“Femi! We really should go visit your mother, she may be going through some though time”
Abeni said with her rag in her hand, she used it to clean the house earlier.
Femi sighs.
“I mean this is apparently two weeks since Rotimi was gone, don’t you ever think of what she might be going through”
“please give me a break Abe, she caused all these things, she’s the reason behind it, always making decisions without asking the family if we are in support, please let her carry her own cross.”
Femi said putting his legs on the sofa to a more comforting position will enable him to watch the television at ease. Abeni was equally surprised.
“Femi! Femi!! Repeat what you just said!”
Abeni said, folding both arms to the amazement of what Femi just uttered from his mouth.
“Are you becoming deaf already?”
“Eh! Femi! Is it me you’re referring to as deaf?”
Abeni said a bit pissed off. Femi noticed it and looked at her then heaved a sigh.
“Abeni dear! You know I didn’t mean it, I only asked a question, if you didn’t get what I said the first time!”
Abeni still stood with her arms folded, almost upset.
“It’s fine…”
Abeni said and laves him. Femi looks at her and sighs. gets up and goes after her.
 “I said I’m sorry now, eh! See, you can’t be angry with me ooo, it doesn’t suit you”
But this time Abeni was sincerely not in the mood, she sweeps his hands off her shoulder and heads back to the kitchen to continue her cleaning.
Femi looks at her stiff to her choice, then he lets her,
“Ok fine, well go n see her tomorrow.”
Femi said so as to please her, but Abeni's response was quite the shocking one.
“I’m not interested anymore”
“Ah! Abba! Na! E never reach like that naww (Ah! it hasn’t come to this)”
Femi said, turning her around to get her attention. At least, Abeni was his forever and he just knew how to appease her gods.
“Babe you want my heart to stop beating eh! I said we will go now, eh don’t treat me like this, I may not survive the next seconds”
Femi said, bending his neck over to her and holding her waist. Abeni had no other choice than to just fall for the fact that Femi knew how to get on her good side.
“You better avoid me!”
She said using the rag at which she used to clean the kitchen to pursue him, and for some reason, they were at the parlor together.
“Did you really mean what you said?”
Abeni asks, looking him in the eyes.
“The fact that if you’re deaf? Of course not!”
Femi said, giving her a kiss.
“Stop joor, stop dodging the question”
Abeni asked this time to be more serious.
“Yes! I meant it, but then come to think of this I understand a hundred percent that she’s my mother, but truth be told babe, she caused everything that has happened here, right from even accepting to marry chief what was in her mind, to the disowning of Rotimi”
Sighs.
“I really, really don’t want to remember all that babe, I really wish it was only Chief that died because I’m beginning to put myself in Rotimi shoes. I too failed on my part as the first son. The memories hurts babe, but I made a promise we will go see her tomorrow okay”
Abeni leans over and hugs Femi as tears leave her eyes. Femi smiled. Apart from the fact that Abeni is a pretty lady, she is very understanding, emotional, gentle and a sweet soul.
“Why are you so emotional eh? Small thing you cry, is that how others of your gender behave?”
Abeni nods for a yes as Femi smiles and pats her back. Abeni is just the best gift God gave to him.
“I love you babe”
Abeni smiled and did not give him a response, Femi was startled as he held her face up and squeezed his brow.
“What bro?”
Femi made a gesture signifying if he heard her right
“I said I love you”
“I have heard you bro!”
Abeni said pretending top not know what she had said.
“Wait, are you shitting me now? Wait, do you guys just change your mood or something?”
“Mm mmm”
She nodded yes.
“I’m going back to resting on your shoulders bro!”
“Stop it! Stop it this minute, that bro thing, end it right now”
“Why?”
Abeni said, swiping her hair off her face and wrapping her legs around his body.
“Because I’m not your bro, I’m your babe, say it, .babe”
Femi said looking at Abeni who was trying hard not to laugh.
