ride," said the pastor. "With all due respect, Pastor, this request was from one party, Michelle. She is the one that invited you without my knowledge," Dave interrupted. "My apologies, my son, but when your wife reaches out to us and tells us that she needs to be returned to her house because you chased her away, like her spiritual parents, it's our duty to take care of her need," the pastor clarified. "What has she told you about me? I feel like I have been ambushed and haven't been given a fair platform to tell my side too," Dave said. "We are about to hear, she just called us, and we've met with her at the mall. This is a discussion we want to have together," the pastor said. "Can I have a ...

Stacy drove to her house first because she knew it would take time before Dave sobered up. She wanted to have a word with him as soon as possible. She was planning to go back to his house that same day. She had a class in the afternoon, but she called in sick. She did not want to do anything until she found a solution to Michelle's issue. She sat in her house and waited. Michelle hugged Dan and gave him a light kiss immediately after Stacy left. She watched as the door slid shut behind her. Dan had the keys and the remote in his hand. After closing the door, he put them back in his pocket. "I crave sour porridge," Michelle said to start a conversation. "What was that? Is what you told your friend true?" He asked. "I said many things. Which part are you interested in?" She questioned. "Everything, you loving me, for instance," He said. "I do love you, Dan, but I was waiting for the perfect time that I would not be confused by your prowess...

"Hi, my name is Stacy. I am looking for the owner of this place. Could you let him know I am here?" Stacy asked the man who approached her car immediately after she parked. "Do you need a service?" The guy asked. "No. I need Dan," she responded. "Do you have a complaint?" He asked. "I need Dan, Mr. Man," she responded. "Who are you again?" He asked. "Stacy. A cousin of Dan. Something happened at home and needs his attention urgently. So, please, if you may." She said. "Dan hasn't been here recently. Check him at his house," the guy suggested. "That's the problem. I don't know where he lives. I'm not from the city," she said. "In that case, I can't show you where he lives. Maybe contact his family, your family, who might know where he lives. I am sorry," he said and left. Stacy stayed in the car, thinking of how she would trace him. Then, after a few minutes, she drove...

"Hey Steve, are you busy tonight?" Dave asked, pacing around in the living room with the phone on the loudspeaker. "What, you wanna invite me to a date?" Steve joked. "Come by my house after work, there are ribs that I want to roast, and I can't finish them," he said, forcing a laugh to acknowledge Steve's joke. Dave went to the meat market and bought 5 Kg of goat ribs, wine, in case the Doc needed some, and other foods. He drove to the supermarket and purchased a small charcoal grill because they did not own one. He wanted to engage in something fun with Doc, and watching football was out of the question. He put two wooden seats on the balcony and set his grill right by the end of the terrace. He got some fruits and started eating them while watching the sunset. "Hey, man. Where is everybody? I thought we were having a party. You've never called me to your house when nobody was sick, let alone to have food?" Said Steve after getting ...

Dan figured out that it was time he utilized his taekwondo-drill skills to persevere pain. He clenched his teeth and muscles when Michelle hit him between his legs as the sheer pain travelled to his brain. It was a bad move to scare Michelle; he deserved the pain and anything else Michelle did to him, as long as it did not involve her leaving. He had a policy of keeping his keys and remote to himself. He knew Michelle couldn't find them even if he were to play unconscious for a month. Michelle was terrified; she sweetly cuddled him while praying for his life. She was scared he would die. "This is the kind of woman I deserve, I have been a good man, a hard worker and a passionate lover. I deserve a prayerful and kind woman. I deserve a woman who can defend herself. Michelle is a tough woman; she knows what she wants. Michelle is mine," he told himself in his head and heart. His head hurt because he hit the table and bruised his scalp. He could tell that the cut was not dee...

"Here, some baby oil curvy girl. I need a massage, please," Dan said, handing Michelle a bottle of baby oil. She used a reputable brand with Dave whenever they needed a massage or applied after a shower. It would be all giggles and laughs when they massaged each other. This time, with Dan, it would be a willing client and unwilling service provider. For a moment, she did not see the attractive biceps, triceps, and six packs. She did not notice the full beards on his well-defined chin. She barely noticed his brown eyes, the tender and gentle voice. She was no longer drawn to him; he was a bad person that held her captive. "Some other time, I am not in the mood right now, Dan," she said, turning away. "Okay, too bad, coz I am in the mood for two things, sex and massage. I need you to massage me first because I need to rise to the occasion physically because my mind is already there," he said, turning her to his side. "I will do no such thing! I will no...

