He latches the solid wood door behind himself and sends his jacket flying onto her armoire. He nonchalantly glares through the dark to make up how she must be lying on the King-size. With his right foot, he shoves off his brown oxford shoe off his left heel. “Fast asleep. Thank goodness. I love you,” he says, carefully sinking into the foam, that the sighing of the pillows and mattress topers doesn’t wake the lying mound next to him. It’s going to be one of those rare nights without a nag, he hopes.
*******
In the morning, he opens the blinders, and turns to the lying mound. It is as still as the previous night, but she is already up. Her phone is no longer on her bedside table. Neither are her meds and hand cream, but her pen and a yellow piece of paper. “Where could she be?” he rubs his eyes and reads its contents:
Dear Zack,
I apologise for being a constant pester. You are a hard-working and successful man that ladies admire. Today, let me make amends for the following: the times I’ve made you sad, shouting at you when you cancelled our romantic dinners last minute to meet a deadline, for the day I walked out on you for looking up a work email when I talked about my mom’s sickness, for freaking out when you forgot to pick Ann from childcare when I prepared her 3rd birthday cake. I am sorry for the nights you left projects untouched because my body demanded a touch too. I’ve finally decided to make it up to you by leaving you to your work. I am sure Ann will miss her dad’s presents, but she won’t have to miss a father, anymore.
Lovingly,
Grace.
—–
Francis Mkwapatira is a secondary school teacher specialising in Chichewa and English languages. As a versatile creative writer, he crafts compelling fiction and nonfiction narratives. Francis reviews content for the WSA Magazine and creates engaging articles for Crusaders Christian Magazine and Grandpen Publication. He served as an editor for Writers Space Africa (WSA) Magazine, where he championed African literature, and as the country coordinator for WSA-Malawi, fostering literary communities in his homeland. In 2022, he represented Writers Space Africa at the Blantyre Arts Festival in Malawi. Francis emerged as the winner of the WSA literary quiz in October 2023 and is currently working on two books, set to be published before 2025. A literary enthusiast and dedicated educator, he finds fulfilment in using storytelling to inspire and educate others.
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