𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄

** THIRTY-SEVEN**

“Friends are the family you choose.“
— Jess C. Scott
               
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                THE DAY WHICH the Coterie will be going on their annual group trip has finally arrived.

In the Ninalowos' mansion, Lola kept moving from each of the triplet rooms to the other. They left their packing and went about doing other things especially Jesse who won't take his face away from his phone. Lola shouted over and over again, asking them to hurry and checking on them to see whether they were done packing. They only kept apologizing and assuring her that they would be ready soon.

Jaime was the first to finish with his packing among the triplet. He came down to the living room after finishing packing to wait for his brothers.

"Jaime, are your brothers ready yet?" Lola asked where he sat reading on his iPad.

He lifted his gaze to his mother but he simply shrugged.

"I don't know."

"What is taking them so long?" She asked rhetorically. It was obvious that she was exhausted and frustrated. She had been busy preparing the twins since they were also going on vacation like their older ones. But they were going to a different place.

They were going to her sister's at Victoria Island in Lagos for the New Year. The twins normally took yearly rounds between her siblings and their grandparents. And this year, it was her sister - Boluwatito place they will be going to for the holiday.

And the kids were so eager to visit their aunt and their cousins.

"Can you at least try to help?" Lola pleaded with Jaime.

"You know how Jesse is, he will turn it into an argument and I don't have the strength for him," Jaime replied, barely looking at his mother. "When he is done, he will come down."

Lola let out an exhale, shaking her head. She should have known it was pointless asking Jaime for help.

"I will have to retort to cane. Jesse is frustrating me. He hasn't even pack anything in his bag." She muttered to herself, sounding frustrated. Then she moved her eyes to Jaime who was still reading something on his iPad. "At least, go and check on Jedekaih. He needs to hurry up. I have a meeting and a class later in the day. You are all wasting my time."

"Sorry, mom." Jaime apologizes without making a move to stand up. "I will check on him."

Lola shook her head at him and she went away to do it herself.

                     _______________

"Why does it have to be today, Grandma?" Zayn whined as he fold his cloth into his bag. He has a tiny pout as he stares at his grandmother.

"Ma binu." His grandmother apologized with a sweet voice in Yoruba dialect. "I have to go and meet your aunty. She needs me. I will call your friend's mother and let her know." She told him patting his back softly.

The pout on Zayn's face remains. "Don't you think it will look strange that you didn't come with me?" He asked her while he picked up one of the jeans from the pile of clothes on the bed.

She shook her head. "Don't worry. I am quite convincing, you know." The woman said with a smile. "It's hard to say no to an elderly woman. I also have my ways."

Zayn gazed at his grandmother and released a light chuckle. "Yeah, I know," Zayn answered, convinced himself. He was certain that his grandmother would be able to convince Mrs. Lola Ninalowo. He just believes that it would be odd if no one came to see him off. He does not want to be treated like a charity case.