The drive to the eatery was a short one. On good days he would take a stroll to it as a way of exercising his legs. Today wasn’t one of those days. The very hot weather was a mere reflection of what he felt inside.
Chop and Drink had a cosy atmosphere. One capable of pulling in different people trying to escape the bubbly and hectic life of Lagos. The small eatery had a calming effect on came there. It was capable of housing twenty five people at most but also had two thatched sheds outside for those who preferred the sight and natural air it afforded. Some customer prefer to eat there but they also had the takeaway option for those who wanted it which by the way was most workers, during lunchtime. The delivery option was another service he thought they should consider.
The first time he had been there. A friend of his had come visiting at his new office, and since he just moved in, they searched a few places to find a suitable place to eat and relax. Most of the restaurants they saw close to the road didn’t appeal to them until they found Chop and Drink off the road in one of the streets. It had a lovely ambiance and it appealed to them instantly and when they tried the food, they knew they made a great choice. Since then he had either came alone or with friends.
The phone conversation from almost an hour ago replayed in his mind.
“Damola you need to stop this games and come home. Everyone is worried.” His brother Adeshina rushed at him the moment he picked the call.
“By everybody, you mean you, right?” This was like the fifteenth time or more that his older brother had called. Some of the calls he picked, others he didn’t. For a week, the phone he had his main number on was on airplane mode. He had gotten himself a new phone and number the same day he left home just to avoid calls from home. To his disappointment no one had called, not even his mother or he would have known, except for his brother.
“You think I’m the only one worried about you? Was that why you switched off your phone. Mum is worried sick about you. Her blood pressure has gone up because of you. Do you want her dead? Deola would not let my phone rest. She said your number has been unreachable for some time now. He paused as if realising something “Wait, did you block her...?”
“Wo wo wo slow down...” Damola cut in. “Mum is ill? Since when? How’s she now? Isn’t Deola supposed to be in school? How did she know I left home and even has enough time to be calling nonstop? He rushed the questions without before any was answered. His brother only answered with
“You need to come home. She will be better when she sees you.”
Damola had managed to stay away for a few months and didn’t think he would be stepping his feet in his family home anytime soon. But this news of his mum’s state of health scared him so much. He knew he had to visit soon.
“Bro, you were there when Chief told me never to show my face at the house again. He technically disowned me.” He pointed out sadly.
Shina sighed before saying “You know he didn’t mean it. He was just very angry. Besides he is not even at home. He travelled last week for business. He should be back tomorrow or the next. Try to come and see her today please."
Adedamola had never really had a smooth relationship with his father since he could remember because of the career path he had chosen but his father had never forced anything on him until six moths ago. Their relationship had deteriorated since then. Damola had turned down a position in the company, which had been offered to him in preparation for his father’s retirement. Adeshina was to head the company and he was to step into his brother’s shoes. He had declined the offer stating that he had no interest in the family business. His company, though a start-up, was picking up fast and he wanted invest all his time and knowledge skills into growing it.
He sighted the vegetable seller just at the corner before the turn to the street and made a mental note to buy some Zogale from her when he leaves the eatery. Moringa are very good for the health and his mother enjoyed them a lot. Then he heard the sound before he felt something bumped into him from behind. A look in his rear view mirror, he saw the motorcyclist trying to get his bike up. Damn Okada riders Damola cursed under his breath. How worse could his day get? When he got out of the car the picture became clearer to him. The bike man had been trying to beat the light traffic he hadn’t notice until now. He had squeezed his way into a lane without watching and a car coming at a fast speed had rammed into him from behind and he had in turn crashed into Damola’s bumper. There was barely any damage done to his car. The bike was badly damaged. The car that had caused the accident had some broken parts too. All these was not disturbing compared to the sight of the lady who had been a passenger on the bike. Her lifeless body lay on the road. He saw a blood splatter near where she had fell. Moving closer he heard one of the drivers of the cars that had stopped at the scene of the accident saying. “She is still breathing o. Thank God. Sharp sharp, let’s take her to the hospital. An even more closer look at her and he recognised her. One of the waiters from the eatery.
...To be continued.
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