Tomi (A short story)

Chapter 26

Song for the chapter: I got a friend by Davido ft Mayorkun.

Tomi

While I stared at the gap-toothed police man in disgust, Seun was talking with the commander of police on the phone.

I came here on my own to bail Aisha out of jail since Ray was out on holiday with his new girlfriend from the accounting department and Aisha's excuse of a husband was too much of a scaredy cat to show his face at the police station but the police officers had told me that a woman couldn't request for bail and that a man had to come talk to them.

Like what would I call this level of thinking these men had. I had the money and they wouldn't allow me bail her out unless i had a man come with me. One of then even had the audacity to ask why I hadn't gotten married already.

"Here talk to your boss." Seun passed his phone to the officers and the gap toothed one accepted it with a smug look on his face.

"Hello sir!" He screamed into the phone and I sighed in frustration. The earlier we got out of the place the better. I was beyond disgusted at this point and Seun who seemed to have noticed my sour mood, rubbed my back in small patterns.

"We'll get her out." He smiled at me before returning his attention to the police officer. "Are you done?"

"Boss, I'm so sorry for stressing you and your wife." He placed his hands together and turned to me. "Madam I'm so sorry."

"Please can you just bring her out now." I said in a an obvious rude tone and as expected the smile did not waver from his face. I wonder what his boss must have told him because he acting like he wasn't staring daggers at me earlier.

Aisha came out from an adjoined room looking as dejected as ever. My stomach churned as I thought of all she must have been going through alone and seeing her now just made me realise that I was such a shitty friend. These past few weeks she had completely shut everyone out but that wasn't a good enough excuse to not at least try to see her.

"Tomike." She stared at me in disbelief. "You..what are you doing here?" She turned to Seun. "Sir."

"Mrs Ahmed we'll talk when we're out of here. For now let's just leave. These men are starting to stare too much and we don't want this on social media."

We walked out the police station and got into Seun's car immediately. I sat in the back with Aisha while He was seated in the front with the driver.

"Are you okay?" I asked Aisha but I noticed some sort of hesitation. "We'll talk when we get to your house." I squeezed her hands.

Luckily for us there was no traffic and in no time we were parked outside Aisha's house. I remember when I used to admire this house because it was so beautiful and felt so homey but now now it just had this weird feeling attached to it. It was just a house now and not a home.

"Thank you Seun. I'll call you later." I gave him a small hug.

"Thank you sir."

"Just take care of yourself Mrs Ahmed. Your children need you now more than ever and you need to think about how your actions will affect them. Nobody else might understand how you feel but I just want you take everything easy."

"Thank you very much Sir." She wiped her eyes clean and I gave Seun a small kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you."

He turned back to his car and entered the back seat.

"Where are the kids?" My eyes darted around the living room.

"They are at my parents place." She turned on the lights and led me to the kitchen. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Aisha I think you should freshen up first. I mean have you seen your hair? You look crazy."

"Tomike I am hungry. Food comes first for me right now." She pushed me to the corner of the kitchen where some bar stools were situated and I sat down on one of them.

"Why didn't your parents bail you out?"

"They said I shouldn't have disgraced myself like that." She gave a dry chuckle. "I was surprised when the officer told me someone had come to bail me out because my fathers plan was to keep me there for three days until I had learned my lesson."

"And your husband?"

"The last time I heard he was in Monaco. That man has no shame whatever and I am only mad at myself that it took me this long to realise I was in this marriage all by myself."

I watched as she chopped the vegetables with great skill. Aisha loved cooking and she wanted to pursue that as a profession but her husband said he preferred a woman who worked a nine to five.

If Aisha wasn't killing it at board meetings, she was making fire meals for her family but what she really wanted was to be a chef.

"So what's the next plan?"

"What?" She passed a plate of noodles and fried egg to me. "If you're asking about my husband I want a divorce and I'm already talking to a lawyer."

"Well that's understandable but I'm talking about you. Are you coming back to the company?"

"Honestly, I haven't thought that over."

"You could just start that cooking business that you've always wanted."

"Tomike." She smiled softly. "I don't even think I want to work now. I just want to go on a vacation with my kids to clear my head then maybe when I come back I'll be sure about what I really want."

"Then if that's the case we both know money is not a problem. And if you want anything, maybe a driver to take you to the airport." We laughed. "Just call me and I'll be there with Seun."

"Okayyyy!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "I am so happy for you Tomike. You deserve everything good."

"And you deserve the best Aisha. I pray you heal from everything and I can't wait to see that after vacation glow."

"Okay now you're going to make me cry. I better wash this hair before my children get here."

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