"THE BATTLE"

AS INSPIRED BY MY LOVER, ABBA FATHER.

©Oke Titilope

EPISODE 1

Beads of sweat covered his face and neck, even under the AC. He could literally feel his heart in his mouth.

It had happened in a flash!

All he could remember was the swift movement of the object.

His heart raced as he slowly turned his face to the little alarm clock beside his bed.

It was the same time! Fear gripped him! There was no running from here, he has to face whatever was coming for him now!

*****

Adekunle Animasaun. A millionaire in his early 30s. Tall, dark and handsome.

His biceps and beautifully trimmed beards makes him the cynosure everywhere he went. Both married and unmarried ladies drool over his beauty. He could pass for an Angel!

A.K as he's fondly called by colleagues was not interested in women. He's always been a man of focus, dealing with life and struggles from a young age. He lost both parent when he was just ten. His mother's younger sister had taken up the responsibility to take care of him.

"Adekunle Mii" Mrs Ajayi, his aunt would fondly call him whenever she wants to have a heart-heart discussion with him.

Tonight, she had prepared his favourite meal of Amala (fine flour of peeled yam), ewedu (jute leaves) and gbegiri (bean pudding) with lots of intestines to compliment the well fried stew. She needed to talk to Kunle about settling down. He has been dodging the question, giving her the "Don't let us talk about marriage now" look everytime she tries to raise the topic.

"Not tonight." She thought aloud as she dropped the last dishing bowl on the dinning table.

She had served the sumptuous meal using Kunle's favorite bowl. It was the same bowl his mom used to serve the family before her death. "He has to settle down. He's 32 for Christ sake! I wonder why he hates to talk about it. Is it that he can't...." She froze suddenly at the thought of her sister's only surviving child been an impotent.

"Oh my God! God, no, no, no... Please God, don't let it be so!" She hurriedly left the dinning table for the sitting room. She knelt on the floor, raised her two hands up and started praying. After about five minutes into the prayer, she stood up and started kabashing in tongues, rebuking every foul spirit against her nephew.

Oh, how she loved her sister's son that she did not worry about having her own child!.

Mrs. Ajayi and her husband had been a parent figure in the life of Adekunle since the demise of his parents.

Adekunle had lost both parents to the cold hands of death on their way to pick him up from school. The news had gotten to the Headmistress of the school when a good Samaritan who saw Mrs. Animasaun' phone at the scene of the accident called. The Headmistress, Mrs. Chioma, had barely got off the phone with Mrs. Animasaun,  informing her of the need to pick Adekunle early from school as it was their wedding anniversary. Five minutes after, the call she got was the news of their death. How horrible!

The Headmistress had called his aunt and given her detailed explanation of what the Samaritan had said over the phone. She would be needing her to pick up adekunle from school.

The Headmistress had called Adekunle to her office. Adekunle knew his parents would come to pick him up early that day, as it was their culture to do so everytime they celebrate their wedding anniversary. 

He walked into the office with excitement bubbling all over him. He stopped dead when he saw his aunt and her husband instead of his parents. 

"What is going on here? Where's my mum and dad? What is my aunt and her husband doing here instead of mum and dad?" He thought silently.

His parents were supposed to do the picking not his aunt and her husband.

His aunt's countenance was something he didn't like. She had a red puffy eyes. Her husband kept shaking his head, using his left palm to support his chin.

"Has she been crying? Did she lose something? Or someone? Who could she have lost?"  He suddenly widened his eyes at such wild thoughts.

Like an adrenaline, it came rushing to his head. This was the same scene he had watched in a movie over the weekend. No way! His parents are not dead! He shook his head with water welled up in his eyes.

"Did you tell him what happened?" His aunt asked the HM with a shaky voice.

"Not at all. Why did you ask?" The HM asked in response.

Mrs. Ajayi ignored the HM's question, and walked towards Adekunle. She touched his eyelids and water dropped. She knew him that much to notice the tears that welled up in his eyes.

She hugged him so tight and broke down in tears!

Adekunle struggled to fight his tears but the more he tried to hide his tears and fears, the more hot tears streamed down his face freely.

"My mom and dad.. are they dead?" He had asked his aunt while still hugging her.

"My poor baby. Your parents.. your dad.. your m.." she said breaking down in tears again.

******

It was his aunt's routine to welcome him from the car everyday. She would then usher him into the house after a warm hug.

None of that seemed to be happening. He honked twice to get his aunt's attention. After what seemed like thirty seconds, and his aunt wasn't out.

He suddenly remembered how his aunt and her husband came to his school to break the news of his parents death to him.

While still seated in his car trying to push the thought of another death staring at his face off. 

Like a flash, he dashed out of his car, and rushed inside, hoping and praying, only to meet his sweet aunt praying. 

He heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

"In Jesus Name, I pray."

"Amen" Adekunle added.

"Ah-ah. My love, when did you come in? I didn't even hear the sound of your car. Why didn't you honk for me to come outside?" 

"I did honked twice. It was when I realized you were not forthcoming that I came inside. What was the prayer all about? You seemed engrossed in it. Sha pray to God to help me win this multi-million naira contract, mum.!"

"You have won it. I've told you that Matthew 7:7 should be your watchword, eh! Besides, I'm praying over something very serious. Why don't you go up stairs and freshen up. I've made your favorite meal. We have a lot to discuss." His aunt said.

He did not like the sound of "we have a lot to discuss". Whenever his aunt makes such statement, it is not always an interesting topic. The thought of his best meal distracted him. 

"Wow! My best meal. This is going to be great. I will be right back mum." 

He said as he moved towards his aunt, kissed her cheeks and dashed up the stairs into his room.

His aunt traced him with her eyes until he was out of sight. She immediately sank into the armchair and looked up the ceiling. "God, please, don't let him be impotent"

To be continued...