Scars (Romola 2)

51: Entitled

"My money. Shebi, you went to fix flight mode for 5k. I've fixed it by myself too." Their mother held out her hand.

"Maami na." He began, then met Romola's gaze. "You told her."

"I didn't have to tell her anything."

"Liar Liar."

Romola stuck out her tongue. He deserved it as, no doubt, he was the one who had begged for money from her. "That one is not my business. I came here to find out why you wanted me to send money to Matthew Ajayi. And why you did that through mummy's phone and why you lied."

"It's not true."

"Oh really? Then how come mummy's phone suddenly develops flight mode issues when you take the phone while I receive messages begging for money."

"No. I didn't do it."

She would have believed his confident rejection but she knew her brother.

"You did not delete the message from Romola's phone." Her mother added.

"And you didn't think mummy and I would catch on. A whole 25k inside your smelly pocket."

"30k. That flight mode money must come out today."

"But Maami." Jide shrugged.

Their mother propped one hand on her waist. "They caught you and you are still lying. Big mouth."

"You can't even lie sensibly." Romola screamed. "Am I supposed to believe that Lolade did this?"

"But aspa, you are the master of lies na. I should come and learn from you."

"Ehn Jide. Wetin you just talk? What did you just say?" Their mother doubled over, took off her left slippers and aimed at his head.

He ducked, running towards the bedroom. Her slippers missed his head and hit the wall in front of him.

Romola untied her shoe lace and aimed her sneakers at his back. The shoe hit his head as he raced to the door post. The mother and daughter shared a hi-five. Romola smiled. She'd missed that. Giving hi-fives and sharing skills with her mother.

The older woman walked to the door post of the bedroom as Jide closed the door. "You will vomit that 30k today by force or by fire."

Her mother returned to the chair, pouting and folding her hands. "Can you see this?"

"I don't even know what to say." Romola shook her head.

Jide had played a very good plan and fooled them both but today the thief got caught.

Her mother grabbed the Lenovo phone and tapped on the screen. "What is your account number, let me send you back your money."

Romola frowned. "No oh. Mummy. You can't."

"Which one is I can't?"

"You shouldn't. I sent the money to you. Or I thought I sent the money to you."

"I don't want to keep your money."

"That's fine. But can you keep it for Lolade or Sunbo."

Her mother's lips pressed together in a solid line and twisted in a circular motion, ending with a discreet nose twitch.

"Please. I swear, I did not make that money by sleeping around. I can take you to the store where I work. Just keep it for Lolade and maybe use it to pay her school fees, if you can even get it back from Jide."

Her mother looked away but dropped the phone. Romola rubbed her palms against her laps. Now that she was alone with her mother, she searched for words to fill the void between them. But the void was deeper than any bridge words could build.