5:15pm,
Todun's house.
A
man easily in his late 50's pushed the gates open and Adam zoomed into the wide compound finding himself a spot to park his mum's car in the garage amongst the other vehicles that already filled the space. Preparations for Todun's wedding party had started; sets of chairs and tables had been stacked on one side under the garage and some women were offloading a small truck that carried the bags of rice, pepper, large pots, coolers and some other cooking things. Those were for the engagement party the following morning and a merry aura was very overt in the place.
Simi was the first to descend from the car and she checked herself once again through the car window, still not sure if she was rightly dressed for the occasion. Maybe too short?
"You look okay. You'll be fine." She looked up to find him observing her and a giant knot instantly formed in her belly but for what it was worth Adam's voice soothed her so she smiled.
"Thank you." They turned and walked into the house side by side, almost like couples and bypassing the busy people in the corridor. Entering into the living room, they first walked into Tari, Todun's brother.
"Oh man! Look who we have here!" Tari, few inches taller than Adam, exclaimed when he surprisingly saw him walk amply into their house accompanied by this gracefully petite lady.
"I didn't think I'd meet you here today. How are you?" Adam extended his hand and he took it.
"I'm fine bro. I'm not supposed to be here. I was just stepping out. The ladies don't want me around because it's a strictly ladies stuff. Imagine." The trio chuckled.
"That's funny. Came to drop Simi too. Ooops! don't mind my bad manners. Simi this is Tari, the bride-to-be's brother, and er.. Tari this is Simi, my sister's friend."
"Oh nice." His eyelids drooped and he smiled as he stretched his hand to take her small one and she smiled coyly.
"It's nice to meet you. And..... congratulations to your family."
"Thanks dear," He released her hand and faced Adam. "I'm just off to run some errands and chill at the groom's side, we have a small thing too. Or you wanna come?"
"No man, I have to be somewhere now."
"No qualms. But you'll be here tomorrow bah?"
"Definitely."
Tari grinned and faced Simi again. "I hope I'll be seeing you tomorrow at the party too."
She looked briefly at Adam who held his brows together and back at him.
"Um sure."
"Nice. It's nice to meet you Simi. See you later too bro." He patted Adams shoulder and left the building.
Simultaneously, they both swiveled around to the sound of people coming into the house from outside which turned out to be Tiara with Desuwa following behind her. When Adam sighted his sister, he hugged her.
"You look tensed. Are you okay?" He asked noticing her down look.
Tiara huffed as she sluggishly gave in to his hug still feeling all sort of way about everything; him, Desuwa and even the wedding.
"I'm okay." She lied.
When Desuwa entered into the room wheeling her box behind her, Adam spotted her, his eyes blinked and taken aback too, she stared back at him. He instinctively released the hug and Tiara went to Simi. "I love love love your dress. I'm stealing it." The two ladies smiled and exchanged a repartee before they noticed the situation between Adam and Desuwa.
"You guys know each other?" Tiara inquired clamping her eyebrows.
"Err... yeah. I don't know. She looks familiar." Adam still stared at Suwa trying to figure out where he had met her.
"Familiar? I know you. Tobi's party...some days ago." She helped him and then it came to mind.
"Oh...yeah...at... oh my God it's you! Yes now I remember. I'm sorry. I... "
"No it's fine. I'd be surprised too." She twirled the corner of her mouth as she walked past him to meet Tiara. "Thanks Tee. I need to offload now. Is Todun home?"
"Err yes she should be in her room upstairs."
"Alright. Thanks. And it's nice to see you again ..." Suwa faced him.
"Adam. Adam Coker."
"I'm Desuwa. I guess I'll see you guys later." She pulled her fancy trolley behind her and smiled a tiny bit to Simi who just looked idly at the scene and up the stairs.
"What just happened? How do you guys know each other?" Tiara approached her brother immediately, so wanting to know.
"You heard her. The birthday I went to the other night with Bode. The one I told you about. I'm as surprised as you."
"At the strip club?" He nodded. "Wow! Well, I didn't know you guys were friends. Like many other things that I don't know."
"Are you listening to me? She's not a friend, at least not exactly so. We only met per chance at the club ...nothing more ..." He lied. "And why are you talking like this? What do you mean by other things you don't know?"
"Guys," Simi butted in. "Keep your voices low. You can talk about this later. Tiara, chill."
"What's she talking about?"
"I don't know. But we're not going to find that out now or here. Okay?"
Tiara kept mute and Adam just looked startled at his sister trying to understand her attitude and all she had just said but like Simi had rightly said, it wasn't the time or place. So he thought to leave.
"I'm going to pick up Maami. Do I have to come pick you up later?" He asked Simi.
"No no... I should get a taxi right? Tee?"
"If necessary sure. But you might wanna stay over. There are plenty of rooms here."
"Oh alright then. I guess I'm no longer needed here. You guys have fun." And he darted out of the house. Kind of angry.
"Tee, what was that about?"
"It's nothing joo. Him and me just have a lot to talk about. Let's go upstairs already I think I can hear Todun's voice. And I'm not kidding babe, I'm stealing this dress."
