Scars (Romola 2)

71: The Playground

Modupe pursed her lower lips. "What if it's uncle Olumide?"

Yetunde eyed him, before staring into the girl's eyes, and answering with a harsh voice. "Especially, if it is Uncle Olumide. Do NOT go with him, understand?"

Modupe's hand's tightened around his.

Yetunde held the girl's shoulder and shook her. "Do you understand?"

"Yes. Yes."

"Good." Yetunde stood tall. "Let's go home."

"No." Olumide yanked Modupe away and placed her behind him. "You are not leaving this place until I get what I want."

"What do you want?" Yetunde propped a hand on her hips and eyed him. "Have you suddenly come back to your senses?"

"Yes."

"Well. Whatever it is, we can talk about it in my house. I made porridge. I'm sure you'll love it." She walked past them towards her car. Seven feet away, she stopped and turned to him. "You're not coming?"

"Coming where? I'm not leaving until we talk.

"What's wrong with my house? Or do you want to talk about our private business in front of all these ears."

There were mostly children around. Most of them were in the school, some of them in the playground. A few parents hung around their kids and the security guard had returned to his space. Maybe this wasn't the best place to discuss such confidential matters but her house was not a better place. It was her territory and she knew the little tricks that she could play to bend him to her will. She was not an enemy he would underestimate.

"It's already a public matter. We can go to the playground."

"Modupe needs to go home and eat."

The girl peeked out from behind him. "I've eaten."

Yetunde's brows furrowed. "Who gave you food?"

"I did. Seeing, how long you made us wait."

"Why are you so stupid?" Yetunde yelled at him. "Don't you know you're not supposed to feed her? Now, she won't want to do her homework."

Her stalling bored him. The anger he struggled to check swirled closer to the surface. "Maybe something is really wrong with you for you to deprive Modupe of something so essential as food for her to do her homework."

"Don't blame me for your inability to understand. When we get home, she'll start saying she's too tired and she'll sleep. You'll see."

"If you picked her up and got her home on time, you wouldn't have this problem."

"This is Modupe. I know how to take care of her better than you."

"I've seen enough. Is this how you will take care of my children too? Leaving them to starve in school?"

"It's not called starving. It's discipline."

Olumide's voice rose. "How about I discipline you?"

"Can you even discipline yourself? I don't get it. You are supposed to wear the trousers in this relationship. Yet, I have to push you for everything." She fixated a glare at the child. "Modupe, enter this car now."

Modupe started to walk out from behind him but he tightened his hand around her and held her back.

Yetunde's face blended anger with surprise. "So, you'll hold my own sister hostage against me?"

"All I want is a simple conversation which we can have as mature adults. When you're ready to talk, I'll be at the bench."

As he walked towards the playground, Modupe made a show of resisting him, even though there was no effort in her digging her heels in the ground. She turned back to Yetunde. "See, aunty Yetti, he is the one dragging me oh. Don't go and tell mommy that I don't want to come home."