The drive out of Silverbird cinema felt like the longest drive for Brume, as he was caught between taking Nkechi home and going to the company to talk with the manager. Brume was new to handling a company and didn't take his job seriously at first because he never had a thing in his mind about them making him the permanent CEO, but as things are beginning to unfold, he decided to take his job seriously.
At first, he thought about calling a meeting with the entire board present, to tell them what had occurred and also ask if anyone of them was in the know, but thinking about it alone was exhausting for him and would prove difficult to actualise.
"Brume, your phone is ringing." Nkechi pointed at the phone, close to the gear shift.
Brume took a quick look at it, and it was the manager calling but she couldn't pick up because he was driving. He let it ring.
The phone began to ring again after the manager's call ended, but this time, it was Mr Johnson, his boss, the owner of the Bicycle Palace, so he decided to park the car away from the road to answer the call.
"How long would it take you to get here? We are all waiting for you, be fast."
And that was when the call dropped.
"The way things are turning up today, it isn't supposed to be that way," he thought to himself.
It was beginning to get more intense for him and he figured it'd be better to drop Nkechi over at her place before he goes to attend the meeting. He began to drive fast, swerving from left to right, trying to avoid ongoing cars. Brume kept the same speed until he got to Nkechi's building. When Nkechi got down from the car, he reversed to drive away but she rushed and stood in the way, stopping him from going anywhere.
"Are you just going to drop me off and leave? That's not fair, as least walk me to the door or something."
Brume looked at his wristwatch and knew he didn't have time to waste for he had an urgent meeting to attend and Nkechi wasn't willing to move a muscle. Though he wasn't feeling comfortable about it, he parked the car properly and got down, he just had to do it for her. When they walked past the gate, Brume's phone rang again and it was the manager, he picked up.
"Hello, Mr Paul, I'll be there very soon."
"I know, but the boss said I should ask why you are at Wuse, instead of driving down to Garki."
"How do you guys keep knowing where I am at all times? Tell him and whoever it is waiting for me that I will be there when I will be there." He raised his voice.
The entire thing was getting on his nerves and it became annoying to him as he wasn't having it anymore with anyone, not even the boss himself. He dropped the call and had a look of uncertainty on his face when he observed the compound.
"This car looks like my brother's car. What's the car doing here?" He walked around to examine the car properly. "Yes, this is Efe's car."
"You know Efe?"
"You haven't been listening to what I've been saying? Efe is my brother, why would I not know him?"
Nkechi's face changed, she looked as though she was about to cry, her heart rate increased and she felt it, she began to pace back and forth, from the car to the door of the house.
"Brume, did you say Efe is your brother? So, the both of you have been playing me all along to know who I'd go for." Nkechi sat down by the door and let a few drops fall.
Brume looked shocked and it was obvious he did not know what she was talking about, but she thought he was feigning ignorance, but she kept letting the tears drop and hoping he'd admit to what allegations she was putting on him. And after a few minutes when she realised he wasn't feigning it, she stood up and ran to hug him, and apologised for all she said, but he still didn't understand anything yet.
"I guess my brother came to see someone here."
"Look around Brume, this is my compound and only I and Aisha live here."
"Oh, that's true. So he came to see Aisha then, I am just surprised you know him and I am not aware of it because I know everyone he knows and he knows everyone I know."
"Exactly my point," Nkechi said quickly.
"I knew it was your car I saw outside. Did you miss your way to the gym?" said Efe, standing by the gate.
Aisha stood behind him just because she expected something to happen and didn't want to be caught in between any of it, but when she looked at her friend and noticed she had been crying, she quickly ran to her to find out what the problem was, and Nkechi told her.
"This is how you know my brother? I guess both of you have something and you didn't want to make me feel bad that I was going out with my brother's girl. Is that right, Aisha? Efe smiled, he doesn't know what was happening yet.
"Can't you see what is happening here? Your brother Brume has been the mysterious someone that has had my friend's attention all along."
"Brume, is that true? Please, tell me you haven't been giving me those talks so I could leave her for you." Efe was enraged.
"Tell you that what is not true? I'm still here trying to understand what's been happening," replied Brume.
"She's the girl I've been telling you about."
"She is? How would I have known? You never told me her name or tried to describe her to me, you never told me anything about her."
Brume knew from that moment that his whole day was meant to go wrong, and he was running out of time to go for his meeting, but he couldn't leave without resolving an issue he had no hand or part in causing.