Dave organized how Lisa and the children would go to the village and stay with his mom until things settled between him and his wife. He had seen his wife leave with a much younger boy, probably the man she had hired to drive her home. He knew Michelle was not the type to cheat, let alone with a kid. However, he had seen as if Michelle hugged the young boy, but they were away from the gate, and he could not properly tell whether it was a suspicious or a genuine hug. Michelle also needed a hug because she was crying about being sent away. He did not allow such thoughts to control him. He had a lot on his mind, the crypto market was highly volatile, the elections were near, and he had turned his wife away. He wanted his children to experience none of that, so he focused on his profit margins in the crypto world. He wanted to have minimal interruptions from Michelle's latest drama. During that period, Freeman's appointee, Jude, and Amos were head to head according to the polls. Da...

"Good morning, Sunshine. Here, I made black tea and yams for breakfast," said Dan, entering the brightly lit room, hands full with the breakfast and a newspaper. "Oh, my God, what time is it? Why didn't you wake me up? I need to be home to sort some things out before the day ends," she said, jumping off the bed. "We are taking breakfast before we start the day, curvy girl. Then we are taking a shower and decide what we want to do with the rest of the day," said Dan, holding her hand tighter than he had held her before. Michelle was taken aback by this. Dan's eyes were sterner, something that made her dread his look. "Let go of my hand, you psycho! Do you think this is a joke? I need to be home!" She yelled. "Michelle, curvy girl, I don't know how much you want me to keep up with your bullshit. Have I not taken enough? Have I not become what you wanted in a man? Does Dave have this kind of a house or the kind of money I have? Does...

"I am not leaving this place until you get inside that house or we go back to mine," texted Dan. He was still at the gate, while Michelle was seated at the door, thinking about what to do. She didn't want to anger Dave, but she would not beg him either. Her sins were negligible compared to his. Dan kept blasting her phone, call after call, as she tried to read her messages from Tracy. She suddenly felt a sheer pain in her forehead, more like a stray bullet, but before she collapsed and died, she was distracted by Dan's voice. "Hey, pick up my call, or I jump over the gate," Dan shouted, startling her and bringing her back to reality. She redialled his number, and he picked up the call immediately, "I've been hit by something. A stray bullet maybe. My head hurts," she said on the phone. "Come, let me look at it," he insisted with a mumbled giggle. "I can't walk; I feel dizzy," she said, struggling to stand on her feet, to...

The road from the house was dark, but Michelle was determined to master the route this time. They had taken Michelle's Jeep and had put her torn clothes inside a dustbin behind the house. Unlike when they came from the garage the previous day, the journey was entertaining. They were chatty, touchy, and laughed so hard like little teenagers in love. They held hands and kissed each other's hands every few minutes. Michelle was in jungle-green shorts, a white blouse, and a pair of brown boots. She knew Dave would react to this, and she struggled to figure out how she would get inside the house without Dave noticing she had worn new clothes. "Hey curvy girl, what is bothering you? Have you ever gone to a strip club?" Dan asked, squeezing her hand gently and kissing her wrist. "I'm wondering how I will get in the house with these new clothes; you shouldn't have torn my clothes," She said, trying to cover her bare thighs. "You shouldn't have marri...

"This house is so much in the woods; that could be why there is no signal. Why did he leave the room locked? Maybe, he thought he would be back before I woke up, and he got held up at work. Could he have forgotten I was here? No, that is highly unlikely. Why has he locked me up here then? Is this house even his? Could he be this rich? Oh my God, what did I put myself into?" Michelle kept muttering to herself. She was growing impatient. She kept trying to call everyone on her phone contact list, trying to find luck with the signal. She looked everywhere in the room for any clue of what could have happened to her. Suddenly, she stumbled on a small gift box, seemingly destroyed, in the corner of one wall cabinet. She opened the box, and inside there was some tattered clothing, maybe red lingerie. It looked like it was intentionally torn because it still looked new, with the label attached. She placed it back because she didn't know to whom it belonged. She started opening t...