Bad Market – Episode 2

With the help of the culprit of my unfortunate state and Sotonye, one of our tenants’ pretty daughter, I managed to get myself out of the murky waters of the badly constructed drainage.This was after spending a couple of minutes completely knocked out. I could even taste some of the unpleasant liquid from the drainage on my tongue. And I could perceive the stench from it on my body as I stepped into my compound assisted by Sotonye.

Timilehin left me immediately he helped me out of the drainage he threw me into menacingly. Not even a word of sorry from the scandal monger. The dude even continued his hot pursuit of his friend, Tobore who was long gone

If I had the means to, I would have beaten him blue black. Sotonye held my hand as I staggered towards our house.

“Dele are you sure you are fine,” she asked tenderly having noticed how I swayed in her direction.

“I’m good dear, I only need to get this stench off my body and have a good rest. As for that fool that calls himself my brother, I will make sure he pays for this,” I voiced out painstakingly

“But why does Timi act like you both weren’t knitted from the same womb”

“Thinking about that now…I’m not sure we really were”

“You are kidding me right?” Sotonye was taken aback by my response.

“No. I’m wishing my mother can one day confess to all of us that she had my elder brother before she met my Dad”

“Dele! What happened to you?” My mum screamed from the balcony on sighting me just as Sotonye was going to respond to my last shocking comment

“Speak of the devil,” I said in low tones.

“And where are the goods from  the market?” My mum went on after she noticed my companion and I had walked into the compound empty handed.

“You can imagine where are worries lie. Were you even able to recover anything from the bags I brought from the market?” I switched my attention to Sotonye?“

“Just a few things that did not end up in the gutter.”

“Where did you keep it?”

“Close to the gate. Should I go get it?”

“Dele are you not the one I’m talking to,” my mum’s patience was beginning to run on a free highway

“Mummy, Sotonye will go get what is remaining”

“What do you mean ‘what is remaining’?”

“Can’t you see my state? Are you even bothered about why I am soaked in murky waters,” the words blurted out of my buccal cavity

“But that was the first question I asked you. Please can you tell me what happened to you?”

“Go ask that God forsaken son of yours,” I responded angrily

“Dele! These are the items,” Sotonye called out to me as I attempted to walk into our house

“What items are these? Don’t tell me this is all you got from the market?” My mum was shocked to see what was remaining from the items I bought from the market

“That’s the few left after Timilehin threw me and the goods I bought from the market into the gutter in front of the house”

“Timilehin did what? ” My mum asked alarmingly. My Dad who had been going through the dailies at a spot on the balcony not too far from where mum was immediately jumped on his feet to join mum

Good lord! Dele what happened? Did you get into a fight with your brother. Sotonye!” My Dad was bemused at my appearance

“Good afternoon sir!”

“Good afternoon Sotonye. Please can you tell me what is going on here?

“Timi bumped into him while he was trying to open the gate and the impact from Timi threw him and the goods he brought from the market into the gutter. “

” So this is all Timi’s handwork again. Was he running? And where is the bastard?”

“Baba Timi stop it! After all you’ve only heard one version of the story and already you are calling him names,” my mum charged at him

“Will you keep shut there! What else do you need to know or are you blind? Can’t you see how your son looks and Dele, why are you still standing there? Please get inside and clean up the mess your useless brother threw you into. Sotonye thank you o jare. You can bring that in.” 

As I walked into our expansive living room, I could perceive the aroma from the kitchen. Mum had been performing her wonders in the kitchen before she had gone upstairs to the balcony where she spotted me. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my stomach and for the first time that day, I realized I hadn’t eaten since last night.

Hunger was furiously knocking on my Intestinal walls. I quickly went into the ante room while Sotonye went over to the dinning room to drop the few proceeds from the market on the glass dinning table.

I was not yet completely in the ante room when I heard my Dad’s footsteps as he walked down from the balcony. He had his phone with him,

“This stupid boy is not picking my call sha! Sotonye where did you say Timi went to?”

“I don’t know sir, he left immediately we helped his brother out of the gutter.”

“Mama Timi oya come and call your son,” 

Having removed my soiled clothing and dumped them in a bucket close to the washing machine, it was time to head to the bathroom. It was then it dawned on me that my phone had not been with me all along.

“Oh my God! Hope I’ve  not lost my phone in that gutter? I swear I will kill Timi if I don’t find this phone,” I muttered. I darted back into the living room in my underpants but stopped on my tracks when I spotted Sotonye

You are still here? Thought you had left,” Sotonye couldn’t mutter a word, she was surprised to see me just in my underpants. She was lost in the moment, and I couldn’t deny I was a bit cow too.

I may not have the looks of Zac Effron or Alex Ekubo but I sure have a Christiano Ronaldo or Ryan Guzman kind of body, however you could easily miss that detail because of the kind of clothes I put on.

At 5 feet 9 inches I never saw my physique as a big deal till Sotonye’s reaction on seeing me for the first time just in my underpants took me on a trip to self glorification.

“Sorry, I wouldn’t have rushed in like this if I knew you were still in the living room. Are you with my phone?”

“Erm…yeah, I actually just found it outside, very close to the drainage you fell into”

“Oh good! Thanks Sotonye, you are the best!” She handed the phone to me. I heaved a sigh of relief as I turned to head back to the bathroom.

From the reflection on our crystalline dinning table, I could still see Sotonye standing at the same spot I found her still drooling over me like a dog who had sighted a juicy bone in his masters’hands.

I found it hard to believe I had made an impact on Mr Lasetta’s pretty fine-bred daughter of Niger-Delta stock. I walked into the bathroom feeling like Hugh Hefner.

Bad Market continues next week…