Bad Child

Mrs. Olayinka hits Lanre on her back. “Omobirin buruku! Bad child!” She said to Lanre. Lanre asked her if she had to say it twice for her to know she was referring to her own daughter as a bad child.

“My mother trained me well oh! I’m not Omobirin buruku”. Lanre said to her mother protesting. The mother hits her yet again.

“Then why will you say such a thing of your brother?” The mother asked. But Lanre did not answer her a word. The mother could not say anything any longer to her daughter. So she just kept quiet after mumbling some incoherent words.

Soon Ify came out of the hotel and found Lanre and Lanre’s mother standing right at the entrance. Seeing Lanre right now to Ify was like seeing her worst nightmare. She never expected this. So when she saw Lanre’s message, she had to come out to check if she was dreaming or Lanre was playing a prank on her. She did not want it to be real.

“Why did you wait in the lobby? Mama welcome”. Ify said greeting Mrs. Olayinka. Lanre hugged Ify taking her by surprise. Ify didn’t know if to hug Lanre back. She was not expecting this either. She was expecting some sarcastic talks and disapproving looks from Lanre, but not a hug. Or was Lanre doing this because her mother was here?

Ify took Mrs. Olayinka and Lanre in. When they got to the reception, Ify told them to wait and that she would check if there was any accommodation in the hotel. Ify wondered why her mother would invite people and not pay a room for them. She had to pass the responsibility to her. And that too, she was not told.

Ify was relieved when she was told that there was two more accommodation left . She paid for one and handed the card to Lanre.

“How many rooms?” Lanre asked. Ify told her she had paid for one. Lanre handed thecard to her mother. She walked down to the receptionist. Then she asked of there was anymore vacant room. The receptionist told her they had one room left. Lanre asked how much it would cost for a night.

“It is fifty thousand naira ma! It’s an exclusive room”. The receptionist said. Lanre smirked. Such hotel like this should can only be afforded by the rich. But she was going to pay anyway. She knew she would be crying a lot this night after the engagement. She did not want her mom to get worried. So Lanre paid for the room. She got her card and left. She followed her mom to her own room. Sat with her for a while. They talked about so many things regarding her plans to open her own beauty parlour. She told her mom that even if she was given the opportunity to be a make artist in the movie industry, she was still going to open it.

Lanre told her mom she was leaving. “I should go to my room now. When it’s time for the party, I will come get you”. Lanre said. Before leaving.