BABY TUNMISE

Chapter Nine

Two days had passed, and Itunu could no longer look at her aunt's husband like she used to. Sometimes, she found herself making disgusted faces at him.

Why was he doing that? Itunu thought. She still didn't have an answer.

She shook her head, trying to free her thoughts. She didn't want somebody to notice how she looked at him and ask what the problem was. That would just be embarrassing.

Itunu just felt like sleeping. It was all she could do. The mood of the living room was sober, and the curtains were not pulled. Despite how bright it was outside, the sun rays could hardly penetrate through the curtains and enter the house.

"I'm so bored," her aunt Bisola said and yawned, voicing out her thoughts.

The door burst open.

All eyes snapped to the main entrance. It was the driver.

"Yes?" Dipo asked.

"Sir." The driver, a tall, dark-skinned man with tribal marks on his face seemed to be restless. "They just called me now Sir. My wife is in labour."

Dipo exhaled sharply. "May she put to bed safely."

That wasn't a good enough response for the driver. "Sir, my wife is currently in labour, and I'm stuck here. Doing nothing. I want to be with my wife Sir." His head was bowed respectfully, but his words clearly showed that he was rebelling strongly.

Dipo rubbed his temple with his forehead, "I'm sure she'll be fine. I can help with the payment of the bills...and when...when this is all over, you can go and see her. She'll be fine, Baba Grace."

Baba Grace raised his head, looked at his boss. "Sir? How do I know that? I want to be with her. I need to be with her. She never gives birth without me."

"Well what do you want me to do!" Dipo suddenly snapped at him. "Was I the one that locked the gates? Was it me? You think if I could, I'd be sitting here with you, on a Wednesday morning? You think I love being idle?"

Baba Grace let out a few inaudible grumbles, then threw his hands to his sides. "Sorry Sir." He left the living room.

"I feel his pain sha," Tiwa said.

A few hours passed after then, and Bisola squeezed her face. "I want to go home," she complained to her husband.

Daddy Dami held her hand gently. "We'll soon go home, love."

Modupe began to clap. "Ahan, I go love oh."

"Go and meet your own husband," Bisola shooed her away. Modupe laughed.

* * *

Night was already approaching. It was around six forty-five, and Bisola was in the room with her husband and her child. They got tired of staying in the living room, so they entered their room, leaving Tiwa and Titi (but mostly Titi) to cook the soup they would be having for dinner tonight.

Bisola looked at her sleeping daughter and gently wiped her face with her palm.

"She sleeps so much these days," her father commented.

Bisola nodded, not taking her eyes off her.

"I'm nearing seven months, Kola. In like ten days, I will be," she informed him.

"I know," he answered, but Bisola did not know if he was telling the truth or not.

"I...I want to go home."

"You've said this before, in the living room," Kola said.

"I know. I just...I feel somehow." She raised her gaze, looked at him. "Maybe claustrophobic. I feel uncomfortable in a way. I honestly wish I was with Alhaja."

Kola chuckled, attempting to ease some of the tension in the air. "Always been a mummy's baby, haven't you?"

"I miss my mummy," his wife said in a babyish voice.

"Smallie."

"No you don't understand." Bisola was enjoying this banter between her and her husband. "She's always extra caring whenever I'm pregnant."

"You say that like you've been pregnant seven times. This is your second pregnancy," Kola deadpanned.

Bisola hit him playfully on his shoulder. "Shut your mouth."

Kola simply laughed.

* * *

Itunu was in her room, using her phone to browse social media. She went to WhatsApp and saw some messages from her friends. Everybody was having such a nice time and making the most of their long holiday.

But not her.

She was too busy being stuck in a police case, something she knew nothing of. She was so unlucky.

She sighed. She couldn't wait for all these to be over and for her to go home. She wanted the police to catch whoever kidnapped her cousin, and she felt strongly positive that whoever it was, was the person that was in her room that night and took the yellow cardboard.

* * *

Just like Titi knew, immediately Bisola, the only one Tiwa feared entered the room, she disappeared into thin air, leaving Titi to cook the soup.

Titi didn't mind, she actually loved cooking. Or at least, she was used to it. And this kitchen, her madam's, was certainly comfortable and made it very enjoyable for Titi to cook. It was very spacious, had very light peach tiles, and was beautiful with all the modern cooking equipment. There was an oven, a microwave, a juicer, steamers, poachers, blenders, cooking processors, and so many other items she couldn't name. Even the ones she could name, it was her madam that taught her. She certainly didn't know any of this until she got here.

Unlike her own mother's kitchen, which was extremely small, had charcoal stained walls and...she had to admit, ugly.

She was thinking about how much she loved cleaning the kitchen, when the soup nearly started to burn. She quickly turned the cooker off in time. The soup was ready, now she needed rice. She checked the bowl in the kitchen where rice was kept, but it was empty. She remembered cooking the last of it few days ago and wondered why she hadn't replaced it. She grabbed the bowl and made for the store.

In the store, she was taking rice from the sack and putting it into her big bowl when she heared a loud, exploding sound. She jumped in fright and turned immediately, to find Bode standing at her back, an empty sachet of water. She knew what he had done. He blew air into the nylon and burst it with his hands to scare her.

"Bode!" She scolded. "Are you okay at all?"

"What did I do?" He asked in the most frail, innocent voice ever.

She ignored him. "Why are you here?"

"I came to take garlic. I need it for my sickness," he said innocently.

"You're sick but you can scare someone? How come?"

"Scare you? I didn't scare you oh. How can you say that? No, don't lie against me, Titi."

"But you just..."

"I'll leave you alone to do what you're doing," Bode interrupted her. "Don't let the rice pour oh, it was purchased with a lot of money," Bode said sarcastically.

Titi shook her head. She was getting sick of this boy.