The copious consequences

12

"Hey baby," Dara said softly, "hey mummy, how are you?" Layo asked softly and Dara nodded, her eyes went to Kelvin who was dressed in a black business suit. He paused and looked between them.

"You are awake?" he directed at Dara who was adjusting her dress, she put Layo down and rubbed her head, "has she eaten?" Dara asked looking at the care taker that was buying cooking.

"Yes ma, I fed her not quite long," the maid answered, "are you ready?" she nodded and took Layo's hand and they strolled out of the penthouse.

Dara seemed fine just distant and cold, nobody could reach her, talk to her. Kelvin glanced at her for the fouth time in the car as their slowed down, Kolawole was to be buried in his estate and his family and friends were invited to the ceremony.

Shade and Temi handled everything that had to do with the ceremony while Maria grieved the loss of her husband. She refused to speak to anyone confirning herself to her room.

Dara got down from the car and grabbed Layo's hands, the wake keeping had started, the reading of the will that would be private and intimate only between family, and after that they would have a silent dinner in celebration of his live.

Dara did not believe that she was going to step foot into the house again but here she was hurriedly climbing the stairs with Layo with her.

They opened the door and Kelvin got up to his wife, she was greeted by a silent house. A maid bowed and directed them outside through the garden to another part of he woods, where a crowd was gathered. Dara's step slowed as she heard the possession of the wake keeping continue.

Her heart pounded as she finally joined her family, her eyes went to the open casket, her father was in there. He looked so peaceful in a white suit, his arms were crossed. Dara shook her head at Kelvin stopping him from bringing Layo near. She did not want her daughter to have that image.

Her mother was wailing and inconsileable, Temi stood beside her with a grim expression and Shade looked pretty fine, although she looked somewhat displeased. Dara was not surprised, they all had wished him death multiple times. He was an awful person but did she actually think he would die now? No, he was recovering from his tuberculosis and she thought everything was okay and it was fine until sh heard the news.

Her throat cloacked together as the men started pit with sand over the closed casket, Maria was yelling crying for him to come back, she fell unto the ground and wailed bitterly. Dara couldn't do it, she could not behave as if everything was alright when it wasn't.

The first tear dropped from her eyes unknowingly, her body shook before she knew it and her wails started, Kelvin rushed to her and pulled her into his arms, his eyes went to their friends that stood on the opposite side of the ceremony.

She shook and sobbed, her heart was heavily, this was the first time she was crying, her knees were weak and almost gave out on her. She felt heavy, she felt horrible. She was crying over the man that she did not a good relationship with.

Why did her heart hurt so much? Why did it feel like she hated herself for not forgiving him? Maybe she did see he was changing? Maybe this was just guilt that was talking? She did not know why she was hurt. She should be ecstatic that he was dead and it was one less person to bother her.

She had wished him death in her teenage years when she would see him in magazines and news papers with his perfect wife and family while she suffered gravely. She hated that she had to do extra work to prove to him that he could also love her. She wanted him! She hated him so much! But why did he have to die? Why?

"It okay..." Kelvin muttered consoling her, "everything is fine, you are going to be fine," he said softly, "come, why don't we get you something to drink," he smiled at her and they walked back into the house, he found the freezer and pulled out a large carton chivita, he poured into a plastic cup and added it to her.

"Thank you," she took it from him and started sipping. Soon after the guests filed in, and started hanging around the house talking and discussing. Kelson and Stephanie walked toward Kelvin and Dara who were now with Layo who was operating her iPad.

"Hey," Kelson muttered softly, "how are you? How are you holding up?" she took another sip of her chivita not in the mood to answer him, she sighed and rubbed her nose. She cried so much that had eyes started to hurt.

"Look, man, give her some space, she cannot talk to you," Kelvin said blocking his view as he wanted to approach her again. Kelson stared at Kelvin for a while before finally giving up annoyed, she is as vulnerable now, as he could use that to crawl back into her life and gain access to her and their daughter. Stephanie also watched Dara with a quiet expression, the woman was cold but one could see the wheel of thought stunning in her head.

Kelvin turned back to her and pulled her into his arms rubbing the side of her arm, "you are going to be fine," he muttered into her head and kissed it.

The will reading came and the family of Oldele piled into Kolawole's former study, and the guests were entertained while they were gone, Temi made sure of it.

Maria frowned as her daughter walked into the room with Kelvin and Layo, she shook her niece off and walked toward them. Without saying a word she raised her hand and landed her palm on Dara's cheek. The room quietened at what they just witnessed. Dara's eyes went to her shocked while Kelvin pulled her away to de-escalate the issue.

"Why did you bring him here huh? Why did you come here?! You made it clear that we are not your family when you turned your back on your family for a man!" she spat the last words angrily.

"Why are you doing this?" Dara asked softly, tears were in her eyes and she felt like another wound had opened because of her mother, "you love playing victim don't you? You are here for what exactly? Do you think he would waste one to accept someone that is as ungrateful as you are? You made sure he was miserable all the time he was alive so why are cry in like you were best friends?"

Dara's tears flowed, and she stared at the woman who births to her wondering how she could be so vicious, it was like she was not seeing her daughter as human, it was like all the pain was taken out on Dara.

"Mummy, Dara is still a part of the family please we cannot kick her out no matter how you feel," Temi explained, he placed a hand on his mother's shoulder and helped her walk back to her seat. Kelvin placed his hand on his wife's shoulder who was willing and dabbing her face.

They sat with Layo that could not believe that her grandmother that was always nice to her had committed such an outrageous sin, she sat there wondering what had happened and why they were yelling and screaming. Temi signalled to the lawyer who sat at the centre of the large semi-modern office.

(WARNING: I am not sure about how wills are read to the family, i.e the format, and I tried to search on google nothing of substance is coming up, so, please bare with me,).

"This is the reading of Late Senator Kolawoke Oladele, the executors are his wife Maria Oladele and his sister Oreoluwa Oladele,

It states and I quote 'my estate including all known legal property shall pass to my first granddaughter Omolayo Felix Robinson, through my daughter the last child who will hold 75% shares of my company in trust for my grandchild Darasimi Oladele Robinson, my wife Maria Oladele will be given absolute ownership of my estate in the Bahamas, my penthouse in Cape town south Africa, the shoe collection business in the Hampton's.

My cousins and her children will be gifted the mansion in our village and the one in Shagam, the family-sized car for her children, an important position in my company for her first child, this responsibility will fall on Darasimi Oladele Robinson who will be appointed as chairman taking over for me after my death, she will direct and lead the bore of the directors and appropriately find a suitable person to be the CEO of the company.

It is not to be forgotten that Darasimi Oladele is a trustee of the company and once Omolayo attains the age of thirty five, if she sole desires can take over to be the chairperson of the company. All other assets not gifted already are to go to Darasimi Oladele and her daughter Omolayo Felix Robinson. All-access to my accounts, private and business are to be given to Darasimi Robinson, and all cars and jewellery and rare treasures art will be gifted to Omolayo Robinson.

I hope I have done a well satisfying job in the distribution of my estate."
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