Goldfish Bowl

Chapter 19

The last time Alisha saw Festus's mother was when she was eight, she had liked her as a little girl because the older woman was a warm person who always had stories to tell her grandchildren whenever she came to visit. Festus had never liked her or her stories and had cut her off when she had refused to convert to Christianity, so Alisha was half surprised to see her among her the small crowd of relatives gathered in the living room and even more surprised when the woman spotted her at the door.

"Ayomide! Omo mi, come and greet grandma." The old woman spread out her arms, a smile stretched on her cracked lips, addressing her by her middle name.

Alisha didn't hesitate, running until she was in the arms of the woman who didn't seem to care that Alisha wasn't her real granddaughter.

The other relatives weren't so nice, watching the reunion with sneers on their faces, the uncles and aunts that had once pretended to love her while Festus was alive to get into his good graces had dropped all pretense of it. She even heard her father's eldest brother mutter; "The girl isn't even Festus real daughter."

The house help was helping refill empty cups and it was when Alisha noticed the presence of Festus's distant cousin, the woman who had sexually abused Toyosi when he was fifteen, fury welled up in her and she didn't know she had marched up to the woman until the murmurs were suddenly quiet.

"You have guts showing up here," Alisha hissed and raised her hand to hit the woman so quick, that it echoed in the air. Her hand hurt and she was breathing hard but it had been worth it.

"Leave her, she's not worth it." Toyosi's voice whispered into her ears, her heart leapt in surprise, she hadn't known he would show up, Asher had told her.

When she turned to look at him, he was looking at the cowering woman emotionlessly, if he hated her then he did not show if. Alisha let him pull away from her.

"You're here," Alisha breathe out. "Asher told me you wouldn't be coming."

Unlike her other siblings, she hadn't kept in touch with Toyosi, he had shut her out like he had shut out his father and her mother, he rarely ever spoke to his younger siblings either. He wasn't even related to her at all, he didn't owe her anything but it hurt that he had chosen to forget her.

"I don't need you fighting my battles, Alisha." He told her softly.

"I will always have your back, always." She told him back, equally fierce.

Toyosi's eyes softened and once again, he was brother she had known her whole life, that had always had her back for most of it. "I missed you."

She drew in a sharp breath.

"How are you?" She asked.

"I'm good, I guess. I'm getting married in a few months time." He said, her jaw dropped. He laughed, touching a hand to his temple. "It's a long story."

"I'm willing to hear it, Toyosi."

"Well, we have all the time in the world, the barrister is here."

It was true, the barrister was a broad, short man who was dressed in a sharp black suit. The rest of the family were quick to fuss to his side, offering dull compliments to his person as if doing so would grant them an automatic spot on the dead man's will. Oddly, the scene reminded Alisha of little children flocking to the feet of Father Christmas.

When he politely asked for water, seven of Festus's relatives were quick to bark orders at the house help who looked lost and them bicker among themselves about who spoke the order first, they didn't even see the barrister slip away from them to speak to Alisha, when she looked, Toyosi was no longer by her side, he was speaking to their grandmother and when he caught her look, winking mischievously at her. She held back her laugh.