"I will kill you today!" Mr Johnson's voice boomed as sweat trickled down his forehead. I watched his hand grasp my mother's neck, preventing any possible air into her lungs. The kitchen smelled of beer breath and it looked scattered.
In horror, I looked around and saw how Busola curled herself up under the kitchen sink. I closed my eyes and I knew that I would never imagine myself hiding under the kitchen sinks. Not me. I was so easily irritated.
With anger fuming in me, I pulled Mr Johnson away with my strength. I had barely gotten him a few steps away from my mum before he launched himself over her, reaching for her neck.
Angrily, I bit his hand and he screamed. He gripped my hair and I painfully shut my eyes. "Go, go, Mum, go."
Against the wall she was, my mother rather slumped down, taking her breath.
"You are here again!"
"Yes, I am." I yanked his hand off my hair and kicked his groin.
Mr Johnson went down again and quickly I saw Busola coming with a frying pan to hit his head. I got hold of her and tried to take it from her. Busola with how fast she was breathing refused to let it go and I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let her hit her father. But the painful look on her face and her aim made her more adamant.
I turned her to face me and said, "You can't hit your dad. He loves you."
This actually softened her heart and I collected the frying pan from her. I looked at Mr Johnson and hit his head myself.
"What did you do?" Busola ran to her dad.
"Something that had to be done. Don't worry, he's not dead, believe me. I had to, so you can all leave before he wakes up. How do you think he will react when he wakes up, especially when he knew you wanted to hit him with a frying pan?"
Bisola sniffled and went to sit beside Mum who had no tears left to shed.
"Where is Bayo?"
"He's passed out in Mum's room."
"What happened?" I squat in front of them.
"Mum was on the phone with someone and dad barged in asking her who she was talking with not to have heard him calling her. He was pissed off and drunk..." Busola started shedding tears again. I looked at Mum and saw she was staring into nothing. Her neck was worn out and her face was swollen.
"Then what happened?"
"Bayo got in the way and he pushed him against the wall. Mum ran to the kitchen but he got there before she could lock the door."
I heaved out. Today is their last day in this house. "Do you want to be in a new place?"
"Without daddy?"
"Yes. Without him and the beating."
"Yes," Bisola sobbed.
I walked into Mum's room, hoping Bayo was fine as I placed a call on Gideon. He picked up on the first ring and I told him to come to pick them up and allow them to stay at this place for a while before they get a place of their own. Gideon without hesitating said he was on his way. I hung up and checked for Bayo's pulse and it was beating all right.
I grabbed some of their outfits in the wardrobe but couldn't get Bayo's. His room was upstairs. By the time I was done packing, Mum and Busola came in. "I'm packing your stuff, Gideon is coming anytime from now."
"Do we have to stay with him?"
I turned and I glared at her, "Oh would you like to continue living here, getting beatings till you grow old! If you don't want to leave because you still love him, at least consider Bayo and Busola, Mum. Stay at Gideon's and I'll do something soon. Where is Loveline's son?"
"Upstairs. Loveline sent him up when it all started. She said she didn't want him seeing any of what happened," Busola said.
"Sure." I ran upstairs to get Bayo's stuff, but on my way, I saw Loveline and her son, Jonathan, singing rhymes together in the bedroom. She loved him a lot and that was the exact love in this family before. To me, it was best for them to live elsewhere for the sake of Jonathan. I didn't think I liked the idea of him growing up to see his father hitting his stepmother. All wrong. Perhaps that wouldn't happen since they were leaving for Gideon's place.
After I packed a few things Bayo would need, I headed down as Gideon arrived. Bisola and I packed their stuff into the boot while Gideon helped Mum to the front seat before I led him inside to carry Bayo.
When they were finally all set in the car, I said to Gideon, "Thanks for doing this. Please, don't report to anyone until you get her approval."
"But...."
"Gideon, please."
He signed and looked at Mum. I will need to take them to the hospital though. But don't worry, they will be at my house after leaving the hospital. "
"Thanks, I won't forget this favour. Let me know whatever they need in the hospital and tell me which hospital so I can come. "
"Yeah, I will." Gideon gave me a reassuring tight smile before he hit the road.
Okay, that was a change. It was the best for them. For Bayo and Busola especially.
The thought of what Busola wanted to do to her dad came across my mind and I groaned. How is she doing mentally? Because I didn't want her to be like me.
I got into my car and made my way to Jeremy's house. On my way, I called Busola and told her I wouldn't be coming back home for some reason. Actually, it was a reason, just to see Jeremy. It was the only place I needed to be.
By the time I arrived and parked my car in the compound, the security man stood awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, waiting for me to tip him, but I told him I couldn't because I wasn't with my bag or purse since I was in a rush earlier in the afternoon. There was no need to explain why I couldn't tip him yet in the mood I was in, but I had to make him understand and promise to tip him tomorrow.
The instant I got in, Jeremy hugged me and I miserably fell into his arms as tears threatened to spill. But I have had enough.
"I didn't know you were going to drop by but I made you dinner regardless."
I smiled and pecked him. He was a darling. Jeremy served me and watched me eat in silence. We didn't say anything till I was done eating. He cleaned my plates and washed the dishes while I lay in bed, wearing one of his big shirts.
