Still Waters (Part 1)

“Ladi, odi ne?”

“Have I offended you in any way?” Chenu’s voice was low and soft, but his eyes held concern. “Your eyes are guarded, and your hackles are up. I could almost swear you growled at me this morning.” He stepped into the kitchen, his tone a mixture of confusion and worry. “My love, did I do something wrong?”

Chenu wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her to his chest. She froze.
“No,” Ladi mumbled, trying to shrug him off, but he held her firmly, his grip tender yet insistent.

“Then why have you been building walls around yourself this past week?” Chenu’s voice softened as he spoke, his fingers gently stroking her back. “At first, I thought you were tired, but I watched you smile at everyone else, and when I approached you... the smile vanished. My love, tell me what I’ve done. I promised myself I’d never be the cause of your sadness. Please, tell me.” His voice cracked with sincerity. “Tell me, and I’ll apologize at once and try to make it right. Anything you want, I’ll fix it.”

She shook her head, her breath catching.

“K’ocho men,” he teased with a light chuckle, trying to lighten the mood and kissing her neck, but the mischief in his eyes couldn’t mask the worry. “I’d slay a dragon for you, my Ugboju princess”.

He expected her to melt in his arms as always, but Ladi stepped back abruptly, her face hardening. “Please leave me alone. I have a report to submit.” Her voice was sharp as she turned on her heel, grabbed her coffee cup, and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Chenu standing there, unsure and confused.

Chenu stood in the kitchen, the silence pressing in like a weight. His eyes lingered on the spot where Ladi had just stood, the air between them now thick with unspoken words. He should have known better than to push her when she was like this, but something in him refused to let go. This was the love of his life. If she wasn’t happy, how could he even breathe?

He had been patient with her for one week, but no more. He needed his sweet, charming wife back. The walls she'd built around herself weren’t just invisible barriers—they were a cold, unyielding fortress, and he couldn't break through. He felt alone, and that was bad. Since falling hopelessly in love with her, he always knew it was them against the world. Right now, he was completely on his own. Oh, this was bad!

Ladi’s footsteps echoed in the hallway as she moved away. He knew she needed space, but the uncertainty gnawed at him. He finally exhaled, scratching his hair. The distant click-clack of her manicured nails typing furiously on her laptop in the other room was a constant reminder of the distance between them.

He hadn’t seen her like this in years. They’d built a life together, forged a bond stronger than anything either of them had ever known. And now… now there was something in the air. Something unsaid.

With a deep breath, Chenu made his way into the living room, standing in the doorway to watch her. She sat at the desk, her face illuminated by the glow of the screen, eyes focused but distant. Her fingers moved quickly, typing as though the report was the only thing anchoring her to the present.

“Ladi…” he said softly, not wanting to startle her but needing to hear her voice, to know what was going on behind those guarded eyes.

She didn’t respond immediately, and for a moment, Chenu thought she hadn’t heard him. But then she looked up, her gaze briefly meeting his before dropping again to the screen.

“I’ll be fine,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just need to finish this. I’ll talk to you later.”

But he wasn’t convinced. The usual warmth in her eyes was missing, replaced by something colder—something he couldn’t name.

“Ladi…” He moved closer, stopping just a few feet away, the distance between them too much to ignore. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t just let you shut me out. I can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine when you’re pulling away.”

She didn’t look at him again, her fingers still moving over the keyboard with mechanical precision. “You wouldn’t understand,” she muttered, almost to herself.

“Try me,” he said, his voice firm but soft. “We’re supposed to be in this together. Whatever it is, I want to help. You’re not alone, Ladi.”

The silence hung between them. Her hands paused over the keys, and for a moment, she looked like she might finally let go of the tension, but then she stiffened again, her shoulders tight.

“I don’t know if you can,” she whispered, the words barely audible.

Chenu’s heart clenched. Something was wrong. Something deeper than a missed conversation or an unspoken word. But whatever it was, he would fight for her.

For them.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Psalm 23:2