You Will Soon Marry

After waiting at the woman’s shop for over two hours, Lanre felt relieved her mother was finally back. She ran across the street to go hug her mom. But stopped when she realised her brother was the one man dressed in a white senator cloth. She scanned his body with her eyes. He looked older than his age. He looked skinny as well. Is it that he does not sleep or he does not eat? He looked like a child that was sent to a boarding house and has just returned home looking maltreated.

“Brother good morning!” She greeted. Then she took her mother’s bag in her hand and followed her mother inside while her brother was followed suit. Immediately they got inside the house and landed in the sitting room, it was as though hell has been let loose on Lanre’s head.

“So you now put that witchcraft eye lashes on your eyes now? Very soon you will change your eye colour from black to purple”. Olamide said to Lanre. He was yet to welcome her, but quick to scold. Lanre scoffs. It was painful her brother does not even know the colour of her eyes.

“Is that not brown I’m seeing? So you already changed it to brown! You could have just make it purple!” Olamide said.

“You don’t know you will soon marry!” He said. Lanre was tempted to tell him to shut up, but she would be attracting the beating of her life to herself. Her father never beats her mom until the day he died. She wonders where Olamide got his character from, beating up his sister at every little opportunity he gets.

“Olamide!” The mother called. She asked him to sit down and asked Lanre to do the same. Then she looks at her two children.

“Why can’t the two of you live in peace as siblings?” Mrs. Olayinka asked. Lanre hissed.

“Mama, first tell him that he is not my brother and should not be shouting on my head the way he does. I do not have a brother like him”. Lanre said.

“Taah! Shut up that mouth of yours. Shut it if you do not have anything to say”. The mother scolds Lanre.

“If he is my brother, he will know that my eyes are brown and not black! If he is my brother, he would have been checking up on me when I was in school. But no, all he ever does is yell at me as if I was a mischievous 3 years old”. Lanre retorted. Olamide stood up wanting to attack her. Lanre did not know where she got courage from that she immediately stood up and took the vase on the table threatening to break it on his head if he dares touches her.

Mrs. Olayinka crossed her arms and shook her head in pity. If things go on like this, they may not be able to tell Lanre the reason they called for her before she leaves. Her daughter will just leave the house without looking back if Olamide continues.