This is the 3rd part of the complicated series, please read enjoy and comment. Thanks

“Her name is Teniola she… your mum’s cousin” He stopped, took another deep breath. It actually appeared that he required much physical strength to speak.

“She was her best friend, they were like sisters”

“So what happened? They quarreled?”

Kenny couldn’t handle the suspense any longer; he was actually very shaken by both his parents’ reactions. Tai was equally shaken.“She died” Femi intoned.

Silence.

The boys were not sure of the appropriate answer to this so Tai asked the obvious question. “Is that us both of you were holding in that picture?”

“Yes.” There was still an expectant look on both faces so he soldiered on

“When your mum had you, she had some complications. She needed a transfusion, our blood types did not match, Teniola had to donate the blood.”

“Your mum was in intensive care for a couple of days, about 32 hours actually” He paused took another deep breath “We took the pictures while waiting for her to come out of ICU”

“Sorry dad”

“How did she die?” Kenny queried

“Child birth, you guys were about 2 years old at the time.”

He stood up from the sofa looked at his sons for a several moments and then went after his distraught wife. Moments later they heard muffled cries of their mum, the only discernible word was “why?” which she repeated severally.

1991
“Teni, Teni Teni, we need to leave now… I think that face is adequately painted and these guys have been waiting long enough” Julia was smiling as she spoke.

Her cousin, was an in your face kind of individual, the boisterous, life-of-the-party type of individual. All of this was however a cover for some deep seated insecurities. She was an only child of really busy parents. She was practically raised by a series of nannies yet was only allowed to move out of home a year before now – in her 2^nd year in the University and only because Julia who was a year ahead and had agreed to share a room with her. Only then and after much persuasion did her parents agree to let her move out of home. This was however on the condition that she came home every weekend- the arrangement had now become an every other weekend affair.

Teni’s mum was sisters with Julia’s and Teni’s parents were very comfortable having their daughter stay with her cousin because Julia was the quiet, unassuming type. She was diminutive and had this overall cute look that made you just want to hug her and never let go. She had been best friends with Teniola since there were kids and spent almost all holidays with her and her parents.

“Julia, let them wait, that’s why they are our cousins abeg, and it’s not like they can leave anyway, no one is getting into that party without me. . . come let me make your face up properly, nobody is going to look at you twice with your white powder and lip gloss o”

“Thanks but no thanks”

“Hmmm, like it or not I am getting you a boyfriend before you leave this school”

“I had one before, I don’t want another one yet” her smiling face took on a subdued look as she continued under her breath

“probably never”

“Ehen what happened with you and Tunde?” Teniola stepped out of the bed room in their self-contained apartment into the sitting-cum-living-cum-waiting-cum-dining room

“You have kept mum on this for too long, you keep telling me it’s the in the past but whenever you hear that name, you mood never fails to darken”

Julia was staring, mouth agape at her cousin, her heavily made up face- which still somehow managed to enhance her beauty was not the problem, her skirt was scandalously short, so short you could almost see her bum cheeks peeking out under the hem.

“How in God’s name do you propose to sit down in that thing? Jesus Christ!”

“It’s a party, there will be mingling and dancing; no sitting for this chick.” She was thoroughly amused by the scandalised look on her cousin’s face, so she pushed even further

“unless I find someone who sweeps me off my feet, then I will let him take me off to a dark corner, slide his hands up my skirt and Oooh!” she moaned, her eyes rolling till only the whites showed

“Ravage my lady parts and just generally take advantage of me!” she pretended to swoon and fell into the nearest chair. Julia snickered and then burst out laughing, when she finally caught her breath she said

“See this one, nobody seeing you or listening to you would believe you are still a virgin”

“I’m working on that” Teniola pouted “I am working on it!”

“You are too scared darling, you can’t do it”

“I can and I will, very soon too, maybe tonight in fact”

“No you won’t , we both know you are too scared baby”

“Well it’s all thanks you” she was still pouting

“I have told you severally that my first time wasn’t so bad, I was exaggerating the first time I told you about it”

“You are only saying that to get me to do it, well there is no need I am doing it tonight!” there was a look of absolute determination on Teniola’s face.

“Guys are we still going to this thing or not?” there was a loud knock on the door and then it was pushed open before the girls could reply. Two young men in their early twenties barged into the room. They were cousins and cousins to the girls as well. Jide was stout and fair, a very lively fellow, with a character that more than made up for his lack of height, Tola was equally fair, average height with the face of a young Adonis. Tola was however a bit awkward socially so after one or two encounters, most people who tried to become friends simply drifted away. The only people who were his constant friends were his three cousins who attended the university with him..

The party was in full swing; yet when he walked in she saw him immediately, her throat went dry, she felt  hot and cold at the same time and a thin film of perspiration cloaked her skin. He paused in the door way, his broad shoulders covering the bright lights filtering in from outside. Then he turned his eyes on her.

“Wait a minute” she thought

“Is he looking at me? Why is he looking at me? Is he walking towards me? Why is he walking towards me? Stop moving!!!” She screamed in her mind, willing him to halt. He kept walking until he came up to her.

Stay tuned for episode 4 next week Friday.

Like, Leave a comment. Share and Subscribe. Many thanks.