“It’s my mouth and my strength, no be you go tell me wetin I go call you (it’s my mouth and my strength, you won’t be the one to tell me how to call you)”
“Oya go down”
Femi said, pushing her gently off his body but Abeni won’t let go.
“What are you doing bro?”
“Oh God, this girl is joking with fire”
“Na so!!! (Exactly)”
Abeni said, spilling out the laugh. Femi had to laugh too.
“See, I’m not playing with you ooo,”
“Bro… would you behave”
“Na you be bro, will you come down from my body bro! (It is you that is bro, will you come down from my body bro!)”
Abeni now laughs out loud. Femi was slightly upset but it was just part of the couple's joke, it will be absurd to fully get off.
“Why are you laughing bro?”
Femi said as Abeni kept on laughing, Femi had no choice but to laugh out too.
“I love you too babe”
Abeni said, hugging him. Femi hugs her back.
“Better go and finish up your cleaning, play play (better go and finish your cleaning you lover of play)”
“Now you are sending me away ooo”
“No, never….in fact inside this play we die here”
Femi said, kissing her neck, and the rest of what happened belonged to them who were involved.
#
No one said a couple cuddling would end well, her legs were on his eyes and his leg on hers. Awoken by the silent killer.
“Jesu Christi (Jesus Christ)”
Femi screamed like one seeking for help. Abeni in her unconscious mind rolled herself up in her sleep
“Babe! Babe!!”
Femi called, tapping her with a tap of an emergency. She finally agrees to be awake.
“What was that for?”
Femi asked her but she was still dizzy to know what he was talking about
“What are you saying?”
“Ooh ooh, babe you need to get your system flushed”
“Okay!”
She answered casually and laid back to sleep
“Are you still sleeping?”
Shaking her to wake.
“What…...”
“Are you not planning to go see my mother again?”
“Well go in the afternoon, thank you”
She said as she laid back her head to sleep.”
Femi could not just believe her.
“Unbelievable”
He cried out as he got up from the bed and went to the sitting room.
The weather was favorable in the Seyi side. The sun reflecting on the white paint in his room.
“Dear God, forgive all my sins this day. Amen!”
He said as he got up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom for his normal day activity.
He had breakfast and paid a tribute to Rotimi and rushed out of the house. He doesn’t for any reason wish to be late.
“Abeni…….Babe”
Femi kept on shaking Abeni who was still in bed and then she finally got up.
Rubbing her eyes.
“Ki lode? (What is it?)”
“I’m hungry naww, how could you still be sleeping by this time, don’t you have a heart?”
“Chia! Where did I go wrong that this boy wants to kill me? Eh God!”          
 “I should also be asking God the same thing ooo, what I did to deserve a woman that wants to starve me to death, eh God!”
“Chia!”
Abeni exclaims.
“Just this morning food will allow you to die? why are you like this”
“Just to go and make morning food will allow me to kill you? Eh! Why are you like this?”
Femi said, looking at her with some baby face.
“Your juju today will not work”
Abeni said, pushing his face away from her sight as she got down on her bed and went on her knees.
“I’m sure Morning Prayer, you have not done, every time food, oya come down here, come down”
She said dragging him from the bed and he came down and both of them did their morning prayers
“God thank you for this beautiful woman that calls herself my wife, bless her for me, amen!”
Femi said at the end of the prayers giving her a kiss on her forehead as they got up and headed out of the bedroom.
While going downstairs, Abeni checked the time and found out that it was ten in the morning.
“Ehen! it's ten already?”
“Mm mm!? What happened?”
“Are we not supposed to go and see your mother today?”
“Na now e dey occur to you bah! Abi you don’t know what’s going on (it’s now it occurred to you, you’re confused of the current, right)”
“See guy! No dey treat me anyhow, me no be your mate eh! (see, don’t treat me carelessly, I’m not your mate)”
“Eh naw, as a senior woman wey you be Na, you suppose understand wassup! (I know, as a senior person, you’re supposed to be of an advantage)”
“Abeg gettat (shift)”
Femi bursts into laughter.
