TÓDÙN

47

KUNLE

"Welcome sir." both of us greeted our dad simultaneously immediately his guard dropped what he was holding and left the room. The greeting in my mind was more like saying, there is fire on the mountain.

"Thank you." He muttered slowly as he took his seat on the chair with a sigh. He looked at my mum who just stared at him without uttering a word. She glared at him several times and shifted her gaze when he smiled at her. Now, that wasn't the reaction I was expecting from her, I thought she would lunge at his throat as soon as he entered the room.  He looked at me and my sister as if asking us for an explanation but I looked away instantly before I would say something that will escalate the situation.

"I forgot this at home in a hurry." He said and stretched his hand forward collecting the phone in the process. "Dear, what is wrong." He asked pulling off his shoe and looking so relaxed. If only he knew that there was fire on the mountain, maybe he would have prostrated flat on his belly, begging for her forgiveness which I was so sure will not come so soon. Prostrating and begging profusely, is what Yoruba men who cheat on their wives in Yoruba movies do, right?

"If you call me that one more time, I might end up doing what we will both regret for the rest of our lives." My mum gave a stern warning. "I stay at home almost all the time only to get cheated on, ehn?" She screamed and moved closer to him.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked pretending not to be aware of what she meant, she stood up abruptly, took the phone that was now placed beside him, pressed in his password and opened the message. Remilekun's aunty must have sent the message after the church service because of the time that was shown on it.

"What I mean by that, is this." She replied, almost pressing the phone to his face while I and Kemi stood up not knowing what to do. If they were kids, maybe we would have pulled them apart.

"Kemi, Kunle." dad called and glared at us. He must have thought we were the one who informed her. "You two should excuse us, I and your mum have something to discuss." We shook our heads and I felt Kemi's hand around mine, pulling me to her room. A part of me wanted to stay and look after both of them, but I had no choice than to obey my dad.

"That message must have been a mistake, you know I will never cheat on you." I heard my dad saying to my Mum before I closed the door and entered Kemi's room.

"What are we going to do now?" Kemi asked me wrapping her hand around her head. Times like these are times she is supposed to behave like an elder sister and the sophisticated working class lady she portrays while going to work and at her place of work, but it is in time like this that I end up comforting her instead. I sometimes wonder if I would behave like she does if I happen to be the first born. She sat down on the bed and stood up again, placing her head on the door to eavesdrop on whatever they were saying.

"I think we just have to stay here and wait." I replied feeling worried as well. What if they end up hurting each other? Or what if they end up hating each other just as much as they love each other?

"This won't be good for the elections, this might ruin his chances at the polls." Kemi muttered holding my hand which I snatched away in shock.

"Elections? Are we still talking about that right now? It would have just been better if he made you his campaign manager instead of making you take his place at the company." I scoffed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't believe that you are more worried about his chances at the polls instead of his chances at keeping his family, with you inclusive." I stopped and glanced at her as she sat down again staring at me like a student staring at her lecturer.