Take a Message to Kelsey

CH. 2(2/2): Sticks and Stones

In few weeks time, Ayotunde and his siblings, Amber and Kelsey travelled to their village for the burial of their parents.

The village compound was heavy with the scent of freshly turned earth, a grim reminder of the graves that now held Mr. Dennis Anayo and his wife, Jane. The gathering of family members filled the air with hushed murmurs, punctuated by sobs and the occasional muttering of prayers. Ayotunde, Kelsey, and Amber sat in the middle of their elders, the weight of their loss pressing heavily on them.

Uncle Samuel stood abruptly, his face contorted with rage. He raised his hands toward the sky, his voice thick with grief and fury as he swore an oath against the killers of his brother.

"Ẹni tí ó bá gbé ọ̀pá ọdẹ yìí tí ó fi pa Dennis, ayé ò ní dá a láre! Àní, ayé yóò fọ́ lórí wọn, ìbànújẹ́ yóò fọ̀mọ wọn! Èsùn tí a fi kan òdàlẹ̀, kí Ọlọ́run fi kan wọn! Mo gbàdúrà pé kó má sí ìdùnnú ní ìdílé wọn! Àní, ará ilé yín, e gbà mí, e sọ Amin!"

("Whoever lifted the hunter’s staff to strike Dennis down, the world will not forgive them! Misfortune will be upon them, and sorrow will be upon their children! May the accusations against traitors fall upon them! I pray that happiness will never reside in their household! People of this house, support me and say Amen!")

"Amen! Amen! Amen!" The chorus of responses echoed through the compound, a cry for justice sent up to the heavens.

Amber, overwhelmed with grief, rested her head on Aunty Ronke’s shoulder, her sobs shaking her frail frame. Aunty Ronke rubbed her back gently, murmuring soothing words. "Everything happening now will work out for our good. God will lift us. Do not cry, my child."

Kelsey sat in silence, his expression dark with grief. Ayotunde, his elder brother, placed a firm arm around his shoulders, his presence offering unspoken reassurance. Ayotunde’s wife, Victoria, and their son sat beside Kelsey, their silence filled with quiet support.

As the murmurs of condolences filled the air, Uncle Samuel turned to Ayotunde, his voice heavy with the burden of duty. "Ayotunde, you are now Amber and Kelsey’s father. As you return to the city, you must protect them. Do not let anything happen to them. We are placing them in your care. The world must not take them from us."

Ayotunde nodded solemnly. "I am their father now. I will not let anyone harm them. I will watch over them as I watch over myself. No one will take them from me as they took our parents."

Another elder, Baba Fatai, cleared his throat. His deep voice carried an air of wisdom as he addressed the gathering. "What happened? Who did Dennis and Jane offend? Who wanted them dead in such a brutal manner?"

Aunty Ronke hesitated before speaking. "Amber told me that my sister, Jane, and her husband, Dennis, might have been killed because of Kelsey’s forthcoming court case on December 19th. There are rumors that it could be linked."

Uncle Tunde, their father’s cousin, frowned deeply. "How can we be sure that the person Kelsey won the case against is responsible? We cannot make blind accusations. We must be careful."

Ayotunde, ever the soldier, spoke with certainty. "If my younger brother, Kelsey, just won a court case, and he is also preparing for another one on January 1st, and suddenly, gunmen attacked our family, then it is obvious that either the person he won the case against or the person he is preparing to face in court next year is behind this. It is too much of a coincidence to ignore. But then, I have decided that I will never let this go lightly."

The elders exchanged wary glances before Uncle Samuel, the most vocal, spoke again. "Ayotunde, thank you for standing up to protect your siblings. But Kelsey, listen to us, you must be careful. Nothing is more important than life. Be mindful of the cases you take on. Do you understand?"

Kelsey, his voice hoarse, responded, "I understand, Uncle. I will be careful."

Baba Fatai, rubbing his gray beard, then spoke an old Yoruba proverb. "Àjànàkú kìí yara wó, bí o bá rí, o mọ̀ pé ó rí nnkan."

("An elephant does not fall suddenly; if you see one on the ground, then something powerful must have brought it down.")

He fixed his gaze on Kelsey. "My son, your parents were not ordinary people. Their downfall means a powerful hand is behind it. Do not take this lightly. Be watchful."

