chapter 45

The aroma of different kinds of foods and scents of combined body perfumes engulfed the ceremonial hall. The one man band was busy singing one of Ebenezer Obey's songs as mama continued to enjoy the money been sprayed on her by one of her relatives while dancing on the dance floor.

It was the naming ceremony of Anthony Iremide Johnson after all. All of Sewa's past and present friends were in attendance, every single one of mama's friends and families were in the hall eating and nodding their heads to the loud music. Fikayo was too busy to even sit in one spot as well wishers kept dragging him left, right and center, complaining of not been served food yet, being disrespected by the servers or just giving him baby and monetary gifts.

Fikayo received each monetary gifts with a smile, hoping that he receives enough to keep the family going as he had to use his whole savings for a naming ceremony as mama and Sewa wished.

"Daddy Anthony, where is the baby's Mother? I want to give her something." Fali said to Fikayo.

"You can give it to me, I'll give her." Fikayo responded not understanding why people kept asking to see the mother instead. He spent the money for everything, hospital bills, naming ceremony, even the baby's upkeep. Why it had to be the mother who gets all the gifts is what he would never understand. Fali refused to hand over the monetary gift to Fikayo as she went in search of the baby's mother instead.

"Idiot." Fikayo mumbled. He sighted his friends as they walked into the hall with their wives and kids and was so relieved and happy to see them.

"If it isn't the newest father in town!" Biola hailed his friend as they shook each other's hands jovially.

The women greeted him too and asked to see the baby and his mother. Fikayo described the way to the room in which they were in and they left.

He directed the servers to his friends' table and was about to go join his mother who was still on the dancing floor when he heard the rowdiness of sounds of motorcycles which sounded like it was more than three. The bouncers at the entrance of the hall were soon seen arguing and trying to restrict certain people from invading the hall but they didn't succeed at it as the men were over ten and they barged in with so much force and authority that you'd think they orchestrated the party.

The cutlasses, baseball bats and other dangerous objects they held in their hands made people to stand up from their seats and start packing their loads immediately even though most of them still wanted to see what the fuss was about.

"Who get this party?!" A voice thundered. Everyone in front strained their necks to see who was speaking behind guys and that included Fikayo himself.

"Uncle Fikayo, we didn't see your wife in that room." Kunle's wife said before she then noticed the tense atmosphere in the building.

Fikayo nodded before speaking, "it is I who threw a party in a hall that I paid for with my money. Who are you?!"

Before Fikayo could even blink, one of the hooligans was already beside him and the slap that landed on his cheek was enough proof for the spectators to take their leave.

The rowdiness in the hall was so much as everyone started to hurry out of the hall immediately, almost tripping over one another.

Fikayo's friends and some relatives had to wait behind though they already told their wives and kids to drive themselves home.

"Na you be the man wey Dey throw party for another man's child?" Another hooligan snapped as he landed another slap on the same cheek.

Fikayo had never been one good in fights and he hardly won one. He was the kind of man who couldn't beat up his fellow man, although he could argue or shout. He struggled to talk even though his cheek felt like it was hit with pestle.

"I had..." His voice came out squeaky like that of a mouse so he cleared his throat and tried to talk in his usual manly way so as not to portray fear to the men before him. "I am not throwing a party for any man's child, the child is that of my wife."

Another hooligan was about to give him another resounding slap that was sure to send him into coma before mama stepped between them and went on her knees.

"Please, my sons. He has no idea what you are talking about and so do all of us here. Please, pardon him and explain yourselves." Mama pleaded.

"Where is Sewa?" The man who seemed to be the one who directs the hooligans shouted. He was dressed in a white Agbada and his brow held a scary scar that looked like it was about to reach his eye. He looked over sixty but one could tell that it was because of his lifestyle and couldn't be more than fifty five.

"We couldn't find her and the baby." One of the females still standing announced.

Fikayo was starting to connect the dots, why did Sewa disappear and with the baby at that?

"You won't find her! How will you find her? She knows what she did and she knows that if I should catch her, she's dead. She's dead both ways. Young man..." he directed at Fikayo who shot his head up instantly.

"Never take another man's wife in as yours! Sewa is my wife, my fourth wife for that matter. That whore stole my money and fled eight months ago. She's the mad woman I'm trying to take in my house. She left her two kids and left just like that, I've looking for her before I was told that she gave birth and she's in this state."

Fikayo could swear that his legs were about to give in beneath him as he took in the information. He turned sideways to glare at his mother first who avoided his gaze before he watched the retreating backs of the hooligans who had come to disrupt it all. He was enraged and bitter that he couldn't help the next words that escaped from his mouth.

"Is that why you had to slap me twice and cause all this embarrassment when we could have just had a civil meeting and avoid been the gist of the town for the next one month?"

The man turned back immediately and waved his guys towards Fikayo.

Fikayo was covered with blows and kicks instantly and his friends who tried to plead on his behalf got the same fate. Mama fainted.

TO BE CONTINUED...