The Devil and the deep blue sea 6

Taiwo kept crying even after getting home. Her brother heard her whimpering in the dead of the night and came into her room.
' What happened sister mi!' Lekan asked 'You've been whimpering ever since you came back'
Taiwo tried to hastily wipe the tears off her cheeks
'Nothing is the matter. You go back to sleep'
' I cannot stand to see you cry. I will not leave until you tell me why'
Taiwo looked at her brother helplessly. He sat down on the edge of her bed and looked at her with determination edged on his face.
Taiwo didn't know when the words tumbled out of her mouth. The whole gory detail poured out from her core, amid choking sobs.
Lekan looked at her and tears filled his eyes. He held her in his arms and slowly wiped her tears away.
' Sister mi, this must never happen again. No matter what. You cannot mortgage your future for our collective good. You are not the Saviour for Christ sakes!'
They pulled apart after a while and Lekan told her that after their mother's treatment, she should play along as if nothing was amiss and then they would make a run for it. Malcolm had requested that the act be repeated at four months interval. Lekan advised she continued with her job until then before they all disappeared off Malcolm's grid. He said they would make judicious use of the salary she'd be getting to set up a small laundry business which they would all run together.
Taiwo brightened up after her extensive discussion with him.
Maami became much better after seeing the specialists and undergoing treatment for a month. She could stand and do a little walking.
Lekan made arrangements for alternate accommodation elsewhere, far away.
Lekan advised she keep the incident away from her fiance, Segun as they were already making wedding plans.
Her brothers started moving their things discreetly to the new apartment, a two bed apartment, with a garage which would serve as the laundry. Her official car was used to move their not considerable possessions to the apartment. Taiwo's new clothing and clothing she had got for her brothers made the bulk of it.
She worried daily about what Malcolm would be doing with the video. But then she remembered he had insisted she wear a face mask, covering the bulk of her face and she ceased to worry.
The day preceding the second encounter. She waited for Malcolm to be through and then she dropped her resignation letter on his table. He read it and smiled
' Hmmm, you suddenly developed cold feet, yeah?'
Taiwo smiled a trifle bitterly
He continued
' Why are you ladies like this? I help you and you decide to just fucking up and leave? Your predecessor did same, just after one episode with Danny!'
Taiwo was poker faced.
Malcolm was almost apoplectic
' I'm just fucking pissed! How can you think of leaving now? I've already made plans for your trip to Dublin in a few months time. I intend to give you another wardrobe allowance, even another raise!'he sounded almost desperate.
Taiwo looked him expressionlessly in the face, and left his office, quietly shutting the door behind her.
She left the car keys on her table and walked all the way home. It was drizzling slightly but she welcomed the tiny rain droplets on her skin. She felt, liberated, cleansed even as she took the sidewalk, home.
She met Segun waiting for her in the sitting room. After hugging and kissing her robustly in the presence of her mother, he said he had come to discuss with her mother about moving the wedding date to a months time instead of the three months time initially planned.
Taiwo smiled and looked at him with adoring eyes. She pushed back the memory of her job and her ordeal and sitting on his laps, she allowed herself to be rocked, like a baby.


The End.