OGBUEFI

CHAPTER THREE

"Welcome sir." My brothers acknowledged Adesoye.

"Ekaabo." Joyce mumbled, a sad smile playing on her lips as she eyes met Adesoye's slightly amused ones.

"Omo oloku." He teased as he pulled her into a hug. (Child of the deceased)

"O gbadun." A light chuckle escaped her lips before they took their seats. (You're not serious)

"How did it even happen? This morning?" He whipped out the food he'd gotten her from the eatery.

"I and Desmond rushed down there last night. Susan directed us to the hospital. She said that was where they were at and I didn't waste any time getting there. Between the time we asked for the location and when we got there, he was gone already."

"You're saying gone like he walked out or something." Dewale chipped in.

"You know, he did kick the bucket, right?" Dewole replied and they burst out laughing.

"E gbadun rara." Joyce smirked. (You all are not serious at all)

"Then what happened?" I brought us back on track.

"I met him dead, covered his eyes properly and they covered him up."

"Damn."

"Susan is even strong at heart. Throughout the night, she just kept on checking on him." She gestured. "She'll go to his side, tap him and call out his name and then go back to her seat."

"It's the shock." I shook my head pitifully.

"The hospital was a private one and they said we had to move his body before the sun comes up."

"Why?"

"They didn't have a morgue and didn't want bad press."

"What style is that?"

"The dead man style." Dewale walked past with a plate of rice.

"What kind of human being is this for heaven's sake?" Joyce shook her head.

"You mean where Agu went?" Dewole picked it up.

My parents stifled their guffaws.

"That's how we had to go out at night looking for buses or those ambulances that carry bodies to the morgue." She sipped on her bottle of water. "Luckily, I found one and, on the way, back to the hospital, I started informing his family about his death. I only have the contacts of some so trust them to spread the word."

"Surely."

"I trust them on that one."

"And then Adim called me. Someone gave him my number."

"Who's Adim?" My siblings and I chorused, mirroring the same confused look.

"Agu's older brother. Their mother's first born."

"How come we've never seen him before. We've only seen fake Agu."

Fake Agu was the nickname we'd given Agu's junior brother when we were younger. He was his splitting image save for the height difference and skin tone. Agu was very light-skinned and stood at a towering six-foot-two even in his old age while Friday, his junior brother was merely five-foot-ten.

"You only know Friday. Adim has never set eyes on all of you. It's been over twenty years since I even set my eyes on him, myself." Adesoye confirmed.

"He looks like Agu too but his small afro is completely white. No mix of colors. Just white."

"So, mummy you're related to Igbo Santa Claus." Dewale popped in.

"This boy isn't serious." Adesoye chuckled.