]Timi carried Toun to the car while sparrow and i remained behind. It was still unbelievable that the Abayomi that had hung out with us yesterday was now dead. Sparrow got a call behind me and after he finished, he took Toun and i to Aiyegbami, while Timi went to meet the Hotel management. Sparrow took us to the spare room in the apartment then he called Jafar, he gave me the phone to talk to him..
Jafar : i told Sparrow to keep you guys secured there…you have more than 20 men around the house..
Me : Abayomi is dead….
Jafar : I will see you guys very soon, they shall not go unpunished..
Me : Promise?
Jafar : with all i am and all that i will ever be
Me : What will i do with Toun?
Jafar i will be back soon, just hang on…
Toun was sitting on the floor, she was crying bitterly
Toun: what am i now, what will i ever be, what will my life be without him?
me: Toun, Please dont cry?
Toun: I should not cry? do you know we have given our children names?…all of them… Toun started pulling her clothes, i wanted to stop her but decided against it. when she was stark naked, she started cursing
Toun: Eli, wherever you are, you will lack satisfaction.. you shall drink water but still be thirsty, you shall eat but still be hungry. what you chase you shall not meet, what you search, you shall not find.. Then she started crying again…i went to hold her…
Me : please dont cry dear, please… She pushed me away and lay down on the floor…My phone rang, it was Timi.
Timi : how are you?
me: i am ok..
Timi : i am on my way to Ijebu-Ode..Ago is not safe..the school has taken Abayomi’s body to the mortuary..
me: that is a good idea, please be safe…
Timi : how is Toun?
me: she is devastated…i dont know what to do…
Timi: i will be with you guys tomorrow. me: Abayomi was my best friend.
Timi: i know…
Me : let me know when you arrive at Ijebu-Ode..
Toun was on the floor, she had stopped crying, she was just staring at nothing…then she started laughing…i became worried.. I went to her side and held her.. she started talking to herself…
Toun: Abayomi, you are wicked oh!, is this how we planned it?…you said you will not leave me no matter what..now you have left…
me : Toun, please stop…
Toun : i should stop? they killed my baby!…ah…what kind of pain is this…Ah… I picked up my phone to call Jafar, i wanted him to tell me it woud be ok….he didnt pick… i thought of Abayomi’s lovely mother…she would be crushed!…He was her star.. My phone started ringing again, it was Timi, i wondered if he had gotten to Ijebu-ode so soon. i ignored the calls, and focused on Toun…After the fifth ring, i picked up.
. Timi : why didnt you pick?
me : i was with Toun
Timi: please, this is not the time for you not to pick calls.
me: i am sorry..have you arrived?
Timi : Not yet, at the outskirts
Me: told you to call me when you arrived.
Timi : yes i know, something happened…i got a call from school..
Me : People have found out about Abayomi’s death?
Timi : that’s not it..
Me : then what?
Timi : National’s head is infront of the School gate, on a piece of white cloth on the ground, his body is missing.. I was silent..
me : yeah, lemme know when you get to ijebu-ode.. Jafar was calling Eli out, it was War. I planned to wait for Jafar to come in before I slept. Toun was sleeping innocently, I wished I could just sleep and when I wake, I would realize that the past few hours had been a dream.
Apart from the room in which Toun and I were, the entire house was filled up to the brim. I could hear voices, though they were sober. I wanted to call my dad to tell him about it, but I decided against it. I was wondering about who I could call when I dozed off, because I woke up to the sound of a couple of cars arriving at the apartment. I eavesdropped till I heard Uche’s deep voice. I waited for Jafar’s but didn’t hear him. I waited until I slept off. When I woke up, Toun’s eyes were staring at me, she didn’t look happy or sad..she just stared…
Me : How are you feeling? She didn’t answer me, instead her eyes shone with impending tears. I excused myself and went to the Living room to see Jafar. I saw Four guys sitting on a brown sofa..
Me : goodmorning bros’es
Guy 1: goodmorning madam…sorry about your friend, we go everly threat those guys fucck up.. I just smiled..
Me : Please is Jafar around?
Guy 1: He left very early…
Me : what of Uche?
Guy 1: he left with him, you have Jafar’s number?
Me : yes
Guy 1: call him…
I walked back to the room to see Toun on the floor. She was singing Yoruba praise songs..I would have joined if I knew the words, but I didn’t so I just called Jafar.
Jafar : Hey
Me : You came in and didn’t bother checking on us?
Jafar : I thought you guys would be asleep..
Me: I was waiting for you..
Jafar : I have to go now, would see you later.. He hung up. He sound cold, it must be the ish going on, I said to myself. I called Timi..
Timi : baby, how was your night?
Me : I had bad dreams
Timi: I couldn’t sleep. His blood stained by sleeves..
Me: sorry dear..
Timi : How is Toun?
Me : she is not good..
Timi : wow…it’s a terrible thing.
Me: where are you?
Timi : I am in school..news have gone round..
Me: about the deaths?
Timi : yes, the senate has cancelled all electoral activities. Elections have been cancelled. The senate would be meeting by 10am to decide if they should close down the school for a while.
Me: oh..
Timi: I would go to the hotel and pick your things..will bring it over later..
Me : you are a darling, thanks..
Timi: take care.. He hung up.. Toun had stopped singing.
Me: Timi will come see us soon.. Toun started crying, it started with little sobs until she started wailing..
Me : Please stop crying…
Toun: Abayomi is all alone in a mortuary, naked with strangers…and I am here, you say I should not cry?..i keep thinking about the moment he knew he was going to die…he was killed…Abayomi was murdered in cold blood and you say I should stop crying? She started singing again, it was a Yoruba song about how wonderful God was, and how he wouldn’t fail his children. I couldn’t sing along…but I cried..
To be continued
