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Nine: Brotherhood.

Nine

There is worth sometimes, without a greatness of soul, but there is never a great soul without some degree of worth. Pg 106 Moral Reflections.

I pretended not to see the empty bottle of sleeping pill Ireti had tucked under her bed when I pulled my silk Valentino robe on at exactly midnight. I stood silently, watching her for what felt like hours until I finally confirmed that she was truly sound asleep because there had been several instances when I thought she was fast asleep and I'd find her trailing behind me and when I didn't pretend to be getting a glass of milk or grabbing a bottle of wine, I'd turn my back and catch her in the middle of her hilarious and pathetic tiptoeing.

"What are you doing, Ireti?" I would ask her.

"Where are you going?" She would ask me back with her lips pouted and I'd lie that I wanted a glass of water because I woke up poached only for her to say something sarcastic like, "eh, me too I want a glass of water too." And just like that, she would have unknowingly cost me an arm and a leg for missing that morning's meeting with the Brothers.

I tiptoed out of the room that night and disappeared into the secret room in the hidden corner of my study. I took my clothes off and quietly took the water from the hands of the little girl with the red wrapper tied around her flat chest. The sight of her bleeding but unmoving eyes always scared the hell out of me but I was getting used to seeing her face.

"You're late once again." Lord Nicholas said with his back turned at me and he looked like he was watering a flower but I knew whatever he was doing was far from positive. He had a long silver hooded robe on without the hood and I envied with perfectly graying hair. The rest of the brothers just had their heads bowed in silence.

"It's Ireti, she can be...sneaky."

"Why did you summon this meeting, Ajibade?" He waved my words off. He was probably tired of hearing my usual excuse. "We weren't supposed to meet in Nigeria this month or the next—Moscow was supposed to be the next meeting ground."

"I know Lord, but I wanted to talk about—,"

"They'll be fine, Ajibade. It's one of those things." He responded casually like he was speaking of chickens and I could begin to feel myself get irritated by his mysterious way of speaking. Did he really have to count his words like an illiterate? He was the reason why the meetings were always extended unnecessarily.

"My daughters are involved, Lord. They are the reasons why I joined in the first place—I'll give anything. I'll drop anything. Just let them lead normal lives."

"Just your daughters? What about your wife? Isn't she having the same nightmares?" He asked and I could almost feel him smirking although he had his back turned at us.

"I'm here for all of my girls Lord Nicholas— my wife included." I bowed.

"I thought as much." He finally turned with the said smirk plastered on his face. I wanted to knock his teeth off but I lowered my eyes.

"Yes my Lord," I said.

"Are you ready to pay the ultimate price?" He asked coldly and I felt my heart begin to beat faster than a Celestial Church drummer on cocaine.

"The Price! The Price! The Ultimate Price!" I heard every hooded member of the Brotherhood begin to chant like a bunch of primary school students chanted a catchy poem and if I wasn't the one standing in the hot seat at the moment, I would've just been one of them.

"The Great Lord Lucifer seeks the head of your Dear mother on the first Sunday of next month." I heard a voice fill the room like dark energy but I knew that the orders heard nothing. It was a personal transaction between the devil and myself.

"I object," I answered. "Can't I drop my brother's wife or any of his children?"

"You've emptied their purses. You've enriched yourself with all of their destinies. They're as good as nothing. Offer your mother's head or offer your son; Tobiloba." He responded and I felt myself freeze at the mention of my son's name.

"NO! he's not going to die Ajibade, he'll just be rendered useless for 15 years. It's either your son or your mother. MAKE A CHOICE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT LUCIFER!" The voice filled the room and I stumbled back. I'd been present at a friend's personal interaction with Lucifer one time and I kept wondering why he screamed the words No! and why he kept shaking like a baby. The next thing I heard about him was that he'd acquired 2 new private jets and that he'd lost his first son too. Now I knew.

I went back to my bed that night crying like a baby and when Ireti wouldn't stop pressing me to speak I lied to her that I had a terrible nightmare about my daughters and that I needed to see them as early as possible.

"See what I'm talking about! Look, if anything happens to any one of my children; I swear I'll kill you Ajibade!" She thundered before turning back to sleep and I wondered where the woman that had just been comforting and begging me to tell her what was making me cry had disappeared to.

The jet was enclosing and I was watching the chauffeur and the nanny walk my girls back to the car with the necklaces on all of their necks when I felt my phone vibrate. It was a notification from Ireti and I immediately began to panic.

IRETI MY WIFE
WHERE ARE YOU AJIBADE?!
They've just rushed our son the the hospital oo
I hope this isn't one of your...Ah! This man!
JUST COME BACK HOME RIGHT NOW!

I knew then that I had just paid my version of the Ultimate Price.

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