Silent Seduction (08)

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If the darkness falls
And my angel calls
In my despair
Will you be there?
In the darkest night
When I need your light
Will you show me the way?
If my time runs out
And the sky falls down
Despite my fear
Will you appear
If the world goes blind
And I loose my mind
Will you show you me the way?
Owl City- Wolf Bite
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Tobi stepped down from the driver's seat and stretched his whole length. Why would his mum send Tife to come and get him at the airport? Knowing how great his mum's phobia is when it comes to Tife driving, he couldn't help thinking is mum was up to something and she needed to get rid of Tife to achieve that thing. Driving was the easiest way to get rid of that girl.
She could go haywire when it comes to driving.
She was sixteen. An underage yet too enthusiastic about driving that he sometimes risked letting her drive despite his mum's protest.
Although she was pretty good, she was never allowed to drive alone.
'You should have let me drive back home.' Tife moaned as she slammed the car door. The sky was cloudy and it looked like it would rain any minute.
'I can't let you do it. It was too risky.' Tobi said closing the car door and pressing a button on the key to unlock the trunk. He went to the back to get his bag then pressed another button to lock the car.
'I was doing just fine driving the car to the airport. You and mum just don't want me to grow up. I've got the height and there won't be any problem if I happen to run into any road official.'
'You've got the height but not the face. Now, let's go find out why mum let you drive without you even asking.'
'It's weird she did right? But I couldn't question her. Was scared she might just chqnge her mind so I just grabbed the key and fled out. You know how she always is sometimes. One minute she is agreeing with something and the next minute she is completely against it.'
Tobi and Tife moved towards the door but the two stopped abruptly sniffing the air at the same time.
'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Tobi said still sniffing the air.
'Yeah. Mum is cooking and we need to escape. Let's go somewhere and eat then come back when it's so very late.' Tife said taking two steps backward.
'We already told her we are here. She must have heard the car pull inside the compound so there is no way we're escaping. We'd be going in now and force our bowels to endure the torture.' Tobi squeezing his face in terror.
'Oh dear. I'm so sorry but you'd have to bear this with me.' Tife said patting her stomach lightly.
Tobi pulled the door handle and stepped inside the large sitting room with Tife following closely behind with that terrified expression still hanging on her face.
'Mum!' He announced as he moved to the centre of the sitting room. He stopped when he saw someone head bowed while sipping some coloured drink from a small tumbler but looking a bit tensed up on one of the Behind couches irrespective of how calm she tried to look.
There was only one person who came to his mind.
Bighead!
Tobi
'Wow, see who we have here!' Tobi exclaimed holding his hip with both hands dramatically. He went ahead to sit just beside her.
'Why are you so quiet? You should atleast show a bit of yourself. Let your big mouth do the trick.'
Tori dropped the tumbler on the table before her then turned to face him. The stewpid, childish smile on his face made her twist her mouth in some sort of 'are you for real expression?'
'Can't you just pretend you weren't some wild animal who escaped from the zoo? You will be doing yourself and a lot of people around you a whole lot of good.'
'That's more like it. I knew you were holding in the beast but thanks for unleashing that devil of a mouth.' Tobi said still smiling. He stood up then asked
'You have dropped the phone I suppose, shouldn't you be going already?'
'You mum asked me to stay for dinner and it would be pretty rude ignoring an elderly person you know...'
'Mum!' Tobi called as he skipped to the kitchen. His mum was holding a set of plates as she went past him. Tobi followed her from the kitchen through the sitting room to the dinning room.
'You shouldn't be inviting anybody to dinner!' He whispered extending his cilliary muscles in order to show his emphasis.
'And why not?' She replied not looking at him as she placed the plates in front of each chairs on the dinning table.
Why not? Cos even your kids endure what you are cooking!
That was what he had in mind but he was never going to hurt her feelings.
'I know what you are thinking. My cooking is so bad and I'd be embarrassing you if she tastes the food because you have obviously created a good impression on her and I'd be ruining that for you right?' She said as she sped off to the kitchen once again and Tobi tagged along like a puppy.
