BANE OF HIS EXISTENCE

Chapter 4: MEET THE SQUAD

**Andrew**

"This is all so adorable! And little Drew looked precious with those chubby cheeks," Maya exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight. But then she tilted her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "But why the ancient custom?"

Laughter erupted in the sitting room, an infectious chorus of chuckles that echoed around me. Even my dad, who had just strolled in with his bodyguard trailing closely behind, couldn't help but join in the merriment. I snorted, shaking my head before responding.

"I'm hot and sexy, thank you very much! Not freaking cute. And that's Andrew to you!" I retorted, using my full name to remind her of the formality I preferred, especially coming from her—my audacious nickname-giver. A smirk crept onto my face as Mom affectionately pinched my cheeks, her face lighting up with pride as she gushed about how adorable her son was. The guys around us erupted into more laughter, clearly finding amusement in my dismay.

Those traitors!

"I will get my revenge!" I silently vowed.

"This isn't some whimsical custom, dear. This picture was taken during Drew's first birthday celebration," my mom clarified, her voice warm and reminiscent.

Maya hummed thoughtfully, processing the information before she continued, "I know that much, but why dress him in an old man's outfit? Surely he could have worn something...I don’t know, more appropriate for his age?"

Can this girl be any more inquisitive?

Mom chuckled softly before launching into a story that surprised even me. "When we got married, David's mother was unable to attend our wedding because we had our ceremony in London," she said, her tone light, though the content carried the weight of a family tradition.

Maya's eyes widened in disbelief, as if she could hardly fathom the significance of what Mom revealed. I found myself equally astonished, especially considering how my father's side of the family placed such a heavy emphasis on tradition. Mom giggled, clearly enjoying reliving the memory.

"Oh, don’t worry, sweetie. We had a traditional wedding here in Nigeria to satisfy cultural expectations, but we planned our white wedding ceremony in London so that all my family members could be present since they missed the traditional ceremony, you see?"

Maya’s mouth formed a perfect 'Oh' shape as she absorbed what Mom had shared, her curiosity seemingly satisfied, but I knew there would be more questions to follow, each one digging deeper into the rich tapestry of our family's history.

"David's mother had reservations about flying to London at that time." Maya looked genuinely intrigued as she turned to me, and I shrugged, thinking, 'Hey, I wasn't even born then!' Besides, I felt I had heard this story countless times before.

“After we had Drew about a year later, she insisted we bring him back to Nigeria to live with her. But we felt it was important not to abandon everything we had worked hard for, especially when nothing was waiting for us back home,” Dad shared, nodding in agreement as he held Mom’s hands gently, conveying deep affection.

It’s heartwarming to see their love endure after all these years.

Mom chimed in, “Since the mountain refused to go to Mohammad, Mohammad decided to go to the mountain,” bursting into laughter at her joke.