Tomi (A short story)

Chapter 20

Song for the chapter: Jireh by elevation worship.

Tomike

"Grandma and grandpa Adenuga"

My grandparent's house was always a safe haven for everyone of us so when Tunmise's first guess was their house I was not surprised.

I remember one time when I was little girl my parents had one of their couples fights and my mother had left the house angrily and she went to stay at my grandparents house. During those times, my brothers would take up the cooking and cleaning in the house and all I had to do was sweet-talk my mother on the phone to return back home.

Deji's sudden disappearance reminded me of how much I've neglected my family ever since I went through the phase of growing up. Like the last time I spoke to my twin brothers on the phone was around three months ago and that was because we were planning a surprise birthday for my parents and as for my my elder brother Femi, he was barely around when I was a kid so we didn't really have a close relationship.

Deji was the only sibling that I was attached to. We did everything together and we even lived close to each other because according to him he didn't think he could live without seeing his favourite girl at least once every week.

Agreed we were all in a family group chat and we talked everyday. My mother sent her usual prayers every morning, my father sent us memes, Femi dropped motivational quotes here and there like the regular American dad, Tunji and Timi just dropped by once in a while but Deji was the glue holding the group together and then there's me the one in the background, their sweet little girl who's not so little anymore.

A lone tear escaped my eye and Tunmise stared at me with shock written all over his face. He turned on the car stereo and focused his gaze back on the road.

He drove into my grandparents estate and the security officers smiled at him knowingly. The head security officer, Baba Tobi walked out of the small security room and signalled for us to stop.

"Sisi Tomike!" He smiled as he rested his elbows on Tunmise's window and I gave him a half smile. "Ah what's that look on your face? Don't worry he'll be fine. Is it not that hardheaded Deji? He'll be fine." He shrugged his shoulders.

Baba Tobi has been the head security officer at my grandparents estate since they were married even before they started having children so we were basically family.

"I really hope he heals from this." Tunmise sighed and pulled out a bottle of wine from the back seat. "Please Baba manage this one. I didn't know we were going to be here today, I would have bought that chicken suya that you like yesterday."

"The one that you will end up eating with me." Baba Tobi laughed and I smiled. "Thank you my son. Okay I'll leave you both now. I was watching a very interesting movie."

"Ah this man when will you stop watching Philippine movies." Tunmise laughed as he drove to my grandparents house.

My grandparents estate was located in Banana island, one of the most influential areas in Lagos. Some of the houses here were on lease while most of them were owned by influential people who bought lands from this estate.

"Can you remember when we used to borrow Cd plates from him?" I snorted.

He pressed the horn and the security man opened the gates as if he was already expecting us and by security man I mean an army officer who looked like all he ever did was lift weights and when we drove into the compound, they were even more army men.

"The life of a political leader." Tunmise sighed. "Doesn't change the fact that this house radiates peace though. Can you see those flowers over there?"