Chapter 26

Kim was settled in easily in her apartment. The receptionist at the lobby made her talk about Cradle. The doorman loved her at first sight and the old couply living downstairs invited her for dinner. She would have declined like she did most times but the couple looked too eager to have her and so she obliged.
The old lady, Mrs. Patterson spent her days making pastries for the neighborhood kids and making embroidery while her husband, Mr. Patterson read the papers and watched TV.
The smell from Mrs Patterson's cooking wafted to Kim's nostrils as she stepped into the apartment. There were half finished patterns and old papers strewn on a chair and she noticed that apart from the chair that carried the embroidery and old papers, every other place was clean. The smell of Mrs Patterson's cooking enveloped the house and her stomach churned from hunger. She wanted to eat.
"Oh, Child. Come and sit down"
Mr Patterson offered, gesticuating for her to sit on the chair right opposite him and she sat.
"Good evening, Mr. Patterson".
She greeted. The old man smiled. He looked younger as he smiled. His hair had almost gone totally grey while his Wife's was only a sprinkling of grey hairs. He looked healthy and Athletic and it appealed to her.
"How do you do dear? And how do you like the neighborhood?"
Kim smiled back.
" I'm sure I'll love this place with people like you and Mrs Patterson already being so nice to me".
" Oh, it's nothing dear. You know, ever since our last kid, Jason moved out, we've hardly had company except for a few old friends who visit occasionally so my wife and I kind of thought that we could have company regularly with all these people and neighbors . And, we love to make new friends too, you, Miss __"
" Oh, dear. You're already here!"
Mrs Patterson said as she emerged from the kitchen with a pie that she set on the dining table.
"Good evening, ma'am".
Kim greeted as she turned to Mrs Patterson but she'd disappeared into the kitchen. Mr Patterson went on and regaled her with stories from his days in the civil service. He was a retired high school teacher who seemed Contented with himself and his accomplishments which included two noble awards for the best Mathematics Teacher , New York, and another, best Mathematics Teacher of the year, America.
He flaunted them with so much enthusiasm that Kim almost envied him.
"Dinner's ready, my dears"
Mrs. Patterson declared as she stepped out of the kitchen to hastily set a few other chops on the dining table. She still had her apron on and Kim looked again at her plump figure and smiled. Nothing like her mother. This woman cooked and cleaned and did embroidery and made friends, nothing like her mother.
She stood up as old Mr. Patterson Led the way. The old man had appeared almost frail and small as he sat down but as he stood and stretched to his full height, Kim saw that his body was a work of youthful muscularity. His biceps didn't sag at all. He didn't even stoop as he walked. Perhaps, she would have seen how strong and masculine the man appeared if she'd paid good attention the first time they'd met.
Mrs. Patterson stood beaming as they took their seats. Kim nodded a small appreciation as she sat to a decent meal.
"I'll take this off"
Mrs. Patterson said as she dashed into the kitchen to take off her apron. She emerged in the next few seconds and sat at one edge of the table. From where she sat, her clothes still smelt of nutmegs and tumerics with a faint tinge of rosemary flowers.
Kim loved the smell. She unconsciously tilted her head to the direction of the smell and inhaled the smell which had soaked into the old lady's clothes.
"Your culinary skills, Mrs Patterson, is commendable. Momentous, even".
Kim commented as she swallowed the first bite of the pie she'd been served.
"Oh, my dear, you don't say".
She replied, beaming. She was probably used to being complimented on her culinary skills but she didn't show it. She took the compliment happily and smiled in an enchanting manner that Kim didn't know made her husband's gut twist.
"My wife's cooking has left me ni choice but to love her as the day grows. She feeds me too well" .
Mr. Patterson said in a trite manner that gave Kimberly the impression that it must be a well composed sentence that he uses everytime he eats. Mrs. Patterson laughed anyways and so did Kim.
"Well, I had great meals as a kid. Our cook and oldest household staff, Alissa made sure we all ate good meals. I don't remember seeing my mom in the kitchen with her hand covered with patter or her hand kneading a dough or wielding a chop knife. She simply never cooked".
She said. She hadn't expected the couple to show so much concern and pity for her but she looked up arbitrarily and found two pairs of eyes staring pathetically at her. She thought she saw the mist form in Mrs Patterson's eyes !
"Oh dear. I'm sorry. You know, I believe that there's magic in a mother's meal... The love with which she prepares the meal for her own children and husband is simply magic".
Mrs. Patterson declared as she picked up her towel and began to wipe her nose. Kim stared for a moment, trying to figure out what she might have said that could have possibly aroused the emotions of poor Mrs Patterson.
"My wife believes that one true way a mother can express true love for her family is by cooking. She holds cooking so dear".
Mr. Patterson Said. Kim shook her head slowly.
"Well, my mom never simply thought of cooking that way. She was more about her career. As a kid, I didn't get bed time stories from my parents , only Alissa read me Alice in wonderland every weekend in bed. Alissa was almost like a mom until she got married and began to visit the house less frequently. She even stopped sleeping in the house__ had to move in with her husband. I was mostly alone".
