Revolt

16. Brotherhood

“We must live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

•••

Tiolu.

Anjola felt the cold chill that ran down her spine, freeze in place, compromising her spinal cord and entire blood stream until she was numb with fear, that she thought she’d crack in mortification.

The image before her just couldn’t be true. Her eyes had to be playing some sort of elaborate prank on her. Tiolu and Dayo weren’t due to return from their honeymoon, till next week—yet here she was, in her apartment—dressed in a white turtle neck sweater, faded blue jeans and brown suede low heeled ankle boots, approaching her and Lekan, with an equally bewildered, astounded glare that spoke volumes of her astonishment and incredulity.

Anjola wished she’d melt into water under the vicious heat of her friend’s glare, and trickle down into the sink behind her, so she wouldn’t have to face the inevitable. But that wasn’t possible. She had dug her own grave, and now she had to lay in it.

“You know there is something called a doorbell, right?” Lekan was querying his sister, advancing towards her now static figure—the kitchen island, being the only thing separating them. Anjola finally mustered courage, and hopped off the counter to join them. “It is fixed at entrances to notify house owners, that you want to visit them, so as not to invade their privacy. Even if their door is wide open, manners demand that you notify someone before you barge into their house like you own the place. Just because y’all lived here together in the past, doesn’t free you from that obligation.”

Tiolu who had her arms folded, glared at Lekan condescendingly as if she were royalty, and he was a commoner stepping out of place. “Um, I don’t have to announce myself before I enter my best friend’s house. That’s why she gave me a freaking key, but it’s not like I have to explain myself to you.” Then her friend’s fiery glare transferred to her, and she felt her knees turn to jelly and wobble in fright.

Asides from the fact that Tiolu didn’t approve of Lekan in any way, she was also furious that Anjola hadn’t relayed that much to her. Since the past couple of months, she had never felt that their friendship would cease to be what it is, than she did in the current moment. “Um, are you done hiding in his shadow now and letting him talk like he’s your mouthpiece? If you are, then come out. We have a lot of talking to do.” Tiolu added.

Anjola swallowed, and walked out of the island and then the kitchen, to join her friend by the dining table. Lekan on the other hand, wasn’t done querying his sister.

“And it’s not like she has to explain anything to you, either. You don’t have to frown at her, and talk to her like she’s your daughter that you walked in on, banging the son of your neighbors—” Lekan started.

“Lekan, it’s okay.” Anjola said, over her shoulder and gave him a look that she knew wouldn’t fail to mollify him. His hunched shoulders finally fell, and his hardened posture dissolved, resulting in him leaning over the counter.

She appreciated the fact that he was standing up for her, and wasn’t deserting her in this dilemma but it was something she had to face by herself. If he said any more, he’d worsen matters and Tiolu would only be more furious that she was granting him access, to meddle with a matter related to their ironclad friendship. “Tiolu and I, would be going to my bedroom to talk. We’d be out in a bit. You’re free to go home, though but if you want to wait, you’re welcome.”

Tiolu scoffed at this, and shook her head, like she couldn’t believe her ears. “You should make it clear to him that he’s not allowed to join us in your bedroom. From what I saw earlier, it wouldn’t be obnoxious to think that he frequents there with you.”