Anwana stared as he drove off.
"Hmmm..., brother Kene, you're really something oo, nawa oo!!" she muttered as she walked quietly into the compound.
Kene followed behind.
"But… Wana…" Kene started.
Anwana turned to face him immediately.
"That was not necessary at all. It doesn't make sense oo. Hmm… I'll handle this myself," she said angrily.
"Calm down, ok… I'm sorry. I was just looking out for you."
"I really appreciate that, but Tade…" She held her breath, then inhaled deeply.
"That young man is ignorant of what really happened, yet he still tries to make it work." She folded her arms, burying her face in her palms. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
"He is very hu…rt," she tried to swallow the tears, holding them back.
Kene stepped closer.
"I'm really sorry. I was just worried. I'm scared you might get hurt," he said softly.
"Brother Kene… I don't know. I'm scared. What if I can't tell him everything? I don't even know what I'm doing."
"Hmm, relax," Kene assured.
"I won't bother you about this matter again. Just take your time, follow your instincts. Ehen, I'm sorry about the job too. I even called that manager after you left to give him a heads-up that you'd be coming. He said he already gave it to someone else. But calm down, we'll work this out together."
Kene was like Anwana's true elder brother, the one who cared too much. Ekere, on the other hand, was the distant one ,always strict, always melancholic, showing his concern only from afar. Sometimes she wished Kene was her biological brother instead of Ekere.
"It's fine," she finally concluded.
***
"Ooo… Tade, you're back," Remi's sharp voice cut through as Tade handed his car keys to his driver.
He said nothing. His masculine frame carried itself with quiet dominance. No matter what he encountered, it never declined.
Tade was the man every woman dreamed to be with—physically speaking. But today, he realized he was nothing more than a typical fool.
A fool indeed.
He always thought things could work out simply because of his good looks. Unfortunately, that wasn't what she needed. Maybe, just maybe, he never deserved her.
"Sen. Bankole, sir," Tade bowed as he greeted the old man in his early seventies. Senator Bankole,Aisha's father. A short, bald, dark-skinned man in his flowing agbada. His wide belly pressed forward as he laughed that old man's laugh, one that carried a strange mix of joviality and hidden wickedness.
"My son," he said, patting Tade's shoulder slowly with that evil-tinged laugh.
"I said let me visit my in-laws today. I heard that your short-run something worked out. Ehh… it shows you're a man," he giggled dryly at the end of every sentence.
Tade's anger rose. In-laws? How? When?
"Ehh… Remi, we need to prepare the date now oo. I'm very sure that if Mr Adebanjo were alive, he would not have waited this long for our families to unite," the senator declared.
Remi's eyes widened, then she smiled.
Tade couldn't hold it anymore.
"Mr. Sen. Bankole, sir " he began.
"And the young man is very respectful! That's why I chose him for Aisha. He can calm her spirit," the senator cut in sharply.
"I appreciate that you chose me for your daughter, sir. But I already have someone I want to marry."
Finally, he dropped the bomb. The one his mother had feared.
Remi glared daggers at him.
"Tade! Are you mad?! Senator, your son-in-law is saying things that will never happen," she cut in, trying to cover up.
The senator's expression hardened. A mix of anger and disbelief.
"Hmmm… my boy, I understand you. But marriage is not only a matter of the heart. It is a matter of the brain!"
"Thank you, sir. I am fully aware. But this woman I love—she has taken over my heart, my brain, and my soul. I am sorry," Tade said firmly, before walking towards the front door.
The senator's mouth dropped open.
"Remi Adebanjo!! That small boy just did what?!" he screamed.
"Senator, don't worry. I'll handle this matter," Remi assured.
The senator's driver had already opened the car door. He stormed out and zoomed off.
***
Inside the house, Remi faced her son with blazing eyes.
"Tade!! Ṣé o ti ya were ni? (Are you mad?) How dare you embarrass me like that in front of Senator Bankole!"
Tade turned sharply.
"Mummy, enough is enough. I have told you I won't marry Aisha. What else do you want from me?"
"You will marry her! Tade, o gbọ? (Do you hear me?) You will not disgrace this family. Senator Bankole is powerful, he can destroy your career with just one word!"
Tade's voice thundered back.
"Mummy, let him destroy whatever he wants. If he thinks he can control my destiny, he is lying! I will not marry a woman I do not love!"
Remi stepped closer, her voice trembling with both anger and desperation.
"Tade, you are my only son. Ṣé o fẹ kí n ku? (Do you want me to die?) That girl, Anwana, she is nothing. You don't know the kind of shame she will bring!"
Tade shook his head slowly, his jaw tight.
"Mummy, if you keep interfering in my life like this, pack your things and go back to your husband's house. I will even help you carry the load myself."
Remi froze. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
"You've turned my house into a battleground. I am warning you, this is the last time," Tade said firmly before storming upstairs.
***
Tade's Room
He slammed the door behind him, pacing the room. His heart was heavy.
"Will Anwana ever tell me everything?" he muttered. The images of her with Kene that night haunted him. The way Kene called her sister, the way she called him uncle. Could it be true? Had he misjudged her?
"God, I was such a fool," he whispered, collapsing onto his bed. His chest rose and fell heavily.
He picked up his phone, anger flashing in his eyes. Quickly, he typed a message to Aisha:
"Whatever you're plotting will not work. I know you lied. You sent fake screenshots to make it look like Anwana cheated on me. I'm not stupid. Stop wasting your time."
He hit
send and threw the phone aside.
For the first time in a long time, Tade felt a strange mix of relief and fear.