67

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN.
Adele came back home when Jamal had already finished cooking dinner and they ate together even though there was a lot of tension in the air. She went straight to bed after dinner, while Jamal spent almost the night working.
Morning came and it was time for both of them to take their baths and dress up for work. Adele took her bath first and dressed up while Jamal waited in the living room. When she was done she walked out and signaled him to go in and get ready as well. Jamal, who didn’t see the point in all what they were doing could only shake his head and obey her, because he did not want to annoy her or anything. While he showered, Adele went to the kitchen and made toast and scrambled eggs in less than no time. She served the meal on the dining table together with some freshly made orange juice and water.
After setting the table, she stepped back and admired it and she could help but smile. That’s what she had always wanted. To be able to prepare meals for Jamal and have him eat them before going to work.
When Jamal was done bathing and dressing up, he came out to the living and was surprised to see that the dinning had been set. The orange juice on the table immediately caught his attention.
He quickly walked over to the table and served himself a glass and drank it all in one go. He set the glass on the table and let out a satisfied sigh and that’s when noticed Adele.
She was looking at him with a wide smile plastered on her face. She had known that was exactly what he was going to do.
“This was your plan, wasn’t it?” He asked, taking the head seat and she giggled.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Thank you very much.” He thanked her sincerely and she just nodded.
“Everything smells delicious!” He complimented as he began eating his food.
“There was no time to make something better. I promise to make something more delicious next time.”
“Well, this one is just okay, but since you insist on doing something better, who am I to say no?” He joked and Adeke laughed hard.
She honestly could not believe the Jamal she was living with at that moment, was the same Jamal whom she had lived with one year ago.
The Jamal of one year ago had no sense of humour. He was always very serious about everything in life and he hardly ever complimented her, but Jamal sitting in front of was a totally different person.
Yes, he was still a cold and serious person and still carried his menacing demeanor everywhere he went, but he sure had a good sense of humour and was a lot more jovial. She had a feeling she was going to love this new Jamal a lot more than she did the old one.
“Say it!” Jamal suddenly instructed and she looked at him surprised.
“Say what?” She asked, smiling.
“Say what’s on your mind.”
“There’s nothing on my mind.” She lied and Jamal chose to let it go.
“If you say so.” He said and continued to eat his meal.
Adele suddenly rose from her chair and disappeared into the bedroom. When she came out again, she was carrying the first aid kit.
“Is that for me?” Jamal asked, perplexed and Adele nodded.
“Yes, it is. I have to apply more medicine on the cut and change the plaster.” She explained and Jamal looked from the tiny wound on his left index finger to Adele and laughed.
“Babe, don’t you think you are doing too much? This is just a simple cut. It’s going to heal in a few days and it most certainly doesn’t need all this extreme care and attention.” He began to protest but Adele did not listen to him. She took her seat once more and took his left hand.
He did not try to stop her. He let her do whatever it was she wanted to do on the hand as he kept eating food.
“This wound really doesn’t need all of this.” He told her again once she was done. She clicked her tongue at him and went to keep the first aid kit again.
“You complain about everything!” Adele fired at him once she sat on her seat again.
“And you make a big deal out of everything!” He fired back. Adele set down her cutleries, giving him a stern glare.
“No I don’t!” She flatly denied it.
“Oh yes, you do!”
“My God Jamal! Why are you so annoying?” She asked, greatly annoyed and Jamal stuck out his tongue at her.
She burst into laughter.
“If only his other employees could see the clown they so much feared in that conglomerate.” She said, shaking her head.
“Only the woman I love can see the clown in me. Uh-huh! Speaking of which, the warm water pipe seems to have broken. I almost died while bathing with cold water a while ago and the shower space is too small, so I kept hitting my body against the wall. The bathroom is…”
“If the place is that uncomfortable, then why don’t you just leave?” Adele rudely interrupted.
“I’m not saying that the place is uncomfortable, Adele, I’m simply trying to point out things that can be fixed to make the place more conducive.”
“Well, I love the place the way it is. If you have problems with it, you can leave!” She repeated the statement and Jamal banged his cutleries on his plate and looked at her fiercely.
“It’s so easy for you to say those words to me, isn’t it?” He asked slightly annoyed and Adele went mute. “Yes, I am going to leave, but not anytime soon. Adele please stop trying to make me go back to that house without you. It’s like saying I shouldn’t fight to bring my family back together which is something I cannot do. I have to fight for you Adele, I have to fight for us and staying here with you is me fighting to bring us back together. It’s me trying to convince you to come back home with me.”
“But I don’t wanna go back there.”
“You have to. It’s your home. Is it my parents? Are they going to make you uncomfortable? Just say the word and I will have them pack out.”
“I don’t want you to send your parents out because of me?” She cried.
“Then what do you want Adele? Please tell me, what do you want?” He asked almost in tears and Adele just kept staring at him. He stretched his out and calmly placed hers on the table, gently caressing it as he patiently waited for her to talk.
“I don’t want to make the wrong decision.” She finally blurted out and Jamal looked up at her.
He did not expect her to say something as positive as that. That was a good sign!
“Oh Adele…” He exclaimed as she held both her hands in his and kissed them passionately. “Do you want to know what I see when I look into your eyes?” He asked and Adele quietly nodded her head. “I can see how much you want to say yes to me. I can see how much you love me and I can’t see how much you want to be with me, but you are scared to admit it and I don’t blame you because I have hurt you before. I have done horrible mean things to you, but Adele, I never took your love for granted. I just didn’t have the chance to reciprocate it as much as you wanted. Please Adele, one last chance is all I ask for and I promise you won’t regret it.” He promised from the debt of his heart and a fat tear rolled down Adele’s left cheek.
She quickly wiped it away and cleared her throat to talk.
“We are going to be late for work. I’ll leave first, make sure to lock the door.” She told him and left the house before he could say anything else.
“Baby steps.”
He whispered to himself as he carried his suitcase and followed her.
He could see that he was gradually penetrating her defence and it was just a matter of time before her walls were down and his wish would be granted.