For When You're A Man (under reconstruction)

Locked In

"Adewale, Abiola, Ayomide! Come down right now!" I heard my mum's voice bellowing through the thin walls.

Full names? We're in deep shit. Fantastic.

We all came down and sat awkwardly across from each other.

"There has been more conflict between the three of you than ever, we need to sort this out. Your father wouldn't have wanted this," She began, in an eerily calm voice. I knew she was angry but the vein that usually protruded on her forehead when she was angry was absent.

She stepped out of the dining room/ kitchen area and locked us in. My guess is we weren't coming out until we sorted out our shit.

"Jonah, what did Biola ever do to you for you to say that to her?" I began.

"It was a compliment, she's lucky he wasn't her father," He said in a bored voice.

"Why do you hate all of us, what did we ever do to you?" I asked him frustrated, Biola just watched us as she sat on the kitchen counter.

"I'm not talking this out with you so we can all sing Kumbaya and play happy families. Let's just text Mum that we've all come to a new understanding of one another in about an hour and get out of here,"

"Fine," I said, exasperated. I was so sick of his attitude. Who told him to come back home anyway?

I started texting Jason after that until my phone died.

"Text Mum" I said to Jonah "She'll listen to you" I concluded.

"As if anyone here listens to anything," He retorted typing out the message.

After a couple minutes, we realised that she was not going to let us out any time soon. So I did what any sensible person would do, I made sandwiches. I gave Biola one and then I stepped into the lion's den. I gingerly put one in front of Jonah. And to my surprise, he began nibbling at it. I haven't seen that man eat in years, I forgot he ever did.

Jonah swore under his breath and my guess was that his phone died as well. Biola didn't have hers so now, we were stuck.

We were now approximately hour 2 of being locked in together and I really needed to distract myself from my  sudden urge to answer nature's call

"Do you think Mum's even home?" Biola asked, breaking the silence.

"Doubt it," Jonah said, without the snarky tone for once.

"What happened to us?" I asked.

"We started having secrets and grew to hate each other," Biola answered simply.

"I guess so, but some things are kept secret for good reason," Jonah responded.

That was the first time we've agreed in years.

"You're right." I said, searching through the fridge again.

Outside, you could see it darkening.

"We aren't going to instantly be best friends again, but can we agree to let each other breathe and stop the underhanded digs. We all know each other's deepest insecurities but let's not pick on them," Biola said, she was the one with the good head on her shoulders. For the sake of peace, I agreed.

"Deal," I said.

"Done," Jonah replied.

"This is usually the part of the movie where everyone gets let out," I said after around half an hour, there was still no sign of Mum.

I guess it was the kitchen floor for us tonight.