Chapter Four

I don't want him here, as well as all the people you visit club 2 with" Sophia added with determination.

Michael looked murderously as he asked, " how can you tell me who comes into my house and who doesn't? Who are you to tell me that?" He snapped.

"I'm your wife" Sophia fired back at him.

Michael slowly nodded his head, eyes not leaving Sophia's for few seconds, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him, Sophia took a deep breath and sat down, mission accomplished.

Maria remained standing, looking totally startled, Sophia was supposed to feel satisfied but what she felt was different, it seems like.... Shame? And she sighed. She suddenly realized that she shouldn't have done what she did, embarrassing her husband in the presence of the maid.

Maria's mother was a single mother of four, she had been lamenting to Sophia of her difficulties in coping with the education of her four children.

Sophia felt sorry for her and had promised to be assisting her financially, a promise she had been fulfilling, and when the previous maid left, Sophia ask the woman if she could allow her eldest child to come and live with her, later at home that Friday evening, she discussed it with Michael and was surprised when he easily agreed.

'what kind of bad impression was she creating in this girl's mind?" Sophia wondered, but what was she supposed to do when her husband was obvious wrong? Their marriage was struggling and she had to do something' Sophia felt confused.

She decided it would be better to explain to Maria what had just transpired between her and her husband.

As Michael went to the balcony of their first floor apartment, he thought, ' Sophia will regret this, I swear with my life!"

He walked into the sitting room and joined Larry who was now smoking.

"Michael!" Larry greeted him again.

"Larry boy!" Michael sat across from Larry, "I wanted to stroll out before your arrival, we can go to the next street there" he pointed in the direction of the balcony, " there is a new small bar, we will be able to relax better there"

"Okay" they stood up, ready to leave, " are we going in the car?".

"No" Michael replied, " you will come back for your car, the bar is just close by"

"Okay" Larry said.

"Give me a minute please" Michael told his friend and went into the bedroom, Sophia was still standing looking concerned, he walked pass her, over to the bedside table and picked his bunch of keys and wallet, he left without a word.

After her discussion with the maid, it was already late and they prepared dinner, Sophia wondered what had become of Michael and his friend, she went to the balcony and saw that his car and Larry's car were still there in the compound, that means they did not go far, she went back to the living room.

Hours later Michael and Larry came back to the house, Larry entered his car and left, and Michael thought of what to do as he wasn't ready to go back upstairs, he had to go somewhere to calm down his anger, he entered his car and drove out.

Sophia heard the sound of vehicles driving out of the compound, she glance at the giant clock it was 7:35pm, she went to the blacony and check and found out Michael's and Larry's cars were no longer there, she took a deep breath and returned to the living room.

Two hours after dinner and watching movies, Michael was still not back and Sophia was beginning to feel upset, she felt like eating something to take her mind off her husband, she walked to the freezer and brought out a small plastic bowl of ice cream which she put in three cups, she carried two of the cups and called out the maid to take the third cup.

By 10:45pm Sophia and the others had finished watching the seasonal movies and taken ice cream, yet there was no sign of Michael.