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AudreyTimms: Excerpts from my completed book, the one I entered for the competition which I'll publish probably by December if I don't hear from them by then. Make una buy am wen una c am!

THEIR MISTAKES (for want of a better name) by DEEDEE TIMMS

PROLOGUE

DORIS looked at her husband as he picked at his food and wondered for the umpteenth time what was wrong with him. Ever since he came back from the seminar he attended in Abuja three days ago, he had been acting weird. He was forever moody and never met her eyes whenever he answered her questions. She had asked a million times what the matter was but he had refused to tell her.

She didn't want to ponder much lest she give herself high blood pressure. In their two years of marriage, they'd lived in bliss until two months ago when things had suddenly become stilted between them for no just cause.

The demands on her tailoring business had increased at that time and she had barely had time for herself not to talk of her husband. Understanding though he was, he hadn't said a word of complain at her late nights coming home or taking off first thing in the morning but she had noticed him pulling away from her slowly. She had kept thinking work would lessen for him to have her all to himself but it had even increased.

Was he fed up? Was he tired of their marriage? Did he want a divorce? She couldn't allow that. She loved him with a passion and knew he felt the same about her. But what if he'd fallen out of love with her? She had to mentally shake herself from such thoughts.

She had come back home from her shop where she sewed and sold wedding accessories that evening to meet him still on his blue striped pajamas, he hadn't stepped his office since he got back from Abuja. She had coerced him into taking his bath while she prepared dinner. He was dressed now on his favorite brown chinos three quarter length shorts and white Levi's shirt with brown palm slippers.

She surveyed him steadily as he took a spoon of jollof rice and dropped it again on the cream ceramic plate.

"James, I really can't stand the suspense anymore. What's the matter with you?" she gently asked him and noticed he winced.

For an answer, he got up from the black metallic chair at the round glass dining table, pushed back the yellow linen curtain that separated the dining area from the living room and walked briskly into their small living room. She felt like throwing her plate of rice at him but controlled herself.

He sat down on their black leather sofa with pale yellow cushions, placed his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands.

"Doris, I can't take this anymore." he finally responded in a broken voice.

Her interest was more than piqued then. She quickly wore her pink flip flops, left the table and went to sit beside him on the sofa.

"What is it, darling?" she calmly questioned him.

He got up and started pacing the cream tiles in the living room. He abruptly stopped before the rectangular glass centre table with a flower vase, looked up at the white ceiling before staring at her with pain in his eyes.

James didn't know how to tell her. Could he even tell her? He looked at the lines of strain around her black eyes and sighed. She had the darkest eye lashes he had ever seen on a woman and he had seen a lot, being a reformed player.

Whatever you do, don't tell her, James? Don't destroy what you've been building for two years. His brain told him but he shook his head. He had to tell her. The guilt was killing him.

Tell her, James. She loves you. She'll forgive you. His heart told him.

He made up his mind then to tell her. He spared her a glance before staring at the plasma television attached to the pale yellow wall which funny enough was showing a man and woman fighting in a Nollywood movie.

"You know I went for a seminar in Abuja," he pronounced with care.

"Yes," she prompted him to continue as she gazed at him with her heart in her throat.

"I......I......." He stammered and looked above the plasma at their white wedding engraved photograph.

"What is it? You what?" She prompted with eagerness.

This was getting scary. Her palms were getting wet from her nervousness. She wiped them on her short blue jean gown and stared at her husband who refused to look at her.

James stared at their wedding photograph and smiled in reminiscence. He stared at himself on a black tuxedo with peach long sleeve shirt and black bow tie smiling down at Doris on her self-made snow white wedding gown who had her arms around him, flashing white teeth in a bright smile.
That had been the happiest day of his life but this was definitely the worst day of his life. Tears gathered in his eyes.

When the silence was too much to bear, Doris went to stand beside him. She held his chin and turned his head to look at her. She was thunderstruck when she saw tears rolling down his eyes. She was greatly alarmed.

“Sweetheart, have you lost your job or what?" she fearfully inquired. It was a known fact that the architectural and construction firm he worked in had laid off some staff recently.

"I wish!" he retorted and walked away from her. He went to gaze out the window into the darkness and put his hands in his pockets.

"What the hell is it then?" she shouted in exasperation. "I've been asking you that same question for three days now. Ever since you came back, you've been mopping around the house. You even refused to go to the office and don't think I haven't noticed that you refuse to look me in the eye! What the hell happened in Abuja? Tell me, dammit!" she yelled in anger.

"I slept with your sister."

Costlybabe: a song 4 d late Dave sokari,
wen u say u were going i cried
wen u left me alone,i wish i cld hold u tight once again in my arms.
Audrey y did u make me soak my pilow wit tears,do u mind teling us y u cried?dis story is so real,
audrey i need point some tinz out,u started ur story so wel but then u started usin so much dialougue,i tink u shld cut down on this and be a litle bit narrative and discriptive wen u want to publish,i hope u get me
congrats ,u deserve it.u are simply 2 gud