Make It Rain

FORTY-ONE

"When are you going to be back my boy?"

"Mom, I am a man now, no longer a boy." Samuel wore a soft smile, standing at the door with Shola.

Fluttering her eyes at Samuel, up and down, she answered with a teasing smile, "You only become a man to me when you get married."

A chuckle followed as Shola tightened her grip on Samuel's arm. She understood very well what Mrs. Akande meant and was probably as eager as she was to begin preparations for a marriage.

"Come on Mum, I and Shola have already discussed and things will be organized when I return." Easing Shola by bracing her hold with the soft touch of his palm. "Right?" He turned his gaze to her.

"Yes Mrs. Akande."

"Okay oo, I have heard you oo."

Samuel finally hugged his mother goodbye before leaving the house with Shola, into his mother's minivan that the chauffeur waited in.

"Good morning Mr. Peter." Samuel was always so polite to his mother's chauffeur.

"Good morning my boy. Off to the airport again?"

"Yes." Samuel's grin was wide.

They got into the car and the sound of the roaring engine followed. The chauffeur took no time to begin the journey to the airport as he started driving.

Shola sitting beside him, Samuel looked back to the house as they moved away from it. The memories that the last few months held, the joy, tears, love, sorrows and pain that were all felt over the period he had spent in Nigeria after his arrival were things he was never going to forget.

Samuel could almost feel a tear escape the lids that held his eyes as he watched the gap between him and his home slowly increase. A part of him didn't want to leave again, not even for a few months. He loved it there and loved the people that made it a home.

"It will be fine." Shola's soothing voice penetrated Samuel's ears, "After all, you are only gone for a short while. We will remain here, waiting for you."

Samuel nodded his head in response, then leaned his head on her breast while wrapping his hands around her waist, "I know."

Samuel was going to return for sure. There was no way he was leaving all that he had fought for behind. Though he wished his brother could be around, the little he had left in Shola and his mother were enough to make him happy.

"I will be back for sure!"

***

"Your information better be correct!" Seun's threats were no jokes.

"I am certain. Samuel and Shola will be on their way to the airport very soon and you can ambush them there." A hoarsely voiced man wearing a black hoodie and a mask assured Seun.

"Good, let's get to work then."

It was now or never for Seun. He had risked everything to give it one more shot at getting Shola with him, and this time he was determined not to lose no matter what.

The man nodded his head and got into his van, watching Seun leave with reminiscence of what they had planned slowly clouding his mind.

"Listen carefully, it is either I get Shola or nobody does."

"What do you mean?"

With a less subtle tone, "You know what I mean!" Seun replied with a very descriptive wave of his hand over his neck.

Slightly raising a brow, the man remarked, "You are crazy."

Of course he was. Seun was always more devious than he was reasonable, and never really cared about others.