KEHINDE

Chapter 26

  Kehinde almost jumps out of the bed, because of the way Tolani screamed. She hisses while she watches Tolani hurry down to where she was sitting.

"Tolani. You and this your stupid behaviour!" Omolola fires.

"Bighead!" Tolani mocks, she doesn't fail to notice the glare Fatiah gave her.

"Why are they making noise outside?"  Titilope asks in a gentle voice.

"The Alpa is back oh, " Biliki says in a carefree manner while she walks into the room. Kehinde sits up immediately, her eyes grew wide. She lets her mouth gasps open and close.

She couldn't stop the smile.

"Seriously!" Aisha asks quite excited. Meanwhile, Fatiah let's out a small smile.

"That was what I wanted to tell you all. No one allowed me to talk, everyone wanted to bite me, " Tolani says while settling down close to Kehinde.

Teniola who knew nothing about what was going on, just observed silently.

"Abeg, I'm coming, " Fatiah says while jumping out of her bed. Meanwhile, Aisha follows suit, with a smile on her face.

"Busybodies!" Biliki says. The statement forces Fatiah and Aisha to look towards her.

"Ugly thing!" Fatiah fires.

"Better than your momma b***h, " Biliki retorts.

"You fool, you called my mum ugly, " Fatish fires in anger.

"Not just your mum. You too, you are ugly. Stop throwing yourself on him. The Alfa won't notice you, or you think we don't know?" Biliki fires shocking almost everyone. Omolola who was clearly enjoying the drama, let's out a smile.

Everyone knew if they were talking about beauty or the most beautiful girl in the Imams household. Fatiah was the one. Fatiah was clearly the most beautiful person or will I say daughter of the Imam.

"And Aisha isn't talking. They have caught off her tongue oh, " Tolani says making Omolola giggle. She knew deep down that there was no way, Tolani wasn't going to, get involved in such an argument.

"Fool!" Aisha fires.

"Bole,(roasted plantain)" Tolani calls out, making everyone burst into laughter. Excluding Kehinde who was lost in her own world, with a wide grin on her face. Even Titilope laughed. Which was rare.

"You don't know what you like. You are a dark girl, you want to bleach. You don resemble bole if you know no. (You now look like roasted plantain, if you don't know)." Tolani says with a smile on her face.

"Which bole? My sister, she looks like zebra!" Biliki shouts.

"I'm dead. Where is Istinjabat our peacemaker? Come and save me oh," Omolola says amidst laughter.

"I don't blame you, fools," Aisha says before walking out.

"I hope, I'm not part of the fools you are talking about?" Tolani says. While Fatiah hisses before joining Aisha.

Biliki burst into laughter.

"I swear, Aisha won't kill someone, " Biliki says.

            _____________________________

  Kehinde hurries out of the back gate, she needed fresh air. She was really suffocating. She wondered why she was suddenly feeling sick, while she makes her way out. She bumps into someone. As soon as they make eye contacts. It finally dawned on her, that since he came back the previous day, she hadn't set her eyes on him.

  He still looked the same, with his one-sided dimple, which made him more handsome. She didn't fail to notice the little beard he was developing.

But those eyes looked pale. She silently wondered what was wrong. Cause his face was blank, no sign of emotions. She couldn't read his facial expression.

Ayomide locks his eyes on hers, before walking past her.

Kehinde who couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't want to imagine what just went down. She lets her mouth gases open and close. She silently wondered what was wrong with him.

Did he just behave like she didn't exist? She really missed him. She had sleepless nights filled with tears because of him. Did he just walk past her without saying a word?

Kehinde walks, aluggishly trying to contain the tears. She was tired of crying about every little thing. She struggles not to let the tears drop.

"Babyface!" Precious calls out to Kehinde who approached him, she looked like she was lost in thought.

She sits beside him, without uttering a word, and stares ahead. Precious silently wonders what was wrong with her, he quickly decides to ask her.

"Jasmine?" He calls out with questions in his eyes.

"Hey!" Kehinde responds absent-minded.

"What's wrong? You aren't looking bright, " Precious asks with concern clearly on his face.

"It's nothing, just feeling dizzy, "

"I guessed so. You look pale, " Precious says nos observing her closely.

