Oluwatimilehin.

Labake

Timilehin

The dinning room was filled with silence, as my mum stared at me disapprovingly.

I'd waited for Tomi, before deciding to call it quits at around 6:30pm, there were no Ubers going to Marina waterfront at that time, so I'd had to use public transport and leg the remaining because no Okada wanted to enter remote Marina at quarter to nine.

I'd explained all this and my mum had called me irresponsible knowing fully well that I couldn't use my phone in public transport.

'Won't you reprimand her?' she asks my dad hysterically.

'She explained herself and it was a viable reason, Tola' he answers. He ate his meat with his hands and held a half smoked cigar with the other 'It's no big deal, at-least she's fine' he continues, licking his stew coated fingers.

'Hmmmn, kini yi dun' he says satisfied.

My mum glares at him, 'So you aren't even concerned about her safety, you're always spoiling her, you think I don't know how much you send to her just for credit alone?' she goes on a tangent and I stand up to leave.

'Will you sit down back there, my friend' she says in a commanding tone.

I sit.

'Get up' my dad says.

I make to stand up.

'Sit back down' she howls.

'Stand up' my dad says coldly.

These two are fucking children.

I take my plate and leave, heading to the back door.

'Come back here' my mum shouts.

'Tola calm down' my dad yells.

'You're always spoiling he'-

I slam the door interrupting them.

I'm on our rickety wrap around porch, a gust of the warm and humid lagoon breeze hits me.

Peace at last.

Our house was built on the Lagos coast, it was serene and our only neighbors were fishermen.

My parents were still shouting but I couldn't make out any words, I pick up my fork and as I start to clear rice on my plate I hear the back door open, it was my dad, his buff tall frame approaches me, I could smell the bittersweet cigar smoke on him.

He sits down beside me, we make eye contact.

'That woman is a piece of work' he says.

'Then why did you marry her' I ask putting a forkful of rice in my mouth.

'Because I loved her, I still do but things are complicated' he says sadly.

He picks up my fork and picks the meat on my plate, I shoo him away and grab my meat back from him.

'Ole' I mock taking a bite.

'Oya give me small' he pleads.

I tear of one strand and give him, chuckling.

'Ahan nau' he says

I hand him a chunk.

'Better' he says and I make a face at him. We stare into the lagoon which was lit up from lights surrounding the house, for a few minutes. He stands up to go inside and I follow him.

'I know you cheated on me' my mum starts immediately as we come through the door, my dad freezes.

'With this useless fool' she adds pointing to Labake.

Oh my fucking God.

'Timilehin go to your room' he commands. I go upstairs, I was numb, I couldn't believe it.

I hear their shouts all the way from my room, a few moments later I hear a huge smack and I run out of my room and to the top of the stairs, Labake was on the floor with tears in her eyes.

'Calm down, don't kill her' my dad says helping Labake up. My mum starts screaming profanities at them.

I go back to my room and turned the light off. I had witnessed enough.

I could still hear them. 'Gboko gboko' she shouts. 'Iwo na ashewo' she continues referring most likely to my dad.

'Tola it's enough' he shouts back and she continues screaming.

Moments later, I hear a knock on my door, I wake up startled.

'Baby girl, are you still awake?' my dad asks softly.

I nod in response.

Pack a bag.

Your mum and I are getting a divorce.