Family United

EPISODE TWO

As I finally escaped the Lagos traffic, I arrived in Ojo, relieved to have made it in one piece. I went to the family house I didn't see her then, I asked for directions to my sister's shop and was pointed to a nearby street. As I turned the corner, I noticed a familiar face - our neighbor, Mrs. Adebayo. She was sitting outside her store, fanning herself in the shade.

'Mrs. Adebayo!' I called out, approaching her.

'Tayo! Ah, welcome, my dear!' She rose from her seat, a warm smile on her face. 'Your sister is at her shop, just down the street. I'll show you.'

She led me through the bustling market, weaving past stalls and shoppers. We exchanged pleasantries about our journey and the family. As we walked, I noticed the vibrant colors and lively energy of the market, a stark contrast to the chaos of Lagos.

As I approached my sister's shop, Mrs. Adedayo nodded in greeting and said, "Your sister is inside." I pushed open the door, and my sister looked up from behind the counter, a hint of wariness in her eyes.

Last born. Oh, so you’ve come to play big brother, huh? Well, I’m not impressed,” my sister said, her tone implying that I was the last person she wanted to see.

‘Big brother huh? I think I deserve it. Because it happens that I was the only person that says the truth in the house. They get annoyed because of that.’

I took a deep breath and replied, “I’m not here to impress you, sis. I’m here because Oluwadamilare needs help. He’s in serious trouble.”

“Why didn’t you pick up his calls?” I asked, trying to understand her perspective.

“I was busy,” she replied nonchalantly.

“Busy?” I repeated, incredulous. “He’s your son, and he’s in trouble. How could you be too busy to answer his calls?”

She shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

I felt a surge of frustration. “Not a big deal? He’s accused of murder! Don’t you understand the gravity of the situation?”

Her expression changed, and she looked at me with a mix of fear and worry. “Murder? No, no, no… Oh God, no!”

She collapsed onto a stool, tears bursting forth. I rushed to her side, trying to comfort her, but she was beyond consolation.

My sister closed the door and turned to me. “Tayo, I don’t know what to do. I feel like my world is falling apart.”

I put my arm around her. “We’ll figure something out, sis”

But as we stood there, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. My sister’s behavior seemed strange, almost…guilty.

Suddenly, one of the employees knocked on the door. “Madam, I need to talk to you about something.”

My sister’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

The employee hesitated. “It’s about Oluwadamilare. I saw him arguing with someone earlier today. We didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that we know what’s happened…”

My sister’s face went white. “What did you see?”

The employee hesitated again. “We saw him with a knife. We didn’t think he would actually use it, but…”

My sister’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh God, no.”

I turned to my sister, my voice firm and determined. “We need to go to the police station, sis. Now.”

My sister’s eyes filled with worry. “What are we going to do? Oluwadamilare is already in custody…”

I placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “We’ll figure something out, sis. We need to get to the bottom of this and clear his name.”

My sister nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. “Okay…let’s go.”

We quickly headed out of the shop, our hearts heavy with concern for Oluwadamilare’s fate.