Ayotunde, rising to his full height, placed a protective hand on Kelsey’s shoulder and pulled Amber closer. "From today onward, I will be the eyes of Kelsey and Amber. No one will harm them. No one will take them away from me like they did our parents. Wherever I am, they will be. Their lives are in my hands."

The elders nodded in solemn agreement. The night breeze carried the weight of their sorrow, but within it was also a resolve - one that Ayotunde carried fiercely in his heart. He would not fail his siblings.

As he finished speaking, Ayotunde turned respectfully to the elders and greeted them in Yoruba. "Ẹ̀yin àgbà, mo dúpẹ́. Ẹ ṣàánú fún wa, a dúpẹ́ lóòótọ́. Ọlọ́run á gbà wá."

("Elders, I thank you. You have shown us great compassion, and we are truly grateful. May God protect us all.")

The elders murmured their blessings in return, their voices carrying the weight of tradition, wisdom, and an unspoken promise of support.

Ayotunde returned to the city with his siblings and family after the completion of their parents' burial rights.

THE CITY OF LAGOS

Ayotunde had just returned to the city with his younger siblings, Amber and Kelsey. The three of them had been away, but now that they were back, the weight of reality settled heavily on their shoulders.

The house, though familiar, felt emptier than before. Their parents were gone. The walls that once echoed with laughter and warmth now held a silence that threatened to consume them. The sitting room, with its old brown sofas and a slightly flickering lightbulb overhead, felt both comforting and suffocating.

Ayotunde sat on one of the sofas, his military posture never faltering, even in the confines of his own home. He had barely set his bag down before he turned to his siblings. “Sit down,” he instructed, his voice firm but gentle. Amber hesitated, wiping her damp cheeks before sinking into the chair beside him. Kelsey followed, sitting on the armrest, his jaw tight as if holding back emotions he refused to show.

“I’m leaving for Jos today,” Ayotunde said, looking at them both. He watched as Amber clenched her fists, fresh tears spilling over her already damp lashes. Kelsey inhaled sharply but said nothing.

Ayotunde sighed, running a hand over his short-cropped hair. “I know this is hard. I know it feels like everything is falling apart, but listen to me - ” He leaned forward, placing a hand on Amber’s shoulder and another on Kelsey’s knee. “We don’t have our parents anymore. It’s just the three of us now. And I need you two to stick together.”

Amber shook her head, her lower lip trembling. “Why does everyone keep leaving?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “First Mom and Dad… now you?”

Kelsey put an arm around her, pulling her close. He had always been the quiet one, but in moments like this, his presence spoke louder than words. Ayotunde noticed how his brother’s grip tightened around Amber’s shoulder, even as his own eyes glistened.

Ayotunde exhaled heavily. “Amber, I have to go. I have a job to do. The Air Force needs me in Jos, and I can’t just abandon my duty. But that doesn’t mean I’m abandoning you two.”

Amber sniffled, burying her face in Kelsey’s chest. Kelsey rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles, but his lips were pressed into a thin line, betraying the emotions he was barely holding back.

Ayotunde’s eyes flickered to him. “Kelsey, you’re supposed to be the one comforting Amber, not crying too.”

Kelsey blinked rapidly and turned his face away, clearing his throat. “I know,” he murmured, his voice strained.

Ayotunde nodded, giving him a small, knowing smile. “I trust you to take care of her. And I trust you both to take care of each other.”

Amber pulled away slightly, her tear-streaked face full of sorrow. “But what about me? I’ll be alone in this house.”

Kelsey immediately turned to her. “You’re not alone. I’ll come and check on you from time to time. I promise.”

Amber’s lips quivered, but she nodded, seeming slightly reassured.

Ayotunde smiled softly at them both, standing up and stretching his arms. “And Amber, you can always visit Kelsey too. You’re not trapped here. You both have each other, and that’s what matters.”

Amber wiped her face again and nodded more firmly this time. Kelsey squeezed her shoulder once before letting go.

Ayotunde looked at them for a long moment, as if memorizing their faces, before grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “I’ll be back when I can,” he promised. “Until then, be strong for each other.”

As he stepped toward the door, Amber’s voice stopped him. “Ayotunde?”

He turned.

She swallowed hard, trying to gather her thoughts. “Stay safe.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Always.”

And with that, he walked out the door, leaving his siblings behind, but not alone.