The giant black gate is nothing compared to the humongous erection of the building beyond the gate. The floor of the compound was flawlessly interlocked with white bricks. Different varieties and species of flowers peeped in group from different locations in the compound. Workers, gardeners, sweepers, all troupe around the compound, each busy with their chores while some stood in twos and threes to whisper quietly.
At the entrance, Dave dropped on the bike right before the gate and gave the bike man a thousand naira. The bikeman was obviously from Hausa Tribe.
"Oga, me I no get am por change o." The Hausa accent and how he mistook /f/ sound for /p/ was lucid. "Why you no ask am por me ip I get am por change?"
"Sorry. Just forget the change. I'm in a much haste than this hassle." He turned to the gate and knocked repeatedly till a middle-aged man opened it. The moment he saw Dave, his furrowed brow dissipated. He quickly ushered him in while bowing several times. Dave patted his shoulder and raced inside. He had to quickly pack any of his luggage and rush to the airport. He'd have requested for the driver to drive him down to the airport but he wasn't ready to deal with his Dad's interrogation. He had no time to waste.
As he raced in, every workers stopped their work to bow slightly. Trails of subtle whispers followed him but he didn't care.
"That's our Master's son"
"You mean the one I heard was sent to Ilu Oyinbo despite his pleas against it?"
"Yes, we've even forgotten his name. All we know about him was that horrible story and his picture in the large living room. No one can say anything about him."
"Eeyaa, poor boy. Who could have endured all that distance without one's parents?"
"You don't even know if he was at fault."
"Stop whispering, Madam Ella is coming."
They scurried away like rodents at the sight of Madam Ella. Ella had started working with the Wilsons since she was fifteen. She knew when Dave and his siblings were born. She bathed, fended, and literally raised them like her own. Also, Master's wife wasn't always around which gave her the Motherly attention for the kids. Being the oldest worker, she was made the Chief of Workers and every domains of the workers were directly under her care. Ella knew what transpired between Dave and his father which resulted into them sending him to the States. They kept it as secret and never allowed any of the workers back then to be aware except for Ella. But secrets, sometimes, can be a smoke. How do we completely enshroud smoke? Ella did a great job of ensuring the whispers didn't exceed to audible gossips which would, unfailingly, tarnish the well-built image of the Wilsons.
As she approached the workers, she caught a glimpse of Dave racing inside. She knew something was wrong; Dave hardly ran. She hastened her step and walked back into the house after Dave. Dave had already found his way up the stairs and to his room. He didn't lock the door as he was in a haste to pack his bags. Ella peeped a bit before knocking.
"Dave." She entered before Dave could answer. Dave prostrated when he saw her.
"Auntie Ella, good evening ma." He raised his head to look at her; the woman in her late forties who raised him for the first fifteen years of his life. The woman whom he knew as 'Mom' not the one who birthed him. He once heard from Dad that Auntie Ella had been working for them before he married his mother. Dave accorded all the respect meant for the woman who birthed him to her because she was there all through when his mother wasn't.
Ella touched his shoulder and watched him carefully. The vibrant toddler of over twenty years ago grew into an amazing handsome young man despite his illness. Each time she remembers what he went through, tears flow uncontrollably. They were gathered in her eyes again but she blinked them away. She cupped his face in her palms and smiled.
"Ayòmidiméjì,"
Anytime she called him that, he felt the genuineness of her mother love. He loved it whenever she called him that. It always calmed him. If his mother was around, or his father, she never called him that because she gave him the name not his parents. Raising Dave made her felt like a mother which later resulted into her not having her own children. She chose to stay back and raise Dave and his sister. Also, Dave's illness prevented her from leaving. Other workers couldn't care for him enough and none had the nerve to endure being with him for too long. She also couldn't stand him getting maltreated by anyone.
Dave smiled and calmed himself from the tension of packing and catching the next flight. Obviously, his parents were out again, probably in Egypt or Spain or anywhere but home. If his dad was home, he knew he'd need more than his anger if he would catch the next flight.
"What happened, Diméjì? I've not seen you for weeks since you've paid Tina a visit. I understand you were avoiding your dad but I believe you knew he and your mom had traveled three days ago. So, why do you need to avoid this place when I'm here? You know I've always and will be here."
Dave exhaled and sat on the edge of his king-size bed. He held Ella's palm tenderly, like a child waiting for his mother to carry him. "He's dead, Auntie. My mentor is dead." Tears, which he had successfully held back few hours ago, began to flow. Who said boys don't cry? Or men should act like men? We all cry, boys aren't stone, men aren't metal. Ella immediately knew the death of Prof. Collins would be the commencement of the manifestation of their fear. She drew his head to her tummy and patted his back.
"I need to be there, I need to go back right now. I'm not in my right frame of mind. Before I left Tina's place, I could feel the tremble in my body, my head began to spin. I need to confirm if he's dead or not." And he needed answers; although his nightmares reduced since he met Nancy, he still needed answers. A nightmare that had persisted for years should be dealt with as deem fit.
Ella didn't want him to leave because if he did, a lot of unbearable memories might be recovered. Both Ella and his parents had tried to erase his memory of that day which later failed. But his therapist, who was also the wife of his mentor, helped them massively, coupled with the accident that happened to him as well. It took several months, almost years, to finally get him to be normal. With the company of his mentor, he got the fatherly love and eventually forgot about that day. Or so it seemed.
"Dave, it's not like I want to stop you from going, it's just that...I...I don't want you away for too long."
Dave looked up at her with his teary eyes. "I never planned to stay here for too long anyway. I'm not taking over Dad's company, I just want to live my life with serenity. Pls, Mom, I'll be back after the funeral."
'Mom'. It was the first word he uttered when he started his monosyllabic words. He started with 'ma' then 'ma-ma' and then 'mom'. He called her that anytime he was alone with her or he needed something from her which would require him to cajole her. Just like he enjoyed being called 'Ayomidimeji', she enjoyed being called 'mom'. It also justified the fact that she had catered for him and Tina since they were literally babies. Ella smiled and helped him pack his clothes. She saw him off to the garage in the compound and called on the driver. Dave insisted on taking taxi or bikeman.
"Not when I still exist in this house. Can someone call me the driver? Where's everyone?" The workers around chorused the driver's name. Ella wasn't a strict boss, she just didn't tolerate indiscipline or people slacking off at work. The driver rushed over, pulling his trousers up and working on his zipper.
"No vess, madam. Na toilet I dey. I don arrive."
"It's fine. One can't cheat nature. Oya, you'll drive Master Dave down to the airport. Don't speed, and don't move at a snail's pace. Am I clear?"
"There's no need for this stress. I can catch the next taxi right now and I'll be at the airport in now time."
The driver opened the car boot and Ella dropped his bag inside. She closed the boot and ushered the ranting Dave into the car. Before closing, she squeezed his palm gently and flashed a bright, hopeful smile at him. She muttered a prayer in her mind and she closed the door.
"May you never return back to your old self, May God help you avoid the urge to find answers to your curiosity."
She watched the car depart with a teary eyes and heavy heart.