It all began in 2020

CHAPTER SIX🙄

CHAPTER SIX🙄

ROMOKE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: "I would really love to dedicate this chapter to @mayro_ for being the first person to read this book and vote, and also for being the most frequent commenter, it really means a lot, and as I said earlier, it gives the book more recognition, and for this, I say thank you."

*HAHAHAHAHAHAH*

The living room was filled with the eruption of laughter from the television. I was on the couch watching a comedy programme until when I heard the door slam behind me. I turned to see who it was and it was Tunde who came back rather a bit too early from school. He didn't seem happy and immediately, he stormed off to his bedroom. I would have loved to ask him about his day but I could see he wasn't in the mood for one of those tete a tetes I had with his elder brother. But what did I expect? Tunde was one hell of a different kind of person, in fact, all my children were, but Tunde stood out from the rest. He always seemed to mind his business but end up in trouble anyway. I was really hoping his troublesome ways could be over before he got into the university. I mean, if I, his mother, couldn't fix him, then who else can?

I continued to pay attention to my television programme and soon enough, someone called me. "Mummy?" It was Tunde. His head was poked out from behind his bedroom door, his face sombre. He looked like he was about to cry, and I stood up to meet him. I held his face in my hands with concern. "What's wrong?" I asked. He looked at me and immediately threw his arms around me. It was the most emotional I had ever seen him be. Of course I was worried. Heck, I was scared even, because I knew that whatever got my son into the mood he was in had to be something serious. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry."

He's sorry? What does that even mean? "What do you mean by you're sorry? What's wrong? Talk to me."

"I'm sorry." He kept on repeating those words as he cried on my back. I hugged him and told him it was all okay and that everything would be alright. I didn't know what he did wrong, but I couldn't continue seeing him like that either. Tunde sobbed for a very long time, and when it was over, he went back into his bedroom and tucked himself in before falling asleep. I went over to the living room and put off the television. I walked to the kitchen and brewed myself some tea before taking my seat in the dining room. I couldn't shake off what just happened between Tunde and I, and despite the fact I was really curious to know what happened, I felt it was best to give him some time, and that he would talk to me whenever he willed.

Time passed by and Aanu walked in. At least nothing was wrong with her. She greeted me upon seeing me and went into her bedroom. Glad to see she's okay. I stood up and went to knock on her door. "Come in!" her voice said from inside. I opened the door and walked in, ensuring to close it behind me. She didn't seem happy to see me in her room, but that was just Aanu. Always trying to keep to herself. I sat down on her bed and there was an uncomfortable silence between us. "Did you just walk in to stare at me?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to make sure everything was alright with you."

"Of course everything is alright with me. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Your brother seems down."

"Ohhhh, that's a shocker." she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she made the statement.

"No. I'm serious. He was crying."

"Well? What do you want me to do about it? He pretty much hates all of us anyway."

Aanu didn't seem to care about the information I brought to her. She kept on folding her arms, rolling her eyes and sucking her teeth amidst our conversation. She was in no way interested. I didn't want to engage in a conversation with her either, just find out what went wrong with her brother.

"I want to know if anything happened to him in school."

"Nothing I know of."

I sighed, and tapped my daughter on her shoulder, a gesture indicating my thanks. I guess, if I really wanted to know what happened, I would have to hear it from the horse's mouth. I stood up and left the room before returning to the dining to pick up my tea mug and finally entering the kitchen to prepare dinner.

⏳

It was finally time for dinner. It wasn't a special dish anyway, seeing I had to make do with the leftover soup and the remaining garri. Honestly, it was hard trying to give my children the best, but everything just happens for a reason. Right?

I called out Aanu and Tunde to come have their foods and grudgingly, they came out. It's not like I was forcing them anyway. They all came over to the dining table and we held our hands to pray (yes, we're religious like that), before eating. We dug into our foods and as we ate, everyone and everywhere was silent.

"Tunde." I finally said to break the silence.

He didn't respond. He just shot his head up, looking at me with confusion written across his face.

"What were the tears for? What did you do?"

"It's nothing important." He said, and returned to his food. Tunde and I weren't the ones to get along but there was quite something different about the way he spoke, the way he looked at his food as he ate. He was different. Too different.

Soon, a bright beam of light approached our window, and after staring at it for a while, I heard the slam of a door from outside. It was a car. 'We don't have a car" I told myself. My questions were answered almost immediately as the car's engine vroomed on. The car pulled out from our lot and in walked in Gbenga with a cardboard box in his hands. He looked out of place, dishevelled, unkempt even. He dropped the box on the floor and his children greeted him with the much too familiar "daddy welcome." His mannerisms, his stench, Gbenga was drunk. I knew my husband far too well than for him to return home drunk. He did drink. In fact, we both did, but we did it minimally. I didn't bother paying him much more attention because as he stumbled across the living room, he fell down on the couch and immediately fell asleep.

Finally, we were done with our meal and Aanu and I packed the dishes and we went into the kitchen to wash them. When we were done, I looked over at the clock on the wall in the living room and it was nearly 9 PM. Debo wasn't home yet and that was not normal. I went to my bedroom, picked up my phone and gave him a call.