*EPISODE 4*
((CHANGE OF RULES))
Baba Tunde, thinking Bayo was just sending out empty threats, burst out laughing. And the next place he found himself was on the ground as Bayo’s punch knocked him off balance. He touched his lips with his left hand and when he looked at his hand he was shocked to see blood In it. That was when he realized his lips were literally bleeding from Bayo’s punch. Oye and her grandmother were completely shocked. They had to look twice to make sure their eyes weren’t fooling them as Bayo’s punch sent Baba Tunde down.
Baba Tunde was still trying to recover from the unexpected blow when Bayo grabbed his collar and pulled him up. At this point, his boys had to come after Bayo. Bayo then let go of Baba Tunde. He stretched and when he was done stretching himself, he attacked Baba Tunde’s boys. Making sure he gave each of them the worst beating of their lives.
He didn’t stop until he was certain that he had inflicted severe pain and injury on each of them. After all, none of them was a match for him. While beating Baba Tunde’s boys, one of them attacked him with a pole, which ended up scratching his forehead. This made Bayo even angrier. He let go of the others and looked at this particular young man who gave him a scratch on his forehead. He made sure to hit him until his face was swollen. Then he left him and went back to the others.
When he finished beating them mercilessly, he returned to Baba Tunde, who was still trying to process what was going on. Bayo squatted in front of him and repeatedly slapped his left cheek till it turned red.
When he was tired of squatting, he pulled one of Baba Tunde’s boys forward and forced him to bend with his knees and palms on the ground. Then he sat comfortably on his back as if he were a chair.
“So tell me. What is the problem? Bayo asked Baba Tunde, glaring at him.
“These rascals came to me to lend them money, which I did. When the time to pay up finally came, they kept coming up with different stories. So I had no choice but to do what was necessary,” Baba Tunde said.
“Oh, I see…so was kicking the old lady out part of you doing what was necessary?” Bayo asked.
“It was because she was constantly in the way.”, Baba Tunde said.
“Okay, just like you and your boys got in my way, right? Now I understand. At least we’re all even. You threw her out of her house and I drove you and your boys out of your senses. So tell me, how much are we talking about?.” Bayo asked, leaning forward.
“One hundred and fifty thousand plus interest,” Baba Tunde said.
“Only?.” Bayo asked in amazement.
“Yes,” Baba Tunde responded.
“All right, let me have your account information,” Bayo said bringing out his phone.
And when Baba Tunde gave him the details, he transferred 180,000 instead of 150,000.
“You just sent more than what was required.” Baba Tunde said, staring at his phone when he received the alert.
“Yes. The rest of the money is for the treatment. Use it to get treatments for you and your boys. But the next time I see you near this compound, I’ll make sure you’re sent six feet underground, and I’m sure you know what I mean,” Bayo said.
“Yes I do,” said Baba Tunde said, nodding his head.
“Good. I guess we’re done here,” Bayo said and got up.
Baba Tunde and his boys, who were all limping, got up in pain and were about to leave when Bayo called them back.
“So who will pack all these things inside?” Bayo asked pointing at the things they brought outside.
Baba Tunde and his boys had to go back and put the things back in the room and rearrange them as they originally found them. But this time it was Oye who gave them instructions on where and how to arrange their properties.
When they were done, they quickly left the premises. Then Oye went to Bayo and said:
“You’ve done enough by hitting them. You didn’t have to go the extra mile by paying off our debts,” she said.
“I didn’t do this for you. I did it for your grandmother.” Bayo said.
Then he left her and went to Oye’s grandmother who was still sitting on the wooden chair.
“Thank you for helping me teach those men a lesson that they won’t easily forget,” Oye’s grandmother said, holding Bayo’s hand.
“It’s nothing mama. I just couldn’t take it when I saw them push you to the ground,” Bayo said.
“Thank you, my son. Seeing you reminds me of my late son. Now I know how important it is to have a son in a family. Because if my son were still alive, I doubt Baba Tunde would have had the courage to come into my house and humiliate me as he did,” Oye’s grandmother said, with tears in her eyes.
“You don’t have to think like that, Mama. Your granddaughter Oye is a tigress herself.” He said, staring at Oye, who rolled her eyes and looked away.
“She’s a fierce and strong woman who bravely faced a hot-blooded man like me,” Bayo said, recalling the slap Oye had given him outside the hospital.
“You will not blame my granddaughter for being as stiff and brave as she is. It’s not entirely her fault. She grew up without a father or brother to protect her from violent men who often tried to take advantage of our condition, and make mockery of us. I and Oye have been fighting for ourselves for the past 18 years after she lost her parents,” Oye’s grandmother said.
“What a coincidence. I also lost both of my parents 18 years ago,” Bayo said.
“For real?.” Oye’s grandmother asked.
“Yes, Mama,” Bayo replied, fighting back tears.
