Chapter One
Part 1. Knowing Aminat.
He took the right turning and pressed on the accelerator pedal roughly. His eyes were stern and firm on the road, solely because of the amount of speed he was grabbing.
He tried to remember something, releasing the accelerator a bit. His mum. He promised to give her a call shortly. He remembered her because of the speed, she had always complained about his over-speeding while driving.
His eyes were firmly fixed on the road though, his body was comfortably rested on the driver's seat and his mind was somewhere in Oyo. Three components were at three different places.
He dialed his mum's number and pressed on the accelerator again. It took his mother three rings before she picked it. His heart was already racing with the fear of her declining to pick his call because it has been so long she saw him last.
He filmed his mum staring at his call with a sneer in my mind and he wanted to crack up. Her anger was something amusing to him though.
He sighed in relief when her voice flashed from the phone, sounding good.
"Ayo!" She squealed. "So you can take your phone to dial my number?"
He laughed at her protesting voice. At Fifty, Yemisi Fashola was still sounding like a five old schoolgirl. Even after the battles, life has been uneasy with them then. She sounds weak, but she was the strongest woman Ayo had ever seen or met.
Everyone who knew him also knew how he loves his dearie mother, even business partners; his manager, his baby mamas, his favorite producers, and many more.
He chooses her over anything else. He could remember how he gave one of his girlfriends a sarcastic laugh when she charmed him to choose between his mum and her.
'I would choose Agege bread over you, let alone my life chain ( his mum)' - Based on a media report.
"No! Mum. You know the nature of my job, it's quite demanding. But I gave you a message on WhatsApp" he said the last statement softly, waiting for her reaction.
"Shut up! Look at you! Is that what you supposed to give me, your mother" he could sense her pouting from the phone.
He missed that voice. He recalled the last family reunion, though he was the richest among his mother's three children, he was still regarded as the black sheep of the family because he was stubborn.
He kept conning his mum to bring his supposed wife soon, but deep inside of him, he wasn't formulating such things like that ever. Probably he would do that in his next life.
"I'm sorry" he apologized, taking the left turning before taking the accelerator again.
"It's okay, so how are you? Your job, that same job that made you forget me"
Women! He thought audibly.
"I'm fine, and my job is fine with your prayers. So how about you baby" he knew he would get queried for calling his whole mother his baby.
"I'm fine, and I'm glad you're fine as well. Remember don't fight oo! Be a good boy..."
He chortled at the word of being a good boy. Though there was no good boy in the music enterprise.
"Less I forget mum..." He said. "Why did you reject the present I sent to you yesterday, that's one of the ultimate reasons I called".
"I don't want to see your sent presents anymore, I want to see your face. Ayo, when are you coming home to see me" She pouted.
He laughed within himself. She wants to see his face now, not his wife any longer. His clutch fastened on the steering, and his eyes prowled the road, trying to fix a convenient date.
"Aren't you saying anything? I miss you, Ayo, don't you miss me? Your sisters are coming home this December. Won't you come?" She pressed.
"Of course I'll be coming as well this December. You have no idea of how I missed you too mum" he smirked, taking a huge breath. He unlocked his car's door and stepped out of his 2019 range rover sport car.
Phil and his producer must have been waiting for him by now. He could have dwindled the offer, but one would just have to show the upcoming artists some "love".
He bent the door handle and entered the well-furnished music studio. He gave the two a bro handshake while he was still on a call with his mum.
Else, they'd feel he was just being rude.
"I have to go now son, I have something to tell you later, bye" she hung up before he could ask. She was so good at tension.
He tried to calm himself so he can concentrate on what he came there for. He turned to the two and gestured a relief sigh with his face and lips.
"Let's start, can I hear the beat?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aminat Abdulkareem tasted out of the soup she was making while washing dishes as well.
Her heart suddenly omitted a beat when she remembered what she concurred to do with Yemisi. She strongly hoped she won't regret it. He's an icy guy, after all, he would certainly not make her regret it.
She blushed hard with her dimpled cheek when she imagined her wedding. But the only problem left now is her father, Alhaji. He had promised her to his friend, Alhaji Mustapha. She hopes Yemisi and her son would be able to change his mind.
Marrying a twenty-five-year-old artist and marrying her father's age mate. Of course, every girl in her right sense would go for the 'every girl's dream'. She had always seen him on her on TVs. Now he's going to be her husband soon.
God! This is too good to be valid
She beamed with smiles as she kept smiling and acting dramas in the kitchen.
She remembered how she met Yemisi. She just offered to help a short, plump woman whose car broke down at the outskirt of the village a while ago. Within a twinkle of an eye, she became her little friend. Yemisi had to dismiss the maids her son employed because she alleged she couldn't trust them.
And she (Aminat) had taken the house chores wholeheartedly and conveniently. She does hard jobs than that at Alhaji's house. Still, after the whole hard work, it could only allow her to eat once or twice a day.
To her, Yemisi had spoilt her. She did also extend her benevolence to Alhaji and his four wives, her mother included, saying Alhaji did a great job bringing a girl like Aminat up chastely.
Every morning, she would wake up from her house straight to Yemisi's place. She would clean the whole house, then make breakfast for her.
Some of her clout friends claimed she was doing this because she wants Yemisi to be showering her with gifts. That was partially the reality though If not for Yemisi's financial intervention in her family's life, how would Alhaji take care of his four wives.
That's one of the crises with African traditional beliefs. How would a poor man that can barely feed his mouth go for four wives? Alhaji has many children more than he can even recognize. And they all live in extreme poverty.
Aminat is the only educated female out of Alhaji's countless female children. That was just because she was academically enthusiastic. And she only went to a nearby Polytechnic in the state. Even though Alhaji still holds her education faulty of his predicament.
He had once said things like if not for her education he wasted his money and resources on, he would have been rich. Maybe he has forgotten she also drop sweats before she could get a bit educated or how small the fees are to hinder someone from getting prosperous.
She snapped back out of thoughts and dish the food in their various destination. She served Yemisi's first, then hers and her mum before alerting Yemisi that her meal is ready.
Ayoola Adedayo (nee Fashola) sighed heavily when she realized she was done for the day. The more the crimes, the more lawyers get works to do.
The recent cases of rape were becoming abnormally rampant. Forty-five percent of cases reported to her chamber every week pertain to sexual assaults.
She just started convening a team against rape. She felt like a woman, so she could also stand up for the rights of her fellow women.
She so much loves to legislate cases of rape and she always wins not just because of her zeal, but because of her lambency and intelligence in her career.
"Make sure you sort out all those files before tomorrow. I have to leave now. My husband would have been waiting for me" she instructed her secretary, Anita and she smiled at her last words.
Anita had always been desirous of her boss. A famous lawyer married to a successful business mogul, a mother of two kids, a successful houseful, and a supportive sister to Africa's biggest music artist.
She had it all, but she doesn't let it get to her head. She's respectful, polite, friendly, and helpful. Being a successful woman like that, she still regards her husband and cares like a full-time mother to her children.
She entered her car and pulled up. The first thought that sloped to her mind is her brother and her other sister, Ayo and Temi. All of them are Ayos.
Ayodeji, Ayoola, and Ayonitemi.
December would be fun for her. To see her beautiful mum, her quiet Temmie, and her troublesome Ayo.
Femi, her husband will have to take Hope, their only son and second child while she would take Angela, their daughter to this Christmas family reunion. Femi will be joining his family at Ota at Ogun State while she'd be going to Oyo, her base.
The sound of her phone's ringing tone tapped out of her thoughts. She had known the caller before checking. Yemisi must have one thing or the other to talk over.