Jones woke up in the middle of the night to close the gate. For the third night in a row, he had come home drunk and thrown himself on the couch. Deep sleep had wasted no time to transport him to a world of terrifying nightmares. He always had the same dream taking different shapes and forms. In the dream, his dead grandmother had appeared, always cold and distant. That night in the dream, Jones was begging his grandmother to show him how to prepare some squash. The grandmother had scolded him and turned him away.
Jones’ wife had left him earlier that month. Jones had not begged her to stay. The two rarely got along. Angela never agreed with any of Jones’ ideas. When John had decided to open a new bar in the shopping centre nearby, Angela was against it. Angela was against alcohol and tried to get John to quit early in their courtship. Jone had played along. Afterall, he wanted to marry Angela. All men who had laid eyes on Angela wanted her for themselves. Jones was no exception. Jones’ had played his cards right. He had used his sweet tongue and natural charm to woo Angela to his home.
Jones had one thing to do after closing his gate, to make himself something to eat. He had some maize flour in his top shelf and some eggs in the basket behind the kitchen door. He would make some ugali and fried eggs. In his drunken stupor, he was glad he knew how to cook. He had given up on cooking because Angela insisted on doing all the cooking and cleaning. Tonight, reminded him of his bachelor days, when his male friends would fill his one room house for supper and alcohol. Jones had been an excellent host. He would always have enough food and stories to keep his friends satisfied and grinning. That was before Angela had grown to dislike his friends. She had made it clear that she did not want them visiting their home. Jones’ friends had noted that they were no longer welcome and had kept off. Damn Angela, why did she have to be against everything that brought him happiness. First, it was the alcohol and then his friends.
Angela had also torn Jones away from his family. Jones had six siblings, who all depended on him for financial assistance. One of them would occasionally seek shelter at Jones’ three-bedroom house. They would stay for months until they made other plans. Jones was aware that his siblings took advantage of his kindness but he did not dwell on it. He loved the feeling of being able to help out his family. Jones’ father had grown distant towards his children after his wife passed on. As the years passed, the old man could no longer keep up with his children’s lives, he had sought solace in the bottle. He had married another woman whom they had an on and off relationship. Jones occasionally visited his father. The old man said little. As such, Jones had taken the role of father for his other siblings. He listened to their sad stories and celebrated their wins. This was until Angela had decided that it was time Jones cut off his siblings. She said that the siblings needed to learn to be independent. Jones’ siblings had felt insulted and complained an earful to Jones. Jones had grown weary of the rivalry and withdrawn to seek solace in his friends and alcohol. He was at a loss when his wife became angry at him or when his siblings complained. He gave them money when they needed it and made an effort to be present in their lives. However, their complaints never ended. He had started to believe Angela’s theory that they were ungrateful and spoiled.
Despite all the turmoil, Jones had managed to keep his many businesses afloat. A new friend had informed him of the much money to be made in selling alcohol. The friend had expounded that many men needed somewhere they could talk and advice each other. The friend had also explained the type of women that Jones’ would need to hire for his business to thrive. Women who knew how to anticipate the hidden needs of men. Men were always judged for being sexually driven. Jones would make money for creating a space where that specific nature of men was appreciated. That was how Jones ended up opening a bar that was the last straw to break his marriage. He had met Lucy, a fair lady who had the shape that made Angela seem like a teenage boy. Jones could count on Lucy to meet his every desire. Lucy knew what to say and how to say it.
As Jones broke the three eggs and mixed them in a bowl he wondered where Angela could be. She would be cozied up in a sofa reading the latest thriller novel she had found. He loved it when she read. She looked so picturesque. He loved it that she was so passionate about many things. She had encouraged him on the many times he had been down. As he served his eggs, it occurred to him that Angela was always looking out for him. She had wanted to start a family with him. She was worried about his drinking because she had lost her father to a car accident involving a drunk driver. Jones took out a fork from the left drawer where Angela had neatly arranged the cutlery. As he sat by the kitchen stool, he missed her. The smell of her hair as she lay on his chest at night. The shaking of her belly as she laughed at his jokes. Her frustration as she struggled explaining a joke she had read in one of her books. Her stern look when he picked at his vegetables during dinner. Jones was suddenly aware that he was at fault for letting Angela leave him. Perhaps he would have compromised and found a way to make the marriage work.
He was awoken from his reverie by the sudden ringing of his phone. It was Lucy calling. Lucy was pleased that Jones’ wife had left. She now had Jones all to herself. She had said that to him. Jones had expected Lucy’s words to comfort him but staring at his phone ring, he doubted that any words from anyone would calm the storm tearing at his soul. He gave one glance the food in his plate and wished that Angela was there.
Jones put his food away untouched. He covered in his bed and that night he dreamt again. His grandmother was standing outside her house sorting some cereals. Jones was talking to her, eager to get a response. She only stared back at him. She dismissed him and he left gravely troubled.