“You don do your own Ni, no feah (you’ve done your part, no worries)”
“But you Na senior woman oo, see how you dey rapor pidgin with me, you Na street oo (but you’re a comrade, imagine how fluent you are with pidgin, you are wild)”
“Free me, free me (leave me alone)”
Femi smiles looking at the creation of God in his own home.
“Who don fine don fine who don wor-wor don wor-wor no be my fault (one that is pretty is pretty, one that is ugly is ugly, it’s not my fault)”
He kept on singing the song praising Abeni, Abeni indeed is blessed to have such a sweet talker as a husband.
“Tweh! You fit sweet talk!!(Wonders! You can flatter!!)”
She said cutting him short but he wouldn’t stop teasing and praising her.
They got to eat afterwards and they dressed up and were on their way to visit his mother when a call came in from the gallery.
“Hello sir, something came up here in the gallery will you be available? Or should I handle it?”
His personal assistant notified.
Femi looks at Abeni who just finished fastening her seat belt.
“Is it out of your league?”
“Ermmmmm…..”
“If it isn’t notify me again, handle it”
“Erm… okay sir”
Ends the call.
Abeni gave him a not-friendly stare.
“What!!!!?”
“He said something urgent came up and you’re telling him to handle it, really?”
“He is my P.A???”
“So…?”
“I paid him for it “
“It’s like telling a male house assistant to take care of me because you paid him for house assistance”
“Are you……??? Unbelievable, which school did you graduate from again?”
He said fastening his seat belt.
“How can a female get so intelligent?”
Abeni smiles and praises herself.
“Even if I’m in space and you called in sick, I’ll definitely find my way home, whether female or male house assistant. I no go gree (I will not permit)”
“You’ve come again, focus on this car abeg “
Femi kisses her and starts the car and heads out.
He drove to the office and found out that his phone rang. It was his P.A calling.
“Out of your league, I guess”
He said he goes inside the Gallery. To his surprise some senior and eager representatives came to his Gallery. He was humbled.
“We only could wonder what kind of irresponsible person would own such a good place as this, it nice to meet you Mr Femi, I’m Deji”
He said, stretching his hand for a shake. Femi stretched his hand in return.
“Nice to meet you too Sir Deji”
He shakes too as a sign of honor.
“I hear too that you have a beautiful wife, and is she here with you”
“Of course yes, but then no!”
Mr Deji smiles
“It's fine I get where you’re coming from, but then that is by the way, as she isn’t the motivation to why we are here.”
“Right!”
“Won’t you order me in?”
Mr Deji said with a weird smile that only made it even more suspicious.
Femi takes them to the meeting room where all transactions, if any, shall take place.
“So Mr Deji as we rightly introduced what brings you to my humble gallery”
“Your uncle and step-father of blessed memories was a stake and shareholder with us”
“Okay!  What does that have to do with me?”
Femi haughtily said.
“You look quite the temper”
“I do have one”
“But have we met before? Why the haughtiness?”
“I don’t find you entertaining or friendly, and heaven knows how quickly I want to end this conversation”
“Traits of Dayo, I find that annoying too you know”
Femi stands up with his hands in his pockets making Mr Deji to be on his feet too.
“I’m still trying to get the whole fuss, what brings you here?”
“I’ll be back for an exhibition, using this hall of yours and I will be occupying both rooms, because I’m bringing half a community here. Fair enough the rooms are large enough right!”
Femi raises his head and looks at him. The second rom was not for meetings, his father had warned him about letting that room spare for any activity. He looks at Mr Deji yet with not a word he says.
“Sorry only one hall here is available for use”
“Why?”
“It’s a policy here and I’m sorry to your default I can’t be bribed”
Mr Deji looks at Femi with so much anger in his heart concerning him. But decided to squeeze a smile in.
“I see”
“Anyone with eyes can”
Femi said sarcastically with his face simply cool like one without grudge.
