TÓDÙN

42

TÓDÙN

I bidded him good night and laid down on the bed expecting the flow of sleep to consume me but nothing happened. I changed the position I slept several times, thinking it was the way I laid down that was impeding the sleep but it was still the same story. The thought of my Mum looking for me in that freezing night stuck to my mind like a scar, I felt drowned by the revelation of still having my father alive and at the same time helpless because I left her at home without telling her where I was off to. In a country where security is at the ground level, stepping out of the house is like stepping into a trap. You never know who is going to get back, you never know who will never be found. Our faith is what keeps us sane at least, it consoles us and becomes our haven when our homes are now a place for our predators.

I tried to put myself in her place, she might be thinking I have been kidnapped since my phone was even switched off. Why did she have to lie to me? Why did she decide to live that type of life, when she could have enjoyed being taking care of by a man who is rich? But then I remembered she was just a housemaid who should have never been involved with her boss.

***

I woke up the following morning and could barely open my eyes, I still felt like remaining on bed but Kunle insisted we left the hotel to their house. Is he going to tell his Mum about his cheating Dad, as soon as we get home? I kept wondering as he drove the car and we made eye contacts in the rear mirror. Sometimes he smiled, I smiled in return and other times he winks even though I wasn't in the mood for that. Guys seems to have control over situations than we ladies do.

Kemi sat beside me but looking very sad, she only talked when it was very necessary, her eyes were puffy and she already called her place of work that she wasn't going to be present that day. I sometimes stared out of the window to see what was going on outside, the roads were busy as they have always been, buses were full as people tried to get to their place of work. I imagined my Mum seated at the front of the house waiting for me. Why can't I take my mind off her since I feel offended? Maybe because blood is thicker than water

The car finally stopped at the front of a magnificent building and Kunle honked for the gate to be opened. I watched as a man who was neatly dressed unlike the common gatekeepers I was used to opened the gate and flashed a smile at us. Kunle shook his head as he drove in and parked at the parking lot where other cars were lined up.

"Does your Mum know I will be here?" I asked, getting ready to meet his Mum.

"Kemi told her over the phone." Kunle explained since Kemi was tight lipped.

"Sis, are you alright?" Kunle asked as he opened the door for us to get down. I tightened my hold on the cardigan I was giving the previous night and watched Kunle's face, while  Kemi backed me and answered.

"I am not alright and I will still not be alright, if you eventually tell Mum." She answered and he looked at me then back at her. " I keep telling you to let things take their natural cause." She continued.

"Can we please just talk about other things? That topic is becoming too boring." He replied and pulled her hand smiling.

"And, I think you won't want her to see your face looking like that." He added while she chuckled and pointed to her puffy eyes, a sign that she cried overnight.

She quickly face me and pointed to the bottle of water which she had dropped on the floor of the car earlier. I handed it to her and she waved for Kunle to move away from her a bit while she used the water to watch her face. While she was doing that, I watched Kunle who stared at her in admiration. He must have changed his mind after our conversation last night or did they discuss anything before I woke up? He looked at me and winked again while I reciprocated that with a smile. I wondered how many times she had cried and covered it up by using water to wash her face. It must be very troubling for her to watch her father constantly cheating on her Mum.