TÓDÙN

41

I am so sorry I wasn't able to update as promised earlier but thanks for being here always.

KUNLE

I stood at the front of the elevator expecting it to open so that we could go to the room we paid for. It had been a long night and instead of being in the comfort of my bed, my hands were around a steering going to meet Todun who said she was in trouble and now I am standing in a hotel instead of my home. It would not have been easy to get out of the close watch of my mother if not for the help that Kemi rendered. She told her we had to go to her office to get a document that she would need to finish up a contract, the early hours of the following day.

Kemi and Todun had their hands around each other saying something I could not here. They had kind of developed a connection with the little time they met in the car. As the lift clicked open, I stepped aside to give whosoever was in it a way to pass through. I was focused on my sandal which I just discovered wasn't buckled the right way. Why did I even decide to put on a sandal while I could have just worn a slippers? I wanted to bend down so I could adjust it but thought otherwise since I was going to pull it off as soon as we get to the room.

"Dad, I thought we talked about this already." Kemi whined and stamped her legs on the floor. Dad, does she mean the same father that gave birth to us? Does he have no shame now and parades his prostitute where Mum will get to know of his escapees? I looked up just in time to see his hand around the person's waist before he took it off. It was  Remilekun's aunty who he was with and she even raised her hand to wave at us while Kemi walked closer to them.

"What is she doing here again." Kemi inquired, while the aunty had a cynical smile plastered on her face. Wait a minute she knows, they talked about it means she knows, right? She knew all along and never gave any hint of it. Can this night just come to an end already, because it is dragging far too long.

"Kemi dear. It is not what you think." Dad said in defence stepping away from his toy and closer to us. The urge to punch him as soon as the words left his mouth, rose from the depth of my heart but my head kept telling me that he is my Dad. Why should he keep cheating on Mum? Why does this particular lady seem to have a strong hold on him?

"What is it then?" I asked aloud and in anger making an announcement about my presence because he seem to be caught off guard by sighting me. I guess he was too submerged in what he was doing in the elevator that he didn't even care to take a good look at the faces of the people that stood waiting to get into the lift, maybe he would have gone back to where he was coming from.

"It's just...can we talk about this tomorrow?" He asked me and I looked at him, mouth agape. I couldn't believe he wanted us to wait till the following day to talk about the mess he is making around town. How on Earth does he even manage to act all those lovey-dovey scenes with Mum and even sleep at night?

"Talk about this tomorrow? Dad you must be kidding." Todun looked at me and I stared back, not getting whatever she was trying to communicate with the movement of her eyes.

"Kemi, why don't you help me to talk to your brother? I have to take my client to her hotel." He appealed to Kemi. As if where we were was not a hotel or wasn't hotel enough. The use of the word client for Remilekun's aunty, irritated me to the bone marrow. Why calling her his client when it was all clear we knew what they were up to?

Without saying another word, I watched as they walked down the hallway and Todun pulled me into the elevator. Kemi held my hand and squeezed it looking deep into my eyes. This is too many hell of trouble for one night, first is taking Todun in as if she is a refugee and secondly is finding my Dad parading his mistress around, while my Mum is at home praying for the success of his meeting with his party members. He uses meeting with his party members as an excuse to leave my Mum at home and to top it all is that Kemi knew of it all along and never said a word.