Kimberly looked again at Mrs. Patterson as she set her mug on the table and found her resting her chin on her tremulous hands that were propped up on the table. She was crying!.
Lennox dialed Hector's number again and still, there was no response. He looked around the house, a sinister reminder of what he'd done compos mentis with Hester Woodhouse still hung around the place. He'd thought about Kimberly longer than he should and he'd built an erection from the thoughts of her and how wanton she'd been in his bed only two days back and then there was Hester Woodhouse, ready to give him just what He thought only Kimberly Foster could give him. Only that his manhood had gone totally Languid after he pulled out of her the first time and he'd had no desire to go back to her languorous body again. She'd laid there, inviting to come to her a second time but he'd found himself groping for clothes to shield his naked body from her aroused gaze. She'd smiled, thinking he was only abashed because it was their first time together but he'd assured her that he no desire to let her see his naked body again. He'd made her dress up a bit hastily and drove her to her house after which he'd grabbed food he didn't eat home.
He strode out and went for an intense body building exercise at the gym hoping to work up a rapacious appetite for food by the time he came back. He worked himself up and cursed his stiffening muscles. He'd been mostly in his office, perched on the damn stool and working mostly with only his hands for the past few weeks and his legs and thighs had adjusted to being almost static. The only good exercise he'd had for the past two weeks was pounding on Kimberly all night, the night she'd spent in his arms. The night which he'd thought was the beginning of a new phase for them.
Now he hated himself for having taken things too far. She'd told him to take just a step at a time and not just propose marriage to her when their future together was only nebulous but he'd somehow convinced himself that it was better to make one's intentions known at the very beginning of any relationship.
He wanted to talk to Hector. To tell him everything he'd thought and contemplated for the past few two days. The damn man was probably with his woman, enjoying some moments of peace together again after all the time they'd spent apart.
"Sir, we're going to put the ' closed' sign up in the next few minutes___ say, five minutes".
The gym guy said as he bent to tap Lennox on the shoulders. Lennox didn't realize how much time has passed and how many pushups he'd done or the few people who were inside when he first stepped in gradually disparse. He sprang to his feet.
"Sorry, I didn't realize that".
He walked to the rack and grabbed his towel and began to mop the perspiration that had begun to run down the sides of his face and arms in thick lines.
As he reached his car outside, he felt the cold evening wind heat him across the face and he stood out there, savouring every minute of the wind carressing him wantonly. His hair lifted from the fine line up on his temple and danced with the wind. He didn't leave the spot, he stood until the wind had lulled to a faint evening breeze before he stepped into his car and zoomed off. He hadn't worked an appetite. He was not hungry like he should be.
His cellphone rang in his pocket as he turned the knob on his door. It was hector. He stepped in and answered the call.
"Lennox. Howdy"
Hector greeted. His voice had regained the usual Raucous with which he spoke when he meant to be a dick head.
"Man, what have you been up to? Catching up on old times with your woman?"
Lennox asked as he casually strolled down to the fridge, took out a bottle of water and drank from the bottle, his adam appld rippling.
"That's exactly what I should be doing but I'm too interested in finishing this job before the deadline, what have you been doing?"
" I went out for a small workout session at the gym. Hector, Kimberly moved out of this damn apartment building to God knows where".
He said. He'd set the bottle on the table and had began to squeeze the plastic without meaning to. He heard Hector gasp at his end before speaking.
" Seems like she relocated without your knowledge man".
" I think so too. She doesn't pick up my calls. She's crazy. After the last time, I thought I had successfully planted a feet in her heart, man, I was damn wrong. I can't ever figure out what the wench really wants of me".
He said dejectedly. Hector was silent for a while.
"Well, does anyone around know where she's relocated to ?"
" I don't know. Going about to see who she'd probably been talking to__which I have no idea of _ will give the impression that I'm desperate, which I'm not" .
" You're just going to have to chill if the lady_"
" Apparently, she keeps to herself because even the receptionist and the door man didn't know where she'd moved to".
" Oh, I see that. You're going to just have to forget about the lady and find yourself another wench, subsequently, I guess".
Lennox did not reply Hector for a while and then suddenly, he blurted.
"The scrupulous lady let me fuck her".
"What in the bloody hell are you talking about?"
Hector asked, taken aback. Lennox took a breath and spoke more collectedly.
"Remember the Woodhouse lady? The one i__"
" Yes, I remember vividly, man".
" Well, she was here yesterday. We stumbled in bed while I thought about Kimberly Foster the whole time. Man, I want to move on and stop beating myself over kimberly!"
" You just confessed your illicit coupling with the Scrupulous lady even if I'm not a priest"
Hector was laughing boistorously and it irritated Lennox mode than ever.
" You're always a dick head, man. Well, aren't we all guilty?".
" We sure are all guilty fellows".
Hector said. His voice was suddenly melancholic as he spoke to Lennox about how Nora was helping him work up an interest to attend church.
"I'll attend with her, come this Sunday".
" I'll come too. God might help me forget about Kimberly Foster for good".
Lennox said.