Simi laughed. "We both know it's not going to fit."
"Whatever."
Tiara told herself she wasn't going to worry about Adam now until after the wedding is over because it would really alter the zappy mood she had tried to sustain all week. But there were a lot of questions running through her mind. Like was he really married? If yes, why keep it as a secret and why was he on drugs? What exactly was he on to?
She had felt it strongly since he got back from New York that something was new and off about him but every time he denied it saying it was just a result of changing his environment. True, but that couldn't just be all, there had to be more and just this morning, her instincts were proven right when those messages came in. Just in time. Worse, she knew she couldn't tell their mother about it, at least not yet. Not until she discusses it with him first and he better have a good explanation.
And as if that wasn't enough to worry about, Adam knew Desuwa too. Like how? At a strip joint? What was Suwa doing at a strip joint in the first place? And he hadn't been in Nigeria up to a week yet. The thoughts turned her tommy and she didn't want to think about it now. The party was just in some minutes and the DJ was yet to come. Deep sigh. She would worry about Adam and Adesuwa later but now she had other issues.
***
7:35pm, Todun's bachelorette party
"So you have a brother? And apparently I'm the only one here who doesn't know that. I thought we were all friends." Desuwa walked into the kitchen again where Tiara was up to something.
"How many times am I going to tell you that he hasn't being around and we never talk about him. He lives in New York." And he's married! "But how did you guys meet? He's only been around for what, a week?"
"I told you it was at a party I was invited to. I was there, he was there, and we met."
"Right. So you were in Ibadan some days ago and then you went back to Lagos to come back to Ibadan today," Desuwa nodded her head, handpicked a cherry and put it in her mouth. "Interesting. What exactly do you do? You know...for a living."
Sounding disappointed, Suwa inched closer to her. "Tee, you're meaning to tell me you don't know that I am a model, a video vixen... and an actress too?"
"Oh...really. I guess you never mentioned that to me. And I've never seen you in a movie. Well...no wonder. I should have known." Tiara moved away.
From nowhere: "Leave her alone Tiara. Leave the girl alone. Kilode?! Suwa is a young girl. She needs to live like one. Enjoy her life, do what she wants, travel, experience the world and flaunt her beauty," This was one of Todun's aunt, the particular one Tiara never liked who walked in on them on their conversation and like always she had to butt in too. "She reminds me of when I was you people's age. But you, you better loosen up too and stop being so uptight every time." She washed her hands in the basin and left the girls in the kitchen.
"Don't listen to her Tee. She's just running her mouth. Come and show me the chief brides maid dress everyone's been gabbing about and tell me more about your brother."
Desuwa took a can of Coca-Cola from the fridge and went back into the big living room where the party was ongoing and Tiara just stared, almost lost and angry at that cockeyed lady's comment who's always out to get her. She took a very deep breath and swigged the glass of Hennessy she poured for herself.
The party had gone about two hours and half already and the ladies were having quality fun. Good for Tiara, the DJ came in immediately after Adam drove off the compound and everything had been in order. Todun, the bride-to-be was looking her finest with all her female friends and family that had come to celebrate her last night as a single woman. There were varieties of gifts, cakes, wines and booze, all kinds of chops and food, good music, beautiful decorations, flowers and lights. A typical bridal shower and all the ladies present were about eighteen.
Simi had a chance to perform her songs too and everyone was blown. Thanks to Tiara. A lady came to her later. She said her "rich" uncle was into music or something so they exchanged numbers.
Not too long after, Simi was beginning to get tired of everything. She had had fun like Tiara promised but she wanted to go home too. She took another bite of the cake Lara, one of Todun's sisters (who seemed to like her a lot) brought to her with a glass of wine as she bopped her head to the slow music the DJ was now playing in the corner of a sofa where she cuddled herself.
9:32pm
Beep! Her phone vibrated and the screen lit up.
- Hey. Her brow itched up as she took her phone to click on the notification. An unknown number. Who's this?
- hi. Who's this? She texted back immediately and held her phone waiting for a response. Forty five seconds later another beep.
-You gave me your number earlier today.
Oh Adam.
-lol yeah right.
-How's the party?
-it's okay
- Just okay? Are you sure?
-yeah ... but some people are leaving already and I'd like to leave too. Was going to call a taxi.
-Really?
-lol yeah. can't remember the last time I was with so many females so I kinda feel misplaced if you get what I'm saying
-Misplaced? What does that even mean. You're weird.
-So err... you wanna come home?
-maybe ... I'll talk to Tee. Then maybe I'll find a taxi.
- Or... I could come pick you? Maami is passing the night at her sisters'
- I'm at Bode's place now and I was about to leave. I could pick you up. Should I?
- oh..
- that'd be okay too. if you're not too far away tho.
-Don't worry. I'm the driver.
- lol funny but true. err okay. let me talk to Tee.
-I'll text you.
-I'll be waiting for your message dear.
Adam's POV
About fiften uneasy minutes later...
Beep
- hey, still there? im ready
- yes sure
- I'm on my way.
- im waiting ☺