The Void Between Hearts ~~ongoing~~

ⒽⒶⓅⓅⒾⓃⒺⓈⓈ

3| ℐᏉᎯℕ

   STANDING ALONE. I was at a fest in a swamp. The wet mud squished between my toes, as I hauled my bare feet through it. I can't remember what the fest was called, but distant voices repeatedly yelled a weird name. 

   Around me, I could hear chants, talking drums, and loud Fuji tunes. There were also thick plumes of bitter smoke in the air, and like a cult, the people were painted in different glow-in-the-dark colours, and dancing freakishly, except me. 

   I turned to leave, whatever it was they were doing was obviously not for me, but then I heard a familiar voice call my name.

   "Kola!" 

   The voice reverberated through the entire swamp as the place fell so eerily silent, and dark. I turned around and saw Father. In the darkness, he was shielded in a ring of white light. 

   I bolted towards him, but the more I ran, the farther he became, and then my feet started drifting.

   I woke up to my heart drumming angrily, and my pyjamas drenched in sweat. I checked the air conditioner screen. It was set on turbo. I looked around in the dim darkness, trying to make out the silhouetted figures formed from despair.

   "Nightmare." I said to myself. The third one about Father since we moved back. 

   After catching my breath and calming my racing heart, I picked up my phone to check the time, only to discover that Boma was still online, at 3am. 

   I texted, "hey... Still up?" and she replied. 

   Turned out that she was up late watching movies. I told her about the dream, and we talked about interpretations.

   'Your dad's probably having fun on the other side.'
   'You're lucky you get to remember your dreams. I don't even know if I dream.' She said.

   I didn't want to stop but she fell asleep at 5am, and it took every neuron in my brain, to remember that we're still sticking to just friends. 

•••••

   I have been awake since then, laying in my oversized bed, watching MTV cribs, thinking of skipping the company tour, getting up only for breakfast and bath, avoiding Mother, praying Tosin boards the wrong plane and ends up in Iraq, thinking of Boma, and sketching nothing.

   I check the time, it's 12:15pm. Mother has some shopping to do, I'll be home alone with Sua, the other maids and my personal security. Tosin's jet will be at the airport in five hours. I still don't know why Tosin can't remain in school. Mother's whole point of sending him there, Norway, and buying a house, was to avoid this needless summer returns. Now we're supposed to live together, under the same roof.

The agbaya and me for summer.

   Knock! "Sir?"

   "Come in."

   Mike walks in, already clothed in his camouflage uniform, boots and rifle. Deji and Ike follow behind suited up as well. They duck their heads, so they don't hit my chandelier. 

   "Sir. Your mother said to remind you that we'll be leaving for the company tour in less than two hours," Mike says. "Would you want to take the SUV?"

   "No. The jeep, and can we not have a convoy?"

   "I'm sorry sir, your mother insisted."

   "I'm sure she did. That's fine. Anything else?"

   "No sir."

   "I'll meet you when it's time." I say. They salute and walk out. 

   Ever since Father was murdered, personal security has been a big deal. There's a team from the Navy, Air force and Army in every city. Mother and Tosin have theirs too. Annoying quite frankly, but necessary. 

   Father underestimated the need for security and lived a very accessible life until he was assassinated, and the culprits were never caught. 

   That day, Friday, seventeenth May 2010. After school, Tosin and I spent the following hours at Boma's house as usual and by 4pm, Sua came with the driver to pick us up. 

   As we closed in on our house, I saw a tinted black jeep leave the street hurriedly. I caught a glimpse of the driver and another passenger with eerie smiles before they sped off. But I brushed it off, until we got home, to meet an open gate, and a shot gateman. Then I heard Mother's scream and ran inside. That was when I saw him, Father, on the floor, lifeless. Floating in his own blood. His head had been shattered and several holes were on his body. I was looking in his eyes before Sua dragged me away. 

   During the police investigation, I offered to make identifications and statements, but the police believed they were fabricated by a traumatized child so those men walked free.

   I should ditch the tour, and visit her instead.

    But my blood is already boiling with those hormones that make teenagers do crazy things, and she's probably having a busy day already.

   I don't want to force myself into her space. 

   I set a reminder on my iPad to call her after the tour. I'll use it as an opportunity to tell her everything. 

   "GUNNIVAN GROUP: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO YOUR COMPANIES. COMPILED BY THE ACTING CEO, FOR THE CEO." Reads the document Mother asked me to study. It has been resting in my library for days. If the company tour wasn't in a few hours, I would never even pick it up. 

   As I flip through the white pages, I find myself being annoyed by the words.

   If I cared enough, I would have fired whoever made this thing hard copy. It looks like pretend encyclopaedia, and I have issues with books that have numerous pages. Reminds me of those afternoons when Father would sit with me and Tosin and walk us through the bible and dictionary. 

   When Father left for his grave, it took a big chunk out of me and I have not been able to recover from it.

   I read the title again and sigh, CEO. I'm never going to want this. 

Thanks again.