DEJI
As I pack up to go home since work has closed for the day, my phone rings and I check the caller ID to see who the caller is.
Shallywally💃. It reads. Don't mind her, she saved it that way because according to her, I should be excited anytime I see the phone ring and her name pops up. Hence the dancing emoji attached.
"Shalewa Shodeinde, how far?" I say, just to spite her.
"You too, Ayodeji Shodeinde how far? Tsk. Do I look like those your employees or business partners?" I chuckle at her outburst.
"Sorry now." I apologize before she milks this situation.
"I hear you. If you call me Shalewa Shodeinde again, I'll magically appear in front of you and punch you." She says, making me laugh.
"But is that not your name?" I ask her.
"Yes and what happened to only Shalewa or Shallywally or better still, you can call me the sweetest sister in the whole world." She says the last part in a sing song manner.
"Okay, ma. I surrender, Shallywally." I say.
"Ehen. The bottom line is that you were speaking to me with that your annoying professional tone. Anyways, are you home yet?" She asks.
"Nope. Why?" I reply her, chipping in a question at the end.
"Nothing. Just bored, want to come and disturb you small." She says.
"You are very funny." I state.
"Okay o. Since you don't want to have me over, no problem. I'll just go to Timi's place." She says.
"You are joking, right?" She should be because the last time I saw both of them together, which was on my birthday, they hardly acknowledged each other's presence.
"Try me and see." She says.
"Hmm. Okay, you can come over but you have to bring something for me for allowing you to my home." I state.
"What do you want?" She asks me.
"Food." I state simply. On the other end of the phone, she bursts into laughter.
"Olounje oshi (glutton)." She says, still laughing. Hah, this girl.
"Shalewa, hope you know I am still your elder brother?" I ask her.
"Sorry now. Once somebody starts teasing you, that is when you will remember elder brother." She scoffs at me.
"What food do you want?" She adds.
"Amala and ewedu." I state.
"You want to kill me ni? There is jollof rice at home. Can you manage that one because I just closed from work too." She says.
"Alright. Thank you, Shalewa." I say.
"I know if I enter that your kitchen I'll see food stuff that you have not used because you are lazy. Not as if you cannot cook o but let me just keep quiet before you pull the elder brother card on me again." She states.
What she said is true, though but it is not as a result of laziness but sometimes, it is because I am tired. It doesn't take child's play to run a multi-billion company and moreso, to grow it in three years.
"Better." I respond.
"Till later. Hope you have netflix sub because I want to watch this new movie I heared of." She says.
"Later, sis." I end the call before she asks her netflix question again. When I want to watch El-Classico today, this girl is talking movies.
I resume packing and head out once I am done, passing by her work space to see her still engrossed in reading. I chuckle and walk to Timi's office. Just as I was about knocking, he opens the door.
"Going too?" He asks.
"Yeah." I say.
"Coming with you. How far El-classico? I am coming with you, let me watch your face when we trash tou guys." Unfortunately, he is a Barcelona fan.
"When we trash you guys, you mean." I state. He scoffs and shoots back.
"As if!"
"I can't wait for this match, I swear." I say, laughing at him. We leave our floor and take the elevator downstairs, then get into our separate cars and drive to my house. We have a rule to always watch the match at each other's place, alternating it. The last one was at his house, which automatically makes today's match to be seen at my place.
Still driving, I jam to Holla Holla by Sugarboi. I wonder why we stopped hearing much when it comes to music from his angle. This song is really good and is a whole vibe on its own.
We pull over at my house and get in. Timi takes off his suit jacket and inner shirt, leaving him in his singlet and trousers.
"Guy, working is not easy." He sighs, plopping on the white sofa and taking out his phone.
"It is not but playing did not get us where we are." I reason out.
"True that." He states, going back to press his phone.
I walk into the kitchen to get water from the refrigerator when the doorbell rings.
"Timi, please open the door." I say, atop my voice.
"Alright." He replies. I pick up a bottle and walk back to the parlour to meet Timi and Shalewa engaged in a glaring contest.
"What's up with you two. Timi, shift joor." I slightly push him off the doorway and pull Shalewa into a hug, closing the door in the process.
"Good evening." She smiles at me, before walking straight to the kitchen. Whatever is eating them up, they will definitely open up someday. For what it is worth, I think it is even better the way they don't like each other as I have more peace of mind that way. I follow her to the kitchen and see that she already brought out the big pack containing rice and another, with chicken, dishing the contents into three plates.
"How far?" I ask her, reaching out to pick one piece of chicken from the pack.
"Ow!" I exclaim when she slaps my hand off.
"Patience." She cautions. When it comes to manners regarding food, I start to wonder if she is my big sister.
"Yes, ma." I say, giving her a mock salute, to which she laughs.
"So, it is because of food you are calling me 'ma'." She says, amidst laugher.
"How was work and what is the latest?" She asks.
"Fine. I got a new assistant." I reply.
"Hope you will not chase this one away like you did to the last one?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, I did not do anything to the last one. She just wanted to mix business with pleasure and I did not want that. Next thing, she quit. I did not do anything." I say, defending myself.
"I hear you." She tosses a plate to me.
"Here. That is yours." She states and picks hers.
"If your friend wants his own, he can come get it himself or better still, you can help him." She says and walks to the sitting room. I shake my head and pick up the second plate and join them, handing Timi's plate to him.
"How was your own day? How far?" I ask her.
"You know nau, work and staying in that house with your parents is not easy sometimes." She sighs.
"Then get your own place." I simply state, shrugging.
"Bro, some of us are not like you o. Besides, I don't want them to be lonely in that house." She says.
"Well, I guess it is a price that you have to pay. How are they, by the way?" I ask, placing a spoon of rice in my mouth.
"They are fine." She says, smiling and we continue to eat in silence.
When it is time, I tune into Super Sport to watch the match.
"But bro, it is not fair o. I told you I wanted to watch Netflix." She says, sulking.
"This is El-classico we are talking about, Shally. Madrid and Barça." I state with alot of emphasis on the clubs.
"I'll let it slide because my darling Ronaldo is in Madrid." She states sweetly, earning a scoff from Timi and laughter from me. She turns to glare at him and does the same to me.
"Dear sis, you darling Ronaldo no longer plays for Madrid but now plays for Juventus." I correct her.
"Ehn. I am now a Juventus fan." She replies, smiling sweetly. Oh yeah, girls and Ronaldo. It is just very funny how much they crush on the guy.
That night, Real Madrid won the match.
HEY, GUYS.
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Special thanks to Iyanuoluwa-Temi and xubydah