EPISODE 2 (Fire on the Mountain)

Episode 2 (Fire on the Mountain)

One week later, Dad informed us of a business trip in Abuja to represent his Company. It left the house in loneliness, especially now that I would not have the freedom to mingle with my gender for the meantime. 

I had no friends in my area, Irona, Ado-Ekiti, many of them were in Adebayo. Even if Tunde, my friend would want to look me up at that time, it would be after he was back from Port Harcourt for a 2-month workshop.

Dad’s announcement was like a drama, making his sound so low and calm to each person in our rooms as if there was a family meeting. He was in mufti with no green light for work. I was even doubting if Mum haven't heard of it before but was just pretending, I expected her to query Dad for not telling her earlier.

“I just received my Boss' call this morning; I shall go to him now and take off by evening” he had said to calm her.

Mum later smiled, ready to get back to her eye-rolling ritual. After some seconds, she changed her reactions, her face became stony with morsel of dimples that suggested loneliness. Dad kept rubbing his stomach himself, only God knows how he would feel now that it wasn't Mum's hand.

“Love, I understand or should I wait till tomorrow?” Dad's tommy got the magical touch of Mum’s hand this time.

“Yes Love, I think that will keep my company. Who will be with me when you go now?” She shrugged her face. My Sisters didn't say a word to Dad, they were reading the headlines, scrolling beneath a live program on Channels TV to buy time.

I recall when Dad wanted to discuss something seriously like that, he would tell us to reduce the volume of the Telly to its bearest minimum. He had said that "interference is a bad egg to one's discussion." Not only that, he would also tell us to put our Phones on silence and turn off Radio. He was the person making laws and still breaking it, because that was the time his phone would be crying loud for attention and so as Mum's.

“I feel you but, let me tell you this” he moved closer to her and held her cheek lovely. “If I didn't go, our company might lose the contract” Mum shook her head, rebuking Dad.

“No honey, honey no! You will never lose the contract in Jesus name.” Dad jogged his head

“Amen, but...” Mum cuts in, her head shaking with rejection.

“There is not but in this case, I.....(hiss silently)honey please now” She rest her head on his Chest, pleading. Dad smiled and kissed Mum's hair but, Mum wasn't satisfied.

“Trainees, do you wish to live forever?” No one wished to respond to what won't yield a gift. 

“So, you don't want to live forever again, right?” He stood firm, making Mum's head to pull forward. '’I'm sorry dear’' he got back to Mum and kissed her brow. He put his hand in his pocket and slipped #1000 notes into Mum's hands. It took Mum for some seconds before she could collect it with a smile then, he moved to me.

“Teejay” he called in a cacophonous voice but, I didn't answer. I didn't face him, I rather joined my Sisters watching the Telly. He took the remote on the centre table and turned it off.

“You look at me and not the TV” He authorised. He thought turning the TV off would hold my Sisters down, they turned to other sides and ran their eyes through a Poster full of words which was patched against the wall. He didn't bother himself with them, he rather knocked my shoulder.

“You're a good boy; you've done well” I didn't say a word, I was also reading the manufacturer's texts on the asbestos. He dropped something on my lap, I didn't know what it is and didn't check. Seconds passed, I lowered my sight, it was my phone's strongest battery I've been searching for and he added N15,000 to it.

“Where do you see it Dad?” I asked with happiness. Dad didn't answer, he moved close to Bisola and gave her #20,000 and Bioye, #15,000. I became jealous for the distribution; I and Bisola suppose to collect the same amount. Despite the fact that she was the oldest, I was still the rock of the family.

“I wish you journey mercy Dad” I don't know when my lips sagged to it.

“You would wish me bad luck if I didn't see it in thr Kitchen?” I wanted to rebuke him but then, I remembered I lost it the day I entered the Kitchen.

I was the one who took the last meat in the Pot that day, while everyone put the blame on Bioye, which made me wonder what Dad was also doing in the Kitchen.

I glanced at Mum, thinking she would ask me why I went to the Kitchen and not my Sisters but, she didn't.

“I can never say that, Dad” I finally says, and with a smile, put the battery into my pocket. 

“You just want us to be feeling lonely now” Bisola finally broke her silence. I took the remote and wanted to turn on the Telly again.

“Has your father permitted you to turn it on again?” I gently put it back, looked away to avoid her angry shots.

“Since my love is with you, you can never feel lonely” Dad later replied to Bisola

“Beeni” Mum commented with mockery.

“Dad...” Bioye sounded, her first statement with two contrary feelings. First, she doesn't want him to go to the trip; second, she has gotten the money she would use to buy another latest Stiletto she told me about.

“Yes my daughter” Dad said, anticipating comments from her.

