JAGUNLABI✔

CHAPTER ELEVEN

At around four in the morning, I woke up abruptly. Deep seated anxiety and a sense of anticipating the journey ahead of us could not permit me to sleep for long enough.

When I looked out the window, my heart sunk.

Rain fell harder than iron in the morning we were set to travel. The torrential downpour was heavy and hard as nails. Grey clouds had darkened the sky considerably and concealed the early morning sunrise.

I did not even realize that I had been staring so long until Niyi stirred behind me. He usually woke at five a.m. in the morning.

"Babe, kaaro, Babe, good morning," he murmured. His voice was still husky with sleep. Once upon a time, just the sound of his croaking would lighten my mood. 

"E kaaro."

Niyi drew me close to his torso with one arm, and nuzzled my neck. "You do not have to worry about the weather, we can still go to Ife." He rested his chin on my shoulder and checked the bedside clock.

"See? This is just five a.m. The weather can still change at any moment," he said.

I appreciated his attempt to cheer me up, it was a kind gesture. However, travelling to Ife before Jagunlabi struck again looked impossible.

"Teniola."

"Yes."

"You are already thinking of the worst outcome, true or false?"

I laughed without mirth, "True. Everybody give Niyi a round of applause."

My sarcasm earned me a firm spank to my rear.

"Ouch!"

Another smack.

"Ow!"

When I tried to move away from Niyi, he held me in place with a strong arm hooked around my waist. An apology was what he was expecting, but I could not stop giggling like a baby. His touch and musky scent tickled my senses.

Niyi chuckled into the crook of my neck and asked if I was sorry. "If you apologize for your rudeness, I might be compassionate and spare you," he stated.

"Might be?" I enquired sassily.

A gasp escaped from my lips at after the next spank.

"Ye!" I shouted. An exclamation of shock or pain used by Nigerians.

"Now you are talking," Niyi retorted cockily as he massaged the site. "When you were saying, 'Ouch' and 'Ow', he teased while mimicking my American accent, "You did not really feel the pain."

I elbowed him in the gut.

"Ouch! Oh my goodness, stop it Teniola," he said in a girly voice. Clearly mocking my accent. Again.

The ringing of my phone interrupted Niyi's playful games.
It was an American, international phone number. Not among my contacts but my interest was spiked and I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Ten-ten?"

"Mom!"

She laughed heartily, "How have you been? Sorry for not being reachable. I was at—"

"A youth retreat with no network?"

She chuckled, "Bingo. I guess when you reach a certain stage in life your life, you do not care about being spontaneous."

Mum and I laughed when she told me about rock climbing and trying to go fishing. Apparently, she had a nice time. She asked me about work, and if I had settled into day to day life better than when we last spoke. It was a pleasant and light hearted chat that I did not want to end.