He Left at 2 AM for Her Tampons, So I Left for Kenya novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: The Fence

The village held the naming party for a new baby on Saturday night, and my husband got drunk on it.

There was sorghum beer in a plastic jug.

There was a goat, which had earned its place of honor.

Clayton drank three cups, danced with the grandmothers, and was carried home by four men, singing.

I went to bed at ten.

At midnight someone began to knock on my door.

It was not a polite knock.

"Romy," Clayton called. "Romy, open up."

I lay still and looked at the ceiling.

"Romy. I'm your husband."

"I know," I said through the door. "Go to bed."

"I just want to talk."

"Then talk in the morning."

"I'm on the wrong side of the fence," he said, as if he'd made a great discovery. "I walked all the way over. It's a wire! It's a very small wire!"

I got up and put my robe on.

By the time I opened the door, lanterns were bobbing along the path from the staff houses.

Wanjiru had come out in her nightdress, with a torch.

Two of the cooks stood behind her, and the pharmacy assistant, and the night orderly, and a boy of about ten who had been sent to fetch his mother's medicine and had stayed to watch.

Clayton stood on my step with a cup in his hand, wearing one boat shoe.

"There she is," he said, and his whole face lit up.

"Clayton, go home."

"This is our home."

"It's a guesthouse with a wire in front of it."

"Romy." He put his free hand to his chest. "I've been thinking. I'm so sorry about that night. I know I was a jerk. I've been a jerk about everything. But I'm here now."

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