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you growing up,” she said, patting the back of his hand.
Bayo nodded in agreement and Oye’s grandmother had to hug him to comfort him.
“Don’t worry, okay?. From now on my house is always open for you.” She said.
“Thank you, Mama,” Bayo said with tears in his eyes.
When he finally freed himself from her embrace, Oye’s grandmother then noticed the scratch on his forehead.
She quickly told Oye to treat Bayo’s wound with first aid. Bayo told her he was fine. But she insisted Oye had to bandage his injury before leaving. She let him sit next to her while Oye went in to get her first aid kit.
“Don’t forget to take your glasses with you. It’s already getting dark,” Oye’s grandmother shouted as Oye went into the room.
“What was that about the glasses? Does she have a problem with her eyes?” Bayo asked with curiosity written all over his face.
“Yes. My Oye can’t see clearly at night without her glasses. I actually took out a loan from Baba Tunde for her eye surgery. But unfortunately during that time, I became ill and all the money was used to save my life instead. My poor Oye. Recently, she happened to have run into the suspected person who killed the cop at our store area. But unfortunately, she couldn’t see his face that night. Her condition has done more harm than good to her. That’s why she’s always aggressive. And she doesn’t work night shifts because of her condition,” Oye’s grandmother said.
Hearing this, Bayo recalled the night he met Oye. Then he remembered accidentally knocking her glasses off her eyes when he bumped into her.
“Could that mean she didn’t see my face that night?” He wondered deeply.
As Oye bandaged his wound, he kept staring into her eyes, wondering about the pain she must have been going through. All he felt for her at that moment was nothing but pity.
When Oye finished bandaging his wound, he thanked her and left, despite her grandmother’s attempts to make him wait for dinner.
Bayo drove back home. He then started seeing Oye with a total change of heart. He understood now why she was always defensive and rigid.
“She wasn’t troublesome like I thought. She’s just a poor girl who always acts strongly to hide her weakness and pain.” He said to himself as he drove home.
When he got home, he received a call from Abeni.
“Hey what’s up?.” He asked.
“I’m cool. Dad said to remind you about the family dinner tomorrow.,” Abeni said.
“Alright. Tell him I won’t keep him waiting.” Bayo said and ended the call.
He went to his room and undressed. As he entered his bathroom and turned on his shower, he remembered the slap he had received from Oye and it was odd how he suddenly found it funny.
“She is indeed a madwoman.,” he said with a chuckle.
At Chief Afolabi’s house.
Chief Afolabi and his two children, Bayo and Abeni, met in his home for a family dinner. As they ate in absolute silence, he noticed the plaster on Bayo’s forehead. Then he broke the awkward silence.
“What’s with the plaster on your forehead?” He asked.
“I got into a fight with some loan sharks,” Bayo replied, eating his food.
Abeni turned around quickly and looked at him in surprise.
“What loan sharks are you talking about? When did you go broke?” Chief Afolabi asked curiously.
“It wasn’t me, boss. It was Oye, the girl you asked me to keep an eye on.” Bayo said.
“Since when did you start fighting other people’s battles?. Have you forgotten that your face is your greatest asset?. How are you going to seduce the minister’s daughter with a face like that?” Chief Afolabi shouted.
“Chief, it was an accident and I don’t think anyone is above it,” Bayo said, almost losing his appetite.
“What ridiculous accident are you talking about?. It was a deliberate act to keep you away from work. You’ve been making inexcusable mistakes here and there these days. Bayo, what exactly is your problem?” asked Chief Afolabi.
In anger, Bayo got up from his seat and said:
“I thought this was supposed to be a family dinner. But it seems like I’ve forgotten that I’m not family at all,” Bayo said.
This made Chief Afolabi so angry that he stood up and slapped Bayo in the face.
“You ungrateful idiot. Is that how you talk to your father?” he asked in an angry tone.
“What father?. A father who won’t let me call him father in public?. If you were a father like you claim, then you would have done better. Thanks for the food.” Bayo said.
And angrily, he left the dining room.
“What an arrogant boy he’s become.” Baba Tunde shouted angrily.
“But Dad, what you did was wrong. You should have shown concern for him before bringing up the business issue. Everything shouldn’t be all about business.” Abeni said, standing up.
“You too? Do you want to join that unfortunate pig?” Chief Afolabi glared at her.
“If you cared about him, you would have known that tomorrow is the anniversary of his parent’s death. And he gets angry easily this time of the year. You’ve been living with him for 18 years and I expected you to know better. Because right now, your actions will only make him miss his parents even more. Thank you for the food. I’m going.” Abeni said.
She also walked away, leaving Chief Afolabi in complete surprise.
In anger, Bayo drove at full speed until he could no longer drive. He found a quiet place to park his car and there he burst into tears, crying his heart out.
