Islanders (Nigerian) #3

Chapter Forty Three

   "Happy Birthday, Marcella" a message from Ethan said.

     Marcella couldn't hide how excited she was about her birthday. She had decided to throw a party. For some reason she wasn't into the idea. It wasn't going to be the same with Makayla gone. She missed their little rival.
     
      She got out of bed and walked to the window. She looked out and admired how beautiful the day was. The staffs were going about their daily duties.

    "What?" She said under her breathe when she noticed cars drive in " they are not suppose to be back"

     She rushed to her closet then ran back out when she forgot why she ran into the closet in the first place.

     She spotted her slippers by her bed and wore it. She opened the door to find her siblings by the door.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCELLA" they yelled in her face before Tobi released a confetti bomb in her face. She stared blankly.
  
"Thank you....but Mom and dad are back"

   She watched as Azeezat and Tobi looked at each other then at her.

"Mommy!" Tobi yelled before running off

"But they aren't supposed to be back till next month" Azeezat said as they walked towards the elevator.

      They ran into the foyer as they saw Timi and Dara in the Foyer.

       They both hugged Dara gently.

"How are you?" Azeezat asked Dara

" I am fine...I missed you three, get in" she said to them as she stretched her hands out for a hug.

    They broke the hug after a while to hug their father. He kissed the both of them on their heads.

   "Come and meet your little brother" Dara said as she knelt beside a mobile baby cot.
   
     Tobi was kneeling beside it, blocking the view of the baby.

"Hey brother" he yelled

"mooovvvee" Marcella said shoving him away.

  He started to cry.

"Marcella" Her father said firmly
"Sorry" she said without paying him any attention.

    "Can we carry him?" Azeezat asked
"Be gentle"
    She nodded as Dara carried the baby out of the cot and placed him in her arms.

    The baby felt warm. He looked alot like their father. He cooed as he turned in his sleep.

"What's his name?' she asked without looking away from the baby.
  
    The room fell silent. She looked up at the faces that were looking at her.

"About that, you kids should get dressed and be down in thirty minutes" Timi said

"Why?" Marcella asked
"We are going for the naming ceremony at Grandfather's.

"But Dad we made plans"

"No buts everyone be back here in 30minutes"

"Dad, I don't want to go to Grandfather's house..." Tobi said grumpily

"Azeezat, please make sure he gets dressed, please"
 
    Azeezat held him by his arms and he shoved her away.

"No, I don't want to" he yelled repeatedly as he started to cry

"Hey! Listen to me...go to your room and be back here in 30minutes or you get to stay over at Grandfather's for a week"

     Tobi fell silent immediately. He took Azeezat's hand and followed her upstairs.

      The kids assembled at the foyer thirty minutes later.

" I don't want us to stay there more than we have to...you need to rest" Timi whispered to Dara as she worked on his tie.

"Sure...we will be back in no time"

      They got to Grandfather's ten minutes later. Timi had assumed the ceremony would have been nothing but quiet, a small family gathering perhaps.
   
      The whole drive way was lit as they drove into Grandfather's estate. He could see Tobi standing on the front porch. His driver drove the car to a halt in front of the house. He stepped out and helped Dara out.

     He waited for the kids to step out of their car as well. He nodded at Chidi, his wife's personal driver who had drove them and he nodded back.

     
" It's a full house, brother" Tobi said as Timi got to the front porch were he was standing.

     "Good evening, Uncle" the kids chorused. He smiled to them

"Good evening, Champs" he said to them  before looking at Marcella. He dipped his hand into his pocket "Happy Birthday Princess...here's a blank check"

     He handed her a check that had her name written on it and his signature. The amount box had been left unfilled.

"Thank you, Uncle" she said as she slipped it into her purse. She smiled as she thought about the car she had marked out to buy. Not that the cost mattered to her uncle. He would ask "was that what you really wanted?"

The whole family was around. The naming started immediately they got there.

"Mayokun III, Dara, Michael Adegeshin" Grandfather declared as he looked at the baby in his mother's arms.

    Everyone cheered. They ate and  they drank.

"I see you got my message" Grandfather said.
   The room fell silent.

"Excuse me" Timi said as he stood up from the large dining table that was filled with food. He walked out of the dining area. He wasn't going to say more than he had prepared himself for.

    He had tried his best to avoid having long conversations with everyone. He walked into the hall and headed towards the room the older Great Grandchildren were dining in.

 
       He walked in to see all of them looking at their phones. They were twelve in the room, one could hear a pin drop every other time there wasn't a ping coming from one phone or the other.

  He cleared his throat to get their attentions.

"Uncle" one of his female niece said
  He raised his hand to them as they all stood up to greet him. "Thank you... Marcella, get your siblings. We are leaving"

      She walked past him and he closed the door. As she walked down the hall, he realised something and he called out to her and hugged her.

"I am so sorry honey, Happy birthday"

" Its okay, Dad"

" I didn't mean to forget...I"

"I understand dad"

" I owe you..."

"Ooh yes...and I don't know how you plan on beating a blank check" she said with a smile.

       He went to the foyer and waited for the kids as Dara bid his parents goodbye. He only exchanged blank looks with his father while he responded coldly to his mother.

     "Hey" Laila called out

"Laila". He had avoided her all night.

"I forgive you for last time" 

"I didn't apologize"

"You don't have to, because you will come to my wedding" she finally said firmly. She smiled and patted his shoulders.