Chapter Sixteen

"You know the nearest police station?"

The sarcasm slapped her so hard that she turned her head back,twisting her lips.

"You use iPhone?" He continued what Aminat wanted a stop at that time. She slowly shook her head and bit her lower lip to restrain her from mocking herself.

"So.. Why did you react as if not using an iPhone is a crime when you don't even have one" he shook her table violently so much that her heart was staggering.

Her cheek burned so red and allowed her lips tug to go up.

"Ayo!"

Yemisi's tiny voice ran speedily from the sitting room right to their room.

"Ma!" His tone of disinterest could not be anyway undermine.

"Your uncle is here. Take your wife along to greet uncle"

"Holy Mary mother of Jesus! Who's uncle again?!" He groaned followed by a short hiss.

"You heard that right?"

Aminat nodded and stood up immediately but paused at the thought of he'd be leading.

"Ayodeji! You don't know me? I'm your father's younger brother. We were born at the same house in Ifè then" the old man ranted like he swallowed a speaker.

It wasn't new to Aminat either; neither did she found it funny. But the bored look on her husband's face wanted to make her choke while trying to contain her laughter.

"Greet Baba!" Yemisi interjected immediately and he prostrated lazily on the bare floor. He'd have bend but he knew that wouldn't please him. Old relatives always like the ego of a star prostrating  flat for them.

"It well with you. Your enemies would never conquer you. You'll leave old to reap the fruits of your labour. Your star would continue to shine among millions. In the family of Fashola, your name would never die.."

Each  prayer was followed by an Amin Sir. Which simply means Amen Sir. When he turned to Aminat to inquire who she was, Ayo's heavens opened and shouted hallelujah to the Lord.

"His wife. They just got married this month, a low key marriage though" Yemisi explained.

A transaction marriage. Ayo completed in his mind.

"Oh! Oh!! Oh!!! Come here my child" the man's warm smile made Aminat to be comfortable. She knelt down beside the man and he started with some traditional bridal songs.

Ayo moved backward and leaned against the wall, watching the whole drama with a weak, wicked smirk playing on his lips. Ayoola prayed that she shouldn't forget to ask him what caused her laughter once the meeting dissolves.

"Ayo!"

"Sir"

"You're so lucky that God have blessed you with a very beautiful wife. Take good care of her okayy. Do not look at tiny tiny legged women again oo" he joked and including Ayo  bursted into laughter.

"And to add more that, what's next now is childbearing. We want a certified Fashola's heir from you. Ehn?" He winked at Aminat. She blushed and looked away. As well as the groom, where he leaned against, he looked away, biting his lower lip laughing.

Temmie became curious of Ayo's plan for the girl and his mum. Or everybody in general.  Whenever anybody talk about his marriage, he'd give a wicked smirk which made her to be curious about his hidden plans after everything.

If she should ask, she won't get a satisfactory answer. And she couldn't wait for him to execute his plans, who knows who it might hurt badly. The poor innocent girl is just a victim of arranged marriage, but she's going to have the lion share of the havoc Ayo was planning.

Or probably she'd convince their mum to ask Ayo again if he's ready to marriage in which she knew of course, he'd say no. Then probably they'd cancel the marriage and save everyone from sudden heartbreak. She quickly shook at rejection of the thought. Things would still go wrong.

Things might  get better, God will help them, after all He supports marriage. He'd see them through. Things will get better. He'd realize one day. Temmie concluded in her mind with a deep sigh.

"What are you thinking about?" She suddenly realize his voice beside. He jumped and stretched himself on the couch.

"Nothing" she denied and stared at him with the corner of her eyes.

She looked up to where  their old uncle seated but the sit was vacant. No wonder! For her brother to be free to come and sit beside her, he must have left.

"I told you! You're thinking about something and your mind is not here. You're just checking if he's still there, he left some minutes ago" he remarked with a weak smile.

"Really? I was thinking about my workplace actually" she lied to cover up but it erupts Ayo into a rib paining laughter.

"Learn how to lie better" he concluded after his laughter.

"Merry Christmas!" Ayoola aided Temmie to escape from Ayo's trap with a deafening shout.

"Our orders ready?"  His left brow rose up.

"Idiot!" Ayoola and Temmie laughed.

"You're not thinking about Jesus birthday. You're talking about suya" Temmie hit him jokingly on his shoulder.

"That's also part of celebration right?" He turned to Aminat who coming inside with a basket containing oranges.

She nods and hurriedly escaped inside.

"She's just being shy. She's not telling you the truth" Ayoola insisted and Ayo made a weary pout.

"Yes! This is just the best time to ask you" Temmie turned abruptly to him.

"What do you think about that girl?"

"Yes!" Ayoola agreed with a huge  tone interest and jumped to his right side on the couch.

"Wait.." Ayo tried to escape from his two sisters but they held him back. This was exactly how they get him do what they like. Especially when they want him to credit their account.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ayoola sneered.

"Talk!"

He looked surprisingly at the two women and their desperation to get words from his mouth.

When he saw that there's no way he could escape from the two women, he surrendered and relaxed between them.

"Nothing. She's kinda boring. The only thing is that she's shy, that's all!" He covered his face with his palms and waved it.

"Do you guys talk often?" Temmie asked.

"No" he simply replied.

"Why?" Ayoola questioned.