That's it!
But he won't call it 'good impressions' though.
'Not to worry. Today's meal will certainly be different.'
Every meal you've cooked had always been different from any normal dish in the world. If part or all of it is not burnt, different ingredients would stay on different parts of the plate.
If that's not different then nothing else is.
'By different, I mean it would be unique.' She added.
It was like she was a psychic!
Tobi threw his head back in distress.
Tife came inside the kitchen to join them.
'By the look of things, she was the lady with my phone all this while right?' She asked as she drained some water into a cup from the dispenser then gulped everything down.
'She already gave me the phone, you don't have to worry.' Her mum replied.
'She told me. We're getting to know each other already. Mum, she is a medical doctor and she's doing her internship already!' She seemed elated.
'Well, pass your JAMB this year and you'd be doing your internship in no time.'
'Do you really have to bring that up now?' She seemed offended.
'What's the big deal about being a medical doctor? besides Jo is a doctor too.' Tobi quickly joined in.
'Yeah. But the last time I checked, we don't really talk. I can't talk to her because even you are all shaky when you are around her that it gives me the creeps.' Tife shivered. 'But mum, what happened to the frying pan?' She asked pointing at the charcoal-black frying pan on the hotplate with the hand that held the empty cup.
'A little kitchen accident.' Her mum quickly answered.
'The more reason why I'm not having dinner in this house' Tife mumbled under her breath but they all heard anyway. 'That reminds me, I'd be having dinner at Anita's place tonight.'
As if the rain heard what she said, thunder claps and lightening flashed and then rain started. Lightly at first then aggressively later.
'Oopsie! Looks like someone can't make it to Anita's tonight. Now take this cups to the dinning table.' Her mum commanded while Tife frowned and her mum had this triumphant smile on her lips.
One thing is cooking the food, another thing is getting her kids to eat it.
At the dinning table,
'Amazingly, the meal smells nice.' Tobi said afer sniffing the rice on his plate five minutes after dinner had been served. He dreaded putting it in his mouth. Someone else shared his thoughts.
Tife.
'And looks nice too.' Tife added looking at the food temptingly. Those two have never used nice words for their mum's meal before with sincerity.
This was like the first time.
His mum and Bighead were halfway into their foods already and as much as he looked at Bighead to see any hidden complaint, he saw none.
He can't trust those two. They were probably tricking him into eating.
His mum was eating because she cooked it and Bighead was trying to be nice and modest. Being a stranger she wanted to create a good impression but whichever way it is, she was doing quite a good at pretending.
After hesitating, he struggled to taste the food.
'Wow,' He said his mouth full after having one spoon and was going for the other one. 'Amazingly, it tastes great.'
Tife knowing her brother wasn't faking it, also tried her luck.
'Mum, this is so nice. What is the magic!' Tife asked taking another spoon too.
'I had been secretly attending cooking lessons.' Their mum seemed to be blushing with pride.
'Your teachers must be magicians then.' Tife said giving her a thumbs up with a mouth full.
The table was silent except for sound the rain made with the roof and the clanging of spoons with plate as they all busied themselves with the meal.
'I want to tell you something.' Their mum said breaking the silence.
'What is it?' Tobi asked focusing on his food.
'Your dad and I are back together.'
That statement took the kids by surprise as they directed their gaze to her with stuffed cheeks. Their mom felt like she could shrink under the intense stares.
'Can we not talk about that man while we are eating but when it's just 'us' here?' Tobi placed emphasis on the us as he glanced at Tori who pretended she was more concerned about her food. His expression showed he was more than angry.
The atmosphere was so tense Tori felt awkward.
'I just think you guys sh...' Their mum tried to say but Tobi flared up, cutting her statement.
'Goodness! I just lost my appetite!' He stood up carrying his plate to the kitchen. His mum followed him empty handed and Tife also joined them after smiling nervously at Tori.
Tori sat down listening to their arguements. Tobi was raising his voice and his mum was trying to calm him down in whispers.
Tori had never been lost on what to do before.
It's a dinner gone bad.

©FIYAH