“If you don't want us to be crying, give us your Car's key” her demand bathed everyone with soap of laughter. Would Dad walk to the trip? What happened to Mum's Car(Mazda) that she couldn't drive in it? She even dared not to. She couldn't drive a decongested steering wheel let alone moving a Car on the street.

“Then, if I give you my Car's key, what will I travel in or I should board a commercial bus? Hell no!” Dad disagreed

“I don't want to know Dad” She still insisted

“You and your daughter, the Lord is watching you” Mum said, twisting her finger at him. Someone opened the door violently and it was Musa, the Driver.

“What happened?” Dad asked, stretched his hand forward and demanded for a quick response.

“Oga, I swear, walahi talahi; there is fire on this mountain”

“En, which mountain?” questions were chorused

“Tell me, what happened?” Dad was about to hold his clothes when he couldn't talk quickly, and he stammered.

“O..Oga , the tyre of your high lander don flat” I held my brow with disappointment and wished I could smash the remote on his head. If I knew he haven't changed from his hypertensive threat, I would not take it serious. Last month, he had ran to the house, shouting that the witches in his Village from Kano had sent a beast to kill him. When I checked it, it was a wall gecko. Two weeks ago, he said he saw a snake within the flowers near our fence not knowing it was a tiny green thread that was put to Sun by Gbanaje, the Gate-keeper. He says every tiny green things in his village could turn to a snake. Last week, he said he could hear bees murmuring in the sitting room not knowing it was the outer sounds that my earpiece produced. This day there was fire in on his Village's mountain, I wished to kick his head with a heavy socket.

Mum yelped at him with an attempt to slap him.

“You are a b*stard, fool! Is it because the tyre has flatted, that.. that's the reason for the fire on your mountain?” She faced Dad “Honey, we need to sack him.. Too childish” 

Musa nearly tumbled, pleading and even wanted to grab Mum's legs.

“Ha! Madam, if you sack me now, my life has ru!ned. In fact, I don chop poverty. If I didn't inform my Lord in time, he may do something else for me.. Ple.please o” He stuttered again.

Bisola had been watching him before, she had been waiting for a day he would get into her trap.

“Will you keep quiet! What's the meaning of this, do you think yo ..you're still in your Village? Oh my God! Fire will blast the mountain in your village; say amen” She threatened him out of his will and sagged his lips to it.

“A.. Amen, amen.. Amen in Jesus name!”

I knew his intention, accepting the insult would dissolve Mum's anger and would make Dad to disagree with her suggestion, probably a decision.

“You're still talking” Bioye slapped his head.

“See how you beat my head like a drum, there's God o.. Allah!” Musa lamented. What if he knew what I wanted to do next? I had wanted to smash a stool on his head. Dad, for his first reaction shot an aggressive look at Bioye and she looked down, knowing what she did was wrong.

“Bioye,-don't ever do that again; is that clear?”

She itched her head with fear perhaps Dad would knock her.

“Musa”

“Oga” Musa trembled, knocking his brow on the tiled ground and Dad told him to get up.

“Let me be like this Oga..”

“Get up I say!” Dad shouts and he speedily stood with shaken legs.

“Yes Sir, yes Sir”

“A big fool” I could hear Bisola says silently

“Now listen” Dad points a finger at him “don't ever play trick on me again or you find yourself in your Village. Get out!” Dad shot an aggressive look.

“Oga please. Don't let me go out; I'm in doom if you...” Dad frightened him with a fight and he ran outside which made me to wonder if he could stand with Musa if he had waited.

“Ori iya mi alata rodo, don't let my Oga send me back to those witches o...” I could hear him say at a distance. 

His 6-year stay in Ekiti has made him understood Yoruba language more than the Users; his name has been the only identity that has made Visitors to believe he is an Hausa man, to some extent.

“I think I have to do something with him” Dad later commented

“Haven't I told you to sack him? Haven't I told you? Birds of a feather!” Dad smiled regardless of the accusation. He then caressed her shoulder and gave a peck on her cheek.

“Sweetheart, you don't have to think like that. No one is perfect and I want you to know that perfection comes from being imperfect” Dad submitted.

“Anyway you like it.. Do it. But, don't get me involved when it happens” she stated, with partial agreement.

“Nothing shall happen” Dad says, his brow raising higher than its height.

“What will you do to that Car now? We don't even ask your silly son maybe it's front or rear”

“There is a spared one in the boot” Dad didn't let silence to come in-between. Mum stood and moved closer to him again, rubbing his chest.

“Hey Teejay, tell him to fix the spared tyre” Dad ordered

“No honey, let him drive my car to pump the flat one at a Vulcaniser shop” Mum suggested

“Oh, that's a good idea. Where's your Car's key?”

“What?” Mum looked at Dad strangely “ You think I will give my Car key to that silly boy and wreck it? Tunji, you take him on ride please”

TO BE CONTD