Meant To Be
By Olunfulola Adeola
Episode 32
Two hours after Ayo and Itunu left, Kore knocked on Mama’s door. She opened it and he greeted bowing slightly,
“Good evening Mama.”
“Korede Omo-Oba. Good evening to you. Come in.” Mama replied and invited him. Once they were seated, Kore asked,
“Mama, what about Ayo? And Itunu? Are they back? The house seems silent.”
Mama answered, “The house is silent because they are gone.”
Kore asked, “Gone?”
She bobbe-d her head in confirmation and he asked again, “What do you mean, Mama?”
She replied, “She left for Lagos not quite long today.”
He asked, “She left?”
“Yes, she did. Though before she left, she told me everything . Korede, why did you also behave that way, ehn? Don’t you know the Yoru-bas say, Asegbe kan o si, asepamo lo wa. You can keep a secret but whatever you do, whether good or bad, it can’t just slide, you will get the result later.” She explained to Kore who was alre-ady crying. He c@m£ forward and prostrated, pleading,
“Mama, plea-se, you have to help me beg her. Beg her to take me back
. I regret my actions and I will never deliberately hurt her.”
“Kore, stand up. St©p all these tears. You are a man.”
He sat up but still on the floor then he asked, “Mama, what do I do now? I can’t live without Ayo. She is a hvge p@rt of me. Losing her is going to put a hole in me, in my life, in my heart.”
Mama sighed then said, “What she told me was that she wanted space and time. She is still hurt and angry but I am sure she will get over it soon and come back to you.”
“So, Mama, are you saying I shouldn’t go to Lagos to see her? I nee-d to see her and Itunu. I miss their face. I miss them and I am tired of not being able to do anything about it.”
“Se o fe gbo? Even if you go to Lagos, waa ni suuru ni o. Suuru gidi because that girl that I am looking at, ko setan lati da e lohun o.”
“Okay Mama. Let me go back to the Palace and make some plans myself.”
“O da. Ko buuru.”
“Yes Ma. Ese Ma. Before I leave for Lagos, I will bring some food stuffs for you ma.”
“Ah! Eyi t’e gbe wa si wa n’bi, I have not even finished them.”
“It does not matter Mama.”
“O da, mo ti gbo o.”
“Yes ma. Thank you for everything Ma. I will be calling you to keep you up to d@t£ on whatever happens.”
“Okay. Thank you my dear. God will solve all these. The devil is just trying to come between us, ko de le pin yin ni ya.”
“All right Mama. Good night.” Kore said and exited the door.
He drove back to the Palace in record time and was about going straight to his room without glancing at the King’s seat which was occu-pied when his father called him. He turned and saw his mother seated with him on a sofa and then he walked to them and prostrated,
” E ku Ile Kabiesi. E ku Ile Ma. ”
His Mum asked, ” Bawo ni? How was the place?”
“Not fine at all.” Kore said then Kabiesi said to the maids and b©dyguards around the room,
“You all should leave; I nee-d some privacy. This is serious. Anyone caught will regret the day he or she c@m£ into this world so no loitering.” Hearing all that, they scurried away and it was just Kore and his parents. Then Kabiesi spoke up,
“I am very disappointed in you, Adekorede. How could you have done that?”
Kore looked to his Mum who nodded before he focused on Kabiesi’s gaze, “Dad, there is no excuse for what I did. I was young and stupid and I am sorry, I am trying to fix it.”
“How far have you been able to fix it now?”
“Not very far. She has gone to Lagos. She blocked my calls and texts and she doesn’t want to see me.”
“You have to fix this. Ayo is a good girl and I believe she will make a good wife. Whatever it takes, fix it!”
“Okay Dad. I will be leaving for Lagos tomorrow.”
“Do what you have to do. May God have mercy on you.”
“Amen Dad. Thank you, Dad.” Kore said and then excused himself.
Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ
“What exactly is happening Ayo?” Lara asked after they’ve placed their bags and suitcases in her spare room.
Ayo sighed.
“Talk to me Ore.”
“Kore is Itunu’s biological father.”
“You don’t say!”
“I am serious.”
“So, ki wa ni sise bayi?”
“I don’t even know. I just don’t want to see him. No contact.”
“I am really sorry about this.”
“Thanks. I guess I have to start over. Get a house, change school for him, get a job.”
“Everything will be fine but you know he will know that you are here. His gate an saw us.”
“Damn! I didn’t even think about that.”
“Don’t worry. I know what to tell him when he calls. Just relax and rest. Things will be fine.”
“Thank you, Lara.”
