Wedding Ops (Fiction Micro series) Entry 2

​​Yawa

“I still stand by it that Wiz Kid is not dating her!” Mayokun said, as Fali pulled over along the side of the unpainted outer wall of their apartment building. Mr. Kazeem, their landlord had started charging a parking fee within his walls and collected all keys to the gate— it was a flimsy black gate which hung nonchalantly between two unpainted posts, its weathered metal blistered orange with rust bubbles and wounds. Mayokun searched her purse for her keys to the pedestrian gate.

​​"He is!”Fali chuckled, “We can’t all be wrong. What’s the big deal if he is?”

​​“Publicity stunt aye. These celebrities have y’all on puppet strings,”Mayokun hissed, her keys jingled as she fetched it out.

​​Falilat playfully scrunched her nose,“Shut up. What do you know sef?” She turned off the ignition, leaned over and grabbed her heels beside Mayokun’s feet, pushed against her door and got out, sticking out her tongue into the car, “We like the publicity stunt like that. Leave us. I hope they have babies.” She quipped.

​​Mayo chuckled and pushed against her door, but it didn’t budge. She threw her shoulder into it, it squeaked and opened up. She stepped out barefoot onto the warm tar, and her toes curled in response to the hard asphalt.

​​"Baby ko. The baby go resemble—” She froze. 

​​A man was holding Fali around the neck in a headlock close to his face. He was a few inches taller than Fali and his skin a shade lighter than her dark skin. The skin on his face was colored unevenly and his hair needed a trim—or at least a comb. The man had an object to Fali’s head.  

​​Mayo’s mind reeled as she stared at the dull, gray metal pressed against her cousin’s ear.

​​Gun. Gun. Gun…

​​“Where’s the money?” The man asked.

​​“Calm down, oga,” Mayokun slowly held her hands up, she took one step away from the car towards the front. Then another. Her bare feet scraped against the floor and the trumpet style of her skirt kept her knees closer than she’d have liked. 

​​”Don’t move. I’ll finish her.”

​​”Ok. Just wait. Relax.” 

​​She took another step around the car and paused at the bonnet of the car. Fali’s eyes were wide and stared out of sharp whites. She whimpered as the man pressed the gun harder to her earlobe.

​​“Let her go. I’ll give you whatever we have. We have 6 tablets, 4 phones,” Fali’s slender arms hung helplessly at her side. “Please…”She whimpered.

​​Something moved in the corner of Mayokun’s eye. It was then she noticed the car parked behind theirs.

​​A figure stepped out of the passenger’s seat. He was tall, slightly hunched and wore black native buba and sokoto. His gait was relaxed and his movement almost sluggish, like he had all day.

​​Kayo.

​​"Kayo, na your guy be dis? This is your person?”Mayokun hissed and dropped her hands to her hips.

​​"Cynthia” He smiled at Mayokun.

​​“Where’s Otunba’s money?” His raspy drawl grated her ears, then he made a sucking noise, as he turn over a sweet in his mouth. He was never without a hard candy. 

​​"Kayo, we are working on it. I promise you—”

​​She caught the reflection of the  neighbor’s flourescent light on a gun in his left hand. His arms hung loosely at his sides from his hunched shoulders, giving him semblance to a vulture. He stood there turning the sweet over in his mouth again, on occasion, again making the sucking noise.

​​“Look. Once my mother is discharged”, Mayokun continued, “I’ll have more liquidity, I promise. We are doing everything. Fali is even an Uber driver in the evenings. Though she has a 2 star rating but still…”

​​”Not the time…”Falilat glanced at her stiffly,”I don’t want to die. Please take my car! Take everything.”

​​Kayo looked at the rear of the old 1993 Camry, his eyes traveled languidly along the body of Fali’s car.  “This car should be incinerated.”

​​For a brief moment, Fali looked hurt. 

​​“I've given you enough time. However, Otunba is willing to make a deal,” Kayo paused.

​​“He thinks you aren’t bad looking. “ He looked thoughtfully at Mayokun and shrugged. He has a suite at Maritime. When you are ready say the word.”

​​Mayokun rolled her eyes,“That’s disgusting—“

​​“Ahah,” He held up his gun, “Calm yourself. He said to me, ‘by any means necessary, I want the girl. But of her own volition.’” 

​​“There’s no way I’m sleeping with some old baba because I took 6 thousand dollars. Kpere. Abeg no.”

​​“You’ll come around.”

​​He snapped his fingers.

​​"No please” Falilat yelled, her eyes squeezed shut like she expected the worst.

​​"You have 48 hours. Do your magic. Call me when you get the money.”

​​“No!”Fali screamed as the man dragged her backwards towards their SUV, the gun was pressed deep in her side now. He threw her in the backseat.

​​“No!” Mayokun whispered,”Wait, Kayo.”  She wobbled in the long train of her dress.

​​“That’s what you say every time, Cynthia.” His back to her, his drawl sounded far away. 

​​“Time’s up, my dear.”

​​They got into the car, the driver made a quick Y-turn. Someone held Fali down at the back, her screams were muffled and Mayokun could see her struggling.

​​“No! Please.” She stumbled forward and broke into a stiff run after the car. The tail lights sped away from her. She stopped, her knees weak under her. She sank unto the warm asphalt. 

To be continued (tomorrow)…