"I will be okay!" Kehinde assures.

"I think it's malaria, when did you treat it last?" Precious asks.

"Doctor Mide, " Kehinde calls out now smiling. "I know sir, " She says and giggles.

"Yes na, I'm just saying ni," Precious says now taking Kehinde by her hand. She stiffens, immediately his hands gets in contact with her skin.

"I'm glad I made you smile, " He says while he uses his left hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Won't you make your hair?" Precious asks Kehinde, who suddenly starts feeling uneasy. She becomes self-conscious when Ayomide passes. Not failing to look towards there direction.

The look Ayomide gave her made her tensed. Precious notices how uncomfortable she was, he quickly lets go of her, wondering why.

Kehinde stares into the space wondering what she had done wrong, while Precious silently wonders what was wrong with her.

            _____________________________

   Kehinde burst into tears while she settles on the bed. She is currently the only one in the room. Most of the girls were in the yard while some went to the mosque.

Kehinde cries out her heard, the doesn't care if anyone hears her. She just needed to clear her chest.

She continues crying, unknown to her Tolani had walked in.

Tolani who sighted her cousin crying uncontrollably suddenly hurries to her, wondering what was wrong.

"Jasmine, " Tolani calls out while walking over to were Kehinde laid. On getting to the bed, Kehinde hugs her tightly.

"Jasmine, what's wrong?" Tolani asks. Meanwhile, Kehinde let's go of her.

"I don't know what I did wrong, Ayomide has been ignoring me totally, since he returned," Kehinde complains amidst sobs.

"Wait, you tried talking to him?"

"Not at all, " Kehinde says and explains everything to Tolani, who just burst into laughter after listening.  Meanwhile, Kehinde wonders what was so funny.

"What?" Kehinde asks quote offended by the way Tolani was laughing.

"Like seriously, you didn't attempt talking to him?" Tolani asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No!"

"Babe, you are a fool oh, Ode!" Tolani curses amidst laughter. This act makes Kehinde frown.

"So you didn't talk to him? I thought you did, then he ignored you, " Tolani says to her cousin who just nods her head.

"No!"

"Why?"

"Ayomide, always talked to me, "

"He had been away for long, the least you could do was begin a conversation, than coming here to cry like a baby, " Tolani says with a smile.

"What about me?" Did he tell me he was leaving? Does he know the emotional t*****e I went through thinking something might have happened to him? Kehinde asks.

"The least you could do was talk to him!" Tolani says with a serious look on her face. Meanwhile, Kehinde nods her head in disapproval.

"I'm not interested!"

"Then stop crying, better shut up and don't disturb my ears, " Tolani says with a frown. Meanwhile, Kehinde thinks for some time without uttering a word.

"But!" Kehinde pauses, starting at Tolani

"But what?" Tolani asks.

"Be staring at me don't talk, " Tolani says with a serious look on her face.

"Tolani, you should have seen the way he looked and me and walked passed me like I didn't exist. Or I wasn't something to him, " Kehinde says sobbing again. The act clearly irritates Tolani.

"Kehinde, if you don't shut up, I will shut that mouth for you, " Tolani frowns.

"You don't understand how I'm feeling. How I wish Kelvin will do this to you, " Kehinde mutters like a baby.

"Waka!"

"Tolani, "

"Kehinde!"

"You don't understand how I'm feeling, " Kehinde frowns.

"Kehinde better shut your mouth, don't want to hear any other word from you, " Tolani says. Meanwhile, Kehinde starts murmuring.

"Kehinde!"

"What!"

"Your are impossible, gosh. I wonder how Ayomide copes with a baby like you!" Tolani nods her head in a funny way.

"Insult me oh, Oda!" Kehinde frowns.

Meanwhile, Tolani who seemed amused burst into laughter.

"You actually spoke Yoruba, " Tolani smiles. "Oya, come here," Tolani says dragging Kehinde over to her.

"Now repeat after me, " Tolani says to Kehinde who just hisses.

"Repeat after me jor!".

" Leave me alone now, " Kehinde frowns.

"Oya look at me, " Tolani says now raising Kehinde face towards hers.

"Any guy who rejects you is a fool, he doesn't know what he is missing, " Tolani says with a smile.

"Tolani, stop trying to console me!"