“Ki la wa fun’ra wa fun? Abeg me I am hungry o. Should we order pizza and coldstone?”
“Yes!” Itunu shouted.
“Ta lo pe e soro?” Ayo asked.
“Mama, ma ko omo laya je jare.” Lara defended.
“Sorry o Godmother.”
“Emi niyen.” Lara said as she made the call to order.
Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ
The next day, Kore arrived at his house in the morning. Dan opened the gates and he drove in. As he got down, Dan c@m£ to meet him,
“Oga welcome o.”
“How you dey?”
“Oga I just dey my dey o. I miss you Oga. This place just boring anyhow.”
“Sorry. Where Ayo dey?”
“Sister Ayo? Ah! Sister Ayo wey come yesterday wey I don dey happy say oya na to dey chop better food remain, I come dey happy…”
“Dan, just go straight to the point.”
“Sorry Oga. She come yesterday with Itunu o. Next thing wey I just see be say she dey pack some bags.
. I come dey ask her say we-tin dey happen. She come talk say she just wan pack some things go somewhere. She edrop the key sef but the bag heavy o coz na me carry the bag.”
“Who come help her carry the bag?”
“Na her friend na.”
“Her friend? Which friend?”
Dan laughed, “Oga dey talk like say e no know e woman. No be that her friend wey robust wey round for everywhere.”
“You mean Lara?”
“Yes. That sister fine die.”
“Get out of my sight.” Kore said and pu-ll-ed out his phone to call Lara.
“Hello Lara.”
“Hello sir.”
“How are you doing?”
“I am fine sir.”
“plea-se, help me give the phone to my love.”
“Your love?”
“Ayo nao.”
“Oh! Ayo is not here o. I took her to the park yesterday. I kept asking what’s up but she didn’t answer. What exactly is going on sef?”
“Lara, you are sure she is not at your place?”
“Boss, I can’t withhold the truth from you na. plea-se, tell me what is happening?”
“I will call you back plea-se.” Kore said and ended the call.
Meant To Be
By Olunfulola Adeola
Episode 33
Two weeks has pas-sed and Ayo had moved into her own self contain ap@rtment around Ikeja. She was checking jobs online and since Itunu was still on holiday, she was also looking at affordable schools.
Kore on the other hand could not move on. Work was off limits and all he did all day was sit at home and think.
The Friday of that second week, he was seated as usual at home when the door bur-st open.
“I knew it!” Tade exclaimed.
“You knew what?” Kore asked in a bored tone.
Tosin answered, “We knew you would be here. Still moping about.”
Kore asked, irritated, “What else am I supposed to do?”
Tade advised, “Guy, you gaz move on . You can’t keep sitting at home. Do you know how your company is running? No. Do you know if you’ve lost some clients due to your inability to gather yourself together?”
Kore said, “I don’t care.”
Tosin said, “My guy, you have to care. Even if you are going to get AY back, it can’t happen this way.
. You have to be a man, put your emotions together and st©p putting your life on hold.”
Kore said wistfully, “I miss her.”
Tosin said, “Everyb©dy knows that
. Even the press is speculating. What I am saying is that, once you get yourself together, you can even look for her, abi?”
Tade agreed, “Yeah. I even get one pri-vate investigator wey fit help you find out her location and every every.”
Kore asked, excitement in his voice, “Really?”
Tade confirmed, “Yes.”
Kore trailed off, “But…?”
“But what?” Tade asked noticing his sad face.
Kore answered, “The last time I talked to her, she told me not to look for her.”
Tosin asked, “So?”
Kore said, “It won’t feel right spying on her.”
Tade asked, “Don’t you want to know how she is doing? And your son? How he is faring.”
“I do.” Kore answered.
Tade suggested, “Give the guy a call and let him do what he knows best. Even if you don’t go to them, at least you will know they are safe.”
Tosin said, “That’s true. Give it a sh0t.”
Kore concurred, “Okay.”
“Good. Oya baba dress up mey we go take something light for bar.” Tosin said.
“I am not in the mood.” Kore said.
“You gaz be in the mood o, abi ki lo ni mo so, Tade?” Tosin asked,
Tade looked up from his pkone and said, “Yes o. As a matter of fact, me I wan see ‘ukwu’ this night o. Make I get small rocking, make my b©dy come down.”
“Na as-s go kill you.” Kore said laughing.
Tade hissed and said, “Yen yen yen yen yen. Like say no be we-tin dey make your head turn be that.”
“E ma ba ara yin fa n’be. You, just go and get dressed and let’s go.” Tosin said and pushed Kore up.