Tayo tore the letter and burst into laughter as he dropped the pieces on the floor. He dipped his hands into his pocket and staggered towards the bar in the visitor’s room to pour himself few shots of Jack Daniels. The girls remained seated. Osasu focused on the face of Osato with the hope that she’ll get an explanation. Osato buried her face in her palms. The tears of John’s demise had run dry. She was drowning in her own sweat; she had gone from sad to being ashamed. Tayo suddenly got tired of drinking from the cup; he grabbed the bottle of Jack and began to pour its contents into his mouth. Neither of the girls had ever seen him that way, but they didn’t need to be told that his reticence meant anger.
Thirty minutes passed and the whole house remained silent. Osato had her head bowed in shame while Osasu just sat speechless.
“I have to go and get Mark and Brian from the crèche now. It’s past four already,” Osasu said to no one in particular. Perhaps she figured that was the best way to get herself out of the messy situation. An opportunity for Osato to explain whatever Musa’s letter meant. One thing was certain; should now pay special attention to her kids. If anything negative happens to them, it would be totally disastrous on the family. As she made for the door, Tayo slammed the bottle of whisky, which was now empty on the floor and screeched, “Osasu sit down before I let out my fury on you! I am trying to be calm, please do not push me. Sit back down before I make you do so,” Tayo yelled on as he stood up from the bar stool and approached the girls.
“Osasu. Ask your sister where my son is. I deserve an explanation, don’t I?” he laughed in mockery and continued. “I mean, I need to know why Musa of all people. Ah! Musa has been sleeping with my supposed wife” – Tayo’s hands began to tremble in synchrony with his voice – “God knows how many times that has happened under my nose and I didn’t even suspect it.” “Tell me Osasu, do you know about this? Were you girls waiting for me to find out? Perhaps, you were covering your sister’s iniquity. This is wickedness.”
“Tayo calm down, I’m sure there’s an explanation for this,” Osasu said calmly.
“Do not tell me to calm down” Tayo retorted. “I deserve an explanation and I want it now before I do something!” He screamed and startled both girls, especially Osato who was finding it very difficult to express herself. Each time she attempted to utter a word she shamefully ended up swallowing her saliva. Tayo took giant strides as he walked back to the bar to retrieve a handy piece of the broken bottle.
“Will you start talking or do I have to use this?” he pointed the bottle at Osato.
“Tayo calm down,” Osasu pleaded. “Tell that to your miserable whore of a sister” – he waved the broken bottle at Osato’s face – “have you been having sex with Musa?”
“I am sorry,” Osato muttered.
“You are sorry? Sorry for what?” Tayo questioned as he slammed the bottle against the wall just above Osato’s head.
“Okay!” Osato finally found her nervous voice, “I did have sex with Musa, but it only happened twice. I am sure the boys are not his.”
“Oh! I see, having sex with him severally would have given him a fair chance, abi?” Tayo countered. Osasu, surprised by her sister’s confession interrupted, “Osato, why would you do such? Why?”
“I was cold and horny and, a-and it just happened. I am sorry.” Osato pleaded guiltily, tears coursing down her soft cheeks as she spoke.
“Oh! Cold and horny. What an excuse! I should have known better. I should have known that you are just a messy piece of tissue paper. Why did I expect better from a girl that slipped into my bed disguising as her twin sister. I should have known that you are a chameleon; a slimy, slippery, sloppy creature.”
“Tayo that isn’t fair,” Osasu refuted.
“Oh, that isn’t fair. Perchance Musa was also doing the same to you. Abi?” Tayo gave her a rhetorical look,
“Hell no!”Osasu thundered in self-defense.
“Then do not tell me that I am not being fair,” Tayo shouted back at her with tears threatening to start pouring from his eyes. “The first time she was cold and horny. That is miserably understandable but very questionable. What happened the second time? He banged her so well the first time and she went back begging him for more?”
He faced Osato and yelled at her letting out a large chunk of saliva that caught her face, “Wasn’t that what happened?” Osato fell on her knees and held Tayo’s leg.
“Please forgive me, I love you.” He kicked her off and slapped his own face hard, probably to wake himself up from the nightmare.
“Osato, but why? Why? Why?” He made a fist with his left hand in an attempt to hit her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Osasu moved two steps closer to him, “Tayo, I am sure we can sort this out as a family. This isn’t the time to get angry, let us channel this energy into bringing Johnson home before it is too late. I am sure Musa is still somewhere around. We might find someone who knows his whereabouts. Please, be patient.” She took another step towards him, placing her directly on some pieces of the broken bottle.
“Osasu, please stop trying to patronize me.” Tayo responded without any regard to her suggestion.
“I am not trying to patronize you dear; I am only giving the best solution. Let us find our child first.”
“Okay, I pray we find him. I hope we find Johnson soon; else I am going to devour this daughter of a whore alive. That’s how your mother bore you after all, creeping into another man’s bed.”
“Tayo, how dare you insult my mother?” Osato blasted Tayo as she stood up to him. “Tayo that isn’t fair,” Osasu supported her sister. Osato raised her hand to shove Tayo aside. He reacted by slapping her hand away. Osato rushed several blows into his chest. Tayo got really angry and shoved her back to the couch where she had been sitting. As soon as her bum hit the couch she endeavored to stand up again. Osasu realized the scene could get ugly and so she moved to stop her sister.
“No, let the whore beat me,” Tayo demanded and pushed Osasu out of the way in order to allow Osato enjoy her display of madness. Osasu lost her balance. Her sandal slipped on a shard of the shattered bottle and she fell, hard. She hit her head on the floor with a crack.
She started bleeding.