“What a guy! I understand now”
“Great, so can we call this a day”
“God did us that favour already”
Femi replied with his hands fixed in his pocket, so was his gaze.
“Well then, I’ll go first”
Femi nods for a yes as they exit the room.
“I really don’t like you”
Mr Deji whispered on his way out. Femi smiles still as he follows them out, his P.A did the locking. He escorts him outside as he got into his car and drives away.  Femi looks at his P.A….
“Avoid men like that they are blood suckers”
“Yes sir.”
“I’m out again, it’s under your care”
“Yes boss”
“I prefer Sir, its more official”
“Yes sir”
Femi smiles as he taps his P.A shoulder. And went back into the car, gives Abeni a kiss and reminds her how much he loves her.
#
They finally got to Femi’s mothers place though it was late, she was still glad to have them around.
“Oh Abeni, you’re looking more beautiful as the goes by”
“Thank you ma”
“It’s my money she’s eating oboe”
Femi reminded.
Abeni smiles as his mother rebukes him. They later went to prepare food to eat.
“Where are the baby’s ma?”
“Upstairs”
“Are they sleeping?”
“Yes! Ola should be awake!”
“How do you know, there’s no crying naww?”
“Ola? My Ola? Very quiet. If she cries is because she’s hungry, aside that she’s fine”
Mrs Ayo briefly told Abeni who goes upstairs to carry her, that’s if she’s awake.
They stayed till night came, Abeni will not stop listening to the gist Mrs Ayo had from her childhood and then they slept off into the night
#
"what is your first plan ma"
Mrs. Ayo looks at the doctor who asked her and wished that she could just erase the baby off her system from the start. but now that they are already in the world, she had only but a choice.
"Ma'am, please a quick response would do"
"I don't want to set my eyes on them anymore"
"is that what you truly want?"
A doctor from behind looks at her, any one could tell that Mrs. Ayo wasn't ready to do away with her children.
"no!!!"
she said as she burst into tears.
the cute children was asleep and the fat coils of flesh that circled round them made her consciousness even beat more.
"I don't want to loose them, ido r want to have them either"
The doctor who was in charge of the execution of children was becoming more impatient.
"Ma'am I'll advise you again..the thinking room is over there, if you're not ready, this is your card have it"
Mrs. Ayo gets the card with trembling hands.
"Go in there and do your thinking, I'll be out in few minutes and I don't want to see you unprepared, I'll be pissed off."
He made sure he made to himself clear before going back in.
Abeni looked at the babies and then the doctor that stood in front of her.
"what do I do?"
she said with tears in her eyes.
"do what you want to do"
the doctor replied almost annoyed. as he bows and was about to take his leave. then he paused.
"Why not take these children to the orphanage? since you can't take care of them as old as you are. and I'm very sure it's not money that is hindering you from taking care of these kids, let's just say your selfish desire"
"hey! don't talk to me like that,you have zero knowledge on what's happening to me, zero "
"not like I care that much either, we just met by the way"
"All of a sudden you just sound like someone without a heart!"
"if you had one, you would protect these ones"
The Doctor said and leaves her, just then the other doctor came out and asked her for her decision but she wasn't able to get one, then he takes the babies from her and went inside the execution room.
"No...."
she screams out loud, but there was nothing those screams could do. Hearing those children cry out so loud so loud without comfort. plus the wicked sound of the machines inside. She slowly sinks down the wall holding her head together and refuses to be consoled.
"Mother! Mother!!"
Mrs Ayo opens her eyes and sights Femi and Abeni by her side, she turns around immediately and found only Ola on the bed.
"Where is Tunde?"
she said looking helplessly for him that she didn't even notice he was with Abeni.
"mum I'm holding him"
Abeni told her gently
Mrs. Ayo looks at Femi and hugged him.
"I'm so sorry, I'm not heartless. forgive me please Femi."
Femi was confused, what exactly was she talking about, bottom take her by surprise or spoil the fragility of the moments he hugs her and pat's her back.
"it's okay mum, it's fine "