"Because she doesn't like to around me. Sometimes she behaves as if she'd burst if I come closer to her" he kept answering them back as if he's answering an interrogation.

"Who raises discussion topics?" Ayoola frowned.

"I don't know. We barely talk, so I don't really know."

"Whenever you try to talk her, does she ignore you?" Temmie asked.

"No"

"Then the fault of your poor communication is from you" Temmie pointed to him and he wore a confused look.

"Yes. Temmie is right. As a girl, you don't expect her to be the first to talk. You should try and be romantic" Ayoola teased and Temmie joined her laughing. But it never seemed funny to their kid brother.

"I'll try and put your words into consideration. Thank you" he rose up, walking towards the sitting room exit.

"Consideration?" Temmie questioned. "That advise is too rich to be considered. It's a must"

"Why? This is my marriage for crying out loud. I might decide whether to be romantic or not. Being romantic is different from unnecessary flirting" he snapped back coldly at his sisters.

They didn't find his sudden cold attitude offensive in any way. That was Ayo. And they've learnt to accept his swing of emotions as a part of him. They've grew up together for more than two decades, he doesn't surprise them any longer.

"I hope he does not find his marriage irritating" Temmie expressed her fear.

"Nah, Nah.. Not at all" Ayoola calmed her sister's nerves.

Aminat came in.

"Mum sent you something?" Ayoola guessed and Aminat nodded in agreement.

"She told me to fetch your brother" she explained, pointing outside.

"Our brother or your hubby" Temmie teased and Aminat got weary of hurting her cheeks.

"Go and check him outside" Temmie pointed to the exit door and Aminat left the room.

"God knows I wish to control my nervousness around you. I'm so scared" Aminat muttered under her breath before four steps towards him again.

He laid on one of his mother's car, scrolling on his IG page.

"Hel- hiiee" she shuttered frustratingly of not knowing how to address him.

To fuel the fire, she got no response. He just did as if nobody was with him.

"Your mum wants to see you"

No answer.

Tired and highly frustrated with his attitude, she walked closer to him, waving at his face.

"I'm talking to you!" She protested, stomping her feet on the ground. That didn't move him a bit at all.

She kept using different styles to call him all to no avail.

Probably he doesn't wants to answer me. She thought aloud.

She left him and walked to a point before stopping again. This time, she confidently with anger.

"Ayo!"

He rose a brow up in response. Alas! Aminat discovered he didn't like  how she was addressing him.

"You called me?" He answered again, trying to make a shocked from words Aminat recover.

"Ye- Yes! Your mum wants to see you actually" she said, cleaning her sweaty brows with her palms.

He clicked the home icon and dipped the phone back to his trouser's pocket.   Still watching him, he left her there to the building.

It was actually about the marriage seminar that Yemisi had promised them. Aminat regard to her marriage even though it was transacted, was with much value and respect. The way she planned to attack Ayo failed; she was hunting him at her front, but he came for her right behind her.

She slowly returned to the building with enormous thoughts. She have been hearing him talking on the phone that he'd leaving for Lagos very soon. But he didn't tell her anything. Neither was she ready to leave with him at very moment.

The thought of her mum and her kid brother, Hassan.

"Why did you spent more time than the person I sent you to call" Yemisi asked with a frown. Aminat bolted the door back with anger somehow rising inside immediately she saw him sitting on his mum's bed.

"I was trying to call him but he never answered me" she grumbled.

"Is that true?" Yemisi turned to Ayo.

"No!" He said firmly, shaking his head disagreement. He laid down on the bed, staring at his mum with the corner of his eyes. Yemisi turned to the two continuously with a confusing frown. Ayo then turned to Aminat to blow the clouds away.

"I don't know why you're so poor in addressing people so much like this. You came to call me with 'Hi, Hello' when I have a name or we are like we are meeting for the first time. If I had open to reply you  at  that time ehn!.."

"That's okay Ayo" Yemisi interjected.  He stayed calm but remained a displeased look on his face.

Right there on her feet in front of the two, Aminat felt ordering the ground to open and swallow her immediately. How he talked to her in an angry tone made her felt so much bad that she could feel the tears welling up to her eyes.

"Excuse me" she stormed out of the room without caring maybe they'd be startled with what happened or call her back.

"You see! You see!!" Yemisi threw a pillow at him angrily but he caught it with a laugh.

"You made the girl cry!"

"Me? Just because I corrected of what I don't like?" He laughed again.

"There's a way you correct people politely.. Your voice was so dominated with irritation and arrogance" Yemisi was heating up.

"I can't what she did from anybody!; my manager, my staffs, friends.." He protested, sitting up.

"Not even your wife?!" She cut him short and his shoulders fell in defeat.

"She's not your manager nor your staffs neither your producers or signees you can talk or behave anyhow to. She's your wife!" She continued with a hush emphatic tone.

"Look here, I never got you married to have grandchildren. Your sisters gave  me that long ago. I got you married to build you more, to be safe from insecurities, and learn some manners like this!"

She paused for a while and he did the needful.

"I'm sorry mum"

"No. Don't apologize to me, you haven't done me any wrong. Take your apology to the person you've hurt" she said and he nodded in agreement.

"You've spoiled my plans for the counselling I had wanted to give to the both of you. That'll be tomorrow. I'll give you this night to mend up things with your wife" she concluded with a pat on his shoulder.

Lesson of the day: Learn to respect your partner