By the time I was drifting to sleep, Jeremy came in. "You are ready to sleep." He sat on the bed.
"Yes. I had an annoying day. One thing I was having a good time with my boyfriend and the next thing, I got a distress call that got me to my Mum's house."
Jeremy smiled and kissed my forehead. "Do you want to talk about it? Or tell me how it went? How is your mum?"
"Jeremy..." I sounded weak.
"It's fine if you don't want to. I just want to be by your side to hear you out_ that's if you want me to by the way.
Of course, I wanted to tell him, but talking about it all over again was too much.
"You are feeling the whole burden, if you share it with me, it will ease the burden. Talk to me." The way he gazed into my eyes urged me to speak up.
Sighing, I sat upright and he embraced me so I could lean on his chest. "He was strangling her when I got there and my sister was under the sink, terrified. He was drunk as usual. He has become more violent and scary since last I saw him." My eyes were gradually filling up with tears. Talking about the whole thing was consuming as it made me realise I was scared. "I'm scared, Jeremy."
His hand smoothed my back. "Don't be, baby. You are stronger than you know."
"Physically, yes, but not emotionally. I am tired and afraid. I'm afraid he has turned into something else. He wasn't like that."
"Does he treat his son and Loveline like that?"
"I don't know, Jer, but I don't think so. If he did, I would have been told. I can't wrap my head around it. My biological mother doesn't want me, my adopted father doesn't want me, and no one wanted to be my friend at first. No one wants me. Is something wrong with me?"
I can't even shoot a gun without shaking!
Jeremy sighed and lifted my chin, gazing into my eyes. "I want you."
My heart melted. I knew he did but the way he said that while gazing into my eyes made my heart melt the more, but I had fear slyly lurking in the corner of my heart. What if he got tired of me? What if he found out he was dating a gangster? Would he still want me?
"Why do you want me?"
_________________
"Why?" he smirked. "Because I love you and want you for you."
Slightly I opened my mouth to say something, but I got interrupted by a kiss. Jeremy kissed my lips romantically and gently. I touched his face and kissed him back. I kissed him back with a passion in me and I instantly forgot my sorrow. Wrapping my hand around his neck, I managed to lay down without breaking the rhythm of our lips, pulling Jeremy closer to me as I hungrily sucked his mouth. Not gently anymore and not too rough either.
Jeremy kissed my forehead, nose, eyes, ears, and the nape of my neck before kissing my mouth again. He began kissing my collarbone, all the way to my neck again and he licked it seductively.
I began to unbutton his shirt and he stopped me straight up. I questioned his action with my face and he sighed, his hand still gripping mine. I kinda felt rejected.
"I don't think you want to do this."
"I want to..."
"You don't know what I meant. Right now, you are emotionally not fine, considering what happened at home today... I don't want you to feel like I took this as an opportunity too..."
"I'm in my right sense, Jeremy."
"Well, what if..."
I cut him off by giving him a brief kiss before I went back to unbuttoning his shirt. I rubbed my hand on my chest and he just smiled at me. Jeremy threw his shirt on the floor and started going for mine.
I stopped him and he frowned. I wasn't going to allow him to see my nakedness because I was shy! Really. I was wearing nothing underneath except for my panties.
"Hmm, can you turn the light off, please?"
Jeremy looked confused, glancing at the switch. "Is that how you..."
"No, that's not how I have sex. Never had before."
"Jesus, Tosin!" He sat on the bed.
"What?"
"Your first time? You don't look like it."
"Is there a look girls have when they've had sex before? Should I have written it on my forehead that I'm a virgin?"
"You look tough and act like you are a kind of girl.. ."
Nonsense. "Jeremy, I'm giving you my word tonight, let's do this."
Jeremy took one final look at me before he headed for the switch. After he turned it off, he was back on top of me, reaching for my face instead of the shirt. "That's my face."
"Babe, let me dim the lamp, I can barely see in the dark. Jer did what he wanted and was back for the shirt. He unbuttoned the shirt and I lifted my back, taking it off my back to the floor. I grabbed his face, kissing it everywhere as he smoothly ran his hand on my skin.
Kissing my collarbone, he went down to the middle of my breasts. He rubbed his hand on my stomach and cupped my breast as he kissed me passionately.
Finally, we got naked and Jeremy's honey eyes looked into mine with passion. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"
His way of caring for me made me realise he cared enough to know how I feel about this whole thing before going all the way. I nodded in response looking back at his eyes that showed he loved me.
Before Jeremy would start, I remembered the condom in my bag and told him to get it. He did with questioning me but I quickly narrated how it got there so he wouldn't be thinking I brought in a condom on my first day here expecting us to have sex when it was the contrary. Well, the condom came in handy more than I expected myself.
We made love easily and gently as I was new to it. As we made love, I felt this fierce desire burning in me and wanted more of him. Something I never expected to feel. The pleasure I got from being romantically involved with Jeremy made me moan now and then with satisfaction as I longed for him the more.
Two things that were clear to me during our love making section were that one, Jeremy wasn't selfish, and two, I fell more and more in love with him like I never did. I was crazily in love with Jeremy and that scared me.