Chaos and painkillers

4. How's any of this great?

"What about Simi?"

Sudais slowly sucked his lower lip into his mouth, brought it out, and smacked his lips. His steps did not halter, nor did the person talking to him. "What about Simi?"

"Sudais, this is not funny anymore. Your dad tasked me with the job of making sure you realize you're 32 and not getting any younger. You can't keep gambling with your life like that. Not to mention, her life."

Sudais halted to give the man a chuckle before pushing the door. "Why do you care, Tahir?" Since they were on the first name thing, two could play the game.

"Because I respect your dad. I adore him."

Sudais jammed his lips to stop himself from laughing.

Tahir placed a firm hand on Sudais' shoulder. They both halted at that. Sudais twisted to his friend, amusement still evident on his face.

"It's not funny, Tafida."

Sudais couldn't hold it back, he burst into a fit of laughter with his index pointing at Tahir's confused expression. "Ohh-ohh but it is...why are you so hell-bent on this?"

Tahir walked away to plant himself on the chaise sofa. He hoisted his eyes to meet Sudais' figure that stood at the frontage of the fridge.

Sudais returned with blue band-butter out of the icy appliance and bent to take out another large bowl of brownish snack.

Tahir shook his head. The hungry bastard. "B-because...well Baba thinks highly of me, and i no wan loose that respect. Gaskia..."

Sudais dropped the contents he retrieved on the table just in time to burst into another chortle. "Na because say the man din know say na you ashewo pass."

Tahir's USB was flung at Sudais who dodged it. He laughed again. "Wallahi kana son bata min suna. I am a child of God, abeg."

Sudais ripped open the base of the bread's leather and tore the first half off while dragging the coffee table that had his butter and bowl toward him and Tahir on the couch. He twisted the bread until it was nothing more than the size of a corn dog before taking a bite.

He retrieved his phone and proceeded to go about his business. Occasionally, he'd take half a handful of the content in the bowl; Shredded chicken-Danbun kaza.

"Shege. Yanzu daga Yola har Lagos ka taho da danbun nama? Wallahi kana bani kunya." Despite Tahir's disapproval, he still joined in devouring the snack.

"Se kar kaci. Uban waye ce ka saka min hannu?" Sudais hit Tahir's hand that was filled with the shredded chicken. Half the content fell back into the bowl, the rest went to the table and floor.

Tahir hissed. "Kai wawa ne. Me haka?"

Sudais hoisted his eyes from the bowl to his friend, their bickers almost amusing him. However, he looked back at the bowl to see Tahir had just wasted some of his snacks. "Ka renamin wayo, Tahir. Yanzu don iskan—" his no doubtless insult was cut off by the vibration coming from his phone.

When he read the caller Id, he was stupid enough to let his slight confusion show before a small smile grazed his lips. He turned the phone away and excused himself.

He came back a few moments later, determined to not talk about his phone call and wishing a miracle would grace them and get Tahir the hell out of his house.

That miracle couldn't make it and Tahir being Tahir just had to ask. "That was Simi, right?"

Sudais bit off the next piece he had torn from the full bread and shook his head.