OGBUEFI

CHAPTER TWO

"Here is just fine." I pointed at the house and the cab driver stopped.

I drew in a breath as I alighted. He turned to leave and I exhaled, my vision trailing up the building. There was a small figure on the balcony and I wasn't in its line of sight just yet.

I walked through the gates of the house, heading to the staircase. Now I'd gotten his attention.

"Aunty Didi!" He shrieked, bolting towards me.

"My darling." I gasped as he tackled me into a bear hug. He was Kanmi, my youngest brother.

"Welcome ma." The lad pulled me into another embrace. "Did you hear that Agu died?" His smile slightly faltered as reality set in. The poor eleven-year-old.

"Yes, that's why I'm back."

"So... it's not because you miss me?" He smirked.

"Not at all." I scrunched up my nose as I teased.

"You lie, sister!" He cackled, grabbing my bag as we held hands towards the stairs. We trudged to the entrance together.

"Nobody has told Oma anything yet, but she knows something weird is going on."

"I'll go see her soon. I just need to drop my stuff inside first." I explained and then his choice of outfit caught my attention.

"Why are you on school uniform, where are you going?"

"School. The lockdown was relaxed for a bit so we're writing the end of the term exams that got postponed due to the pandemic."

That explained the school uniform.

I'd barely walked through the front door when I met Adesoye and my two other brothers.

"Aunty Didi." They looked thrilled to see me.

"Hey everybody!" I smiled before genuflecting to acknowledge my father. "Ekasan sir."

"Welcome o mama, how was your journey?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"It was fine. Thanks." I spared him a hug. "How're you doing?" I took a seat on the bouncy couch as Dewale, the older twin took my bag into my room.

"So Agu has died like that?" Dad sighed, slowly shaking his head as the rhetorical question left his lips.

"Is Oma downstairs?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to drop them at school."

"All of them? I thought it's just Kanmi."

"We've started WAEC too. The postponed one."

"So it's only me?"

"I'll be back in an hour or two." Dad assured.

"No problem. "I'll be expecting you."

"Your Oma doesn't know he's dead. Don't tell her yet, we're waiting for the four of them to return before breaking the news."

"Okay."

They left and it was just me. I sighed, slipping my phone into the pocket of my jeans. I grabbed the small bag of goodies I'd bought for Oma and made my way to her apartment; downstairs.

I'd barely shut the door when a familiar face approached me on the balcony. He was the son of Agu's younger brother.

"Uncle Chijioke, good morning, sir." I would rather chew glass than acknowledge him in the native dialect.

"Didi, how're you doing? When did you come back?"

"Fine. This morning." I refrained hard from rolling my eyes. All my life, he'd always gotten on my nerves, knowingly and unknowingly.